Your Personal Airforce

[tail end charlie]

To make use of econiomies of scale with merlin engines

all roles to be fullfilled with
tiger moth
P51 Mustang
DH Mosquito
Halifax
DC Dakota

 

[Gixxerman]

Blue skies airforce, eh?
Ok, here's my preferences, mostly cos I like the planes and not necessarily because they were proven as best in class or anything.
I'm also assuming 'normal' production (ie the German types made properly with no materials shortages or sabotage)

Fighters: I prefer two, rather than put all eggs in one basket.
The Focke Wulf Ta 152 as the conventional fighter force, one very capable, scary mean looking big fighter and the Heinkel He 162 as the most economical start to the jet age (and as I have been reading lately a delight to fly, no less)

Heavy Fighter/ Light Intruder Bomber/Night Fighter/Recon: Mosquito, so versatile and simply the best IMHO.

Seaplane: Short Sunderland, tough as old boots and as mean an anti-shipping/sub hunter as anything out there in its day.

Heavy Bomber: Heinkel He 277/274, the most advanced 4 engined bomber of the war?
With either working Jumo 222's or the Turbo-charged DB603's the French experience with their 2 He274's/AAS 01A's indicates they would have been a genuinely terrifying addition to the LW in numbers. Able to carry a big bomb load with an almost 47,000ft ceiling 360mph @ 36,090ft. We really dodged one there, I think.

Trainer: de Havilland Chipmunk, cos I flew in one a couple of times loved it.
Yes I know it's really stretching things but it 1st flew in May '46 so perhaps it was (partially at least) designed during WW2.

Transport: Handley Page Hastings, just cos I like them. One of those designs that just is so 'British' I find. Another WW2 design if not quite a WW2 plane in reality.
(like the Spit or the Mossy or the Lanc is......or like how the Me109/Fw190/Ta152 is just so 'German')

 

[davparlr]

I'll make another list. I will use aircraft with mature performances or derivative of mature aircraft. Therefore I will eliminate all jets as they were really not ready for prime time with range limits and operational problems.

1. Fighter - Tough choice since fighters typically have ranges in which they perform well and not so well. The P-51H seems indomitable in speed and climb at 25k ft and below (Tempest II is equal below 15k). P-47M is super fast between 25k and 35k and an able climber up to 33k. The Ta-152 is dominate above 35k. So, since the majority of fighting is probably below 25k, I would select the P-51H.

2. Attack aircraft - P-47/F4U, take your pick

3. Recon. Aircraft – I couldn't decide between the Mosquito, F-6D Mustang, or F-4 Lightning. I choose the Mosquito just because I think it needs to be mentioned.

4.Seaplane – PBM-5, aircraft morphed into a successful post war design

5. Heavy bomber - B-29

6. Med. bomber – A-26

7. Night fighter – P-61C, was delivered but saw no combat and provided a significant improvement in performance over the previous models

8. Trainer - AT6

9.Transport - Needs two selections, one tactical, C-47, one strategic, C-54. But since I have to select one, C-47, the doggone thing is still out there working.

 

[BombTaxi]

1.Fighter - Tempest V
2.Attack aircraft - IL-2M
3.recon. Aircraft - Spitfire PR XIX
4.Seaplane - Sunderland
5.Heavy bomber - B-29
6.Med. bomber - Mosquito
7.Night fighter - Mosquito
8.Trainer - Harvard
9.Transport - C-69 ('cos I Like Constellations 8) )

 

[davebender]

Let's go with a wooden air force. 8)

He-162. Day fighter.
Mosquito. Photo recon.
Mosquito. Night fighter.
Mosquito. Light bomber.

 

[Juha]

1. Tempest II, excellent low and medium altitude fighter with sturdy u/c
2. Tempest II, dictated by economy and logistics
3. Spitfire PR XIX
4. Supermarine Sea Otter, could be used as ASR and ASW plane and was amphibian and economical
5. – prohibitingly expensive a/c type (a/c, base and support together very expensive)
6. Ju 88S
7. Ju 88G, because, need to a bomber able to carry 500 and 1000kg bombs dropped out Mossie bomber, so logistics and economy dictated to choose Ju 88G as the night fighter in place of Mossie Mk 30
8. Texan/Harward
9. C-47C

This to poor but large country with many lakes and long coastline and most potential enemy tended to fight at low and medium altitude but will have great numerical superiority

 

[tail end charlie]

7. Ju 88G, because, need to a bomber able to carry 500 and 1000kg bombs dropped out Mossie bomber, so logistics and economy dictated to choose Ju 88G as the night fighter in place of Mossie Mk 30

Juha

The mosquito used to drop 4,000lb (2,000kg) cookie bombs

 

[Juha]

Hello TEC
Yes, but it was meant more against area targets, my AF needed heavy bombs against bridges etc pin point targets and also more fragments than blast.

Juha

BTW 4000lb is more or less 1814kg

 

[tail end charlie]

Hello TEC
Yes, but it was meant more to against area targets, my AF needed heavy bombs against bridges etc pin point targets and also more fragments than blast.

Juha

BTW 4000lb is 1814kg

lol not in germany it isnt one pound is a half kilo same in france (actually I was just rounding)

The mosquito could easily carry a single 1000kg bomb and was used for precision raids throughout the war.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Just thought I might offer some knowledge on the 4,000lbs bombs used on the Mosquito.

The Mosquito B Mk IX (after modification) and B Mk XVI (almost from the outset) could carry a 4,000 lbs bomb.

The 4,000 lbs bomb-load came in two flavours: the 4,000 lb HC bomb, or 'cookie', and the 4,000 lb MC bomb,.

The cookie was an area weapon. It had all the aerodynamic qualities of a tumbling barrel. Actual weight was 3,940 lb (1,790 kg), with a charge to weight ratio of 75%. Mosquitos usually dropped it on area targets from medium to high altitude. It was used by Mossies from late 1943.

The 4,000 lb MC is a different case. It is shaped like a regular GP bomb, with a pointed nose and a cruciform tail. It had a charge to weight ratio of 58% and was similar in construction to standard GP/MC bombs. Actual weight was 3,764 lbs (1,710 kg).

This weapon was used for drops on both area AND precision targets, like bridges, dam walls, train tunnels and viaducts, from the second half of 1944 onwards. Dropping heights were highly variable, although for precision runs it was usually dropped from medium altitudes. Hardened targets (like V-1 pens and dam walls) called for higher dropping altitudes. It was used less than the cookie, but Mosquitos still dropped several thousand of them from October 1944 through to the end of the war.

The early Mosquito bombers, the B Mk IV Series I, were initially able to handle 4 x 250 lbs bombs, internally. Another 2 x 250 lb bombs could be carried on wing hardpoints

After the first 50 bomber aircraft, the B Mk IV Series II emerged, with a bomb bay modified slightly to handle 4 x 500 lbs bombs (which were also modified with shorter fins). 2 x 500 lb bombs could be carried on the wings.

The later B Mk IX and B Mk XVI were modified with a 'bulged belly', that allowed it to handle a single 4,000 lbs weapon. These aircraft retained the 4 x 500 internal/2 x 500 external capacity of earlier marks. The bulged belly bombers could also use the 'Avro carrier', allowing them to handle 6 x 500 lbs bombs internally. Unfortunately, i don't have any information on when the 'Avro carrier' was introduced.

I've also seen less common bombloads, such as a single 2,000 lbs bomb and 2 x 1,000 lb bombs, as well as SBCs and combinations of 1,000 lb and 250 lb bombs.

 

[Juha]

Hello Jabberwocky
thanks for the informative message. I had completely forgot the 4000lb MC bomb use in Mossie operations, remembering only cookie or 6x500lb bombloads. But I still think that Stuvi sight and 2 x 1000kg (2200lb), one 1000kg + one 500kg (1100lb) or 14 x 65kg (143lb) were better options for the primary targets of my AF.

Juha

 

[Timppa]

1.Fighter, Me 262 A-1a/R-1
2.Attack aircraft, Me 262 A-2a
3.Recon. Aircraft, Ar-234B-1
4.Seaplane , Consolidated PBY
5.Heavy bomber, B-29
6.Med. bomber, Ar-234B-2
7.Night fighter , Me 262 B-1a/U1
8.Trainer, T-6 Texan/Me 262 B-1a
9.Transport, C-54

I think my air force beats most of the other air forces in this thread. 8)

 

[tail end charlie]

For the lemming imperial air force

Fighter Gloster Gladiator
escort fighter Spitfire
Light bomber fairey battle
Dive bomber He177
Heavy bomber short Stirling
transport anson
trainer Me 262

That should ensure the war is over by Christmas

 

[davebender]

The He-177 was never produced as a dive bomber.

 

[tail end charlie]

The He-177 was never produced as a dive bomber.

During early trials with the Imperial lemming Air Force the He177 proved very unpopular with surviving crews.

This was overcome by
issuing specially signed head bands
issuing all crews with a bottle of grog
nailing the doors shut prior to missions

 

[Thorlifter]

1.Fighter, Me 262 A-1a/R-1
2.Attack aircraft, Me 262 A-2a
3.Recon. Aircraft, Ar-234B-1
4.Seaplane , Consolidated PBY
5.Heavy bomber, B-29
6.Med. bomber, Ar-234B-2
7.Night fighter , Me 262 B-1a/U1
8.Trainer, T-6 Texan/Me 262 B-1a
9.Transport, C-54

I think my air force beats most of the other air forces in this thread. 8)

I think your air force will be in the shop so much getting the jumo engines replaced that my B-29's will destroy everything on the ground. Then my Corsairs will just fly in circles for 45 minutes until your 262's run out of gas. Let the turkey shoot begin!!!

 

[davebender]

By April 1945 the Jumo004B engine had a service life of 150 hours.

What was the service life of a B-29 engine during April 1945?

 

[tail end charlie]

I think your air force will be in the shop so much getting the jumo engines replaced that my B-29's will destroy everything on the ground. Then my Corsairs will just fly in circles for 45 minutes until your 262's run out of gas. Let the turkey shoot begin!!!

To counter the B 29 threat a high altitude Gladiator was developed using a curtiss engine and cannon armamet. To cope with the cold and atmosphere pilots were specially selected from pearl diving eskimos.

 

[Kryten]

For the lemming imperial air force

Fighter Gloster Gladiator
escort fighter Spitfire
Light bomber fairey battle
Dive bomber He177
Heavy bomber short Stirling
transport anson
trainer Me 262

That should ensure the war is over by Christmas

The training aircraft should ensure theres no pilots left to fly any missions!

 

[Thorlifter]

To counter the B 29 threat a high altitude Gladiator was developed using a curtiss engine and cannon armamet. To cope with the cold and atmosphere pilots were specially selected from pearl diving eskimos.