Just in case you have never seen one before

Actually, sustained inverted flight is of more value in an airshow than it is in a life or death combat situation. Or so I have heard.

There is a fascinating article about this fine engine in the September 2009 Aviation History magazine. One detail mentioned was that the reason a (two-stage) supercharger was used instead of turbocharging derived from the close quarters in a Spitfire engine compartment, and also that the short exhaust pipes, (set like jet pipes downwind) actually provided the equivalent of about 150 h.p. which would have been lost through a turbo.

This (approximately) 27 litre engine proved to be the equal of the competing Daimler-Benz 601 which had 34 litres and also fuel injection.

 

AND THE PISTONS WOULDNT PIS-. Good one Bob. The Merlin makes about the same hp/jug as the 1830.

 

We had a good banter going with the announcer, Toby Trowbridge, at the Abottsford show. During our attempts to start the engine on the clown plane we had smoke bombs planted under the cowl to make things interesting. When he asked what kind of engine we were trying to start we told him that it was a 2 1/2 cylinder P&W." Come on! Nobody ever heard of a 2 1/2 cylinder Pratt & Whitney!"
" Ain't a Pratt & Whitney! It's a Pop & Wheezy !"
" Now where the heck do you find a 2 1/2 cylinder engine!"
" Well, we tried one of them 5 cylinder Kinners and it was too heavy."
Announcer quickly comes in..." So you cut it in half...."
" Right!"

 

Not 1830...meant to say 1820. Pop goes the Wheezy.

 

You heard right about sustained inverted flight. . It's for air show stuff and record breakers. Dog fighting was about ambushing some guy from behind or below and out turning somebody if you got jumped or were jumping somebody. Inverted flight happened when you were in a loop to change direction or to get behind somebody. Loops are dangerous when you have somebody on your tail, low or no airspeed. A sitting duck except when your adversary doesn't know where you are, then you pounce.