1937 to the late 1941: fighter bombers instead of 1-engined bombers?

[Admiral Beez]

The Defiant with fixed forward guns and the rear turret and fitted with a bomb rack or racks could do the job.

I like it, but we'll need a Griffon and four blade prop to move that heavyweight. Here's the bomb racks.

 

[bf109xxl]

I-153 wasn't that good an idea. Even if you get the engine straightened out it had a small wing for a biplane.

It _was_ a good idea. Moreover, the I-153 _was_ used as FB with relative success - sometimes even better than Il-2 for this purpose. "Small wing" was large enough. And a 1000hp (not 700!) engine provided sufficient take-off characteristics. I-207 could be even better...

 

[bf109xxl]

Polikarpov I-153 with a 750HP engine (although intended to fit a 801HP engine that wasn't initially available (entered production 1939)

1000hp takeoff, 850hp at 1530m, 2100 rpm

 

[bf109xxl]

For the new generation, something like I-180 with a bigger wing? Upgrade with M-82 engine when available.

In fact, the I-185 (as hypothetical "I-180M-82") was the only Soviet single-engine "new generation" fighter capable of carrying a 500 kg bomb load. But the use of this superior aircraft for ground attack was not reasonable.

 

[wuzak]

Not without resorting to the old "jiggery pokery "

OK we can move the landing gear out around 1 1/2 feet or 2 ft ?
But then the landing gear is taking up part of the fuel tank space.
And we want some of the fuel tank space to put the forward firing guns in.
But we can put the fuel in the fuselage and move the pilot backwards
and then we can............................................

OK, so centreline bomb is unlikely, or impractical.

Just hang a bomb under each wing then.

For crying out loud.
Beef up the wing on a Hurricane a little bit, hang a 250lb bomb under each wing and sign the pact with devil and get a constant speed prop 1-2 years early if you want a fighter bomber in 1938.
Want a pair of 500lbs under the wings in 1940?
Swipe some Merlin VIIIs from the Fulmar for an extra few hundred horsepower on take-off using 87 octane fuel.

KISS, Keep It Simple Stu***

Using the Hurricane seems obvious.

However, around the time that such decisions would be made there seemed to be the idea that light bombers should have defensive armament.

A fighter-bomber based on the Hurricane may end up looking more like the Hotspur than the Hurricane II.