Author Topic: Odd Thought  (Read 5088 times)

Offline elmayerle

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Odd Thought
« on: March 26, 2014, 12:04:48 PM »
What if, around 1930 or so, Curtiss had taken the bore, stroke, and cylinder spacing of the V1570 Conqueror and applied more modern engine technology (including gearboxes, variable-pitch propellers, and superchargers) and materials?  They should have been able to get 1000 hp. easy and likely more, certainly enough to be reasonably competitive with the V1650 Merlin and Allison's V1710.  I could see this making for some interesting aircraft variants.

Offline jcf

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Re: Odd Thought
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2014, 02:11:14 PM »
Two big obstacles:
1) Wright was committed to radials using the Lawrence designs
2) Lack of customers because of the world economic situation

The second reason was why Packard reluctantly abandoned aircraft engine design
and manufacture. They had the designs and know-how but the US military pie was
already divvied, other countries put money into domestic manufacturers and there
was no commercial market, as Curtiss also found when they tried to sell the V-1570
to commercial operators.

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Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
whatever’s supposed to be behind the
conspiracy.”
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Offline jcf

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Re: Odd Thought
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2014, 12:06:17 PM »
... or what-if the displaced liquid-cooled V-dudes from Curtiss got together with the Packard crew?

 :icon_fsm:


“Conspiracy theory’s got to be simple.
Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
whatever’s supposed to be behind the
conspiracy.”
-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Odd Thought
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2014, 12:46:56 PM »
A private venture done in slow time between other projects and then offered up to the French when they came knocking looking to buy war materiel.  Initial orders get production going for use in French P-36, P-38, P-39 and P-40.  Turns out to have superior high altitude performance to the Allison so starts getting USAAF orders as well.

Offline Rickshaw

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Re: Odd Thought
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2014, 12:44:48 PM »
What if Curtiss had sold the license rights to their engines to say, the Italians or the French?  Italian fighters with an excellent inline engine without reliance on the Germans?   French fighters with more powerful inlines than the Hispano-Suisa series?

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Odd Thought
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2014, 03:15:35 PM »
What if Curtiss had sold the license rights to their engines to say, the Italians or the French?  Italian fighters with an excellent inline engine without reliance on the Germans?   French fighters with more powerful inlines than the Hispano-Suisa series?

Wasn't the issue for the Italian political interference from Mussolini? He ordered that they concentrate on radials at the expense of inlines

Offline apophenia

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Re: Odd Thought
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2014, 06:31:56 AM »
... Wright was committed to radials using the Lawrence designs ...


http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=351.msg62097#msg62097

Got around that by slapping Curtiss-Wright with an anti-trust charge  ;)
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Odd Thought
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2014, 10:14:42 AM »
Wright was committed to radials using the Lawrence designs
Yeah, and that drove a number of their top people off to form Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engines; people like Rennschler (sp), Willgoos, et al.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2014, 12:00:22 PM by elmayerle »

Offline jcf

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Re: Odd Thought
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2014, 11:04:48 PM »
Also using the basic Lawrence design.  ;D

“Conspiracy theory’s got to be simple.
Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
whatever’s supposed to be behind the
conspiracy.”
-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Odd Thought
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2014, 12:00:57 PM »
And taking them further than Wright did.