Graham Boak Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 If you lean the mixture but increase the boost, you can get superior range without sacrificing cruise speed. Basically this is what Lindberg demonstrated to P-38 pilots in the Pacific. (Which leaves me wondering why this wasn't taught in flying school.) Use of this technique results in light grey exhaust stains due to lead deposits, rather than black ones due to carbon from less-than-ideal combustion. Examples here are the "Grey Nurse" RAAF Spitfire Mk.VIIIs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmeyer Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 Thanks, Graham! I'd forgotten about that. So, maybe he'd get back. From what I've read (about Lindberg's work with the 475th Fighter Group, mainly-my uncle was a pilot in that P-38 group, so have a special affinity for it), it made a huge difference, but was very suspiciously looked on, at first. I guess the big concern was that it would increase maintenance requirements a lot. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Red Sox Fan Posted August 20, 2021 Author Share Posted August 20, 2021 (edited) Closing up my Wildcat build linked below and about to start my Kate--I really appreciated the inputs from @dov, @Blimpyboy & @Greenshirt along with many others. These inputs along with the highly recommended sources from Millman have me ready to build my first deeply research IJN aircraft. Had a few quick questions to throw out for thoughts from the forum as I get ready to start--it is interesting to me how hard it is to get info on the Kate--where did Airfix get the historical info on the cockpit/rest of the aircraft--usually Airfix puts out a news article on their research, but all I could find was info on the CAD design--is Airfix's cockpit a that "looks about right" or is there more to it? Finally, regarding the tanks in the cockpit, I have seen both metallic colors recommended for bottles in the navigator compartment--did the IJN have a color standardized colors for oxygen/compressed air--I imagine the bottles in the navigator cockpit are oxygen, and all the period A6M2 photos I can find show black oxygen bottles and silver for compressed gas for aircraft systems. That said, Airfix says they should be aluminum--similar bottles are not present in Hasegawa's 1/48 & 1/72 Kate's to compare and I it is hard to find this level of detail on IJN aircraft systems Thanks to everyone who has grown my Kate knowledge and for anyones future thoughts--really excited to start this build (finally 🙂 ) best to all, Erwin Edited August 20, 2021 by VT Red Sox Fan grammer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 I don't know where Airfix got their information from, but I can think of three possibilities. Bob Mikesh's Japanese Aircraft Cockpits (not sure that has the Kate in it), The Maru Mechanics series that gave engineering drawings of the type under study, and the Bunrin-Do series covering the Kate. That's not including any other product from Japanese sources which better-informed individuals might have, or have access to. They might even have contacted the Japanese Aircraft Special Interest Group of IPMS-UK. which would certainly include "better-informed individuals". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denford Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 As a torpedo bomber (yes I know it could also carry bombs) there would surely be no need for Oxygen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VT Red Sox Fan Posted August 22, 2021 Author Share Posted August 22, 2021 @Graham Boak & @Denford—brilliant & thank you! I am familiar with Mikesh’s book & Maru Mechanic (I reviewed Mikesh but not Maru as I do not have a copy)—but was not familiar with IPMS or the Bunrin-Do series—fascinating material. Denford—I think you are absolutely on the money—particularly since my Kate will be configured to carry a torpedo—why would they carry oxygen when weight has such an impact on range. As I thought this through, a few elements from my A6M2 research rang very true—the A6M2’s aluminum colored compressed air cylinder was significantly larger than the black oxygen bottle—it is not to much of a leap to think that a B5N2’s systems would require more air than a Zero—also, now that I have a better scratch at B5N2 knowledge network, I will move forward with my build following Airfix’s recommendation for aluminum colored tanks in the navigator compartment—thank you both for making time to help me out—best, Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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