20230917 (85)_PA474_Avro_Lancaster_BI_and__124485_Boeing_B-17G_Flying_Fortress
"Sally B", the Duxford-based memorial to the US Eighth Air Force Fortresses that undertook daylight bombing raids into Germany during WWII, leading BBMF's Lancaster BI "City of Lincoln" in a unique joint display at the Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow 2023. Although similar in size and performance, it should be remembered that the B-17 is essentially a pre-war design continually modified to meet new requirements whereas the Lancaster is at least half a generation later - though it was an emergency development of the failing Manchester whose two complex Vulture engines let down a sound airframe and had to be replaced with four reliable Merlins. Comparing the two in close proximity was a great treat. On this pass both had their bomb doors open showing the difference between the great length of the Lancaster's bay allowing the carriage of very large weapons such as the 12000lb blockbuster, 12000lb Tallboy and 22000lb Grand Slam deep penetration bombs - not to mention Barnes Wallis's remarkable dam-busting bouncing bomb - and the short but deep bay of the B-17 which could accommodate bombs only up to about 1000lb but over shorter ranges (both aircraft had to exchange weight of weapons for fuel on longer missions) could drop up to 8000lb of ordnance in total. For targets as far as Berlin this dropped to 4000lb - the same as a Mosquito with a single 4000lb cookie, and with a much lower chance of coming back.
20230917 (85)_PA474_Avro_Lancaster_BI_and__124485_Boeing_B-17G_Flying_Fortress
"Sally B", the Duxford-based memorial to the US Eighth Air Force Fortresses that undertook daylight bombing raids into Germany during WWII, leading BBMF's Lancaster BI "City of Lincoln" in a unique joint display at the Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow 2023. Although similar in size and performance, it should be remembered that the B-17 is essentially a pre-war design continually modified to meet new requirements whereas the Lancaster is at least half a generation later - though it was an emergency development of the failing Manchester whose two complex Vulture engines let down a sound airframe and had to be replaced with four reliable Merlins. Comparing the two in close proximity was a great treat. On this pass both had their bomb doors open showing the difference between the great length of the Lancaster's bay allowing the carriage of very large weapons such as the 12000lb blockbuster, 12000lb Tallboy and 22000lb Grand Slam deep penetration bombs - not to mention Barnes Wallis's remarkable dam-busting bouncing bomb - and the short but deep bay of the B-17 which could accommodate bombs only up to about 1000lb but over shorter ranges (both aircraft had to exchange weight of weapons for fuel on longer missions) could drop up to 8000lb of ordnance in total. For targets as far as Berlin this dropped to 4000lb - the same as a Mosquito with a single 4000lb cookie, and with a much lower chance of coming back.