Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkRS
The faster you dive, the faster you come out of the dive,...
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Basic physics shows things are not this simple. At a constant maximum g load (set by the design of the aircraft and the physical limits of the pilot) the radius of the pull up maneuver goes up as the square of any speed increase. In other words, a 20% increase in speed through the pull up requires a 44% bigger radius. The actual length along the arc (from start of pull up to when the aircraft resumes straight line flight) goes up linearly with the radius. So, the aircraft has a 44% longer curved flight path, flown at only 20% greater speed. Time during the pull out (when the aircraft is lowest, flight path is most predicable, and therefore the AA gunner's job is easiest) is thus increased. Also, if the aircraft releases the bomb before the pull up starts, for greatest accuracy, the minimum release altitude has to increase (to keep the low point in the pull up arc above the ground).
Dive brakes were intended to limit the aircraft to some maximum speed in the dive. This gives some "hang time", allowing the pilot to adjust the aim point and release at some optimum altitude without worrying about airspeed during the dive and pull up. If the dive brakes are removed, dive bombing tactics become very different. No dive brakes means no more "traditional" (i.e. very steep) dive bombing.
Added in edit: The drag of the sirens was present at all phases of flight, limiting both maximum speed and range with a given payload (or payload over a given range).