Was the Lancaster a good plane?

A: It was a phenomenal plane. Firstly it had an amazing carrying capacity. It could carry up to 10 tonnes, which was far more than any other Allied bomber in the European theatre. The Grand Slam bomb used at the end of the conflict and carried by the Lancaster weighed 22,000lb.

Did the Lancaster bomber have a co pilot?

The cockpit of the Agro Lancaster – unlike US bombers there was no co-pilot, if the pilot was injured the flight engineer has basic pilot training and was expected to bring the plane and crew home.

Was the B-17 or B-24 better?

The B-17 had a very large wing and ailerons (the moveable portion of the wing), while the B-24 used a smaller wing and ailerons for speed. Thus, the Liberator was faster, but the Flying Fortress could fly higher. Typical approach landing speeds for both planes, using full wing flaps was 120 miles per hour.

What is the difference between a B-17 and a b29?

Due to all of this, the B-29 is much heavier than the B-17. As a result, Boeing was forced to use more powerful engines for the B-29. In turn, the B-29 had a much longer combat range than the B-17. On top of the longer combat range, the B-29 also had a much faster cruising and max speed.

How many B-17 are still flying?

Today, 46 planes survive in complete form, 10 of which are airworthy, and 39 of which reside in the United States….Surviving aircraft by manufacturer.

How many pilots does a Lancaster bomber have?

seven
A Lancaster Bomber had a crew of seven: pilot, navigator, bomb aimer, flight engineer, wireless operator, mid gunner and rear gunner.

Why was the B 24 Liberator called the flying coffin?

The four-engine aircraft was notorious among aircrews. Officially designated the “Liberator,” the square shaped B-24 could easily turn into a death trap. It was hard to fly with its stiff and heavy controls, and so earned its name by its crews as the “Flying Coffin.”

What was bigger B-17 or b29?

What is the difference between a B-17 and a Lancaster?

Lancasters were also crewed by fewer men than the 10-man B-17s. A pilot and flight engineer would be in the cockpit, with the bomb-aimer on his stomach in the compartment underneath them, aiming and releasing bombs as well as the front machine-gun.

What are some interesting facts about the Lancaster bomber?

Facts about Lancaster bomber. High calibre – While 7.7mm machine guns were standard on Lancaster bombers, selective later variants were fitted with twin 12.7mm turrets in both tail and dorsal positions.

When did the Avro Lancaster bomber first come out?

The Avro Lancaster bomber first came into service in March 1942 and, as the main RAF heavy bomber, soon became as iconic a part of the British air war as the Supermarine Spitfire. What Were The Dimensions Of The Lancaster?

How did the US Air Force use the B-17 bomber?

The air corps – renamed United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 20 June 1941 – used the B-17 and other bombers to bomb from high altitudes with the aid of the then-secret Norden bombsight, known as the “Blue Ox”, which was an optical electromechanical gyrostabilized analog computer.