Landing with bombs?

[5urvivalis7]

I was flying the single mission included with the BoM for BF110-E2, and during the flight the flight assistance suggested that I disarm and drop bombs before landing. I think it triggered because I was flying low, I had no intention of landing.

 

But this got me thinking and left me with questions.

 

Do you not land if with bombs if you don't use them when you return to base? Or was the message intended in case I wanted to do an emergency landing? Do you also ditch the bombs like fuel tanks if you encounter enemy fighters?

 

And does it apply to fighter planes too that are carrying bombs, or are there specific guides for attack bombers like BF110s?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Avimimus]

In multiplayer or trying to recreate historical practices in single player?

[Trooper117]

Don't land with bombs... Ditch bombs if enemy fighters are attacking you. You will survive longer ?

[Dragon1-1]

You shouldn't dogfight with bombs, and obviously any emergency landing on a bunch of explosives tends to be rather dicey. Normal landing with a bombload should be fine, unless it's one of those German bombs that are half the size of your plane, you should probably get rid of that before getting anywhere near the ground.

[ITAF_Airone1989]

An Italian pilot landed his Spitfire with a bomb, because he had some trouble and cannot drop it.

But he wasn't happy, cause he was afraid it could explode in case of crash.

 

When engaged: it the order is to carry on with the mission they had to keep the bombs, otherwise if they had to run have they dropped them

[Knarley-Bob]

Some times, if I make it back, like dropping my empty rocket tubes after I park my plane. Kind of humorus, to me anyway.......?

[-TBC-AeroAce]

I guess in real life it depended on the structrual limits of the plane and obviously your situation (tatical or state of the plane)

[SharpeXB]

I can’t imagine WWII aircraft ever landed with bombs still on them. Would have been too dangerous. 

[Wilhelm_Heidkamp]

Of course, landing with bombs is possible.

[Numl0k]

3 hours ago, PA_Willy said:

Of course, landing with bombs is possible.

At least once, anyhow.

[LukeFF]

7 hours ago, PA_Willy said:

Of course, landing with bombs is possible.

 

No one said it wasn't, but there isn't a manual out there from the time that says to do such a thing. ?

[Wilhelm_Heidkamp]

Ironic mode.

[Dragon1-1]

Now that I think of it, jettisoning the bomb at a safe distance from the airfield, but still reasonably close would likely be preferred. WWII aircraft are hard enough to land unloaded and bomb safeties were way less reliable. Losing the bomb would not be a concern, indeed, as long as it was jettisoned somewhere close, it could likely be picked up and reused. People were a lot more cavailer with those things back then.

[SharpeXB]

12 hours ago, Dragon1-1 said:

it could likely be picked up and reused

Who gets to volunteer for that duty? ?
 

WWII aircraft from what I’ve read jettisoned any hung stores over enemy territory. Better there than friendly territory. There’s an account in The Wild Blue where the pilot’s only regret bombing someone was hitting a farmhouse with a jettisoned bomb. 

Edited January 4, 2023 by SharpeXB

[LukeFF]

On 1/2/2023 at 9:07 PM, PA_Willy said:

Ironic mode.

 

[Dragon1-1]

5 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Who gets to volunteer for that duty? ?

The one who pissed off the general the most lately gets volunteered.  

 

Hung ordnance is a different matter, because it's been initiated, but failed. That said, I don't imagine coming back with bombs was a big thing in WWII in general. If a bomber couldn't find its target, it'd typically drop on an alternate one, or just pick a "target of opportunity", which could include anything on the enemy side of the line. Both sides had no qualms against targeting civilians, so a farmhouse was as good as any other target.

[SharpeXB]

4 hours ago, Dragon1-1 said:

The one who pissed off the general the most lately gets volunteered.

I’m sure there were ordinance disposal personnel but I very much doubt they would reuse those bombs. 

4 hours ago, Dragon1-1 said:

Both sides had no qualms against targeting civilians, so a farmhouse was as good as any other target.

It’s an interesting story. Yeah the pilot had no qualms about his missions, war is war. But that one incident he regretted. He expressed that on a TV interview, the owner of the farmhouse saw it and wrote him a letter saying don’t worry we saw you coming and got out. 

[Wilhelm_Heidkamp]

On 1/2/2023 at 8:26 PM, PA_Willy said:

Of course, landing with bombs is possible.

 

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

; Abre una nueva pestaña

A P-47 from the 353rd FS, 354th FG, 9th AF. One of the planes own 500 pound bombs broke loose on landing at Asch Airfield,Belgium and exploded. The pilot survived and was returned to fight status. (Could also be a 389th FS, 366th FG plane being flown by 1stLt. Karl T. Hallberg).

[Dragon1-1]

Leave it to the P-47 to keep the pilot alive after eating one of its own 500 pounders.  I suppose they did bring the bombs home if they really couldn't find anything worth bombing. IIRC, this also depended on who was flying. I remember reading somewhere that expat pilots from central Europe were particularly bloodthirsty, and if they couldn't find their target, they attacked anything on the German side of the lines. Brits just went home in such cases.