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I will not claim here that Vickers (H)MGs were the next best thing after sliced bread, however there was more than a decade worth of time for the British to perfect both the HMGs and their installations before the war starts.
This is partly the point why I've suggested a DB engine to be installed - originally, the heavy BMW 139 (850 kg 'naked') was supplanted by an even heavier 801 (935 naked, 1155 kg outfitted), indeed necessitating strengthening of airframe, as well as a new, bigger & heavier wing (18.3 sq m instead of 14.9). The DB 601A was at 610 kg 'naked' (720 kg outfitted); add ~150 kg worth of cooling system and we're at 760 kg - 90 kg less than BMW 139. No fancy and heavy oil system, a lighter prop.
The DB 601E went to 660 kg 'naked' (725 outfitted), that will be ~810 with cooling system, or almost 80 kg lighter than a naked 801C or D. No armored oil system either, a lighter prop.
Other reasons for the DB engine is actual availability, lower drag, a far better reliability and lower consumption.
The Fw 190V1 went to 3000 kg ready for take off, the armed V2 to 3150 kg.
The availability is subject to question, depending on year (or month) with demands for DB 601s coming from all sides.
Prototype FW 190s had two Mg 17s which hardly worthwhile armament in 1939/40, granted with the DB you could try to put a gun through the prop.
When you are done what advantage to you have over the 109 except for wider track landing gear? You have a higher staling speed unless you enlarge the wing.
The small wing, light weight 190 is too small to take the DB 603 0r Jumo 213 engines when they show up without doing a major redesign.
I'd go with 3 cannons.
Availability of BMW 139 is about 5? The production of DB 601 can be ramped up much better than it will be the case with a brand new BMW 801.
World-beating rate of roll instead of questionable rate of roll of the 109, a far better cockpit layout than 109, 525 liters of internal fuel (550 L in unprotected tanks of the 190 prototype) vs. 400, can carry better firepower in the wings, wings being of a lower drag than what Bf 109 used, fully covered undercarriage for lower drag.
The DB 603 will indeed need a bigger wing, among other things, althugh I'm not against the bigger wing entering production even some time in 1942 for DB 605-engined machine.
Let me repeat myself, no changes to the production lines until the threat of invasion is over, which means the successful counter attack at Moscow by the Soviets which threw the Nazi's back 100 km.I will not claim here that Vickers (H)MGs were the next best thing after sliced bread, however there was more than a decade worth of time for the British to perfect both the HMGs and their installations before the war starts.
This is partly the point why I've suggested a DB engine to be installed - originally, the heavy BMW 139 (850 kg 'naked') was supplanted by an even heavier 801 (935 naked, 1155 kg outfitted), indeed necessitating strengthening of airframe, as well as a new, bigger & heavier wing (18.3 sq m instead of 14.9). The DB 601A was at 610 kg 'naked' (720 kg outfitted); add ~150 kg worth of cooling system and we're at 760 kg - 90 kg less than BMW 139. No fancy and heavy oil system, a lighter prop.
The DB 601E went to 660 kg 'naked' (725 outfitted), that will be ~810 with cooling system, or almost 80 kg lighter than a naked 801C or D. No armored oil system either, a lighter prop. Engines' weights, ready to be installed, are 1155 kg for the BMW 801C/D vs. ~875 for the DB 601E.
Other reasons for the DB engine is actual availability, lower drag, a far better reliability and lower consumption.
The Fw 190V1 went to 3000 kg ready for take off, the armed V2 to 3150 kg.
Spitfire Mk.III was not a whole redesign, but more of an ironed-out standard Spitfire - old wing, old fuselage, old tail, with aerodynamical nip & tuck there and there.
Hello Tomo Pauk,
My belief is that if the FW 190 had been switched to the DB 601 engine very early in the game, it would have gone pretty much nowhere.
The Me 109 was a "reasonably" streamlined aircraft with recessed radiators mounted in the wings.
Historically, the FW 190 with inline engines also had the annular radiator setup and drag would not have been different from what was achieved with the BMW 801 with a cooling fan.
Remote mount radiators such as in the wings would call for a serious redesign and possible alteration of armament possibilities.
The power achievable with a DB 601 engine at the time was significantly below what was achievable with the BMW 801.
The weight savings in power plant is offset by the significantly heavier structure of the FW 190.
My belief is that the result would be an aircraft that is no faster than the Me 109 and climbs slower but has a better roll rate and taps into the same limited source of engines as other aircraft demanded at the time. With a lower power to weight ratio, maneuverability would suffer as well.
- Ivan.
Let me repeat myself, no changes to the production lines until the threat of invasion is over, which means the successful counter attack at Moscow by the Soviets which threw the Nazi's back 100 km.
Let's compare power of a DB 601E with that of BMW 801C.
For take-off, in second half of 1941, it is 1200 PS vs. 1560. At altitude, it is 1200 @ 4.9 km vs. 1380 at 4.6 km. All figures are without ram effect, the DB 601E have had a better ram air intake, so it will gain more % of power at high speeds and high altitudes. By late 1941/early 1942, the DB 601E will make 1350 HP for take off, 1320 HP at 4.8 km.
The 190D-9 gained a 10% drag reduction by switching to a big V12 engine with an annular radiator vs. 190A-8. 10% drag reduction might not sound much, but you will gain more speed that way than by increasing the engine power by 10%. We know that D-9 was faster than A-8 by 40+ km/h at 6-7 km altitude, despite engine power being greater by just single digits, %-wise.
As for the engine availability, Germany will have to make/procure tooling for all of it's engines, be it V12s or twin radials. Tooling required for BMW 801s will not just materialize from thin air, the 801 didn't even shared for example bore and stroke with any previous BMW or BRAMO engine to help out.
There were plenty, plenty of changes to production lines in mid/late 1940, when Westland was making a switch from Whirlwind production to Spitfires. There were also changes in production lines at Bristol, when change was being made from Beaufort to Beaufighter.
Aparently, not everyone was convinced that Germans will land with their rubber ducks willy-nilly.
With all respects you're wrong with the Whirlwind being replaced by the Spitfire in 1940, that happened in late 1941 when Westland made 50 Spitfire I's while everyone else had gone onto the Vb.
Beaufort to Beaufighter, no problem, yes in 1940, both use the same wings, different engines, different fuselages. Its not a complete redesign.
British Production of Aircraft By Year During The Second World War
Indeed, you're right, Westland didn't make any Spitfires in 1940. On the other hand, they made their 1st Spitfires much before Soviets have thrown Germans 100 km from Moscow.
Spifire III vs Spitfire I/II: same wing, same fuselage, much less of a difference in engine weight and size than it was between Taurus and Hercules.
A production Beaufighter was more of a brand new aircraft, than a redesign of the Beaufort.
From Wkipedia,
Supermarine Spitfire (early Merlin-powered variants) - Wikipedia
The Mk III was the first attempt to improve the basic Spitfire design and introduced several features which were used on later marks. Powered by a Rolls-Royce RM 2SM, later known as the Merlin XX, developing 1,390 hp (1,036 kW) due to its two-speed supercharger, the wingspan was reduced to 30 ft 6 in (9.3 m) and the area reduced to 220 square feet (20.4 sq m) while the overall length was increased to 30 ft 4 in (9.2 m). The strengthened main undercarriage was raked forward two inches, increasing ground stability and had flaps to fully enclose the wheels when retracted. The tailwheel was also made fully retractable. The windscreen was redesigned, with a built-in, internal laminated glass, bulletproof panel and optically flat, laminated glass quarter panels.[73]
The first Mk III N3297 was first flown on 16 March 1940. In addition to N3297 in early 1941 a Spitfire Mk V, W3237 was converted to a Mk III, although it didn't have the retractable tailwheel. W3237 replaced N3297 when the latter was delivered to Rolls-Royce; W3237 went on to become a test aircraft and was still being used in September 1944.[74]
Although the new Spitfire was developed to replace the earlier marks on the production lines, a decision to allocate the limited supplies of Merlin XX to the Hurricane II series meant that the Mark III lapsed. Priority then focused on the Mark V series. The Mk III with the Merlin XX was capable of a maximum speed of 400 mph (640 km/h) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m).[75]
N3297 became the power-plant development airframe, the wings were replaced with standard Type A and the aircraft was delivered to Rolls-Royce at Hucknall. A prototype Merlin 60 two-stage engine was subsequently installed, in effect making this aircraft (renumbered the type 348) the prototype Mk IX.[76]
I'd wouldn't call these changes minor. Castle Bromwich was having difficulties getting the Spitfire IIa into production and you want to introduce a new mark, the III. You don't care that the Hurricane will be less effective without the Merlin XX engine. You cannot be serious. Maybe in peacetime, with limited production nos, no problem, with war, the threat of imminent invasion. Once the USSR was invaded it gives us a window of opportunity to change the production lines, the German defeat at Moscow, even better, the threat of invasion is off.
The people who were fighting the war thought otherwise.I would call the changes minor.
Wing was not some new design, just the standard wing with standard wing tip replaced by short wing tip - just like it was done on numerous Mk.Vs, IXs and VIIIs for example. (Dowding disliked the wing on the Mk.III 1st prototype, saying that it will be confused with Bf 109E in air combat).
Length grew due to installation of a longer engine, as we can expect.
Spitfire III with Merlin 60 has no bearings on 1940, not even on 1941.
I do care about Hurricane. Install a proper carb ( not the lousy float-type) on it, less draggy exhausts, Merlin XII and it is no worse than the historical Hurricane II. Later, install the Merlin 45.
The people who were fighting the war thought otherwise.
In 1939, the Air Ministry considered cancelling Spitfire production in favour of the Beaufighter, in 1940, Castle Bromwich was way behind in ramping up Spitfire production. A Spitfire III in 1940 just isn't going to be approved.Have all of them though the same?
In 1939, the Air Ministry considered cancelling Spitfire production in favour of the Beaufighter, in 1940, Castle Bromwich was way behind in ramping up Spitfire production. A Spitfire III in 1940 just isn't going to be approved.
In the case of the Defiant, it became an effective night fighter. The Botha was a disaster. The Lysander could still have been useful in the event of an invasion, and used like the Po-2 in the USSR as a light night bomber. By the time the Spitfire III comes along, we're struggling to get Spitfire II production up and running. We need to keep the Hurricane competitive. The Hurricane is our most numerous front line fighter, its cheaper to build than the Spitfire, and while it is taking heavier losses, in terms of cost, it is still competitive in unit costs to the Spitfire. So if the Spitfire destroys 1.7 enemy per loss and the Hurricane only 1.1, but the Hurricane is 2/3 the Spitfire's unit cost and is easier to train to use and more rugged and usable overseas then it is the better fighter so it deserves the better engine.Indeed.
Let's make war-winning aircraft, like Defiant, Botha and Lysander by hundreds. In 1940.
In the case of the Defiant, it became an effective night fighter. The Botha was a disaster. The Lysander could still have been useful in the event of an invasion
So if the Spitfire destroys 1.7 enemy per loss and the Hurricane only 1.1, but the Hurricane is 2/3 the Spitfire's unit cost and is easier to train to use and more rugged and usable overseas then it is the better fighter so it deserves the better engine.
Let's compare power of a DB 601E with that of BMW 801C.
For take-off, in second half of 1941, it is 1200 PS vs. 1560. At altitude, it is 1200 @ 4.9 km vs. 1380 at 4.6 km. All figures are without ram effect, the DB 601E have had a better ram air intake, so it will gain more % of power at high speeds and high altitudes. By late 1941/early 1942, the DB 601E will make 1350 HP for take off, 1320 HP at 4.8 km.
The 190D-9 gained a 10% drag reduction by switching to a big V12 engine with an annular radiator vs. 190A-8. 10% drag reduction might not sound much, but you will gain more speed that way than by increasing the engine power by 10%. We know that D-9 was faster than A-8 by 40+ km/h at 6-7 km altitude, despite engine power being greater by just single digits, %-wise.
As for the engine availability, Germany will have to make/procure tooling for all of it's engines, be it V12s or twin radials. Tooling required for BMW 801s will not just materialize from thin air, the 801 didn't even shared for example bore and stroke with any previous BMW or BRAMO engine to help out.
Totally different engine, different cropped wings with undercarriage doors, retractable tail wheel, internal BP wind screen, new 7'' longer fuselage to improve the COG. All up the MkIII rolled better, accelerated better was 60MPH faster than the Emil, both at best altitude. It's a shame it wasn't produced but war time conditions dictated terms