Best Aircraft UNDER 1000hp

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The Avia B534 SrsIV certainly would would have bested the Gladiator, Fiat C.R.32, and be an even match for C.R.42 and the early, low powered monoplanes in the same way as the Ki-27 was against the Tomahawk, Buffalo and early Hurricanes. The Germans considered it good enough for a fighter trainer as well as putting a hook on it and performing land based carrier trials in anticipation of using them on the Graf Zeppelin. Obviously the plan advanced to Bf 109T just as the sea Hurricane replaced the Sea Gladiator. Since we are playing "what if" with no timeline specified, my choice is the Avia for the all around lowpowered fighter. Thankfully there was only one DB 601 C.R. 42 so my chance of finding it is remote.
 
special ed said:
The Avia B534 SrsIV certainly would would have bested the Gladiator
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Why do you suggest the B534 would have "certainly" bested the Gladiator? I don't know very much about either aircraft, but a quick wiki comparison shows their relative performance to be quite similar.
 
Clayton Magnet said:
Why do you suggest the B534 would have "certainly" bested the Gladiator? I don't know very much about either aircraft, but a quick wiki comparison shows their relative performance to be quite similar.
Click to expand...
Make sure you include the climb performance in the comparison.

Just to confuse things the B-534 and some of the others had variable pitch props (perhaps constant speed?) while the Gladiators did not.
The Early B-534s had fixed pitch props but the later ones did not.
 

In what way does a P-36A outperform a very early Zero?
 
re Lysander

What category is difficult to say.

The Lysander was primarily designed as an Army Cooperation aircraft, with excellent STOL capability (it had automatic full span leading edge HP slots interlinked with the HP trailing edge flaps) and would not stall under normal flight conditions. In addition the design included being stressed for dive bombing, and the Lysander was cleared for 79° dives (VNE of 300 mph IAS) with 2x 250 lb bombs, or upto 12x 20 lb bombs, or various other combination. Used for Army Cooperation duties (ie gunfire spotting and liaison), as well as light attack/bomber, reconnaissance (usually only 1x camera, but some used upto 3x cameras), maritime patrol (sometimes with ASV), SAR (w/air droppable life rafts and emergency supply kits), ASW (w/depth bombs, sometimes with ASV), ELINT (with various signal recording devices), and clandestine duties with both the British SOE and American OSS.

It had a design TOGW of ~6000 lbs in the Army Cooperation role, but operated at weights upto 10,000 lbs in the clandestine roll when carrying supplies and/or agents. Effective ROA was ~300 miles with normal 95 Impgal internal fuel load, and upto 700 miles when fitted with the 150 Impgal centerline LR tank - both conditions with reserves. Vmax was around 220 mph.
 
Surely the Westland Whirlwind would be competitive for a twin. Perhaps the Ambrosini SAI.403 Dardo might also be considered.
 
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