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#11
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On 03/04/2012 17:49, David E. Powell wrote:
On Apr 3, 1:18 am, Bill wrote: wrote: So, by then, the B-17 crews had figured out that high altitude level bombing of moving ships wasn't working out very well? Did anyone ever try equipping the B-17 with torpedoes? Well, sorta. http://tinyurl.com/7sr3lmu Thank you! If this was 1940 than this stuff is huge! It's huge either way, but wow! The GT-1 does not seem to have been tested until 1943, so the caption has to be wrong. The British Toraplane, a similar air launched gliding torpedo was around in 1940*, but, of course, that would not have been launched from a B-17. * Work started in 1939 but was abandoned in 1942, as it proved to be very inaccurate. Colin Bignell |
#12
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
"Nightjar" wrote in message ... On 03/04/2012 17:49, David E. Powell wrote: On Apr 3, 1:18 am, Bill wrote: wrote: So, by then, the B-17 crews had figured out that high altitude level bombing of moving ships wasn't working out very well? Did anyone ever try equipping the B-17 with torpedoes? Well, sorta. http://tinyurl.com/7sr3lmu Thank you! If this was 1940 than this stuff is huge! It's huge either way, but wow! The GT-1 does not seem to have been tested until 1943, so the caption has to be wrong. The British Toraplane, a similar air launched gliding torpedo was around in 1940*, but, of course, that would not have been launched from a B-17. * Work started in 1939 but was abandoned in 1942, as it proved to be very inaccurate. Colin Bignell A field-expedient PBY torpedo attack from Guadalcanal: http://www.daveswarbirds.com/cactus/jackcram.htm jsw |
#13
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On Apr 6, 1:54*am, Nightjar wrote:
On 03/04/2012 17:49, David E. Powell wrote: On Apr 3, 1:18 am, Bill *wrote: wrote: So, by then, the B-17 crews had figured out that high altitude level bombing of moving ships wasn't working out very well? Did anyone ever try equipping the B-17 with torpedoes? Well, sorta. http://tinyurl.com/7sr3lmu Thank you! If this was 1940 than this stuff is huge! It's huge either way, but wow! The GT-1 does not seem to have been tested until 1943, so the caption has to be wrong. The British Toraplane, a similar air launched gliding torpedo was around in 1940*, but, of course, that would not have been launched from a B-17. * Work started in 1939 but was abandoned in 1942, as it proved to be very inaccurate. Colin Bignell Similar objects, (encased flying torpedos), were tried on Zeppelin L-35 (LZ-80) during secret experiments in 1918 at Jueterbog (S. of Berlin). Accuracy was said to be a problem then as well. |
#14
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On Apr 6, 2:37*am, "Jim Wilkins" wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message ... On 03/04/2012 17:49, David E. Powell wrote: On Apr 3, 1:18 am, Bill *wrote: wrote: So, by then, the B-17 crews had figured out that high altitude level bombing of moving ships wasn't working out very well? Did anyone ever try equipping the B-17 with torpedoes? Well, sorta. http://tinyurl.com/7sr3lmu Thank you! If this was 1940 than this stuff is huge! It's huge either way, but wow! The GT-1 does not seem to have been tested until 1943, so the caption has to be wrong. The British Toraplane, a similar air launched gliding torpedo was around in 1940*, but, of course, that would not have been launched from a B-17. * Work started in 1939 but was abandoned in 1942, as it proved to be very inaccurate. Colin Bignell A field-expedient PBY torpedo attack from Guadalcanal:http://www.daveswarbirds.com/cactus/jackcram.htm For decades, we had a docent taking tickets at our front desk that kept a photo nearby of his "Black Cat" following a successful mission - they were hit on their run and a shell carried away one of their props, narrowly missing the cockpit as it careened on by with a roar. Already committed, the pilot got his bombs off and accounted for a troop ship with his single-engine Catalina. Just a little reminder that men that go to war in elegant, pedestrian seaplanes are just a little different than most. |
#15
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
-"Gordon" wrote -For decades, we had a docent taking tickets at our front desk that -kept a photo nearby of his "Black Cat" following a successful mission -- they were hit on their run and a shell carried away one of their -props, narrowly missing the cockpit as it careened on by with a roar. -Already committed, the pilot got his bombs off and accounted for a -troop ship with his single-engine Catalina. Just a little reminder -that men that go to war in elegant, pedestrian seaplanes are just a -little different than most. I'm impressed that they patrolled for reported (MAGIC) enemy carriers, trusting their lives to their ability to hide from the CAP in whatever clouds they might find. jsw |
#16
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On Apr 6, 9:50*am, "Jim Wilkins" wrote:
-"Gordon" wrote -For decades, we had a docent taking tickets at our front desk that -kept a photo nearby of his "Black Cat" following a successful mission -- they were hit on their run and a shell carried away one of their -props, narrowly missing the cockpit as it careened on by with a roar. -Already committed, the pilot got his bombs off and accounted for a -troop ship with his single-engine Catalina. *Just a little reminder -that men that go to war in elegant, pedestrian seaplanes are just a -little different than most. I'm impressed that they patrolled for reported (MAGIC) enemy carriers, trusting their lives to their ability to hide from the CAP in whatever clouds they might find. "This is Strawberry Five. Have sighted enemy fleet. Please notify next of kin." almost as classic as, "Peccavi." |
#17
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:50:36 -0400, Jim Wilkins wrote:
-"Gordon" wrote -For decades, we had a docent taking tickets at our front desk that -kept a photo nearby of his "Black Cat" following a successful mission -- they were hit on their run and a shell carried away one of their -props, narrowly missing the cockpit as it careened on by with a roar. -Already committed, the pilot got his bombs off and accounted for a -troop ship with his single-engine Catalina. Just a little reminder -that men that go to war in elegant, pedestrian seaplanes are just a -little different than most. I'm impressed that they patrolled for reported (MAGIC) enemy carriers, trusting their lives to their ability to hide from the CAP in whatever clouds they might find. The PBY is an amazing beast - I've never been inside one, but I've seen a couple of them fly. It's a big airplane - it bulks out about the same as a B-17, with half as many engines. It kinda reminds me of a giant Aluminum seagull - optimized to get the most distance out of a drop of fuel. The guys that flew them were definitely a special breed - hours upon hours of searching empty ocean, then instant adrenaline if/when they found something. -- Pete Stickney Failure is not an option It comes bundled with the system |
#18
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
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#19
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On 4/6/2012 10:24 PM, Peter Stickney wrote:
The PBY is an amazing beast - I've never been inside one, but I've seen a couple of them fly. If you ever get the chance to go to Pensacola NAS the museum has a cutaway Catalina fuselage. They may look big on the outside, but they are crowded inside. Take a look at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter...09/4728119350/ If I wanted to make a comparison to B-17, it is cramped inside in some places and open in other. To give you an idea stroll inside a B-17 from cockpit to aft crew door. The bracing for the bomb bay cat walk makes one walk sideways even when bombs aren't present. I must admit I had a bit of a belly last time I did that and it was a tight squeeze. The waist, nose, cockpit and radio sections of B-17 are fairly roomy. There are spaces and restrictions in the PBY. The engineer's feet block the top foot or so of the cockpit door. If you want to open the blisters you do so on your knees. Neither was built for luxury, but both had character. Plan on taking a full day at the museum if you go. The displays are jammed together so photography can be a bit tricky. Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired |
#20
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
"Peter Stickney" wrote in message
... ... The PBY is an amazing beast - I've never been inside one, but I've seen a couple of them fly. It's a big airplane - it bulks out about the same as a B-17, with half as many engines.... Pete Stickney The only one I was able to examine closely (at MHT) was IIRC a partly restored former houseboat that had received the amphibian conversion and a rear door after the war with whatever parts were available. It was far from a museum-quality original. I didn't know in advance how many rare classics would be at that airshow so I took my pre-war Leica instead of the SLR and couldn't capture interior detail. jsw |
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