Originally Posted by
seafire6b
I reckon the list's missing the Lanc (being another design-platform that continued for decades) and the Mosquito, a true MRCA. Indeed as a bomber, the Mozzie compared very favourably with (or, contentiously, better than?) the B-17 in terms of payload and range.
The four-engine bombers, Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax (I'm adding that in, in part, due to Mr WHBM Senior being WW2 Halifax aircrew ), seemingly very good examples of contemporary design, were unfortunately NOT followed by worthwhile civilian success derivates. The HP Hermes that was, essentially, a Halifax with a new fuselage, was a real crock, 20 for BOAC that they got rid off as soon as they could, that flew with a ludicrous tail-low inefficient attitude which points to an absolute Design 1.01 blunder at Radlett (the prototype crashed two minutes into its maiden flight, killing the senior HP test crew, due to a major control surface mis-design), while the Avro Tudor, again a Lanc with a new civvy fuselage, was a worse fiasco that never really got any airline acceptance, despite many versions and a huge number being built, part-built, or more sensibly cancelled before delivery. Oh dear.
The Mozzie was indeed brilliant. Two big Merlins strapped to a grand piano
