Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Wishlist => Topic started by: Ack-Ack on May 08, 2009, 08:03:58 PM
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Curtiss-Wright CW-21 is a plane that saw extensive service in the early part of the war in the Pacific and China and in some cases even with the Japanese. Primarily used by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force and the Chinese Nationalist Air Force (saw limited use with the AVG) in the Dutch East Indies and in China, its fire power was comparable to that of the Oscar (but worse than the cannon equipped Zero) and could out climb both. In the Dutch East Indies, it was finally taken out of service by attrition with from the overwhelming numbers of the Japanese and all were either lost in combat or destroyed on the ground.
According to some reports from Dutch pilots, it had superior performance over the Curtiss Hawk and the Brewster Buffalo and could easily out climb the Zero but not out turn it. Its metal ailerons also reportedly gave it a better roll rate at higher speeds than the Zero.
While some can argue that it wasn't successful because it didn't have a winning record, that can be largely attributed to flight operations conducted under tactically unfavorable circumstances. Had its pilots had more time to learn the relative merits of their and the enemy's aircraft they might well have been able to use their CW-21Bs with more effect.
Specifications (CW-21B)
General characteristics
Crew: one, pilot
Length: 27 ft 2 in (8.3 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft (10.7 m)
Height: 8 ft 11 in (2.7 m)
Wing area: 174.3 ft² (16 m²)
Empty weight: 3,382 lb (1,534 kg)
Loaded weight: 4,500 lb (2,041 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Wright Cyclone R-1820-G5 nine cylinder radial air-cooled engine, 1,000 hp (746 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 315 mph at 17,000 ft (506 km/h at 5,200 m)
Range: 630 mi (1,010 km)
Service ceiling: 34,300 ft (10,500 m)
Rate of climb: 4,500 ft/min (1,400 m/min)
Armament
2 × 0.3 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns
2 × 0.5 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns
Saw service with the Dutch East Indies AF, Nationalist China AF, AVG (lost all their CW-21s in a crash from poor visibility) and Japan (captured from Dutch).
(http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/quarters/9485/demon.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/quarters/9485/cw-21.JPG)
(http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/usa/curtiss_cw-21-s.gif)
(http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/usa/curtiss_cw-21b.jpg)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Curtiss-Wright_CW-21.jpg)
ack-ack
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It's... Ugly! I wouldn't be caught dead flying that, unless it's as good as you say it is ;)
I, personally, would like to see more Russian and Japanese aircraft first. Maybe in the future :aok
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Looks like an F4U's anorexic cousin. Works for me. :aok
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That, and the small numbers produced didn't help, either.
I'd love to see some more obscure aircraft from the early war. Like this guy:
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Republic_P-43_Lancer.jpg)
However we still need early war Japanese aircraft more than anything else. Ki-43s, Ki-27s, A5Ms would all be great additions.
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That, and the small numbers produced didn't help, either.
Yeah, production does tend to fall off when your country is taken over.
I agree on the Lancer. We should get one in Nationalist Chinese markings, another plane that would help fill the gap in the EW plane set.
ack-ack
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Um.....using Ack-Acks figures I get a wing-loading of 25lbs/ft and and a horsepower/weight of .22...both numbers are impressive. HP/weight of .22 is freakin' awesome in fact, I have no doubt at all about the 4,500fpm ROC figure being dead honest. And the looks are just sweet too.
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I'm all for filling the gaps
+1 :aok
Would be used quite a bit in EW and MW
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+1 would be a good fight with a boomerang
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It would be a good add to the inventory. :aok