quote:

This innovative medium bomber was judged “hot” because it performed like a single-engine light bomber. It was the first military aircraft to use tricycle landing gear, and had the rather odd feature of an emergency control column in the rear gunner’s compartment in case the pilot was killed. When equipped with additional nose machine guns, it became a potent strafing weapon.

The aircraft was originally produced for export and did not enter squadron service with the Air Corps until 1941. A small number were assigned to 58 Light Bomber Squadron at Hickam Field at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. The Dutch received a small number for the defense of Java, and a few of these were captured intact by the Japanese. The Russians were quite fond of it in the strafing role. The British called this aircraft the Boston.

Though classified as a medium bomber, the crew arrangement more closely resembled that of light bombers such as the Dauntless. The pilot and gunner sat in separate small compartments from which they could not move. The –J and –K variants added a transparent nose with a bombardier’s position.

The A-20’s greatest liability in the Pacific was that it sacrificed range for payload. The legendary "Pappy" Gunn modified the A-20A with an additional four 0.50 machine guns and converted the bomb bay into a huge fuel tank. The aircraft so modified became lethal low-level attack aircraft, capable of shredding enemy aircraft caught on the ground or barges at sea. Racks were installed under the wings for parafrag bombs to sprinkle over airbases or skip bombs for use against merchant ships. Bergerud interviewed an American soldier mistakenly attacked by A-20s who gives us a picture of what it was like to be on the receiving end:

Then the planes arrived late and began attacking our own guys who had advanced. We were scared as hell when we heard an A-20 — you could hear them a mile away they were so loud. When the plane opened up the recoil slowed it down, then would speed up again when it didn't fire, then slow down again. I'd hear those bullets go "bump-bump" against the tree. I made myself very thin.
About 40% of A-20 crews were assigned to the Pacific.

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ORIGINAL: JeffK

How does the AE engine differ between a Light and a Medium??

Might be to get the right effect the devs made it a Medium.

PS What would be the fastest at zero feet, a Beaufighter IC or Boston A20A???

quote:

ORIGINAL: Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito in Australian Service, Stewart Wilson, 1990. p119

Operations from Goodenough included supporting the successful Australian Army invasion of Lae and involvement in numerous raids on Rabaul before it was finally neutralised.

There were some less serious moments though, including a race between a 30 Squadron Beaufighter and a 22 Squadron Boston. Each unit claimed its own aircraft was faster and on 2 November this was put to the test over a 16 kilometre course starting out at sea. The Beaufighter (suitably lightened and stripped, as was the Boston) was A19-54 flown by the CO, Sqdn Ldr W T M Boulton and it emerged victorious. The Boston's run was not without its troubles -its engines were running much too rich due to the removal of the induction scoops, which caused the loss of ram air effect.

The whole affair was refereed by Wng Cdr W S Arthur of 75 Squadron, who soon found his Kittyhawk couldn't keep up with the more than 300 knots (560km/h) the Beaufighter was recording at low altitude.

quote:

Operations from Goodenough included supporting the successful Australian Army invasion of Lae and involvement in numerous raids on Rabaul before it was finally neutralised.

There were some less serious moments though, including a race between a 30 Squadron Beaufighter and a 22 Squadron Boston. Each unit claimed its own aircraft was faster and on 2 November this was put to the test over a 16 kilometre course starting out at sea. The Beaufighter (suitably lightened and stripped, as was the Boston) was A19-54 flown by the CO, Sqdn Ldr W T M Boulton and it emerged victorious. The Boston's run was not without its troubles -its engines were running much too rich due to the removal of the induction scoops, which caused the loss of ram air effect.

The whole affair was refereed by Wng Cdr W S Arthur of 75 Squadron, who soon found his Kittyhawk couldn't keep up with the more than 300 knots (560km/h) the Beaufighter was recording at low altitude.

quote:

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

Good Grief is there nothing this group does not know? [&o]

quote:

ORIGINAL: JeffK

How does the AE engine differ between a Light and a Medium??

...

quote:

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

quote:

Operations from Goodenough included supporting the successful Australian Army invasion of Lae and involvement in numerous raids on Rabaul before it was finally neutralised.

There were some less serious moments though, including a race between a 30 Squadron Beaufighter and a 22 Squadron Boston. Each unit claimed its own aircraft was faster and on 2 November this was put to the test over a 16 kilometre course starting out at sea. The Beaufighter (suitably lightened and stripped, as was the Boston) was A19-54 flown by the CO, Sqdn Ldr W T M Boulton and it emerged victorious. The Boston's run was not without its troubles -its engines were running much too rich due to the removal of the induction scoops, which caused the loss of ram air effect.

The whole affair was refereed by Wng Cdr W S Arthur of 75 Squadron, who soon found his Kittyhawk couldn't keep up with the more than 300 knots (560km/h) the Beaufighter was recording at low altitude.

Good Grief is there nothing this group does not know? [&o]