WesWorld

January

The RAAF has announced a competition for a single engine fighter. CAC is said to be working on an updated version of the CAC-7 Shrike. Newcomer Australian Aviation is also working on an entry. Foreign entries are also welcome.

Heinkel and BFW inquire as to the RAAF's requirements for speed, range, and armaments for the RAAF's new single-engine fighter.

There are no specific requirements at this time, the competition is being kept as open as possible. The only requirement is that the plane be a single engine.

When is the competition to take place? Ie, when do vendors need to have their planes in Australia, and where?

The RAAF is in no hurry, say May, at Sydney.

Hmmmm, May, in Sydney. BFW will have to hop a little bit, but Heinkel can use Heinkel Ost in the Phillipines for it's entries so it's got it easier. OK.

BFW will be exhibiting a pair of Bf-109As, both with the DB-600 engine and armed with the Luftwaffe standard twin 15mm and twin 7.92mm MGs. An additional wing section is being brought to show how 3 or 4 7.92mm MGs (or similarly sized weapons) could be mounted. There's also a mock-up nose section built around an American Allison V-1710 engine, showing how the airframe could be adapted to a different engine than the Daimler-Benz.

Heinkel will be displaying a pair of He-112s, one equipped with the DB-600 and one with the Jumo-211. One is armed in the same way as the Bf-109As, the other is armed with 2 7.92mm MGs in the nose and 2 more in each wing outside of the propeller arc.

Looks like I'll send a design from each major Atlantean manufacturer. Accrisius will send their newest design, while Spartan and Ripon-Bloch will send their current designs as well.

Time to get back on track, good thing I have no homework over Thanksgiving.

March

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation has unveiled their entry for the RAAF Fighter Competition. The new aircraft called the CAC-9 Skua, is a vastly improved version of the CAC-7 Shrike and will be abailable both in carrier and seaplane versions.





http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/usa/vought_v-143.gif

CAC-9 Skua (OTL modified Vought V-143)

Power: Pratt & Witney 900hp R-1830-64 Twin Wasp

Armament: Four 7.62/0.3in machine guns

Size: Wingspan - 33ft
Length - 27ft
Wing area - 190sq ft

Weight: Empty - 3500lb
Max take-off - 4400lb

Performance: Max speed - 310mph
Ceiling - 27,000ft
Range - 900 miles
Climb - 2900ft per minute

http://www.aviastar.org/air/usa/vought_v-143.php

Hmm, missed this one, early October was bad for me. I'll come back to it with the Koolhoven, Reynard and Fokker entries, maybe Atlantic will start design work on something...

Hawker can offer the Peregrine powered Hurricane I, the Merlin powered Hurricane hasn't flown yet but will be about 8mph faster (316mph) and Supermarine's new fighter hasn't flown yet either but should reach 340mph.

Mk I Dimensions; 40/ 32.2/ 13.1/ 257.5 sq ft; 1x 870hp RR Peregrine I; max speed 307mph; range 480 miles and service ceiling 34,000ft.

Mk II Dimensions; 40/ 31.5/ 12.11/258 sq ft; 1x 1030hp RR Merlin I; max speed 316mph at 17,750ft; range 450 miles and service ceiling 36,000ft.

Both armed with eight 7.7mm MGs although work is ongoing to fit four 20mm cannon in the Hurricane wing.

(Since I have Atlantic, Fokker, Koolhoven and Reynard, plus SABCA there are a couple to choose from)

Fokker
Fokker will send the D.XXa light fighter. The D.XX can be produced in the Johannesburg or Jakarta factories.
the somewhat larger D.XXb prototype with a 20mm cannon, 940hp 12Y-49 and 5000m supercharger could not be shipped from trials in the Kongo in time

D.XXa


Power: 719hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs

Armament: Four 7.92mm machine guns

Size: Wingspan : 35.3 ft
Length : 25.9ft
Wing area : 193sq ft

Weight: Empty : 3,369
Max take-off : 3,850lb

Performance: Max speed : 325mph at 12,000 ft.
Ceiling : 39,000ft
Range : 300 nautical miles
Climb : 2,593 ft per minute


Koolhoven
Koolhoven will present a 'light fighter'- FK 57 , a 'medium fighter'- the FK 55, and a 'heavy fighter'-the FK 58

F.K. 57
designed as a light fighter with a reliable engine
Power: 718hp Jumo 210G air cooled.

Armament: Six 7.92mm machine guns

Size: Wingspan : 29.5 ft
Length : 22ft
Wing area : 148sq ft

Weight: Empty : 3,073lb
Max take-off : 3,700lb

Performance: Max speed : 340mph
Ceiling - 40,000ft
Range : 454 nautical miles
Climb : 2,890ft per minute

F.K. 55
the F.K. 55 is restricted to paved airfields due to a tall, narrow track, tricycle landing gear



Power: mid-engined, 940hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y-49

Armament: 1x 23mm motorcannon(double load), Four 7.92mm machine guns, 150kg payload
Armor : 10mm disk behind pilot.

Size: Wingspan : 32.8 ft
Length : 26 ft
Wing area : 216sq ft

Weight: Empty : 4,439lb
Max take-off : 5,400lb

Performance: Max speed : 365mph
Ceiling : 38,500 ft
Range : 405 nautical miles
Climb : 2,512 ft per minute


F.K. 58
Designed as a single engine heavy fighter



Power: 1,065hp Avia Pegasus XVIII

Armament: 2x 23mm (double load), Four 7.92mm machine guns, 200kg payload
Armor : 10mm disk behind pilot.

Size: Wingspan : 36 ft
Length : 28.66ft
Wing area : 179sq ft

Weight: Empty : 5,109 lb
Max take-off : 6,243 lb

all performance is without payload
Performance: Max speed : 343mph
Ceiling : 37,500ft
Range : 454 nautical miles
Climb : 2,488ft per minute

[b[Reynard[/b]
Reynard of Belgium sends the R-37.



Power: 1,070hp Gnome-Rhone 14N radial

Armament: 2x 20mm, Four 7.92mm machine guns

Size: Wingspan : 37.8 ft
Length : 27.6 ft
Wing area : 215sq ft

Weight: Empty : 5,240lb
Max take-off : 6,062lb

Performance: Max speed : 345mph
Ceiling : 38,500ft
Range : 540 nautical miles
Climb : 2,397ft per minute

Atlantis submits the following designs.

Spartan SP-20 "Corsair" Mk I


Single seat, single engined, Carrier based/rough terrain fighter

Engine: 1,000 hp Spartan Taurus V-12
Armament: Eight 7.7mm machine guns

Size: Wingspan : 35 ft
Length : 30 ft
Wing area : 234 sq ft

Weight: Empty : 5,110 lbs
Weight: Max : 6,750 lbs

Performance: Max speed : 325mph at 15,000 ft.
Ceiling : 33,200ft
Range : 478 nautical miles (550 miles)
Climb : 2,126 ft per minute
Features: 8mm armoured "bathtub", fixed landing gear, arrestor gear
-----------------------------------------
Accrisius AC-15 "Avez"

Single seat, single engined land based fighter
Engine: 1,500 hp Spartan "Gryps" V-12
Armament: Six 13mm machine guns

Size: Wingspan : 39 ft
Length : 31.6 ft
Wing area : 242 sq ft

Weight: Empty : 6,211 lbs
Weight: Max : 7,500 lbs

Performance: Max speed : 329mph at 15,000 ft.
Ceiling : 28,000ft
Range : 641 nautical miles (738 miles)
Climb : 1,617 ft per minute
Features: 8mm armoured rear bulkhead, retractable landing gear
----------------------------------------------------
Ripon-Bloch RB. 132

Single seat, single engined short ranged land based interceptor
Engine: 1,000 hp R-1000-010A
Armament: Four 7.7mm machine guns

Size: Wingspan : 35 ft
Length : 29.5 ft
Wing area : 186 sq ft

Weight: Empty : 4,727 lbs
Weight: Max : 6,000 lbs

Performance: Max speed : 319mph at 16,400 ft.
Ceiling : 30,000ft
Range : 373 nautical miles (430 miles)
Climb : 2,166 ft per minute
Features: 8mm armoured "bathtub", retractable landing gear

Australian Avaiation's entry.




AA-5 Centaur

Power: Rolls-Royce 870hp Peregrine

Armament: Four 7.62/0.3in machine guns

Size: Wingspan - 29ft
Length - 25ft
Wing area - 170sq ft

Weight: Empty - 3200lb
Max take-off - 3900lb

Performance: Max speed - 330mph
Ceiling - 33,000ft
Range - 500 miles
Climb - 3300ft per minute


In case your wondering, yes there has been some industrial espionage...

Interesting.....looks quite like the eventual upgrade to Italy's CR.35s. Seems to be an inferior copy though... You'd probably be better off in buying the Hurricane with trop filters.

@ Hrolf, Do you have the specs for the German entries?

@ Kaiser, Can you get an estimate specs for the D.XXb with a Peregrine engine?

The two German entries are basically as historical: the 109s are:

Bf-109Au
Power:
960 hp DB-600

Armament:
2 x 7.92mm, 2 x 15mm MG (demonstrated, optionally 6-8 7.7-7.92mm MGs)

Size:
Wingspan - 32' 6"
Length - 28' 11"
Wing Area - 174 square feet

Weight Empty - 4,190 lbs
Max Weight - 5,875 lbs

Max speed - 325 mph at 15,000 feet
Service Ceiling - 33,000 feet
Range - 410 miles
Max climb - 3,000 fpm


He-112Au

Power: either 960 hp DB-600 or 1100 hp Jumo 211

Armament:
either 2 7.92mm & 2 15mm MGs or 6 7.92mm MGs

Size:
WingsSpan - 29' 10"
Length - 31 ft. 9 in.
Wing Area - 189 square feet

Weight empty - 3850 or 3971 lbs
Maximum weight - 4960 lbs

Max speed - 326 mph at 15,000 feet or 330 at 12,000 feet
Service ceiling - 33,000 or 28,000 feet
Range - 550 miles
Max climb - 3100 or 3225 fpm

Quoted

Originally posted by Desertfox
@ Kaiser, Can you get an estimate specs for the D.XXb with a Peregrine engine?

Sure, I have an office day tomorrow and can probably get to it then (as I do my planebuilders on the office excel in free time).

Edit : here we go

The Fokker-Avia representatives wire their counterparts in the Kongo. The D.XXb, which will likely be marketed as the Avia also, is being tested there is fitted with a 940hp 12Y-49 fitted with an older 4000m supercharger. The larger engine allowed for the fitting of the 20mm cannon in addition to the machine guns. After conducting some testing with an engine governor restricting the 12Y-49 performance to that of a 840hp Peregrine, the following estimates is made :

Max weight : 4,400 lbs
Normal operating weight : 4,255 lbs
Armament : 20mm Cannon, 4 x 7.92mm MGs, radio.
Rate of climb : estimated 2,783 fpm (12Y-49 rate : 3,244 fpm)
Maximum speed : estimated 340 mph at 12,000 feet (12Y-49 : 358 mph)
Maximum altitude : 40,000 feet
Wingloading : 22 lbs / sq. ft


(OOC : A quick search did not find H x W x L specs for the 21.2L Peregrine, though its apparently a development of the 35in x 24.4in x 6 ft 21.1L Kestrel, in which case it should fit in the mounts for a Hispano-Suiza 12Y.)

And the Winner is...

The RAAF has announced that it has selected Australian Aviation's AA-5 Centaur as the winnner of the competition. The RAAF has placed an order for 110 of the fighters to equip 9 squadrons. The RAAF also expressed interest in both the Fokker-Avia D.XXb (Peregrine eng) and the Hawker Hurricane Mk III(20mm cannon), 5 of each will be ordered for further evaluation.


As to the rest:

CAC-9 Skua, performance not comparable to foreign planes. However the RAN Naval Air Service has expresses interest in the design and an order is expected in the near future.

Hawker Hurricane Mk I /Mk II, performance not comparable to other entries. However the Cannon armed variant has attracted interest as a bomber destroyer.

F.K. 57, not enough information available for decision (ie no pictures)

F.K. 55, unconventional design, plus inability to operate from dirt fields.

F.K. 58
Reynard R-37.
Spartan SP-20 "Corsair" Mk I
Accrisius AC-15 "Avez"
Ripon-Bloch RB. 132

All of the above where discualified as being to big and expensive to operate in large numbers (ugly too). Thought the R-37 did attract interest but not enought for an order.

Messersmitch Bf-109, Officialy: Not comparable to other entries. Unofficialy: German Made

Henkel He 112, Officialy: Not comparable to other entries. Unofficialy: German Made. However the He-112 did attract interest and CAC representatives where seen speaking to the Heinkel personnell.

Ah, well, home cooking wins again. Of course, the cockpit canopies will look much more like the He-112B's, with all the panes and leading in between the panes, since the technology for the blown plexiglass canopies of the war years doesn't exist yet. But that's OK.

"Not comparable to other entries"? Harrumph.

Hey at least you didn't get labeled "Ugly"!!