So you would forego part of the He 111, and Ju 88 production. That will have repercussions later.
You'll also ditch the Me 210 and possibly the Bf 110. So the entire zerstorer/heavy fighter concept, so beloved of the RLM goes out the window and only single engine fighters are produced? What happens if your long range bombers need long range escorts?
The He 177 is a red herring. It was a deeply flawed design. As late as early 1942 Walter Blaist (responsible for He 177 engine testing at Rechlin) was still producing long lists of fundamental changes which should be made to this one aspect of the design alone. Two of his recommendations were accepted (moving the oil tank to a less dangerous position and complete redesign of the exhaust system).
Let's not mention the wing!
He 177s were built at Heinkel Rostock and Oranienberg and by Arado at Brandenburg/Neuendorf. I don't know where the Wiki info comes from but having a factory and having it set up to produce a particular type, notably a complex multi engine bomber, are two different things.
Incidentally one four engine bomber does not equate, in terms of materiel or labour, to two twins. Far from it.
Cheers
Steve
If I may cut in:
Our fellow member Wiking85 is a firm proponent of the Fw-187 with DB engines, so the twin engined fighter will get built in his time line. The He-177 is just a name for a heavy bomber that, in his time line, has four separate engines and, if I get it right, has no dive bomber's capabilities.
One 4-engined bomber should be more expensive than two 2-engined ones, but should also haul more bombs over same range, while using less crew per bombs carried? Provided, of course, that both 2- and 4-engined designs are armed with guns, like most of ww2 aircraft.
Thanks Tomo, you took the words out of my keyboard.
Basically here is the scheme I'm envisioning:
1936:
-Bomber A with four propellor design
-Keep the Wimmer team together in the TA, and don't promote Udet. Richthofen stays in Development, while Jeschonnek gets sent to Spain (never becoming CoS, but rather replacing Richthofen as head of CAS)
-DB603 stays in development
-Bf110 cancelled (Wever wanted it cancelled along with everyone else in the RLM including Milch, Goering forced it through)
-FW187 green lit
-Ju88 V3 prototype is the basis of the Ju88 (three crew, rear gunner, two bomb hard points externally to carry up to 1 ton bombs); it stays as a level bomber with shallow dive capability (35 degrees)....later upgrade to bigger wings when combat experience proves it necessary (can't jump up development too much with hindsight)
1937:
-Jumo 222 project started on low priority, Jumo 211 remains major priority for Jumo
-no DB606 project; DB remains focused on only two engines DB601 and 603
-keep Ural Bomber prototypes as demonstrators for training and development (10 Do19s, 15 Ju89s as planned)
-keep spec for Hs129
-Beef up pilot training schools
1938:
-start planning for Ostmark engine factory upon annexation of Austria for DB603s
-finance some expansion for Jumo and DB factories (rather than building new ones)
-order Heinkel to make a Jumo 211 based version of He111 (H-series) refuse DB601 (P-series) for bombers
-
when He111H is ready in late 1938 (historically when P-series was ready) order it mass produced as the main bomber, giving it priority
-phase out Do17 by end of year and order a level bombing Do217 'heavy' medium bomber with BMW 801 or DB603 engine
-keep Hs123 in production
-order KG100 formed as a full Geschwader rather than Kampfgruppe
1939:
-Ju88 based on V3 prototype should enter production in March, but will have limited resources and will be used as multirole aircraft; should be 1 Geschwader combat ready by September with another 1 forming, have a heavy fighter/strafer version ready in Kampfgruppen strength for France
-Fw187 should enter production by June 1939 and not be available for Poland, but will be ready for Norway and France (3 Geschwader by May 1940)
-upon return of the Condor Legion (March) order a naval bombing unit formed at Geschwader strength based on He111H, should be ready by end of 1939 with experience from Spain, start 2nd Geschwader forming when first is ready
-Ostmark should have completed the basic structures by the end of the year and beginning installing basic infrastructure like the power plant; tooling begins in mid-1940 and will continue through 1941
-Do26 accepted as long range naval recon aircraft, FW200 not accepted; any on hand will be used, but no more built.
By the start of the war there should be a minimum of 1200 or more He111Hs delivered as they are the main airframe in my Luftwaffe. The lack of Bf110 production saves up resources in the meantime. The Do17 and older He111s are phased out and used for training, while any Ju52s at training schools are used for the transport fleet. Ju87 production is the same as OTL.
By April 1940 the Fw187 makes it appearance over Norway with drop tanks with 1 Geschwader, while the remaining two Geschwader are saved for use over France.
The DB603 should be delivered to the He177B testing in its pre-production form, not yet production ready, but fine for testing purposes. The He177 will enter production by July/August 1941 with this engine, which will start mass production in limited quantities at Ostmark in mid-1941.
The He111H is the main bomber until 1941 when the He177 enters production, so starts sapping resources from 111 production. Ju88 remains unaffected; as soon as there are sufficient engines for both the He177 and Do217, the 217 will enter production (1942). In 1942 the Do217 and He177 starts phasing out the He111. By the end of 1943 the He111 is to be mostly phased out of production, with limited production to keep spare parts in circulation for remaining airframes in service.
When Jumo 213 is ready in 1942/3 it will be phased in to replace the 211 and all 211 engined aircraft will adapt to the 213. Also there should be some Do217s using the 213 too. He177 should test out the 213 too.
FW190C should be worked on from 1940-41 and hopefully would be in mass production in 1943. Fw190D should be worked on too. Better versions of the Fw187 are to be worked on, as should the Me109.
Older Do17s should be initially converted to night fighter variants (Do215B), rather than draw resources with continued Do17/215 production. Ju88C/G later on when production is more established.
By 1943 there should be enough high powered engines to boost performance of the Ju88, Do217, and He177, with at least 1750hp for take off. There of course will be work on the two stage supercharger version of Jumo and DB engines.
If Jumo 222 ever becomes viable phase it in in limited numbers for use either with an upgraded Do217 or He177/277. Maybe a Ju188/388.
Jet engines and airframes remain as per historical development.