Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

For my planetable, I'd like to know as exact as possible which A20 the VVS usedPlease have a look at this webpage.

There are several subtypes of A20 mentioned:
1) Boston A-20G, DB-7b
2) Boston A-20G (with guns)
3) Boston A-20G, 10-DÎ
4) Boston A-20G, 20-DO
5) Boston A-20U, A-20Ê

My question is:
What do #1,3,4,5 look like? Do they have no guns in the nose?

TIA!

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

Hello,
I would recommend you to have a look in my book Red Stars Vol.4 (Lend-lease aircraft in Russia), with almost 100 photos of various Soviet Boston a/c. See the publisher´s web-page http://www.apali.fi/uk/uk.html

For an independent presentation of the book, see eg:
http://vvs.hobbyvista.com/BookReview...ars4/index.php

Carl

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

that chart contains a few errors. mostly in letter-designations for the different models.
this is compounded by translation errors from American to Russian.



http://www.allaboutwarfare.com/forum...ndpost&p=11271


A-20B's and A-20C's had 2 .50 cal guns in the 'cheek' positions
the A-20G-1 had four 20MM cannons and the .50's
the A-20G-5 had four .50 cal in the nose plus the two in the 'cheek'
this remained unchanged for the rest of the 'G' types
the A-20J and K were again glass nose planes with the two 'cheek' .50 cal
did you want to know about rear armament also ?

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

Thanks, Kurlan!

So would you interprete the table like this:
1) Boston A-20C
2) Boston A-20G 4x20mm
3) Boston A-20G 4x.50
4) Boston A-20G 4x.50 + 2x.50-turret
5) Boston A-20J&K glass nose + 2x.50-turret

My task is to split all A-20 in the subtypes 1) and 4) as fair as possible for online wars based on Il2-game.

Do you also know when A20G was first used in VVS? I estimate early '44...

Carl, I'd love to buy all RedStar-books, but money's a topic at 50Euros/book... "Jagdwaffe" i.e. is there for ca. half the price.

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

Jörk
IIRC A-20G-1 4*20mm + 2*.50 in nose and 1*.50 in dorsal position + 1*.30 in ventral tunnel
A-20Gs from G-5 to G-15 6*.50 in nose and 1*.50 in dorsal position + 1*.30 in ventral tunnel
A-20Gs from G-20 onwards 6*.50 in nose and 2*.50 in dorsal turret + 1*.50 in ventral tunnel
A-20J & K 2*.50 in nose and 2*.50 in dorsal turret + 1*.50 in ventral tunnel

And IMHO that was also what Kurlannaiskos wrote.

Juha

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

OK, we are in consens apart fro mmy names' spelling: "Jörg", not "Jörk" ;) .

I'll put all J&K into the A20C-group in my table.

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

Jörg
I'm terrible sorry for my typing error!

BTW I don't know if this have any relevance to You but late Js and all Ks had the ability to carry extra 2000 lbs of ordanance externally, i mean that over the normal 2000 lbs internally.

Juha

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

actually that was the H and the K.
they both featured a slightly more powerfull engine than the G an J
R-2600-39 instead of the earlier R-2600-23
1,500 hp or 1,700 for take-off (as opposed to 1,350/1,600 for the -23)
the A-20G were in production from Feb 43 to Jun 44
as to when thay actually started service with the VVS ....a bit more complicated.
you would need regimental records or ones from the ZAP's
(Ferry Regiments)

to yogybar ;
I don't think it is fair to group these aircraft together that way.
the Soviets recieved more 'G' models than any other so to simplify matters you could probably just list the G and leave the others out for now.
(to be added at a later date ???)

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

Juha, no problem... I also do typos way too often.

At least the earlier one will definitely come into the "A20C"-group, if such a plane is in the Sim.

Concerning J&K: I think, the "A20C" will have the usual super-real bombloadouts of PF and thus, it would fit well apart from the turret and better engine. What would you propose for the J & K?

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

grouping the A-20G-5 and -10 in with the A-20C actually makes some sense ; I forgot to mention earlier that the A-20C also has two .50 cal guns in 'blisters' mounted outside the 'cheek' positions so these aircraft (A-20C,A-20G-5,A-20G-10) all had four .50's in the nose and one flexible .50 in the rear (G) or two .30 (C)
I don't know if the difference in 2 X .30 vs. 1 X .50 makes a difference in your sim.
th only other difference would be the nose ; the C is a glass nose and the G is a 'hard nose' (no glass)

as for the J and K the only difference is in the more powerfull engine on the K. (same engine on the H )

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

There may some confusions in russian documents because many A-20s were modified in soviet service, notably to reinstall a glazed navigator position in versions which didn't have one (using among others glass panels from Il-4s).

Others were provided with a soviet-made radar,...

That may explain the "appearance" of new subtypes in soviet service.

Hope this can help,

Kolya.

P.S. : I think that on this webpages, the second A-20 photograph depicts such a modified airplane.

http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/englis...ikov/index.htm

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

there is confusion , but it is not in soviet records.
the confusion comes from us in the west trying to put things into little boxes where they do not belong.
to the Soviets it is simply a 'Boston' not a '-this' or '-that' they really did not care for such record-keeping problems.
the Soviets did make many modifications to the Boston,everything from cold-weather improvements to armament upgrades to bomb racks and torpedo bridges for external ordnance.
your use of the term 're-install' is somewhat misleading as the 'G" model was built for the attack role , not for bombing.
instead the metal panels designed for maintenance access to the four .50 guns were removed and replaced with clear ones, and a navigators station was built in the space where the guns were.
some aircraft were modified with this navigator's station in the rear, some feature glass in the front and rear!



it may have been made in the USSR , but it was a copy of a captured German unit.



Yes , indeed it does !
this plane was an A-20-G35-DO that was converted in the USSR for the anti-shipping role as it was operated by one of the MTAP's (Mine and Torpedo Aviation Regiment)
in the US this aircraft is designated A-20G-36-DO to indicate a Soviet modification to a G-35
this particular plane 'Tallinsky AP' is translated as 'Tallin Air Regiment' and was applied as an honorific.

http://www.bellabs.ru/51/Photos/Orlenko-171.jpg

Re: Question concerning VVS' Boston A-20 subtypes
 

a bit further research indicates the A-20C actually had four .30 cal guns not.50's
this would make it a lot easier to fit them in the 'cheek blisters'

a bit more research on the aircraft pictured above reveals
it was Manufacturer's Serial Number 15344 and had a fuselage number 2130 (2,130th G built)
it was manufactured sometime between September 1943 and February 1944, I am sorry I cannot be more specific as the data is just not that detailed.