ETO A-20 Havocs

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:45 pm

1Lt Bates, SSgt edwards, SSgt Hazelton, SSgt Hansen & Capt Moore A-20J 410th BG 1944

SSgt Field, 1Lt Defonso & SSgt Glaza of the 410th BG

1Lt Walsh, SSgt Herman & SSgt Hauser 410th BG

A-20G "Zombie" 410th BG

A-20G "Maxine" 410th BG s/n 43-9913

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:46 pm

What a sexy friggin' plane.

Hawkeye · **Posted:** Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:05 pm

Wow, either those guys are really small or i'm really big....that A-20 looks massive in scale to them, but standing next to the A-20 fuselage in Geneseo made me think i could barely fit inside...

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:07 pm

I would say the A-20 is about the same size as a B-25.

jdvoss · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:44 am

Although the A-20 is marginally smaller than the B-25 keep in mind that the A-20 had quite a narrow fiuselage and therefore carried only pilot and a rear gunner. THe B-25 had carried pilot, co-pilot, top turret gunner, two side gunners, rear gunner and bombadier. I've attached a photo of the A-20H cockpit when it was a Beaver Falls PA (2006). Too bad there are so few surviviors ..a neat looking airplane!!

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:47 am

I have spent many of cold Saturdays in the rear fuselage of that very A-20.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:11 am

how did a pilot bail out of a havoc?? was the top cockpit hatch jettisonable?? no way you could open it up in the slipstream

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:23 am

I think he had to go out the top. :cry:

Nathan · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:53 am

Thats close to the props right?

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:58 am

Close enough to scare me.

Nathan · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:05 am

Close enough I wouldnt even attempt to bail out. :shock:

Holedigger · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:24 am

Bail out?! Yikes!!! That looks near impossible for the pilot! Roll her upside-down and fall out?

On crew size, the B-17 weight limit for crew was 1200 lbs for 10 men....do the math. I know it's morning for most of you, but this is easy math! :wink:

Nathan · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:28 am

Holedigger wrote:

Bail out?! Yikes!!! That looks near impossible for the pilot! Roll her upside-down and fall out?

On crew size, the B-17 weight limit for crew was 1200 lbs for 10 men....do the math. I know it's morning for most of you, but this is easy math! :wink:

No math for me thank you!:lol:

Holedigger · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:34 am

OK, OK, it would be 120 LBS (54.43kg for those enlightened by metric!) I did use the calc for the metric conversion :shock:

This makes me feel rather fat, slow and heavy this morning!!

Randy Wilson · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:40 am

The A-20 manual section on bailout basically says to open the bomb bay doors and salvo the bombs to clear the exit for the rear gunner. The bombardier's primary exit is through the upper escape hatch in the pilot's cockpit - alternate is a lower nose hatch. The pilot is to feather both props to prevent injury if the bombardier uses the alternate exit. Both the pilot and bombardier are to dive flat head first out onto the right wing trailing edge. If anyone wants the exact text, let me know and I'll try and find time to post it.

The copy I have is a rather poor scan to pdf one that was distributed on a DVD with some A-20 training videos by a company called WarBirdMedia.com. I have a number of these DVDs for different WWII aircraft but can find no evidence that the company still exists. Dates on the DVD are 2005. Does anyone know who these folks are or were? Thanks.

Randy

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ETO A-20 Havocs

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