On 2012-12-23 04:30:46 -0800, Ramsman said:

On 22/12/2012 15:30, Waldo Pepper wrote:
Thank you. Yet another book it looks like I need to track down.

Waldo.

The Secret Years, Flight Testing at Boscombe Down 1939-1945, Tim Mason,
Hikoki Publications, 1998. ISBN 9780951989999

It probably won't be cheap, as its original price in the UK was GBP
29.95 and it's scarce now. Fascinating contents though, lots of photos,
lus brief descriptions of the tests and tables of aircraft performance.
From the Miles Messenger to the Gruman Tigercat.

Apropos of the ranting in other threads, the A&AEE didn't think much of
the P-39. The P-38 was tested only briefly as it had already been
rejected by RAF pilots in the USA on account of its u8nacceptable high
altitude performance*. Handling was found to be pleasant.

*No turbochargers, of course. I have read different opinions about why
this was, varying from the Air Ministry not wanting them because they
were too complex to service, to the US Government refusing to supply
them. I have no idea what the real reason was.

The P-38 rejection issue lay with the British Air Ministry. In their
wisdom they specified that the British P-38 variant, the M322B was to
be supplied with the same Allison V1710-39 as found in the P-40 and in
the Mustang I&II, for exchangeability, and supposed ease of
maintenance. That Allison only had a single-stage low altitude
supercharger. Also, 322B (Lightning I/II) performance was further
hampered by only having right engines and no counter rotating props.

The US P-38's were initially fitted with the up-rated Allison
1710-17/19, then the 1710-89/91 in the P-38J and ultimately in the
P-38L the 1710-111/113 with the two-stage turbo-supercharger, and with
the counter rotating prop configuration.

--
Regards,

Savageduck