An 'unarmed' bomber with twin Sabre/Griffon/Hercules - what to expect?

[tomo pauk]

As title says - what kind of bomb-load vs. distance vs. speed one could've expected with a twin-engined gun-less bomber built around those 3 engines' types? Of course, the bomber designed around Hercules can/will be smaller than one designed around Sabre - the difference in size would be probably as with Mosquito vs. A-26? Any chance such bombers could carry an 8000 lb cookie, or a 4000 lb one + a worthwhile load of incendiaries?

 

[Shortround6]

You have a vast range of possibilities.

A Whitley could carry 7-7500lb with two Merlin X engines, granted the bomb bay wouldn't hold the bigger bombs but there is no reason a "new" aircraft spec'ed for that size bomb/load couldn't hold it/them. Trade speed for range and?????

Another question is WHEN?

1940/41 with crap Sabres and 1300-1400hp Hercules engines or 1944 with Better Sabres, 1700hp Hercules engines and 1700hp and up Griffons.

I would like to know the cost of the Sabre engine because I have a nagging suspicion it cost a lot more per BHP than many other engines ( and more time to manufacture) which tends to limit it's usefulness in large programs.

 

[tomo pauk]

Another question is WHEN?

This should be the 1st question
Out of this three, only Hercules is worth speaking about prior 1943.

A Whitley could carry 7-7500lb with two Merlin X engines, granted the bomb bay wouldn't hold the bigger bombs but there is no reason a "new" aircraft spec'ed for that size bomb/load couldn't hold it/them. Trade speed for range and?????

There is no free lunch. The early Hercules-powered aircraft will be closer in bomb-load vs. range vs. speed to Ju-88, rather to the He-111 or Whitley.

I would like to know the cost of the Sabre engine because I have a nagging suspicion it cost a lot more per BHP than many other engines ( and more time to manufacture) which tends to limit it's usefulness in large programs.

You're probably right about cost per HP. Sabre-powered bomber should carry a bigger bomb load (perhaps an 8000 lb cookie, or two 4000 lb ones), meaning it's bang does not cost too much bucks?

 

[Lucky13]

Hmmmmmm.......how about 2 × 2,200 hp Wright R-3350-23 Duplex Cyclone turbosupercharged radials, same as the B-29?

Weren't they first run in '36 or '37, or there abouts?-

 

[Shortround6]

Hmmmmmm.......how about 2 × 2,200 hp Wright R-3350-23 Duplex Cyclone turbosupercharged radials, same as the B-29?

Weren't they first run in '36 or '37, or there abouts?-

Maybe a little later, but they only built about 215 of them till about 1/2 way through 1943. They kind of put it on the shelf while they worked on the R-2600 and once that got that sorted out they went back to the R-3350 and redesigned it with what they learned from the R-2600. ANd it still needed work.