Glider
Captain
I admit to not knowing the range of the A6 but the Buccaneer was well known for going a long way. Have to agree with the class comment
Greatest Bomber of All Time
- Thread starter zoomar
- Start date
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oldcrowcv63
Tech Sergeant
AFAIK, both aircraft had long legs and respectable payloads with an edge to the butt-ugly but wonderful-to-fly Intruder. I also agree with the class comment but felt I should speak up for the Buc since TacAir aircraft had been mentioned in prior posts. The Buff has my vote as the Greatest strat-bomber of all time, with the B-29 a close second and the Lanc an honorable mention as just too cool for words.
Late entry, I should have added the TU-95 Bear as silver with the B-29 as bronze medalist.
Late entry, I should have added the TU-95 Bear as silver with the B-29 as bronze medalist.
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Speaking about the Lancaster, there's a bunch of Lanc and Halifax flight test reports, just newly posted here:
WWII Aircraft Performance
WWII Aircraft Performance
bluezanzibar
Recruit
- 8
- Feb 26, 2012
If we're discussing medium range tactical bombers, I see your A6 and Bucc and raise you an F-111. No other medium range bomber could match it's combination of payload/range and speed, plus low level all weather, all terrain, day/night precision bombing capabilities. Having made such a bold claim I feel obliged to provide some stats.
Combat radius 800nm with 20,000lbs or 1150nm with 4,000lbs (F-111A/E and FB-111A, Hi-Lo-Lo-Hi). Apparently some variants could get airborne with 30000lbs but I'm unable to find how far they could carry that load.
Max Speed Mach 1.2 at 200ft and Mach 2.5 at altitude.
Unfortunately it never seems to have overcome the bad press associated with the initial problems with it's swing wings, despite going on to have a long (30yrs USAAF, 38yrs RAAF) and successful (Vietnam, Libya, Desert Storm) career.
As for strategic bombers I'll go along with the B-52 with a nod to the B-1B, Tu-95 and Tu-160.
Combat radius 800nm with 20,000lbs or 1150nm with 4,000lbs (F-111A/E and FB-111A, Hi-Lo-Lo-Hi). Apparently some variants could get airborne with 30000lbs but I'm unable to find how far they could carry that load.
Max Speed Mach 1.2 at 200ft and Mach 2.5 at altitude.
Unfortunately it never seems to have overcome the bad press associated with the initial problems with it's swing wings, despite going on to have a long (30yrs USAAF, 38yrs RAAF) and successful (Vietnam, Libya, Desert Storm) career.
As for strategic bombers I'll go along with the B-52 with a nod to the B-1B, Tu-95 and Tu-160.
oldcrowcv63
Tech Sergeant
Good points ZB, I had indeed totally forgotten about the old Aardvark. i would never claim that the A-6 or Buc were strat bombers but the FB-111 would be classed in either cat with some legitimacy. It even ended up with an ECM package in its Raven configuration with a role analogous to that of the EA-6B. A flexible airframe with respectable service longevity.
oldcrowcv63
Tech Sergeant
An internal Bomb bay and an arrester hook. What's not to love about the Buc? Thanks for the video Nuuumannn. I watched it until the end and especially appreciated the scenes on what I assume was the Ark Royal.
oldcrowcv63
Tech Sergeant
Yep fuel dump with after burner lit... we used to watch the Vigi do air-show flybys pulling that stunt. Got your attention. That's another beautiful looking 'long range strike bomber' albeit fairly useless in that original design role. From what I've heard, it was one of the fastest aircraft of its time, both low and high. On 12/13/60, an A-5 carried a 1000 kg payload to 91,000 feet.
Glider
Captain
Great Video its shows how agile the aircraft was, love to see an A6 try to follow.
fastmongrel
1st Sergeant
One of my best memories of the Bucc. I was skiing at the Scottish Grampian resort of Lecht and Buccaneers from RAF Lossiemouth used to use the same mountains to play in. We were off piste when a Buccaneer flew down the valley below us at what seemed to be about 10 feet above the ground kicking up a long white plume of snow behind it I looked down into the cockpit and the navigator looked up at us. Those Buccaner boys must have got nosebleeds if they went more than 100 feet above the deck.
Scotland's ski and snowboard destination. Snowboarding, Offroad biking, Trick park, Mountain bike trails
Scotland's ski and snowboard destination. Snowboarding, Offroad biking, Trick park, Mountain bike trails
oldcrowcv63
Tech Sergeant
Hey! Don't bait the A-6 guy! You might be surprised to know that in ACM vs the McDAC F-4B, the ungainly (ugly?) A-6 acquitted itself fairly well. It was a fairly agile platform but I wouldn't care to race a buc. That sweet clean shape would have left ugly in the dust as it gave up 100 knots to the British product according to Wikipedia's numbers (optimistically).
On the other hand, A-6s give up nothing to any aircraft in the realm of nap-of-the-Earth, all weather navigation. I've seen at least one canyon-spanning power line from its underside. (It wasn't intentional and gave me a moment's pause.)
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Glider
Captain
Reminded me of a red flag exercise when by accidient somehow the Buccaneer ended up behind an F5. At that time the Buccaneer didn't carry AIM-9 for self defence and decided the safest place was behind the F5. When the F5 went one way, the Bucaneer went the other and the F5 never caught him as he was so much slower on the deck.
Apparently at the debriefing there was one seriously embarrased Top Gun pilot and that didn't happen often
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
There's another story about the Buc on Red Flag exercises, when one was eventually spotted, 'down among the daisies'. In order to avoid detection by the sun flashing off the canopy, the Buc was flying inverted .....
Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
frickin' ingenious!
Ascent
Senior Airman
The stories of the Bucc on red flag are many. Apparently the best way to spot them was to look for the dust trails.
My favourite story, and I don't know how true this is, was a Vulcan was flying right on the deck when he got shot down by the Red force. As he pulled away he revealed two Buccs flying underneath him.
My favourite story, and I don't know how true this is, was a Vulcan was flying right on the deck when he got shot down by the Red force. As he pulled away he revealed two Buccs flying underneath him.
