Originally posted by Boots Whirlygig
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The switch in a Sopwith Camel wasn't just on-off. It had settings to fire just some cylinders instead of all.
Leaving it in one of these settings too long would foul the plugs of non-firing cylinders. Vary the setting to make the ignition fire a different set of 3 cylinders.
Its an interesting ignition switch.
Some rotating radials did have a slide-valve carb allowing the pilot to limit intake air and thus moderate power.
Before the automatic switch I described above, there was a button (usually on the joystick) to ground out the ignition and the pilot did intermittently push/release to "throttle" the power. This one is the just on or off version, but it didn't last long.
Thee were in-line and V engines in WWI aircraft also. These had throttled carburetors. (Hispano Suiza and Mercedes among others)
US's Liberty V-12 saw combat service in DH-4 aircraft
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Corsair II could carry more when launched from a carrier than when taking off from the ground. They could adjust the catapult to ensure 180+ knots when going off the end of the flight deck. Limit of launch speed is the pilot, not the catapult or aircraft. Launching at more than 5 G is risking the pilot red-ing out... .( it pushes to much blood to the head, vs black-out is depriving the brain of blood)
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