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In general no factory can work 24/7 week after week, I never worked at one that did. Machines need maintaining, if you don't stop and do it properly very quickly things break or malfunction. Also when at war, as well as working 12 hrs many were working in other roles as volunteers and others were kept awake by raids and having to move from bombed out houses, some were killed and injured.The British munitions industry went to a 12 hour x 7 day shift at the outset of WW2. Within 2 weeks production was LESS than previous.
Yes and no. There were certainly several thousand Spitfires and Hurricanes left over after the war. Somewhere I read that there were 6000 Mustangs in the States that never got deployed overseas.
Okay let's give a start date for the BoB of 26 June 1940 when the Luftwaffe started their nuisance raids. This follows a week after Churchill's "the battle of France is over, the Battle of Britain has begun". So from w/e July 29th to w/e November 2nd, 1135 Hurricanes and 595 Spitfires were produced plus 40 Canadian Hurricanes. Also 278 Mohawks were received from France and USA and held at maintenance units. An average of 450 single seat single engine fighters pcm which matches my figures. The Germans regard the BoB as ending when the Blitz ended. The figure I've seen is that a squadron in the front line will use up, 50 aircraft every 6 months. So if at the end of the BoB, the official figure is 900 losses then clearly this is economical with the truth as 1800 must have been lost. Between w/e April 6th and w/e 22nd June, 206 Spitfires and 632 Hurricanes were produced. So how many were lost over France and Belgium? 500 or so?When you say "announced to the public" do you mean announced as losses in combat or the total losses to all reasons? There were ten operational Spitfire squadrons when war was declared. I was referring to the post by Fubar #153 using 1000 as the ball park average (its slightly more but also includes Defiants and Blenheims). The point I was making was aircraft needed is massively more than aircraft lost to enemy action in combat. Before the war started the RAF couldnt receive Hurricanes as fast as Hawkers could produce them so they got permission to export them, it was the Battle of France that reduced numbers in front line service by almost 200. What is your "estimate" of? Losses in combat losses to enemy action, losses by front line squadrons, losses to all causes in RAF service or all losses?
The most you can do is 10 days in a row on a continuous basis. I know because I've done it.The British munitions industry went to a 12 hour x 7 day shift at the outset of WW2. Within 2 weeks production was LESS than previous.
I have worked in a factory that operated 24/7. They're still out there. So they close for 2 weeks per year for maintenance.In general no factory can work 24/7 week after week, I never worked at one that did. Machines need maintaining, if you don't stop and do it properly very quickly things break or malfunction. Also when at war, as well as working 12 hrs many were working in other roles as volunteers and others were kept awake by raids and having to move from bombed out houses, some were killed and injured.
I really don't know what your point is. In terms of a battle the figures normally quoted would be those lost in battle with the enemy. People don't quote infantry losses including those run over by a bus in London on leave (as happened to my wifes great uncle). As I have explained 1800 were lost, actually more, some parts of aircraft may have been lost many times and recycled while others were lost before they were ever received by the RAF. I believe Al Deere was involved in 7 aircraft write offs in France and the BoB. Spitfires weren't just used for the BoB in the BoB they were used to train pilots and there were many aircraft and pilots lost even with experienced pilots like the Poles forgetting to put down landing gear just as the pilot who first displayed a Spitfire to the public did.. Also there were PR Spitfires the first MkIII of 40 ordered entered service in March 1940.Okay let's give a start date for the BoB of 26 June 1940 when the Luftwaffe started their nuisance raids. This follows a week after Churchill's "the battle of France is over, the Battle of Britain has begun". So from w/e July 29th to w/e November 2nd, 1135 Hurricanes and 595 Spitfires were produced plus 40 Canadian Hurricanes. Also 278 Mohawks were received from France and USA and held at maintenance units. An average of 450 single seat single engine fighters pcm which matches my figures. The Germans regard the BoB as ending when the Blitz ended. The figure I've seen is that a squadron in the front line will use up, 50 aircraft every 6 months. So if at the end of the BoB, the official figure is 900 losses then clearly this is economical with the truth as 1800 must have been lost. Between w/e April 6th and w/e 22nd June, 206 Spitfires and 632 Hurricanes were produced. So how many were lost over France and Belgium? 500 or so?
I always thought the exhaust looked pretty badass.The CAC Boomerang was pretty bad, but they "only" made about 250 of them. View attachment 584805
Looks like it was stolen from the Grease or BatmanI always thought the exhaust looked pretty badass.
Missle, that is really good info, I saw they carried a somewhat more sophisticated rocket than the other allies. If they could see a large formation and let loose a volley that is very believable.Depends who you talk to - Pilot reports state it was difficult to take off and land but made a good account of itself over Spain until the Bf109 came along and it held it's own during the Nomonhan Incident. Once it's flight characteristics were mastered, it was a good fighter for it's day. It was also one of the first, if not the first aircraft to achieve an aerial kill with a missile (unguided).
Here is my list, within the criteria:
I-153 - Used in numbers far too late for a biplane. Too slow. Took horrific losses.
CR 32 - Obsolete by WW2
CR 42 - Obsolete. Came out too late for a biplane. Too slow.
Gladiator - Good design, obsolete by WW2, still held it's own for the first few months
Which is the worst mass produced (>500 units), monoplane, single-engine, single-seat, retractable undercarriage fighter of WW2? By "mass" produced I'm setting a limit of at least 500 units, so no Vultee Vanguards and its <150 units. The Buffalo stands out, but the Finns did very well with theirs.
Ha. Sometimes I think these threads are an intelligence and attention ability test.Here is the criteria:
Ok, let's try this one:
Brewster F3A-1 (Brewster built Corsair)
so poorly built that it was redlined for speed and prohibited from acrobatics. 700 built. Not a bad design but a bad manufacturer.
Here is the criteria:
Ha. Sometimes I think these threads are an intelligence and attention ability test.
Yes, the La-5F with one cannon and a turbo behind the pilot. Ten built, distributed around key strategic locations. Designed for use against the Ju 388.Considering the need to shoot down enemy aircraft, which of this category has the weakest armament? For example, the first few versions of the Ki-43 Oscar had just two machine guns, starting with a pair of .303s like an old biplane. Did any fighter in this category do any worse than that?