Best Bomber Killing Aircraft......

[cheddar cheese]

Shouldnt "Downright ugly" be under advantages too?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

B-17G cruising speed:287 mph at 25000 ft Max Speed: 302 mph at 25000 ft

B-29 Cruising speed 230 mph at optimum altitude Maximum speed 358 mph at 25000 ft

B-25J Cruising speed 215 mph at optimum altitude Maximum speed 300 mph at 30000 ft

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

B-17G cruising speed:287 mph at 25000 ft Max Speed: 302 mph at 25000 ft

i've NEVER seen those stats..................

the last time i checked the B-25 wasn't a 4 engined heavy..................

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I am sorry I meant B-24 Liberator. That was a typo on my part.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

ok

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Go to any website that shows the performance of the aircraft and they will tell you that.

 

[cheddar cheese]

Even I dont think the b-17 cruised that high, I thought it was around the 230mph mark...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

That was the G model, the later model here are some of the earlier models:

B-17B: Maximum speed 292 mph at optimum altitude
B-17C: Cruising speed 231 mph Maximum speed 323 mph
B-17E: Cruising speed 224 mph at 15000 ft Maximum speed 318 mph at 25000 ft

As you can see the earlier B-17's were about the 230 mph cruising speed that you said. The one I stated ealier was just the optimum B-17.

 

[cheddar cheese]

Ah ok. Im not doubt you but do you have some sources? Then Ill beleive you fully 8)

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

um lets see
http://www.xs4all.nl/~fbonne/warbirds/ww2ixcounult.html#germ-index

Now I have found conflicting reports about the B-17G if you go to
http://www.warbirdalley.com it says that the cruising speed was only 182 mph on the G model. Now that would make sense because the G was weighted down with extra armor and defensive weapons. This website though has the earlier models much faster then on the other in some cases the C and D models being as fast as 250 mph at cruising speed. The same goes for the this website: http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org
It is something that I think warrants further investigation.

 

[wmaxt]

B-17G cruising speed:287 mph at 25000 ft Max Speed: 302 mph at 25000 ft

B-29 Cruising speed 230 mph at optimum altitude Maximum speed 358 mph at 25000 ft

B-25J Cruising speed 215 mph at optimum altitude Maximum speed 300 mph at 30000 ft

The B-17 rarely made 200 when loaded, the speed I've seen was normaly around 170mph on the way in.

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

Yep, you're right...

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap16.htm

 

[Lightning Guy]

I was going to say somewhere between 160-180 TAS depending on the loaded weight.

 

[cheddar cheese]

Ah that would make sense.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah when the aircraft is fully loaded it is a lot slower. That is true of all aircraft though fighters, bombers, transports. The heavier the aircraft the slower it will fly. Weight sometimes effects the handling characteristics of the aircraft also. The same is for the Blackhawks we fly, when we are light we can haul ass but if we get up around 19,000 to 20,000lb we struggle to get over our cruising speed and she tends to handle a little sluggish.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

the top speed for the B-17G was 287mph, cruising speed 182mph..............

 

[cheddar cheese]

B-17G could crack 300...

And lanc, I get the feeling that you are comparing the unloaded cruise of the Lancaster and the loaded speed of the B-17. An unfair test, something you do very often.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The G could go over 300 if it was not fully loaded. Of course when it was loaded it was slower, just like all aircraft. Fully loaded it could probably not top 180 to 200.

 

[Erich]

in any case the B-24 and B-17's were sitting ducks when an organized rear attack by heavy Fw's was on the scene. In fact many of the SturmFw staffeln had to reduce speed after taking out the rear gunners postion to form an attack further.

Back to this thread or another where itwas mentioned that the 2cm HE Minen was not sufficient is not true. 6-10 rounds were only needed fired in the right places to bring a bomber down, and in the case of experten pilots flying typical A-8's such as Konrad Bauer of II.Sturm/JG 300, the Fw 190A-8 unarmored was a lethal machine as well as defending itslef against P-51's.

E ~

 

[Lightning Guy]

If the G could crack 300, it was just cracking it. The F was the fastest of the B-17 models.