Cruise Speeds

Barrett · 10 August 2007, 08:28 AM

There's ever so many sources of info on GW aeroplanes' max speed, most of which I discount by at least 15% since performance seldom matched the brochure. I think a more realistic measure is cruise speed, which typically represents about 75% of VMax in level flight.

So.....

What do you chaps believe were typical cruise speeds of the Hisso birds? SPAD XIII, SE-5a, Dolphin.

Thanx.

ECramer · 10 August 2007, 09:50 AM

Barrett, I'm betting it was something like 10 percent below the maximum - so for a SPAD XIII, instead of 134 mph (max) you'd have something in the 120 mph range.
I think I read somewhere that the Dr.I cruised at 85 mph -- but I can't remember where I read that so it's wholly unreliable. It's an interesting line of inquiry.

timjnf · 12 August 2007, 06:13 PM

And how did they measure the speeds they published?
Did they time flights between several points on the ground and negate the effects of wind?
Or did they read an airspeed indicator?