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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 1297.PDF
2OTH, 1943 FLIGHT 523 Span 41ft. Length 32ft Height 13ft Gross Weight 13,500 1b. P. & W. 2,000 h.p Double Wasp. bladed, fully feathering, constant-speed Curtiss electrically operated airscrew. This power puts the Thunderbolt into the "400 m.p.h.-plus " class. The turbo blower and super- charger intcrcooler are both in the rear of the fuselage, and all the necessary ducts are beneath the pilot's floor. As is not unusual with exhaust-driven turbo blowers, there has been some difficulty with boost control, but this is not now a serious trouble. There is, however, a red-light danger signal on which the pilot has to keep his eye to avoid over- revving the turbine rotor afaltitude. The maximum permis- sible speed is 24,000 r.p.rn. To lead internal pipes carrying the hrft exhaust gases from the engine to the supercharger at the rear of the fuselage has presented a number of new problems.' Some fires occurred during protptj,jpe tests, and in the United States there is a standard joke about "the smell of burning stail wheel." Ferrying'range of" the Thunderbolt is given as 1,000 miles. (Left) The single-leg retractable tail wheel. (Centre, top) The four 0.5m. machine guns :nthe starboard wing. Ejection orifices for the spent cartridges and belt links can be seen on the underside. (Centre, below) All the tail surfaces of the Thunderbolt are metal covered. * (Top) The cuffed shanksof the four-bladed airscrew. (Bottom) The treadedtyre is inflated to 45 1b. per sq. in., and the oleo leg is»compressed during retrac- tion. (Left) Air which haspassed through the super- charger intercooler exhaustsfrom a vent in the fuselage side and the engine exhaustgases, after having actuated the turbine, come out belowthe body.
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