Best all-round carrier based bomber

I'd go for a dauntless dive-bomber because of it's toughness.

 

Skyraider for me, although to late for WW2

 

I'd take a Firefly over the Dauntless

 

I'd say the swordfish...Most C/B bombers were cannon fodder for the fighters...but the swordfish was slow and manouverble enough to give fighter pilots a headache...and would break off due to lack of ammo or fuel!... These duels could go for more than half an hour...As for all time...difficult...carrier based bombers are limited in size and load, so they are never going to be as good as they could be...but i'd go for the A-3 SkyWarrior...first fleet Nuclear bomber and the biggest aircraft aboard for a while there...a strange beauty to the girl...a real workhorse.

 

I alway liked the late model Son-of-a-Bitch 2nd Class. Also, the Japanese B7A "Grace" showed a lot of promise.

 

B-25 Mitchell

 

Point taken, but the landings were too much of a PITA.

 

The B-25 Mitchell was pretty good at a one way flight, only used one time for aggression as I recall.

For a good/best all around carrier based bomber I believe it would be the Douglas Dauntless, since it flew with distinction through the war until replaced by the SB2C "Helldiver". The aforementioned "Son of a Bit*h Second Class", That "beast" came to be appreciated near the end, but most pilots seemed to miss the old Dauntless for some reason even when it was truly being outclassed by newer planes as both a dive bomber and fighter-bomber.

Of course they all fell by the wayside when the A-1 Skyraider appeared at war's end, even the mighty Corsair had trouble matching that machine's ability off a carrier.

Oddly enough the British Swordfish "stringbag" was the only carrier biplane to fight as a warship from the beginning to the end of WW2. It was in service until 1945, that has to say something about "slow and accurate" doesn't it?

 

Once you drop the bombs it's just another airliner.

 

Not if you want to do it twice it isn't.

 

I prefer D4Y "Judy" (water-cooled engine versions).
In general, speaking about all those aircraft, we should keep in mind that much depends on the pilots and not only on the plane itself - the Brits achieved a lot of successes flying obsolete Swordfishes, while the Japanese achieved even more flying not much better D3As.

Regards,

 

none ww2....the buccaneer..ww2 doolitles one off little baby..bit impracticle for recovery though..were goinna need a bigger carrier..

 

The SB2C. It was almost as fast as fighters were when the war stared, it could be used both as a dive- and a torpedo bomber. So from a purely technical POV, the SB2C is best. Taking into consideration availability the TBF is the winner. It entered service when the USA entered the war, served throuout and for many years afterwards in all sorts of roles.

 

See the Corsair 110 AU-1 could lug 4,000lbs, but it doesn't say if it could do it from a carrier. Did they have catapult's in WW2?... Would think it would have to fly from land carrying 4,000lbs if not.

 

Yeah sounds land based, good question...they had steam catapaults, Amercia not surprisingly invented new systems (other than steam)...could be rocket assisted if it had to launch from a carrier...(Which reminds me, why wasn't the Doollitte B-25s not rocket assisted off the deck in their one off? Apparently getting off in the required distance was a big concern)...but if we're counting Corsairs then aren't we moving into the realm of fighter-bombers? If so i'd say the corsair...all time would have to be the F-14 or F-18...?

 

Yeah, fighter bombers? Or pure bombers of WW2 capable of AC takeoffs (eh)?...Cause all time best carrier plane is A4 Skyhawk.

 

I have to go with the Swordfish - torpedo bomber, level day bomber, supply-dropper, anti-shipping and ASW hunter, shorebased day- and night-minelayer.

 

I'll have to go with the dauntless also.

 

I'll say the SBD Dauntless, with the Swordfish as the runner-up.

The Dauntless' toughness is second-to-none, and its good reliability meant it was already ready when it was needed. Despite being outdated and outmatched, it sank more tonnage of IJN shipping than any other aircraft.

The Swordfish is second for pure adaptability and dexterity. Severely outdated, it soldiered through with spectactular success, and could be easily adapted to carry whatever stores were needed, and could be flown in nearly all weather conditions with extreme maneuverability.

 

The Swordfish would have been slaughtered had it gone up against any of the IJN fleets. Ask the pilots of the Devastators what it was like flying low and slow against the Zero's. And if you're judging it by its torpedo capabilities; it was a distant second compared to the Avenger.