Production of Jumo 210 ended in 1938 after 6500 built.
DB601s are available for the Fw 187 if the Bf 110 is not built.
What If instead of Bf110, Fw187 AND Hs124?
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Mostlyharmless
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Re: What If instead of Bf110, Fw187 AND Hs124?
Looking through these posts, there seems to me a misconception that the Fw 187 was a German Westland Whirlwind. However, the Fw 187 was a German P-38 as can be seen if we simply look at the wing areas and also notice that both the Fw 187 and the P-38 could take a "standard" fighter engine whilst the Whirlwind couldn't accept the Merlin.
Here are some wing areas copied from https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/t ... st-1216542:
Westland Whirlwind 250 ft² (23.2 m²)
Focke-Wulf Fw 187 30.40 m² (327.22 ft²)
Lockheed P-38 327.5 ft² (30.43 m²)
de Havilland Hornet 361 ft² (33.54 m²)
Messerschmitt Me 410 36.20 m² (390 ft²)
Messerschmitt Bf 110 38.8 m² (414 ft²)
de Havilland Mosquito 454 ft2 (42.18 m2)
Bristol Beaufighter 503 ft² (46,73 m²)
Junkers Ju 88 G-6 54.7 m² (587 ft2)
As the Fw 187 A-0 outperformed a Bf 109C, we can be fairly confident that a DB 601A powered Fw 187 will outperform a Bf 109E. However, it is possible that a Fw 187 will have much less of an edge over a cleaner Bf 109F, G or K with the same engines. Note that the speeds of contemporary P-38s and 109s was similar after the 1942 introduction of the P-38.
Thus, the impact of replacing the Bf 110 by the Fw 187 will be most significant in 1940, although there will also be a significant impact over the Mediterranean and North Africa until Spitfires arrive in large numbers and perhaps even until the Spitfire IX arrives as a DB 605 powered Fw 187 might give a Spitfire V with a desert filter a tough time.
If we ask why German did not do what seems obviously best to us, we have to appreciate that it was not clear in 1938 that long range escort was possible without a radio operator to talk to the bombers.
Here are some wing areas copied from https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/t ... st-1216542:
Westland Whirlwind 250 ft² (23.2 m²)
Focke-Wulf Fw 187 30.40 m² (327.22 ft²)
Lockheed P-38 327.5 ft² (30.43 m²)
de Havilland Hornet 361 ft² (33.54 m²)
Messerschmitt Me 410 36.20 m² (390 ft²)
Messerschmitt Bf 110 38.8 m² (414 ft²)
de Havilland Mosquito 454 ft2 (42.18 m2)
Bristol Beaufighter 503 ft² (46,73 m²)
Junkers Ju 88 G-6 54.7 m² (587 ft2)
As the Fw 187 A-0 outperformed a Bf 109C, we can be fairly confident that a DB 601A powered Fw 187 will outperform a Bf 109E. However, it is possible that a Fw 187 will have much less of an edge over a cleaner Bf 109F, G or K with the same engines. Note that the speeds of contemporary P-38s and 109s was similar after the 1942 introduction of the P-38.
Thus, the impact of replacing the Bf 110 by the Fw 187 will be most significant in 1940, although there will also be a significant impact over the Mediterranean and North Africa until Spitfires arrive in large numbers and perhaps even until the Spitfire IX arrives as a DB 605 powered Fw 187 might give a Spitfire V with a desert filter a tough time.
If we ask why German did not do what seems obviously best to us, we have to appreciate that it was not clear in 1938 that long range escort was possible without a radio operator to talk to the bombers.