Use of 150 octane fuel in the Merlin (Xylidine additive etc etc)

Dave Eadsforth wrote in message ...
In article , The
Enlightenment writes
(Peter Stickney) wrote in message news:dbocvb-
...
In article ,
Dave Eadsforth writes:

SNIP of repeated material

Nitrous oxide was more a technique the Germans were forced into to
help overcome a German disadvantage in high octane or high test
aviation fuels rather than a paucity in thinking.

The Germans did have techniques for manufacturing octane and even
higher knock hydrocarbons their technology was however more cumberson
than the US technology and this limited their production rate. Why
this was I don't know. It may have had something to do with the fact
that they had access to only snythetic oils from fischer tropsch and
hydrogenation plants or their own small crude oil industry or
Romania's all of which are regarded as poor quality crudes.
(California crude was rather highly regarded). It may have just been
that they were unaware of the US techniques.

Nitprous oxide also was used only at higher altitudes: water methanol
injection was used at low altitude.

The Ta 152H has a watern methanol and nitorous oxide system. The
clipped wing Ta 152C has only water methanol for its BB603LA

The Jumo 213E had a two stage 3 speed supercharger WITH an induction
cooler. It still had water methanol and nitorus oxide (nickamed HA HA
system because Nitorus oxide was laughting gas)

Ta 152H Engine: Junkers Jumo 213E-1 twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled
engine rated at 1750 hp for takeoff (2050 hp with MW 50 boost) and
1320 hp at 32,800 feet (1740 feet with GM 1 boost). Maximum speed: 332
mph at sea level (350 mph with MW 50 boost), 465 mph at 29,530 feet
with MW 50 boost, 472 mph at 41,010 feet with GM 1 boost. Service
ceiling was 48,550 feet with GM 1 boost. Initial climb rate was 3445
feet/minute with MW 50 boost. Weights were 8642 pounds empty, 10,472
pounds normal loaded, 11,502 pounds maximum. Wingspan 47 feet 41/2
inches, length 35 feet 1 2/3 inches, height 11 feet 0 1/4 inches, wing
area 250.8 square feet.

The Ta 152C-1 was powered by a Daimler-Benz DB 603LA twelve-cylinder
liquid cooled engine rated at 2100 hp (2300 hp with MW 50) for takeoff
and 1750 hp at 29,530 feet (1900 hp at 27,560 feet with MW 50). Armed
with one engine-mounted 30-mm MK 108 cannon with 90 rounds, two
fuselage-mounted 20-mm MG 151 cannon with 250 rpg, and two
wing-mounted 20-mm MG252 cannon with 175 rpg. Maximum speed was 227
mph at sea level (356 mph with MW 50), 436 mph at 37,730 feet (460 mph
at 32,810 feet with MW 50). Initial climb rate was 3050 feet per
minute and service ceiling was 40,350 feet. Weights were 8849 lbs
empty, 10,658 lbs normal loaded, and 11,733 pounds maximum. Wingspan
was 36 feet 1 inch, length was 35 feet 6 1/2 inches, height was 11
feet 1 inch, and wing area was 290.89 square feet.

Thanks for this very useful summary - very much appreciated.

Cheers,

Dave


You might find it interesting to know that the xylidine amine used to
produce the 150 octane fuel was also used by the Germans in their
"Tonka" series of hypergolic storable fuels (the oxidiser was nitric
acid generally). These fuels were intended for the X4 air to air
missile, the Wasserfall SAM and the BMW003R rocket/jet combo. The
Russians used Tonka more or less unchanged for their missiles post
WW2.

Therefor it can be concluded that the Germans were confident of of
being able to produce xylidine in quantity. The compound does however
have many isomers.

Nitric acid sound nasty but but it can't explode, evaporate or
spontaneously decompose when it gets too hot or too cold.

A great deal of info on German WW2 syn fuels can be found at
http://wwww/fischer-tropsch.org