Taking it back OT again, but the Stuka comments got to me going...

I've seen the explanation in a number of places that says the pivoting bomb cradle on a Stuka was there "so that the flight of the bomb would now be outside the arc of the propeller". The Stuka would be in a high-drag configuration with its dive brakes extended, but I doubt it's going slow enough the bomb would out-accelerate the aircraft downward during an 80-90 degree dive angle release. It's said that the Stuka's airspeed would stabilize around 350 mph.

I could be wrong - I don't know the specs on that bomb - drag coefficient, its terminal velocity, etc., but it's not like the Stuka is just hanging there on a string, motionless in mid-air, dropping a bomb forward through its propellor. I doubt that clearing the prop was the true reason for the extending bomb cradle.

One of the sites with the "explanation" of the Stuka bomb cradle:
http://home.freeuk.net/johndillon/ju87.htm#Profile%20of%20a%20Stuka%20dive.

A delivery with an 80-90 degree dive angle could help in accuracy and aiming - less arc, etc. - but it could also leave the bomb fairly close to the aircraft longer than in a more shallow delivery - the bomb wouldn't fall away from the aircraft as much on release. I'd suspect the cradle was there to eliminate possible contact with the underside of the aircraft and especially with the fixed landing gear.

Wasn't there an automatic pullout initiated at or before the bomb release? This would lessen any tendency for bomb/aircraft collisions... or for any possible "bomb dropping through the prop arc" activity.

I've got a good number of real bomb-dropping hours, but I haven't found any hard data to support or debunk the idea. If anybody has some real (German or other) data on the reason for the Stuka bomb cradle, I'd like to see it.

Also, as bombs release, it sometimes takes a second or two for them to stabilize, for the fins to take effect.
Take a look at the inert 500 pounders flopping around in this photo - typical:
http://www.fotosearch.com/UNY515/126-06251/

________________________________________
Back on topic... a couple links.

Article on WWI bombing:
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Air_Power/WWI_Bombing/AP3.htm

WWI info site:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/index.htm

Papa_K