Impression of the Boomerang

[madmickey]

How do people like it as a fighter?

[rtrapasso]

The Boomerang as a fighter defies physics - it sucks and blows at the same time!

[madmickey]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

The Boomerang as a fighter defies physics - it sucks and blows at the same time!

In real they were "upgraded" to Kttyhawk but I am wondering if the game may give them a unrealistic advantage because of high climb rate

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: madmickey

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

The Boomerang as a fighter defies physics - it sucks and blows at the same time!

In real they were "upgraded" to Kttyhawk but I am wondering if the game may give them a unrealistic advantage because of high climb rate

Well, anytime i have had them go up against any real fighters, they lose, and generally lose badly -even against Nates and Claudes. They are rather indifferent vs. IJN bombers. As a pure fighter, i think even Buffaloes are better. Of course, they are "fighter-bombers" - so i can't complain that they aren't too great as pure fighters - i just try to never have them in that role and keep them as tactical bombers vs. troops and sometimes shipping.

[byron13]

Based purely on its numbers in the database, I've wondered why they bothered to make it. I'm not exactly counting on the Boomer to save my bacon.

[rtrapasso]

I'm guessing they had a factory tooled up to make it, and, hey - it probably was about state of the art when they came out with it. The Brits and Italians were still producing biplanes until about a year before the outbreak of war. It just doesn't stand up well to the Japanese planes.

[mlees]

The Boomerang was a homegrown Australian design, and manufactured/assembled entirely in Australia. The Spits and Hurricanes had to be imported from Canada/UK/S. Africa. In the hair raising early days of WiTP, everything that flew was desperately needed.

[byron13]

(Admitting that I know nothing of the real plane . . .), Given that it came out so late, wouldn't it have made more sense to just license Spits and Hurricanes? Or was it built around the only engine that Australia could build or was tooled for?

[mlees]

Or was it built around the only engine that Australia could build or was tooled for?

I think it was this, but I can look it up for you later, when I get home to my books.

[madmickey]

Early Spits and hurricane had limited range only really good for protecting air base. Plus spit and hurricane did not have radial engines.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: mlees

Or was it built around the only engine that Australia could build or was tooled for?

I think it was this, but I can look it up for you later, when I get home to my books.

It was designed to be manufactured with sheep by-products, therefore it could be manufactured easily in Australia. However, as a fighter, this meant it REALLY was a piece of s**t.[:D]

[testarossa]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

It was designed to be manufactured with sheep by-products, therefore it could be manufactured easily in Australia. However, as a fighter, this meant it REALLY was a piece of s**t.[:D]

Any fighter is better than no fighter. Aussies had funny tanks too. Canada had to do the same thing with Ram tank - M3 Lee with 2 pounder, what a piece of work[:D].

[Hipper]

in Reply to Madmickey

Early Spits and hurricane had limited range only really good for protecting air base. Plus spit and hurricane did not have radial engines.

All the hurricanes that appeared in the game were plumbed for drop tanks, Adequate supplies of drop tanks arrived in SEA by late 42, The range given by the droptanks was in game terms Normal 3 extended 4, Just enough to escort bombers from Imphal to Mandalay.

Cheers

cheers

[bbbf]

The Boomer was a real stop gap, mating an available better engine with some of the airframe components of the Wirraway. It sucked as an air superiority weapon, but by the time it reached the frontline that battle had been pretty much won. It mainly served as a handy close support aircraft.

As stated above, early on we Aussies felt pretty isolated, and none of the allies had any excess war material to spare so we came up with whatever we could.

The Owen smg was another program.

The Sentinel tank was very interesting - some really back to basics stuff like M3 running gear (it was available), a crash gear box (all Australia could manufacture) and 3 V8 engines, coupled with probably the first successful fully cast multi-part hull and seperately single cast turret.

It was also eminently upgradeable - going from the original 2 pdr up to a 17 pdr. One trial even used 2 25 pdrs to test the tank's ability to mount the 17 pdr (no 17 pdr being available at the time).

In this case, the numbers of foreign tanks available by '43 scotched any further development.

[freeboy]

I would second the idea of using these as interdiction or training units only, and against fighters as a last resort..
"Each tool used as it can be"

[testarossa]

We converted RAMs into Cangaroo APC. Was used in Europe.

[Guardsman2]

Check this one out:

http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/bunke ... skink.html

[testarossa]

ORIGINAL: Guardsman2

Check this one out:

http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/bunke ... skink.html

Good one. Never heard about it. Should've been called "Skunk", [8D].

[Wallymanowar]

ORIGINAL: testarossa

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

It was designed to be manufactured with sheep by-products, therefore it could be manufactured easily in Australia. However, as a fighter, this meant it REALLY was a piece of s**t.[:D]

Any fighter is better than no fighter. Aussies had funny tanks too. Canada had to do the same thing with Ram tank - M3 Lee with 2 pounder, what a piece of work[:D].

Not exactly correct. The Ram tank was built using a cast steel hull and the M3 Turret which indeed was armed with a 2-pounder. The cast steel hull was an inovation which the Americans adopted for the M4 Shermans. Plans were underway to rearm the Rams with 6-pounders but it was realized that the Americans could build more than enough Shermans to supply themselves and us so tank production was converted from Rams to Shermans. All the Rams that were supplied were converted to specialized vehicles like the Ram Kangaroo a fully tracked APC.

BTW since you live in Vancouver, go down to the Armoury and see the Ram tank that is sited there as a monument - if I recall correctly the upkeep of it is rather shoddy[:(]

[testarossa]

ORIGINAL: Mike Tremblay

ORIGINAL: testarossa

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

It was designed to be manufactured with sheep by-products, therefore it could be manufactured easily in Australia. However, as a fighter, this meant it REALLY was a piece of s**t.[:D]

Any fighter is better than no fighter. Aussies had funny tanks too. Canada had to do the same thing with Ram tank - M3 Lee with 2 pounder, what a piece of work[:D].

BTW since you live in Vancouver, go down to the Armoury and see the Ram tank that is sited there as a monument - if I recall correctly the upkeep of it is rather shoddy[:(]

Damn I thought it is Sherman. I've checked my pocket Collins Janes "Tanks of WW2" and endeed RAM used M3 components with canadian cast steel and turret. And they mention there Skink too. And I had this book for 7 years. Duh.