Picture of the day. (5 Viewers)

[Elvis]

That's why the B-29s were refueled from trucks
View attachment 736506
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The B-29 bases were extraordinarily well equipped.

Exactly. A B-29 holds over 9300 gallons of fuel. The idea of hand cranking the fuel into one of those is preposterous.

 

[yosimitesam]

WWII experiments with full pressure suits for flights above 40,000 feet.

 

[ARTESH]

Interesting!

 

[syscom3]

Deck crewmen aboard USS Bennington maneuver an SB2C Helldiver of Bombing Squadron 82 into position on the carrier's flight deck. VB-82 operated from Bennington during the period February–June 1945.

 

[AMCKen]

9,300 gallons ONLY if the bomb bay ferry tanks were used. Normal was about 7,000.

 

[Snautzer01]

9,300 gallons ONLY if the bomb bay ferry tanks were used. Normal was about 7,000.

?
To what are you replying to?

 

[MiTasol]

The photo of the B-29 being refuelled

 

[yosimitesam]

Rolling bombs out the side? Hmmm...maybe not. From 1942.
Credit: James Vaughan - Flickr ("x-ray delta one")

 

[Frog]

Rolling bombs out the side? Hmmm...maybe not. From 1942.
Credit: James Vaughan - Flickr ("x-ray delta one")

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Interesting anticipation but why do the A-20 and PBM sport a French roundel ?
I can understand for the A-20, but the PBM ?

 

[MiTasol]

That A-20 would be at max take off weight before you add the ammo

And the French PBM has a Boeing patent bomb bay - curiouser and curiouser

 

[Greg Boeser]

The magic of advertizing.

 

[Elvis]

9,300 gallons ONLY if the bomb bay ferry tanks were used. Normal was about 7,000.

?To what are you replying to?

The photo of the B-29 being refuelled

...and I STILL would not want to hand crank even 7000 gallons of fuel into anything!
Motor driven pumps. That's the order of the day when you're talking about that much fuel.
Didn't some of those planes have the ability to use their fuel pump to fill the tanks?
Seems like I read something about that.

 

[Elvis]

That A-20 would be at max take off weight before you add the ammo

And the French PBM has a Boeing patent bomb bay - curiouser and curiouser

Did anyone notice the "A-20" (with Nose glass more reminiscent of a Bolingbroke) was also fitted with 12 guns in the wings?

 

[MiTasol]

That is why I said it would be overweight. As well as the weight of the guns you have to add the weight of the structural changes and to add those wing guns and ammo boxes and the access doors and then replace all the structural rigidity you just destroyed could well add almost as much weight as the guns themselves.

As for the nose guns themselves they are aft of the nose attachment point so are going to be installed in an area that is already full of pilots feet/legs, the rudder pedals and nose landing gear and a whole lot of other non essential stuff like that.

 

[hal bregg]

About A-20 ground strafer idea:
Soviets have made a similiar project,

Tu-2 with dozens of PPSz machine pistols.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/featured/innovative-flawed-fire-hedgehog.html

IMHO few bombs of any kind would do a better job.

 

[stug3]

M4A2(76)W of Soviet 9th Mechanized Corps in Manchuria August 1945

 

[MiTasol]

About A-20 ground strafer idea:
Soviets have made a similiar project,
View attachment 737437
Tu-2 with dozens of PPSz machine pistols.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/featured/innovative-flawed-fire-hedgehog.html

IMHO few bombs of any kind would do a better job.

Interesting. I agree about how useful it would be but at least the guns and ammo are balanced around the CoG. I am guessing that is an external fuel tank or drop tank under the wing although it does appear to have fins so maybe a bomb of some sort. If so I do not understand the need for strapping.

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[yosimitesam]

In 1942, even Bob Hope had to get special bureaucratic permission to go to Alaska, no matter how famous he was. Such were the times, as the Japanese had seized Attu and Kiska in June of 1942.
Credit: James Vaughan - Flickr ("x-ray delta one")

 

[GTX]