Full throttle for Earhart at sea level was 28.5 inches of manifold pressure and 2050 RPM
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I thought takeoff power was 35.5 inches and 2250 rpm and maximum continuous power was
32.5 inches and 2200 rpm.
gl
Depends on where you look -
Engine performance limits according to FAA TC Data Sheet #590 for the L-10E are as follows -
Engines:
2 P&W Wasps S3H1
Placard Limits:
Maximum, except takeoff
Below 4000 ft. pressure alt.
30-1/2 in. Hg., 2000 rpm (450 hp)
4000 ft. pressure alt. and up
29 in. Hg., 2000 rpm (450 hp)
Takeoff (one minute)
34-1/2 in. Hg., 2200 rpm (550 hp)This is at "Revision 0" for the L-10E TC Data Sheet, which remains unrevised to this day.
The TC Data Sheet E-143 for the engine is another matter - but there are two points to consider:
1 - the data sheet information for the airplane with installed engines is always / would have been the controlling data for NR16020, and
2 - the engine data sheet was revised as late as August 7, 1973, so performance upgrades may have (probably did) happened (happen). I did not delve into the original or previous revisions of engine TC Data Sheet E-143 to see, but that is common enough.
Anyway, some of your numbers may be found there, especially given the conditions provided by "Note 5" therein -
Rating:
(Impeller gear ratio) - 10:1 (this is for the integral supercharger - Jeff)Maximum continuous, hp., rpm, in. Hg., at: Critical altitude (ft.) - 550-2200-32.5-5000 ("Critical altitude" power means making 550 hp at 2200 rpm and 32.5 in. Hg. at 5000 ft. press. alt. - Jeff) Sea level pressure altitude (ft.) - 550-2200-34.0-S.L. (meaning 550 hp at 2200 rpm and 34.0 in. Hg. at Sea Level)Takeoff (5 minutes), hp., rpm, in. Hg., at: Critical altitude (ft.) - 600-2250-35.5-3000 (Meaning 600 hp at 2250 rpm at 35.5 in. Hg. at 3000 ft. press. alt. - Jeff) Sea level pressure altitude (ft.) - 600-2250-36.0-S.L. (See Note 5) (Meaning 600 hp. at 2250 rpm at 36 in. Hg. manifold press. at sea level for 5 minutes; Note 5 stipulates "best power mixture strength and 450 degrees F cylinder head temperature" limits and increased Critical Altitude / higher manifold pressure limits with the use of 91/96 octane fuel - Jeff)Unless AE had some amending data that I do not know about regarding her permissible performance parameters, the data we see in L-10E TCDS 590 above is what she would have been governed by - for good reason: detonation and high temps result from running above those numbers and those things destroy cylinders, etc. very quickly. I believe the
"Lockheed Report 487: Range Study of Lockheed Electra Bimotor Airplane" document bears-out that AE was bound by what we see in the L-10E TCDS.
LTM -