WI - during the late 1930s - you are tasked with designing an interceptor to protect your small country.
You represent a second or third world Air Force - and you know that war is coming. You are a mid-level Air Force engineering officer or mid-level design engineer at the national aircraft factory. You are tasked with designing a short to medium-range interceptor.
Since your nation is comparatively small, endurance is not much of an issue. Your nation has dozens of grass airstrips, but only one concrete runway. Road and rail transport is good and some inland waterways support barge traffic.
To date your national aircraft factory has designed and built a variety of fabric-covered biplanes and a few multi-engined flying boats. Your local automotive industry produces motorcycles and small trucks while your shipyards produce steel fishing vessels and tug-boats.
Costs limit you to one engine and one pilot.
Since your country does not have a huge armaments industry, you are forced to buy critical components (engines, radios and armament) overseas. Awkward politics further limit arms purchases to second-string or “last week’s fashion.”
Engine choices are limited because RR refuses to sell the new Merlin engine. American politics prevent Allison from selling you any engines and German factories will only sell you “last week’s fashion.”
This limits you to inline or single-row radial engines producing less than 1,000 horsepower.
As for armaments, you have concluded that .50 caliber (12.5 mm) is the minimum, but you would prefer 20 mm cannons to intercept the newest bombers.
This thread limits you to materials and components available off-the-shelf in 1938. The good news is that you can use 2018-vintage aerodynamics developer by Reno Air Racers..
You represent a second or third world Air Force - and you know that war is coming. You are a mid-level Air Force engineering officer or mid-level design engineer at the national aircraft factory. You are tasked with designing a short to medium-range interceptor.
Since your nation is comparatively small, endurance is not much of an issue. Your nation has dozens of grass airstrips, but only one concrete runway. Road and rail transport is good and some inland waterways support barge traffic.
To date your national aircraft factory has designed and built a variety of fabric-covered biplanes and a few multi-engined flying boats. Your local automotive industry produces motorcycles and small trucks while your shipyards produce steel fishing vessels and tug-boats.
Costs limit you to one engine and one pilot.
Since your country does not have a huge armaments industry, you are forced to buy critical components (engines, radios and armament) overseas. Awkward politics further limit arms purchases to second-string or “last week’s fashion.”
Engine choices are limited because RR refuses to sell the new Merlin engine. American politics prevent Allison from selling you any engines and German factories will only sell you “last week’s fashion.”
This limits you to inline or single-row radial engines producing less than 1,000 horsepower.
As for armaments, you have concluded that .50 caliber (12.5 mm) is the minimum, but you would prefer 20 mm cannons to intercept the newest bombers.
This thread limits you to materials and components available off-the-shelf in 1938. The good news is that you can use 2018-vintage aerodynamics developer by Reno Air Racers..