A defining character of most American aircraft (especially fighters) in the 1930s and early 1940s was the overall crappiness of their engines-the P-39, whose design was greeted with great enthusiasm, ended up off frontline service due to the lack of a good engine, and two of America's most famous WWII-era fighters (the P-51 and the later model P-40s) used an American-produced version of the famous Rolls-Royce Merlin, which was used in the Spitfire and Hurricane.
So, how could the US develop an engine that was about as effective as the Merlin in the 1933-35 time range? And what effect, if any, would it have on the course of American aircraft development, and the coming war? Any takers?
So, how could the US develop an engine that was about as effective as the Merlin in the 1933-35 time range? And what effect, if any, would it have on the course of American aircraft development, and the coming war? Any takers?