(I am just having some fun getting ready for a big North African WOG II Battle up at my brother's house in 2 months)
I Just got my orders for the anti shipping sortie on German supply ships anchored at Benghazi's port.
I will be leading a four aircraft formation of B-25B Mitchells (98th Bombardment Group) taking off from Baheira Airfield just east of El Alamein.
Due to the 900 mile round trip to Benghazi, my boats will be full to the hilt carrying a compliment of 8 x 5inch HVAR rockets, 2x 1000 pound Mark 13 bombs, and the standard compliment of 50 caliber aircraft armament.
I wanted to get the CO to sign off on the following load plan prior to giving it to the crew chief for servicing.
North American B-25 Mitchell Load Plan:
Climb Rate: 7
Max Altitude: 9
Fuel Unit Use: 1 (lb) Slow / 6 (lb) Fast
FUEL:__________________________________________________________________
Fuel Considerations and Capacities:
Internal Capacity: 974 US gal (5844 lb)
Optional weapons-bay mounted drop tank of 585 US gal (3510 lb).
1 US Gal = 1.54 miles = 6 lb
Estimated Range: 1500 miles
Fuel Required to Target Area:
425 miles one way + 43 miles cushion x 6 / 1.54 = 1695 lb fuel
Fuel Required from Target Area:
425 miles one way + 43 miles cushion x 6 / 1.54 = 1695 lb fuel
Fuel Required Engaging Target (FRET):
(Estimated slow maneuvers _____ x 1 lb) + (fast maneuvers 20 x 6 lb) = 120 lb fuel
= 3822 Total lb
(Total can not exceed 5844 lb or 9354 lb with weapons-bay mounted drop tank)
CREW:_________________________________________________________________
Crew complement:
1 x Pilot, 1 x Copilot, 1 x Bombardier, 1 x Radio Operator, 1 x Dorsal/Ventral Gunner, and 1 x (Optional) Tail Gunner.
Number of crewmembers 6 x 200 lb = 1200 Total lb
STANDARD ARMAMENT:_ _______ ______________________________________
Bombardier’s forward mounted flexible .50 BMG:
For each turn the bombardier fires, 10 rounds are fired from forward gun #1. Single .50 cal BMG round weight = .35 lb per round
#1 Browning .50 cal MG with 600 round capacity (210 lb total)
200 rounds / 10 = 20 available trigger pulls 200 rounds x .35 = 70 lb
Dorsal and Ventral power operated Bendix turret with twin .50 BMGs each:
For each turn the dorsal/ventral gunner fires, 20 rounds are fired from ether dorsal gun #2 or ventral gun #3 (guns #2 and #3 are fired by the same gunner who must transition from one gun to the next) Single .50 cal BMG round weight = .35 lb per round
North American B-25C Mitchell Load Plan:
#2 Twin Dorsal Browning .50 cal MG with 800 round capacity (280 lb total)
400 rounds / 20 = 20 available trigger pulls 400 rounds x .35 = 136 lb
#3 Twin (retractable) Ventral Browning .50 cal MG with 700 round capacity (245 lb total)
_____ rounds / 20 = _____ available trigger pulls _____ rounds x .35 = _____ lb
Tail mounted trainable twin .50 BMGs (on B models):
For each turn the tail gunner fires, 20 rounds are fired from tail gun #4. Single .50 cal BMG round weight = .35 lb per round
#4 Twin tail mounted Browning .50 cal MG with 700 round capacity (245 lb. total)
400 rounds / 20 = 20 available trigger pulls 400 rounds x .35 = 136 lb
= 342 Total lb
BOMBS: _______________________________________________________________
Up to 3,200 lb, carried in the weapons bay
Bomb loads compete with weapons bay drop tank, and would have to be halved if present
1 x 2,000 lb bombs = _____ lb
2 x 1,600 lb bombs = _____ lb
3 x 1,000 lb bombs = 2000 lb
6 x 500 lb bombs = _____ lb
8 x 250 lb bombs = _____ lb
12 x 100 lb bombs = _____ lb
= 2000 Total lb
OPTIONAL ARMAMENT:_ _______________________________________________
Optional Armament Considerations:
The use of optional armament requires that both the weight of the weapon and the weight of its rounds be added to the total load/weight of the aircraft. When using asymmetrical loads, match the approximate weight carried by the left and right wing hard points.
Under wing mounted Rockets
Under wing rockets are for ground and sea targets only, not for use against aircraft. Each rocket is single use only. Under wing rocket mounts used prior to 1944 caused excessive drag; and as a result, only slow speeds (using fast fuel consumption rates) may be planned except for game effect. For each 3.5 Inch FFAR Armor Piercing Rocket fired, 1
x C damage is inflicted (add 1 x A for each rocket fired at close range). For each 5 Inch FFAR High Explosive Rocket fired, 1 x D damage is inflicted at closed range (5 inch
North American B-25C Mitchell Load Plan:
FFAR are not effective when used at long range). For each 5 Inch HVAR Rocket fired, 1 x D damage is inflicted (add 1 x B damage when the rocket is fired at close range). Damage inflicted through the use of rockets ignores special damages. The American’s use of aircraft rockets began around the last half of 1943.
Left Wing Mount:
4 × 3.5 Inch FFAR Armor Piercing Rockets at 54 lb each and 216 lb for 4
Or = _____ lb
4 × 5 Inch FFAR High Explosive Rocket at 80 lb each and 320 lb for 4
Or = _____ lb
4 × 5 Inch HVAR (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket) at 134 lb each and 536 lb for 4 = 535 lb
Right Wing Mount:
4 × 3.5 Inch FFAR Armor Piercing Rockets at 54 lb each and 216 lb for 4
Or = _____ lb
4 × 5 Inch FFAR High Explosive Rocket at 80 lb each and 320 lb for 4
Or = _____ lb
4 × 5 Inch HVAR (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket) at 134 lb each and 536 lb for 4 = 535 lb
Center Carried Torpedo:
Torpedoes travel in a straight line at a rate of one small card/clear stand distance each turn, and inflict .3333 of their weight in damage once they hit the target.
1 x 2,150 lb Torpedo (Competes with internal Loads) = _____ lb
= 1070 Total lb
TOTAL LOAD:___________________________________________________________
Equipment Load Bearing Considerations:
28,460 lb Max Takeoff Weight
20,000 lb Dry Weight
8,460 lb Max Takeoff Load Availability
Final Weight and Balance:
Fuel = 3822 lb
Crew = 1200 lb
Standard Armament = 342 lb
Bombs = 2000 lb
Optional Armament = 1070 lb
= 8434 Total lb*
North American B-25C Mitchell Load Plan:
*Total must not exceed 8,460 lb
*Total must not exceed 5,639 lb for short / grass runways /carrier take off roll
*Total of 2,820 lb or less could potentially result in -1 climb rate with an increase of 1 level of max altitude capability. Fuel expenditures would be reduced to: 1 Slow / 5 Fast
*Total of 2,821 lb or more, with an engine loss, results in slow maneuvers using a fuel consumption rate of 4
*Total of 5,640 lb or more would result in a Full Load, at least 2 non-steep maneuvers, rather than one, between steep maneuvers, and cannot plan high speed maneuvers except those produced by game effect. Slow speeds would expend 6 Fuel units. If this total exists in conjunction with an engine loss, the aircraft would potentially sink/descend 1 climb counter per turn.
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