Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

How about one of the Loire-Nieuport derivatives? Maybe the LN.401? Thanks; Ernie P.


Loire-Nieuport LN.401


The Loire-Nieuport LN.401 was a French-built dive bomber aircraft that saw service in World War II.

Between 1932 and 1936, Loire-Nieuport had been developing a two-seat dive bomber, the Nieuport 140, for the Aéronautique Navale, the aviation arm of the French Navy. It was renamed Loire-Nieuport LN.140 after the Nieuport company was absorbed into Loire-Nieuport, in 1933. In 1936, the development of the LN.140 was abandoned after two fatal accidents.

Development efforts were then concentrated on the LN.40 project, which benefited from experience acquired with the LN.140, but was a new, and aerodynamically much more refined, design. In the second half of 1937 the LN.40 received government backing in the form of an order for a prototype, followed by orders for seven production aircraft destined for the aircraft carrier Béarn and three more for operational evaluation by the air force. The French Air Force had expressed interest in a land-based derivative of the LN.40, called LN.41. Initially it wanted to acquire 184 of these, enough to equip six dive bomber squadrons of 18 aircraft each, plus a reserve.

The prototype made its first flight on 6 July 1938, flown by Pierre Nadot. A second prototype followed in January 1939, and a third in May. Four of the pre-series LN.40 dive bombers were delivered in July, and the aircraft was declared fit for carrier operations following successful tests aboard the Béarn. Nevertheless, the flight tests were not entirely successful. The original dive brake was found ineffective and was removed in favour of extending the landing gear to act as an aerodynamic brake. It was found that the LN.40 could not fly dive bombing missions with full fuel tanks. The chief of staff of the air force, General Joseph Vuillemin, declared that the aircraft was too slow, and requested the development of a fast dive bomber for the air force, which became the Loire-Nieuport LN.42.

In July 1939, Loire-Nieuport had received orders for 36 LN.401 production dive bombers for the Navy, and 36 LN.411 aircraft for the Army. The LN.411 was almost identical to the LN.401, except for the deletion of the arrestor hook, the wing folding mechanism and the emergency floatation devices. The first LN.411s were delivered in September, in which month the air force ordered 270 more. But in October General Vuillemin refused to accept these aircraft, and the small number of LN.411 were sent to the Navy.

Loire-Nieuport also attempted to develop a faster version, by substituting a 860 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y31 for the 690 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs engine of the LN.401. This LN.402 made its first flight on 18 November 1939. Further development of the LN.402 was prevented by the French defeat in May 1940 and the following armistice.

perttime

That isn't what I had in mind.

1) it was based on a bomber design
2) changes, from the bomber design, included the removal of dive brakes
3) other changes: more and bigger guns, more fuel, fewer crew members

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Well, we have a lot of possible candidates. How about the He 112 fighter, which was based on the He 70 “blitz” bomber? Thanks; Ernie P.


The Heinkel He 112 was a fighter aircraft designed by Walter and Siegfried Günter. It was one of four aircraft designed to compete for the Luftwaffe's 1933 fighter contract, which was eventually won by the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Small numbers were used for a short time by the Luftwaffe, and small runs were completed for several other countries, but less than 100 were completed in total. It remains one of the least known production fighter designs.

The primary source of inspiration for the He 112 is their earlier He 70 Blitz ("Lightning") design. The Blitz was a single-engine, four-passenger version originally designed for use by Lufthansa, and it in turn was inspired by the famous Lockheed Model 9 Orion mail plane. Like many civilian designs of the time, the aircraft was pressed into military service and was used as a two-seat bomber (although mostly for reconnaissance) and served in this role in Spain. The Blitz introduced a number of new construction techniques to the Heinkel company; it was their first low-wing monoplane, their first with retractable landing gear, their first all-metal monocoque design, and its elliptical, reverse-gull wing planform would be seen on a number of later projects. The Blitz could almost meet the new fighter requirements itself, so it is not surprising that the Günters would choose to work with the existing design as much as possible.

In many ways, the resulting He 112 design was a scaled-down He 70. Like the He 70, the He 112 was constructed entirely of metal, using a two-spar wing and a monocoque fuselage with flush-head rivets. The landing gear retracted outward from the low point of the wing's gull-bend, which resulted in a fairly wide 9 m (30 ft) track, giving the aircraft excellent ground handling. Its only features from an older era were its open cockpit and fuselage spine behind the headrest, which were included to provide excellent vision and make the biplane-trained pilots feel more comfortable.

perttime

He 112 isn't it either

1) it was based on a bomber design
2) changes, from the bomber design, included the removal of dive brakes
3) other changes: more and bigger guns, more fuel, fewer crew members

4) many were fitted with launchers that could spread grenades into the path of a pursuing aircraft.

JohnnyS

Petlyakov Pe-3?

perttime

Petlyakov Pe-3 is correct.
Very quickly developed from the Pe-2 light bomber. Produced from 1941 to 1944. Used for escort, ground attack, reconnaissance, and night fighter duties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petlyakov_Pe-3



Your turn, JohnnyS.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Well, I must admit that is a new one on me, perttime. I had never heard of the grenade thing. That's why I love this forum; always something new to learn. And congrats to JohnnyS for figuring it out while I was still going "what the... ?". Thanks; Ernie P.

JohnnyS

That was a good one! Very much fun to search that one out.

Here's a fun link: http://www.angelfire.com/art/enchanter/turd.html

OK, new aircraft:

1. Monoplane

2. Twin engine

3. Dive bomber

4. Single vertical tail

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Well, the obvious first. How about the Ju 88? Thanks; Ernie P.


The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early operational roles, but became one of the most versatile combat aircraft of the war. Affectionately known as "The Maid of all Work" (a feminine version of "jack of all trades"), the Ju 88 proved to be suited to almost any role. Like a number of other Luftwaffe bombers, it was used successfully as a bomber, dive bomber, night fighter, torpedo bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, heavy fighter, and even as a flying bomb during the closing stages of conflict.

JohnnyS

Not the Ju88.


1. Monoplane

2. Twin engine

3. Dive bomber

4. Single vertical tail

5. The head of the design bureau was in jail when the aircraft was designed.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

In jail? Hmmm.... probably Soviet. How about the Ar-2? It was designed while Tupolev was in jail. Along with enough other aircraft designers to form a design bureau of their own. Thanks; Ernie P.


The Arkhangelsky Ar-2 was a Soviet dive-bomber used in small numbers during World War II. Its design was a refinement of the earlier Russian Tupolev SB.

Alexander Arkhangelsky was already second in command at the Tupolev OKB when Andrei Tupolev was imprisoned in one of Stalin's purges. During Tupolev's absence, he was authorised to append his name to the SB variants that were in the pipeline when he took over.

The Ar-2 represented a final attempt to extend the useful lifespan of the SB design which had first flown in 1934. In early 1940, Arkhangelsky had worked on a refined SB, designated Arkhangelsky MMN', but this had proved disappointing, with performance no better than the original SB. The Ar-2 was therefore a greater departure from the Tupolev design, in the hopes of creating an aircraft that could attain a speed of 600 km/h (374 mph) at 6,500 m (21,300 ft), and incorporate the newly-developed PB-3 bombsight to give dive-bombing capability.

The major airframe changes made on the Ar-2 were streamlining of the engine nacelles (which now housed engines with around 15% greater power), completely new outer wing panels of greater span and taper, and a new, glazed nose. The engine cooling system was moved inside the wings, with air inlets on the leading edges and exits on the underwings. Dive brakes were added to allow for the type's new role. Initially designated SB-RK, factory testing of two prototypes commenced in October 1940, and the following month, an example was delivered to the Soviet NII-VVS for evaluation. In December, the NKAP redesignated the aircraft to incorporate Arkhangelsky's name.

The results of the NII-VVS tests were encouraging. While the hoped-for top speed was not attained, the aircraft's handling was an improvement on the SB, and the dive-bombing adaptations worked very well. Weaknesses identified included major problems with engine cooling and lubrication and deficiencies in defensive armament (the latter a common problem with Soviet bombers of the period). The report concluded that the aircraft should be put into production and development continued to eliminate the remaining defects.

Production started in late 1940, but already the machine had been superseded by the Petlyakov Pe-2 and the flight of the Tupolev Tu-2 prototype. Therefore, after only 190 Ar-2s had been constructed, Zavod 22 (the aircraft factory previously devoted to Ar-2 manufacture) was turned over to Pe-2 manufacture in early 1941.

JohnnyS

And you got it!



You're up!

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Thank you, Sir. Now, let's change the pace for a bit. This is something that always impressed me. I have a hunch this will prove to be an easy question to answer; but I want to highlight one of the greatest military aviation feats of all time. The question relates to a particular model of aircraft; but the model of aircraft is perhaps less well known than is a single aircraft of the type, its pilot and the epic feat they performed.


Question: What warbird do I describe?


Clues:

(1) This was originally a civilian aircraft; but it was a civilian aircraft largely based on a prototype military aircraft. And, a civilian aircraft always acknowledged as having important military value; one which was eventually pressed into military service.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Moving right along. Thanks; Ernie P.


I have a hunch this will prove to be an easy question to answer; but I want to highlight one of the greatest military aviation feats of all time.
The question relates to a particular model of aircraft; but the model of aircraft is perhaps less well known than is a single aircraft of the type, its pilot and the epic feat they performed.
Question: What warbird do I describe?

Clues:

(1) This was originally a civilian aircraft; but it was a civilian aircraft largely based on a prototype military aircraft. And, a civilian aircraft always acknowledged as having important military value; one which was eventually pressed into military service.

(2) Low production numbers.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

And another clue. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What warbird do I describe?


Clues:

(1) This was originally a civilian aircraft; but it was a civilian aircraft largely based on a prototype military aircraft. And, a civilian aircraft always acknowledged as having important military value; one which was eventually pressed into military service.

(2) Low production numbers.

(3) The prototype military aircraft upon which this civilian aircraft was based never went into production; but it became the basis for yet another very well known and successful follow on military aircraft.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

A morning clue. Thanks; Ernie P.


The question relates to a particular model of aircraft; but the model of aircraft is perhaps less well known than is a single aircraft of the type, its pilot and the epic feat they performed.


Question: What warbird do I describe?

Clues:

(1) This was originally a civilian aircraft; but it was a civilian aircraft largely based on a prototype military aircraft. And, a civilian aircraft always acknowledged as having important military value; one which was eventually pressed into military service.

(2) Low production numbers.

(3) The prototype military aircraft upon which this civilian aircraft was based never went into production; but it became the basis for yet another very well known and successful follow on military aircraft.

(4) The pilots for this aircraft were well noted as being among the most highly trained, skilled and competent of all pilots.

pilotal

Boeing 367-80 (kc-135 prototype) ?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_367-80

JohnnyS

Boeing 314?

perttime

Lockheed U-2?

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Right on the money, JohnnyS; and you are now up. I figured you sharpsters wouldn't take long to figure it out, especially when the subject was such a famous aircraft; but the epic journey of Captain Robert Ford and the intrepid crew of the Pan Am Pacific Clipper deserves highlighting. 31,500 miles to get home, all of it through an unplanned route, much through seldon traveled airspace, and the wrong way around the world. The Clippers were among the largest aircraft of their day; and one flew over one million miles in its career. Quite a story. Over to you, JohnnyS; we're looking forward to your question. Thanks; Ernie P.


I have a hunch this will prove to be an easy question to answer; but I want to highlight one of the greatest military aviation feats of all time.
The question relates to a particular model of aircraft; but the model of aircraft is perhaps less well known than is a single aircraft of the type, its pilot and the epic feat they performed.

Question: What warbird do I describe?

Clues:

(1) This was originally a civilian aircraft; but it was a civilian aircraft largely based on a prototype military aircraft. And, a civilian aircraft always acknowledged as having important military value; one which was eventually pressed into military service.

(2) Low production numbers.

(3) The prototype military aircraft upon which this civilian aircraft was based never went into production; but it became the basis for yet another very well known and successful follow on military aircraft.

(4) The pilots for this aircraft were well noted as being among the most highly trained, skilled and competent of all pilots.

(5) For these aircraft, weight was almost always a very important factor; moreso than for almost any other aircraft.

(6) When war was declared, the pilot was ordered to proceed to a particular destination in secret.

(6) Monoplane.

(7) Four engine.

(8) Very long range.

ANSWER: The Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat, flown by Captain Robert Ford




The Pan Am Pacific Clipper, Captain Robert Ford


Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December, 1941, a giant four-engined Pan American Airways Boeing flying boat, registered as NC18602, under the command of Captain Robert Ford, embarked on a remarkable journey. In one sense, it was the earthly 1940s equivalent of the first Apollo lunar missions in that it ventured into unknown territory and returned home safely in the face of overwhelming odds.


Caught en route over the South Pacific at the time of the Japanese attack, Captain Ford and his crew were forced into a flight plan that none of them had anticipated when they left San Francisco on 1st December for what was to have been a routine round trip commercial flight to Auckland, New Zealand. Faced with the threat of interception by Japanese forces, they were ordered to take their strategically valuable aircraft on a globe-girdling, 31,500 mile, six-week odyssey, heading westward mostly across territory that had never been flown over before by such a large commercial aircraft. With no suitable navigation charts, no certainty of obtaining fuel or servicing, and under a total veil of secrecy and radio blackout, they threaded their way across the war zones of the Far East, the Middle East, Africa, the South Atlantic, Brazil, and the Caribbean, to bring their aircraft home safely to New York.



The Pacific Clipper (civil registration NC18602) was a Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat famous for having completed Pan American World Airways' first around the world flight. The flight of the then-named California Clipper began December 2, 1941 at the Pan Am base on Treasure Island, California for its scheduled passenger service to Auckland, New Zealand. Renamed the Pacific Clipper, it landed at Pan American's LaGuardia Field seaplane base at 7:12 on the morning of January 6, 1942.


NC18602 made scheduled stops in San Pedro, California, Honolulu, Hawaii, Canton Island, Suva, Fiji and Nouméa, New Caledonia en route to Auckland when Pearl Harbor was attacked.


Cut off from the United States due the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and commanding a valuable military asset, Captain Robert Ford was directed to strip company markings, registration and insignia from the Clipper and proceed in secret to the Marine Terminal, LaGuardia Field, New York.
Ford and his crew successfully flew over 31,500 miles to home via
Gladstone, Australia
Darwin, Australia
Surabaya, Java
Trincomalee, Ceylon
Karachi, British India
Bahrain
Khartoum, Sudan
Leopoldville, Belgian Congo
Natal, Brazil
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
New York, arriving January 6, 1942.



The Boeing 314 Clipper was a long-range flying boat produced by the Boeing Airplane Company between 1938 and 1941. One of the largest aircraft of the time, it used the massive wing of Boeing’s earlier XB-15 bomber prototype to achieve the range necessary for flights across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Twelve Clippers were built for Pan Am. Three of them were sold to BOAC during the Battle of Britain (1940) and delivered in early 1941. (BOAC's 3 Short S.26 transoceanic flying-boats had been requisitioned by the RAF).


The 314 was a response to Pan American's request for a flying boat with unprecedented range capability that could augment the airline's trans-Pacific Martin M-130. Boeing's bid was successful and on July 21, 1936, Pan American signed a contract for six. Boeing engineers adapted the cancelled XB-15's 149 feet (45 m) wing, and replaced the original 850 horsepower (630 kW) Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial engines with the more powerful 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW) Wright Twin Cyclone. Pan Am ordered an additional six aircraft with increased engine power and a larger carrying capacity of 77 daytime passengers as the Boeing 314A.

The huge flying boat was assembled at Boeing's Plant 1 on the Duwamish River and then towed to Elliott Bay for taxi and flight tests. The first flight was on June 7, 1938, piloted by Edmund T. "Eddie" Allen. As originally built, the aircraft had a single vertical tail. Allen found that he was unable to keep the aircraft flying straight, due to inadequate directional control. The aircraft was returned to the factory and fitted with the endplates on the ends of the horizontal tail in place of the single vertical fin. This too was found to be lacking and finally the centerline vertical fin was restored. In this configuration, the aircraft was found to fly satisfactorily.

Internally, the 314 used a series of heavy ribs and spars to create a robust fuselage and cantilevered wing. This sturdy structure obviated the need for external drag-inducing struts to brace the wings. Boeing also incorporated Dornier-style sponsons into the hull structure. The sponsons, which were broad lateral extensions placed at the water line, on both the port and starboard sides of the hull, served several purposes: they provided a wide platform to stabilize the craft while floating on water, they acted as an entryway for passengers boarding the flying boat and they were shaped to contribute additional lift in flight. With weight an extremely sensitive concern, passengers and their baggage were weighed, with each passenger allowed up to 77 pounds (35 kg) free baggage allowance (in the later 314 series) but then charged $3.25 per lb ($7.15/kg) for exceeding the limit. To fly the long ranges needed for trans-Pacific service, the 314 carried 4,246 US gallons (16,070 l; 3,536 imp gal) of gasoline. The later 314A model carried a further 1,200 US gallons (4,500 l; 1,000 imp gal). To quench the radial engines’ thirst for oil, a capacity of 300 US gallons (1,100 l; 250 imp gal) was required.


Pan Am's "Clippers" were built for "one-class" luxury air travel, a necessity given the long duration of transoceanic flights. The seats could be converted into 36 bunks for overnight accommodation; with a cruise speed of only 188 miles per hour (303 km/h) (typically flights at maximum gross weight were carried out at 155 miles per hour (249 km/h)), many flights lasted over 12 hours. The 314s had a lounge and dining area, and the galleys were crewed by chefs from four-star hotels. Men and women were provided with separate dressing rooms, and white-coated stewards served five and six-course meals with gleaming silver service. The standard of luxury on Pan American's Boeing 314s has rarely been matched on heavier-than-air transport since then; they were a form of travel for the super-rich, at $675 return from New York to Southampton, comparable to a round trip aboard Concorde in 2006. Most of the flights were transpacific with a one-way ticket from San Francisco to Hong Kong, via the "stepping-stone" islands posted at $760 (or $1,368 round-trip). The transatlantic flights continued to neutral Lisbon and Eire after war broke out in Europe in September 1939 (and until 1945) but military passengers and cargoes necessarily got priority and the service was more spartan. Equally critical to the 314's success was the proficiency of its Pan Am flight crews, who were extremely skilled at long-distance, over-water flight operations and navigation. For training, many of the transpacific flights carried a second crew. Only the very best and most experienced flight crews were assigned Boeing 314 flying boat duty. Before coming aboard, all Pan Am captains as well as first and second officers had thousands of hours of flight time in other seaplanes and flying boats. Rigorous training in dead reckoning, timed turns, judging drift from sea current, astral navigation, and radio navigation were conducted. In conditions of poor or no visibility, pilots sometimes made successful landings at fogged-in harbors by landing out to sea, then taxiing the Clipper into port.


The first 314, Honolulu Clipper, entered regular service on the San Francisco-Hong Kong route in January 1939. A one-way trip on this route took over six days to complete. Commercial passenger service lasted less than three years, ending when the United States entered World War II in December 1941.

At the outbreak of the war in the Pacific, the Pacific Clipper was en-route to New Zealand. Rather than risk flying back to Honolulu and being shot down by Japanese fighters, it was decided to fly west to New York. Starting on December 8, 1941 at Auckland, New Zealand, the Pacific Clipper covered over 8,500 miles (13,700 km) via such exotic locales as Surabaya, Karachi, Bahrain, Khartoum and Leopoldville. The Pacific Clipper landed at Pan American's LaGuardia Field seaplane base at 7:12 on the morning of January 6, 1942.

The Yankee Clipper flew across the Atlantic on a route from Southampton to Port Washington, New York with intermediate stops at Foynes, Ireland, Botwood, Newfoundland, and Shediac, New Brunswick. The inaugural trip occurred on June 24, 1939.

The Clipper fleet was pressed into military service during World War II, and the flying boats were used for ferrying personnel and equipment to the European and Pacific fronts. Only the markings on the aircraft changed: the Clippers continued to be flown by their experienced Pan Am civilian crews. American military cargo was carried via Natal, Brazil to Liberia, to supply the British forces at Cairo and even the Russians, via Teheran. The Model 314 was then the only aircraft in the world that could make the 2,150-statute mile (3,460 km) crossing over water. and were given the military designation C-98. Since the Pan Am pilots and crews had extensive expertise in using flying boats for extreme long-distance, over-water flights, the company's pilots and navigators continued to serve as flight crew. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt traveled to the Casablanca Conference in a Pan-Am crewed Boeing 314. Winston Churchill also flew on them several times adding to the Clippers’ fame during the war.

After the war, several Clippers were returned to Pan American hands. However, even before hostilities had ended, the Clipper had become obsolete. The introduction of long-range airliners such as the Lockheed Constellation and Douglas DC-4, together with a prodigious wartime runway construction program, made the flying boat all but superfluous. The new landplanes were relatively easy to fly, and did not require the extensive pilot training programs mandated for seaplane operations. One of the 314's most experienced pilots said, "We were indeed glad to change to DC-4s, and I argued daily for eliminating all flying boats. The landplanes were much safer. No one in the operations department... had any idea of the hazards of flying boat operations. The main problem now was lack of the very high level of experience and competence required of seaplane pilots".

The last Pan Am 314 to be retired in 1946, the California Clipper NC18602, had accumulated more than a million flight miles. Of the 12 Boeing 314 Clippers built three were lost to accidents, although only one of those resulted in fatalities: 24 passengers and crew aboard the "Yankee Clipper" NC18603 lost their lives in a landing accident at Lisbon, Portugal on February 22, 1943.

Pan-Am's 314 was removed from scheduled service in 1946 and the seven serviceable B-314s were purchased by the start-up airline New World Airways. These sat at San Diego's Lindbergh Field for a long time before all were eventually sold for scrap in 1950. The last of the fleet, the Anzac Clipper NC18611(A), was resold and scrapped at Baltimore, Maryland in late 1951.

BOAC's 314As were withdrawn from the Baltimore-to-Bermuda route in January 1948, replaced by Lockheed Constellations flying from New York and Baltimore to Bermuda.

JohnnyS

New aircraft.

1. Monoplane

2. Four engines

3. Heavily armed: 6 x 20mm cannon, 4 x heavy machine guns.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

I can't swear to the exact number of guns, because they seemed to vary; but the Ju-290 has to be a contender as one of the most heavily armed of all WWII bombers. Thanks; Ernie P.


The Junkers 290 was developed directly from the Ju 90 airliner, versions of which had been evaluated for military purposes, and was intended to replace the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor which by 1942 was proving increasingly slow and vulnerable when confronted by RAF aircraft over the "narrow seas" around Europe. It was also intended to meet the need for large transport aircraft. A bomber version, the A-8, was planned, but never built.[2]

The development programme resulted in the Ju 290V1 prototype (works no. 290000001), with Stammkennzeichen of BD+TX), which first flew on 16 July 1942. It featured a lengthened fuselage, more powerful engines, and a Trapoklappe hydraulic rear loading ramp. Both the V1 and the first eight A-1 production aircraft were unarmed transports. The need for heavy transports saw the A-1s pressed into service as soon as they were completed.

Several were lost in early 1943, including one taking part in the Stalingrad Airlift, and two flying supplies to German forces in Tunisia, and arming them became a priority.

The urgent need for Ju 290s in the long-range maritime reconnaissance role was now also high priority, and resulted in the Ju 290A-2. Three A-1 aircraft were converted to A-2 specification on the assembly line. Production was slow due to the modifications necessary and the installation of strong defensive armament. The A-2 was fitted with FuG 200 Hohentwiel (German language) low-UHF band search radar and a dorsal turret fitted with a 20 mm MG 151 cannon. The Hohentwiel radar was successfully used to locate Allied convoys at ranges of up to 80 km (50 mi) from an altitude of 499 m (1,637 ft) or 100 km (62 mi) from an altitude of 999 m (3,278 ft). It allowed convoys to be tracked while remaining well out of range of any anti-aircraft fire.

The A-3 version followed shortly after with added navigational equipment and probably the heaviest defensive armament of any World War II aircraft; it was fitted with two hydraulically-powered HDL 151 dorsal turrets armed with 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, with a further 20 mm MG 151/20 and a 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun fitted in a gondola beneath the nose, and a 20 mm MG 151/20 fitted in the tail operated by a gunner in a prone position. Two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131s were also fitted in waist positions (Fensterlafetten). The A-3, along with the A-2, also featured large auxiliary fuel tanks in the fuselage. Both types retained the rear loading ramp so that they could be used as transports if need be.

The improved A-7 version appeared in spring 1944; 13 were completed, and 10 served with FAGr 5. Some A-7s and some A-4s were fitted with a detachable nose turret armed with a 20 mm MG 151/20 for added defense against frontal attack. No bombs were carried, as it was intended that the A-5 and A-7 would be used to launch anti-ship missiles.

Production lines were set up at the Letov aircraft factory in Prague for combat versions of the aircraft, commencing with the Ju 290 A-2, which carried a search radar for its patrol role. Minor changes in armament distinguished the A-3 and A-4, leading to the definitive A-5 variant. The A-6 was a 50-passenger transport aircraft.

JohnnyS

Ernie,

Close, but not quite!

New clues:

1. Monoplane

2. Four engines

3. Heavily armed: 6 x 20mm cannon, 4 x heavy machine guns.

4. Single fin.

5. The engines were radials.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Ah.... you want me to go to the mountain (range). Okay, then; the Nakajima G8N Renzan. Thanks; Ernie P.


The Nakajima G8N Renzan (連山, "Mountain Range") was a four-engine long-range bomber designed for use by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Navy designation was "Type 18 land-based attack aircraft" (一八試陸上攻撃機); the Allied code name was "Rita".

In February 1943 the Imperial Navy staff asked Nakajima Aircraft Company to design a four-engined bomber, capable of meeting an earlier specification set for a long-range land-based attack plane. The final specification, issued on 14 September 1943, called for a plane with a maximum speed of 320 knots (370 mph; 590 km/h) able to carry a 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) bomb-load 2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) or a reduced bomb-load 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi).
Nakajima's design featured a mid-mounted wing of small area and high aspect ratio, a tricycle landing gear and a large single-fin rudder. Power came from four 2,000 hp Nakajima NK9K-L "Homare" 24 radial engines with Hitachi 92 turbosuperchargers driving four-bladed propellers. The engines were cooled by counter-rotating fans positioned just inside the engine cowlings. Defensive armament included power-operated nose, dorsal, ventral and tail turrets along with two free-swiveling machine guns at the beam positions.

General characteristics
Crew: ten
Length: 22.94 m (75 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 32.54 m (106 ft 9 in)
Height: 7.20 m (23 ft 7 in)
Wing area: 112 m² (1,205 ft²)
Empty weight: 17,400 kg (38,400 lb)
Loaded weight: 26,800 kg (59,100 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 32,150 kg (70,900 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × Nakajima NK9K-L Homare 24 18-cylinder radial engines, 1,491 kW (2,000 hp) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 576 km/h (358 mph)
Range: 7,250 km (4,500 miles)
Service ceiling: 10,200 m (33,500 ft)
Rate of climb: 457 m/min (1,500 ft/min)
Wing loading: 239 kg/m² (49 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.22 kW/kg (0.14 hp/lb)
Armament
2× 20 mm Type 99 cannon in each dorsal, ventral, and tail turrets
2× 13.2 mm (.51 in) Type 2 machine guns in nose turret
2× 13.2 mm (.51 in) Type 2 machine gun in fuselage sides
Up to 4,000 kg (8,818 lb) of bombs

JohnnyS

And he's right again!

You're up, Ernie P.