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[jpten]

  I would like to offer this request for the Lancaster III to have a loadout of an Uffa Fox air-dropped boat and flares for ASR missions.  While making several historical mission templates for the Baniff-Norway map, I became aware of this shortcoming.   I believe the current 'Dam Buster' Lancaster be used with only the addition of the boat shown carried for ASR load out.  Whether or not an actual boat object is placed is not actually required by me.

Boat Info:
   The first air-dropped lifeboat was British, a 32-foot (10 m) wooden canoe-shaped boat designed in 1943 by Uffa Fox to be dropped by Royal Air Force (RAF) Avro Lancaster heavy bombers for the rescue of aircrew downed in the Channel. The lifeboat was dropped from a height of 700 feet (210 m), and its descent to the water was slowed by six parachutes. It was balanced so that it would right itself if it overturned—all subsequent airborne lifeboats were given this feature. When it hit the water the parachutes were jettisoned and rockets launched 300 ft (90 m) lifelines. Coamings were inflated on the descent to give it self-righting.

Fox's airborne lifeboat weighed 1,700 pounds (770 kg) and included two 4-horsepower (3 kW) motors—sufficient to make about 6 knots—augmented by a mast and sails along with an instruction book to teach aircrew the rudiments of sailing. The lifeboats were first carried by Lockheed Hudson aircraft in February 1943. Later, Vickers Warwick bombers carried the Mark II lifeboat. The Fox boats successfully saved downed aircrew as well as glider infantrymen dropped in the water during Operation Market-Garden.

The Boat:




Lancaster with boat mounted:







Shackleton ASR:



  In researching this I also discovered USAAF B-17s and B-29s with such a boat mounted.  As mentioned Hudsons and Warwicks also were used for ASR.

  It may be possible to use an static or ship object's model so the creation of this request may be made easier than creation from scratch.  During operations off Norway ASR Lancasters were also used at night to drop a ten mile circle of flares creating an illuminated "kill box" for night flying Beaufighters and Mosquitoes to attack ships transiting the illuminated areas.  These missions I am also trying to re-create.

   Thank you very much.

[enry711]

I really like this idea! I didn't know that the Lancaster and Shackleton could carry a boat in the undercarriage 

[Flanker27]

if i recall B-17s carried something similar that's quite a boat to be dropped on someone, its a shame they didnt use them much in the pacific they would have prob saved a lot of lives

[jpten]

if i recall B-17s carried something similar that's quite a boat to be dropped on someone, its a shame they didnt use them much in the pacific they would have prob saved a lot of lives

  True but a boat like this dropped to a crew in the Channel or North Sea could stand a good chance of getting them back to the British coast.  In the Pacific the fuel range of the boat might have been insignificant.  The US seemed to prefer inflatable rafts, seaplanes and submarines posted as lifeguards during airstrikes. Especially since a boat like this, if used, would probably have to be abandoned or scuttled if a seaplane made a pick up.  I doubt if a sub skipper would have liked the idea of securing one to his boat.