One German evaluation of the American P-47 At another Luftwaffe base. A Zirkus Rosarius P-47 Thunderbolt (likely T9+FK) draws another group of inquisitive Luftwaffe mechanics and pilots. In his memoir Luftwaffe Test Pilot–Flying captured Allied Aircraft of World War 2, Hans Werner Lerche wrote: “The P-47 cockpit could baffle even an experienced pilot. I gradually managed to ascertain the function of most of the levers and instruments, but there were also some obscure controls, the meaning of which was not immediately clear to me. For example, the flaps were hydraulically compensation of the flap angle on both sides of the wing, but how this should function was at first a mystery to me. So I decided to try the flaps at a safe altitude and to operate them step by step. Lowered for take-off, they seemed able to take some dynamic pressure. On the other hand, I was obliged to the Americans for having meanwhile indicated on the instruments with the red and green sections regarding which values were acceptable for the engine and which were not. This was probably due to the fact that the P-47 was also flown in combat by non-English speaking pilots who could not easily understand the inscriptions. The levers for regulating the fuel mixture and the hydraulic constant-speed propeller was moved into full revs when the throttle was fully opened. A warning lamp was provided to indicate over speeding of the exhaust-driven turbine which activated the supercharger of the 2000 hp Double-Wasp radial engine at higher altitudes, but I did not intend to test this during my ferry flight. The sliding cockpit hood in the Thunderbolt was particularly pleasant and could be easily opened at low speeds. The roominess of the cockpit was also pleasantly surprising and comfortable, with the exhaust pipe leading to the turbine behind the pilot’s compartment. I was used to cowering in the Bf 109 seat to avoid continually knocking my head against the cockpit hood, compared to which sitting in the Thunderbolt was flying comfort indeed. And so came my first flight in our capture Thunderbolt in the afternoon of 10 November 1943. With its broad and robust undercarriage taking off and landing were not difficult at all, but nevertheless it was important to lock the tail wheel to keep the big fighter straight. Later on, I once forgot to do this when taking off and was barely able to avoid a ground loop when landing. There were no difficulties in flight. I first lowered, and everything worked out fine. The engine was running beautifully smoothly, something that I was already accustomed too from the other American aircraft I had test-flown. But I could discover nothing of the speed for which the Thunderbolt was renowned, at least not near the ground level.” Photo: Luftwaffe
Posted on: Sun, 18 May 2014 04:47:56 +0000
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