carrier capable bomber

[BombTaxi]

The A-6 Intruder is another modern example of a carrier-based a/c with serious payload. The Buccaneer might bear consideration too. But these are all well after WWII.

[syscom3]

Seawitch, also consider the range the Skyraider had with max payload, the lack of onboard radio-navigation systems for finding the target, and no defensive weapons.

The Skyraider was one type of aircraft, the B17 was another.

[Seawitch]

Originally Posted by syscom3

Seawitch, also consider the range the Skyraider had with max payload, the lack of onboard radio-navigation systems for finding the target, and no defensive weapons.

The Skyraider was one type of aircraft, the B17 was another.

[syscom3]

[GrauGeist]

[Kiwikid]

Originally Posted by syscom3

That was the origional plan.

The plan was to fly on to land at Chunking. The aircraft had to take off before the planned launch site when the convoy was spotted which is why they did not make Chungking. None were fitted with arrester hooks and if they had returned where would you park them all ?

It was never intended to return to the Hornet and the navigational issues alone were impossible. Several aircraft barely had fuel to reach China or Vladivostok so they would never have had enough fuel to return.

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by syscom3

Seawitch, also consider the range the Skyraider had with max payload, the lack of onboard radio-navigation systems for finding the target, and no defensive weapons.

The Skyraider was one type of aircraft, the B17 was another.

Syscom - are you stating that a Skyraider isn't a bomber?

If so it seems that this is a 'fuzzy argument' as no range, or number of engines or performance boundaries were set so a comparison between B-17 (traditional with crew served weapons), Mossie XVI (somewhat traditional but no defensive armament other than forward firing weapons) and Skyraider (Dive bombing, torpedo and CAS) with forward firing weapons? At least I didn't notice any boundary conditions for carfrier bomber other than dismissing dive bomber/torpedo bomber.. 'like a B-17' is kind of 'fuzzy' as no carrier 'bomber' was ever like a B-17.

I would certainly claissify the Skyraider as a 'bomber' - it sure as hell wasn't a fighter or strictly speaking a fighter bomber - but it also wasn't introduced in WWII.

So, does lack of gunners remove a 'bomber' from consideration? Does a mission that includes dive bombing and low level torpedo delivery disqualify because it wasn't designed as a level bomber, high altitude precision delivery?

The TBF certainly fits the criteria of level, medium altitude all the way down to sea level..and had a bombadier crewmember plus crew served defensive armament for the level bombing misiion.

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by Kiwikid

The plan was to fly on to land at Chunking. The aircraft had to take off before the planned launch site when the convoy was spotted which is why they did not make Chungking. None were fitted with arrester hooks and if they had returned where would you park them all ?

It was never intended to return to the Hornet and the navigational issues alone were impossible. Several aircraft barely had fuel to reach China or Vladivostok so they would never have had enough fuel to return.

That was my understanding also. Halsey probably would not have bought into a plan that enabled the B-25s to turn back and seek the Hornet - with possible IJN 'trailers' to locate the Fleet.

16 B-25s were expendable in comparison to the Hornet.