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As far as the engine cooling problems, there was a lot of that with radial engines in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Given a reasonable amount of time and resources, it is likely the overheating problems with the P.119 could have been trampled into submission, as they were with the Fw 190 and the B-29 to name two examples. Problem is that by 1943 the Italians were short on time and engineering resources. . .
Perhaps the use of a fan to force cooling air through the engine would have helped.
Like the one on the Fw 190.
Interesting design, not so much as fighter, but more as ground attack aircraft. The layout allows a large centerline mounted cannon, combined with a ground fire resistant air cooled radial engine, something that is not possible with 'normal' single engine radial powered designs. Tank buster anyone???
...
I imagine you would put the engine on a test stand in its installation and run it up and then probe the airflow around each cylinder with a anemometer, air temperature sensor, pressure sensor, piece of lint, cylinder temperature sensor until you built up a picture of what was going on and then readjust the baffles. .
And even the US wasn't perfect. As I hinted at in my earlier post, while American engineers, technicians, and mechanics eventually got B-29 engine cooling 'right', it took many months, and a good size chunk of the 'textbook' on that subject was 'written in blood'. .As an aside, engine cooling system design is hard. ... but (slightly jingoistically, and cheering for my people in the US world of aero), American engineers did this better for air-cooled engines than anybody else.
The front engined SE5A was considered to rather safe in crash.
Wow!
Wow!
A pilot more useful to the enemy than his own side!