[BillSwagger]

Power plant: R-4360-41 - 4,150 hp

Top speed: 511mph at 25,000ft
445mph at sea level

climb: 5280 ft per minute at 10,000ft

Empty weight: 11,500 lbs
Loaded weight: 14,700 lbs
max weight: 17,800 lbs

Armament:
6 x 50 cal (M3)
or
4 x 20mm
or
2 x 37mm + 2 20mm


I adapted this P-47D-16 skin to create a modified concept based on other prototypes from that era.

This never existed, and therefore never really flew but the projections are based on former prototypes that did exist.

here's a brief read, but there are no sources so it could be a fairytale.

http://tbo.wikidot.com/p-72







Bill

[kstoff]

2 x 37mm + 2 20mm

What US 37mm cannon did you think about?

Hope not the T9... If so, where do you think you can put TWO of those cannons :?:

[BillSwagger]

The article points to 4 x 37mm M-9s mounted in the wings.
Maybe there is some confusion in my list of armament.
Those are separate selections for guns mounted in the wings.
So the 37mm x 2 fitted with 20mm x 2 was one of those options.
It was not my intention to have all those guns fitted at once. That would smell really bad.

It is my opinion that the 37mm was not a realistic air to air weapon, other than maybe shooting at some heavy bombers.

I think the actual prototype stuck with 20mm as well, and really only considered 37mm in the development phase.
They probably also learned that shooting and hitting with heavy duty cannons above 450mph was much more difficult than shooting lighter calibers.


Bill

[bjgregory]

The article is of course a fairytale, but the XP-72 prototype definitely existed, looks like 6 .50s on that, though: