- Model: Hughes Aviation P21-J MkIII Devastator
- Class: Fighter
- Manufacturer: Hughes Aviation Company - Culver City, Hollywood / Denver, Free Colorado
- Engine: Tornado G450 (1,468 HP)
- Wing Span: 31 ft, 11 in
- Length: 26 ft
- Height: 16 ft, 3 in
- Loaded Weight: 9,500 Lbs
- Service Ceiling: 20,000 ft
- Range: 400 Miles
- Max Speed: 300 mph
- Max Accel: 65.6 fps
- Weapons: Four (4) United Munitions .40-cal Machine Guns
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In 1936, Hughes Aviation released the Mk III Devastator, widely considered an effective fighter but significantly weaker than its predecessor. In a effort to reduce the eye-watering list price of the Mk II, the Mk III was supplied with the Tornado G450 engine, which did not have the nitro-thrust capacity of the Mk II. In order to counter the reduced power, the twin three-bladed counter-rotating propellors of the Mk II were replaced by a single four-bladed propellor.
The Mk III also had the magnetic missile launcher removed in favour of standard underwing hardpoints. However, reinforced wing struts allowed a fourth set of guns to be fitted, creating one of the most heavily-armed interceptor-fighters of its day.
While the Mk III was considerably cheaper to purchase and maintain than the Mk II, the Mk II was much more popular, especially among pirate gangs. The Fortune Hunters, long-time fans of the Devastator line, initially deployed in Mk III Devastators, but were able to replace these with classic Mk II models sometime in early 1938.
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The first commercial design from the then-fledgling Hughes Aviation firm, the Devastator was widely derided as too radical by skeptics; one review called the Devastator "the product of a fevered imagination". The tailless fuselage and pusher prop were considered too experimental, and many predicted that Hughes’ first effort would quite literally crash and burn. To Hughes’ delight (and the pundits’ chagrin) the Devastator outperformed every other combat aircraft in the skies, in speed, armament and maneuverability.
The first commercial design from the then-fledgling Hughes Aviation firm, the Devastator was widely derided as too radical by skeptics; one review called the Devastator "the product of a fevered imagination". The tailless fuselage and pusher prop were considered too experimental, and many predicted that Hughes’ first effort would quite literally crash and burn. To Hughes’ delight (and the pundits’ chagrin) the Devastator outperformed every other combat aircraft in the skies, in speed, armament and maneuverability.
Originally equipped with a 12-cylinder Wright Cyclone engine (under-powered by modern standards, but quite robust for the day) gave the aircraft a top speed of 230 m.p.h. In 1934, Hughes redesigned the Devastator to reflect advancements in aviation technology; a Tornado G450 engine with 1,468 horsepower replaced the Cyclone, increasing the plane’s top speed to 270 m.p.h.
The Devastator is armed with a quartet of United Munitions .40-caliber machine guns and features eight external ordnance points for rockets, bombs or external fuel tanks. The relative ease with which the craft’s weapon load can be altered has prompted several custom configurations, making the Devastator one of the least predictable aircraft in the sky.
The Devastator is now a somewhat dated combat aircraft (particularly when faced with modern fighters like the Bloodhawk). Still, the plane is still widely used as a fighter-bomber, where its lack of speed is not a problem and its agility and firepower are above average. The versatile Devastator seems likely to remain in service for a number of years.
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