Army Air Forces Alerts: Merlin P-40Fs, .50 Caliber MG Jams & Turbo Superchargers (1942-Restored)

yes it's the new P 40 F latest addition to a fighting family Uncle Sam has reason to be proud of this full grown baby who gets her wings from the American Eagle and her heart from the British lion it's a winning combination that means more altitude but without fear of overheating for a pressure cooling system ensures a pure flow of mixture without air dilution the rolls-royce engine roaring power plant of Spitfires and hurricanes differs little in outward appearance and operation from the Allison but putting it into the p40 was more than a matter of friendship between two nations it means she'll spread those wings and climb climb up there and fight with all the strength needed to bring down axis ships two important features spell altitude in the roles first on the test stand you see the supercharger with the highest altitude rating of any geared single stage two-speed unit used in the air forces a control in the cockpit allows the pilot to switch to high speed when he climbs over 13,000 feet here's number two the automatic boost control which holds the normal rated manifold pressure constant regardless of altitude changing the throttle sets both the manifold pressure and the magneto advance thus interlocking timing and throttle control this cockpit control cuts out the automatic feature in an emergency there she is more than 1,500 pounds of raw naked power ready to zoom the P 40 F to new heights let's go baby show on what the kid can do in this church one gun is fighting the Battle of two it's made his jam as useless to the team as a broken arm to a boxer all because headspace is improperly adjustment here's the story in this gun headspace is adjusted by attaining the proper distance between the bolt and the barrel failure to adjust headspace properly will cause sluggish operation and frequent stoppage when the cartridge is fully seated in the chamber this illustrates proper headspace adjusting the base of the cartridge is held against the base of the bolt and the cartridge is fully seated in the chamber if there is too much headspace that is if the end of the barrel is screwed away from the base of the bolt the cartridge will not be fully seated in the chamber the explosion tries to drive the loose cartridge forward into its proper position in the chamber and since the head of the clock Ridge is held firmly in the t-slot the explosion results in a separated case only the rear part of the case is extracted leaving the forward part in the chamber jamming the gun to adjust headspace the cover is raised using the extractor as a handle try to move the ball if it moves independently of the barrel extension as here headspace is too loose retractable and hold it to the rear to get a synopsis for the point of a cartridge tighten the barrel one notch at a time then let the ball go forward sparkling the action still closes the barrel must be tightened at least one more notch because it still closes it must be tighten at least another notch now the action does not fully close the notches can be seen loosen the barrel one notch and the barrel will go fully forward from this point proper headspace is obtained by loosening the barrel two more notches the smoothness of the action can now be tested by pulling the bolt to the rear and letting it go forward now both guns will fire away full bullet speed ahead a surefire answer Gunnar's prayer without the two of the key known in modern aerial warfare fire into the clouds gore fat fighter airplanes amber fire breathing through the turbosupercharger and iron lung built into our ships with American ingenuity and know-how here you'll see a model not a way to show its inside here is the regulator set by the pilot through a cockpit control the bellows in this unit compensate automatically for changes in air density during flight at different altitudes by allowing more or less exhaust gas to drive the turbine wheel or to escape through the wastage mechanics must go over the supercharger carefully after shaking the unit to make sure mounting bolts are tight and inspecting for bullet holes the turbine wheel is spun to see if it runs freely and smoothly next a careful inspection of the buckets looking for cracks both inside and out and for elongation beyond the rim trouble in this department means removing the whole unit for repair in the shop a cracked or elongated bucket is a weak one liable to go and dam the supercharger completely the mechanic then inspects visually for wharfage or cracking in the nozzle diaphragm by sighting between it and the turbine wheel also checked at this time is bucket alignment and if warpage is apparent the unit should be removed for repair the feeler gauge is used to check clearance which should be kept between 95 and 120 thousands of an inch run-out is spotted by placing the thumbnail against the rim of the revolving disc if run-out is found there is most likely some distortion in the hub area and for an inspection the cooling cap must be removed a check is made for cracked or loose bolts then a further manual check for radial and M play in the turbine wheel now over to the waste games to see if it moves freely and with enough play to allow for heat expansion during flight next the mechanic checks the supercharger oil supply it is highly important that proper grade oil be kept right up to the top of the filler pipe does the oil supply be found low an inspection of the tank itself within the landing wheel well should be made here the mechanic looks and feels for oil leaks and checks to see opposed connections are tight forward in the wheel well he inspects the regulator checks control linkage as well as oil and air line from the engine the exhaust manifold should be checked for leaks at the nozzle box Inlet and in the cooling air pipe just above when the cooling cap is replaced care should be taken to maintain the clearance between it and the turbine wheel at the prescribed minimum of 1/8 of an inch the key note his altitude the watchword care care of the supercharger in its most minut detail for only with such care can the turbo function properly at high altitude will make our fighters climb like homesick angel you

Channel: ZenosWarbirds

Views: 16,108

Rating: 4.9337015 out of 5

Keywords: Curtiss P-40F, .50 Caliber Machine Gun, Army Air Forces Alerts, Turbo Supercharger, Wright Field, United States Air Force, Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Id: dVPfNkQ6iV8

Length: 8min 54sec (534 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 03 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/TheCosmicCactus]

"... to make our fighters climb like homesick angels!"

Yeah right. US fighters climb like drunk angels, more like it.