What if: P-43 with R-2600?

[Shortround6]

From Joe Baugher under the A-20

Originally, 63 A-20s were ordered (serial numbers 39-735/797). The A-20 was to be be powered by turbosupercharged Wright R-2600-7 radials
Only one aircraft was destined to be completed as an A-20. This was the first aircraft on the A-20 order (39-735). It was fitted with the turbosupercharged R-2600-7 engine which offered a power of 1700 hp at 20,000 feet. Unfortunately, the turbosupercharger installation was large and bulky, and the engines developed serious cooling problems. In the meantime, Air Corps requirements were changing, and there was no longer a perceived need for a high-altitude light bomber.

These may have been the B or BA series engines that ran at 2500rpm.

We all know the turbo takes up quite a bit of room. Number of planes actually equipped with turbos??? Maybe 3???
Some of the early R-2600 powered planes got added cooling

but either this was fixed or the actual need wasn't there as these vents disappeared fairly quickly. Exhaust thrust on the early planes was minimal.

one wonders what the non flame damper equipped planes looked like at night.

Now the US seemed to flip-flop on the need for light/medium bombers needed turbos. as the XB-28 flew in April 1942 before they flipped again.

Maybe they could have figured out the cooling problems and/or gotten the turbo fixed.
For some reason they just flipped over to the R-2800 for high altitude work.
Maybe Wright was too busy working on the B-29 engines?

 

[tomo pauk]

Unfortunately, the turbosupercharger installation was large and bulky, and the engines developed serious cooling problems. In the meantime, Air Corps requirements were changing, and there was no longer a perceived need for a high-altitude light bomber.

We know for a very long time that turbosupercharger installation demands a lot of volume, so this is nothing new. IOW, the 'no free lunch' rule applies as ever.
Engines on the P-47 were also troublesome, that combined with the weak fuselage meant that, in 1942, P-47B was trying to mimic the 'awesomnes' of the Typhoon just across the pond. The 1700 HP R-2600 can be down-rated to the lower rpm and thus lower power, and still be head and shoulders over any US Army fighter in 1942 above 17-18 kft, bar the P-38. Some experimenting with the cooling slots and the like will be needed, and the cooling fan might be a cure. Up-engining the fighter with the R-2800 should certainly be attempted.

While the Army Corps requirements for an attack bomber were indeed changing, the fighters were still required to do well at high altitudes.

 

[Shortround6]

I don't know what happened to Wright in 1939 through 1943 with the R-2160 Tornado program and how much that failed program sucked money, time and manpower away from the R-2600 and R-3350 programs. What priorities were in each program (and the R-1820) at any given time.
Wright spent about 6.5 million dollars on the Tornado am done writer claims that P&W only spent 8 million the R-2800 but I don't know if that is for all of the R-2800 series engines or just the the basic A and B series. In any case if P & W a spent 5-6 million on a rathole project in 1939-43 WW II might have been rather different.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I'd like to see a P-43 with a bubble canopy. Like a mini P-47D (bubbletop).