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WW2 Aircraft minimum turn time/radius

25.5k Mustang51  1.7 years ago

I have found various websites and forums discussing turn times of aircraft based on either war thunder simulation gameplay or aircraft characteristics but a lot of this doesn’t seem to correspond with real life tested results. For example, I am making an F2A-3 Buffalo at the moment and online I can find results stating that at roughly the same altitude at optimal speed, the minimum turn time for 360 degrees is anywhere between 10.5 to 18 seconds. However, one source I found which shows the turn time at 1,000 meters at optimal speed is 14 seconds in level flight and this was data collected from the USSR testing captured Finnish aircraft.

Does anyone know of a database that has information based on actual testing of aircraft for data such as minimum turn radius and time? This would be excellent for shaping the flight characteristics of aircraft based on reality, not videogames or theoretical stats based on stall speeds, wing area, etc.

Thanks for any help!

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    25.5k Mustang51

    @DaDerpachu123 I find that wiki articles often disagree with other sources or even themselves so it’s a little frustrating. The best is if it’s written in the pilot manual and if the document is in English but that’s often not the case

    1.4 years ago
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    @Mustang51 GUYS LOOK HES A P-51 MUSTANG LOOK LOOK THERE RARE

    1.6 years ago
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    @Mustang51 Hey, it been a minute. I'm glad to see you're still building. I'm currently working on an La-5FN, and have been using the sources from wiki articles on the plane to find accurate info. You might be able to find an exact turn time there.

    +1 1.6 years ago
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    25.5k Mustang51

    @Kittyhawk208 now i gotta somehow find which of the various instantaneous and sustained turn rates is correct for this aircraft

    1.7 years ago
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    @Mustang51 yeah they were almost completely different aircraft. Like the F-18E and Legacy F-18 of today

    +1 1.7 years ago
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    25.5k Mustang51

    @Kittyhawk208 true. I didn’t think about that

    1.7 years ago
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    The fins also stripped their f2a's way down

    +1 1.7 years ago