Recent content by Schelde

I'm not sure how much they weighed, but the Ki-45 had a 50 round double drum that the rear gunner lowered into position with a hand cranked cable. At least that's what I make of the diagrams in the Maru Mechanic.

Shortround6, Thanks for the specifics, I am aware that the Japanese were making a virtue of necessity. Actually, it was the IJAAF vacillating on the ki-96 project, switching back and forth between one and two crew, that got me wondering about the specifics of the additional crewman(s) duties...

I have heard the rationale behind including multiple crew in this class of fighter; to operate longer ranged, bomber style radio sets and man defensive guns. However, for a non pilot such as myself, this seems like a poor trade off. The additional size of the airframe and weight of the...