(Design 55) Grumman XTB2F-1

[archipeppe]

I hope you are not serious !!!
View attachment 694618

Even if the XTB2F isn't the direct ancestor of the actual S-2 Tracker, they clearly share a sort of "family feeling":

 

[nfilippone]

Another hint of its provenance is all the Grumman aircraft parked in the background of the second photo! But you were all much faster than I. Nick

 

[VictorXL188]

I hope you are not serious !!!
View attachment 694618

Even if the XTB2F isn't the direct ancestor of the actual S-2 Tracker, they clearly share a sort of "family feeling":

Here's the overlay of the XTB2F GA, with the S-2 Tracker shown as the darker area. Source; Naval Fighters 101: Grumman S-2 Tracker Part One, Development, Testing, Variants and Foreign Users, written by this forum's own Tommy Thomason and Robert J Kowalski

 

[Colonial-Marine]

Does anyone know what the rationale of utilizing a 75mm gun in a torpedo bomber was? Was it just a desire to make it a very multi-purpose aircraft like how the TBF/TMB Avenger was often used?

 

[_Del_]

Does anyone know what the rationale of utilizing a 75mm gun in a torpedo bomber was? Was it just a desire to make it a very multi-purpose aircraft like how the TBF/TMB Avenger was often used?

Solid noses and cannon were very popular in the Pacific for use against shipping.

ETA: one of the B-25 variants with the 75m was used by the Navy, but I don't remember which (-25G, H, J) or the naval designation.

 

[_Del_]

PBJ-1H 8 .50's and the 75mm forward firing

So having having one that can land on the deck might have looked attractive. Just read they trialled one on the Shangri La with a hook. Must have unimpressive results.
ETA: now with photo

Our Aircraft: The PBJ-1 Mitchell

vmb613.com

 

[riggerrob]

Solid noses and cannon were very popular in the Pacific for use against shipping.

ETA: one of the B-25 variants with the 75m was used by the Navy, but I don't remember which (-25G, H, J) or the naval designation.

Forward-firing guns on sub-hunter airplanes were to clear U-boat deck crew away from the anti-aircraft guns. Sub-hunting Sunderlands got extra forward-firing machineguns.
A 75mm gun is more about poking holes in the hull near the waterline to sink it.
During WW2, the RN FAA concluded that rockets were better at blowing holes in hulls, which is why the last batch of Fairey Swordfish hung rockets under their lower wings.

 

[_Del_]

A 75mm gun is more about poking holes in the hull near the waterline to sink it.
During WW2, the RN FAA concluded that rockets were better at blowing holes in hulls, which is why the last batch of Fairey Swordfish hung rockets under their lower wings.

The 75mm they used had a nice muzzle velocity and flat trajectory. In theory, they could get rounds off from two miles out, beyond effective AA range. Did nasty work on transports, the tin cans, and smaller escorts. Easy to see why so many air forces tried it.
On the otherhand, you only could get about four runs off in a run heading straight in to the target. It also needed a loader, and it beat the hell out of the airframe.
When rockets became available in numbers, they were able to get a full salvo off in one run and not commit to a long stable run-in. Rapidly antiquated the big heavy cannons.

 

[DWG]

During WW2, the RN FAA concluded that rockets were better at blowing holes in hulls, which is why the last batch of Fairey Swordfish hung rockets under their lower wings.

The metal wing for the 3" RP was introduced on the MkII, not the Mk III, trialled in October 1942, operational by the spring of 1943, with the first U-boat kill in May. 'last batch' may give people the wrong impression of numbers and length of service for what was 1,080 Mk IIs, and 320 Mk IIIs out of 2,392 total.

WRT gunfire, the RN concluded that they needed special projectiles - Shark - for the 4" and 4.7" to guarantee penetration, so a 75mm is going to struggle.

I suspect the main target for solid-nosed B-25s and PBJs was Japanese barge traffic, rather than full scale shipping.

 

[Stargazer]

I have a few images from NARA II Record Group 72-AC-100G to share of the mock-up that will hopefully add to your understanding of the design.

WOW! Amazing. Somehow I hadn't seen these previously... Now that's some mockup! Thanks a lot for sharing.