Battle of the Third Reich Chapter 286: Strategic bombing (part 2)

The difference between Lancaster and previous British bombers is that there is no traditional wooden structure and canvas skin. This is a heavy bomber made entirely of metal materials. The designer used all the advanced technologies that he wanted on this aircraft. It can be said that this is the Rolls-Royce Phantom among the bombers of that era.

The British installed four 1,480-horsepower "Grayback Falcon" 20 engines on this plane. This is the best engine they can get at the moment. The preferred power for the test-flying Spitfire MK3 prototype.

Rolls-Royce's "Merlin" (some materials transliterated as Merlin or Merlin) is currently the most powerful of British mass-produced engines, but it does not mean it is the most advanced Yes, because there is also the "Griffon" (Griffon, also transliterated as Griffin) engine also developed by Rolls-Royce.

Speaking of "Gryphon", Rolls-Royce actually built a prototype in 39, with an engine power of 1,700 horsepower. The British Air Force did not consider the mass production of the "Gryphon" because it was a full circle larger than the "Grey-backed Falcon", and it was difficult to fit it into the engine compartment of the early Spitfire model.

At that time, the British only considered the frontal area of ​​a fighter jet, but ignored the possible impact of increased power on flight quality. However, given that the Royal Air Force was surrounded by dogfights at the time, it was reasonable to make this choice.

At the beginning of the war, the "Grayback Falcon" was officially put into mass production, and the weight loss research and development of the "Gryphon" engine was still slowly going on. Under the wartime system, the British Air Force was not prepared to spend resources elsewhere, so it stopped. The improvement project of "Gryphon" began to put all energy into the manufacture of "Grey-backed Falcon."

Xu Jun is well aware of the potential of the "Gryphon" engine. This is an excellent water-cooled engine that can reach more than 2,000 horsepower after being supercharged, and for the bomber, a larger size is not a problem at all.

If Lancaster needs to improve its power, then "Gryphon" is currently the best choice, but it will take time for this engine to be put into mass production. Xu Jun hopes to resolve these problems in the first half of the year. To solve.

The Lancaster bomber has an interesting feature compared with her similar class, that is, it is only equipped with a captain and pilot. Of course, the situation in Germany is mostly the same. This configuration is It was very common in bomber designs before 1940.

But once you enter the **** Eastern Front battlefield, this configuration is somewhat inappropriate. In fact, when the British bomber group entered German airspace, especially when bombing to and from Berlin, the crew members had already discovered this problem. Relying on only one pilot to complete the flight of this entire route is a severe test in terms of physical strength and energy. At the same time, when the cockpit is attacked by German fighter jets, once the pilot is injured or killed, it often means that the entire crew will be buried together.

The U.S. military has long considered the issue of crew backup, so their long-range bombers are often two-man pilots. They can change shifts during long-distance flights. They can also chat and quarrel when they are bored. They can also share the pressure of operations in the event of a dangerous situation.

In the latter part of the war in history, the Royal Air Force installed a linked driving system in Lancaster for use by an aerial mechanic sitting in a folding chair on the right side of the driver’s seat. This mechanic was only responsible before The aircraft engine and control during takeoff and landing.

Since the improvement has been devised in history, there is no reason not to use it early. Xu Jun also included this co-pilot system in the transformation plan.

Next is the issue of self-defense firepower. The British electric turret is indeed very advanced, but the Royal Air Force has not installed the firepower worthy of this system. Compared with the US military’s heirloom point 50, the British’s seven points In addition to being lighter in weight, the seven-millimeter Browning Mark II is nothing but rubbish.

In the future, the Luftwaffe will encounter a group of Soviet fighters known for its rough and thick skin. It is difficult to imagine how much deterrence the 7.7mm "sprinkler gun" can create on the other side.

Xu Jun feels that he wants to scare the group of polar bears, he must have a caliber of at least .50. If necessary, he is even willing to set aside the bomb load for self-defense weapons, and install two MG151/ each on the tail and back turret 15mm, the quail egg-sized tracer can't scare people, so I should be satisfied with a tennis ball.

At the same time, the spherical turret at the bottom of the B17 is a good thing. You can consider "developing" it early, and maybe you can sell it to American patents in turn.

However, Xu Jun also knew very well that relying on the self-defense firepower of the bomber alone, it is impossible to intercept multiple batches, multiple directions and multiple sorties of fighters to intercept surprise attacks. In order to reduce the loss of long-range bombing, the German army must be equipped with a fighter that can provide full escort.

Germany has already bought all the materials, patents and production licenses of the North American company NA-73 fighter jet, even including more than 250 sets of semi-finished wings and fuselage.

After the British government canceled the order, even if this pile of finished products and parts were completely in the hands of North American companies, it would add additional financial pressure to North American airlines that are in financial crisis, or if the Germans suddenly took over With this batch of unsold products, the next trouble this company will encounter will never be light.

In history, the British "Weapons Purchasing Committee" initially wanted to purchase Curtis’s P40 fighter jets, but Curtis is doing all he can to complete the order for the US Army’s aviation, and there is no spare share to the British. .

So the British began to consider the feasibility of producing the "Kitty Hawk" in the UK. After learning about this, the senior executives of the North American company that was selling trainers to the British felt that this was a rare business opportunity. This reversed the company's financial difficulties.

So they tried to convince the British that the North American company could develop a fighter jet with a performance surpassing the P40 specifically for the British, and the speed of mass production was definitely faster than building a new P40 production line.

As a result, the British believed in the promise of the North American company, and before seeing the design drawings, they directly placed an order for 320 aircrafts. This shows how dangerous the war situation in Europe was at that time. The British Empire has been driven by the Germans to the point where they are hungry.

The initial price of a NA-73 was 40,000 US dollars, which was more than 9,000 cheaper than Curtis’s P40. This was indeed a conscience price at the time, but if the British knew the true performance of this gadget, I'm afraid I won't place this order if it is half the price.

In history, after the P-51 Mustang was sent to the United Kingdom, the British pilots who used it were screaming and cheating. The P51 did use a lot of advanced patented technology, and the Allison V1701 was also a low-altitude engine with good performance, but The problem is that this engine performs very meaty at high altitude, so once it encounters a German fighter at high altitude, then this aircraft will only be slaughtered.

So this aircraft was assigned to the Royal Air Force’s Army Coordination Command to undertake low-altitude patrol reconnaissance and ground attack missions. The British were very satisfied with the performance of this fighter at low altitude, even in the 1940s. An additional batch of orders was added, but the order was not completed until the outbreak of Pearl Harbor.

I want to add a sentence here. After the Pearl Harbor incident, the U.S. Army also ordered a batch of Mustangs, but these aircraft were modified into ground-attack types, and bulky air brakes were installed on the wings. She was given an A36 attack aircraft number ~ IndoMTL.com ~ nicknamed "Apache".

In fact, it took until April 1942, after an accidental encounter, that the fate of the "Wild Horse" changed. At that time, a Rolls-Royce test pilot tested a Mustang. He found that this aircraft, driven by the same horsepower, was faster than the latest Spitfire. So the test pilot thought that if the plane was replaced with a fire-breathing "Grayback Falcon" engine, the performance would be even greater.

Immediately his suggestion got the attention of Rolls-Royce's management. The trial of replacing the "Mustang" with the "Gray-backed Falcon" engine began. I must have guessed the story behind, and replaced it with a powerful one. After the "Gray-backed Falcon", the "Mustang" was transformed into the best fighter in World War II and created the miracle of the "Mustang Dynasty" era.

Now the transformation of the "Wild horses" is stepping up in the secret workshop of Messerschmidt. In the future, the German "Wild horses" with iron crosses will create a legend in the history of war. The story, the head of the empire is full of expectations for it.

PS: Thank you for your support, the author will continue to work hard.

Chapter two is here, let me inform you again that the author will be out tomorrow, and I will update it the day after tomorrow.