It interests me that both the Short Stirling and Avro Lancaster cockpits were unusual perched-up-high omnivision greenhouses rather than the typical bomber windscreen plus a few windows. Was there a specific reason for this other than the general concept of “a good all-around view”? (What difference that would make in a night bomber I’m not clear on.)
I have seen references to Lancasters sometimes having a crewmember stand behind the pilot’s seat–probably the flight engineer–and acting as a kind of fighting coordinator, calling out everything from targets to potential midairs. Don’t know if this is true or not, but it would certainly be a reason for having an all-glass cockpit.
Reason for my question: I’m working on a major feature on the Lancaster, my case being that the Lanc was the all-around best bomber of the ETO, for a U. S. aviation magazine. Best heavy bomber of the entire war, were it not for the B-29.
By: dhfan - 29th August 2017 at 13:40
As a sort of educated guess I think the cockpits needed to be high up to allow room below for a front turret and access for the bomb aimer.
As for the glasshouse, when the Manchester, Halifax and Stirling were designed in 1937, it wasn’t known they were going to be night bombers. It wasn’t until daylight raids were decimated in the early years of the war that Bomber Command switched to night bombing.
Edit. I don’t know about just behind the pilot’s seat, but presumably there’s a step or raised area at the back of the Lancaster cockpit to reach the astrodome.
By: Kenneth - 28th August 2017 at 10:52
Could the bomb bay design have played a role? The Lancaster’s bomb bay is long longitudinal compartment in the lower section of the fuselage, and the cockpit had to go on top of this, whereas e.g. in a B-17 the cockpit is in front of the of a relatively short bomb bay with the bombs stacked vertically in the fuselage? Just a thought…
By: 12jaguar - 28th August 2017 at 08:59
Certainly on a Stirling there is a raised step behind the 2nd pilot with it’s own armour plating that is referred to as the Fire Controller position. Anecdotally, the view from a Stirling was supposed to be pretty good
John
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August 27, 2017 at 11:05 pm