AHC: have Bristol make performers for ww2+

The Albacore is a design that's 3 1/2 years newer. Why not compare the Albacore to the Avenger? The Avenger is less than 2 years newer. Or better yet, the Nakajima B5N? The B5N is older by 2 years. In any reasonable comparison, it's hard to see the Albacore as anything but the loser and a failure.

Compared to the Avenger no doubt. That was one of the truly outstanding carrier attack aircraft of the war and was still in service into the 1960s with ironically the Japanese. Concur the Kate was superior to the Albacore although I will argue that its primary advantage was its longer range not its greater speed.
 
. Concur the Kate was superior to the Albacore although I will argue that its primary advantage was its longer range not its greater speed.
Range, or more properly endurance in hours and the cruising speed tie together for being useful.

A Stringbag doofing along at 90 knots IAS (not TAS and Ground Speed from wind effects) is at a disadvantage going after 34 knot IJN carriers when 139 knot Kates are going the other way
 
Even a Douglas A1 Skyraider is going to be shot down in droves in 1942. Sending unescorted heavily loaded strike aircraft against defended targets is a very quick way of killing pilots
Difference was that the Spad was actually agile. While it had a 180mph cruise, it had a 3000fps climb, and theoretically capable of 360mph without wingstores. MiG 17 pilots got surprised a couple times over SEAsia on it turning and climbing ability while critical systems surrounded by 600 pounds of armor, 200 just for the cockpit
 
Beaverbrook caused a lot of damage to a lot of projects. I know there was an emergency but did the RAF really need a bunch of obsolete aircraft good only for training and killing aircrew.

You put some good images of the Magna 146 on britmodeller but the links seem to have died of old age. I had the chance to buy the Magna kit but passed it up, still have the bruises from the good kicking I gave myself I wonder if the moulds will ever return to the market.

Training on Blenheims wasted a huge number of crews and aircraft. A look in Graham Warner's book on the Blenheim at the losses incurred in training alone is quite sobering.

As for the 146, IIRC they're the same photographs as I've only ever photographed it the once and that was to slot in amongst all the whiffed Spitfires - it made sense given that they were designed to teh same spec. Martin Gromm (Magna was a one man band) sold the moulds to Neil Gaunt at Aircraft in Miniature, but he sold them again to the guy who runs Combat Kits. He's rereleasing the more sellable of the range, with new white metal and decent canopies, plus the resin is cast by Czechmaster, so they're a vast improvement over the Magna originals. So far he's only done the Pioneer and Twin Pioneer in 72nd, plus the 48th Firebrand TF5.

Hannants *might* have one of the 146s left in stock. The two I have came from them last year.
 
For my two pence worth - I'll go for:
- Am undecided over the relative merits, so ordered both the Lysander and Bristol 148 - the latter could carry more of an offensive load, while the former was a better recon aircraft. This meant that when the 's*** hit the fan' no biplanes (e.g. Hectors in front-line service).
- With the P.13/36 spec for a twin-engine medium bomber, many of the designs were quite large for a twin-engine layout (later increased to four - Lancaster & Halifax), but the Bristol design was the smallest with a span of only 79 feet. With Government spending on the 'heavies' delayed the AM tried to get this one 'under the radar' as a medium Bomber replacement. So, not only OTL orders for the Whitey not actioned, but the Blenheim and Hampden were reduced.
The Bristol design (Buckfast) also utilized the original spec. of torpedo carrying, becoming a useful addition to Coastal Command having a better range than the Beufort although its activities were mainly nocturnal.
However, with both the Blenheim & 148 phased out attention was turned to a wide bodied Beaufighter, but tying the AM done to wanted they wanted was difficult but this time with Centaurus engines instead of Hercules. In part it competed with the Mosquito, but it was found easier to have mixed formations of Beufighters, Buckfasts and Buckinghams.
This also meant that the RAF took on less American DB-7 Bostons.
 
On a serious note, the 148 was conceived for Army cooperation, so on reflection, naming it after a seabird probably wouldn't happen.

The Bristol Bruiser? Later the Sea Bruiser?
 
On a serious note, the 148 was conceived for Army cooperation, so on reflection, naming it after a seabird probably wouldn't happen.

The Bristol Bruiser? Later the Sea Bruiser?

I went with Buzzard (From Wiki)

The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium-to-large bird of prey whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. Over much of its range, it is resident year-round, but birds from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere typically migrate south (some well into the Southern Hemisphere) for the northern winter.

Seemed to fit the A/C well IMO
 
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