CONTRASTING BOMBERS

摘要

Single-role bombers are found in but a few air arms today. These bombers owe much to the tremendous maturation of technology during 1939-45. Such insights are gleaned from Ian Allan's new book 'American Bomber Aircraft Development in WW2' by Bill Norton. FOLLOWING WW2, BOMBERS were seen as an essential element of air power. However, the complexity and cost of bombers made for varying levels of commitment among the world's air arms. Light bombers quickly became fighters with an ancillary ground-attack mission. Medium bombers evolved into multi-mission fighter-bombers. Only the heavy bomber retains the label, becoming an intercontinental power-projection weapon only a handful of nations require or desire. Allies and adversaries generally judged American bombers of WW2 as advanced, rugged, and very capable. However, foreign operators also saw those same bombers as needlessly complex and heavy, with too much left to crew actions. More weight was devoted to defensive systems, armour and safety features.