[GO DAWG GO]

Steve185,

I like the Hawker Typhoon an Tempest (very similar in appearance) The Typhoon used the Rolls Royce Griffin engine the Tempest did also. The Bristol Centaurus (Sleeved Radial- No Valve) was used in the Hawker Sea Fury..Dennis Sanders flies one out of Chino. The Tempest and Typhoon were no match in a dogfight with any front line German Fighter they were big and heavy and were used for ground attack and shipping. That engine in the picture is not what was used in any High production British fighter. The Rolls Royce Merlin and griffin look the same except the Griffin is the Big Block! Avro Lancasters used the Griffin also.

I have worked on most of these engines and would agree that the P-51 with the (Trade studies) also a very esoteric airfoil and very clean aerodynamically is on the top as a fighter, It carried twice the fuel after adding the tank in the empenage than any other fighter. The Spits was great but had no range. The mustang was faster and had the range. Drop 5% degrees of flap and it would turn with anything in the sky. Strip one and place it above the formation of bombers and it would keep up with a ME-262 back to base and shoot it up landing..

Most of my info is from talking to the vets and reading every book I could get.

P.S. the Grumman F-8F Bearcat is a bad boy and probably could kill anything in the air in 1945...Fast and could turn.

Airplane to car comparison

P-51 is a Z06 Corvette
P-47 is a Dodge Viper
F-8F is a 930 Turbo
FW-190 is 964
BF-109 is 911s
A6M5 Zero is a MR2
Hawker Typhoon is a Humvee

Just being silly..

Bob