"What was the best 4-engined bomber of World War 2?" Topic

As simple as it sounds.
What was the overall best 4-engined bomber of the Second World War?

B29

Technical superiority – the B-29

Iconic – the Lancaster or the B-17

The best for the cost and utility – the B-24

Same.

B-29 but it was a later design that the 17.

Im a yank so you must take that into account. The Lanc???

Al

B-17 for me, though the Lanc carried a far heavier payload.

There were two distinct bombing campaigns in WW2 so I think it is fair to choose a bomber for each

Pacific B 29

Europe Avro Lancaster

B-24 is my choice

B-17

It shared the burden of daylight bombing with the B-24, carried a lesser load than the B-24, but, their crews felt that it was the plane to get you to the target and back.
Walter Cronkite and a batch of reports went on a mission over Germany. They all chose to ride in B-17's (considered a lucky plane), except one who flew in a B-24 (to prove they were just as safe). All came back except the reporter in the B-24. There is no B-29 without the B-17 and the lessons learned from its development and operation.
The B-29 never had to go up against the better defenses of the 3rd Reich. Lots of technical problems with the B-29, offset by its operating altitude, bomb load capacity and range. The 20th AF did suffer a higher abort rate than the 8th AF.

Yes, the B-29 had a higher operating altitude, but Lemay had them flying low altitude in his incendiary raids on Japan. It was known that a few were brought down by the turbulence due to the massive fires.

McKinstry has it right.

US bombers, even the B-29, were handicapped by the decision to design them to only be able to carry 250 pound bombs, the 'experts' in the Army Air Corp having decided in the 1930's that no bigger bomb would ever be needed. Even in the face of operational experience both from the RAAF and the Axis, they then refused to change.

The 'second generation' of British bombers, including the Lancaster, could regularly carry 4,000 pound bombs as part of their load which were more destructive than the equivalent weight of 250's.

So, for my money, the Lancaster.

B-17

B-29 was the most advanced, but the Lancaster has the most mileage and the greater versatility.

From the technical pov the prize goes to the B-29, but in practice the Lancaster was the true workhorse.

Honourable mentions to the B-17 and B-24.

The Lanc.

Agree with Patrick & Co, the Lancaster for me.

Another vote for the Lanc and a God Bless to all the crews who fought and died in them. I am utterly opposed to those who try to denigrate these flyers. The memorial to them in London was long overdue and only held up by lily-livered politicos.

Well said ashill2! :-)

Lancaster for me. The B29 was technically superior, but a much later design. The punishment that the Lanc could take was also very impressive, and the payload was huge. Honourable mention to B24.

B-29

Good question

The Lancaster served through most of the war and was, given bomb load and versatility, I think the best 4 engine bomber overall

That being said, the B-29 was unquestionably the best bomber in service at the end of the war – technologically advanced, impressive capacity; as I recall, it cost more to develop the B-29 than it did to develop the atomic bomb

Plus the ultimate compliment to the B-29 was the Tupelov Tu-4 Bull – which Uncle Joe Stalin had built as a reverse-engineered, carbon copy of the B-29

link

Lanc as it carried the best door knocker in the war.

YouTube link

Too easy; B-29.
-Kle.

According to the veterans it has been my pleasure to speak with over the years, invariably the answer is… "mine.!

B-24. Numbers and a jack of all trades.

their crews felt that [the B-17] was the plane to get you to the target and back.

I happened to hear an interview with a vet on NPR ten years or so back, and he described how after one raid there seemed to be more daylight than aluminum in the fuselage his plane. It was remarkable to hear the love in his voice for that plane.

So, pretty much all Yanks says "B-29!" and all Brits say "Lanc!", with the Canadians saying, "Well, I can see it both ways…"

Perfect! :D

What makes best? Highest percentage of missions complete? Highest survivability? Highest crew survivability? Heaviest payload? Cheapest and easiest to build? Looks coolest? Was most mentioned with dread in Hitler's diary?

Lancaster and B-17 for being there for the long haul.

B-29 for being the beginning of the future.

Honorable mention: B-24.

Short Stirling Mk.IV, because my late father served in them. And Mk.V post war, but it wasn't a bomber.

My father was 23 years in the Air Force, and had the plans up for a B-29 in his den. It was by far his favorite plane, and so therefore gets my vote!

Despite being an American, I need to vote for the Lancaster, at least in the European theater.

Had the war gone longer, the B36 would have been in service, but the B29 was 'the' bomber in the Pacific.

I would say…any bomber guarded by a sufficient fighter escort, or lack of opposition!
Bombers generally did a good job in very difficult circumstances, I salute the courage of all who flew in them..from any country!

B29

I would probably vote for the B32….just to throw a wrench in

Piaggio P.108

Plus could the Sunderland being included? It carried bombs after all.

The B-29 was the most advance four engine bomber to come out of WWII. The aircraft was originally design to bomb Germany from the United States but became the perfect aircraft for the PTO. It was the most expensive project of the war, a billion dollars more expensive than the Manhattan Project.

It was one of the largest aircraft to see service in World War II and a very advanced bomber for its time, with features such as a pressurized cabin, an electronic fire-control system, and remote-controlled machine-gun turrets.

It could fly higher, faster with a larger payload. It was the only aircraft that could be modified to carry the two atomic bombs. It outlasted all it's WWII contemporaries and saw service in the Korean War. It was so good that the Soviets copied it down to the bolts, forcing a huge advancement in their aviation technology.

It was literally a war winner. No contest here, nothing further to see, move along.

Blah, Blah, Blah,
Lancaster, obviously, no contest, etc…….

John

Actually, the Shackleton which is a Lancaster variant was in service untul the 1970's (at least)……….

Snappy comeback J54. What exactly made the Lancaster better than the B-29?