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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0765.PDF
MARCH 14, 1940 TWO-SEATER FIGHTERS Tvvin-Engined Designatiou ol Aircraft FRANCEHanriot H.220-1 POLAND P.Z.L. Wili, YUGOSLAVIA lltarus Orkan HOLLAND FokkerG.1 Span tt. in. 42 0 36 3 43 5 54 \i Wing Area sq.ft. 227.7 193.75 279.5 384 Wing Load. ing Ib./ sq. ft. 35.8 31.5 29.9 25.7 Gross; Weight Ib. 8.157 6,106 8.360 0,580 Diipwab k Loa d Ib. 2.263 2,325 3,300 3020 Engine Gnome-Khonc P.Z.L. Fok. Hispano-Suiza Bristol Perseus Typt I4M I4AB X... ... Single-Engined RatedPower b.p 1.120 800 (+) 1,340 I.46U Max.Speed nup.h. 335 289 •360 301 At- tained at It. - - 13,120 - 1 Climb To IB h. 26.250 - 13.120 19,680 min 13.6 - 3.3 9.6 ServiceOiling 1 iy.680 32,800 58OOC 30.000 TypicaiArmament 2 sg 3 rcrnn I »« 4 remx 1 W 2 Ibmv 2 sir 3 rcnv AMERICA Republic 2PA-2 ... P. and W. Twin Wasp (100 Octane). France and the Breguet 690 and Potez 63 are standard multi-purpose types which can be employed as fighters while the smaller Hanriot H220-1, also adopted by I'Armee de I'Air, is a specialised two-seater fighter. All these machines are powered with small-diametc- engines of about 700 h.p. each, but it is significant that the Breguet has been fitted experimentally with units of 1,000 h.p. and with this power has been classed as a specialised fighter. When carrying three people the multi-purpose machines are some- times referred to as '' fighter command'' aircraft (avions de commandement de chasse), i.e., they are equivalent in a sense to flotilla leaders in a squadron of naval destroyers. Armament of the multi-purpose machines when used as three-seaters is normally two 20 mm. shell-guns and a machine gun, but the Hanriot is equipped with three shell- guns and two machine guns. It is commonly inferred that twin - engined multi- seater fighters are automatic- ally suitable for escort work because they usually have a comparatively long range. Flight has previously empha- sised that the escort problem centres not round range but armament. Let us consider the types of fighter available for the work: (1) The single- seater with fixed armament; (2) the two-seater with fixed and free (manually trained) guns; (3) the two-three sea ter with armament concentrated in a power-driven turret; and (4) the multi-seater multi turret machine. The single-seater, it is con sidered, is suitable only for short-range escort work as a heavy fuel load will place it on unequal terms with short- ^t. Britain has set a new stylewith her turret fighters. Above »s the Hawker Hotspur andbelow the Boulton Paul Defiant which, with its four-gunBoulton Paul turret has been adopted as a standard type bythe R.A.F. range lightly-loaded interceptors put up by the enemy.The pilot, too, may become fatigued on a long flight. A two-seater escort fighter with front and rear gunssuffers from the same shortcomings, though it has a certain advantage in its rear armament. A better proposition would appear to be the "turret"fighter as exemplified by the Defiant and Hotspur, or the large multi-turret machine, which might resemble a long-range bomber. A unique type ol multi-seater fighter for attacking bombers (the nature of its armament renders it unsuitable for escort work) is the Bell XFM-i (Airacuda) fitted with two Allison engines driving pusher airscrews. In the nose fyj
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