Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

B24 bomber bomb bay rocket projector.

Discussion in 'Modelling' started by Prospero Quevedo, Nov 9, 2021.

  1. Prospero Quevedo

    Prospero Quevedo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2021
    Messages:
    1,077
    Likes Received:
    223
    Been doing some research on the b24 looking up wheel well details to add to my 144 kit it's pretty plain while looking it up I saw details for the bomb bay rocket projector it had four rails on the bottom looks like the thing lowers down and fires four rockets then there is twelve rockets on racks on the top. Just wondering did they bring it back up and then someone had to reload the rails? Seems the could have figured out a better method like eight rails and one set of reloads instead of four and twelve reloads. Seems like a lot of time used to reload, plus you have to hang around to fire your next load.
     
  2. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2008
    Messages:
    18,254
    Likes Received:
    5,671
    Were they required to expend all those rockets on one target? If not then the transit time to the next target could be used to reload the launcher.
     
  3. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,103
    Likes Received:
    2,574
    Location:
    Reading, PA
  4. Prospero Quevedo

    Prospero Quevedo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2021
    Messages:
    1,077
    Likes Received:
    223
    I was just thinking how tight it is in the Bombay and those rockets are not light usually you see two men loading those on to the rails. I'm sure they had a line of targets that they hit as they flew and reloaded. But it just seems they could have designed a better system or just did that thing the navy did with racks on either side of the nose for those 4.7 rockets they used for attacking subs and surface shipping. Wonder if I can find rockets that size I know I can find the ones they put on the fighters they have a number of models with them. I think a rocket system like the pipe rockets they had on tanks, trucks even jeeps would have been a big improvement. Didn't the 24 have two bays, did they put a projector in each bay?
     
  5. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2008
    Messages:
    18,254
    Likes Received:
    5,671
    Prospero Quevedo likes this.
  6. Prospero Quevedo

    Prospero Quevedo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2021
    Messages:
    1,077
    Likes Received:
    223
    That was interesting I didn't realize a bomb had so many fuses most had two and some even three. I wonder if that was because fuses tended to fail a lot? Then that radio guided bomb. We certainly had some crazy bombs. The those 12,000'to 22,000 pound class. Dang what planes carried that and did we have to modify the bomb bays like the British had to for the tall boy? As for the radio controlled booms did they drop them singlely or in clusters? I can see doing a cluster and trying to guide the group to the general target.
     
  7. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2008
    Messages:
    18,254
    Likes Received:
    5,671
    Never seen/heard simultaneous dropping. If the controls/controller is good enough to get it on the pip then you'd have rounds for later targets.

    Have you looked at the Fritz-X?
     
    Kai-Petri likes this.
  8. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Messages:
    26,461
    Likes Received:
    2,207
    Not absolutely sure but the Germans had a wire attached to the flying bomb. And used single directed bombs. För example AS Roma that was sunk by a single flying bomb. I think it would have been quite difficult to direct several bombs with wires/hand used controller and the surprise effect with one plane attacking. Just my thoughts. One bombs explosion effect seems to have been quite enough for creating havoc and sink even bigger ships.
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2021
  9. Prospero Quevedo

    Prospero Quevedo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2021
    Messages:
    1,077
    Likes Received:
    223
    Yes I remember reading about that and that early missile they had was wire guided as well
     
  10. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,103
    Likes Received:
    2,574
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    The Germans were working on wire guidance, but AFAIK, it was not used operationally. Their guided bombs used radio communications.
     
  11. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,103
    Likes Received:
    2,574
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Roma was sunk by two Fritz-X bombs. The first hit caused a loss of power to 2 shafts & heavily damaged her engineering plant(since it passed completely through her hull, probably also heavily damaged her keel). The 2nd hit came about half an hour later, causing further heavy damage & fires - which shortly thereafter detonated one of her main magazines - which led to the eventual sinking of the battleship.
     
    Kai-Petri likes this.
  12. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,103
    Likes Received:
    2,574
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Pertaining to the American "AZON" (azimuth-only) bomb, they could be dropped singularly or in clusters - with all bombs receiving the same commands. Given, that AZON could only be steered left or right. The idea was that hopefully one bomb would hit the intended target.
     
  13. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Messages:
    26,461
    Likes Received:
    2,207
    Cheers Takao,

    Was the wire system meant to be the main guidance system? I recall it was there to be used if the radio communication failed in operative use? Thanx.
     
  14. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,103
    Likes Received:
    2,574
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Wire guidance was to replace and become the only guidance, because the Germans realized that radio guidance could be jammed. Which was something the Allies were becoming increasingly adept at.
     
    Kai-Petri likes this.
  15. Prospero Quevedo

    Prospero Quevedo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2021
    Messages:
    1,077
    Likes Received:
    223
    The wire guidance is amazing that the wire can spool out and not break so easily. The Russians used that method every effectively with their wire guided anti tank rocket. The Egyptians bought a bunch of them and really gave the Israelis a beating one tank commander I think said he went in with over thirty tanks and the Egyptian tanks were easy targets but then the missiles stared flying and knocked out most of his tanks they knew if they could take out the controller they could defeat the missile but trying to find the controller was hard and he ordered his tanks back but only a hand full like six or less got back. The Russians trained those operators pretty well. The Russians kept saying the tanks they sold them were equal to the Israelis saying that the Arab tank tactics were the problem but tactical experts here say the tanks were totally out classed by the Israeli upgraded tanks. The Israelis had better targeting and guns that could hit and destroy at much farther ranges. Our toes are wire guided as well. I'm actually still surprised we still have a two round launcher after desert storm so many Bradley's ran into multiple enemies and had to reload so quickly and often. I think the agility of the vehicle kept the losses low. Watched some thing about s new 50 mm gun that has ammo that can knock out most early Russian tanks don't know how effective it will be against like late t80 or the newer t14. Seems crazy their spending development money on a newer gun for the Brad when the army has said they are taking bids for a newer replacement. The Brad has proven to be a good vehicle maybe they should just design a more modern vehicle that will meet with their current needs starting with a existing chassi would save millions even billions in developement costs.
     
  16. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,103
    Likes Received:
    2,574
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    The 50mm updated Bushmaster is intended for the Bradley replacement...Not the Bradley itself.
     
  17. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,103
    Likes Received:
    2,574
    Location:
    Reading, PA
     
    Kai-Petri likes this.

Share This Page