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General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Sunka on January 11, 2010, 11:57:20 PM

Title: 110 question
Post by: Sunka on January 11, 2010, 11:57:20 PM
Yes i could search this out but it will be much more easy and decisive to ask here ,and i'm sure there are some 110 guys that know this already.Was there ever modified 110's with no rear gun at all ,to save weight and become more of a fighter?
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Lusche on January 12, 2010, 12:25:45 AM
Yes, and it was called FW 187  :D

(http://1000aircraftphotos.com/APS/2780L.jpg) 


All kidding aside, I can't recall ever having read about such a modification.
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Larry on January 12, 2010, 01:31:39 AM
Iv never read of any if there were. The only times Iv read gunners being taken out would be in the night fighter version. You have to understand that in RL the rear gunner was worth the extra weight. Unlike in AH when a 110s gunner was firing at you, you didn't say "oh its just a 7.9mm it cant do any damage". You got the hell out of the way because that gun was firing real bullets at you.  :aok
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: oakranger on January 12, 2010, 02:16:50 AM
Yes i could search this out but it will be much more easy and decisive to ask here ,and i'm sure there are some 110 guys that know this already.Was there ever modified 110's with no rear gun at all ,to save weight and become more of a fighter?

Rumpelhardt quotes Schnauffer with the saying "One extra pair of eyes is more worth than a reargun" or something along that line.
He apparently thought it's better to save the extra weight for better performance so he can better escape into the dark in the event of an attack from the rear.


I did came across of a pic of a night fighter Bf 110-F4 (i think) that dose not have a rear gun.  would have to look for it.   I also seen some images of a Bf 110 G2/4 OR F model that was fitted 1 x 37mm on the bottom nose. 
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: save on January 12, 2010, 06:24:36 AM
http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/happy-plane-pic.jpg (http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/happy-plane-pic.jpg)

Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Harp00n on January 12, 2010, 06:43:42 AM
Not sure about this one:

(http://www.germanmilitaria.co.uk/pics/bf110.jpg)

But I like the armament of this one (a bit blurred but it looks like a real big gun  :D )

(http://i3.tinypic.com/2q1rwwg.jpg)
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: morfiend on January 12, 2010, 02:08:41 PM
 I dont recall the rear gunner ever being removed either,as for the 37mm that was put on several G4's and carried 11 cartridge cases for a total of 66 rounds. :aok

 What I'm not sure of is if another case could be loaded or the 11 included 1 in the breech and 10 in some type of cartridge case holder.

 Now if we could only get the perked ords system and the BK3.7 gun modeled then both the 110 and stuka fliers would be happy. :aok
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: oakranger on January 12, 2010, 02:12:28 PM
Harp00n, that second pic it is a 30 or 37 mm cannon to take out the bombers.   :O

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/Bf_110_148_37mm_Orel.jpg)
G-2/R-1 with the 37mm Flak 18 gun

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/Bf110G_2R1_PzJgStZG_1.jpg)
Trying to find out what the "Black N" on the nose is for.

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/Bf_110_146_37mm_Uman.jpg)
Bf110G-2 with the R-2 pack in between.

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/scan0027.jpg)
Bf 110 G-2/R1, M8+NP, 6./ZG 76, taken at Wertheim in September 1943.

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/scan0030.jpg)

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/1-Bf-110G-ZG763-Wunsdorf-01.jpg)
Bf110G-2 which seems to carry 6 (!) Wurfgranaten tubes - 2 tubes under fuselage

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/2pru4va.jpg)

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/40fuo44.jpg)
You can clearly see the 37 mm on the closes 110. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1BzTXQCSBs
110 fitted with 37 mm to take out B-17s


Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Krusty on January 12, 2010, 03:10:22 PM
Not sure about this one:

(http://www.germanmilitaria.co.uk/pics/bf110.jpg)

The entire rear canopy closed, and what we have in AH is how it opened up. Rather interesting way of opening, IMO. Could be that the gun was "stowed" like some US dive bombers did?
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Charge on January 13, 2010, 04:32:07 AM
AFAIK in MG-FF equipped versions the rear gunner changed the ammunition drums, i.e. 3 drums/gun. In night fighters the rear gunner changed the "schräge musik" cannons' drums.

-C+
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Flipperk on January 13, 2010, 01:16:48 PM
The entire rear canopy closed, and what we have in AH is how it opened up. Rather interesting way of opening, IMO. Could be that the gun was "stowed" like some US dive bombers did?

In WWII Online the rear gunner on the 110 is stowed inside the canopy until needed, then you press a hot key the back opens up and the gun can be placed.
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: jdbecks on January 14, 2010, 06:03:41 PM
I like flying around in 110s, and having that armament would be great!  :rock
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: oakranger on January 26, 2010, 02:25:48 PM
I like flying around in 110s, and having that armament would be great!  :rock

It might be something that Hitech needs to add. 
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Grendel on January 27, 2010, 06:51:45 AM
Iv never read of any if there were. The only times Iv read gunners being taken out would be in the night fighter version. You have to understand that in RL the rear gunner was worth the extra weight.

But. The standard crew of night fighter Bf 110 was 3 men. The gunner was also a pair of Mark I Eyeballs - and radio operator. Between him and the pilot was also radar operator.
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Larry on January 28, 2010, 12:13:11 AM
But. The standard crew of night fighter Bf 110 was 3 men. The gunner was also a pair of Mark I Eyeballs - and radio operator. Between him and the pilot was also radar operator.

What does that have to do with what I said?
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: AWwrgwy on January 28, 2010, 12:57:29 AM
What does that have to do with what I said?

Where would the radio operator sit?  In the pilot's lap?  The gunner's?

 :neener:


wrongway
 :bolt:
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Mace2004 on January 28, 2010, 01:05:22 AM
Yes i could search this out but it will be much more easy and decisive to ask here ,and i'm sure there are some 110 guys that know this already.Was there ever modified 110's with no rear gun at all ,to save weight and become more of a fighter?
No mod required, it's not like the gun's welded to the airframe, it just sits in a mount.  Just leave the gun and ammo on deck and send the gunner out to get a couple of liters of Hefe Weizen for when you return.  Of course it wouldn't save much weight, it's just a light machine gun with a very high rate of fire similar (if not identical) to the light MG the grunts carried around.  Now, if you really wanted to save weight you'd eliminate the remainder of the gunmount, the aft canopy, skin over the opening, glass in the rear end of the remaining canopy and maybe take out part of the interior deck.  That and eliminating the weight of the ammo and the now-redundant gunner might save 300-350 pounds.  Never seen any pictures of this extensive of a mod being done and, in proportion to the weight of the rest of the plane, it would probably some measureable performance improvement but probably not enough to be tactically significant.
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: Charge on January 29, 2010, 02:47:29 AM
IRL an MG81 or MG81z (3200rpm) shooting at your face could really ruin your day. In virtual skies we do not need to consider how deep we are on enemy territory when an oil line or a fuel line has been cut by a single lucky bullet. I don't recall e.g. Rudel ever to consider his tail gunner as unnecessary weight. He was a valuable extra pair of eyes and if he was skilled he could direct the pilot to dodge the aircraft away from attacks and with his gun he could prevent the enemy fighters from getting into easy kill angles.

So even if you could get the impression in AH that the tail gunner had a very insignificant role IRL they were an asset, enough that to be included in newer zerstörers, too, i.e. ME410.

I'm not sure if they were useful in nightfighters, though. Mossies and Beaus having four cannons and because of darkness the intercepting nightfighters were hard to see to begin defense in time -maybe enough time just to scream to pilot that we are going to die in a second...

-C+
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: jolly22 on January 29, 2010, 07:41:44 AM
Because the 37mm in below the cockpit, it has to be VERY inaccurate!
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: oakranger on January 31, 2010, 01:34:01 PM
Because the 37mm in below the cockpit, it has to be VERY inaccurate!

Most likely but was used a lot.
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: morfiend on January 31, 2010, 04:57:04 PM
Because the 37mm in below the cockpit, it has to be VERY inaccurate!


 Could you possibly explain why this would be?
Title: Re: 110 question
Post by: FLS on January 31, 2010, 05:45:25 PM
Because the 37mm in below the cockpit, it has to be VERY inaccurate!

It's the opposite. It's very accurate because we're so used to aiming and shooting from that location.  :devil