People are always arguing about WW2 aircraft and how BF109s are overrated and so on but think of this. Germany stuck to this airframe for the ENTIRE war and every time the 109 was outclassed, they made it competetive again in various different ways. You got to respect this aircraft's ability to be modified.

I LOVE the Bf109 K-4. If there was one plane I could fly EVER, it would be a K-4. No contest at all.

Why do you only have 30K subs? Your work and commenting are absolutely genius! You should do sessions in this showing engineering/tech students how crazy the engineers were in war times. Absolutely stunning mechanics. Cheers

I am finding myself unable to keep up with all of the comments. I do read them and will use them to decide what topics to cover next. I have a lot more planned. A lot of you have mentioned the FW190 and P47. I'll cover both of those in great detail. I will get to the Russian and British planes as well. There are some reasons I made these videos first. The Wildcat, 109, and P51 engines serve to cover a lot of the key principles that are needed to understand some of the other planes. Now that most of my viewers understand supercharger stages and drive systems, along with manifold pressure, and methanol:water injection, it's a lot easier to move forward. I couldn't start with the TA152 because it just has too much tech in it, and it would need a 2 hour video if I needed to explain it's multi stage supercharger, intercooler, MW50 and GM-1. I appreciate all of your view, and comments, and a lot more videos are coming.

I ran MW50 in my Shelby Daytona when I was over 18lbs of boost. Fantastic antiknock solution. About a gallon of toluene in the tank and I could run almost 3 bar absolute manifold pressure.

Please do one of these on later 190 Dora models and/or Ta152s. Thanks!

You have no idea how much I love these videos.

Greg you are my unsung hero. What you do, and how you do it, is in many ways, well, quite German! We call it "sachlich", a unique German word for factual, matter-of-fact, objective, to the point, all in a single word.

Greg, thank you for all you time and effort into this video -it's welcomed and sincerely appreciated!

The added benefit was that, even only used for boost, if this had been used early on, the fuel savings would have been significant. Germany could easily produce methanol, while gasoline resources were very limited near the end of the war.

Been watching a few of your videos lately, and have to say I feel like I'm learning a lot of wonderful technical information and love you presentations! Keep up the great work!

Greg, your youtube channel is simply the best channel on WW2 military aviation history I have seen to date. I am working on my PhD in Military History and I have enough of an engineering background that I am not intimidated by the science or mathematics involved in understanding basic aeronautics. Many of my professors have published academic works on airpower in World War II. Your videos are fantastic. You have a remarkable ability to make these complex topics understandable and interesting. I really don't think one can understand the nature of the air war without a basic understanding of the technology and engineering involved. Would you please create some videos on the significance of the airframe drag coefficient, on level flight acceleration, and on the relative roles of lift and power in climb performance? Thanks. Looking forward to your future productions.

My dad loves WW2 aviation history and we’ve bonded while watching your videos. Thank you, Greg.

Greg this is another great video. I love watching these videos of yours. You are so informative and have so much technical information in these videos that it proves you have done exhaustive research. Another thing about a video of yours I watched the other day detailed the super charging system of the German Planes. This was a great Video as well. Thank you for such great information. Please keep up the good work Sir.

I literally just found this channel some 2 days ago. You have answered some long standing questions of mine relating to the advantages that the mustang had over the bf109 as well as given me new information that has been extremely interesting. Thank you, sir, for your content and I look forward to every future video

Great video! Really enjoyed your technical details and the way you put things into context!

Fabulous run down on the 109 series. Thanks ,for posting most of the details to moderate depth. I really like the way you generalize and some up the details, configuration and and scenarios What about doing a break down of the Bear Cat?

Holy moly this is the channel I’ve needed in my life. I’ve loved all these planes and could never find details about supercharger and turbocharger systems employed by them. And just the mechanics of these engines! Subscribed immediately.

Wow, very impressive, knowledgeable stuff. The WW II fighter scene was always hallmarked by constant upgrading and uprating throughout any given airplane. When the FW 190 appeared in 1941 the British had to quickly "get on it" and upgrade to the Spitfire IX (improving the Merlin Rolls Royce engine) in order to stay in the aerial fight.

Water injection was used on the KC-135 tanker aircraft with the J57 engines. The 5581 pounds of water would be used up in two minutes on takeoff. Part was injected behind the combustion section where it turned to steam, providing mere thrust. The bulk was injected into the intake. It would cool the incoming air, and make the air denser. Cool dense air expanded more than hotter air, increasing thrust.

Absolutely fascinating. I never thought about the fuel as I did the aerodynamics. To think that it took 4 years of very hard work to double the horse power. Thanks for your knowledge and expertise in explaining the complexity of the fuel

Thanks for another super video on a topic that has been of great interest (and contention) on the internet since those first AOL message boards et al. so many years ago.

Great video good sir! I'm currently in Aviation Maintenance Technician School and I love seeing video's like this! Keep up the great work. You have a new subscriber. 👍👍

I just found this channel. Congrats for the quality!

You explain things so clearly and well in your videos......thanks!

Nice discussion. One and only ONE point to make. Your assessment of "what if" regarding the use of the MW50 system in 1940,...as simple a fix as it MIGHT have represented, is also squarely in the realm of 20/20 hindsight. Great video and I truly appreciate, and look forward to your discussions !! Much obliged !!

Lovely video Greg, always a pleasure to listen to your detailed information. =)

Methanol+H2O injection= performance boost. Greg's channel+new video= knowledge boost! Metric greetings from Norway!

I was lucky enough to get a copy of P-51 Pilots Manual & Work around Them(Pilots & Crew from Reno)... You Do Good Work. Sir.

Your videos are fantastic, thank you for continuing to make them.

OMG! So many data provided! Great video as usual! Thanks for upload Greg!

Very well done and easy to understand. As much as I've studied WW2 combat aircraft, I wasnt aware there were faster than the P-51D, BF109s. Learn something new every day. Thank you for doing this!

My cousin is proud you made a video on him.

another very informative Video Greg, well done.

Thank for the fair analysis of the aircraft . Excellent data. Can’t wait to see more.

Good stuff! Just joined recently and really enjoying your videos. Fills gaps I have wondered about for a long time.

Pure gold. I've come full circle on researching these topics and you nail every single one and address many areas that confused me, or were not on my radar at at one point. If only some of this technology could be utilized in modern civil piston aero engines.

Very interesting & entertaining! FYI: A Czech company “JaPo” publishes (with English translation) a very well researched book titled what else: “Messerschmitt Bf109 K4”. It discusses in detail the origin of the “K” variant and includes a page about the MW50 system (with decent line drawings). There is also several pages regarding the DB605L & DB605D power plants (with power setting and manifold pressure information). It’s a very good read on the last of many...

I truly enjoy your educational films. The way you try and stick to verifiable facts and then explain it in a very simple way so people not in the industry can understand.

great presentation man. Thank you for your effort and the info.

Extremely informative Greg, thanks. I’m now about to install a MW system on my old air cooled turbo 930 engine...

Very detailed. As a mechanical engineer I learned a great deal. I did not know that WM injection was an antiknock technique. Thanks.

This was an excellent video!!! Thank you for doing it. I actually have wondered about this exact question many times. Im fascinated by all things WW2 (regarding the machines of that war).

A followup video on water injection in both production and racing vehicles would be the icing on the cake. 🤞. Love your channel. The pinnacle of KZfaq.

Your conclusion at the end is an interesting one, I'll check this for ya in germany.

Greg, you always have amazing videos.

KUDOS, KUDOS and KUDOS to you, Sir.!!! THAT'S the kind of Internet and KZfaq I like.!! SERIOUS, TECHNICAL and SCIENTIFIC, (grown up), as it allways should be. I think your commentaries ARE EVEN INPORTANT for the World History, in a real correct technical point of view. I think your LESSON is so important, that I'm going tho write down all your comments. Thanks again for posting such a great video, Sir.!!! ( I was a professional aviator, - jets - for 40 years, and love to learn those things about piston engines, even today).!!! Many thanks again, Sir.!!!

Yes Greg, I love your Documentaries! Cheers from Down Under, Christchurch New Zealand!

Thanks for all the informations. Amazing video.

I had a great day. Because you've done another great video ! Thanks sir ! Cheers from France.

Great info, very informative. Learned quite a bit about methanol water injection today. Thank tou

Another super-interesting video with a provocative "what if" at the end. Thanks, Greg.

Darn, you sound like a real life teacher! Very well done video!

“Recommended” has never been so right

REALLY enjoyed this video.. ..thanks for your efforts.

Another GREAT video, Greg! I finally understand the various forms of water/methanol injection

Just REEKS of authoritative! Great stuff, well presented. Thanks, Greg!

nice analysis, thanks for sharing !

Loved the technical specs and explanation! Thanks!

Greg, another fantastic job! Thanks for the education!

Your work is well done, as is your presentation. Top marks to you.

Thanks for your summaries, which have been quite fascinating for this old remnant of Farnborough (RAE) and Pyestock (NGTE), in that they have been as technically precise as it has been possible to be, I feel sure. I agree with "I Fly Central" has written. The year after next will be Hindsight Year, as it will be "20-20 AD". _he hee._

I just want to say: thank you so much for your video. It explained the Wasser Methanol injection system in a way that even I, a non mechanic, could understand. Greetings from Sweden and from Bo Hoffman

Great education for Me Greg . I used water Methanol with great success on My 86 Buick Grand National . Thanks for great history and insight on this topic.

Thanks a ton for including Metric Measurements, it really helps a lot.

Beautiful. Just beautiful. And yes: MW-50 stands for 'Methanolwasser-50'. Methanol is exactly the same both in english and german and 'Water' is 'Wasser'. 50 stands for 50% Mixturerate. Easy as that ;D Keep up the great wörk Greg! I love your videos!

I always learn something interesting with each of your videos.

Thank you. Excellent description.

Thanks. A fair amount of homework and a very neat, succinct delivery. (Quite the boffin)- lingua franca circa 1940 s. Keep it up, you're good at it

Greg, a very informed and balanced review of the benefits of the MW50 system. Thank you.

An excellent and clear explanation! Subscribed.

Really enjoy your work, thanks

Wonderful love the tech data. Please do a vid. on the Ta - 152.

Incredible video! Totally subbing to your channel. I just wish I'd found it sooner

Funny, I subscribed an hour or two ago and you uploaded this as soon as I checked my subscriptions. I feel special.

Thank you for your research and clear communication!

Love it! Told you! The German engines were bigger displacement, but were not actually larger or heavier. They did not have oil pans, but an oil tank in front if the engine like some race cars.

Very interesting discussion

Great stuff, love the detail.

Highly enjoyable and informative to watch one your videos before jumping in the subject plane in a flight sim, thanks.

"This video is long and technical" just what i want :-)

I think the simplest explanation as to why the Germans didn't push MW-50 on use on earlier Bf 109 and Fw 190 models is that they simply didn't think they needed additional engine power at that point (as much as the pilots probably would have disagreed), and they were having some issues with their engines already at their "normal" power ratings. The Germans in fact had a lot of problems with the DB 601 engines on Bf 109 E- and F-series and also the DB 605A engines on the G-series, which forced them to operate lengthy periods of time with de-rated manifold pressure settings. The DB 605A for example was initially rated for 1.42ata, then it was de-rated to 1.3ata, possibly approving and de-appriving the full ratings once or twice, and then the full 1.42ata rating was finally approved sometime in 1943. The DB 601 engines had similar things happening to them. Sometimes these de-rating decisions were made to make the engines last longer before the engine had to be swapped and re-built, sometimes to fix acute reliability issues (I think I remember something about wrong type of spark plugs getting fouled up, for example). With that in mind, it's quite understandable why the Germans would've been a bit apprehensive of squeezing even more power out of engines that were sometimes quite problematic to operate. In addition to this, the Bf 109 F-2, F-4, and G-2 were already some of the best performing fighter aircraft in terms of power to weight ratio. MW-50 might have increased their power output even more, *but* it simply wasn't needed in 1941 or 1942, and it would have increased the stress on the engine components, reducing engine life time and increasing the risk of in-flight engine failures. By late 1943, the situation had changed to absolutely necessitate the introduction of MW-50 systems for Bf 109 G-6. Since the boffins at Daimler-Benz had apparently figured out a way to implement it in a way that didn't compromise the reliability or service life of the DB 605A-series engine, they started making the new engines with the MW-50 system installed as DB-605AM, and doing field installations of the injection kit as DB-605A(M). And to be fair to the Germans, it doesn't seem like anyone else started actually using anti-detonant injection systems on fighters much earlier than this, either. So to me it seems like almost everyone started using some sort of anti-detonant injection systems as soon as they were necessary, when the power requirements and therefore manifold pressure requirements increased beyond what was possible with "conventional" methods.

Interesting analysis at the end, very enjoyable video, thanks.

Very informative, easy to understand even for a person who does not have English as a native language, nor is an engine mechanic, but a humble electrician... :-) Got to check out your other stuff on the channel. Cheers

Outstanding material .

Awesome, love the info on the old beautiful warbirds, and their powerplants, love the the tech info! Hard to find German specific info, would love if you explaned the amazing auto pitch, and cowls! And no trimmers, no other aircraft I can think of has no horizontal trim, I recall reading 109 pilots had a inside joke about one leg becoming more muscular, from nilling the rudder, alsowhat about the c3 fuel ?

Loving these videos, this kind of stuff has fascinated me since I was a kid, I am 35 now and it is all paying off with me working on my car. I am fascinated by almost all things mechanical, but engines and how they work, I love the physics behind how the power is made. I am a nerd car enthusiast :P

Another great video Greg.

Great Stuff! The 109 is my favorite Warbird.

Thanks so much for units in metric an as much for your video contents. They are great!

Thanks for including metric measurements. I’ve been pausing and converting some of the stats in other videos when I’ve needed to - the aircraft speed and mach numbers in particular. Although this is just a minor inconvenience, it does increase my enjoyment to not have to do this. I would never have requested that you add metric - I’m used to having to convert when dealing with Americans :-). , and you seem to do enough work as it is without me asking for special treatment but it’s nice and I appreciate that you’re doing it.

Great presentation Greg, very informative even for old engineers like me! Ciao, L

Very interesting again. There is though a book that handles the Mw 50 system and had some pictures, how the system was fitted in the airframe of het 109. The book is called : Flugmotoren und Strahltriebwerke, ISBN 3-7637-6107-1. On page 160 there is a drawing at which the situation can be seen… Parts shown in the drawing are numbered but not described.Greetings and keep up this nice videos, Joop

Great video! Love the 109s. Its interesting how the Germans could take simple ideas and make them work with what little resources they had available, especially toward the end of the war. If that damn 262 would have come any earlier than it did, we would have really been in for a shock! Even with the Mustang in the sky. Would like to see a video of the fw190 capabilities. God bless.

Thank you, great topic please keep doing this.

Excellent video and thanks for taking the trouble with metrics

I know the difference between Bar and Pascal is relocated decimal point,but for me,bar makes sense and I always have to mentally tinker with kilopascals. So thank you for using bar and not the more modern spawn from Hell. Did that kind of indicate my feelings on the subject ? At any rate,Cheers. Love your calm and informative vids.

Knock: pre-detonation. Explosive fuel ignition due to the heat generated by high compression, rather than by the spark plugs. Destructive because of explosive pressures produced at the wrong time during piston travel. Water or water meth injection also increases effective fuel mass.

Very thorough and methodical. Thumbs up! :)

Enjoyed this very much, great info.