Suggestions for aircraft with Midway and Shinano

[Donald M. Scheef]

To go along with the future releases of CV-41 Midway (USN86) and CV Shinano (IJN50), I suggest that GHQ should produce aircraft suitable for basing on these ships.


If the war had lasted long enough for the Midway class to enter combat, they probably would have carried the last generation of piston-engined aircraft. In place of the available Hellcats, Corsairs, Avengers, and Helldivers, I would suggest the following as suitable:
Douglas AD Skyraider: The Skyraider had a long career, serving through the Korean War and well into the Viet-Nam era. It was a highly-adaptable attack aircraft, with the capability of dive bombing, torpedo bombing, anti-submarine patrol/attack, and airborne early warning radar. Historically, the Skyraider was just a little too late for WWII.
Goodyear F2G: This was a modification of the Corsair with a bubble canopy and the R-2800 engine replaced with a R-4360. Sacrificing range and maneuverability for low-altitude speed, the F2G was intended for Kamikaze interception.
Grumman F7F Tigercat: This twin-engine fighter-bomber wound up operating from land bases, but could have flown from Midway-class carriers. It was capable of carrying a large attack payload and also had a two-place night-fighter version.
Grumman F8F Bearcat: The smallest airframe that could be fitted around an R-2800 engine, the Bearcat had exceptional maneuverability and speed. Although intended to replace Hellcats on smaller carriers, the Midway class would probably had a significant number for combat air patrol. The first operational Bearcats were on their way to the western Pacific when the war ended.
Martin AM Mauler: A contemporary of the Skyraider, the Mauler was larger and more powerful. Relatively few Maulers were built because the US Navy preferred the versatility and economy of the Skyraider.

For some less-likely aircraft for Midway class, consider:
Boeing XF8B: This was a long-range fighter-bomber. It was probably too large to be an effective fighter, but its combination of speed and payload would have made it a good attack bomber against defended targets. Only three prototypes were completed.
Curtiss XF16C: This was a composite-powered fighter with an R-2800 in the nose and a De Havilland turbojet exhausting under the cantilevered tail. The development of pure turbojet fighters led to abandonment of the F16C.
Douglas XTB2D: This was a massive single-engine (R-4360) torpedo bomber – weighing almost as much as a B-25. Only two prototypes were completed. Realistically, the Skyraider and Mauler were much better choices.
Ryan XFR-2: This aircraft had a turboprop engine in the nose and a turbojet in the tail. It might have been an effective fighter bomber before pure jets began operation, but the turboprop engine never reached maturity.
Vought XF5U: This aircraft had a unique circular flying-wing fuselage with very large propellers at each extremity. Theoretically capable of hovering, the only full-sized XF5U completed never flew.

The first of the jet fighters were about to enter service. The first generation of US Navy jet fighters included:
McDonnell FH-1 Phantom: This was the first US jet to fly from a carrier – the Franklin D. Roosevelt in July, 1946. This fundamental design was developed into the long-serving Banshee.
North American FJ-1 Fury: This was the straight-winged progenitor of the later F-86 Sabre. Keeping in mind the limitations of first-generation jet fighters, the FJ-1 would have been effective in combat.
Vought F6U Pirate: The fastest of the first generation of US carrier jet-powered fighters (because it was the only one to have an after-burning engine), the Pirate suffered from numerous engine and stability problems and never entered active service. With better luck, it could have been effective.


The Japanese developed a new generation of carrier-based aircraft that GHQ has not yet represented. Any hypothetical extension of WWII in the Pacific should have these available:
Aichi B7A Ryusei [Grace]: This was a large, powerful attack bomber capable of both dive bombing and torpedo attack. They could have been a much greater threat to US Navy ships if the US had not had overwhelming numbers of fighters.
Kawasaki N1K3-A and N1K4-A Shiden-Kai [George]: The N1K proved to be one of the best late-war land-based fighters of the IJN. Only a few prototypes of the carrier-based versions were completed but more would have been built if the Japanese had been able to continue the war.
Kyushu J7W: This was an unusual canard design for an interceptor fighter. Initial versions, with a piston engine, were under test at the end of the war. The design explicitly allowed for the substitution of a turbojet when the more advanced engine became available.
Mitsubishi A7M Reppu [Sam]: This was the long-delayed successor to the famous Zero. Larger and much more powerful, the A7M would have been a worthy opponent for Corsairs, Hellcats, P-47s, and P-51s. The prototype was entering testing at the end of the war.
Yokosuka D4Y-2/3 [Judy]: The D4Y-2 was unusual among Japanese combat aircraft of WWII in having an in-line engine. The D4Y-3 was initially a contingency replacement of the hard-to-obtain in-line engine with a radial engine, but proved superior in combat.

Don S.

[DarrylH]

Don

I like the idea of the late-war Japanese aircraft, particularly the Grace and Sam, but Shinano was supposed to be more a "support" than a "fleet" carrier, so I'm not sure that the latest aircraft would have been embarked on her. I'm a little less enthusiastic about the USN aircraft, as the first air group for the Midways was lots and lots of F-4Us and SB2Cs--the Navy was not displeased with their quality, and the CVBs provided the opportunity to deploy them in quantity (although it quickly became apparent that the CV-9 class could operate their air groups more effectively). Still, for a Pacific War '46 scenario, the idea certainly has merit.

[Donald M. Scheef]

DarrylH,

You're right about Shinano, of course.

Still, I think that GHQ's producing these ships is an excellent excuse for requesting late-war and immediate post-war aircraft.

Don S.