Heinkel He-177Z

[Tophe]

I don't recall side-firing waist guns as being employed by the Germans.

Do you mean that the guns at the end of each boom could only fire at their 6 o'clock and not at 5 or 7? I think some move sidewards was very necessary both for He 277 and Zwilling, otherwise such guns would be almost useless, and it is not at all above technical skills of those years. You are very sure, it seems, but I feel this is doubtful, at least.
On the He 111Z, the built ones had no crew in the center while the first project had a central gunner firing backwards in the middle of the central wing. Everything's possible, and if ever an hypothesis is wrong, just say 'what if...'  

[Swamphen]

Zat's precicely vere da fuelen dumpen valven is located. Ze Americaner pilot gets und himselfen unt dere and von hundred litres und petrol commen outten und splashen over his plane. His own hot exhaust vill poofen der petrol und down he goes.

[Jschmus]

You are very sure, it seems, but I feel this is doubtful, at least.

I never said I was an expert, and I didn't mean to imply that the turreted guns couldn't swivel.  I've just have never seen a picture of a German bomber with "waist guns", as found on US bombers like the B-17 and B-24.  That's all I meant.  Besides, it sounded like a cool scenario.

As a side note, I learned this weekend to never, ever discuss "What If" scenarios with real WWII veterans.

Why would you ever want to make a German plane more lethal?  The real ones were plenty nasty, thank you for asking.  What are you, some kind of Nazi sympathizer or something?  If you had your way, Hitler'd be running the whole world, wouldn't he?

   
 

[Tophe]

let us cool down... No argument here, just peaceful dreams...    

[Ollie]

I think the He 111 had waist gunners, no?

They have them in IL-2 Sturmovik though!!

B)  

[Mairfrog]

Well, the He111 had gunners that were a waste...

One thing I didn't know about was the flammenwurfer fitted in the tail of the Do17Z. There was a program ont telly about a Hurricane pilot who brought down said bomber by ramming. He got his windscreen covered in oil during his initial attack, presuming it to be from the Dornier's engines. Later he found out that the tail flame thrower had failed to ignite and he had a very lucky escape!  

[Ollie]

There's such a device on a He 111 in Luftwaffe Secret Projects 3.

B)  

[Mairfrog]

Has an aeroplane ever had hip gunners? Do the wing turrets on the Bv222 count as elbow gunners? Surely the rear facing gun on the Fw 189 was an arse gun?  

[ChernayaAkula]

Okay, this topic is very old, I know. But has the build ever been completed? Looked very promising!

Was at the LHS today and saw a Greif and thought about a four-engined (well, eight-engined) Zwilling (push-pull in the centre section).

[Tophe]

When you say 8-engined what do you mean? (either 2 engines per propeller or one).
Thanks, the dual possibility do enrich the collection anyway...

[Tophe]

With either 4 double-engines or 8 simple-engines, this would be great! Thanks...

[PR19_Kit]

Tophe,

Woah there, slow down, Daimler-Benz can't keep up with the demand for engines! 

[Aircav]

Okay, this topic is very old, I know. But has the build ever been completed? Looked very promising!

She ended up on the back burner, after doing the tail it just didn't look right, to much area and I haven't figuered out yet how to make it look right yet but I will.

[ChernayaAkula]

Ah, I see! Hope you'll finish it.

Tophe, eight engines driving four props as per your He 377, but maybe with a centre elevator only.

[wolfik]

listen up to Tophe!
good idea, good work and...let the dream comes true!