Improve That Design: How Aircraft Could Have Been Made Better

[XBe02Drvr]

I saw what you did there.

What? What'd I do? T'w'ant me!

 

[pbehn]

What? What'd I do?

Well if you cant figure it out, screw you, into the nearest lawn.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

Well if you cant figure it out, screw you, into the nearest lawn.

The dart of outrageous fortune!

 

[wuzak]

View attachment 625996

I'd spin this!

It looks similar to the MiG-3.

I was going to say to improve the P-39 you could move the engine forward, then you would also have to move the pilot forward, but that would unfortunately mean the 37mm cannon will have to be ditched.

Then move the engine forward some more. Now the pilot has run out of room, so better relocate him behind the engine.

Also, the extension shaft is getting short. Better take that out and run the prop from a reduction gear on the engine.

Then we can install the P-51 style radiator....

 

[wuzak]

P-39 Airacobra. Give it a ventral radiator similar to Mustang or Ki-61 and use the space in the wings for more fuel tanks.

The radiator was actually in the centre fuselage, under the engine. The ducts to the radiator, plus the oil coolers and their ducts, were in the wings.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

It looks similar to the MiG-3.

I was going to say to improve the P-39 you could move the engine forward, then you would also have to move the pilot forward, but that would unfortunately mean the 37mm cannon will have to be ditched.

Then move the engine forward some more. Now the pilot has run out of room, so better relocate him behind the engine.

Also, the extension shaft is getting short. Better take that out and run the prop from a reduction gear on the engine.

Then we can install the P-51 style radiator....

...after a 15% total airframe upsize.

 

[wuzak]

...after a 15% total airframe upsize.

And the addition of laminar flow wings with a group of 0.50" mgs in the wings.

 

[P-39 Expert]

View attachment 625997

Thank God the AAF chose the Model 4.

 

[VA5124]

what would have happened had you stuck the pratt and whintey from the corsair in the mustang

 

[FLYBOYJ]

what would have happened had you stuck the pratt and whintey from the corsair in the mustang

You'd have a very goofy looking airplane!

 

[VA5124]

You'd have a very goofy looking airplane!

but how would it have performed with the higher hp radial

 

[GrauGeist]

but how would it have performed with the higher hp radial

Probably similar performance as the P-47, because it was the same engine.

 

[VA5124]

ok plan b have the usaf adopt a verison of the corsair and the p51 never happens

 

[XBe02Drvr]

but how would it have performed with the higher hp radial

I would bet that the extra horsepower would have been consumed by the extra drag and loss of the Meredith effect. Also the range would suffer bigtime from the radial's higher specific fuel consumption, and high altitude performance would probably suffer as well. Witness how much more fuel the P47 required to fly the same distance as a P51.

 

[GrauGeist]

ok plan b have the usaf adopt a verison of the corsair and the p51 never happens

The USAAF had the P-47, didn't need a Corsair clone.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

Probably similar performance as the P-47, because it was the same engine.

Same engine, but not the same powerplant. P47 was turbocharged, F4U was two speed supercharged. P47 would have more power available above the low 20s in altitude.

 

[GrauGeist]

Same engine, but not the same powerplant. P47 was turbocharged, F4U was two speed supercharged. P47 would have more power available above the low 20s in altitude.

I kept the answer simple.

 

[Dash119]

I would bet that the extra horsepower would have been consumed by the extra drag and loss of the Meredith effect. Also the range would suffer bigtime from the radial's higher specific fuel consumption, and high altitude performance would probably suffer as well. Witness how much more fuel the P47 required to fly the same distance as a P51.

My understanding was that the Meredeth effect merely negated the drag created by the scoop. No scoop, no Meredith effect, no difference.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

ok plan b have the usaf adopt a verison of the corsair and the p51 never happens

The Corsair couldn't have done the Mustang's job of high altitude ultra long range escort. The P47 eventually got there, at the cost of lugging an inordinate amount of fuel around, but it was turbocharged, and could do it. The Corsair wasn't and couldn't. The Corsair fought a different war with different requirements.

 

[wuzak]

ok plan b have the usaf adopt a verison of the corsair and the p51 never happens

The P-51 happened because the British wanted more P-40s to fulfil their requirements.

If the USAF didn't adopt the P-51, they would still have been made for Britain, and the British would have built a conversion centre to change the Allison to the Merlin.