RL 17's are uber.

[Jigster]

Making my annual pilgramage out to the 6th Calvalry historical society's (bunch of old guys, drive old vintage military vehicles, yanno, prolly seen one of their chapter's before) get-togather at the Wings Over Houston airshow, I happened to get into nice conservation with crew flying the B-17G "Texas Raiders".

Using the totally unbiased information that so often flows across this board, I believe I said something regarding the manuverability of the B-17, or the lack thereof.

Word of warning, never do that. Especially if your younger then the guys flying them. He promptly corrected me, stating that it the brass's control over flying that kept them from doing the "no-no's" that everyone likes to gripe about. Now I was about to break out with a calculator and point out that I didn't see how it was aerodynamically possible to do very much in the 17 beyond level flying, but they had to prepare to go up again.


Bah, they did a 90 degree roll for a photo pass, rolled 180 opposite the flight line and pulled into an yoyo (leaving the entire formation of 2 P-51's, a P-63, and a P-47) at about 1700 feet. (they had started at about 200. At the time I was listening in at the base station within the Baytown Hazmat truck, a 2 1/2ton Dodge truck that's been with them forever, an is part of the 6th Calvary)

Now, aerodynamically speaking, a 60 degree bank is about 2G's. 90 Degrees is around 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 I guesstimate.

I dunno if I provoked them to do it or not, but I wouldn't think they would do that to a plane that large unless it was perfectly safe.

Hmmmm

 

 

[-duma-]

Every time I see photos of the B17 it makes me feel guilty for calling them buffs in AH  

[Maverick]

Chances are they were light on fuel doing it. Yep for sure they had no bomb load too.  


Must have been awesome to see. Wish I coulda been there....

Mav

[StSanta]

I wonder how the yanks would react if someone bought one of them 190's, had it painted like one of the famous ones, including kill marks of American fighters and the nazi swastika.

True WWII idjits would probably drool and secretly want to steal it, but my guesses are that many would find it very offensive  .

Now, if I only can get my hand on some money...

Don't mean to hijack thread, but it seems there are a lotta flying P-51's or reproduction 51's etc, but I've rarely seen any flying 109's. Are there any?

------------------
StSanta
9./JG 54 "Grünherz"

[Ketil]

I saw a deal on the discovery channel or somesuch a few years back and they had a British fighter pilot(jets) flying WW2 planes and giving a rundown on them from his point of view. One of the planes he tested was a Bf109, dont know if its still flying or not Santa. There also used to be a 190 in the Washington DC area that flew over my back yard once when I was about 15....talk about freakin out lol. Some hobby shop guy owned it, but he was too big to fly it, heck of a reason to go on a diet if ya ask me  
Ket

[Dowding]

There was a 109 Gustav on the UK circuit a while back. Can't remember if it recently crashed or not.

Regarding the B17 - my Dad and I got talking to a former Lanc pilot at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Day (RAF Conningsby). He said that, without a bomb-load, the bird was capable of slow aileron roles.

Have you ever been up close to a lanc when it starts up? One of the loudest things I've ever heard. The sound of those four Merlins on a low pass is simply awesome!  

[flakbait]

Bf-109 G2 "Black 6" crashed at Duxford October 12 '97. After the engine crapped out the pilot brought her in fast. He had to pull up to avoid the M11 motorway and went right into a field.

Info is here along with shots of the crash: http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/bf109g2.html

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Flakbait
Delta 6's Flight School
"My art is the wings of an aircraft through the skies, my music the deep hum of a prop as it slices the air, my thrill the thunder of guns tearing asunder an enemy plane."
Flakbait
19 September 2000

[This message has been edited by flakbait (edited 10-24-2000).]

[juzz]

StSanta; there is a Bf 109E-4 currently flying in the UK which was flown(and crashed) in France by none other than Hans-Joachim Marseille!  

[Westy]

 

A real life dogfighting B17!!  Read about it here:
 http://www.neam.org/58dogfight.htm

-Westy

[Ripsnort]

Wow, Westy, cool story!  When I thought I'd read about all airbattles, then you pop this on me!  Thanks!

[Westy]

My pleasure!  Glad to be able to contribute every now and then  

-Westy

[Fury]

That is one sweet pic Jigster, thanks for the wallpaper-o-the-day!

Fury

[JimBear]

Nice pic,  did you take that at Cavanaughs?

[Jigster]

There's still a few of the Ha-1112's (Merlin 109's) around

I know of one 109F in a desert copper paint scheme, belongs to German government offical I believe.


And fuel load really shouldn't matter (and yes it was light, very light in fact) At certain degrees of bank, so many G's are placed on the wing, even without much  turning.

- Jig

[Jigster]

Btw StSanta, most of those aren't reproduction P-51's. There just so many still around that it's a much more realistic project then trying to restore a 109 or FW. The only reproductions and replicas I know of are 1/3 scale planes.

There's a 1/3 scale Stuka around btw.

After all, they weren't enough DB engines in the post war years for the existing 109's (so the used Merlins) so getting parts now might be a tad bit hard  

If someone did restore one and put it in the original and proper markings, it would be far from offensive. After all, the Tora Tora Tora planes aren't viewed that way. It would however, be in such great demand that it'd be doing alot of flying  

- Jig