Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
you are forgetting or ignoring the fact that the Battle was NOT intended to be a dive bomber. Yes the plane itself could be dived steeply and was strong enough to withstand the pull out but it was not intended as a dive bomber or equipped as one.That's a strange feature to omit from a plane that could do dive-bombing, wouldn't you say?
What I got out of things up to this point was that it was a level bomber first, a dive-capable plane second. I figured the second one would have included some provision to capitalize on the inherent capability of the airframe...you are forgetting or ignoring the fact that the Battle was NOT intended to be a dive bomber.
see photo. The fuel tanks were in the section of wing between the landing gear and the fuselage. The bomb aimer laid prone in the belly of the fuselage to use his bomb sight, ( a real clue the plane was not intended for low level bombing.)
No glass, sliding metal panel/hatch cover kept most of the drafts out when the bomb aimer wasn't using the sight.
The Bristol Hercules could have been a good candidate: It was used on the Beaufighter which first flew in 1939...
I imagine that's also a handy escape hatch.
Perhaps installing the 2x12 cylinder Fairey Monach engine would have solved the problem, but did it ever work? Then again, by the time the engine would have worked we would have had the Mosquito bomber and the heavily armoured Typhoon, so we wouldn't have needed it.
No glass, sliding metal panel/hatch cover kept most of the drafts out when the bomb aimer wasn't using the sight.
Depends what model of the Skyraider. It entered service in 1946.I have to wonder how well the much vaunted Skyraider could have survived in a peer conflict?
Now, how do you get the Hurricane to carry the 1000lbs of bombs AND fly 500 miles, drop them and return to base another 500 miles. ( I have quoted max range but you get the idea)I have to wonder how well the much vaunted Skyraider could have survived in a peer conflict? If you are going to drag 1,000lb of bombs behind a Merlin they may as well go under a Hurricane. But then I have 20/20 hindsight.
I have to wonder how well the much vaunted Skyraider could have survived in a peer conflict? If you are going to drag 1,000lb of bombs behind a Merlin they may as well go under a Hurricane. But then I have 20/20 hindsight.
Yup, but we are not talking about the Battle.The Fairey Battle needs to be converted to twin and up-engined to Sabre and then to Centaurus or Derwent. Now we're talking.
View attachment 575019
True. But replace the Merlin with anything and it's not a Battle.Yup, but we are not talking about the Battle.