The Barracuda Project

[Dominic Owen]

Ah, but bombers weren't sent over to attack fighters but instead that big hard thing at the end of gravity, in which case I think I'd be more worried about how much blowy-uppy stuff could fall out of each one.

Lanc wins!

[DamienB]

Yes, didn't we make a bomber that could carry the same bombload as a B-17? Out of wood? With two engines rather than four? With just two crew? That went faster than fighters? Somebody remind me...

[Richie]

would not have liked to have been in any bomber... but especially a Ball turret on a B17... there were horror stories of ball turrets jamming leaving the occupant a prisoner, then issues with landing gear on final approach meaning the pilot had to belly land and sacrifice the ball turret and occupant to save the crew... that or turret getting jammed and the plane gets shot down...no thanks



EDIT: found this link.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eM3DOs9 ... re=related

[DamienB]

Lanc under-armed... well perhaps not. Bomber Command's own boffin types produced a report that admitted that defensive armament was such a waste of time in most circumstances that they would have been better off deleting the guns entirely, flying higher and faster and with fewer crew, and losing less men as a result. A desperately sad conclusion I've always thought - all those lives that need not have been lost.

[Renegadenemo]

I sort of like the Dad's Army theme. And it's a good time to be making a small start on the Barra because, due to the specialised nature of much of the K7 work these days, it's not uncommon for one of us to be stuck between jobs so we have a heap of squished tail sections incoming to make one good one from the lot.

[MattWillis]

Nice piece on the fledgling project/the type here too-

http://navalairhistory.com/2012/03/02/f ... llections/

Thanks for the nod, Mike, much obliged. How's the Barra coming along? Sounds like a start has been made which is fantastic news.

There's a much shorter defence of the Barracuda on the Hush Kit website too

[Renegadenemo]

How's the Barra coming along? Sounds like a start has been made which is fantastic news.

Don't get too excited, we only have a chunk of elevator at this stage because the Barra' is only to keep hands working between jobs on K7 and to train up newbies at the mo. But it's coming.

[sbt]

A really really long shot, but perhaps EADS could be persuaded to release a bit of sponsorship money...

http://www.army-technology.com/projects ... rator-uav/

[rob565uk]

Ok, maybe you can get a little bit excited now, as between boat duties, Bill and I have knocked this out recently-
The world's only Fairey Barracuda starboard elevator, resurrected from the dead and 100% original!

What impressed me no end was the full meaning of 100% original - any missing parts have been painstakingly re-made by Mike and Bill using nothing but original metal from a Barracuda. I consider that craftsmanship of the highest order.

[Renegadenemo]

Very kind of you to say so, Checkie. So that's one elevator built. Now we need another one, and a rudder, and some wings, and a tail, and a...