Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: fiddler@Sun.COM (Steve Hix)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Aircraft (WW-II)
Message-ID: <10502@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 23 Oct 89 23:09:03 GMT
References: <10374@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Lines: 33
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: fiddler@Sun.COM (Steve Hix)

In article <10374@cbnews.ATT.COM>, raymond@io.ame.arizona.edu (Raymond Man) writes:
> 
> 
> From: raymond@io.ame.arizona.edu (Raymond Man)
> 
> 	In <10146@cbnews.ATT.COM> Hugh A. Huntzinge wrote
> >The ME was around for quite awhile. A souped-up "production 
> >fighter aircraft" version held the piston speed record for awhile
> 
> 	I believe that 'version' was actually Me108, a different
> aeroplane from Me109 although they had some family resemblence.
> I think the philosophy behind the Me109 was to have the smallest
> structure built around the most powerful engine then available.

The Me 108 ("Taifun") was a single-engined civil aircraft built
by Messerschmitt beginning in the late '30s.  It was built in
small numbers during the war, and some were built after it in France
as the "Nord".  (So I've been told...they sure do look similar.)

The record-setting aircraft was a stripped version of the Bf 109
using an evaporative cooling system to get the required power for
the speed attempt.  This translated as well into *very* little
endurance.  Sort of like cutting a radiator hose on purpose.

------------
"...I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by 
reorganizing: and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion 
of progress, while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization."
	- Petronius Arbiter, 210 B.C.