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And how long did it take for the SeeBees to knock out a massive airfield for the B-29s on a remote Coral Atoll?Yes, except for one thing: there'd be no airfield capable of operating the bomber given its basic and max. take-off weights (~142,000 lbs and ~310,000 lbs, respectively). The airfields in the U.K. weren't designed to handle the lighter B-29 (~74,000 lbs basic and ~140,000 lbs max.take-off).
Plans to upgrade some airfields were in hand, but when the USAAF decided not to base B-29s in the U.K., these were put on the back burner.
So, for a B-36 to operate in the U.K., one or more airfields would need to be significantly upgraded to handle an aircraft as big and heavy as the B-36. And that would take some time. (The logistics alone of fueling a squadron of B-36s with 14,000+ gallons of gas each along with 132 x 500-lb or 72 x 1,000-lb bombs each seem daunting.)
Not the type of V2 which was historically fielded. There was however an advanced version with wings that made a controlled re-entry in the atmosphere, like a Shuttle, and which had a range of 750Km, because, instead of plunging down like a projectile or a ballistic missile, it used the wings to 'bounce' on the upper limit of the stratosphere. Germans also partially solved the issue of precision (which was very low in the standard V2, around 1% of range, both due to the limited precision of the gyroscopes and the primitive onboard controller) by supplementing the data from the inertial platform and pre-computed flight path with radio navigation, which allowed mid-course corrections.Hmmm . . . I am beginning to see a potential one-upmanship battle between the B-36 and the V-1 and V-2. Could the V-2 reach (and hit) an air base in Scotland? Could an improved longer range V-1 reach (and hit) the same airbase? The implications are interesting.
And how long did it take for the SeeBees to knock out a massive airfield for the B-29s on a remote Coral Atoll?
If it was needed, it would have been done
By the way, when the B-29s visited England, they aparently found a suitable airfield.
Field requirements for a B-29 operating at 100,000lbs are a lot different than one operating at 140,000lbs.
Um...who built the Guam and Tinian bases for the USAAF?
The USN did...so yes, SeeBees transformed a pile of Coral into a massive air base in short order...
Field requirements for a B-29 operating at 100,000lbs are a lot different than one operating at 140,000lbs.
Sure. But a small island in the Pacific supplied by the hugely impressive USN logistics organization is a rather different thing from an airfield in green pasture in England, with supplies having to cross the contested Atlantic and then moving through ports with a huge amount of other material needed for other military operations as well as the large civilian population..
That's a great point.
Guam is no small island.
Although I've heard that if the USAF puts on any more aircraft it could sink...
Sink? I thought it was capsize?
Not sure if you realize it or not, but with the arrival of the 8th and 9th AFs in England, the need for improved and additional airfields became a priority.Sure. But a small island in the Pacific supplied by the hugely impressive USN logistics organization is a rather different thing from an airfield in green pasture in England, with supplies having to cross the contested Atlantic and then moving through ports with a huge amount of other material needed for other military operations as well as the large civilian population..
Not sure if you realize it or not, but with the arrival of the 8th and 9th AFs in England, the need for improved and additional airfields became a priority.
Aside from improving "grass" fields, there were bases built with concrete runways, taxiways and handstands.
They were done in concert with the British Labor Force and the US Army.
As for getting a "huge amount of supplies" is concerned, I'd imagine building (or improving) bases for B-36 ops would be a piece of cake compared to the material and equipment required for Overlord
Not the type of V2 which was historically fielded. There was however an advanced version with wings that made a controlled re-entry in the atmosphere, like a Shuttle, and which had a range of 750Km, because, instead of plunging down like a projectile or a ballistic missile, it used the wings to 'bounce' on the upper limit of the stratosphere.
And how long did it take for the SeeBees to knock out a massive airfield for the B-29s on a remote Coral Atoll?
If it was needed, it would have been done.
By the way, when the B-29s visited England, they aparently found a suitable airfield.