Jump to content
Please support this forum by joining the SH Patreon ×
Sturgeon's House

USAAF/USN '46


LostCosmonaut

Recommended Posts

The F7F, a design straight from the rantings of POWs in Japanese camps who were trying to scare their interrogators.

 

768px-F7F-3P_Tigercat.jpg

 

The F7F is a wonderful example of straightforward, unsubtle engineering.  Analysis of the air war in Europe led Grumman's engineers to conclude that what counted were horsepower, firepower and armor.  To this end, two might R2800s, a quartet of 20mm cannons and a box of 3/8" hardened steel were married together to make an absolute monster of a fighter.  It's like two hellcats glued together.  With more range.  And bigger guns.  And eighty miles per hour faster.

 

The few Japanese fighter pilots around in 1945 were lucky that their government managed to lose the war fast enough that they didn't have to face off against F7Fs.  The F6F chopped zeros out of the sky like a giant, radial-engined ax.  F7F would have been a chainsaw.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The F7F, a design straight from the rantings of POWs in Japanese camps who were trying to scare their interrogators.

 

768px-F7F-3P_Tigercat.jpg

 

The F7F is a wonderful example of straightforward, unsubtle engineering.  Analysis of the air war in Europe led Grumman's engineers to conclude that what counted were horsepower, firepower and armor.  To this end, two might R2800s, a quartet of 20mm cannons and a box of 3/8" hardened steel were married together to make an absolute monster of a fighter.  It's like two hellcats glued together.  With more range.  And bigger guns.  And eighty miles per hour faster.

 

The few Japanese fighter pilots around in 1945 were lucky that their government managed to lose the war fast enough that they didn't have to face off against F7Fs.  The F6F chopped zeros out of the sky like a giant, radial-engined ax.  F7F would have been a chainsaw.It

 

It also had x4 .50 BMG AN/M2 machine guns to go with that 20mm barrage, and a pretty impressive payload for ground weapons if needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted about this before but, the Martin AM Mauler really deserves a mention.

 

Although it was proposed in 1943 and first flew in 1944, when it became obvious it wouldn't be needed to win the war (same is true with quite a bit of equipment), this meant it wouldn't actually be accepted into service until 1948.

 

Martin_AM-1_NATC_in_flight.jpg

 

Now, aside from being rather good looking, let's take a look below at why the Mauler is dominate and you should bow to it.

 

martin_mauler_03.jpg

 

And here we are. What made the Mauler historically significant is, well, that right there in the foreground is a photo of a single engine piston aircraft breaking the record for most payload carried ever in said class, x3 2,200lb Torpedoes (1,000kg for non US, could also carry 3 2,000lb or 1,000kg bombs in a hypothetical foreign use scenario instead), x12 250lb bombs (the background one has x12 5" Aerial rockets instead), and 200 rpg each for it's x4 20x110mm cannons.

 

If you think the IJN got sodomized hard enough by what the USN already had, just imagine when these fuckers were now attacking your ships.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...