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Introduction
Engine Performance
Firepower
Maneuverability
Flying the B-24J
Fighting the B-24J
Summary
Engine/Range Info
Fuel Tankage: 698 gallons
1/4
1397 gallons 1/2
2095 gallons 3/4
2793 gallons full
Engine Settings: Military: 2700rpm/48.5
1340 gall/hr
Normal:
2550rpm/46mp 1143gall/hr
Max Cruise: 2325rpm/35.5mp 691gall/hr
Calculated Ranges (Internal Fuel
Only):
Military: 487 miles
Normal:
571 miles
Max Cruise: 945 miles
-Soda
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Introduction:
How any new aircraft fits into the game is up for a lot of
debate but it seems that the B-24 has found itself a popular addition
and is very commonly seen in the game. Bombers in general are an interesting combination of
compromises and the B-24 tends to bring the same game to town as the
B-17. Being slow, large, tough but carrying a heavy load of ordinance
over long distances with lots of defensive firepower is a role for a
penetration type bomber where defenses are expected to be fairly heavy
and you know you will be in harms way. The fact that the B-24 appears to have risen in
popularity is at the expense of the B-17, because the B-24 has
essentially the same performance but carries slightly more
bomb-load. All in all though,
there are some other subtle differences to take into account, but the
B-24 is probably going to remain a popular bomber.
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Engine Performance:
Bombers in general fall into many categories so the B-24 can
best be described as average when compared to its peers. Speed is not all that
outstanding, 234mph at sea-level, gaining about 2-3mph/1K of altitude
gain. Consider that by the
time you get to 10K speed increases to 262mph, by 20K it’s ~290mph, and
it tops out at 301mph at 29K.
None of those numbers really gives any defensive ability against
even the slowest fighters but are about average for this type of
aircraft if not slightly better at some altitudes. Climb rate is also average,
around 1K/min and gradually decreasing up through 20K. Taking less than full internal
ordinance can gain you about 250ft/min for each 2,000lbs of ordinance
you leave on the ground but what is really the point of doing
that? Fuel duration/range
is rarely a problem with 25% fuel giving you around 31 minutes of full power
duration and a range of 160 miles or so. If you intend to climb high, or go far, then more
fuel may be required though rarely more than 50% though lower power
settings can help you stretch out your fuel for longer durations.
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Firepower:
Very good, the B-24 has a substantial bomb-load and defensive
armament. The internal
capacity is up to 8,000lbs with a mixture of options available
depending on your target. Bombs in the 100lb (x20), 250lb (x12), 500lb
(x12), 1,000lb (x8) or 2,000lb (x4) are available though most people
automatically take the last option, not really well thought out for
most targets. Still, this
is 2,000lbs more than a B-17 and double a B-26, two of the more common
alternatives, but still only a little over half as much as the
Lancaster. Defensively,
the B-24 bristles with guns, mostly twin .50 cal turrets. Ball and Top turrets offer good
coverage all around with 1020 and 800 rounds respectively. The tail also has good field of
fire and 1200 rounds, enough for extended defense against several
attackers. Forward fire
from the nose turret is a bit more limited although there is 1000
rounds while each side has a waist gun position with a single .50 at
600 rounds. One of the
advantages of the B-24 is the twin tail as it unmasks the top gun to
attacks from the rear such that typically you can always have two
turrets shooting (either ball if the target is lower or top if it’s
higher). This is a
defensive advantage against typical tailed aircraft designs.
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Maneuverability:
This is no sports car, the B-24J is large and feels the
part. You won’t be making
hard maneuvers in this aircraft, it is best suited to large radius
turns and upright flight.
That said, if you really want to push the limits you can try
some loops and rolls but be careful. With the new modeling in AH there are some serious
structural limits placed on non-fighter aircraft and the B-24 has some
very low tolerances. At
around 307mph (IAS) the aircraft will begin to creak and at the 384mph
(IAS) mark you will start to get structural failures. They tend to start with the
ailerons and rudder but are not followed far by more meaningful
components. Even in a
shallow dive it’s not all that hard to get to those types of speeds if
you are not careful. Of
more concern is the G limits.
Loaded, the limit is around 2.75G, easily pulled at any speed
over 250mph, and leads to the immediate failure of the wing spar. Even unloaded, the G limit
stays just under 3G so is easily surpassed with equally fatal
results. Any aerobatics in
the B-24J need to be very cautiously approached as a result and even
some stall recoveries may lead to failures if you get into too much
trouble.
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Flying the B-24J
What makes people successful in other bombers is also what typically
works well in the B-24J.
Planning is key, right from the hanger all the way to the
target. While it might be
enticing to load up on the big 2,000lb bombs and more than 25% fuel,
you should really consider the situation before making a selection. The 2,000lb bombs are great for
ships as those targets tend to be in multiples of 2, but for average
hangers the 1,000lb options are likely more appropriate, especially in
formations. Also, while
25% fuel is likely enough for runs out to 2-3 sectors, you need to be
careful you don’t run short of gas. 25% fuel gives about 31 minutes duration, 1/3 of
which you will spend climbing to 10K, leaving less time for any route
choice that may be lengthy to avoid concentrations of defenders. You may consider 50% if you are
flying any distance or intend to climb higher than 10K.
Attacks are best run from angles that line up the targets you
intend to hit while also avoiding the majority of defenders. The direct attack path is not
always the most successful and a 10K altitude should put you slightly
above the majority of defenders.
You are bound to pick up some defenders who will be angry with
you but it’s better to fight them after you’ve released your bombs than
before. Your tail and
belly turrets are both well stocked with ammunition for anyone who
attempts to come in from low or behind.
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Fighting the B-24J
Attacking B-24J’s is simply no fun. There really isn’t an angle in which they are not
well defended though the front quart is a bit better than some others. The B-24J is a large target
though, so at least if you are making attacks from difficult
angles/directions you have a pretty good chance of hitting
something. Don’t attack
from the belly or tail area, the coverage and number of guns is simply
too good, that and it leads to poor target options as the
tails/tail-gunner are in distinctly different aim-points. The wings are the best option,
or the cockpit area, both tend to give decent results. I’d aim for the wings and try
to set the B-24J on fire as that is certain to finish off the kill for
you within a short period of time without having to re-attack
repeatedly. If you can,
get others to help you and spread out the attackers to make the B-24
gunners job more difficult.
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Summary
Almost overnight the B-24J replaced the majority of B-17’s used
in game. The two aircraft
are really almost identical in terms of performance so the fact that
the B-24J has 2,000lb’s more bombs is likely the reason why. The B-24J also benefits that
many people attack the tail area of bombers, trying to either kill the
rear gunner or knock off the tail. In the B-24J the tails are duplicated and to the
side, distributing them and making any single aim point unlikely to cause
catastrophic damage. That
said, fire is a real issue in B-24J’s, people who shoot up the wings
know they burn easily and quickly. Overall though, the B-24J is probably the best
bomber in the game right now, combining good offensive load and
defensive abilities from all angles without any major weakness.
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