The US also license-produced many different jet engine designs from the UK, plus I or 2 designs from France as well. Not to mention, the Packard Merlin.
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The not-invented here, and the lobbies could never be overcome. Remember Curtis-Wright was the largest company in the USA at the time, bigger than GM. Curtis didnt build the P-61 but with that much money in the industry, the US wasnt going to license an aircraft. The only designs licensed in any number that I can think of were the DH-4, Canberra and Harrier, planes that were superior or unique.
Dave - IIRC the primary issue with the license based Hispano was a combination of headspace and ammunition issues - but nevertheless installed on P-38s also as well as F4U-1C. Had the P-51F been produced (as an interceptor) it likely would have had the Olds 20mm as a four gun battery.The US M2 20mm was problematic and wasn't adopted as a primary weapon except for the P-61 and F6F-5N.
I thought they mounted "escorts" to bring submarines in and take them out across the bay of BiscayThat only lasted about a month before Donitz ordered the Uboats to remain submerged during the day and only surface at night to recharge the batteries.
Note that the British introduced rockets shortly after the order to fight it out on the surface. A swordfish was the first aircraft to lanch a British rocket in anger sinking U 752 on May 23 1943.
. Compare a Bristol radial to an equivalent P & W or Wright radial. And by equivalent I mean about the same size and about the same year of production.
Shortround6: Just compare the Hercules with the R-2600. The latter was some 10 % larger, yet topped at 1900 hp while the Hurcules delivered 2000 + hp in a more compact package with better fuel economy.
That was for commercial aircraft carrying passengers "for hire".Wooden structures in large aircraft by the CAA due to some airliner crashes caused by failure of wooden components. I suspect that a plan to build Mosquitoes in the US would result in the companies no-bidding.
What would the installed weight of 6 or 8 0.5 in M2 be vs 4 Hispano 20 mm? Consider those 4 Hispano would be the equivalent of 12 0.5 in M2.
33k posted the weights, you need a lot more 0.5 bullets to have the same firing time as a 20mm cannon due to the different rates of fire. Cannon were heavier in a plane that was already dangerously overweight on take off with max external fuel. As Drgondog has posted cannon on the Mustang Mk Is fitted with 4 cannon were 10MPH slower, but that also means approximately 10MPH less on cruise settings so around 60 miles less on a 6 hour mission or 30miles less range. The Spitfire was 6-8MPH slower with 2 cannon. I agree with your point about hitting power but 4 or 6 x 0.5" was enough to take on LW fighters without taking on more weight and drag as well as possible issues of cannons working after being at altitude for hours.What would the installed weight of 6 or 8 0.5 in M2 be vs 4 Hispano 20 mm? Consider those 4 Hispano would be the equivalent of 12 0.5 in M2.
I will tell you that the wiki figure for the R-3350 is total hogwash, No air cooled radial used 0.38lbs per HP hour at take-off rating. The British did make some excellent cowling post war. Unless the fuel consumption figure is tied to a power output (and maybe even altitude) it is useless.
And this was inspired by the RAF's desert air force?The CAS Doctrine which emerged in 1941-42 was to deploy two types of aircraft to support US Army battlefield operations - Fast Attack Bomber (originally A-20) for low/medium level tactical strikes, and Fast Attack Fighter for Recon, Strafing, light bombing and capable of battlefield air superiority. The P-38/F-4 was originally tasked for fast battlefield recon but replaced by the emerging Mustang designs beginning with P-51-NA/F-6.
That's true but no fighter is going to survive a 2 sec burst of API/SAPI rounds from a Hispano, early on in the war less effective guns with lots of ammo is preferred but once gyro gunsights, better pilot training and experience starts to make a difference it's the 20mm all the way.To follow up, we can look at the F4U Corsair, normally equipped with 6 .50-cal MGs, but the -1C had 4 20mm cannons.
6 x .50-cal MGs and 2,350 rounds total
4 x 20mm cannons with 880 rounds total
That gives some idea of what switching to four cannons would do to ammunition counts.
Yes flak uboats with multiple guns. A flop. Surface escorts were not tried.I thought they mounted "escorts" to bring submarines in and take them out across the bay of Biscay
Very little that Curtiss built turned out well.That was for commercial aircraft carrying passengers "for hire".
Something the military was not worried about and in fact the Military did put out some requests for transport aircraft built of non strategic materials, most of which did not end well
Curtiss C-76 Caravan
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If you can't make the Hercules in the desired numbers then the Centaurus is a non-starter.Get the Centaurus working earlier and put it on the Typhoon and Tempest from the onset.