Can anyone tell me how did Thunderbolts get to Burma? I mean, were the Hurribombers considered too old for the job at hand, or were there just too few Beaufighters to push the Nip back to Singapore and points east?
The P47's were being mass produced by 1944 and many were made available for use by the RAF, Mexican AF and Brazilian AF. Not to mention the P47 was far better than the Hurriane.
OK, but, why were they sent to the RAF in the first place, with the Brits having spectacular "shavers" (russian slang for ground attack) like the Typhoon and the Beaufighter, and then onto the CBI? Also, it has to be taken into consideration that even though by the days the Jug found its way to Continental Asia, the Hurricane was completely out-of-date as a fighter (totally outclassed by the P47 in that respect), it was still highly regarded by the men of the XIV Army and attached forces as a deadly accurate ground attacker. Again and again was Camm´s creation called in by forward observers to blast Jap strongpoints - sometimes even machine gun nests hidden among the roots of single trees! - damn close to allied lines, a trade that required high marksmanship and a stable and reliable gun platform.
Because the production was so great. We gave you the P47 so you could concentrate on the Typhoon and Spitfire. And the P47 was far superior to the Hurricane in the ground attack role.
OK, but, why were they sent to the RAF in the first place, with the Brits having spectacular "shavers" (russian slang for ground attack) like the Typhoon and the Beaufighter, and then onto the CBI? Also, it has to be taken into consideration that even though by the days the Jug found its way to Continental Asia, the Hurricane was completely out-of-date as a fighter (totally outclassed by the P47 in that respect), it was still highly regarded by the men of the XIV Army and attached forces as a deadly accurate ground attacker. Again and again was Camm´s creation called in by forward observers to blast Jap strongpoints - sometimes even machine gun nests hidden among the roots of single trees! - damn close to allied lines, a trade that required high marksmanship and a stable and reliable gun platform. Not really well up on the subject but the Tyhoon was quite a limited aircraft, its thick wing made only really suitable for low altitude operations and it was very limited in a high threat enviorment, it was not the best air to air dogfighter esp at medium altitudes hence it was not a very versitile aircraft, not a problem in the western front where they had more aircraft than they knew what to do with and an aircrasft for every job but probably not ideal in the far east where aircraft where in shorter supply and might be execpted to do more and varied roles. Im sure the P47 was a lot more capable in this situation. Ok the P47 wasnt a great dogfighter but it it least packed a punch and was great at altitude. Also the Sabre engine was a real pig, horrible sleave valve design with 2 cranks greared together was a real pain to start and had to be run every 4 hours, it wasnt really suitable for maintaince in some shack in the jungle. The P47 (and Beaufighter) was no doubt a lot easier to live with. Had a lot of trouble with the sabre, in contrast to the big US radials which where very reliable and 2 a penny. Theres no contest really, the P47 was a big tough old thing, where by the modern British fighters where never as steady and tough, I dont think the Hurricane was ever really replaced in the British inventory in the shape of a good solid, cheap easily maintable multi purpose single engine aircraft. Kev
Another possible reason was that the timber framed construction of the British aircraft, and certainly the Hurricane, was found to be unsuitable for the steamy humid atmosphere of the far east. I know that this is the reason why the American designed Waco (Hadrian in British service) glider was preferred in the CBI theatre to the timber and canvas Horsa. The Waco had a tubular steel skeleton which didn't rot or warp.
Another possible reason was that the timber framed construction of the British aircraft, and certainly the Hurricane, was found to be unsuitable for the steamy humid atmosphere of the far east. I know that this is the reason why the American designed Waco (Hadrian in British service) glider was preferred in the CBI theatre to the timber and canvas Horsa. The Waco had a tubular steel skeleton which didn't rot or warp. Bod, Not well up in this area. The hurricane was Alloy structure airframe with the alloy skinned front half and fabric covered rear. No wood used in the construction i dont think. Kev
Bod, Not well up in this area. The hurricane was Alloy structure airframe with the alloy skinned front half and fabric covered rear. No wood used in the construction i dont think. Kev Quite right Kev, I was sure that I'd seen a restoration photograph in a recent 'Flypast' style magazine of a Hurricane with its skin off, and the back end being plywood. It's not though, it's a tubular metal spaceframe. I must have just dreamt it...
So in the CBI it was not only a matter of P47´s in enough quantities so as to give them away to allied air forces other than the USAAF, but one of versatility, with aircraft having to perform a lot of very different roles, even those farther from the original design, because of the lack of specialists? That would explain why the Hurri stayed for so long in the front line, even if it ended up excelling in its new found role. If the above is the case, it´s no wonder why they called the area "the forgotten theater"... (Germany first, anyone?)
Although the Hurricane was a fine aircraft, it was best suited to air-to-air combat. The Thunderbolt was a large, tough superb machine that could take a beating and still come home without much trouble handling it. It had superior range and speed, I believe, and I also believe the radial engine was easier to work with in the conditions it was subject to.
Although the Hurricane was a fine aircraft, it was best suited to air-to-air combat. The Thunderbolt was a large, tough superb machine that could take a beating and still come home without much trouble handling it. It had superior range and speed, I believe, and I also believe the radial engine was easier to work with in the conditions it was subject to. The Jug was a beast of an aircraft but a really useful one at that and given the production of it, it may have helped ease the pressure on British aircraft production to use some US models.
Just read that by the late months of the war, 1945 that is, 221 Group RAF, the main source of CAS for the XIV Army, had 6 operational Hurricane squadrons to 3 of Thunderbolts, a 2 to 1 ratio. The old workhorse was still there, despite near obsolescense. Here´s a link to the source in NZETC, volume III of New Zealanders with the RAF: CHAPTER 16 — Back to Rangoon—the Last Phase | NZETC
