Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Randy1 on November 14, 2013, 07:25:28 AM
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In another thread, a P38 picture showed a 38 with six 500 pound bombs mounted in the center section between the engines.
http://usaircraft.proboards.com/thread/4404/51s-47s-38s (http://usaircraft.proboards.com/thread/4404/51s-47s-38s)
Scroll down to find the image.
My guess on this one is a field modification. Note how close the extra bombs are to the wing which I think would disrupt the airflow. I suspect the original mounts were longer to prevent that.
I zoomed in thinking the extra bombs were actually tied to the center bomb but it at least had something to keep it from banging the wing.
Field mod?
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I have seen wing center sections that were modified as such on several occasions but have not found the documentation or engineering documents that show Lockheed was aware of it.
As for the length of pylons, I believe it was to ensure clearance of the stores on the flaps as some things like the longer fuel tanks actually extend into the flap movement areas.
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I have seen wing center sections that were modified as such on several occasions but have not found the documentation or engineering documents that show Lockheed was aware of it.
As for the length of pylons, I believe it was to ensure clearance of the stores on the flaps as some things like the longer fuel tanks actually extend into the flap movement areas.
The picture was interesting for sure. Probably right on the flap clearance. That makes good sense. Could be the mod came about because the 500 pound bombs were easy to come by.
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Great find Randy1 :aok
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I have been reading about that. The max bomb load of p-38 L was 4,000 lbs. Not ofton done due to range in the pacific. Internal fuel in a 38 was often not enough to get to the target and home safely, thus this was uncommen but by no means not heard of. Was used in ground attack supporting grunts...
I am talking about the 4 1000lbs or 6 5000lbs. I believe the 2,000 lb were rare there are pictures of them carring them.
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I believe the 2,000 lb were rare there are pictures of them carring them.
The P-38 was often used to level bomb and in those missions, 2,000 pound bombs were used. It wasn't just in the PTO, it was also done in the ETO and MTO and I'm sure in the CBI as well.
ack-ack
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I wish field mods like these could be implemented in the game. Perhaps as perk options. Would love to test out one of Galland's home-brew 109Fs for example, cigar lighter and all...
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I wish field mods like these could be implemented in the game. Perhaps as perk options. Would love to test out one of Galland's home-brew 109Fs for example, cigar lighter and all...
I'm still waiting for the centerline rack and 2000lb bomb option for the F4U-1D, C and 4. Which that center rack was NOT a field mod but a carryover from the -1 and 1A.
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Great find Randy1 :aok
The link was originally posted in the Mustang rocket wish thread. Not sure who the original poster was.
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(http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac270/puma44/85feda034607dc710a9e230194f03e75_zps7505d34a.jpg)
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I would guess when you dropped the factory mounted 500 pounder, it dropped the other two at the same time. Still that is 3000 pounds of bombs. That would be slick in AH.
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I'm still waiting for the centerline rack and 2000lb bomb option for the F4U-1D, C and 4. Which that center rack was NOT a field mod but a carryover from the -1 and 1A.
The vast majority of -4's do not have structure built into it to support the centerline pylon. It carried over into the -5 and they ended up adding it again to the -5 production.
The only -4's I have seen with center line structure were those field modified to do so with -1 parts.
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The vast majority of -4's do not have structure built into it to support the centerline pylon. It carried over into the -5 and they ended up adding it again to the -5 production.
The only -4's I have seen with center line structure were those field modified to do so with -1 parts.
Odd, I thought that carried through. At the very least it was definitely present on the 1D and C.
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Re that P-38 defacto medium bomber 6 x 500lb load out,
has anyone got the mission profile parameters for it?
Like range/speed/altitude settings?
Could it dive bomb with them?
If it is just on drip snot, sorry - droop snoot - missions,
& you are crawling with B-25/26s proper mediums- then why bother?
Unless there is something wrong with the P-38 as a JABO?
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Odd, I thought that carried through. At the very least it was definitely present on the 1D and C.
No, the -4's omitted it. It's really odd, but I think it had to do with envisioning the aircraft as a pure fighter with ground attack capability. Reality for them was carrying the fuel it needed to get up and loiter as the Corsair was never known for long legs in that respect.
It was present in the -1D and -1C, but I am not sure if it was universal across production in the case of the former as the drawings show different bottom panels with and without the structure.
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Thanks for the post. That was an excellent set of pictures. Very nice. <S>
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We seem to have this discussion every couple of years. As far as I've been able to determine, the 6 bomb load out was only done in the MTO and it appears only the 82nd FG had it and it was from roughly December 44. It was only used along with Droop Snoot 38s to level bomb. The theory was the 38s were less vulnerable to flak then the medium bombers being used to attack bridges etc. They were not dive bombing with the 6 bomb load out.
There are photos showing 4 bombs loaded and 2 DTs also.
As for the 2000 pounders. This is from an earlier discussion here too. It was in October 44 that the 9th AF 38s started carrying 1000 pounders regularly. They also carried 2000 pounders on a few occasions. The following is from an e-mail I got from the a 38 driver of the 474th FG talking about the 2000 pounders and the sway braces.
Quote from the late Lloyd Wenzel
"Dan, We always carried full internal fuel on missions and kept tanks full for the reason
you mentioned. With weather in Europe you would never risk running short of fuel. There
was no payload we carried that needed reduced internal fuel-even carried two 2000 lb
bombs a few times. Had to use wooden sway bars that banged up the bird on bomb release
so we didn't do it often and 1k bombs were probably just as effective. Both 2k bombs had
to be dropped together-on pull out, the bomb shackle would come off from g force. We took
off on reserve tank and used enough fuel to make room for the feed -back from the
carburater then switched to drop tanks, then leading edge, main and reserve. The leading
edge tanks had their own boost pumps and a solenoid operated valve--you had to turn off
the main selector to confirm fuel flow. Less time to look for the Hun!!"