Typical bomb load in the ETO.

B-17 - 5000lb (B-24 similar)
Lancaster - 9-10,000lb

There was also a bomb rack designed for the Mossie, though not used, that had 3000lb (6x500lb) in the bomb bay.

Americans classified the B-17/B-24 as heavy bombers and the B-28 as very heavy bombers. The B-26/B-25 are classed as medium bombers.

I am unfamiliar with this type. Do you mean B29?

On the same track a Mosquito would typically carry less than its maximum bomb load.

Mosquito carrying a single 4000lb bomb would be great in a tactical role, lets say taking out a Bridge, but if we were going for an stategic area target, like an industrial complex, B17's with 12x500 (or greater) would be much more appropriate.

The milliary planners in WWII weren't idiots. If a weapon system didn't live up to it's requirements it was dumped at the first opportunity.

The reason we didn't see great fleets of Mosquitos doing the job of planes like the B17 was that it couldn't do the job required as efficiently.

Yes, large fingers, B-29. Also the B-32.

No the Mossie always carried its full load.

No it was because the Bomber Barons couldn't see past their noses.

How many bombs land on the target if the B-17 is shot down? At least with 3 Mossies carrying the same load, some bombs would land on the target even if 1 or 2 were shot down.

Wow! It really looks like you've researched this topic and thought through every aspect of the problems associated with it. It's refreshing to see a logical well thought out statement of fact.

I think we need to invent a time a machine and send you back to the 1939 so the Allies could win the war before Christmas and save the world a lot of grief.

Bye

Bye, yee of myopic tunnel vision. :)

A couple of nice accounts of Mossie/262 encounters.

The second one shows as aspect of speed/endurance we often forget in our game.

No one would deny the P51 is ultimately a faster plane than the Mossie, but read how the Mossie pilot kept having to throttle back for the sake of his Pony escorts:

http://www.mossie.org/stories/Norman_Malayney_2.htm

If out IL2 mosquito tried a 450mph dive and a corkscrew it would break apart.