1、Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II GRAHAM WHITEAllied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II History and Development of Frontline Aircraft Piston Engines Produced by Great Britain and the United States during World War II Graham White Published by: Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
2、400 Commonwealth Drive Warrendale, PA 15096-0001 U.S.A. Phone: (412) 776-4841 Fax: (412) 776-5760 Copyright 1995 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. eISBN: 978-0-7680-4641-0Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data White, Graham, 1945- The allied aircraft piston engines of World War II :
3、history and development of frontline aircraft piston engines produced by Great Britain and the United States during World War II / Graham White. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-56091-655-9 (hc) 1. Airplanes, MilitaryUnited StatesMotorsHistory. 2. Airplanes, MilitaryGreat
4、 BritainMotorsHistory. 3. World War, 1939-1945Equipment. I. Title. TL701.W455 1995 629.134352dc20 95-20100 CIP Cover photo of Allison V-1710 F32 engine (courtesy of Allison Division, General Motors Corp.). Copyright 1995 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. ISBN 1-56091-655-9 All rights reserved. P
5、rinted in the United States of America. Permission to photocopy for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by SAE for libraries and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), provided that the base fee of $.50 per page is paid
6、 directly to CCC, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923. Special requests should be addressed to the SAE Publications Group. 1-56091-655-9/95 $.50. SAE Order No. R-154This book is dedicated to my late Mom, Peggy White, and my Dad, Arthur White, who have always supported me in my various pursuits.Forew
7、ord As in chess, the course of history is determined by a few key movesoften by one false move, one fatal error of judgment. In war ones enemy is unlikely to grant a second chance, save by ineptitude. In 1939, Germany invaded Poland, having already annexed Czechoslovakia. Britain and France, though
8、far from prepared, fulfilled the threat and declared war on Germany. Arguably, the darkest phase of this centurys history had begun. It was not at that time a world war. Indeed, it was a very European war, observed, often with journalistic impartiality, from the western side of the Atlantic. Enginee
9、ring has, for a long while, been a major contributor to military strength. In recent times the battles have been fought not only between armies, but between design offices, laboratories, test houses, and production lines. Germany had a fine reputation for engineering innovation, quality, and manu- f
10、acture, and retained these, quite remarkably, until the final weeks of the war in Europe. This book tells how this strength was countered, and how, with the entry into the war of the Japanese and consequently the United States toward the end of 1941, the engineering battle moved onto a broader front
11、. Since this book is about the Allied involvement in the struggle for aerial supremacy, or indeed for equality, it can never be more than half the story. It is, however, a part of the story that is not often told, and one that historians of classical or military background find hard to tell because
12、every facet involves some technical development that may at the time have seemed quite trivial, but has in retro- spect altered the course of history. In 1940 the outcome of the Second World War was far from certain. There were many observers (possibly the fathers of those reading this book) who tho
13、ught, and with some justification, that all of Europe would fall into the hands of Nazi Germany. During that fine summer of 1940 the likelihood seemed very strong indeed. The Battle of Britain was never a foregone conclusion. Like the game of chess, it was a battle waiting for one side to make a mis
14、take. Numerical superiority was with the Germans. Battle experience was with the Germans. That the battle would be fought over the South of England favored the British, since damaged aircraft could be recovered, and a rescued pilot could fight again. The effectiveness of British radar was a surprise
15、 to the attacking force, for without it the battle would have been lost. There was no way the RAF could have flown effective standing patrols. vForeword The aircraft, however, were evenly matched. Both sides eventually withdrew one player each from the front line of daytime combatthe Germans, the Me
16、sserschmitt 110, which was out-performed by both the Hurricane and the Spitfire, and the British, the ill-conceived twin-seat Defiant. Though both the Hurricane and the Spitfire were low-wing, single-seat, eight-gun fighters, their design concepts were different in many ways. They did, however, have
17、 one vital unit in common, and that was the engine. Had that engine not been available, had Camm and Mitchell, the respective design leaders of the Hurricane and the Spitfire, been obliged to rely on the next available alterna- tive, there is little doubt that the Battle of Britain would have been l
18、ost. Operation Sealion, the German invasion of England, would have been put into effect. It is hard to imagine, despite Churchills calls to what few arms the British had, how effective resistance could have been offered. Europe would have been in Axis hands. The rest is deep speculation, but the les
19、sons of the Normandy beaches are enough to tell us that a counter-offensive from the American continent would have been decades away. For a brief but crucial period of history, the survival of Europe, and indeed Western democracy, rested on the availability of one twelve-cylinder engine. The contrib
20、ution to that engines development by a small band of individuals was such that, had any one been eliminated, one knight or even one pawn lost in the game, the delicate balance of historys scales could have been inexorably tipped. The balance between catching and being caught was that delicate. Witho
21、ut Merediths work on radiators, Miss Shillings on carburetors, Hookers on superchargers, the American Hamilton license for constant speed propellers (one could go on naming them), the battle might well have been lost. The story of the piston engine in World War II is the story of the ending of an er
22、aan era that was terminated by the acceleration of history. The piston engine never had the opportunity to reach its full development, for it had dawned on some by 1942 that the future lay with the jet. As a conse- quence of this, many who were involved with the piston engine changed horses, almost
23、in mid- stream. Halford, who had been responsible for later efforts with the de Havilland Goblin gas turbine, abandoned the Napier Sabre, one of the lastand most powerfulaircraft piston engines. Hooker, somewhat reluctantly, left the Merlin to work with Whittle. Of the major builders, only Wright ke
24、pt faith with the piston engine, getting as close to the ultimate in piston aero-engine development as engineering was to see, though this honorable, if short-sighted, conservatism was to cost them their very existence. Had the war lasted three more years the jet engine would have been the decisive
25、factor. In fact, the piston engine remained the key player. Only two jets had a measurable effect on the events of the war: the German Messerschmitt 262 and the British Gloster Meteor. The two were never to meet in battle. The technology of the aircraft piston engine reached its climax against the a
26、ccelerating ground-bass of war, often at the tempo of panic. This was particularly so for the European factories (which, in the context of this book, means the English factories), for these were prime targets for bombardment. viForeword Just once in a while, and I hope not from SAE members, one is t
27、old that history is irrelevant to engi- neering. I dispute this: I have known engineers who may be indifferent to the foundations of their profession, but I have yet to find among them one who doesnt aspire to more than mediocrity. Everything in engineering is interpretation. Interpretation is impos
28、sible without data. Data is history. History (and we dont need to haggle over semantics) is not the learning by rote of names and dates, any more than knowledge of a language is the ability to recite a table of verbs. It is about conse- quences, strategy, motives, and resources, and the way these ar
29、e molded by speculation. Engineering is asking the right questions. It requires intelligence plus wisdom, and applies to a deep fund of knowledge based on experience that others have accrued. History is subject to many misconceptionsas many, one might suggest, as is engineering to histo- rians. It h
30、as much in common with astronomy, which is also a study of history. The further you are away from it (and the more finely tuned your tools of observation), the more you see. Much that is written shortly after an event is grossly distorted. Now, at a distance of more than 50 years, more information i
31、s available, though much has been lost in the intervening years through the passing of many who were, as they were called, the back-room boys. Often the privilege of writing a Foreword falls on one whose name or contribution to the field in question is well known. My qualification, though my backgro
32、und is in aircraft, is simply that I was in on this project from the beginning. It began over a lunch in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I shared a drink with the author and listened to his story. I looked at photos of aircraft engines he had renovated and rebuilt as others might a classic car, and
33、found that I was in conversation with some- one who could talk with equal authority and enthusiasm on the products of GM Allison and Rolls- Royce, Wright and Bristol. I was not surprised to hear that Graham White had been born English but had become American. White is no armchair historian, and he i
34、s certainly not an armchair engineer. His curiosity and quest for information took him many thousands of miles, to many libraries, factories, museums, and homes. His energy never seemed to wane. Every morning of the week he spent under my roof in North Kent, under the very skies in which the Battle
35、of Britain had been fought, he was off at the crack of winters dawn for a two-mile run amid the marshland farms. Each day was filled with the frenetic search for information, anecdotes, and pictures, from sources ranging from Londons Science Museum to such treasures as might turn up in a rural Kenti
36、sh barn. I was witness to much of this, and have little doubt that he carried this enthusiasm wherever he went in England or America. The result, and every historian must come to this realization, tells part of the story. It pulls back the curtains of time to reveal just a little more of one theater
37、 of war in which the part played by engi- neers was more than significantit was vital to the freedom that we enjoy today. Don Goodsell Faversham, U.K., 1994 viiAcknowledgments Describing the complex inner workings of military aircraft engines is not the easiest of endeavors! Gathering the informatio
38、n has required the invaluable help of many people to whom I am deeply grateful. In the United States: Aviation historian extraordinaire Dan Whitney has provided not only priceless technical assistance, but Dan also took the time to review the manuscript chapter by chapter. The General Electric turbo
39、- supercharger information was supplied by Dan along with many other anecdotes and pieces of long- buried, technical information. Kevin Cameron, technical editor of Cycle World magazine, lit the original fire under me to write this book. Kevin has always been a source of inspiration with his encyclo
40、pedic knowledge of the inter- nal combustion engine and his enthusiasm for anything mechanical. He was kind enough to loan me his valuable High Speed Internal Combustion Engine, 1968 edition by Sir Harry Ricardo and his copy of Robert Schlaifers and S. D. Herons Development of Aircraft Engines and D
41、evelopment of Aviation Fuels. Retired Pratt Willie Walter, who has probably rebuilt more Pratt The New England Air Museum staff, including Norm Mullings for providing access to the museums extensive collection of aircraft manuals; Al Marcucci, owner of Savage Magneto Services; John Morgan, who is re
42、stor- ing the ultra-rare P-51G; Irv Rosenblum, who kindly loaned me his large collection of Janes; Bob Scott, owner of AeroTropic; Carlos Arana, owner of Florida Airline Services; and many others who supplied moral and technical support. In England: Thank goodness Rolls-Royce has such a profound int
43、erest in its history; it made my job a lot easier! Dave Birch, editor of the Rolls-Royce Archive magazine, was kind enough not only to review the Rolls-Royce chapter but got me into the holy grail at Rolls-Royce, the company archives. Mike Evans, founder of the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, opened up
44、his office and supplied many photo- graphs of engines and aircraft. Both Dave and Mike continually went “above and beyond“ to assist me in my endeavors. My good friend Keith Gough, author of The Vital Spark, has always been an inspiration and valued friend. Keiths hospitality during a visit to Engla
45、nd in December 1993 was invaluable. He took time out to help me go through the Fleet Air Arm Museum archives in Yeovilton. Don Goodsell, a distinguished author in his own right, was kind enough to extend his hospitality to me in December 1993. He greased the skids in numerous ways by gaining access
46、to various archives and collections. Don also critiqued my work and added several interesting and little-known anec- dotes that added immeasurably to the interest of the book. Another company dedicated to preserving their history is Napier. The Napier Power Heritage, and in particular Alan Vessey, H
47、on. Secretary of the NPH, always came through for me with definitive answers to my constant requests for information. Andrew Nahum, Curator of Aeronautics of the Science Museum in South Kensington, provided priceless information on the often overlooked and misunderstood Napier Sabre. During the preparation of this book, I was dating my future wife. To Diane, I owe a sincere debt of gratitude for her understanding and forbearance while I pursued this project. For those I have not mentioned who have contributed in some way, my most sincere apologies. x
