Escort missions should just be your long range fighters fighting alongside your bombers whenever an enemy try to intercept them. The Thunderbolt was effective as a short- to medium-range escort fighter in high-altitude air-to-air combat and ground attack in both the European and Pacific theaters. 2023. Forum Rules. Bomber escort defenses were initially layered, using the shorter-range P-38s and P-47s to escort the bombers during the initial stages of the raid before handing over to the P-51s when they were forced to turn for home. Its primary armament was eight . 2. The Mustang became known as an escort fighter, while the Thunderbolt too… More. b Fuel Consumed in Gallons during Warm-up, Take. Fighters are supposed to project power far form the carrier - that's the whole identity of carriers and fighters. The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often (erroneously) called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter (Zerstörer – German for "Destroyer" – a concept that in German service involved a long-ranged, powerful fighter able to range about friendly or even enemy territory destroying enemy bombers and even fighters when located) in the service of the. The large two engined P-38 looks nothing like your typical World War 2 fighter, looking more like a heavy fighter, but the Lightning (namesake of the F-35 Lightning II), or Fork Tailed Devil to the Germans and Two Planes One Pilot to the Japanese was an extremely fast and maneuverable plane. The first escort mission for the bombers was not flown until 5 December. Skip to content. Love. There are no correct or incorrect answers to a "what if," and the long-range Spitfire is a complete "what if. The Germans didn't have any long-range single engine escorts in the early to mid war either. It also has to be heavily armed for the period (which from 42-45 basically means 4x20mm cannons), and. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts were given to Goodyear, whose Corsairs were designated FG, and Brewster, designated F3A. 1944. When it became clear that the Hurricane was becoming outclassed as a pure fighter, other duties were assigned to it. However, that would drive the Germans to the jet fighter sooner. Map used by Col Don Blakeslee, commander of the famous 4th Fighter Group, on an escort mission to Berlin. General Walther Wever, first Chief ofStaff Hermann Göring and Ernst Udet and Willi Messerschmitt Mainstay of the fighter force: the Bf 109G The flawed fighter: the Bf 110 The "fast" bomber: the Ju 88 The interim bomber: the He 111 Field Marshal Albert Kesselring B-17 formation attacking Brunswick. Mitsubishi A6M Zero taking off to attack Pearl Harbor. Like the La-9, the La-11 was designed to be a low to medium-altitude. Brown of the 84th Fighter Squadron was the regular pilot of this 78th Fighter Group P-47D, serial 42-25698, here having its prop pulled through at Duxford. 19. A very versatile aircraft, the Lightning was also used for dive bombing, level bombing, ground strafing and photo reconnaissance missions. Mitsubishi A6M Zero. This mission was the first time bombers over Japan were accompanied by. My father was based in Germany Autumn/Winter 1945 on a squadron with Mustang IIIs and IVs and he said that the rear fuselage tank filler and fuel c0ck on the Mustangs was wired closed with a lead seal on. But this plane's first combat experience came in a very different form – as a dive bomber. Beginning at the end of December 1942, long-range P-38s became available and the Allies quickly gained air superiority. Instead, the Navy’s new fighter should be fast and maneuverable while also possessing a combat radius that’s sufficient to keep the carrier beyond the range of the deadliest enemy anti-ship. 1939. This illustration was painted by C. The idea behind it was that this ‘heavy fighter’ should have enough power and armament to penetrate deep into enemy airspace to fly long-range missions to escort bombers or long-range patrols. The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was effective as a short-to-medium range escort fighter in high-altitude air-to-air combat and ground attack. The two-seat Bf 110 was designed as a long-range heavy escort fighter or Zerstörer (destroyer). USAF Historical Study No. However, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) also wanted a much longer-range escort fighter, one with sufficient range to accompany the Convair B-36 intercontinental bomber on its missions. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the , the P-38 incorporated a distinctive design with a central and armament. S. Air Force One, which can refuel in mid-air and attract a fighter-jet escort, has 4,000 square feet of interior space, with a presidential suite that features an office, toilet and conference room. Miles M. Thus was born the world's best long-range, propeller-driven escort fighter. The maximum speed of a P51D was 437mph whilst the Spitfire was slightly faster at 448mph. To Arnold’s credit, he swapped the first and fourth priority, moving long-range fighter escort to first place. K. With only 12 fighters in his attack group, the. The allied aircrews desperately needed an escort fighter that could stay with the bombers deep into enemy territory and back to base on every mission. The P-51D became the most numerous variant with nearly 8,000 being built. But, from say 39-42, 42-45, what would a single seat, long range high performance escort fighter be like? The biggest thing as far as spec is enough fuel internally to have a 700-800 mile range, and the ability to use drop tanks. Designed for: Same Product family. S. We know air units will be 100 plane units like in HOI II. Brig. S. Army Air Forces. S. The concept is similar to the escort fighter, but differs primarily in that the aircraft would not operate in close concert with bombers. Aerodynamically exceptionally clean and powered by two turbo-supercharged Mitsubishi Ha-211ru 18-cylinder radials, the Ki-83. Northrop XP-79. . The idea that you can stick even more fuel inside an early Spitfire and wind up with a useful escort fighter needs some careful evaluation. It was activated in 2005, after being formed by the consolidation of two units in 1984. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. It was believed that Germany could be bombed into submission by long-range self-defending bombers that were capable of flying—without fighter escort—to industrial targets anywhere in western or even central Europe. The allies had plenty of potential fighter bombers, the Hurricane and P-40 for a start, along with twin engine bombers whose day targets tended to be within fighter escort range. Cutlass: "Search and Rescue" light escort. What's new. of bombsTo make a Spitfire into an optimized escort fighter or long range pursuit type interceptor that retains all it's admirable attributes. The Voodoo never served in this particular role; however, it eventually emerged as tactical reconnaissance aircraft, as. Firstly, the P-51 was built as a long-range escort fighter, able to accompany bombers on missions deep into enemy territory. . effort was made to develop a high-performance escort fighter that could accompany the bombers to all targets of interest. Prior to the introduction of the P-51, Allied fighters could only escort bombers so far because of limited range. A2/AD, the WEZ Pushback, and the Range Problem. RM2JD6HJB – US Air Force Lockheed P-38 'Lightning' shooting down a German aeroplane during the Second World War. seven days a week. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, believing its heavy. The real problem was that is pretty much. The Wellington and Stirling, operating at a maximum of 18,000 ft and 17,000ft weren't terribly survivable when going against defended targets. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twin-boom design with a central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. When the P-47 was first entered service, it was considered the British and American match for the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. m. The record of the P-47 in the 1943 and early 1944 period shows an aircraft matching its range should see a lot of combat. Or game-start carrier bomber and fighter escort range of 3+1+1 max bomber and escort range 5. In fact, Spitfires were only capable of going a few miles east of the English Channel without extended-range fuel tanks. The fighter was optimized for smaller escort carriers, with a more. "The B-17Ds were delivered to the Army from February to April of 1941" per Joe Baugher. A Spitfire Mk. Once the P-51 came on board, they had support to anywhere in Germany. Fundamentally an allied escort fighter needed to range out a couple of hundred miles to cover most operations being run or would be run in support of the armies, the. The only prototype XB-38 to fly crashed on its ninth flight, and the concept was abandoned. However, when the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress entered service and ushered in. The P-5l Mustang was an outstanding fighter in World War II. . The dates on the map suggest that the map "Increasing Escort Fighter Range" was drawn to illustrate a progressing narrative of fighter escorts available to USAAF 8th Airforce at those times. Three fighters were involved in that successful long-range escort, the P-38 Lightning, the P-47 Thunderbolt and the P-51 Mustang. The dates on the map suggest that the map "Increasing Escort Fighter Range" was drawn to illustrate a progressing narrative of fighter escorts available to USAAF 8th Airforce at those times. It was armed with a total of fourteen . F6F - agreed, plus not a long range bird By whose standards? I think having a 1000+ mile range qualifies it as being a rather long range single-seat. Both the Corsair and the Hellcat aircraft were faster than the Zero and, having armor protection and self. 109, a common German fighter plane, to a B-17 flying fortress, a common American bomber, it is clear that fighters had the upper hand in combat. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 / MiG-3. . The purpose of the escort is to ensure the security and safety of the President of the United States, who is aboard Air Force One. In time the requirement grew to include several other battlefield roles including bomb delivery, torpedo delivery and fast reconnaissance. During theIt fulfilled multiple roles including bomber escort, fighter-bomber, day/night fighter, and ground-attack. The B–17 Flying Fortress, for example, was vastly superior to the P–26 Peashooter. These ranges are all significantly shorter than those given for the various types involved. The extended range allowed these fighters to escort the American bombers as far as the German western frontier. It was an exceptionally large heavy fighter, intended to serve as a long-range escort fighter and bomber destroyer. Eslinger March 1997. The F4F’s small size, ruggedness and range–enhanced by two 58-gallon drop tanks–continued to make it ideal for use off small escort carrier decks. Reply reply Party-Bed7177 • Maybe they use the bayraktar drones to escort instead of fighter jets, cuz the bayraktar doesn’t have a transponder so the enemy can’t detect it. With improved range and speed, P-51 squadrons could now accompany 8th Air Force bombers on long-range raids over Europe. The fourth priority was an escort fighter with 1,500-mile range. The Mustang served in nearly every combat. 1A flies in. The F-82s were powered by two 1,600-hp Allison V-1710 engines. The USAAC's P-36A had a little better range than it's contemporaries, but still not enough to escort bombers, intercept amd engage enemy fighters and still make it home. A light and nimble fighter, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero was the first carrier-based fighter capable of besting its land-based opponents and was Japan’s main fighter of WWII. A long-range escort fighter was needed not only to bring the bombers in and out of Germany, but also to wrestle control of the sky from the German fighters who preyed on the bombers. The YB-40 was a heavily armed modification of the standard B-17 used before the North American P-51 Mustang, an effective long-range fighter, became available to act as escort. Possessing excellent. 462 mph. The new variant had good range and outstanding speed, about 80 kph (50 mph) faster than previous models. The next air superiority platform—the Penetrating Counter Air aircraft—is “not a fighter,” insists the Air Force officer whose team came up with the concept, but will rather be a key flying sensor platform with lots of weapons and long range that will enable USAF’s existing fighters. S. Lockheed XP-58 Chain Two-seat, long range escort fighter. testimony as to the effectiveness of the escort fighter can be given than by the enemy. The P-47 was designed around the powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial engine , which also powered two U. The recon flight is going to be intercepted, of course. RAF can have a long-range Spitfire III to escort them. An escort fighter needed range long enough to reach the target, loiter over it for the duration of the raid to defend the bombers, and return. History, development, service, specifications, pictures and 3D model. A light and nimble fighter, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero was the first carrier-based fighter capable of besting its land-based opponents and was Japan’s main fighter of WWII. Possessing excellent range and maneuverability, the P-51 operated primarily as a long-range escort fighter and also as a ground attack fighter-bomber. ) return in a straight line back to base with a reserve amount sufficient for at least 30 minutes in case of bad. P-51 Mustang of the 332nd Fighter Group. Their range and speed allowed them to protect the bombers against enemy fighters. Escort fighters changed the prosecution of the war by reducing the large numbers of bomber losses in the daylight strategic bombing campaign into Germany. The Bell XP-83 (later redesignated ZXF-83) was a United States prototype jet escort fighter designed by Bell Aircraft during World War II. Like: 1 Agree: 2 --List reactions Aug 9, 2017 #6 S. BY NORTH AMERICAN. Throughout 1943, the primary escort fighters available in Europe were RAF Spitfires and USAAF Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and Republic P-47. However the British were in fact working on a long range single-engine fighter - just not for the RAF The Air Ministry specification N 9/39, and updated N 5/40 was for the development of a long-range single-engine fighter with a range of over 1,000. Only when truly long-range fighter escorts joined formations did daylight bombing become a viable reality. It was intended to be a long-range escort fighter developed from the DI-2 with improved range and performance comparable to single-seat fighter aircraft of the time. The fighter could fly at a maximum speed of 234 miles per hour, had a range of 360 miles, and a service ceiling of 27,400 feet. While the P-51 is regarded by many as the best fighter of World War II, I. But even with a drop tank, the Bf 109 just didn't have the endurance to be a good bomber escort. ) drop them, b. The fourth priority was an escort fighter with 1,500-mile range. They were so well-tailored to their respective roles, neither aircraft could adequately fulfill the role of the other. During World War II, the B-17E Flying Fortress was used by all of the Allied countries. 50-caliber machine guns and in the fighter-bomber ground-attack role, it could carry five-inch rockets or a bomb load of 2,500 pounds (1,103 kg). Although promising, the lack of suitable engines combined with the end of World War II doomed the project. beyond the range of escort fighters, and bomber losses to the German defenses mounted steadily. the G6M1 could become a heavy escort fighter for other bombers but this diversion failed to live up to expectations. In July of 1943, in a coordinated raid on Schweinfurt and Regensburg. IXs to rendezvous with the Bomber Wings and escort them back. Alternatively, FW-190s would shadow the bomber formations and wait until the escorting Thunderbolts or Lightnings reached their maximum range. As was common practice throughout World War Two, bomber formations were protected by smaller and faster fighters such as the North American P-51 Mustang, Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and Republic P-47. P–38 Lightning and P–47 Thunderbolt fighters had been hurriedly fitted with dropable external fuel tanks to extend their range. Drew was better known for having shot down two German jet fighters in Europe. New posts Search forums Image search. The late 30's solution for a long range escort, was the "heavy fighter", which was a twin engined type, typically two (or three) crew aboard. The problem was, the Bf 110 was easily killed by the more maneuverable Spitfires, so the Bf 109 found itself pressed into service. Here, they would perform long range sorties alongside the RAF’s Spitfires. Shortly after Doolittle arrived, the Eighth implemented a relay escort system. He presented his twin-fuselage fighter to the top directors, and it was a direct hit. The Mustang, with its high speed, long-range, low-cost, and six . S. The Allison V-1710 was reallocated to fighter aircraft. 50 cal. Few Luftwaffe aircraft could match the P-51D. Prior to the introduction of the P-51, Allied fighters could only escort bombers so far because of limited range. The Consolidated F-81 (also identified as the XP-81) Vultee was a low-wing monoplane built to satisfy the AAF escort fighter requirements of September 1943. Fortunately, US fighter range steadily grew, and with the introduction of drop tanks, American P-38 and P-47 fighters began escorting B-17s and B-24 to targets deeper within the Third Reich. S. Perhaps you can do better without a 1935 airframe but you need room for the turbo, the intercooler, the.