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which was better? The B-17 or Avro Lancaster?


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the lancaster kicks ass

Major General
19,937
17
Dec 20, 2003
can i just ask as to why you have so few british planes on your aircraft database?
i realise it's hard to compile information on such a huge topic, but there are some britsh planes which i think should be in there, namely the hawker hurricane, hawker typhoon, de havilland mosquito and vickers wellington amoung others. i just thaught you might like to considder it?
 

horseUSA

Administrator
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3,138
547
Mar 10, 2003
Florida, USA
ww2aircraft.net
thx for the encouragement :D
been busy past few weeks but no worries i am gona add some aircraft to the database and i will start with your picks(true the british are under represented ;) )
 

the lancaster kicks ass

Major General
19,937
17
Dec 20, 2003
amny thank yous, i eagerly await the updates, an i'm sure everybody in britain is jumping for joyas we finally get some recognition for our war efforts
 
39
0
Dec 20, 2003
The biggest criticism I can make about the Avro Lancaster is that it was badly undergunned. I realize that it was designed as a night bomber, but it still could and should have been better armed. First, why were the machine guns .303 instead of .50 caliber? The latter would do a lot more damage to any attacking German fighters (as the Luftwaffe pilots who fought the American daylight formations could attest), yet only a handful of Lancs were so armed, apparently on a trials basis. Secondly, and more importantly, why was there no ventral gun turret? One should have either been installed from the beginning, or at least retrofitted. According to Cajus Bekker's book, "The Luftwaffe War Diaries", at least a quarter of Bomber Command's losses were due to attacks from below. Many of the German night fighters had an installation they called "Schragen Musik"; this involved mounting 20mm cannon to fire upward at about a thirty degree angle. A gunsight on the roof was all that was needed to enable the Luftwaffe pilots to attack the British bombers outside the field of fire for the bomber's tail gunner; in other words, without fear of counterfire.

The Lancaster was a great aircraft, but it was not as good in some ways as it could have, and should have, been.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
The lanc. had no ventral gun turret like the American bombers purely because there was no room! The 33ft long bomb bay which helped it carry such huge loads took up all the useable room on the underside of the fusilage
 
39
0
Dec 20, 2003
reply said:
The lanc. had no ventral gun turret like the American bombers purely because there was no room! The 33ft long bomb bay which helped it carry such huge loads took up all the useable room on the underside of the fusilage

But there were some Lancasters fitted with a ventral turret apparently as an experiment. Did it not work?
 

Hot Space

Tech Sergeant
Yes and no.

The Ventral Turret was only on the 1st Production Batch, but it was found to be useless under night time condition so it was taken off and all Production Aircraft after that never had it installed.

The Lancaster Mk VII had as standard, 2 .50 Guns in the Mid-Upper Turret and 2 .50 Guns in the Tail. Some Mk I and III's sometimes also had this 50 Cal Tail Turret :D

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I./JG53_lud13

Airman
18
0
Jan 15, 2004
B-17 sure was better beacose it can come at night too .on the other hand Lancaster will never survive daylight bomber campangne
 

the lancaster kicks ass

Major General
19,937
17
Dec 20, 2003
yea, it cud bomb at night, but with what, it was so overloaded with guns, they'd forgotten to make room for bombs and so just slotted them in the middle somewhere!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I've only been here 3 odd day's :oops: :oops:

Still, most of the Spam I'm helping people so it's not all bad........just a little :lol:

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cheddar cheese

Major General
20,265
18
Jan 9, 2004
WSM, England
Oh come on the lancaster is much better than the b17! well actually i dont have a clue if it is or not but i think its better cos i go to school with "the lancaster kicks ass" and if i dont stick up for it he'll kill me :|
 

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