On Dec 15, 9:08 am, "Viperdoc" wrote:
Actually, I don't know which version of the Wrights they used. However, for
take off they did have water injection available, since the gross weight
increased to over 20,000 pounds.

Are you sure they had to use water injection? My information says
that they used fuselage-mounted JATO units for takeoffs near MTOW,
despite some early accidents where the rockets ripped themselves off
the fuselage and kept going.

The naval version had an arresting hook, similar to the Grumman F7F. In
fact, except for the wider cabin, they looked remarkably similar to the
Tigercat.

I'm surprised you didn't mention the Baron's MiG-killer history while
you were talking about the naval version. On January 12, 1991 a
Beechcraft Baron of VF-42 off of USS Enterprise intercepted a MiG-29
over Iraqi airspace and got into one of the few real turning dogfights
of Operation Desert Storm. Fortunately, the military version's fly-by-
wire system and blown flaps allowed Lt. Pete Mitchell to out-turn the
Fulcrum and defeat it with a single Sidewinder shot. Tragically, he
and his radar operator were both killed while landing that night, when
their arrestor hook snagged a wire and the rest of the Baron kept
going.

Then, of course, there's the little known fact that the missing F-19
designation actually refers to the "stealth" Baron...

-JTD

Anthony, are you copying any of this information?