Nodeo-Franvier
Airman 1st Class
- 122
- Jul 13, 2020
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Was cost the primary factor preventing widespread adoption of drop tank on fighter?
These drop tank would have work wonders in BoB yet the 109 didn't have them.
I'm not really disagreeing, but to the Japanese the myth of the self defending bomber had been debunked. In Europe it hadn't. Goes to show that many myths (as the Japanese sacrificng absolutely everything except manouverability to get long range in their escort fighters) you have to debunk again and again.I think it had to do with the mindset of the people in procurement. Fighters were seen as point defense interceptors, so didn't need long range. The myth of the self-defending bomber had not yet been debunked.
+1 on that.I think it had to do with the mindset of the people in procurement.
It was so in most of the countries in the 1930s.Fighters were seen as point defense interceptors, so didn't need long range. The myth of the self-defending bomber had not yet been debunked.
Manual for the Hs 123, as copy/pasted at 'Luftfahrt International' 3/1974, notes that the external tank is an 'abwerfbarer behaelter' - literary a 'droppable tank'.Many of the under fuselage tanks seen on late 1030s aeroplanes were external rather than drop tanks. eg Vincent, He51, HS123. Not to be confused with actual drop tanks.
The US had a number of planes with "dropable" tanks in the 1930s
Drop tanks were not needed in the Battle of Britain. The LW had the range to confront the RAF over southern England, they just didnt have the range to escort to London. However bombing London was outside the LW scope, they needed special permission from Adolf to do it. For the Bf 109 to be fitted with drop tanks you need magical foresight to predict France falling in weeks. Then a strategic campaign involving the bombardment of London in daylight in 1940. It may seem obvious now that the Bf109 needed drop tanks, it certainly wasnt until Sept 1940. In fact they had more success fitting bombs not drop tanks and in any case Adolf had already turned his eyes on Russia by thenI noticed that during the sino-japanese war Sakai Saburo already have a drop tank in his A5M and also that Hs123 also got an aluminum drop tank,These drop tank would have work wonders in BoB yet the 109 didn't have them.
On the contrary, the drop tanks were essential for the 109s. Even the RAF would've found them useful.Drop tanks were not needed in the Battle of Britain. The LW had the range to confront the RAF over southern England, they just didnt have the range to escort to London. However bombing London was outside the LW scope, they needed special permission from Adolf to do it.
For the Bf 109 to be fitted with drop tanks you need magical foresight to predict France falling in weeks. Then a strategic campaign involving the bombardment of London in daylight in 1940. It may seem obvious now that the Bf109 needed drop tanks, it certainly wasnt until Sept 1940. In fact they had more success fitting bombs not drop tanks and in any case Adolf had already turned his eyes on Russia by then
The RAF confronted almost every raid on UK airspace at the coast. That is only 21 miles from France at its shortest. To destroy the RAF the LW didnt need to fly to Belfast or anywhere near, if they were to do it, it had to be done over Kent and Sussex.. It would need magical foresight to predict that France would fall without most of France being invaded, and Paris not being involved. The LW mainly destroyed opposition forces by rapidly rolling over their airfields, once an airforce leaves its field behind it is screwed, all its ground crews and spares are captured or on the move with everyone else.On the contrary, the drop tanks were essential for the 109s. Even the RAF would've found them useful.
There was a lot for LW bombers to bomb between London and Belfast, they were unable to do it well because there fighter escort was insufficient.
There was no magical foresight needed. French factories between the Bay of Biscay and Mediterannean will not just explode on themselves, Luftwaffe bombers will be needed to do bomb them instead. The Bf 109 had no range to cover that distance while escorting the bombers.
With France still fighting, Luftwaffe will need even greater range in order to hit the UK from Germany proper.
Wehrmacht did you mean i think Blitzkrieg and the role of the luftwaffe etc.The LW mainly destroyed opposition forces by rapidly rolling over their airfields
Sorry, yes of course. Aviation discussions discuss aircraft fighting each other, but they are both parts of a military that are fighting. The LW took large losses in its bombers invading Belgium and France, but that was in the process of routing all opposition over running Belgium and forcing a French surrender in weeks, easily worth the price paid. Around half of Hurricanes lost were destroyed on the ground, but that was by both sides, those the LW hadnt destroyed that couldnt fly because they werent airworthy or had no pilot were destroyed by their own side. In a very short space of time after combat started in Belgium there were pilots without planes, planes without pilots and pilots with planes that had no ground crew, fuel or ammunition. All of those are a "win" for the LW without them being shot down.Wehrmacht did you mean i think Blitzkrieg and the role of the luftwaffe etc.
Apparently the Luftwaffe was of opinion that their job was not just to destroy the RAF in the air, they were also trying to bomb factories and air bases.The RAF confronted almost every raid on UK airspace at the coast. That is only 21 miles from France at its shortest. To destroy the RAF the LW didnt need to fly to Belfast or anywhere near, if they were to do it, it had to be done over Kent and Sussex..
It would need magical foresight to predict that France would fall without most of France being invaded, and Paris not being involved.
The LW mainly destroyed opposition forces by rapidly rolling over their airfields, once an airforce leaves its field behind it is screwed, all its ground crews and spares are captured or on the move with everyone else.
Even to the extent of attacking factories producing bombers.Apparently the Luftwaffe was of opinion that their job was not just to destroy the RAF in the air, they were also trying to bomb factories and air bases.