ch, ch, ch, changes!

[schwarzpanzer]

If you could change a part on any WW2 machines, what would they be?


e.g. giving the Lancaster a belly turret and/or ditching the dorsal?


Fw190 BMW engines in the Nachtjager Me110's?

I would let Porsche concentrate on making a 'big' and 'small' petrol, boxer-12 tank engine to replace the crappy Maybachs.

He was also good with (conventional!!) gearboxes, so while he's there...

This would allow for eg. higher performance and sloped rear armour on the PzIV and better performance/reliability on the Tiger/Panther.

Also, it should also have allowed heavier frontal armour.

 

[syscom3]

P38's with Merlins.

B17/B24 with R2800's.

B25 strafers with a dozen cannons

 

[Medvedya]

Hmm, interesting idea with the Lanc - but you'd be cutting down the bomb load big time, (Harris would never, ever countenance that) and after a couple of inital nasty shocks for the LW nightfighters, they'd just change tactics again and attack from above.

 

[schwarzpanzer]

Oh crap I nearly forgot!!

I'm sure I read somewhere about a (real) modification to the Lanc involving a glass sight-hole in the floor manned by a crewmember (bomber?) which gave warning of Shrage Muzic fighters.

Anyone else heard this?

Interesting Syscom

P38's with Merlins.

How about a Mossie?

I suppose Nitrous would be good for the Lanc?

 

[Medvedya]

Dunno, I can ask my Gran.....

I've heard of the Rose turret which gave better visibility to the rear gunner. Only a few Lancs were fitted with them though.

 

[Gnomey]

Oh crap I nearly forgot!!

I'm sure I read somewhere about a (real) modification to the Lanc involving a glass sight-hole in the floor manned by a crewmember (bomber?) which gave warning of Shrage Muzic fighters.

Anyone else heard this?

Interesting Syscom

P38's with Merlins.

How about a Mossie?

I suppose Nitrous would be good for the Lanc?

I'm sure I have heard of that as well schwarzpanzer. Nitrous in the Lanc would be good or just Nitrous injected Merlins.

Changes let see...

I'd agree with most of the changes already mentioned for a start.

Mossie with 4x30mm instead of 4x20mm. P-38 with a nose full of cannon. Lanc with 50 cals instead of 303's (some did have a few) or even some 20mm's in the tail and more powerful Merlins. P-47 with 6 cannon instead of 8 50's? Longer range FW190. ME262 with decent engines. Carrier borne P-38. Better armored and gunned allied tanks - not sure how though - similar to the Churchill/Patton with more armor?

I'm sure I could think of some more but that is me for now.

 

[schwarzpanzer]

Nice ideas Gnomey, some I've even had myself!

I thought some Merlins had nitrous? (P51's?)

Better armored and gunned allied tanks - not sure how though - similar to the Churchill/Patton with more armor?

I may be able to help there?

I suppose tank destroyers based on the Churchill or Cromwell/Comet in the JagdPanther/SU100 vein would be interesting?

The Firefly and 'easy-8' are interesting upgrades of the Sherman.

The Comet was meant to have had a sloping glacis, that would have been a smart move also.

There was also the Churchill 'Black Prince' and the 'super Pershing'.

 

[Erich]

all Luftwaffe prop driven to be replaced by enclosed jet engines~ upgraded and inclosed aerodynamic fuel systems and swept wings.

 

[lesofprimus]

Changes???? How about just one....

Drop the Me-109 project in 1939 and put ALL available assets and $$$ into the Fw-190 program and let Kurt Tank run absolutly apeshiit with his ideas and visions....

 

[Erich]

or Heinkel

 

[lesofprimus]

OK erich... OK....

2 changes....

 

[Erich]

8) just thinking of the future jet programs friend.........

but you are right of the many many test pieces and paper projects in the works from the Focke`Wulf minds` geez I could easily get a migrane trying to grasp what would of been had Germany had the resources through 1948

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Im with Les on his idea, exactly what he said and nothing further.

 

[Gnomey]

Good idea Les I'd be all for that, be interesting to see what they would have come up with.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I think Tank would have gone wild and we may have seen the Ta-183 and the Ta-400. I know the airwar over Europe might have looked a lot different.

 

[schwarzpanzer]

I think that the PzIV would have benefitted from having it's drive to the rear sprockets, as it was in a prototype.

This would've allowed:

Sloped rear armour.

Thicker, sloped frontal armour.

A bigger gun, or the Schmalturm?

With sloping side armour and Henschel or Christie suspension, I believe this would be closer to what Hitler wanted for the Panther?

It would also be cheaper and easier.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I would of made the rear fuselage 75 imperial gallon fuel tank standard on all Spitfire production starting with the Spitfire II, added the enlarged foward fuel tanks (+10 gallons extra) in 1941, added the two 13 gallon wing leading edge tanks to the prodcution line in 1942 and fitted everyone of them with wetpoints for the 90 gallon drop tanks. With a total of 286 imperial gallons (345 US gallons, 1300 litres), the basic Spitfires combat range would of increased by 50% in 1942. All Merlin engined Spitfores could of then escorted the bombers to at least the borders of Germany, perhaps a little beyond with the 170 gallon overload tanks.

I also would of contined development of the Spitfire Mk XII, by putting a Griffon VI up front (my favourite Spitfire with my favourite Spit engine). It had an extra 150 hp over the Mk III/IV and kept its power better above 15,000 feet.

 

[mosquitoman]

I'd have let Short Brothers produce the Stirling with any wingspan they wished, giving it a much better ceiling away from a lot of the flak. I'd have also removed the compartment pieces in the bomb bay so that much larger bombs could have been carried

 

[kiwimac]

what a lot of fun!

 

[syscom3]

How about this:

USAAF doctrine from before the US entered the war to have drop tanks installed on all fighters planned for 1941. That would mean the P38's and P47's would have been able to escort the bombers from the beginning.