A-20B appreciation

[ShamrockOneFive]

It's taken me a few days to really get into all of the new aircraft and tonight I decided to spend some time with the A-20B really getting to know this aircraft. I'm blown away. For a long time I've really liked the A-20 and I flew it a lot in IL-2: 1946 in A-20C and G variants in all sorts of single and multiplayer battles. Didn't matter what, if we needed bombs on target the A-20 was one of my preferred options when available.

 

So flying it tonight in IL-2: Battle of Kuban was a real treat. Beautifully detailed cockpit, gunner stations, and the exterior is a real treat as well. The aircraft handles much lighter than I would have thought although its at once familiar to the one from the original IL-2 series. And fast too!

 

I started another career (I have 4 on the go so far) and flew a bomber mission in formation with 6 A-20s and that was also pretty incredible looking out the window seeing the other bombers in flight.

 

I'm gushing here... I realize. But I'm just really really impressed by how everything came together. A lot more flying to do with this one and I can't wait to take it into multiplayer battles too.

 

[TRShrum]

I'm looking forward to trying this aircraft.  However, I'm having problems with the throttle key binding.  Using my Saitek X56 throttle control works on all the other multi engine a/c in the game, but not the A20.  When moving the X56, in game the only control that moves is the prop pitch and not the throttle.  Therefore I can't "run up" the engines and thus, fly the a/c.  I'm sure I've missed something simple.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.

[TheBlackPenguin]

It was my first career, unfortunately I chose the longest distance to the front and my settings may have been too high as the game froze after I had landed. It was beautiful flying low through the mountains, although one AI pilot I think went too low as I heard "I am wounded" on the radio and didn't see him in formation. No idea his fate due to the aforementioned issue.

 

Got a new career started, hopefully will fly soon as this thing called ork is getting in the way, but it pays for this so....:).

 

Nice screenshot!

 

Did this version carry torpedoes?

[ShamrockOneFive]

37 minutes ago, TheBlackPenguin said:

It was my first career, unfortunately I chose the longest distance to the front and my settings may have been too high as the game froze after I had landed. It was beautiful flying low through the mountains, although one AI pilot I think went too low as I heard "I am wounded" on the radio and didn't see him in formation. No idea his fate due to the aforementioned issue.

 

Got a new career started, hopefully will fly soon as this thing called ork is getting in the way, but it pays for this so....:).

 

Nice screenshot!

 

Did this version carry torpedoes?

 

Was that the units based at Adler all the way down the coast belonging to the long range naval aviation unit?

 

No, the A-20B never carried torpedoes from the research I've done. The earliest version to do so was the A-20C.

[Art-J]

2 hours ago, TRShrum said:

I'm looking forward to trying this aircraft.  However, I'm having problems with the throttle key binding.  Using my Saitek X56 throttle control works on all the other multi engine a/c in the game, but not the A20.  When moving the X56, in game the only control that moves is the prop pitch and not the throttle.  Therefore I can't "run up" the engines and thus, fly the a/c.  I'm sure I've missed something simple.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.

 

I've read that apparently A-20's controls are bugged somewhat for those players, who use auto engine operation. If you're one of them, you have to either go full manual, or wait for a fix.

Edited March 20, 2018 by Art-J

[LLv24_SukkaVR]

I wish it could carry more those 250kg bombs. 100kg bombs are just too weak IMO.

[TheBlackPenguin]

8 hours ago, ShamrockOneFive said:

 

Was that the units based at Adler all the way down the coast belonging to the long range naval aviation unit?

 

No, the A-20B never carried torpedoes from the research I've done. The earliest version to do so was the A-20C.

 

Hahaha, yep Adler. I was hoping for some anti-shipping, but got tasked with an airfield strike right across the map lol. Landed with less than 20% fuel and some of the flight bingo'd fuel over the mountain range, so who knows where they ended up.

[Blitzen]

I simply love the new A-20! I echo everything said here & want to add that it is one of the best aircraft o fly in VR -it is simply amazing.

Two issues: no nose position and up to this point I have not been able to effectively use the dorsal gun .I can get it to traverse left to right with the mouse & fire ( below the horizontal stabilizer ) but cannot get it to elevate ( also using the mouse.) I haven’t had this problem with other gunner operated positions in other planes.Not a big deal as I’m usually up front thrashing the semi-nimble Havoc all over the sky!

[TRShrum]

Full Manual on engine controls.  Got it.  Works now. Thank you.

[BlitzPig_EL]

The two .50 Brownings in the nose are pretty effective.  Works well on trucks and other soft ground targets, and I even bagged an AI F4 with them...

 

[=EXPEND=Tripwire]

Had a low alt race with a 109G2 vs the A20 starting from 350KPH... neck to neck right up to top speed. Only once the emergency power on the A20 was exceeded and overheating kicked in did the 109 overtake, a few minutes into the race.

 

Its got some go in it!

[BlitzPig_EL]

Many years ago (1987) I was talking with a WW2 pilot that flew A20s.  In fact, his aircraft is the one on display at the NMUSAF.

 

I asked him how fast it would go, and his reply was great... "Depends on who is chasing you."  Said in that totally matter of fact tone that pilots have.  

[ShamrockOneFive]

1 minute ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

Many years ago (1987) I was talking with a WW2 pilot that flew A20s.  In fact, his aircraft is the one on display at the NMUSAF.

 

I asked him how fast it would go, and his reply was great... "Depends on who is chasing you."  Said in that totally matter of fact tone that pilots have.  

Always love that when talking to pilots. One veteran in my family flew Mitchells in the RCAF and another flew Halifaxs and if you asked them anything about the planes they would just say that "They flew pretty well."

 

It does feel like a seriously fast aircraft. The acceleration is fairly effortless and after staring out at some pretty slim looking in-line engines on the Pe-2 all the time it was quite a sight to look to either side and see these big powerful radial engines. Definitely makes an impression!

[CAPSLOCK_ON]

I second the OP, the A-20 is a favorite of mine. It has speed, thoughness and maneuverability. A beauty and a joy to fly. 

[Buglord]

I really like the A20 its a smooth ride but once the engines are hit they don`t last long. That`s part of the fun thou

[AndyJWest]

Just done my first full A-20 career mission. Uneventful until we got back to base, only to have a gaggle of Fw-190's turn up (this is the Stalingrad map, apparently they hadn't read the history books ). Got an engine shot out, so had to spend the next few minutes hauling the thing around with one prop feathered, trying to shoot down the bandits with my twin .50s! No kills, though I may have chipped the paintwork on one before the flak dealt with it. I than made a rather hairy single-engine landing which involved coming in too fast (a lot safer than too slow on one engine), and braking hard to avoid going off the end of the runway. Hectic stuff, though I'm not sure how realistic the single-engine performance is.

[Godspeed]

 

[BornToBattle]

I’d love to fly it but can’t even get the thing to taxi. Oh, it taxis alright...it seems to just meander wherever it wants regardless of bashing on toe brakes (which it obviously doesn’t seem to have) and doesn’t respond to full rudder inputs as well in the direction I want it to go. I finally just gave up after 3 or 4 attempts and simply fly others now. Clueless as I doubt this was the case in real life (yikes) and saw nothing posted elsewhere in the forums which means it conclude it must be “operator error” and not the plane itself?

[BlitzPig_EL]

That's really odd, I have no trouble at all on taxi,  brakes work just fine for steering,  just like any other plane.

 

You do have both engines selected, yes?

[No_85_Gramps]

If you start from the "parked" position make sure you release the parking brake. Starting from the runway the brake is off.

Edited March 21, 2018 by Gramps

[BornToBattle]

Thanks guys. Yeah, operator error I’m sure as I saw no you else suffering from this. I’ll try today as suggested and double check my assignments as well. Thanks guys. Just as an FYI I’ll post back. 

 

OP, sorry. Didn’t mean to hijack the topic!

[Jade_Monkey]

I want to play it more but currently i have run out of key bindings on my hotas, so I'm running the cowl inlets and outlets in the same axis, which is a big no no in this plane in particular.

[Blitzen]

An amazing series of a-20 pics that are quite well known.still they illustrate how dangerous low level bombing could be even with daredevil 20 year old pilots..:

[AndyJWest]

Just came across this photo while looking for info on JATO usage. 

 

 

Image from here: http://calteches.library.caltech.edu/117/1/JATO.pdf

 

As the caption states, the JATO rockets are liquid-fuelled, using a hypergolic (self-igniting) combination of aniline fuel and red fuming nitric acid oxidiser. Seems to only have been an experimental program, possibly because of the obvious hazards from the fuel. 

Edited April 6, 2018 by AndyJWest

[ShamrockOneFive]

That's enormously cool! Something that I, for some reason, seem to expect from the A-20... There's a bunch of bonkers things that were done to this aircraft that just seem to suit it somehow.

 

I've read a bit about some night intruder A-20G-1s that the Soviets modified with radar antenna on the wings and 20mm cannons in the nose.

 

[MarderIV]

Has anyone gotten low level bombing missions flying in the A-20B Campaign? i.e. Low level raids and such?

[Dakpilot]

My Grandfather designed and was heavily involved in development of RATOG system for RAF Hurricanes on catapults used on  CAM ships

 

 

 

(sorry for off topic)

 

very cool pic of two Douglas designs at Monino

 

Cheers Dakpilot

[F/JG300_Gruber]

This is the first aircraft that is actually giving me a will to fly for the red side on occasions.

It is really nice to operate and fly !

[ShamrockOneFive]

7 hours ago, MarderIV said:

Has anyone gotten low level bombing missions flying in the A-20B Campaign? i.e. Low level raids and such?

 

I haven't yet and I've flown about 6-7 missions with the various bomber groups in A-20s.

 

A couple of missions I ended up flying the group I was in command of lower because thick cloud obscured the immediate target area and higher altitude bombing would have been impossible. That ended badly though with the death of my pilot as a medium flak gun blew part of my wing off and although I was able to maintain control for a while.. I ended up crashing and dying. Low level is dangerous

[KatieLuna]

7 hours ago, F/JG300_Gruber said:

This is the first aircraft that is actually giving me a will to fly for the red side on occasions.

It is really nice to operate and fly !

Heheh, typical LW pilot! The difficulty of the aircraft to fly is part of the charm! Besides, we get the best views

[Gambit21]

10 hours ago, MarderIV said:

Has anyone gotten low level bombing missions flying in the A-20B Campaign? i.e. Low level raids and such?

 

I'm working on an official A-20 scripted campaign that focuses on low-level interdiction.

16 missions at least, all except 1 are low level (ingress/egress in some missions are higher up...mountains and all)

 

Havoc Over the Caucasus

[Blitzen]

Want it! You read my mind!

[MarderIV]

 

17 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

 

I'm working on an official A-20 scripted campaign that focuses on low-level interdiction.

16 missions at least, all except 1 are low level (ingress/egress in some missions are higher up...mountains and all)

Ooooooh this is really nice. Can't wait to play this campaign.

 

On a side-note, are the AI A-20s able to effectively do these low level interdiction sorties? I've only ever tried to do a number of them in the campaign as a flight lead by editing the waypoints to match a lower altitude but they seem to be having a hard time, i.e. still behaving like level bombers instead of attack aircraft (as in the difference between the tactics and procedures of an Il-2 or even a Pe-2 versus that of a Heinkel) 

 

Have you encountered these things? 

 

20 hours ago, ShamrockOneFive said:

That ended badly though with the death of my pilot as a medium flak gun blew part of my wing off and although I was able to maintain control for a while.. I ended up crashing and dying. Low level is dangerous

 

I couldn't agree more  ...

 

 

[RydnDirty]

I love the A-20. The first time I flew it was on a cold winter map and my flight accelerated at tree tops to top speed with full internal loadout of 1600kg...

I couldn't believe it was indicating 300 m/h.  I was blinking and wondering did the Russian convert this plane to metric?  ...No we were doing 500 km/h with a full internal bomb load at tree tops .. wow ! That's impressive. 

[Gambit21]

11 hours ago, MarderIV said:

 

Ooooooh this is really nice. Can't wait to play this campaign.

On a side-note, are the AI A-20s able to effectively do these low level interdiction sorties?

 

 

Only if I equip them with 4xFAB 250's, (external) just like the Pe-2's will only execute low attacks if equiped with external FAB 500's

I'm hoping this get's changed, otherwise I have to mix loadouts in the flight. I've mentioned it to the devs so fingers crossed.

[Lusekofte]

I like the better bomb load , and the feeling you get flying treetop level with this plane. Still somehow I like the PE 2 better in other aspects. Kind of mixed feelings. A bit soulless in my opinion, but a very good plane

[MarderIV]

10 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

 

Only if I equip them with 4xFAB 250

 

I'm going to try this method, thanks. 

 

 

[Gambit21]

48 minutes ago, MarderIV said:

 

I'm going to try this method, thanks. 

 

 

 

Attack or Attack area placed at ground level - last waypoint before target at 550 meters or so AGL.

[Rjel]

On 3/22/2018 at 12:09 PM, Blitzen said:

An amazing series of a-20 pics that are quite well known.still they illustrate how dangerous low level bombing could be even with daredevil 20 year old pilots..:

 

This series of photos always gives me pause. You have to imagine the pilot was hit or maybe the controls were damaged. Either way, there were only seconds from being hit to the crash. It's haunting to look at. The pilot's name was Lt. James L. Knarr, age 26 and his gunner was S/Sgt. Charles G. Reichley, age 21. Below is a photo purported to be of Lt. Knarr. The name of the A-20 was "Bevo".

 

 

Below is a link with more information on the crew and their last mission.

https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a-20/43-9432.html