Quote:
Originally Posted by tcolvin
That is what I said, and I gave the reason.
What is your point?
|
You said: "
d) the RAF and IAF in Burma, and the RAAF in Burma (NG), used them successfully as dive bombers."
The point was the operational service life of the Vengeance, which wasn't very long, as
the Vengeance was regarded as being inferior to other aircraft which had become available to Allied forces.
Quote:
By 1939 there were quite a few dive bombers due to their inherent accuracy.
USA - Vought SBU Vindicator, Douglas SBD Dauntless, Curtis SB2C Helldiver, Vultee A34 Vengeance, and Brewster SB2A Buccaneer
|
Agh, the protytpe SB2C didn't fly til Dec 18 1940 and finally saw battle Nov 11 1943.
The Brewster SB2A Buccaneer didn't fly til June 17 1941.
Hard for them to be available in 1939.
The Vultee Vengeance was the A-31. An improved version was the A-35. The A-34 designation was for the British version.
Quote:
|
Japan - Aichi D3A1 Val, Yokasuka D4Y Comet, and Aichi B7A Shooting Star
|
The first D4Y1 prototype made its maiden flight in December 1940, and proved to possess an excellent combination of high performance and good handling. After the prototype's successful trials development was sped up, the first unpleasant surprise came. Although well-proportioned and purposeful in appearance, service trials demonstrated weakness in the wing structure. During dive-bombing trials the wings of the D4Y started to flutter, so much that it could break up the wing spars, a fatal flaw for an airframe subject to the stresses of the dive bombing manoeuver, and the initial models were used as planes starting in late. Two early aircraft joined the fleet in time for the battle of Midway, when one was used in action.
The structural problems were fixed by March 1943.
The Aichi B7A was designed in response to a 1941 requirement issued by the Imperial Japanese Navy for a carrier attack bomber that would replace both the Nakajima B6N Tenzan torpedo plane and the Yokosuka D4Y Suisei dive bomber in IJN service. Given the codename Grace by the Allies, it first flew as a prototype in May 1942, but problems with the delivery of the engines meant that it was not produced in numbers until 1944.
Hard for them to be available in 1939.