Boston/A-20 Upgrade.

[MK-84]

would gladly make that swap for the quad 20mm package
  but then what excuse would people make for getting pawned by a bomber    this would be intresting to find out 

They already do get regularly pwned by this bomber 

[EagleDNY]

Boston with Torps?  +1 -  although I think there would need to be a tweak in the speed for a successful launch of a torp, because I don't know how I would get slow enough for a successful torp launch. 

Quad 20mm option?  Sure, why not.  It probably had about the same usage as the 50mm in a 410, and it would have its uses.  60rpg is a bit light, but you would get one really nice strafing run before you died. 

[bozon]

Didn't the ventral gun lower the top speed? I suppose that if it were not used, the lower section was sealed. Also, a 3rd crew (with all his equipment and dirty magazines) means quite a lot of weight.
Our Bostons/A20 are quite fast, is their performance modeled with or without the ventral guns?

I bet that if it cost as little as 5 mph everyone would shout for the removal of the ventral gun.

[lyric1]

Didn't the ventral gun lower the top speed? I suppose that if it were not used, the lower section was sealed. Also, a 3rd crew (with all his equipment and dirty magazines) means quite a lot of weight.
Our Bostons/A20 are quite fast, is their performance modeled with or without the ventral guns?

I bet that if it cost as little as 5 mph everyone would shout for the removal of the ventral gun.

You can make the same argument on the Boston with the top turret. The canopy on that could be open & closed to allow the guns to be pulled into position. Yet in game it is always open & guns are always out.
Do we have extra drag due to that?
No idea it is a good question though as far as what is or not programmed in to the A-20 series.

[lyric1]

All you will ever need to know.

Douglas A-20 A Flight Op Inst (March 1941) - Complete.pdf

Douglas A-20 G & J, P-70 A & B Flight Op Inst (Nov.1944) - C.pdf

Douglas A-20 G Havoc Erection & Maintenance - INCOMPLETE.pdf

If you don't want to down load a PDF file.


http://www.scribd.com/doc/103229355/Douglas-a-20-a-Flight-Op-Inst-March-1941-Complete?secret_password=11x9io1b97jip3pzj0zp

http://www.scribd.com/doc/103229465/Douglas-a-20-G-amp-J-P-70-a-amp-B-Flight-Op-Inst-Nov-1944-C?secret_password=4x4px705gknvo04aej2

http://www.scribd.com/doc/103229558/Douglas-a-20-G-Havoc-Erection-amp-Maintenance-InCOMPLETE?secret_password=21tclto4zc7p8c36lh5q

[lyric1]

Boston manual.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/70424939/1940-AN-01-40AL-2-A-20-Boston-Erection-and-Maintenance-Manual

[lyric1]

Some very good pictures of an A-2OH being restored.
Could be a good source of info even though the aircraft is not complete.

http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/photogallery/a-20/a-20h-1-do.htm

[bustr]

The "H" series had a center hole in the instrument panel deck(you see one picture in the H restoration link) to mount an N-3 or N-9 gunsight. The "G" series had the N-3 mounted just to the left of center to clear the LoS for pulling down the hinged iron ring center line gunsight if needed as a backup. The reflector plate of the gunsight extended up between the armored glass and the windscreen.

I've found some recent photo's for the 416th Bombardment Group in the ETO who used A-20G-25-DO showing center mounted N-3 with a tilting sight head.

I hope Waffle got all the pictures I posted about the "G" series being delivered with N-3 optical gunsights and how they were mounted from an earlier post in the aircraft a vehicles forum.

[Coalcat1]

 +1 to more options for the Boston and A20. And is that a gunsight I see in the pic in the last post, +1 to adding gunsights to the A20 as well

[lyric1]

[bustr]

Link to an Aussi DB-7b Boston early straffer walk around in color. Shows the internal ventral gun position in gory color detail.

http://aussiemodeller.com.au/pages/History/Aircraft/Mead_DB7Boston.html

From the A20G on, an optical gunsight was mounted for the pilot. AAF mounted N3, while RAF and Aussi mounted their own. And Australia made their own version of the Barr&Stroud GM2 MKII called the J178. I remember posting pictures for waffle in the CAC Boomerang post. I hope he downloaded them.

[lyric1]

Link to an Aussi DB-7b Boston early straffer walk around in color. Shows the internal ventral gun position in gory color detail.

http://aussiemodeller.com.au/pages/History/Aircraft/Mead_DB7Boston.html

From the A20G on, an optical gunsight was mounted for the pilot. AAF mounted N3, while RAF and Aussi mounted their own. And Australia made their own version of the Barr&Stroud GM2 MKII called the J178. I remember posting pictures for waffle in the CAC Boomerang post. I hope he downloaded them.

Nice find when I was back home last time I wanted the museum to let me get in that plane to get those same photos.

Of course they said no.

I think you have found all the missing parts for the update when it comes. Wonder if we will get the gunners dual controls if in the even of a pilot death as the real Bostons did.

[bustr]

That page has been under construction for almost 5 years. This was the first time all of the photos were in place and you could actually pull up the page without errors, warnings about under construction, or just a lot of nothing.

Here is some more restoration:

http://www.lewisairlegends.com/aircraft/a-20-havoc

http://www.ammssydney.com/a20-havoc-boston-restoration/

http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/photogallery/a-20/a-20h-1-do.htm

[BuckShot]

The second set of controls is interesting. How did the gunner see if he took over?

It looks like it would be tough to look forward from the dorsal position, and impossible to see up to the cockpit.

[lyric1]

The second set of controls is interesting. How did the gunner see if he took over?

It looks like it would be tough to look forward from the dorsal position, and impossible to see up to the cockpit.

The gunners seat spun around to face forward. Not sure of the view though never seen a photo of anyone sitting in that position.

I think it was only used to get back to a safe spot to bail I am not sure if they could land wheels down from the gunners seat. I think the view was just looking out the sides I don't see anyway to look up over the top of the fuselage.







Edit. Maybe this photo gives a clue a tunnel of sorts where the gunner can view through the pilots window.

Granted a very limited view.