A-20B --> A-20G for use on the Western front maps.

[Stonehouse]

I believe that there is only a single non VVS flyable light bomber for the Allied side in game, the A-20B - the Mosquito is a heavy fighter or fighter bomber not a level bomber.

 

However, by 1944 and the western front maps like Rhineland or Normandy particularly, the A-20B is significantly outclassed and pretty much a flying coffin. It cannot be magically fudged to provide a reasonable light level bomber for the Allied side in 1944 scenarios and still be an A-20B. 

 

A suggestion to rectify this situation with hopefully comparatively minimal investment by the dev team would be to provide either a modification to get the A-20B to the A-20G or if that wasn't feasible to take the A-20B assets as a base to provide the A-20G as an additional flyable aircraft at lower development cost. The A-20G also technically (not sure it was used operationally other than perhaps by the VVS) could operate with a single torpedo loadout making it a versatile aircraft in game terms.

 

The A-20G was significantly more capable as a tactical bomber than the A-20B and would likely be cheaper to add than something like a A26 or flyable B26 or B25.

 

Douglas A20G Havoc – RAAF Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre (raafamberleyheritage.gov.au)

 

Edited January 20, 2024 by Stonehouse

[Mtnbiker1998]

10000% a collector bomber I would buy, and seems like it would be a significantly cheaper aircraft to develop considering we already have the B. How much would need to be changed other than the nose full of .50s?

[jollyjack]

A-20G and torpedos, wow .. ??

[Stonehouse]

6 hours ago, Mtnbiker1998 said:

10000% a collector bomber I would buy, and seems like it would be a significantly cheaper aircraft to develop considering we already have the B. How much would need to be changed other than the nose full of .50s?

 Yes - I would pay for an A20G as well. Major changes are to remove nose glazing and change to duraluminum with 6 x.50s and ammo inside and a powered upper turret with twin .50s plus adding an air dropped torpedo to the game and allowing the G to carry it. Better engines as well - Wright R-2600-23s.

 

I'd be willing to forgo the torpedo even, as it wasn't used on the Western front and anyway the common tactic in the Pacific was to attack shipping at low level in a group, firing the nose guns at the target on the way in overwhelming crews of deck mounted AAA and then skip bombing the ship.

 

Apparently, they did use this approach in 1944 attacking Channel shipping and ports quite successfully but heavier German AAA caused too many casualties, so the emphasis switched to medium level tactical bombing and photo recon. There were 3 USAAF BGs with A20Gs at the time of D-Day plus the RAF and commonwealth Airforce's used them (calling them Boston's).

 

Apparently the A20G was the most produced variant as well making it a good candidate for inclusion in the game plus if the dev team want to ever do something in the Pacific theatre, the A20G was heavily used there by all the allied air forces - USAAF, RAF, RAAF etc. so adding it now would mean they could reuse the aircraft plus any research later.  

Edited January 22, 2024 by Stonehouse

[Justicier]

Would buy the A-20G in a heartbeat in Great Battles. And of course, it has a place in the Pacific as well so they could easily port it over for their next project after the current "project which still shall not be named" is completed.

Edited January 22, 2024 by Justicier

[parkerc341]

I want the a20g very bad but i have doubts we will see collector bombers at this point. i feel as if we will likely get fighters being great battles seems to be taking the back seat.

[sevenless]

Support this. A20G would not only be usefull in Normandy and Rhineland, but also for VVS in the East.

 

The Douglas A-20 Havoc/Boston in Soviet Service | vvs air war

[LW_Pilot777]

I think the IL-2 team should think about A-20G its great plane and it shoudln`t be VERY hard to modify from A-20B which already exist ... aaaand many people will buy it with pleasure ... me too ofcourse 😄 

[LukeFF]

20 hours ago, LW_Pilot777 said:

I think the IL-2 team should think about A-20G its great plane and it shoudln`t be VERY hard to modify from A-20B which already exist ... aaaand many people will buy it with pleasure ... me too ofcourse 😄 

 

It's more work than people realize. 

[Aapje]

1 hour ago, LukeFF said:

 

It's more work than people realize. 

 

Of course, first you need to do C, D, E and F. Only then you get to G.

[Avimimus]

2 hours ago, LukeFF said:

 

It's more work than people realize. 

 

Quite a bit less if it is an A-20G-1 though (no enlarged fuselage, no new turret etc.) That said, the only maps I'm sure it was used on are in the east.

 

Another option would be an early British A-20  (i.e. Boston III). Again, less differences than the later A-20G variants.

 

But you are obviously right about most A-20G variants (and probably all variants take more work than we anticipate).

[LukeFF]

The other problem with the G model is level bombing - they would be led by an A-20 with a bombsight and would drop on its command, e.g in 1944 something like a C or J model. 

[LW_Pilot777]

On 6/11/2024 at 5:53 PM, LukeFF said:

It's more work than people realize. 

Ofcourse it`s not a one day, one week or even one monthe mission ... but its little bit better and easier then create new plane from scratch 

On 6/11/2024 at 8:45 PM, LukeFF said:

The other problem with the G model is level bombing - they would be led by an A-20 with a bombsight

Believe me or not but if the G model would be created nobody will be look at the ,,formation leader,, with glass nose 😄 from normandy theater ... ofcourse for some time hehehe

[LukeFF]

21 hours ago, LW_Pilot777 said:

Believe me or not but if the G model would be created nobody will be look at the ,,formation leader,, with glass nose 😄 from normandy theater ... ofcourse for some time hehehe

 

Kinda hard to lead a formation in a bombing mission when you don't have a way to aim at the target. 🙂

[357th_KW]

The dual nature of an A-20G/J or A-26B/C combo with both a solid nose and glass nose option would make them really appealing as a collector plane.

[=MERCS=JenkemJunkie]

I've never level bombed once in the B version anyways, I've always dive bombed.

[LW_Pilot777]

A20 havoc - Artwork / Works in Progress - Blender Artists Community ........ sorry it was stronger then me 😄 hehehehehe

[Hoss]

The A-20G is a cold dead horse.... there's many a huckle bearer to bear witness on these pages. I always wanted to see the Tu-2 most of all, even a DB-4

 

But...      Maybe we'll get the Korean B-26 in the next iteration of IL2. 

 

[LW_Pilot777]

On 9/6/2024 at 8:59 AM, Hoss said:

The A-20G is a cold dead horse

I hope not because looking at history of A-20G usage in both side of the front it look more then attractive to do this particulary version of havoc 

 

On 9/6/2024 at 8:59 AM, Hoss said:

I always wanted to see the Tu-2 most of all

Oh man that will be something really great Tu-2 is amazing  (and underrated just like Boston/Havoc) ... it`ll be fit to berlin scenery in future (I hope 😄) or some other late war east front theater