FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0293.PDF
FEBRUARY IOTH, 1944 FLIGHT comr 149 riputed on more advanced figures than those of aircraft at present in service. In other words—although, for instance, the Boeing B-29 is not included in the assessment—the figures for bombers have been computed so that it could be included later without gaining a quality factor exceeding 100 per cent. The complete list appears on this page. No enemy types qualify. I believe that most of the results will be endorsed by those who have had an opportunity to study the aircraft at first hand. I personally feel that I learned a great deal during an extensive tour of the aircraft industries in the United States and Canada which I was privileged to make recently, and I* have been fortunate in having known the British aircraft industry intimately in both peace and war. A few notes on some of the aircraft named in the list and on some of the categories considered may clear up one or two points, especially because two of the aircraft named are no longer in production. These two—the Boeing Clipper and the Chance Vought (formerly Sikorsky) VS-43B amphibian—are outstanding in their respective classes. None of the converted military flying boats come up to the all-round performance of the Boeing Clipper on long-range routes. The nearest rival is undoubtedly the Chance Vought Excalibur, although the Ger man six-engined Blohm and Voss Bv-222 flying boat of about 50 tons loaded weight should not be forgotten. There can be no doubt that a cargo version of the Boeing Clipper, had it been produced, would have been of great value to the war effort. The VS-43B appears to be well suited to duties as a general purpose and air-sea-rescue amphibian. Its rivals for this task, the primary need for which has been realised only compara tively recently, are the elderly Supermarine Walrus biplane apd the Grumrnan Goose amphibian. Like the Clipper, the VS-43B would have been valuable in numbers. Two of the other selections seem to warrant special comment. They are the Noorduyn Norseman and the Curtiss Helldiver. The Norseman, now in quantity production in Canada for the U.S. Army Air Forces as the UC-64A, stands in a class by itself. Originally designed for bush flying in Canada, it is straightforward and robust in construction, easy to repair and easy to fly into and out of confined spaces with a respectable load. For bringing up supplies behind advancing armies where airfields are not plentiful, for general hack work carrying up to eight men or spare engines and so forth, there is nothing flying which can equal it. The U.S. Army's Norseman are proving their worth. The Curtiss Helldiver has had a chequered career. It ivas roundly condemned by the Truman Committee at a time when there were in it almost more bugs than aircraft. Much redesign has been done and production has proceeded in the U.S.A. and in Canada. Now I understand that the Helldiver is in operational service and doing well, fulfilling the promise which, until now, has lurked in the background but nevertheless has been there all along. In the single-seat fighter class, the Mustang reigns supreme. With the Merlin engine its performance is exceptional, both low down and at heights above 30,000ft. Although the latest Airacobra is slightly faster at sea level, the Mustang makes up the leeway very rapidly, and at a few thousand feet, is ahead. Wing-mounted bomb racks give the Mustang a useful role as a u fighter-bomber and also provide slings for long-range fuel tanks. In fact, although there have not been reports of Mustangs used for long-range daylight escorts yet, it gives promise of excelling all other aircraft at this job. Its quality factor on this count in fact works out at 86.3 per cent. The Mosquito and the Liberator also shine among the galaxy of fine aircraft; the Mosquito combining speed with a shatter ing weight of fire in its fighter form, and range and bomb load in its bomber version. The Liberator now is more thoroughlv defended than any other dav bomber, and has a slight advantage in speed and load over the Fortress. Even so, the latest Fortress is a magnificent dav bomber and stands up to punishment better than any other aircraft of its size now flying. When the B-29 "Super-Fortress" appears in action it will be a long way ahead even of the great types it supersedes—or rather reinforces. At night the Lancaster II naturally comes out on top, the more powerful Hercules version having a slight advantage over the Lancaster I, Eight-thousand-pound bombs stow comfort ably into its great bomb bay and its range and load-carrying qualities are at present unequalled. And so on down the list, each aircraft selected having, in my estimation, qualities which place it ahead of all rivals for the job in hand. Perhaps one omission from the list of cate gories may be suggested: the patrol bomber flying boat. In fact, the land-based patrol bomber would seem to be'able to cover most tasks of the flying boat with greater speed and load. If, however, a choice was required, the Short Sunderland stands out as the most successful and practical type yet operat ing. Although the Catalina has done and is doing a very fine job and the Coronada and Mariner now are both in service, the all-round estimate sets the Sunderland slightly ahead. Naturally the list of 22 types does not claim to be either absolutely complete or infallible in its selection. Yet I sin cerely believe that it presents a logical choice based on known data. Some people may quarrel with some parts of it—indeed, comments and criticisms will be both interesting and useful. And at the beginning of another New Year—in 1945—with the world perhaps looking forward into the peace and prosperity of a new Air Age, another such list in which civilian types will predominate should prove of interest. Mr. Masefield has sent us the following paragraphs and table, which, he points out, were omitted from the article as (Concluded on page 155). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 0. 7. 8. i). Hi. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 10. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Aircraft Avro Lancaster II Boeing Clipper (314A) ... Bristol Beaufighter X ... Chance Vought VS-43B Consolidated Liberator (B-24J) Consolidated Liberator (PB4Y-2) Curtiss Commando (C-46) Curtiss HeUdiver (revised version) De Havilland Mosquito.. De Havilland Mosquito... De Havilland Mosquito ... Douglas Skvmaster Grumman Avenger Grumman Hellcat Lockheed Lightning (P-38J) Lockheed Lodestar (C-57) Noorduvn Norseman (VC-C4B) North American Mitchell (B-25H) North American Mustang III North American Mustang III Republic Thunderbolt (P.47D) Supermarine Seafire Type Heaw night bomber Ocean transport flying-boat Land-based torpedo bomber General-purpose amphibian Heavy day-bomber Ocean patrol-bomber Med.-range high-capacity transport Carrier-based dive-bomber High-speed day and night bomber Bomber destroyer Night intruder-fighter Trans-ocean transport landplanc Carrier-based torpedo-bomber ... Carrier-based escort-fighter Single-seat fighter-bomber High-speed personnel-transport ... Short-range " rough-rider " trans port Two-motor attack bomber Single-seat dog-fighter (low-alt.) Single-seat dog-fighter (high-alt.) Single-seat escort-fighter Carrier-based intercepter-fighter Motors 4 Hercules 4 Cyclones 2 Hercules 2 Hornet 4 Twin Wasp: 4 TwtnWusrx 2 Cyclones 1 Cyclone 2 Merlins 2 Merlins 2 Merlins 4Twin Wasps 1 Cyclone 1 Cyclone 2 Allisons 2 Twin Wasp- 1 Wasp, 2 Cvclones 1 Merlin 1 Merlin 1 DoubleWasp 1 Merlin Category 1. Heavy day bomber 2. Heavy night bomber 3. Day and night reconnaissance-bomber 4. Long-range patrol bomber (anti-submarine)... 5. Low-medium altitude single-engine fighter ... 0. High altitude single-engine fighter 7. Single-seat fighter-bomber 8. Single-seat escort-fighter ... 9. Bomber destroyer ... HI. Night intruder-fighter H. Two-engine attack-bomber (and tank-buster) 12. Land-based torpedo-bomber 13. Naval interceptor-fighter 14. Single-engine naval dive-bomber 1 .">. Single-engine naval torpedo-bomber H',. .Naval escort-fighter 17. Long-range transport 1 £ Medium-range high-capacity transport V19. High-speed medium-capacity transport 20. Short-range single-engine transport 21. Long-range transport flying boat 22. Air-Sea-Kescuc and general amphibian World's Best Consolidated Liberator Avro Lancaster II... De Havilland Mosquito Consolidated Liberator North American Mustang II North American Mustang 11 Lockheed Lightning Republic Thunderbolt De Havilland Mosquito (fighter).. De Havilland Mosquito (fighter)... North American Mitchell Bristol Beaufighter X Supermarine Seahre IX Curtiss Helldiver Grumman Avenger Grumman Hellcat Douglas Sky master Curtiss Commando Lockheed Lodestar Noorduyn Norseman Boeing Clipper Chance Vought VS-43B Per cent, of 1943-44 Ideal 78.4 75.2 93.2 75.0 75.0 91.4 89.2 73.0 91.0 95.2 85.0 90.0 95.2 89.4 75.8 92.8 91.8 92.3 93.2 89.9 87.fi 82.G Some Types Considered B-17G, Lancaster, Ju-88, Do-217. Halifax, Stirling, B-17G, B-24I, He-177 B-26, P-38J, A-20, Ju-88, Baltimore. Sunderland, Catalina, Mariner, Lancaster, Coronado. Spitfire IX, Fw-190, P-38, Me-109G, Typhoon, P-39CJ, P-4i>. P-47, Spitfire IX, P-38, Me-109G, Fw-190, P-39. Typhoon, Whirlwind, Fw-190, P-40, P-51. Lightning, Spitfire, Typhoon,'Fw-190, " Hap."1 Typhoon, Spitfire, P-47, P-39. Ju-88, P-51. Beaufighter, P-01, P-70, Ju-88. Hs-129. A-20, P-38, WTiirlwind. Beaufort, P-38, Do-217, " Betty,'" B-26, Wellington, He-Ill. Hellcat, Corsair, " Zeke,"1 " Hap,"1 Wildcat, Sea Hurricane. Dauntless, " Val."1 Barracuda, Albacore, Swordfish, " Kate."1 Corsair, Seafire, Wildcat, " Hap."1 Constellation, Stratoliner, Ju-290. Skytrain, Ju-52, SM-82. Flamingo, Electra, Q0, Envoy, Lockheed " 14." Fairchild " 82," Bellanca Senior Pacemaker, Caproni Ca-111. Coronado, Mariner, Short " G," Excalibur. Walrus, Goose. 1 The Japanese type in this category.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
