A-20g

[funkedup]

Three thumbs up!  

[Kieran]

Excellent work, Nate, it's my new wallpaper.

[Wotan]

4 x hispanos on a20g?

[Kieran]

No, that's 4x.50s in the nose. It is a light attack bomber, nothing more, but it should be maneuverable and one of the faster bombers (aside from the mosquito).

[WBHoncho]

ACTUALLY, according to USAF Museum anyway (pretty good source I figure) :

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/attack/a3/a3-9.htm

"...The -G model was designed primarily as a ground attack aircraft. The greenhouse glass nose of the earlier models was replaced by a solid nose and featured four fixed 20 mm cannons. The barrels of these cannons stuck out about three feet and gave the aircraft a distinctive appearance.

During acceptance and combat capability testing, the cannons had a tendency to jam during sustained firing. Also, the cannon had a relatively slow rate of fire. These two factors led to the redesign of the forwarding firing armament and only the initial block -- A-20G-1 -- of 250 aircraft were completed with the 20 mm cannons. Beginning with block 5, the A-20G had six .50-cal. machine guns in the nose..."

[Kieran]

Honcho, you've already made the correct notation. There were relatively few cannon-armed A-20Gs. In all likelihood we'll see the .50 version, though we won't know until we fly. Judging by the screenshot, I think we can guess .50s.

[VWE001]

Specifications Span: 61 ft. 4 in.
Length: 48 ft.
Height: 17 ft. 7 in.
Weight: 26,580 lbs. loaded
Armament: Eight .50-cal. machine guns;
2,000 lbs. of bombs internally;
2,000 lbs. externally.
Engines: Two Wright R-2600s of 1,6000 hp. each
Cost: $74,000  Performance Maximum Speed: 317 mph.
Cruising Speed: 230 mph.
Range: 1,025 miles
Service Ceiling: 25,000 ft.  

Performance Maximum Speed: 317 mph.
Cruising Speed: 230 mph.
Range: 1,025 miles
Service Ceiling: 25,000 ft.

I've got one question though, will we be able to also select "attack" or will this also just be graded as a bomber?

[popeye]

$74,000.   Cool, where do I place my order?  

[streakeagle]

They gave up 4 x 20 mm for 6 x 0.50 cal ?

Hmmm, games make it seem like it would be smarter to stay with the 20mm's. Of course HTC doesn't model gun jams, which was a big reason the US generally stayed away from 20mm's except as secondary (i.e. P-38) or experimental armament (F-4U-1C). Only after the 20mm's became  more reliable did they become the primary armament for US aircraft (Skyraider, late F4U-4 variants), but they still didn't like and made sure to design better 20mm's: M39 revolver cannon and M61 gatling to get the rate of fire up where it needed to be.

It is interesting to note that even as late as the Korean War, they were still somewhat experimental as far as the USAF was concerned: most Sabres produced had the 6 x 0.50 cals despite the fact that they could use 4 x 20mm even after they knew the 0.50 cals had trouble shooting down the MiG-15.

[Superfly]

We're using the 6x.50 caliber version.  The 4x20mm version's cannons jammed quite a bit, and weren't very useful.

[Kieran]

Just to clarify, that's 4x.50 in the nose, 2x.50 in the turret, right?

[streakeagle]

6 x 0.50 in the nose

[Toad]

... but we should also have the option to switch to the 4 x 20 in the hangar.

Two reasons: They DID make it.. so like some other folks, we should demand every single variation that was ever made.. even if they only made one.

Secondly, it's been a long time since we've heard the symphony of wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth that would accompany this option.

Reason two is enough all by itself, acutally.  

[popeye]

"Reason two is enough all by itself, acutally."

Yes.  

[Turbot]

Originally posted by VWE001
I've got one question though, will we be able to also select "attack" or will this also just be graded as a bomber?

Well it IS a "A"-20  - the solid nose versions of planes (like the A-26 for another example).  No bombsites either.

Some of  A-20's went so far as to be outfitted as night fighters.

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/p70.htm

"...The P-70 was developed, in 1942, from the Douglas A-20 "Havoc" for use by the Army Air Corps to fill an urgent need for a night fighter until the first scheduled deliveries of the Northrop P-61 "Black Widow" in 1943.

The British first used the modified A-20 as a night fighter (Havoc II) and met with some success. The AAF followed suit and modified an A-20 (S/N 39-735) by installing radar and four 20mm cannon in a fuselage pod. The glass nose section of the A-20 was simply painted black in a P-70...."

Hmm, perhaps three planes can be derived from the from the a-20 base?  

(1) The Boston III with its bombsite and glass nose - a bomber.


(2) A-20 with its solid nose - a Attack


and add with same basic cockpit art, etc....

(3) P-70 in the pursuit category (as a precursor to the P-61)



(note the extra cannon unit in the belly)