Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Ki-27 is no match for Me-109E during 1939 to 1941. Ki-43 is no match for Me-109F and Me-109G from 1941 onward. German radar was state of the art. So as long as Germany isn't massively outnumbered they will own the sky above China.
The A6M entered service in 1940...the Bf109E would have serious difficulty in matching it in a turning fight, although the Bf109 (much like the Wildcat) would have better survivability because of it's armor.Ki-27 is no match for Me-109E during 1939 to 1941. Ki-43 is no match for Me-109F and Me-109G from 1941 onward. German radar was state of the art. So as long as Germany isn't massively outnumbered they will own the sky above China.
Including IJN aircraft complicates matter, but weren't the majority of aircraft over mainland China Army and not Navy? (like those the Flying Tigers encountered)The A6M entered service in 1940...the Bf109E would have serious difficulty in matching it in a turning fight, although the Bf109 (much like the Wildcat) would have better survivability because of it's armor.
And by 1943, the KI-61 was coming into service as well as the N1K, both strong performers, especially the N1K-J. This one in particular, would have been serious trouble to both the Bf109 and Fw190.
Even the Bf110 would have seen it's nemesis in the KI-45 and KI-46.
This wouldn't be all that different from Germany's alliance with Japan, except if/when Japan invaded French or British colonies, Germany would likely have them as allies and fairly straightforward passage through India and Indochina.The overall problem with Germany being in China, is logistics. The Japanese own the region and for Germany to get into the area, they would have to pass through Russia or violate neutral territory of other nations, running the risk of dragging them into war. Then there's the problem of German aircraft's traditional short range versus the long range capabilities of the Japanese aircraft. The German navy would be hard pressed to defend against the Japanese fleet and without a carrier of their own, would be in serious trouble.
The Ki-60 relied on the same engine as well, so anything in that vein would still be different and mostly likely radial engine powered like the later Ki-100. (unless there were further indigenous Kawasaki V-12 developments that were canceled in favor of the DB 601 license)As far as the KI-61 goes, it was a follow-on to the KI-60 design. A refinement if you will. And yes, the Japanese Navy had a considerable amount of land-based units and often operated in conjunction with the Army.
Derivatives of the Fw 200 might have been usable, though it may have required a turbocharged (or Jumo turbodiesel) variant to manage the ceiling and range needed. (though perhaps Jumo 211 or DB 601 engines would have had the performance needed without turbos)Unless Germany really makes a push, aggrevating the logistical problems. Of course die Luftwaffe showed some interest in long range transports, but if memory serves it wasn't until 44 that Ju 290's made (a few) round trips to Manchuria. A massive capability in the early fourties seems unlikely.
The majority of this would hinge on Hitler (and possibly a more comprehensive segment of the Nazi regime) being replaced by generally competent if not exceptional leadership in all respects. (that might not necessarily include replacing a large number of the Generals themselves, but perhaps moderating politics a great deal more than was historically the case) Perhaps even someone of Otto Von Bismark's stature.So maybe in 42/43 the Soviet and german governments, ready to lay aside for the time being their long term plans of world revolution or lebensraum (again I stress that it wasn't a nazi invention), could agree on dividing up Poland, making the european war quite another thing than what it historically became. The French and British rearmament would have taken effect, and the German and Soviet armaments would not have had several years of urgency because of actual full scale war behind them. As even an upsized Condor legion in China, for the reasons indicated abowe, could not count as full scale war.
This is pure speculation, and dependent upon ANY kind of German government wishing to commit themselves to a substantial Chinese adventure.
Given the Japanese had trouble reliably copying the DB-601 as it was, that seems unlikely to be a straightforward process. Reverse engineering French or Russian designs seems somewhat more plausible. (aside from a possible indigenous design or further development of the BMW derived Ha-9)It was not unusual for an "enemy" to use a foe's engine deisgn. Japan was using Pratt Whitney engines and derivatives and if they didn't get a pre-war copy of the DB engine, then they could get a captured example.
Starting with the M-105 and adapting/developing from there seems like one of the more attractive options. The Mikulin AM-35 might have been interesting too in as far as a large inline with high altitude capabilities, but I'm not sure that would have been among the captured engines the Japanese had access to. (perhaps the older AM-34 -which itself might have provided a basis for followon developments from the older Ha-9) But in terms of a direct alternative to the 601, the M-103/105 seems a good option.As far as foreign engines go, the Japanese had access to a variety of water-cooled engines pre-war, including the Allison V-1710-39, Rolls-Royce Type F (Kestrel), Klimov M-105 and a few others. The list of Foreign radials is much much larger.
Japan had a long history of taking a design, analyzing it and adapting it to their own needs. They did this with their navy and you can see they had a history of purchasing foreign-made ships two at a time, so they had one to compare against as they made improvements.
Japan and Russia would become strange bedfellows in response to Germany being in China. And the UK might have some issues about it to. As for German radar being state if the art in 1939/1940? It was the UK that was the world leaders at that time and it was still primitive and short ranged.
And what German Navy? Whatever task force they could assemble for a sea battle, the IJN would put the KM to Davy Jones locker with ease. The IJN was that good, just as the allies discovered in 1941 and 1942.