In article ,
Kari Korpi writes:
Hi,

I've gone through countless web pages and come up with nothing on
this subject, so I hope someone on r.a.m could clarify things a bit.

This regards the bombing tactics used by Mosquito FB.xx variants
in World War II. Since the FBs could only use the rear bomb bay (due
to the 20mm cannon) and the bomb aimer's position was taken up
by the .303 calibre MGs, how did these fighter-bombers actually
aim their internal bombs?

The wing-mounted bombs were probably simple to aim using whatever
gunsight was used for the cannons and MGs, but what about the bombs
in the bay? Since there was no bomb aimer, did they simply glide-
bomb their targets using Kentucky windage and the gunsight, or
was there a way of "guesstimating" the release point from level
flight, like a normal laydown attack?

In exactly the same manner as any other bombs dropped from a Mosquito
FB. The bombs don't care if they are coming from teh bomb bay or a
wing rack. Barring any airflow disturbances, it's all pretty much the
same. Aiming would, just like manual bombing in a fighter-bomber
today, be bt a combination of using the gunsight reticle and TLAR
(That Looks About Right) techniques.

There were plenty of airplanes with bombs bays that didn't have a
Bombardier. The gun-nosed A-20s and A-26s, and B-25s, for example.
Or the Vultee Vengeance (A-35) dive bomber, or the Curtiss SB2C
Helldiver.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster