Most effective long range twin engine escort fighter: P-82B Twin Mustang vs DH Hornet

[swampyankee]

Probably 50 mph slower than the two at 25000 ft?
Also pretty short-range aircraft, with just 426 US gals of internal fuel (as a day fighter) for the two thirsty engines. Even with drop tanks, it should be shorter-ranged than a P-47C/early D that also has drop tanks.

About 1,000 nautical miles range. See Grumman F7F Tigercat - History, Technical Data & Photos - Aero Corner and Grumman F7F Tigercat - Specifications - Technical Data / Description

The R-2800 wasn't particularly thirsty, when properly handled.

 

[GrauGeist]

Would the Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke, in its original single-seat, lighter weight spec have been a contender for the early war period? The single seat prototype (shown below) reached over 320 mph with low power Jumos. Swap in a pair of Daimler-Benz DB 605 and we might have something much more useful in the escort role than the Bf 110.

View attachment 866550

The Fw187, as initially designed by Kurt Tank, would have been a formidable long range fighter-escort.

But the Allies' greatest asset, the RLM, shut that prospect down.

 

[tomo pauk]

About 1,000 nautical miles range. See Grumman F7F Tigercat - History, Technical Data & Photos - Aero Corner and Grumman F7F Tigercat - Specifications - Technical Data / Description

The R-2800 wasn't particularly thirsty, when properly handled.

The R-2800 was thirstier than the Merlins or the V-1710s, under the same conditions. It's weight and size also drove the weight and size of the aircraft that is designed around it to go up. A V12 installation was easier to make well streamlined. Add the three together (consumption + weight + size/drag), and the fuel required to cover the set distance goes up by a great deal. We know that it took for the P-47 to carry double the fuel content in order to beat the best P-51 in range/radius; conversely, a P-47 with 305 gals of internal fuel was hopeless vs. the P-51 with 269 gals of internal fuel, the drop tanks nevertheless.

If the F7F was powered by a turboed or by the 2-stage V-1710, with water-alcohol injection in either case, it would've been much rangier even without the increase of the fuel load, and still a performer. If it was designed around these engines, it would've been smaller and lighter, further improving both range and performance.

 

[Shortround6]

Would the Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke, in its original single-seat, lighter weight spec have been a contender for the early war period? The single seat prototype (shown below) reached over 320 mph with low power Jumos. Swap in a pair of Daimler-Benz DB 605 and we might have something much more useful in the escort role than the Bf 110.

Time travel or typo?
DB605 doesn't show up until 1942 unlike the DB 601 which showed up in 1937-38.
Early DB 601 weighed about 600kg compared to the Jumo 210 440kg (?)
DB 605 started at 720kg and needed even bigger props than the DB 601.

The plane in the photo carried a pair (two) 7.9mm machine guns and a short range radio.
Long range radio in 1938-40 (or later in Germany?) needed a dedicated operator.