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#1
10-08-2008, 12:55 AM
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The cabinate makers, carpenters, Piano makers etc. that made components for the Mosquito didn't have to compete for production with the other types being built. The production of a competitive aircraft that didn't effect the other types shows good ingenuity, engineering and manpower management. That being said, we only have to look at the early stages of the war and the Battle of Britain to show how ineffective medium/light bombers are in a strategic roll. When the LW rolled accross Europe and when they were concentrating on the British airfield's their medium bomber aircraft (JU87's, Do17's and HE111's) excelled in a tactical roll. When they switched tactics and started attacking area targets (London for example) They just didn't have the bombloads to do the job. (This statement is not trying to detract from the damage and loss of life caused by the medium bombers) They were using a weapon in a role it was not intended and therefore it made it harder to do the job. Luckly Hitler was so focused on his early Bitzkrieg victories that he stymied the development of the Heavy bombers that Germany needed. The Mosquito was a fantastic plane - BUT - only in the role it was intended for. If you can imagine the planning and logistics that would have gone into one of the British maximum effort, 1000 bombers raids and then multiplied that by 3 and a 1/2, I doubt Britain (or any other airforce at the time) would have been able to pull it off. 
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#2
10-08-2008, 09:27 AM
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It did everything by night or by day from ground attack to high level bombing to anti shipping to being a night fighter (and a number of other roles). It even passed its carrier trials. The only thing it couldn't excel at was being a dive bomber, pure fighter or interceptor (unless you count V1's) but it pretty much covered every other role imaginable and better than most designs intended for those roles. It was probably the first true multirole combat aircraft that could operate by night or by day.
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#3
10-08-2008, 11:27 AM
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Cheers!
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#4
10-08-2008, 01:22 PM
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No Skoshi it couldn't carry the load a Lancaster could but it did carry a load comparable to the American heavies.
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#5
10-08-2008, 02:22 PM
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My books put the disposable stores at something like Mosquito -early marque 2000lbs later models ('44 onwards) 4000lbs B25 Mitchell -3,200lbs B26 Marauder - 4,000lbs A20 Havoc - 4,000lbs A26/B26 Invader - 6,000lbs He111 - 7,165lbs B24 Liberator - 8,800lbs B17 -17,600lbs Lancaster - 18,000 Now in my interpretation the Heavies would be the B17, Lancaster and maybe B24 Liberator. The Mosquito definately fits into the first group which would be described as attack or maybe medium (at a pinch) bombers. Also those figures quoted are maximum bomb loads and doesn't state what carrying those maximum loads did to their speed or altitude. In the case of the Mosquito (without any defensive armerment) both of these were it's key to it's survival. Now the Mosquito is one of my favourite planes. I find that talking up it's abilities detracts from it's beauty and the roles it served so well at. Cheers!
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#6
10-08-2008, 02:44 PM
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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.
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#7
10-09-2008, 02:14 AM
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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. Last edited by Skoshi Tiger; 10-09-2008 at 05:33 AM.
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