This limited the class to light bomber designs with ordnance loads in the range of 1,000 lb (450 kg) although there were larger examples. It demands an aircraft of strong construction, with some means to slow its dive. This puts great strains on both pilot and aircraft. They could be fitted to almost any aircraft, including fighters, improving their effectiveness without the inherent vulnerabilities of dive bombers, which needed air superiority to operate effectively.Ī dive bomber dives at a steep angle, normally between 45 and 60 degrees or even up to a near vertical dive of 80 degrees with the Junkers Ju 87, and thus requires an abrupt pull-up after dropping its bombs. ![]() ![]() New weapons, such as rockets, allowed for better accuracy from smaller dive angles and from greater distances. Īfter World War II, the rise of precision-guided munitions and improved anti-aircraft defences-both fixed gunnery positions and fighter interception-led to a fundamental change in dive bombing. This allows attacks on point targets and ships, which were difficult to attack with conventional level bombers, even en masse. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact throughout the bomb run. The dive brakes are extended and are visible behind the wings.Ī dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops.
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