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Whoops. I meant that to be the Curtiss C-46 Commando, but now realize that while it operated in Burma the RAF never took possession of any aircraft. So, scratch both the C-54 and C-46 from this discussion.Just one thing, the C-54 Skymaster was four engined
I wonder if they tried sticking Merlins onto it.Correct me if I'm wrong (it happens once a decade or so) didn't the British P-38's lack turbo-superchargers? Also something about the engines they wanted spinning the same way or some such nonsense.
Correct me if I'm wrong (it happens once a decade or so) didn't the British P-38's lack turbo-superchargers? Also something about the engines they wanted spinning the same way or some such nonsense.
Rubbish is only rubbish when you don't have a need, cant find a use or have something better.
Correct me if I'm wrong (it happens once a decade or so) didn't the British P-38's lack turbo-superchargers? Also something about the engines they wanted spinning the same way or some such nonsense.
I wonder if they tried sticking Merlins onto it.
Yanking out the turbochargers and the associated hardware is comparatively easy, else Lockheed would have no-bid the contracts. Installing Merlins wouldn't be quite so easy.
The RAF also had a current twin-engined fighter, and may have decided that installing Merlins into the P-38s they had would not be worth the engineering involved. I believe a Merlin-engined P-38 variant was considered (the largely mythical P-38K?) by Lockheed but not proceeded with.
Handed engines are pretty much non-existent on modern twins (wander to the local airport and look at the various commuter twins). The benefits may be increased for high-powered aircraft but handed engines are not worth the bother for most applications, as they have increased maintenance costs as the left/right engines need, at a minimum, different propeller blades and engine gearboxes. Interestingly, the P-38s all had a critical engine, as most variants had only one generator and many had Curtiss propellers, which used electric motors to control blade pitch.
We know the rubbish US made single engined aircraft Britain bought or inherited from the French or others. These include the Vought SB2U Chesapeake, Vultee Vanguard and Brewster SB2A Buccaneer. But were there any terrible twin engined aircraft that Britain acquired from the US?
To my reading, the Douglas Havoc, Douglas Boston, Lockheed Hudson, Lockheed Ventura, Martin Maryland, Martin Marauder, Martin Baltimore, North American Mitchell, Consolidated PBY Catalina, Martin PBM Mariner, Douglas Dakota and Douglas Skymaster all seem to be competitive or leading twin engined designs that Britain was lucky to get from the US.
Did Britain get any rubbish twin engined aircraft from the US?
The first, Westland Whilrlwind prototype was built with handed Kestrels, and was trialled with handed and non-handed engines. It was found that there was little difference in handling. And since the left-hand Kestrel was specially built for reverse rotation including an opposite hand supercharger, it was decided that it wasn't worth the time and effort.