Kyleb wrote:
......the Mig 9 (for instance) was 100 mph faster and had the same or higher service ceiling. And remember, the F-11 had to run those 4360's at full tilt to get to its service ceiling, which isn't conducive to having healthy 4360's, while the jets were quite happy running at full throttle for lengthy periods.......
You mean the MiG-9 that could not fire its guns above ~30,000 feet without the guns causing a flameout? I still think that that you are again inferring too much from the wiki specs again, but happy to agree to disagree, I just don't think a MiG-9 would gave been "all over" a high, fast F-11.
Listed top speed an ceiling are just specs, and do not solve the geometric complexities of a high altitude, high speed intercept. The MiG-9 would need excellent ground control and vectoring and would have to be positioned perfectly for a zoom climb to be positioned at the exact location the F-11 would be at at the moment of intercept. What was the the climb speed of the MiG-9? (I don't know it either but I bet it is much lower than the max speed). The listed max altitude might not necessarily mean cruising, and surely not maneuvering altitude. How long would it take the MiG to get to that altitude? How much fuel would it burn to get there? How good were the Soviet Radars and aircraft radios? I also doubt the MiG-9 engines could run "quite happy for full throttle for lengthy periods". Early MiGs had terrible endurance. Would the guns work that high? Doubt it. Sounds like the guns causing high altitude flameout problems were never really solved. Could the F-11 do a simple turn and make the MiG 9 fall out the sky, or throw off the intercept like the B-36 could do? Probably.
Yes jets totally changed the game, but again I believe the F-11 could have had a brief window of effectiveness, and definitely against something like the MiG-9.
Anyhow, back to the F-11- great pictures Mark! Fantastic looking plane.