Post by Diarist on Feb 1, 2015 10:19:13 GMT 1
Yesterday evening's working dinner started with General Gort informing me about his meeting with the PM and SecDef concerning Prince Edward's request to be assigned to TRADOC. Prince Edward and Winston Churchill will be visiting us on Monday along with Admiral Keyes and Commander Mountbatten so we have the weekend in order to get prepared. I joked that he would look great in a recruitment poster especially if he goes through parachute training....
After dinner we talked about the new aircraft which I had neglected to inform him about. I opened with the de Havilland DH.88 Comet which had won the MacRobertson International Air Race, a race between London and Melbourne, held in October 1934. De Havilland had offered to build an unarmed, fast bomber version that would be faster than any planned fighter. Although the RAF and Air Ministry were interested the offer was rejected because fighters would soon become faster than the fast bomber thus making it extremely vulnerable.
That's where I disagree. The new fighters being designed by Hawker and Supermarine are expected to use the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. The same engine that was planned for the now cancelled Fairey Battle. If the fast bomber were to have Merlin engines then any increase in speed by our fighters would mean a more powerful Merlin. If we were to use these more powerful Merlin's in the fast bomber it would remain faster than contemporary fighters! Preliminary calculations project that an unarmed photo-reconnaissance version equipped with two 1,100 hp. Merlin engines would have a maximum speed of almost 400 m.p.h. and if I had told that to the Air Ministry they would laugh themselves silly at our expense.
General Gort was thoughtful and asked me to continue. The main difference with this concept is that this aircraft is being designed for maximum speed and whatever role it is used for later is not the prime consideration. There is no hurry so we can wait for even more powerful Merlin engines. Yes, we need some prototypes to be built as test-beds for different engines and weapon configurations. It would also be using non-strategic materials, i.e. not an ounce of duralumin would be required, an important factor in a future European war.
The General had a few questions but I replied that it is still too early. Now that the Battle has been cancelled maybe we could have another chat with Geoffrey de Havilland, my point of contact there. So I'm arranging a meeting for next week.
Finally we talked about the upcoming Anglo-German Naval talks scheduled for next month and the list of aircraft categories we promised Winston Churchill. The latter we shall coordinate with the RAF.
It went down pretty well I think.
After dinner we talked about the new aircraft which I had neglected to inform him about. I opened with the de Havilland DH.88 Comet which had won the MacRobertson International Air Race, a race between London and Melbourne, held in October 1934. De Havilland had offered to build an unarmed, fast bomber version that would be faster than any planned fighter. Although the RAF and Air Ministry were interested the offer was rejected because fighters would soon become faster than the fast bomber thus making it extremely vulnerable.
That's where I disagree. The new fighters being designed by Hawker and Supermarine are expected to use the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. The same engine that was planned for the now cancelled Fairey Battle. If the fast bomber were to have Merlin engines then any increase in speed by our fighters would mean a more powerful Merlin. If we were to use these more powerful Merlin's in the fast bomber it would remain faster than contemporary fighters! Preliminary calculations project that an unarmed photo-reconnaissance version equipped with two 1,100 hp. Merlin engines would have a maximum speed of almost 400 m.p.h. and if I had told that to the Air Ministry they would laugh themselves silly at our expense.
General Gort was thoughtful and asked me to continue. The main difference with this concept is that this aircraft is being designed for maximum speed and whatever role it is used for later is not the prime consideration. There is no hurry so we can wait for even more powerful Merlin engines. Yes, we need some prototypes to be built as test-beds for different engines and weapon configurations. It would also be using non-strategic materials, i.e. not an ounce of duralumin would be required, an important factor in a future European war.
The General had a few questions but I replied that it is still too early. Now that the Battle has been cancelled maybe we could have another chat with Geoffrey de Havilland, my point of contact there. So I'm arranging a meeting for next week.
Finally we talked about the upcoming Anglo-German Naval talks scheduled for next month and the list of aircraft categories we promised Winston Churchill. The latter we shall coordinate with the RAF.
It went down pretty well I think.