Which airplanes weren't given a fighting chance

[MacArther]

This is about airplanes that were hindered for whatever reason by their range, speed, armament, or loadout. Which ones do you think were promising, but never got a chance to prove themselves? This goes for all sides of the conflict. If it is an abstract plane please iclude a picture or diagram (/link).

My personal "not given a chance plane" is the XP-40Q2.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

de Havilland D.H.103 Hornet

Westland Whirlwind

HE 100

If anything the Whirlwind looked very cool - I knew a guy who scratched-built one in 1/32 scale!

 

[Gnomey]

If ever an airplane could be described as 'sexy', DeHavilland's Hornet certainly would qualify.

She is a beauty!

I haven't got any that I can think off the top of my head, but I will post some when I have got some.

 

[MacArther]

I hear ya, the wirlwind only had the drawback of unreliable engines, which could have been easily fixed. As for the HE 100, I personally like the HE 100D because It could keep up with the latter fighters from the get go of the war.

 

[Gnomey]

HE-112 - good in every respect apart from the fact it what slower than the 109. Several served the in Spanish airforce until the end of the war.

 

[plan_D]

I believe it was six, but I could be wrong. He-112V1 - V6.

 

[helmitsmit]

It is a shame they didn't give the Wirlwind Merlins or Napier Sabres or even Griffon engines. With the handed Griffons it would have done 450mph easily!

 

[wmaxt]

P-38K
Hornet

wmaxt

 

[cheddar cheese]

P-38K, He-100, Whirlwind and Fiat G.56.

 

[plan_D]

The Blackburn Roc. I mean c'mon, they only sent it on one mission. And it had ALL that potential! They didn't give it a fighting chance.

 

[Aggie08]

The japanese shinden. Also, stretchin it a bit, the b-36. It was supposed to have been finished prior to 1945 but wasn't. It was built to have the capacity to bomb Germany from America.

 

[MacArther]

How about the Chain Lightning, the suposed successor to the P38. If memory serves, it never entered service because it appeared too late.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

How about the Chain Lightning, the suposed successor to the P38. If memory serves, it never entered service because it appeared too late.

We spoke about this on another thread - it had potential but was a big leaky monster and there wasn't a role for it (bomber destroyer) unless Lockheed could of sold it to the Luftwaffe!

 

[evangilder]

Somehow, I don't think that would have gone over well!

 

[helmitsmit]

What about the supermarine spateful or Seafang. those bloody jets ruined it!

What about the landbased furies with Sabre engine that produced 3000hp! That would have been beautiful! It didn't have that bloody chin of the Typoon tempest, thank god!

 

[helmitsmit]

I just remembered the Miles M.20

 

[Aggie08]

3000hp eh? Wouldnt'a minded that at all, nosiree!

 

[plan_D]

The Tempest Mk.II didn't have the large 'chin' either. Only the Tempest Mk.V did.

 

[helmitsmit]

yeah but the Centuraurs wasn't as potenically powerful and it was a radial so the nose had a slightly bigger frontal area. Whereas the Sabre was very compact for the power it produced.

 

[P38 Pilot]

The German JU390 bomber. It was a three engine bomber that the Germans built during 1943 but failed. Only 3 were built.