Any chance of a de Havilland Hornet being developed in a future patch? I've been in love with this aircraft for years, and flying the Mossie (good as it is) just doesn't do it for me anymore. The Hornet would provide a nice balance against the later German aircraft such as the Do 335 and the Ta 152.
Like the F7F Tigercat, the Hornet really was a supreme example of twin-engined power; and could just about hold it's own (if flown correctly) against any aircraft of the WWII era. Additionally it also was developed for carrier use - a nice addition for the FAA. Here's some info on it's peformance figures against contemporary challenges.
Hornet F.1
Speed sea level: 392mph
Speed at altitude: 472 @ 22,000ft
Initial climb: 4,650ft/min
Normal range: 1,710 miles/with drop tanks 'no data'
Spitfire XIV
Speed sea level: 375 mph
Speed at altitude: 448 mph @ 26,000ft
Initial climb: 4,580ft/min
Normal range: 460 miles/with drop tanks 850 miles
Tempest V
Speed sea level: 392 mph
Speed at altitude: 435 mph @ 17,000ft
Initial climb: 4,700ft/min
Normal range: 740 miles/with drop tanks 1,450 miles
P-47D-22
Speed @ 5,000ft: 363 mph
Speed at altitude: 435 mph @ 30,000ft
Initial climb: 3,120ft/min
Normal range: 475 miles/ with drop tanks 1,250 miles
P-51D-NA
Speed @ 5,000ft: 395 mph
Speed at altitude: 437 mph @ 25,000ft
Initial climb: 3,475ft/min
Normal range: 850 miles/ with drop tanks 1650 miles
F7F
Speed sea level: 366 mph
Speed at altitude: 434 mph @ 22,200ft
Initial climb: 4,530ft/min
Normal range: 1,200 miles/ with drop tanks 'no data'
Do 335A-1
Speed sea level: no data
Speed at altitude: 474 mph @ 21,325ft
Initial climb: no data
Normal range: 1,280 miles/with drop tanks 'no data'
Fw 190D-9
Speed sea level: 357 mph
Speed at altitude: 426 mph @ 21,654ft
Initial climb: 3,120ft/min
Normal range: 520 miles/with drop tanks 'no data'
Ta 152H-1
Speed sea level: 357 mph
Speed at altitude: 465 mph @ 29,860ft
Initial climb: 3,445ft/min
Normal range: 755 miles/with drop tanks 1250 miles
Me 109K-4
Speed sea level: 378 mph
Speed at altitude: 452 mph @ 19,685ft
Initial climb: 4,820ft/min
Normal range: 366 miles/with drop tanks 635 miles
And to finish off I can't think of a better way than with some words from Eric 'Winkle' Brown, who was very impressed with the Hornet. Note that Eric is discussing the performance of the Sea Hornet, which was some 800 kg heavier than the F.1.
"...the next two months of handling and deck landing assessment trials were to be an absolute joy; from the outset the Sea Hornet was a winner!" "The view from the cockpit, positioned right forward in the nose beneath a one-piece aft-sliding canopy was truly magnificent. The Sea Hornet was easy to taxi, with powerful brakes... the takeoff using 25 lb (2,053 mm Hg, 51" Hg) boost and flaps at one-third extension was remarkable! The 2,070 hp (1,540 kW) Merlin 130/131 engines fitted to the prototypes were to be derated to 18 lb (1,691 Hg, 37" Hg) boost and 2,030 hp (1,510 kW) as Merlin 133/134s in production Sea Hornets, but takeoff performance was to remain fantastic. Climb with 18 lb boost exceeded 4,000 ft/min (20.32 m/sec)"... "In level flight the Sea Hornet's stability about all axes was just satisfactory, characteristic, of course, of a good day interceptor fighter. Its stalling characteristics were innocuous, with a fair amount of elevator buffeting and aileron twitching preceding the actual stall"... "For aerobatics the Sea Hornet was absolute bliss. The excess of power was such that manoeuvres in the vertical plane can only be described as rocket like. Even with one propeller feathered the Hornet could loop with the best single-engine fighter, and its aerodynamic cleanliness was such that I delighted in its demonstration by diving with both engines at full bore and feathering both propellers before pulling up into a loop!"
And
"Landings aboard Ocean had been made without any crash barrier... Yet, in the case of the Sea Hornet, I had felt such absolute confidence that I was mentally relaxed... Indeed, there was something about the Sea Hornet that made me feel that I had total mastery of it; I revelled in its sleek form and the immense surge of power always to hand..." "Circumstances had conspired against the Sea Hornet in obtaining the recognition that it justly deserved as a truly outstanding warplane...in my book the Sea Hornet ranks second to none for harmony of control, performance characteristics and, perhaps most important, in inspiring confidence in its pilot. For sheer exhilarating flying enjoyment, no aircraft has ever made a deeper impression on me than did this outstanding filly from the de Havilland stable."
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