Wing and a prayer

[daddog]

Over the target a N1K2 took out much of my TBM as you can see from the picture below. How it stayed up I will never know. Flew several sectors back to our CV group. I would like to thank the following pilots for the escort back to our CV group.
ASAdog
jstr
Woolie15
heroes
SkiMan
grayga

I was in a world of hurt and could hardly keep her up. Once I closed the bomb bay doors and she became VERY unstable so I immediately opened them back up. I left them open and my gunner Simaril summarized they were acting as a vertical stabilizer of sorts. Without my bombay doors open she would start to slide and go out of control.

[Nefarious]

Did you get her back aboard? If so, Good Job! 

[VansCrew1]

Nice.

 

[trax1]

Wow, never thought a plane could even stay flying without a tail fin & rudder, nice job.

[Nefarious]

Really makes you respect the Real Pilots, critically damaged by enemy fire possibly even critically wounded, using strength and sheer determination to return hundreds of miles to their airfield or even harder, a moving carrier.

[daddog]

Sure does Nef.

I tried. Almost lost it over the coast as I was flying south when I first tried to close my bomb bay doors, but when I reopened them things became "somewhat" more stable. Also about 20 minutes later I tried my flaps, but only had one.  Did not try that again as it reacted worse than when I had tried closing the bomb bay doors. lol

No, did not make it back. As I worked my nose lower it became more unstable. I also had to slow down as I worked my way into my long final. About 5 miles out and at about 180mph she would not recover from the last of several slips. She rolled over and plunged into the sea.

[wrongwayric]

  Yep it's funny what you can manage to fly with if you can figure out some type of a counter to the damage you've taken. You probably rate an airmedal or distinguished flying cross for that. Your bomb doors acted as a vertical stab, somewhat, but your lucky you made it that close.
AKsleepy

[Stoney]

Really makes you respect the Real Pilots, critically damaged by enemy fire possibly even critically wounded, using strength and sheer determination to return hundreds of miles to their airfield or even harder, a moving carrier.

Not to mention HTC's modelling that the bomb bay doors would have any effect on the stability of the aircraft while flying.  I never cease to be amazed at the fidelity of the FM.

[Saxman]

Dad,

In that shape you may have tried to go for a ditch rather than get her on the deck. Historically, pilots shot up that bad would have generally bailed out over their base.

[Getback]

Daddog, WTG, Incredible job.

Who would have ever thought to keep the bomb bay doors open! On the other hand, Must have been one disappointed Niki pilots.

 

[splitatom]

how did you roll and turn

[daddog]

Since I only had an elevator when I would raise my nose I would roll to the right, when I would drop my nose I would start to roll left. That is how I steered it south, by simply pitching up and down to keep a relatively southern course.

Rgr Saxman. I was actually in a semi long final at about 3k when I lost it. I was projecting that if I could not get it on the deck I would go for the ditch, but in hind site I should have tried to just bail (lol maybe right over the CV) and land with my chute on the CV. She just became too unstable at lower speeds and alt. I am pretty sure it is the higher speeds that allowed the open doors to keep it somewhat stable. Once I was below 200 they were not enough to keep her in the air.

Ya, me too Stoney. Sometimes the FM is amazing.

I still remember the first time I heard a WWII pilot talk about how his aircraft would slow down when he would fire all his .50's. All that kinetic energy pushing out and forward slowed down the WWII AC. I wondered if AH modeled that. Sure enough, they do.