Recently I was looking at UBI Soft’s Il-2 website and I was browsing through the various aircraft available in Il-2 and Il 2: Forgotten Battles (I’m considering picking up the latter unless it’s just an add-on and I have to have Il-2 to get it to work.).
Anyway, I came across a P-40 variant powered by the Soviet M-105P engine.
I’d heard about this conversion before, but I don’t know much about it except for the fact that the Soviets were running low on Allisons and they needed an alternative powerplant.
(On a second note, what’s the deal with Allison production…….it seems that the P-40F/L models were born because the Merlin was substituted because of a shortage of Allisons….is the Soviet problem analogous to that or was it a different situation?)
Can anyone provide more information about this rather unique conversion. I’m under the impression the engine didn’t provide any additional performance, but what were the advantages and disadvantages compared to an Allison-engined P-40? Was it only P-40E models that were so fitted?
And on another side note if anyone could provide me with good information about Soviet P-40 operations I’d greatly appreciate it.
Were they capable of carrying all manner of Soviet weapons? Which weapons did they use? RS-82 rockets maybe?
Thanks for any and all help.
By: PhantomII - 21st January 2004 at 13:25
Thanks for the info guys.
Hamtech that website is great!
It’s always good to read a pilot’s account. I’ve yet to read a Soviet pilot’s account of the P-40 before this so it was indeed a treat.
I wonder if Osprey is planning on doing a book about Soviet P-40 aces. They’ve covered most other P-40 theaters, so I’d love to read that one.
By: Hamtech - 21st January 2004 at 13:13
PS: “IL2: Forgotten Battles” is a stand alone product and is the one to get (ie, much better than the original).
Download the free v1.21 patch to add the P-51D-5, Ki-84-1a and A6M5a.
I’m quite familiar with the title so feel free to post questions.
– Hamtech.
By: Hamtech - 21st January 2004 at 13:07
Re: Soviet P-40’s
Originally posted by PhantomII
And on another side note if anyone could provide me with good information about Soviet P-40 operations I’d greatly appreciate it.
Quite a bit of reading at this excellent site:
http://airforce.users.ru/lend-lease/english/index.htm
Specifically a “must read” is the “conversations” series featuring the recollections of N.G.Golodnikov, the second part mentions the P40:
http://airforce.users.ru/lend-lease/english/articles/golodnikov/index.htm
Long been a reader of this (airforce.ru) site, this series was a real treat.
– Hamtech.
By: SpitfireMK - 21st January 2004 at 11:52
P-40e with russian engines
Why they did is because there was a lack of spares for the Allisons engines.
A large number of p-40 where grounded because of that.
They fitted one with a Soviet M-105P engine and it worked great.
Almost the same preformance as the Allison engines.
So a lot of p-40 where equiped with the soviet engines.
Combat with the Kittyhawks included ramming.It was said
that the Kittyhawks fivelongoron wing structure was appreciated as pilots could afford to lose several longorons in physical contact!:eek:
By: paulmcmillan - 21st January 2004 at 11:04
Opps wrong thread!
By: paulmcmillan - 21st January 2004 at 11:03
There is a cheap $10,000 Aus P-39 project in Classic Wings and a couple of cheap Hurricane projects
Also – The Hunt brothers have a couple of P-39 ‘Starter’ Kits dunno the price
By: Arthur - 21st January 2004 at 10:15
I believe the Allision used imperial standard tools (in inches/feet), which would be pretty difficult in the Soviet Union since they really know how to use metrics. Switching engines to something domestic would certainly have improved the ease of maintenance, Imperial tools being of course far more difficult to come by (and these were probably only reaching the Soviet Union together with the lend-lease aircraft in the first place).
By: DazDaMan - 21st January 2004 at 08:50
I’ve got the book P-40 Hawks at War so there might be something in that. If I remember, I’ll take a look. (Hey, I remembered the Zero vs Spitfire thing, so you never know!)
By: Arabella-Cox - 21st January 2004 at 05:20
First of all I believe Forgotten Battles is a standalone program that doesn’t need the original game to play it, though you can probably get the original game pretty cheap now.
“Can anyone provide more information about this rather unique conversion. I’m under the impression the engine didn’t provide any additional performance, but what were the advantages and disadvantages compared to an Allison-engined P-40? Was it only P-40E models that were so fitted?”
I don’t know for sure But would expect the change was simply to reduce reliance on using and imported engine… an aircraft might go through several engines especially considering the conditions they were used in and the way they were used, but it only comes with one engine. Equally having as few engine types to work on the better.
By: PhantomII - 21st January 2004 at 04:48
Here’s a screenshot from Il-2: Forgotten Battles, and it shows the rather unique profile of the M-105P powered P-40E.
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January 21, 2004 at 4:45 am