On 2 Dec 2003 20:05:13 -0800, (Nev) wrote:

Some of the latest developments in propeller aircraft has fascinated
me. It also brought up an interesting hypothetical question; mostly
when reading about modern day warbird replicas.

1. Mission: Air superiority/dominance during WWII. Land based. It
should be able to clear the skies of any and all opposition at all
ranges and altitudes.

2. Must be a propeller aircraft.

Take one Kuznetsov NK-12MV turboprop giving 14,795 shp as used in the
Tupolev 95 Bear. With four engines the Bear gave: 575 mph (925 km/h)
Ceiling: 39,370 ft (12000 m) For a single engine fighter, it should be
able to cruise climbing straight up. An even more mind boggling
configuration would be two NK-12MV's in a twin boom design, a la the
P-38.

The real value of this design would be using the TU-95's transonic
counter-rotating propellers, which probably provide an upper limit on
speed.

Come to think of it, the single engine version would probably resemble
the Convair XFY-1, Pogo. POWERPLANT: One Allison YT40-A-6 turboprop
(which consisted of two T38 turboprops coupled together) driving a
pair of Curtiss-Wright 16-foot three-bladed contra-rotaing propellers
in the nose.

Specifications of Convair XFY-1 Pogo: (From
http://home.att.net/~jbaugher4/fypogo.html)

Engines: One Allison XT40-A-6 turboprop, rated at 5500 shp. Projected
performance with the 6955 ehp XT40-A-16: Maximum speed: 610 mph at
15,000 feet, 592 mph at 35,000 feet. Initial climb rate 10,500
feet/minute. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 2.7
minutes, 30,000 feet in 4.6 minutes. Service ceiling 43,700 feet.
Endurance was one hour at 35,000 feet. Weights: 11,760 pounds empty,
16,250 pounds gross. Dimensions: wingspan 27 feet 7 3/4 inches, length
34 feet 11 3/4 inches, vertical span 22 feet 11 inches, wing area 355
square feet. Armament was to have consisted of four 20-mm cannon or 48
2 3/4 FFARs


John Bailey
http://home.rochester.rr.com/jbxroads/mailto.html