Originally Posted by
barit1
The Army Air Corps was NOT averse to turbos. Republic, Lockheed, and Curtiss all built prototypes using Army-specified turbos, and the P-47 and P-38 (both with innovative layouts) won production contracts. Likewise the B-17 and B-24.
You are absolutely right barit & don't forget the Bell XP-39 that had excellent performance with a turbo, but so equipped had no room left for guns & ammo. The AAC were so enamored of turbos that they refused to let Allison spend any money to develop two-speed or two-stage superchargers for their V-1710. All high altitude applications would be turbo-charged. When no one except Republic, with their huge P-47, was able to develop a successful single-engine turbo fighter, the US was left with P-39, P-40, P-51A that were dogs at altitude.
Of course, the pre-war AAC bomber boys thought their high-flying formations of B-17's & B-24's didn't need fighter escort. They paid the price in Europe with greater losses than the Marines in the S. Pacific.