What if you only had two aircraft to fight WWII with?

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The reason there was so few of them is because only 300 were ordered, the Spit was the interim fighter until I believe Hawker got the Tornado flying. Someone with more knowledge can correct me on this.

The Tornado and Typhoon were meant to replace the Hurricane and Spitfire.

It wasn't that the Spitfire and Hurricane were "interim" aircraft, moreso that the the Tornado and Typhoon were next generation aircraft.

The war probably sped up deployment of the Typhoon - it may not have been truly ready when it initially entered service.
 
Great info! Thanks! I must wonder how the Cat kept up with the others.

The Cat was of course sent earlier, the attack force probably passed it near the target and the Cat then circled at a waiting point waiting info on possible "customer(s)" then retired along the same route than the attack force.


Yes, that is why I chose Halifax, for long range night bombing ops. B-24 was better day bomber and LR Maritime patrol bomber, maybe also better transport plane. But Hali might well have been a better night bomber. At least it could carry heavier bomb loads and a 4,000 lb blockbuster bomb, even if they usually did not carry them, that was mainly the job of Lancasters.
And because there were no other takers for Bristol Hercules (e.g. Stirlings and Beaufighters) so Hercules Halifaxes would have been available earlier.
 
I agree with you. The point of this thread is we get only two. That makes it very tricky. It's unrealistic but what the heck, I want to play too.
Can we enlarge the playground by adding two non-combat types to the mix? Or can we assume that everyone has civil aviation so that there are training aircraft? Maybe everyone has trainers and we get one more "non-combat" type to pick? (C-47)
Nah, it's more fun this way.
 
The reason there was so few of them is because only 300 were ordered, the Spit was the interim fighter until I believe Hawker got the Tornado flying. Someone with more knowledge can correct me on this.
The order was very quickly doubled but that was academic because they had not made anywhere near the original 300 when war was declared.
 

Because it's a "what if" you get some leeway. Think of all the 4 engined bombers and transports built and make them all B-24s.
As for the trainers, there WAS a study for a two seat training version, but post-war budget cuts doomed it: use a smaller engine and put a second cockpit in place of the fuselage fuel tank on an F4U without armor or self-sealing tanks to make it a lighter aircraft and you have a trainer.
 
Not if you have the Bf 109. You take them both.

J jmcalli2 Did I miss the condition of this thread that we must play the Allied side?

You may play on any side.
You may "mix & match" A/C from any side.

For example, you may decide to pick a P-39 and a P-38 as your two planes and play as Germany; high altitude and medium altitude interceptors, and ground attack to defend the fatherland type of thing.
Or, you could pick the FW-190 and the B-25. it's up to you.
 
Some pairs.
FW 190 and B-17.
P-38 and Do 217.
P-47 and Pe-8 (engines, fuel and instruments are lend leased).
Spitfire and Ju 88.
 
Wellington - performed all the rolls we are looking at.
Hurricane - also performed all the rolls we are looking at except very long range escort. A bit slow . . . but with gradual improvements? . . . and later, mods like a new wing?
 


Well then, there is only one possible bomber that can combine the jobs needed, of course the transport version is just a wee bit different than the bomber.

Boeing Stratoliner.
"It combined the wings, tail, rudder, landing gear, and engines from their production B-17C "
I would note that quote seems to be in error as the plane seems to be using the vertical stabilizer and rudder of the B-17E but perhaps the "E" used the vertical Stabilizer and rudder of the Stratoliner?
at the end of war 5 of them were rebuilt using B-17G wings and horizontal stabilizers and got newer Wright R-1820 engines so there is no reason the transport version could not have kept pace with the bombers as far as gross weight goes.

(British use Avro York and Lancaster?)

The US (and most countries) used at least three different levels of trainers before pilots got to combat/service aircraft. Multi engine pilots spent their first few hundred hours in single engine aircraft before moving to multi engine trainers, like the Anson or Oxford for the Commonwealth or Cessna Bobcats, Beech 18s or others for the Americans.

The Corsair trainer was to be a converted F4U fighter from depots using the original engine, it was pitched as being a transition trainer after training in low and medium powered trainers, not a replacement for the lower powered trainers.
 
Some pairs.
FW 190 and B-17.
P-38 and Do 217.
P-47 and Pe-8 (engines, fuel and instruments are lend leased).
Spitfire and Ju 88.

The P-47 is too late for the 1 June 1940 first flight; it first flew on 6 May 1941.

Interesting on the P-38 and Do 217; made me look up the 217 again.

I wondered who'd pick a Soviet plane. The Pe-8 is an interesting choice.
 

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