A fast bomber variant of the P-61 I argue would outperform the Mosquito in every role from 1944 onward.
It should do something, it weighed about 50% more. Fuel burn would be fantastic. What the P-61 could not do was deliver an equal amount of bombs for the same logistical cost. There rest is also debatable.
-A P-61 with mechanical superchargers would be as fast as a Mosquito with single stage superchargers.
NOt would be as fast, was as fast, P-61 did use a mechanical two stage supercharger.
-A P-61 with turbo superchargers would be as fast as a Mosquito with two stage superchargers.
Well this rather depends on which version of the turbo R-2800 we are talking about. Might also depend on which version of the Merlin.
P-47B&C and early D used an engine and Turbo that could give 2000hp to about 27,000ft in level flight but only to about 23,000+ ft when climbing (loss of RAM). Turbo was limited to 18,250 rpm.
When fitted with water injection (in late 1943/early 44) in the field the engines were up graded to 2300hp. A new turbo was fitted to the P-47D-10? In tests the new turbo was limited to 20,000rpm by the regulator. A later regulator (or adjusted?) allowed 22,000rpm. However the use of any manifold pressure over 52in required water injection. The higher rpm limits on the turbo allowed for higher altitudes.
In the spring of 1944 they increased the amount of water injection and cleared the engines for 2535hp using 64in of MAP using 100/130 fuel.
In the summer of 1944 they were doing tests with 44-1 fuel and could get to 70in MAP with water injection and 65 in without.
The engines used in the P-61C were the same engines (and turbos/regulators?) used in the P-47 M & N. These were "C" series engines with different cylinders with much improved cooling and were allowed to run at 2800rpm instead of the 2700 rpm of earlier engines. These are the 2800hp engines.
Yes you probably could have stuffed turbos into an earlier P-61, but you weren't going to get the 2800 hp engines until the spring of 1945. Or the 2535hp engines until the late spring of 1944.
A water injected two stage R-2800 was good for 2250hp at sea level, 2135hp at 12,5000ft no ram and 1975hp at 17,000ft no RAM. Add 2500-3000 ft for max level speed RAM.
Turbos will help, just not as much as some people think.
-A P-61 in the day fighter or reconnaissance role would out roll and out turn a Mosquito.
That is going to take a lot of swallowing. Out roll seems plausible. Out turn???? Are we talking about instantaneous turn or sustained turn? Maybe a very light P-61 against a very heavy Mosquito. Pilot reports vary.
-A P-61 looks like it could carry 4 x 500lb or 2 x 1000lb in the weapons bay at least.
-A P-61B could carry rockets and bombs and drop tanks under wing. Due to the power of the R-2800 speed loss is fairly small.
Using a plane that is near (or over) 30,000lbs to deliver four 500lb bombs or two 1000lbs seems rather uneconomic.
Especially considering what the A-26 could do, And the A-26 did it using single stage engines that gave only 1600hp at 13,500 ft at Military rating in high gear.
P-61 at 28,000lbs is 10mph faster at 15,000 ft using hundreds more HP per engine. Which means it is burning a lot more fuel per minute.
-The P-61E fighter variant managed 376 mph on mechanical superchargers.
Yep,
Except the P-61E was doing it at 17,000ft using around 300hp more per engine than the A-26. Does something seem a bit off with the P-61?
Had American planners asked for turbo integration from the inception the daylight escort fighter would have been viable as would the recon version. Replacing the gun pack in the weapons bay with a bomb bay looks viable.
Possible to do something (viable?) doesn't mean it is the smart thing to do.