Mark164
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Mid Upper Turret Field of Fire
The Lancaster variant rules state:-
Rule 3. C, ii, d. - 'The Mid-upper turret's field of fire is the same as that of the B-17 Top turret'.
This is fine except for 6 o'clock level. The B17 has a huge tailfin in the way the Lancaster does not, it has a twin tail instead. So the field of fire should be clear for 6 o'clock level defensive fire. Any thoughts?
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10/27/2006, 2:33 pm
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IronMikeUSMC
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Re: Mid Upper Turret Field of Fire
Probably a simplification of the rules.
According to The Avro Lancaster & Manchester Archive, http://www.lancaster-archive.com/Lanc-Turrets.htm, the Lanc had this covereage for the mid-upper turret:
Field of fire :
Azimuth -360 deg.
Elevation - 60 deg.
Depression - 45 deg.
One would think then that if the turret had full azimuth rotation, then the 6 o'clock position would be eligible for firing. Even though the Lanc had a twin tail, the mid-upper gunner would have to very careful. A little more research is necessary to determine if the guns had stops/cams which forced the guns to fire over and around the vertical tail planes, and how. This site does have an image, http://www.lancaster-archive.com/Lanc-TurretsMU.htm, which shows the turret with a 'cam ring', and Operating Levers, which presumably limited the guns' depression, and perhaps ability to fire in certain directions and elevations.
Also, looking at the guns' elevation capability, it is clear that any aircraft in a vertical dive would be free and clear until it got very close.
---
Never let a fact stand in the way of the truth.
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10/27/2006, 7:13 pm
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Mark164
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Re: Mid Upper Turret Field of Fire
I agree more reasearch is needed, I hope to take part in a taxi run of Lancaster NX611 in Lincolnshire in the spring/summer. Perhaps that may help resolve the issue. However NX611 is a Mark VII and does not appear to have a cam ring.
Looking at the photo on the excellent Lancaster archive site it seems possible that 12 level may be in question too.
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10/27/2006, 10:11 pm
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Mark164
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Re: Mid Upper Turret Field of Fire
I agree more reasearch is needed, I hope to take part in a taxi run of Lancaster NX611 in Lincolnshire in the spring/summer. Perhaps that may help resolve the issue. However NX611 is a Mark VII and does not appear to have a cam ring.
Looking at the photo on the excellent Lancaster archive site it seems possible that 12 level may be in question too.
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10/27/2006, 10:11 pm
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ericrrrm
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Re: Mid Upper Turret Field of Fire
I'd be very interested in whatever you can discover, of course.
In the meantime, I think of the attack directions more as general areas, rather than specific points. I can imagine a variety of attacks, all of which may be described as "6 o'clock level", some of which would seem to be in the MU turret's field of fire, and other of which would not be. I figure that the game calls those that are in the field of fire as "6 o'clock high".
I think the same way about 10:30, 12, and 1:30 level. It does seem to me that the MU turret would have a better shot at 10:30 and 1:30 level than it does at 12 level. But I figure 10:30 and 1:30 level really mean "attack from ahead that you can't get a shot at", while 12 level really means "attack from ahead that you can get a shot at."
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10/28/2006, 10:37 pm
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MyK646
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Re: Mid Upper Turret Field of Fire
Very interesting topic.
The way I have played it is a clear shot for the lanc at 6 level, 1.30 level and 10.30 level, but not at 12 level.
For the B-17, I have given the Top Turret a clear shot at 1.30 level and 10.30 level, and the Ball Turret a clear shot at 6 level. (On PBEM missions I follow the original rules.)
Magnus.
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11/3/2006, 6:06 am
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