This series is dedicated to the gallant service performed by the brave airmen of World War 2 who risked all so that we may enjoy our American way of life. The phrase “Big Brother, Little Brother” refers to the way the heavy bomber and fighter escort aircraft pilots called each other on the radio chatter.
On a personal note, my father “John” served as a flight engineer on a B-25 Mitchell out of Italy in 1944 and 1945. He made it back alive, as did my father-in-law “Danny” who served as a belly gunner on a B-24 Liberator out of Libya. “Danny” was one of the few airmen who flew in both Ploesti oil field raids to Romania (June 1942 and August 1943) and did so without so much as a scratch. He flew his 25 missions and returned to the US as a gunnery instructor (Lead, Dammit, Lead!).
Finding all the caches will display a GeoArt form of the Big Brother, Little Brother relationship on your map. The caches were not meant to be difficult to find. If you can’t find a cache, it’s probably missing. Send me a picture of the location by email, I’ll accept the find and replace the cache.
A-20 Havoc
The Douglas A-20 Havoc light bomber was one of the most extensively built of the light bombers of WWII. It was used in a variety of roles, performing them well but without distinction. Initially configured with a standard bomber glass nose, some later versions had a solid nose containing multiple machine guns for use in low-level attacks. Some A-20s equipped with radar equipment were redesigned as P-70s and were used as night fighters until replaced in 1944 by the P-61 "Black Widow". The P-70 was given the name Nighthawk, though this name was rarely used.
Although not the fastest or longest-ranged in its class, the Douglas DB-7 series distinguished itself as a tough, dependable combat aircraft with an excellent reputation due to its speed and maneuverability. In a report to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (AAEE) at RAF Boscombe Down, test pilots summed it up as "has no vices and is very easy to takeoff and land... The aeroplane represents a definite advantage in the design of flying controls... extremely pleasant to fly and manoeuvre”.
Ex-pilots often consider it their favorite aircraft of the war due to the ability to toss it around like a fighter. Its true impact was that the Douglas bomber/night fighter was extremely adaptable and found a role in every combat theater of the war and excelled as a true "pilot's aeroplane.
font size=”3”>Douglas A-20 Havoc Technicals
General characteristics-
Crew: 2-3
Length: 47 ft 11 in
Wingspan: 61 ft 4 in
Height: 17 ft 7 in
Wing area: 465 ft²
Empty weight: 15,051 lb
Loaded weight: 27,200 lb
Max. takeoff weight: 20,320 lb
Powerplant: 2 × Wright R-2600-A5B "Twin Cyclone" radial engines, 1,700 hp each
Performance-
Maximum speed: 339 mph at 10,000 ft
Range: 1,050 mi
Service ceiling: 23,700 ft
Rate of climb: 2,000 ft/min
Armament-
Guns:
4× fixed 0.303 in Browning machine guns in the nose
2× flexible 0.303 in Browning machine guns, mounted dorsally
1× flexible 0.303 in Vickers K machine gun, mounted ventrally
Bombs: 2,000 lb
Survivors
Airworthy-
A-20J Havoc, s/n 43-21709, by Lewis Fighter Fleet LCC in San Antonio, TX.
A-20G Havoc, s/n 43-22197, by Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, FL.
On display-
A-20G Havoc, s/n 43-22200 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH.
Under restoration-
A-20G Havoc, s/n 43-21627 by the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, AZ.
A-20H Havoc, s/n 44-0020 initially to static display with eventual airworthiness by the Military Aircraft Restoration Corp. in Geneseo, NY.