Ah the Vengeance, one of my favourites! The bomb load is 2000lb's with 2x500lb bombs in the bomb bay and 1x500lb bomb under each wing. As for it's max speed, I also have conflicting data. The MkI,IA, II, III had a 1600hp Wright R-2600-19 Cyclone 14 cylinder radial with a top speed of about 250mph. On the other hand the improved (superior) MkIV had a 1700hp R-2600-13 radial which gave it a top speed of about 279mph. During a dive bombing run the aircraft would roll on to it's back at about 10 000ft and then go into a vertical dive at about 250mph, this speed would then build up to 300mph (max speed with dive brakes deployed). During the dive, the pilot would aim at the target and be adjusting his controls to hold the a/c on target. If the a/c went past the vertical during the dive, the pilot would would use the ailerons to roll the a/c through 180 degrees to return to a correct diving attitude. At about 3000ft the bombs were released after which the a/c began to pull out of the dive. Then the bomb bay doors were closed and the dive brakes retracted. The a/c would by then be doing about 400mph and by about 1 500ft the a/c would have reduced speed and resumed level flight. This would all have taken about 20 seconds.(note, this was the way the RAAF conducted their attacks, I'm not sure if the RAF did it the same way.)
As for armament the Mki, II and III's had 4x.303's in the wings and 2x.303's in the rear cockpit. On the MkIV however this was up graded to 4x50cals in wings and a single 50 cal in rear cockpit. Some MkIV's also had 6x50cals in the wings.
Hope this info helps Mac, by all reports the Vengeance was a very accurate dive bomber but was held back by is speed and range and the fact that it required a fighter escort. The RAAF in New Guniea and the RAF and RIAF in Burma achieved great results with the Vengeance and in some cases put 100% of bombs on target! Check out my sig for a great shot of RAAF Vengeances.
