Q&A ยท 2:35:19-2:35:49

Changing an aircraft engine changes the aircraft

A Dauntless or Devastator developed around the proposed Bristol engine would be a substantially different aircraft.

Question

What would a Dauntless or Devastator be like with Bristol Hercules or Centaurus engines?

Short answer

Aircraft designed around the Hercules or Centaurus would differ substantially from the historical Dauntless and Devastator.

Notes

Aircraft are products of the engines around which they are designed. The proposed combination gives the Dauntless a Bristol Hercules and the Devastator a Bristol Centaurus. Developing the aircraft around those engines would produce substantially different designs. The result would change more than the powerplant fitted to an otherwise familiar aircraft.