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I have heard the rationale behind including multiple crew in this class of fighter; to operate longer ranged, bomber style radio sets and man defensive guns. However, for a non pilot such as myself, this seems like a poor trade off. The additional size of the airframe and weight of the equipment appears difficult to justify for planes defined primarily as fighters.
Before WWII it seems most people understood single, hand held, rifle caliber machine guns were of limited defensive value. Fitting every plane with a comprehensive radio set also seems expensive and dubious. For example the Japanese, even thougth they joined the bandwagon of developing multiseat fighters, actually relied on long range single engine planes which stuck by the bombers for navigation.
However, I never assume people in the past were just foolish. So my question is, what exactly did these additional aircrew contribute and, given the technology of the time, how valuable was this? Anyone with piloting experience or knowledge of the German requirements wish to help dispell my ignorance?
He was there to keep the pilot awake, that's why the twin Mustang was developed, just to keep the pilot awake.What about the second man in Mosquito day fighters? He's got no gun and beyond reading maps is along for the ride. No wonder they removed him for the Hornet.
The pilot had better have his intercom turned on. Did the Twin Mustang have dual controls?He was there to keep the pilot awake, that's why the twin Mustang was developed, just to keep the pilot awake.
Of course, if the pilot fell asleep he was out of elbow range. I think the navigator on a mosquito fighter bomber also did some of the duties of a flight engineer, watching dials and fuel levels, and of curse a second pair of eyes.The pilot had better have his intercom turned on. Did the Twin Mustang have dual controls?
Could the second crew member on the Mosquito not reload the Hispano's as well?Of course, if the pilot fell asleep he was out of elbow range. I think the navigator on a mosquito fighter bomber also did some of the duties of a flight engineer, watching dials and fuel levels, and of curse a second pair of eyes.
Oh yes. I once knew an early NF Beaufighter Operator and he described the 'fun' of manoeuvring 60lb drums with sharp metal feed lips out of, securing, then into four cannon in the dark with the world gyrating in all directions and the G forces on the 60lb drums varying from zero to 3+ so at time the drums could weigh 200 lb momentarily as the cabbie tries to keep visual contact with the target. He had been a Fairey Battle gunner in France and rated that experience less frightening than reloading Hispanos in a night encounter.The first 400 or so Beaufighters used drum fed guns and the 2nd crew man was a very busy boy indeed, trying to keep up with four guns (Bf 110 had two) and heaving 60lb drums around inside a maneuvering fighter in the dark. The Beaufighter carried 3 spare drums per gun plus the ones on the guns at take-off.
in some cases the length of the antenna needed be changed according the frequency being used. Or the radio had to "tuned" to the antenna. Little resistor pots had to be turned to get the best signal with a certain length antenna on a certain frequency.
The SBD's crewman also had a set of flight controls available to him.
The SBD's crewman also had a set of flight controls available to him.
So if your pilot gets shot, you're supposed to turn around and fly the beast back and land it on the boat....with no flight instruments and no forward visibility?? Huh?? Good luck!!
So if your pilot gets shot, you're supposed to turn around and fly the beast back and land it on the boat....with no flight instruments and no forward visibility?? Huh?? Good luck!!
Cheers,
Wes
To put it in the simplest terms, if the impedances of the transmitter, transmission line, and antenna aren't perfectly matched, some of the power generated by the transmitter is reflected from the antenna back up the transmission line. This reflected power forms a pattern of constructive and destructive interference nodes with the transmitter signal called Standing Waves. The larger the impedance mismatch, the higher the Standing Wave Ratio, and the less the signal being radiated at the antenna.I know most of the words just not the way they are put together in those wiki pages.
My knowledge of electramajiggery goes as far as my knowledge of horses. One end bites the other end kicks.