Originally Posted by
ColinB
The USA controlled all facets of the Atomic Bomb delivery and manufacture. The idea that they would hand it over to the RAF to deliver in their under-powered and obsolescent Lancasters is derisory. The B29 was a mature, next generation device and was in front line use (See the pictures of the hundreds of them on the four runways at Tinian)
I think you're missing the point that, as designed the B-29 couldn't drop the bombs....and at the time, it wasn't known *if* Boeing could re-design the aircraft to do so, due to the spar mods, hence the contingency plan for using Lancs.
I'm not sure though that the contingency plan to use Lancs ever included using RAF crews though......?