Secret Documents #100: Mosquito Guide - Engine Management
Added 2021-10-08 11:01:02 +0000 UTCHi folks!
The Mosquito is quite interesting in terms of engine management. Losing an engine in a single-engine fighter generally means ditching or bailing out... but the Mossie can still bring you home! In this section, we'll explore the engine controls of the Merlin 25, a variant optimized to operate at low altitudes. The controls are pretty simple, but the feathering system brings an interesting dynamic.
Flying with a dead unfeathered engine is basically like flying with a gigantic disc-shaped airbrake trying to kill you. I tried to explain how feathering works and why it is useful, but keep in mind that whatever may have damaged your engine may have also wrecked the oil pump system used to turn the prop blade in the process. Therefore, this system isn't quite a "get-out-of-jail-free-card" in case of engine failure.
Flying through that thick flak will force you to make some decisions. What if an engine is slowly dying out? Do you feather it right away, or do you try to milk every bit of power left, risking having the engine die on you with its prop at a draggy angle? Do you try to restart the engine with windmilling, trading (or, more accurately, gambling) the altitude you have for airspeed? Those are all things that can work if you're lucky... or not.
Feel free to consult the attached pdf to see the draft.
