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Clearance requirements vary based on what the weapons are, launch or drop requirements and whether they are dumb or guided munitions. Folding fins could get you a denser loading configuration, keeping within the weight and location limits.To elaborate: I'm curious as to the clearance requirements in front of, to the rear of, and to either side of the bomb
Speaking of which:The Manchester was designed to take 2 x 18" torpedoes, which Avro would place end-to-end.
This explains the length of the Lancaster bomb bay.
Wellington
Originally it had a bomb bay in two half's with a break down the length of the bay. This limited the aircraft to 500lb bombs totalling 4,000lb. However this was altered and it could carry larger weapons internally.
This is kind of a strange question, but I'm curious what the general relationship was to the length and maximum diameter of a bomb to the length, height, and diameter of the bomb-bay for aircraft of the WWII period through the mid-1950's era?
To elaborate: I'm curious as to the clearance requirements in front of, to the rear of, and to either side of the bomb
What would you need for a 500 lb., a 1000 lb., a 2000 lb., a 4000 lb., and a Tallboy (crazy as it was there was an interest in the USAAF of some light bombers being built with the ability to carry them).The actual problem is getting crewman's hand/arm around the bomb to the lug/fitting to fasten the bomb in place. Also to fit the safety wires from the bomb rack to the fuses. And detach the bomb hoist cables from the larger bombs. With small bombs crewman may only to get his hand/arm around the bomb while sitting/kneeling/whatever under the bomb. Once they were dealing with large bombs (needs elbow along side the bomb or shoulder?) you need more 'clearance'.
For starters, what would you need for a level delivery (wings level, nose level)?Another thing for 'clearance' is the angle at which the bombs could be dropped. Bombers could drop bombs at different angles of flight. Diving, climbing and/or banked. Some bombers had more latitude than others.
I figure I'd probably have to have my upper body along one side of the bomb for the 4000 pounder. I have no idea the depth of my chest is, but I was around 38" around when I was thin.View attachment 787003
Ok, IF you have to reach around the bomb deal with the shackles and such how much room to to need around which bomb?
What would be the most extreme condition? I figure releasing in a steep diving turn. I know dive bombing covered angles of 60˚ or greater, I don't know how many bomb-drops in those days were done while turning and to what extent.Building a bomber to fit a specific bomb size while flying in certain conditions (level) may be short sighted.
Thank you, I continue to live and learn. That is what I like about this site.The Wellington originally had 2 bomb beams, dividing the bomb bay into 3. One beam had bombs hung on both sides, while the other had bombs hung on the outside.
As did the Wellington, but side by side.The Manchester was designed to take 2 x 18" torpedoes, which Avro would place end-to-end.
This explains the length of the Lancaster bomb bay.
Some bomb bay pics from this thread - Vultee Vengeance bombbay, interior...The only Allied aircraft that I know of, that could release ordinance from an internal bay while on a diving and turning profile, would be the Vultee Vengeance. To clear the prop during dive bombing profiles, the forward ordinance was on a trapeze that forced the weapon in a arc out of the bay and into the air stream and clear of the prop. Several Axis aircraft used the same type system, but not from an internal bay that I know of.