This is my first post on these forums so hello everyone. Thought I'd share one of my favourite daydream topics to while away the long hours at work. So here is the what if modified aircraft thread, which I hope attracts a little discussion.
I'll start with the lovely little French fighter the Dewoitine 520. What if vichy had decided to defend it's own airspace against allied air attacks and asked for German help in the form of Daimler Benz engines for it's fleet of D.520s? Would this have made a truly classic interceptor of the period? As good as the similarly engined German and Italian fighters?
Given that the D.520 was underpowered and yet still a very handy fighter, I wonder what it might have achieved if given the power that it required. Under a puppet govt. the DB600 series would perhaps have fitted the bill. It transformed the MC200 into the classic MC202 and later the exceptional MC205 Veltro. Same goes for the R.2000 to R.2005 conversion.Conversely, if France could have remained free to carry on fighting with the allies I wonder what engine they might have chosen to bring the Dewoitine up to its full potential.
One other for now; since the Lancaster was pretty much a Manchester with 4 engines instead of 2, would a similar upgrade in power have worked for the Vickers Wellington?
Lots more to come and ideas of others very welcome.