Updated flight dynamics for Ito's XP-67 Moonbat?

O

OBIO

Retired SOH Admin
Has anyone done flight dynamics upgrade for Ito's XP-67? The plane is very interesting, but it has the dreaded Turboprop air file thing going on. I tried changing the flight dynamics using Air Wrench....the engines now behave like piston engines but the plane flies like a paper clip.

I am going to add reflective texturing to the plane and that should really make it look great. Would just like to have a set of flight files that properly represent this plane.

OBIO
 
One of the major issues with trying to airwrench some of Ito's planes is that the position of the air model may be as much as ten feet off of the visual model, and of who knows what configuration. The dear departed Aircraft Container Manager application would show the configuration of the visual and aircraft sim model, allowing one to adjust them into some correspondance. You might be able to uses the Airwrench wireframe under the ballance tab to see how all this stacks up. Note that the 67 bird uses some of the fuesalage as a lifting body, adding to the apparent wing area.

I did something with this a number of years ago, but don't think it ever saw the light of day.

Cheers: T.
 
I am working on the Moonbat....I took the flight dynamics from one of David Copley's P-38s and used that as the starting point for the Moonbat. Using ACM, I adjusted the reference point, empty center of gravity, contact points, fuel locations and lights to fit the Moonbat. The plane sits right on the runway, the engines start up line inline V-12s instead of turboprops. THe performance and flight characteristics are those of a P-38, but I will eventually get them adjusted and tweaked to reflect the XP-67...or so I hope.

OBIO
 
I have a book " U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects (fighters 1939-1945)" that talks a bit about this plane. It did not ever reach a state of satisfactory development and performance, despite the "cool looks".

Span: 55.0'
Length: 44.8'
Wing Area: 414 sq'
Climb rate: 2600 fpm.
Empty wt .: 17,745 #
Gross: 22114 #
max speed (25000'): 405 mph.
normal range: 700 mi.
ferry range: 2,385 mi.
Internal fuel: 760 usg.
Landing speed: 96 mph.

Much of the problems centered around the experimental Continental engines which did not deliver the desired power and had serious cooling issues. However using 150!!!! Octane gasoline and higher compression, 2100 hp was available for short periods as "WEP" without water injection.

Cheers: T.
 
Further to the above I have found .....

2 x Continental XI-1430-17/19 engines at 1,350 hp (I believe there was some discussion at fitting the proved Merlin/Griffion engines at some point....)

Max Speed 404mph @ 25,000' (confirmation via 2 sources)

270mph cruise

landing @ 93mph (confirmation via 2 sources)

Ferry Range 2,400mi (confirmation via 2 sources)

Initial Climb (I believe this is what is achievable on reaching flying speed from t/o) 461fpm

Ceiling 37,400'

Empty Weight 17,708lb (confirmation via 2 sources)

Full Weight 22,068lb

Max Gross 25,346lb
 
Hmmm... in that video, it was claimed that the XP-67 Bat had a top speed of 450MPH @25,000 feet.

Now we have Milton's attention... could this be another SOH joint project in the making?

BB686:USA-flag:
 
The single "Bat" that was completed only flew 47 hours. I think the 450 mph was a contract projection. Any number of planes in prototype fizzled because of (1) experimental engines that didn't work out; (2) Great engines that were in demand for other essential aircraft already in production; (3) aerodynamics that didn't play out; (4) a mission profile that became obsolete due to changing dynamucs of the war; (5) jets on the horizon.

Cool looking plane!! T.
 
Blackbird686 said:
Hmmm... in that video, it was claimed that the XP-67 Bat had a top speed of 450MPH @25,000 feet.

Now we have Milton's attention... could this be another SOH joint project in the making?

BB686:USA-flag:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info HorusJ ... got it. :jump:

BB, I had looked at the XP-67 several times and it does look interesting. I think that once OBIO gets a nice FM for us and some sounds that better represents this aircraft, with the repaints that are available, this should be a nice representation for occasional use.

I think that a community project should be one that most here would get excited about, was in wide-spread use, and for which many variations or paint schemes were available. I had thought about doing an F7F as an SOH project, had completed the research and data collection and was setting up for a start when I received a PM about a payware F7F about to be released. That was in December, and it still has not been released. :) Sorry.

We now have 4 aircraft in development that should take us to the Winter months. Hopefully we will get one of them out this month.
 
Milton Shupe said:
.......... I think that a community project should be one that most here would get excited about, was in wide-spread use, and for which many variations or paint schemes were available .............
Click to expand...

Rumour has it that there's a need for a good DHC-3 Otter :amen:

Pete.
 
Just as a matter of interest, water injection was only allowed for 30 seconds on the F6-F Hellcat. Beyond that and you would kiss the exhaust valves away.
There was a wired gate on the throttle. Go past that and you were on water injection. You'd had better have a good excuse why you broke the wire. Engines were expensive.
 
For sound for the XP-67, I am using the P-82 sound pack that I uploaded...which is based on Lawdog's P-40 Allison sound pack. Sounds good! But it still needs the super charger sounds....which I will find and add.

As far as a flight model goes...don't hold your breath on me getting on together. I have no skill when it comes to flight dynamics. I have made several attempts to tweak the David Copley flight dynamics I am using as a basis for the XP-67...and every attempt has resulted in failure. After tweaking, the plane simply will not get off the ground and will only get to 150knots MAX. I wish I could produce a good flight dynamics set for the Moonbat, but it doesn't look like I am going to get anywhere soon with one.

OBIO
 
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