Holy Smoke

[Daiwilletti]

... I've just seen a Mosquito fly past my house :icon_eek:

And i don't mean the one with an annoying buzz. This one had two Merlin engines.

It didn't sound quite like I'd expected for some reason. Almost like the engines were slightly out of sync revs-wise?

[gecko]

What a lucky guy! Must be a lovely sound!

[Daiwilletti]

What a lucky guy! Must be a lovely sound!

Yes it was, but for some reason not so hair-at-the-back-of-the-neck raising as a twin merlin should really be. Eg. the telly clip from the other night that I linked to had the engines going around 80% perhaps, and sounding really good.

Today maybe they had it in cruise mode and for some reason sounded a little out of sync. I don't really know how to describe it - awe just wasn't inspired this time. Wish there had been time to grab the camera - it looked light gray against a gray sky, travelling back towards Ardmore at around 400m. (IIRC the min height around here is ~ 1000' )

[hairyspin]

Just ask them nicely if they'll pay a visit to Blighty some time, there'll be a fight for tickets! :jump:

[Pat Pattle]

You lucky bloomin' blighter!! :)

[Cuttles]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe it was low level wind shifting the sound across a bit?:engel016:

[FireStorm II]

Recent videos I've seen of EG*Y (if that is the a/c you saw) seems to have V-10's
rather than the usual V-12 engines. That would make a slight difference in sound.

My Dad never talked about the war much, but I remember him excitedly
telling me that he was slated for Mosquitoes, but luckily the war ended.

Daiwilletti, I am most jealous! :wavey:

[ndicki]

OK, my stories about Mustangs and pretend Zeros have not faded into utter worthlessness. I know when I'm beaten.

You must have been enthralled!

[hairyspin]

Recent videos I've seen of EG*Y (if that is the a/c you saw) seems to have V-10's
rather than the usual V-12 engines.

:kilroy: An easy thing to think, but the five exhaust stubs each side of the Merlins serve six exhaust ports - the rearmost two exhaust ports are paired to one stub. I don't know why this was, but it's an arrangement duplicated on the twin-engined DH.103 Hornet. EG*Y has V12 Merlins like any self-respecting Mossie.

[FireStorm II]

Thanks for that, Tom. :salute: I'd thought maybe they had paired two ports, but didn't know
why they would. Maybe the same reason as the Hornet. (never noticed on the DH103)

.....Good to hear that she's flying with V-12 Merlins!

That could be the difference in sound that Daiwilletti heard! :)

[Daiwilletti]

OK, my stories about Mustangs and pretend Zeros have not faded into utter worthlessness. I know when I'm beaten.

You must have been enthralled!

Thanks guys for the comments.

yes I had been REALLY hoping that the warbird would fly past, because we live only about 20km away from Ardmore as the Crow flies. :jump:

I do feel really lucky, because i had been away for the weekend, had only just made it home, and then I heard this interesting sound outside.

As I dashed out onto the back lawn :running:, all I could think of was "Where is my camera?"

As for the Mossie heading overseas, I understand it was built on commission for an overseas client? Hope it sticks around here for a while though.

D

[Daiwilletti]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe it was low level wind shifting the sound across a bit?:engel016:

that could be part of the story, as there was a strong Sou-wester blowing - in fact there still is.

[Cuttles]

As a guess, maybe only 5 stubbs so the rear one clears the wing more???

[hairyspin]

As a guess, maybe only 5 stubbs so the rear one clears the wing more???

I've been checking this and apparently you're right, Ian. The earlier Mossies like EG*Y had earlier Merlins - Merlin 25 in this case afaik - and the rear exhaust port was too close to the wooden wing causing scorching, so the rear two ports were 'siamesed' to a shared stub. Later Mossies such as the B35 have six stubs each side, but these use later Merlins with much larger 2-stage superchargers, so the rearmost port was further from the wing and six stubs were okay.

The problem was confined to Mossies, since Lancasters, Spits, Mustangs etc were built of metal and six stubs each side was the norm.

The later DH.103 Hornet used even later Merlins (130/131 or 134/135) and the sixth port on these was too close to the wooden wing again, so five ports were used. These 13x series Merlins were good for over 2000 hp..... :icon30:

[Cuttles]

Thankyou for research, Tom. Rolls makes such beautiful engines: imagine being able to smell and hear one of those 13 Series at max power!

[FireStorm II]

Good one Ian! Tom, thx again for the research. :wavey: