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Produce Hurricanes at the rate they actually were produced in 1940 but much earlier.
That's gonna be hard, especially since the facilities to increase production rates simply didn't exist at the time the first order for the type was put out, 15/36 for 600 aircraft - the largest single order for an individual type in British aviation history up to that time.
They did it eventually when pushed to do it. Hawkers started production without an order because the air ministry didn't order it. Production was delayed by 6 months to build 200 Henleys. The Spitfire doesn't exist in the what if, so use the people doing Spitfires to build Hurricanes, same with Westland. As per my other post, in the late 30s many were acting as if war wasn't coming, Hawker were producing faster than the RAF could accept. It needs the RAF to massively up its game on pilot training.That's gonna be hard, especially since the facilities to increase production rates simply didn't exist at the time the first order for the type was put out, 15/36 for 600 aircraft - the largest single order for an individual type in British aviation history up to that time. Hawker took out a bank loan in 1936 to facilitate Hurricane production in new facilities, which included Gloster's factory at Hucclecote. The first production Hurricane first flew in 1937, but Hawker production was quick for its time, forty aircraft were completed in the first three months. Hawker's Langley facility didn't open until 1938 and by the end of that year, over 200 had been built. I seriously doubt Hawker could have gotten Hurricane production any faster than what they did, all things considered.
What should RAF do, either via the British companies or otherwise, to 'plug the gap' between Hurricane and next-gen fighters that were supposed to materialize as Typhoon/Tornado?
Whirlwind
Cancel the Lysander for increased production capability.
The disposition of them is another matter, especially after seeing what happened in Poland, but Poland fought for two weeks with very few good aircraft but good pilots. Belgium was neutral, and Netherlands was an armed neutral country along with Denmark their situation in military terms couldn't succeed but they did fight. Why everyone parked their planes in rows waiting to be shot at is a mystery to me. They should have been hidden, covered in tents with ten times as many tents as aircraft. From Sept 3rd the allies, should have been raiding and bombing inside the German side of the border, shooting anything that moved. By the fall of France and by June in the BoB Goering had lost half his Luftwaffe, if he had lost almost all of it by the fall of France (if France fell) maybe he and others would look differently at invading Russia, since an invasion of Britain couldn't be considered.Thousands of Hurricanes seating on the airfields without radars and integrated air-defense network, no mass of AA guns to cover them, hundreds of them vs. Luftwaffe's thousands = a very expensive loss of the said Hurricanes. Especially in Poland, Denmark, Belgium and Netherlands where also the panzers can reach the airfields in matter of hours.
The disposition of them is another matter, especially after seeing what happened in Poland, but Poland fought for two weeks with very few good aircraft but good pilots. Belgium was neutral, and Netherlands was an armed neutral country along with Denmark their situation in military terms couldn't succeed but they did fight. Why everyone parked their planes in rows waiting to be shot at is a mystery to me. They should have been hidden, covered in tents with ten times as many tents as aircraft. From Sept 3rd the allies, should have been raiding and bombing inside the German side of the border, shooting anything that moved. By the fall of France and by June in the BoB Goering had lost half his Luftwaffe, if he had lost almost all of it by the fall of France (if France fell) maybe he and others would look differently at invading Russia, since an invasion of Britain couldn't be considered.
I wasn't changing the tactics, Dowding didn't let his planes be caught on the ground and fighter airfields were very hard to find. Since from its design it was known to be a stop gap before better things came along, you need to produce more earlier.Hold your horses. Topic of the thread is not 'let's change the tactics and application of air power for everyone', but about suggesting a solution to a problem of not having the Spitfire in service - as it is noted in the post #1 here.
I wasn't changing the tactics, Dowding didn't let his planes be caught on the ground and fighter airfields were very hard to find. Since from its design it was known to be a stop gap before better things came along, you need to produce more earlier.
Hurricanes, Hawkers started producing without an order because the Air Ministry didn't order it, then production was interrupted to make 200 Henleys. For the RAF not to be able to receive planes as fast as they are produced, shows they were not taking it seriously not that it couldn't be done.What should be produced more earlier?
Hurricanes, Hawkers started producing without an order because the Air Ministry didn't order it, then production was interrupted to make 200 Henleys. For the RAF not to be able to receive planes as fast as they are produced, shows they were not taking it seriously not that it couldn't be done.
That is my next plan, I will have to think about it, I am exhausted building all these Hurricanes ATM.Greater production of Hurricanes is a given, until 1941. Limiting factor will still be pilots (not the topic here really, but still).
What do you suggest to be produced between late 1940 and circa early 1943?
Are you sure that's correct about 600 Hurricanes being the largest order in British aviation history up until that time