Could heavy Bomber pilots release bombs

[Tilt]

A general question really.

From another thread a question arose regarding the ability of Lancaster bomber pilots to release bombs from the pilots position.

To lazy to start ploughing through various World Wide resources I asked my father if the pilot of his Halifax MkVII was able to release bombs. His answer was NO only the bomb aimer could do it or indeed he (Flight Engineer) could do it "manually".

Now OK he is 89 and memory is fading...

So by (heavy bomber) aircraft type does anyone have data showing this one way or another?

[earl1937]

A general question really.

From another thread a question arose regarding the ability of Lancaster bomber pilots to release bombs from the pilots position.

To lazy to start ploughing through various World Wide resources I asked my father if the pilot of his Halifax MkVII was able to release bombs. His answer was NO only the bomb aimer could do it or indeed he (Flight Engineer) could do it "manually".

Now OK he is 89 and memory is fading...

So by (heavy bomber) aircraft type does anyone have data showing this one way or another?

You can in 17's and Lanc's, but not sure about other bombers in game.

[Fish42]

You can with the Lanc, as that is how Micky Martin learn't to do dive bomb target marking for 617 sqd.

[Volron]

If the 17 could do it, I would guess the 24 could as well?

[Tilt]

I have found a jettison switch and a release lever on a Lanc cockpit drawing.

I do not know what the release lever releases with respect to Salvo etc.

However only the bomb aimer has a control interface to " set the fuse/s"

[colmbo]

If the 17 could do it, I would guess the 24 could as well?

Both the B-17 and B-24 had a bomb jettison button for the pilots.  If needed you could jettison right without first opening the bombbay doors.  (on the Fortress they would disconnect from the opening mechanism and just hang in the slipstream, on the B-24 they would tear out of the track and hang in slipstream or more likely, fall off the airplane.  It only took about 100 pounds to open the Fortress bay doors so you didn't want to slip off the catwalk as you walked thru. 

[MK-84]

That makes me wonder about bailing out in the 17.  If a waist gunner needed to bail out I thought the egress was through the bombay door.  If those doors are closed would they have a way of opening the doors themselves or were they supposed to cannonball into it and hope for the best?

[Oldman731]

Both the B-17 and B-24 had a bomb jettison button for the pilots.  If needed you could jettison right without first opening the bombbay doors.  (on the Fortress they would disconnect from the opening mechanism and just hang in the slipstream, on the B-24 they would tear out of the track and hang in slipstream or more likely, fall off the airplane. 

Never knew that, thanks Colmbo.

- oldman

[Zacherof]

That makes me wonder about bailing out in the 17.  If a waist gunner needed to bail out I thought the egress was through the bombay door.  If those doors are closed would they have a way of opening the doors themselves or were they supposed to cannonball into it and hope for the best?

I though there was hatch by the tailgunner they would all use????

[colmbo]

I though there was hatch by the tailgunner they would all use????

Hatch right side under stab for tail gunner. Waist gunners probably quickest out thru crew door right side forward of stab.  Nav and bombardier out thru hatch left side under cockpit. Pilots and engineer out thru Bombbay.