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[Mr.Craig]

This is also a re-request. I've been fascinated with aircraft that never quite got into
as full a production, or served as far and wide as did the more famous and legendary
planes that fought in the Second World War. I'd personally love to see the P-66 added to
IL2 1946's MOD folder. Would make a good stable mate along side a future P-43 Lancer. 




The Vanguard was designed to use common tooling and assemblies from other Vultee products
then on the drawing board. The version that evolved into a fighter design  was called the Model
48. It was flown in September 1939, but proved to require a redesign of the cowling, and the new
version (known as the Model 48X) was first flown in February 1940. This version also incorporated
a number of other enhancements, resulting in an order for 166 by Sweden in 1940. No examples
were released to Sweden due to U.S. government restrictions, but eventually 129 of the Vanguards
went to China under the Lend-Lease. The remainder were acquired by the USAAF under the designation
P-66, the last being delivered in April 1942. The P-66 in USAAF hands were used in a training role only.





Type:           single-seat fighter
Crew:           1
Armament:       four 0.30 cal machine guns (500 rds?)
                two 0.50 cal machine guns  (225 rds?)

Specifications:
        Length:         28' 5" (8.66 m)
        Height:         9' 5" (2.87 m)
        Wingspan:       36' 0" (10.97 m)
        Wing area:      197 sq. ft (18.30 sq. m)
        Empty Weight:   5235 lb (2375 kg)
        Max Weight:     7384 lb (3349 kg) max at takeoff

Propulsion:
        No. of Engines: 1
        Powerplant:     Pratt & Whitney R-1830-33 Twin Wasp radial
        Horsepower:     1200 hp

Performance:
        Range:          950 miles (1529 km)
        Cruise Speed:   290 mph ( 467 km/h) at 17,000 ft
        Max Speed:      340 mph ( 547 km/h) at 15,100 ft
        Ceiling:        28,200 ft (8595 m)

[Kopfdorfer]

I'd forgotten about this aircraft for many years now.
Interesting - the F4U seems to have taken a lot of features from this bird.



Thanks for posting.

Kopfdorfer

[RealDarko]

It makes me think in a mix of a Buffalo and Corsair.

[Joberg]

This would be a good one to have. I thought I saw a P-43 being developed on another site but I never saw a release...

[tooslow]

I'd love to see this plane in the sim as my Uncle was involved with the plane's design.   He said he was really disappointed when they had to give up on the original streamlined engine cowling, but the cooling problems were just too severe.  He said the original cowling improved the top speed by almost 35 mph and the cooling was adequate if you kept the plane at high altitude (he didn't specify a particular altitude).   His statements on the performance advantages of the original cowling are at odds with what is stated in the information below.   When I showed this to him he told me that was the head designers opinion, but the flight test data supported his statement.   He believed that the head designer was under pressure to get the plane to an early production standard so it could be offered for sale.  Shortly after this incident (disagreement) he and Vultee parted ways.  He spent the rest of the War testing and evaluating captured enemy aircraft and eventually was one of the principal designers of the space shuttle.  He died a few years ago.  He taught me to fly his Stinson Voyager when I was 15 years old.   I miss my talks with him and I never beat him at chess.  He was a very special man.
   
Here is a little bit more information on the Vultee Vanguard from one of my books:

[tooslow]

I've looked for ammunition load for the P-66 and so far have come up dry.  It should be noted that most US planes of the 30's carried one 50 cal with 200 rounds and one 30 cal with 500 rounds.  That would lead me to believe that the P-66 probably used similar amounts.  This is the same as the P-36s which carried the same 200/500 rounds per gun (rpg) for the twin nose 50s and the wing 30's respectively.   This is also the armament of all the P-36s in the sim.

However a contemporary plane, the P-40B, was equipped with nose 50 cals with 250 rpg and wing 30 cals with about 300 rpg.  Different sources give different number so wing guns on the B model some say two others say four.  All my sources agree that the P-40C had four wing 30 cals.  The P-40B & Cs  in the sim all have the twin nose 50 with 250 rpg and four wing 30 cals which have 300 rpg for one pair and 240 rpg for the other pair.   

Unless another source can be found it would seem logical that it could be assumed that either the P-36 or the P-40 ammunition loads could be used as a starting point for the P-66’s twin nose 50 cals and four wing 30 cals. 

Also, it seems someone made a RC model of the P-66, the YouTube link is below

 

[flying_spud]

I personally reckon the Vultee Vengeance dive-bomber (from SBD?) as used by the RAAF and especialy by RAF SE Asia Command in combat over Burma would be a MUCH more useful addition to the game if we're going down the route of adding minor Vultee aircraft. Please remember this is a combat flight sim not a civilian flight simulator where all sorts of marginal aircraft are built to drone around peacefull skies......

Surely conversions of (for example) a D3A1/2 into the radial engine D4Y Suisei ("Judy"), A20 into Ki-48 "Lily" or the Ki-46 (armed) into the Ki-45 Toryu ("Nick") would bring really needed expansion to the game with really significant combat aircraft that saw intense action, and would be a serious boost to the longetivity of il-2 modded. Mission/Campaign builders especially would have a whole new world open up. What would they do with a P-66 exactly?

The fantastic adaptations of D3A1 and B5N2 into Ki-30 and Ki-51 elsewhere on this site, and the great skins that followed, are the way to go in my humble opinion. Once the REAL combat aircraft are done, then anything's possible within reason, inc a P-66. Just my opinion.     

[SAS~GJE52]

I personally reckon the Vultee Vengeance dive-bomber as used by the RAAF and especialy by RAF SE Asia Command in combat over Burma would be a MUCH more useful addition to the game if we're going down the route of adding minor Vultee aircraft. Please remember this is a combat flight sim not a civilian flight simulator where all sorts of marginal aircraft are built to drone around peacefull skies......

Surely conversions of (for example) a D3A1/2 into the radial engine D4Y Suisei ("Judy"), A20 into Ki-48 "Lily" or the Ki-46 (armed) into the Ki-45 Toryu ("Nick") would bring really needed expansion to the game with really significant combat aircraft that saw intense action, and would be a serious boost to the longetivity of il-2 modded. Mission/Campaign builders especially would have a whole new world open up. What would they do with a P-66 exactly?

The fantastic adaptations of D3A1 and B5N2 into Ki-30 and Ki-51 elsewhere on this site, and the great skins that followed, are the way to go in my humble opinion. Once the REAL combat aircraft are done, then anything's possible within reason.   

I think this is effectively a list of mostly "off topic" personal requests rather than helpful input to this project.   

Remember - Modders do what they want to do, If you have some better ideas then give up some of your own free time to create them - then we can all share in whatever you "personally reckon" the game needs.   

[flying_spud]

erm, I was thinking SBD to Vultee Vengeance, D3A1 to radial engined "Judy", Ki-46 to Ki-45 really....

Is there much incentive in doing hours of research and uploading reams of info on these (already well known) combat planes though if modders "do what they want to do" anyway? 

This kinda sounds a bit like when good old Oleg was being asked to add planes to updates by the punters

Sorry, I must have misread this requests/ideas thing. I'll keep quiet on what I think would work best for most......

[Jjuurraa]

Sometimes in future, I belive we can flight this plane . Of course, I like China region, Burma and Phillipines. This plane together with Republic P-43 Lancer and Seversky P-35A are very missing...

[tooslow]

Jjuurraa, for the P-35 you might try ...

https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,2321.0.html

[max_thehitman]

Very Interesting.
Just when a guy thinks he saw all aircraft ever made, here Pops-Up another one 
Interesting design on this one