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Technically, in a vacuum, sure, why not?By say 1942 or shortly afterwards, would such a fighter be possible to make given what I've laid out?
No.By say 1942 or shortly afterwards, would such a fighter be possible to make given what I've laid out?
Look at both Switzerland and Sweden and see what they were able to accomplish. You are going to need a much larger industrial base than either of them.Let's say there's a fictional country that's aligned with the Allies, and is able to design and make their own fighter aircraft. Also, the country is relatively isolated from Axis attacks and is heavily defended against the attacks they can make.
Here is where we need Dr. Who and the Tardis. The time line needs a lot of tweaking. You are planning of everything happening the way it did historically but there was both good planning and "luck" involved. RR knew that the basic Merlin could stand up to around 1800hp developed in the cylinders from the work done on the Speed Spitfire. But it ran on racing fuel, not avgas and it could use a supercharger set up for max power at sea level or darn close to it. To make 1500hp even in the mid/high teens you need avgas that didn't exist in 1938. again 100 octane was NOT 100/130 fuel. If your country gets it's 1938-39 sample fuel from the US and not the British you are going to be late getting the engine development where you want it.Basically, this aircraft was envisioned back in the late 1930s, with the expectation that it'd be 3-4 or so years before it'd be ready. Said country also has obtained a license to build Rolls-Royce Merlin engines with options of building other later designs (notably the Griffon), and it was envisioned to use a 1500+ derivative of the Merlin (namely the two-stage supercharged versions), which is why the 3-4 year wait period (getting 1500+ hp, and either good turbo-supercharging or two stage supercharging)
This is a problem with "what ifs", The goals are kind of fuzzy. It sounds reasonable but................armament will be sort of a compromise in general purpose roles along the lines of later Italian fighers, namely 2 .50 MGs (400 rpg) and 2 20mm cannons (200 rpg), though this can be scaled up to 4 20mm cannons (150 or 200 rpg depending on role or mission).
Aircraft engines were the manufacturing equivalent of race car engines except you are trying make them, even for a small air force, at over a dozen month, maybe a dozen a week. Not two or 3 engines a month. You also don't build 27 liter V 12s on machinery that made 3-6 liters V-12s.making high performance road and racing cars, but not aero engines
Would Great Britain allow license production of Merlin engines? Would they tell mysterious, shifty damn foreigners all about their latest supercharger developments? Was Rolls Royce even working on two stage superchargers in 1938?This is kind of what I've been working towards and thinking of for a while now. Let's say there's a fictional country that's aligned with the Allies, and is able to design and make their own fighter aircraft. Also, the country is relatively isolated from Axis attacks and is heavily defended against the attacks they can make.
Now that those conditions are out of the way, this country wants to make its own fighter aircraft and such to be self-sufficient in terms of defense. I'm thinking that this aircraft would be along the lines of an advanced version of the Ki-61 with advanced features. Or perhaps a lightweight version of the NA-73X (P-51 Mustang prototype) or even a Spitfire if R.J. Mitchell and especially Joe Smith could do it over again.
Basically, this aircraft was envisioned back in the late 1930s, with the expectation that it'd be 3-4 or so years before it'd be ready. Said country also has obtained a license to build Rolls-Royce Merlin engines with options of building other later designs (notably the Griffon), and it was envisioned to use a 1500+ derivative of the Merlin (namely the two-stage supercharged versions), which is why the 3-4 year wait period (getting 1500+ hp, and either good turbo-supercharging or two stage supercharging).
And this aircraft should have an advanced but relatively simple structure in terms of aerodynamics and build, similar to the aircraft that were mentioned. As a light fighter, it's sort of biased towards being an interceptor and air superiority fighter (short and medium range), but can do long range missions with some modifications.
Also, armament will be sort of a compromise in general purpose roles along the lines of later Italian fighers, namely 2 .50 MGs (400 rpg) and 2 20mm cannons (200 rpg), though this can be scaled up to 4 20mm cannons (150 or 200 rpg depending on role or mission).
Main performance specs are a top speed of over 400 mph, fast climb, excellent maneuverability, and ability for light/medium ground attack.
By say 1942 or shortly afterwards, would such a fighter be possible to make given what I've laid out?
Read up on the Ambrosini SAI.403. This is supposed to be a cheap, lightweight fighter aircraft. It is credited with exceeding 400mph, but I wonder if it had armament and armour. It sounds a lot like a Spitfire_I.
Whoever was crediting it, he was probably drinking too much of Kool-aid. Italians themselves back in ww2 said that 575 km/h (~360 mph) is the top speed.Read up on the Ambrosini SAI.403. This is supposed to be a cheap, lightweight fighter aircraft. It is credited with exceeding 400mph, but I wonder if it had armament and armour. It sounds a lot like a Spitfire_I.
One does wonder what they did to get the engine to make the rated power so much higher than older versions of the engine.
So far no details, it seems to a a two speed engine (at least it has two altitudes in the engine designation.) But it is making as much power at 6000 meter as the old ones made at 4,000 meters? S.A.I. 403s top speed is usually given at 23,620ft (which is also looking like very good RAM effect) while the S.A.I. 207 was at 14,765ft which is pretty good for a 4,000 meter FTH engine.Better supercharger?
There was a host of engines that upped the rated height by 2000m during the life time, be it by employing more refined S/Cs, bigger impellers, faster-turning impellers better air flow towards the S/C, or a combination. Increase of engine RPM by a few % also helps.So far no details, it seems to a a two speed engine (at least it has two altitudes in the engine designation.) But it is making as much power at 6000 meter as the old ones made at 4,000 meters?
S.A.I. 403s top speed is usually given at 23,620ft (which is also looking like very good RAM effect) while the S.A.I. 207 was at 14,765ft which is pretty good for a 4,000 meter FTH engine.