A what if challenge for the propeller heads.

sharlin

Banned
As part of the Lend Lease scheme and payment for said scheme the Soviets give the USA the plans/schematics for the IL-2 attack aircraft. Thanks to intervention from Umm...Kevin the ASB the US decides to build the IL-2 for their own use. What changes would need to be made in regards to the aircraft. Principal uses are a ground attack aircraft (with two crew inc gunner) as well as possibly a torpedo bomber.
 
Dan

Dan

Probably an American Engine, American guns. For the Torpedo bomber, add folding wings and a tail hook.
 

sharlin

Banned
Aye, I don't know what engine could fit into the Il-2's nose, guns replace the 23mm with 20mm and maybe a single .50 cal, a .30 or .50 cal for the rear gunner. Biggest problem I could think of with the torpedo bomber is you'd need to lengthen the landing gear as the Il-2 sits low on the ground when parked.
 

KACKO

sharlin said:
Aye, I don't know what engine could fit into the Il-2's nose, guns replace the 23mm with 20mm and maybe a single .50 cal, a .30 or .50 cal for the rear gunner. Biggest problem I could think of with the torpedo bomber is you'd need to lengthen the landing gear as the Il-2 sits low on the ground when parked.
Click to expand...
Depends on the size of torpedo. Soviets used them as torpedo bombers.

1_23.jpg
 

DoomBunny

Controls in English. Change components like the engine, guns, instruments, etc... to American equivalents. High altitude modifications. For a naval version install a tailhook, folding wings and more fuel. Possible switch to a radial engine as well.

Overall, you'd probably be left with something that looked rather similar and kept the armour.
 

KACKO

Lindseyman said:
Might even be safer than the Helldiver/Shrike! Put a Merlin in it?
Click to expand...

Russians put M-82 into one but with fighter plane engine controls and performance in low levels were no good. However some different radial engine could be good way to go.
 

Just Leo

The U.S. would probably prefer the Beech Grizzly or Mitchell with the 75mm in the nose. American Know-how didn't know how to make a suitable anti-tank gun that could fit in a single-engine airplane. In fact, they would fall back on fighter-bombers with unguided rockets.

The M82 engine was comparable to the Wright R-2600 and the P&W R-2800 was a tad heavier.

Il-2m3M82.png
 

Just Leo

A factory site was chosen in Lackawanna New York,when a cheese factory next to Bethlehem Steel, Cheeses of Nazareth, was converted for production. Power was derived from the P&W Corncob.

Il2M4360.png
 

Delta Force

Banned
They probably would convert the design over to the American measurement system, since there probably wasn't much in the way of metric tooling and infrastructure. That's what the Soviets did when they copied the B-29 (except obviously in reverse).
 

DD951

As far as engines go, if the AAF wanted to stay with an inline engine, the Allison V-1710 would fit- indeed, the only airworthy IL-2 currently in existence (an IL-2M3 that was rebuilt from a wreck by the Flying Heritage Collection, Everett WA because of the unavailability of parts for the original engine; that swap is common on airworthy restorations & replicas of Soviet inline-powered warbirds due to reasons of parts availability), though they'd be giving up several hundred horsepower in the process- according to the genocide, the AM-38F cranked out over 1700 HP. Same would for the Packard-Merlin, in the rather unlikely event enough of those would be made available. Given that, the AAF would probably experiment with radial engine conversions if they thought the airplane was worth that much trouble, and the USN if they wanted if for some reason certainly would.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Nice pictures, but the US had plenty of dive bombers...

A-24 was the USAAF version of the SBD; A-25 was the USAAF designation for the SB2C; the A-17 and V-72/A-31/A-35 were all Army designs to begin with...

In 1941, the USAAF had P-38s, P-39s, and P-40s available for CAS; the P-47 and A-36 (P-51 with dive brakes) were in service in 1942-43.

Best,
 

sharlin

Banned
TFSmith121 said:
A-24 was the USAAF version of the SBD; A-25 was the USAAF designation for the SB2C; the A-17 and V-72/A-31/A-35 were all Army designs to begin with...

In 1941, the USAAF had P-38s, P-39s, and P-40s available for CAS; the P-47 and A-36 (P-51 with dive brakes) were in service in 1942-43.

Best,
Click to expand...

True but I wanted to see something other than "Nazi Germany gets X Y Z A1/A4 and PIE." How often do you see 'what if the Allies get Llama?'
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Got it...here's a back of the napkin that was actually planned:

sharlin said:
True but I wanted to see something other than "Nazi Germany gets X Y Z A1/A4 and PIE." How often do you see 'what if the Allies get Llama?'
Click to expand...

If the Soviets had been willing to spend enough hard currency (basically, every kopeck they had), it is (remotely) possible this ship could have been built in a US yard...keel laid in 1939, completion (roughly) in 1943-44...


AnkerRUBBCV1A.jpg


If the ex-USSR "Stalin's Nightmare" is commissioned into the USN, what the heck do King, Nimitz, et al do with it?
 
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