Author Topic: Bombers really did fly high (Read 787 times)

maxtor · « **on:** January 08, 2003, 11:23:24 AM »

I found this surprising, I did not realize B-17s operated at such altitudes in the war.

"There was something else the P-51's did- they destroyed planes on the ground getting ready for takeoff. This was hard to work out. The B17's would cross the enemy coast at an altitude of 36000 feet and an indicated air speed of 160 MPH and a true air speed of about 320 MPH. Often we would pick up a jet stream of perhaps of 50 MPH, and this would give us a ground speed of 370 MPH."

WWII STORY: THIS IS IT ! PART- V By:Bill Goodman

Ripsnort · « **Reply #1 on:** January 08, 2003, 11:33:32 AM »

Egressing, I'm sure they could go that high, but the ceiling on a typical B-17G without a load was 35,600 feet. This directly from the Boeing Historic archieves.

maxtor · « **Reply #2 on:** January 08, 2003, 11:56:41 AM »

"We climbed to 35000 feet over the English Channel, and flew over France directly to the target . "

"We would not turn toward the target until we were about seven minutes away. We had been on pure oxygen since takeoff, the guns had been loaded ,auxiliary fuel tanks had been transferred to the main tanks, and we were flying at 40000 feet at an indicated airspeed of 160MPH and a true airspeed of about 300 MPH."

Like I said surprising, but he makes several references to quite high altitudes.

MadBirdCZ · « **Reply #3 on:** January 08, 2003, 01:18:28 PM »

Did the bomber have intravenous glycol injection system for the crew - to prevent the blood from freezing at that alt?

I think the guy who wrote this just seen some blueprints for Aces High that got back in time through the temporal time vortex created accidentaly by Skuzzy when he was toyoing around with the servers and the buttons again...

Really... well maybe it was possible to get a '17' that high... but for sure it was not a tactics used in numbers...

Puck · « **Reply #4 on:** January 08, 2003, 01:27:42 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by MadBirdCZ
Did the bomber have intravenous glycol injection system for the crew - to prevent the blood from freezing at that alt?

I think the guy who wrote this just seen some blueprints for Aces High that got back in time through the temporal time vortex created accidentaly by Skuzzy when he was toyoing around with the servers and the buttons again...

Really... well maybe it was possible to get a '17' that high... but for sure it was not a tactics used in numbers...

They used electrically heated suits. My dad still has his laying around somewhere; I remember seeing it years ago.

Most of his runs were around 20k; any more than that and it gets tough hitting the target area (unless your target is listed as a country, rather than a city or a part of a city).

AKDejaVu · « **Reply #5 on:** January 08, 2003, 01:29:43 PM »

Beware of anecdotal evidence.

AKDejaVu

MadBirdCZ · « **Reply #6 on:** January 08, 2003, 01:34:34 PM »

What evidence?

davidpt40 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 08, 2003, 01:40:49 PM »

I've never heard of a B17 going to 40k. Or even 36,000. I have heard 30,000 and 35,000.

Couple possibilities here: (1) This guy is a liar (2) Hes old and truely believes he flew at 36,000 and 40,000, (3) These were special light payload missions, maybe just nuisance raids.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #8 on:** January 08, 2003, 02:08:30 PM »

Suggest reading the "95th Bomber Group", many accounts from many pilots in that book. You'll get a better understanding of overall formations, altitudes, form-ups etc.

2Slow · « **Reply #9 on:** January 08, 2003, 02:09:30 PM »

http://www.aafo.com/library/history/B-17/b17part5.htm

Read the whole darn thing. Thanks for sharing it.

frank3 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 08, 2003, 02:12:14 PM »

pff, what's 1k more or less?

what I was wondering: what's the difference between airspeed and true airspeed? did the they messed with the speed-meter to give the the wrong speed on purpose?

and WOW! the forts really could fly high! I've never been at 35k in a b17 before.
maybe the climbrate of the AH B-17 isnt right compare to the real?

wetrat · « **Reply #11 on:** January 08, 2003, 02:19:43 PM »

If a Ta 152 came along they'd be so screwed..

The crew would be too cold to man the guns, and when they had to bail out, they'd freeze to death before they hit 20k

Heinkel · « **Reply #12 on:** January 08, 2003, 02:35:00 PM »

Talked with a b17 piolt once. He said they never went over ~22k. It was just too cold up there and they missed a lot. He also said the electrical heating suit didn't work well. It often shorted out and left bad electrical burns on the skin.

Sorry, I don't believe this. 35k? they would froze pretty quick....at the very least the cold would have been unbearable.

Wlfgng · « **Reply #13 on:** January 08, 2003, 03:43:23 PM »

not to mention what it does to greased machines...
extreme cold can freeze (or at least make thick) grease.