Re: BB vs. Czech Mate...
Holy cow Batman!!! 
3800 HP and 150 inches of mercury!!!! If I hadn't read it I'd hardly believe it. 
Now I've got even more respect for my favorite engine.
Originally posted by Blue Foam
Here's the link, quite the interesting engineer...
Yes, 3350's could be better; they are also heavier, bigger, and would require a lot of money and work. The idea of the 2800's mentioned in this article is that BB and CM already run them. So cost would be limited to finding out what Walker did and applying it along with whatever we could throw at it from today's perspective.
The Bear's 3350 is currently max'd somewhere just above 4000 HP, however the aircraft has flown many of its fastest laps on less. There is not a huge difference in the displacement: the 3350 is 20% larger than the 2800. Yes, there is no replacement for displacement, but remember that the Merlin is only 1650, half of a 3350 and 60% of a 2800. Merlins make quite the power density (best of any Unlimited), so apply that same density to the roundies and we would have 5800 and 6950 HP. Of course, neither engine would exist for more than a few revolutions at that power level since they were never made for it (neither was the Merlin, but for its size it's a better engine).
For reference, the 1945 production wartime-emergency-power on the 2800 was 3000 HP. This would give both BB and CM better power to weight than the Bear currently has. As the article states, Pratt typically tested its engines for long periods of time (longer than a race week) at WEP. As my friend pointed out, this was done on new production parts and with all the engineering of war-era Pratt and Whitney behind it. It's just something to think about.
Yes, 3350's could be better; they are also heavier, bigger, and would require a lot of money and work. The idea of the 2800's mentioned in this article is that BB and CM already run them. So cost would be limited to finding out what Walker did and applying it along with whatever we could throw at it from today's perspective.
The Bear's 3350 is currently max'd somewhere just above 4000 HP, however the aircraft has flown many of its fastest laps on less. There is not a huge difference in the displacement: the 3350 is 20% larger than the 2800. Yes, there is no replacement for displacement, but remember that the Merlin is only 1650, half of a 3350 and 60% of a 2800. Merlins make quite the power density (best of any Unlimited), so apply that same density to the roundies and we would have 5800 and 6950 HP. Of course, neither engine would exist for more than a few revolutions at that power level since they were never made for it (neither was the Merlin, but for its size it's a better engine).
For reference, the 1945 production wartime-emergency-power on the 2800 was 3000 HP. This would give both BB and CM better power to weight than the Bear currently has. As the article states, Pratt typically tested its engines for long periods of time (longer than a race week) at WEP. As my friend pointed out, this was done on new production parts and with all the engineering of war-era Pratt and Whitney behind it. It's just something to think about.
3800 HP and 150 inches of mercury!!!! If I hadn't read it I'd hardly believe it. Now I've got even more respect for my favorite engine.
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