Many times called 'twin Battle', there was Fairey's 2-engined bomber monoplane project from 1933. Seems like it was offered to fulfill the specification P.27/32, that was eventually won the by the Battle design.
Engines on the twin look like small V12s - Kestrels, not Merlins?
So for the sake of discussion, lets say Fairey wins the spec. What might we expect from the A/C, despite the insufficient info we have? What to do with it come ww2? Plausible improvements by then (other engines, hopefully)? What else does not get to be made (apart from Battle, obviously)?
Starting in the mid-1920s, the Fairey Aviation Company made a number of attempts to enter the aircraft engine business in Britain. Designed by Richard Forsyth, the P.12 Prince was their first origi…
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With the Air Ministry's opposition to Fairey getting into the engine business the only real hope for the Twin Battle (Twittle or Twattle?) was to use Kestrels.
With the hoped for Arms Treaty aiming for a 6300lb empty weight for a single engine plane trying to design a plane that would take two Merlins as a "back up" if the Arms Treaty was re-instated/modified is too much of a stretch.
So for the sake of discussion, lets say Fairey wins the spec. What might we expect from the A/C, despite the insufficient info we have? What to do with it come ww2? Plausible improvements by then (other engines, hopefully)?
The only logical path forward was using the Kestrels and progressing to the Peregrine as it became available.
Adding a 2nd Merlin to the Battle would have increased empty weight by about 1900-2,000lbs. and possibly more (depends on props and fuel/oil tanks, etc
Granted swapping Merlins for Peregrines would not be quite that bad (but empty weight with twin Kestrels/Peregrines was going to be heavier to begin with) , but using Merlins and trying to go fast was going to suck up a lot of fuel.
You are not going to get a metal Mosquito several years early
Adding a 2nd Merlin to the Battle would have increased empty weight by about 1900-2,000lbs. and possibly more (depends on props and fuel/oil tanks, etc
Model of Fairey Project A strike fighter for the Royal Navy circa 1944. Artist's concept Fairey Project A strike fighter. Source: http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/photo_albums/timeline/ww2/Fairey%20Firefly.htm