Placing the Bell P39 Aircobra.

[Jukka Juutinen]

Please study the development of the R-3350 to see that poppet valves quaranteed no easy time. In fact, according to Kevin Cameron who has studied the R-3350 very thoroughly, not until the TC18 were the final problems of the R-3350 eradicated.

It may also be argued that had Bristol´s board´s and Fedden´s relations been better, he would have got more funds to speed up the problem solving. I.e. e.g. the R-2800 benefitted from the complete support of the management and thus the resources of the company.

And if you study the development of the Bristol Jupiter, neither was that so easy path.


And I do believe that if properly designed, a liquid cooled installation can have at least equal protection against enemy fire, probably greater than that of air cooled radials by using two widely separated buried radiators and providing the possibility of completely isolating the damaged one allowing some power to return to base.