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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0907.PDF
MARCH 30, 1939 FLIGHT. 313 (Left) Although employed by the R.A.F. on target-towing duties, the Hawker Henley is one of the world's finest single-engined bombers. (Below) Outstanding among the world's high speed bombers is the latest version of the Bristol Blenheim which does 295 m.p.h. and has a range of 1,900 miles. carrying a comparatively small bomb 1 load or a few bigger, heavier machines —for extreme range and bomb load inevitably mean bulk and sluggish ness. It is frequently argued that these big machines represent '' too many eggs in one basket." The same might be said of the Navy's battle ships. If an aircraft is doing a worth while job it is worth staking man power and equipment. By all means size should be kept down, but to argue that bombers should be "small" is no more reasonable than suggesting that destroyers should carry i6in. guns. The only telling argument against really big bombers is that they are unable adequately to defend themselves. Unlike the large flying boats they can rarely adopt low- flying tactics to prevent fighters from attacking from below. They must fight as they fly to and from their objective or rely upon the protection of long-range escort fighters. Once these fighters broke formation they would be laying their charges open to further attack. This means the provision of turreted armament—and there we have the whole crux of the matter. If the value of turrets is proved the big bomber may be justified. In any case, the air forces of the world are said to be ordering big four-engined bombers in quantities, and after a considerable period of experiment are still developing power-driven gun turrets, so that we will assume that there is a place in the scheme of things for the large, as well as the small, bomber. Let us now consider in order of size the lines on which the various classes are developing. The smallest bombers possessed by any of the world's air forces to-day are specialised machines developed for the German Air Force. These are exemplified by the Blohm and Voss Ha 137 and the Henschel 123, and are closely related to single-seater fighters. They have been developed specifically to deliver diving attacks. Despite the scepticism which has been ex pressed as to the value or practicability of this type of attack, it is a fact that many of the smaller types of bombers to-day are being designed with a view to their use, if required, as dive bombers. Special air brakes are being fitted to limit the diving speed or reversible- pitch airscrews are being introduced to give the same effect. Taking the Junkers Ju.87 as a typical two- seater dive bomber of the German Air Force we find that, like the little Blohm and Voss " Fliyht " photogiaphi. already mentioned, it has "cranked" wings of broad "W" formation, a fixed undercarriage, and an inverted- vee Junkers liquid-cooled engine—actually the 1,000 h.p. petrol-injection Jumo 211. When a single large bomb (1,100 lb.) is carried it is sus pended behind the xadiator housing, the machine being provided with special displacement gear to guide the pro jectile clear of the airscrew. The air brakes take the form of long slats behind the leading edge of the wing on the under surface. Before entering his bombing dive the pilot turns them broadside on to the airstream, and is probably able to limit his speed to something like 240 m.p.h. Dive bombing is a designed function of our Fairey Battle and P.4/34 types, and for that matter of the Hawker Henley, despite the fact that this excellent machine is being used in the R.A.F. for high-speed target towing. Special sights have been developed for this form of attack, and dive bomber squadrons are trained in the art of deceiving enemy anti-aircraft gunners, often making their dives in steps, or corkscrewing on their way down to the target. The low-flying attack is, of course, an alternative method, while high-altitude "precision" bombing, using a bomb A standard dive bomber of the German Air Force is the Junkers Ju. 87 (top right) with Jumo 211 engine. Under the wing are flaps to reduce the diving speed. Below is seen the Czech Letov S.23I, a bomber corre sponding to the Blenheim formula. It has the same power plant—two Bristol Mercury VIIIs.
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