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Both types would have range issues in the PacificThe shorter range of the P-39 would be a serious issue in the Pacific (i.e. where Australia is located). It would not be as much of a problem in the European war.
The P-39 could climb all over the Bf109E
If the Aussies did go ahead and do some work on the engine, who's to say it couldn't have climbed all over the Bf109F?
My pointTrue Colin, but the scenario is for Australia. Their primary adversary would have been the Zeros, G4Ms, and Oscars, not Luftwaffe fighters.
As I noted, I gave a big advantage to the P-39 over the P-40 in regards to rate of climb.
Also gettings parts for the Merlin was difficult in Australia, it was very far away from Britain and primary strategic materiel for them and in the States Packard production fell short as it was. We used something like a dozen total Merlin engine P-40's through the whole war and always relied on the Allison. Parts were available without having to set up local manufacturing. The main reason we took the Beaufighter was because we started making Hercs, I believing taking on licensed Merlins would've been harder.
My point
not clearly made, was that the P-39 had it over arguably the best fighter in Europe at the time for manoeuvrability and the best fighter in the Pacific for speed.
Have you got a reference for the Australian Herc?
We did use Bulldogs in the RAAF/maybe we did make some other Bristol engine so perhaps that source was stating an assumption as fact. I should've checked.
GliderI am sorry but that doesn't fit in with my understanding...
Glider
there's nothing wrong with your understanding, you are quite right on all points
I didn't, however, claim that the P-39 was the best fighter in Europe, I stated that it was as manoeuverable as the best fighter in Europe. Note that I have not magicked the P-39 into two-stage supercharger land either, this is at the best altitude for the P-39, not the Bf109E.
That's directly connected to leadership as the majority of American military shipping was in the Pacific during the fall of 1941. Somebody established the wrong transportation priorities.
HyperWar: Strategic Planning for Coalition Warfare, 1941-42 [Appendix G]
Nov 30, 1941
529,164 DWT in the Pacific vs 249,350 DWT in the Atlantic.