The P51 whine

[Eric Mc]

Interesting stuff.

I'll have to check on youtube to see if I can find any footage of Allison Mustangs flying.

[dukeboy749r]

davepoth said:

I've got a feeling it's got something to do with the air scoop underneath - it's designed to create thrust by the Meredith effect.

http://www.historicracer.com/aviation/p51-mustang-...

The Spitfire did use this too but nowhere near as much.

In effect the mustang had a tiny little jet engine hanging on its belly, spewing warm air out through a restricted orifice just like a kettle does when it is on the boil. A likely candidate I reckon.

What a simply stunning article in the link you provided - thanks

[Eric Mc]

Found some original WW2 footage with actual sound. I can detect a bit of a whine =- but not as pronounced as in later versions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usqV_zUpGCs

[Guvernator]

Why does it make that sound? Because it sounds fking awesome

Plus I suspect it would also be a great psychological weapon, imagine being the enemy and hearing that coming towards you.

Didn't some dive bombers like the Stuka also make a similar noise or have I watched too many old war movies?

[Simpo Two]

Guvernator said:

Didn't some dive bombers like the Stuka also make a similar noise or have I watched too many old war movies?

They were deliberately fitted with sirens to intimidate.

[Eric Mc]

Here's the device that was fitted to some Ju87 variants. You can see them on each undercarriage leg -

[Guvernator]

That is genius. Doesn't explain why EVERY plane in a war movie seems to make that sound when it goes into a dive though.

[Simpo Two]

Guvernator said:

That is genius. Doesn't explain why EVERY plane in a war movie seems to make that sound when it goes into a dive though.

Or why every movie has that clip of early He-111s over Spain...

[rsv gone!]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I thought it was the wind whistling through the machine gun holes

I thought it was the supercharger but heard the above mentioned at the last airshow I went to.

[Europa1]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Completely unrelated, but whilst watching Mustangs I stumbled over this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmy_8bUMOIU

I like the one on the beach best when all the deck chairs etc are scattered!

I think my favourite low flying clip is Alain de Cadanet filming a documentary about the Spitfire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cECmbme_UKs

[Eric Mc]

That's a different type of whine.