Gloster F5/34

[B777LR]

[GTX]

How about an upgraded version with something like a Bristol Hercules engine?

Regards,

Greg

[B777LR]

Did not do a hercules engine, but i did do something similar to the Hawker Typhoon:

[McGreig]

Love the French Glosters.  They really suit those Aeronavale colours    

[B777LR]

Another frenchie:

[Lawman]

How about a beefed up version, a la F4F versus F6F? The blown canopy option would be excellent, and boost its already pretty good visibility. It would be a very strong candidate for use off British escort carriers - perhaps being built to offset the shortage of fleet carriers, switching to the American modus operandi to allow them to carry similar numbers to the fleet carriers.  

[jcf]

How about an upgraded version with something like a Bristol Hercules engine?

Regards,

Greg

Diameters are close, the biggest differences would be in overall installed length and a major increase in weight.
Mercury around 1,095 lbs

Hercules around 1,845 lbs

The result would be quite a bit of redesign and probably an overall increase in dimensions.

Jon

[GTX]

Agree - a fuselage stretch (ala Ta-152) to balance things would be appropriate.

Regards,

Greg

[Lord Darth Beavis]

The star of "Tora!  Tora!  Tora!," "Midway," and many other WWII flicks!

Your profiles are spectacular, Trip7! B)  

[Archibald]

I said it before and I say it again, those profiles are stunning!

One can imagine that the FAA use Skuas for dive-bombing, Fulmar as long range fighter, and Gloster F5/34 as anti-Luftwaffe fighter (in the case carriers have operations close from the shore, in the Mediterranean theater for example).

In this case the Gloster would just replace Sea Gladiator, Sea Hurricane and Martlets, before being withdrawn in favor of the Seafire around 1942-43.

[B777LR]

You just got me thinking again!
The gloster F5 as an anti-luftwaffe machine made me think: Some cargoships of WWII where fitted with catapults and a single sea hurricane. If attacked by luftwaffe planes, the hurricane would be launched on a one way mission, the pilot crash landing or parachuting out when the hurricane had used up its fuel. It would be easy to do that with a Gloster F5. However, since the luftwaffe planes over the atlantic where mainly heavy/medium bombers that could not put up a fight against any enemy fighter, how about fitting floats to the Gloster F5?  :ar:

[dy031101]

However, since the luftwaffe planes over the atlantic where mainly heavy/medium bombers that could not put up a fight against any enemy fighter, how about fitting floats to the Gloster F5?

Didn't those bombers tend to operate at a fairly high alttitude?

I'd figure that the floats would cut into the performance somewhat......

I actually like the later Merchant Aircraft Carrier idea a bit better (was actually trying to think up a modern application of the idea)...... they can take the Condor-killers without the need of fitting floats on the planes......

[B777LR]

Didn't those bombers tend to operate at a fairly high alttitude?

Dunno, how would they be able to use torpedoes, and what if there was overcast?

[dy031101]

Dunno, how would they be able to use torpedoes, and what if there was overcast?

Dropping alttitude for attack run, dive bombing...... or maybe I was not entirely correct, and only planes tracking convoys for U-boats would fly high......

I've probably said this before but I'll say it again - you need to re-engine it because the vast majority of aircraft which had Mercury engines were crap performers.

It was claimed that the performance of prototype Gloster F5/34 was comparable with early models of A6M.

Maybe further development would've had the engine replaced......

[BillSlim]

No RN type had Mercuries as the RAF had reserved them all for the obsolescent Blenheim hence the Skua getting the unreliable Perseus.

I wonder how much better the Skua might have been with the Mercury as originally planned (AFAIK)?