fly boy, you do know that a fighter-bomber is a ground attack a/c right? And the P-51D wasn't a best fit for that role. Perhaps you mean Escort Fighter?
oh yea that's what i meant
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fly boy, you do know that a fighter-bomber is a ground attack a/c right? And the P-51D wasn't a best fit for that role. Perhaps you mean Escort Fighter?
The American version
Air Superiority Fighter: P-51B/D. Demonstrated combat capability, demonstrated reliability, great adaptability and growth capability (P-51H, F-82, post war racers) , highly produceable.
Carrier fighter, tactical fighter-bomber: F4U-4. Demonstrated combat capability, demonstrated reliability, excellent post war performance, great adaptability and growth capability (F4U-5, F4U-5N)
Reconnaissance: P-38 (F-5) Good speed and range, very capable aircraft.
Medium Bomber: A-26. Fast, good range, long life, multiple wars.
Heavy Bomber: B-29. Milestone aircraft, carried the world into the nuclear age.
Dive Bomber: SB2C
Torpedo Bomber: TBF
Transport Light: C-47.
Transport Medium: C-54. Milestone aircraft. Performed extraordinarily well in the first Cold war confrontation.
Transport Heavy: C-97. C-69 second. Not much history in WWII, but not many to choose and these two could haul a lot, fast and long and had great after-war life.
Seaplane: What the heck, Martin PBM
This should be a war winner.
I probably would have picked a B-26 Marauder or Mosquito or even Ju 88 over the B-25 but all great aircaft.
The ultimate reason for picking the B-26 and F4U would be for many common parts consideration for the R-2800 engine.
I would also pick the C-46 for same reason - R-2800 engines, plus it was so much more capable, despite being a fire hazard occasionally, than the C-47
Smart pick Dragon. One of the better posts because it takes into account the management of the airforce. What good is an airforce is the birds are down for maintainence? Simplifying them makes the servicabliity rates go up.
Very good post.
I would go Pratt line up
Fighter/Fighter bomber/escort/Recce/night fighter - F4U
Transport - C46 or C-54
Light/Medium/Attack Bomber - A-26
Carrier Bomber - TBF
Heavy Bomber/Long Range Recce/Patrol - B-29 for an all Pratt and Whitney Line up with only three variants: R-2000 (if C-54), 2800 and 3350
The R-3350 was a Wright engine.
Air superiority fighter: Ta-152H-1 Me-262
Interceptor: Ta-152 Me-262
Escort: Ta-152H-1
Naval fighter: F4U-4
Fighter bomber: F4U-4
Nighterfighter: Ar-234B
Transport heavy: Ju-390
Transport medium: Ar-232B
Transport light: C-47
Heavy bomber: He-277
Medium bomber: Ju-388K
Recon: Ju-388L
Seaplane heavy: BV-222
Seaplane medium: PBY Catalina
Fighter: J2M3 Raiden
Nightfighter: HE 219 Uhu
Medium Bomber: P1Y1 Ginga
Heavy Bomber: Ki-67 Hityu
Transport: JU-52![]()
What if you can only pick 5 and two engine manufacturers - preferably Allied or Axis but not both.
Now that changes the picture!
I'd go for Junkers and DB then, for which the list would be as follows:
Air superiority fighter: Ta-152H-1 Me-262
Interceptor: Ta-152 Me-262
(One engine manufacturer two a/c so far)
Transport: Ju-252
Bomber: He-277
Recce, medium bomber, night fighter: Ar-234
I really don't like this 5 a/c and 2 engine manufacturer restrictment !![]()
How about:Now Fight Germany's war with an Allied list - same restrictions.
The original post did specify prop driven a/c only. (and used only 5)
How about:
1) F4U-4 (Air Superiorety Fighter, Escort Fighter, Fighter-Bomber)
2) C-46 (Transport)
3) A-26 (Bomber/Attack)
4) Mossie (Night Fighter)
5) Spitfire Mk.21 (Interceptor)
We differ in that I want a long range heavy bomber and depend on the F4U to do the interceptor role versus the Spit to give me a TBF for Carrier strike, so skip the Mossie and Spit (Rolls) for Night Fighter with the lesser F4U as night fighter - overlay to permit the B-29 (wright).
So, the F4U would not stop many Recce a/c at 40,000 feet and be less capable in night fighter role.. oh well - but truly if Vought was chatrtered with creating a two seat stretch airframe to get a radar operator it would have done fine as a night fighter 20 mph slower up to 25,000 feet.
But, again choosing late war a/c to fight for the whole war doesn't seem to realistic. (5 choices -available at or near the start of the War- that can each be replaced once later on; might be something to think about)
True. what it says is that my Pratt/Wright selections doesn't have a long range strategic operation until late 1943/early 1944. My medium Bombers are ready until late 1943 and I have no real carrier strike ability inherent in the TBF until late 43/early 1944.
But had the US truly been forced to deploy the F4U in 1942 it could have done so with a lot more ops losses than necessary - the USN and USMC and USAAF would have no interim choice to fall back on.
Not sure what I'd choose here though. (I'm thinking mostly in terms of the US here)
Then there's the yearly selection Parsival did:
Lol - I didn't think you would.
Now Fight Germany's war with an Allied list - same restrictions.
BTW - pretty good choices for Germany/German a/c and manufacturers. I think I would have picked exactly the same ships - and either the Ta 152 or 262 would have been good CAS ships also... what about all piston engine choices?