Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Virage on June 08, 2004, 11:55:50 AM
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Anyone else abusing their E6B? I can't fly 2 seconds without checking out my airspeed and fuel duration. Constantly readjusting different rpm, manifold settings.. ugg! I wish someone would take my E6B away from me!:p
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Very useful for checking stuff.
I'm hoping that I eventually memorize the engine settings for the planes I use.. which, I haven't been successful so far :)
It also helps immensely with level-bombing.
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Yes, I noticed how it was helpful to now have exact airspeed when calibrating, instead of having to watch the airspeed indicator on full zoom to make sure you were not accelerating.
A bit off-topic question:
What's the meaning of the letters E6B?
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http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=e6b&btnG=Google+Search
lots of stuff
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I already made a google search before my initial post, but I haven't found a link that mentions what it means.
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The E6B was a model of analog flight computer, a sort of slide rule for pilots. It is used in dead-reckoning navigation, and to give a quick answer for simple computations such as time-speed-distance calculations. When I was taking flying lessons, I had the Jepson model, as I recall.
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Perhaps I'm not making myself clear here. I gathered what a E6B is/does, but not what the name is based on. Why the "E", "6" and "B"?
Like SWAT is short for Special Weapons and Tactics (right?)
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I think it is just the orignal stock number of the army.
HiTech
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google serch "e6b computer intentor" turned up this:
http://www.whittsflying.com/Page6.37Learning%20fromHistory.htm
E-6-B
The E-6B was more created than invented by Phillip Dalton in the early 1930s. It was initially called "The Dalton Dead reckoning Computer" . The exact derivation of E6B is not known but the E-6B has become the generic name for a vast number of similar devices, which include a circular slide rule and a sliding wind angle ground speed plotter. The Dalton E-6B was developed from a large shipboard device for handheld use aboard aircraft. My first E-6B, which is still in the family, is from WWII and made of solid brass with enameled engraving. A quality piece. Plastic E-6Bs became common later in the war. Aluminum and cardboard came later as the E-6B became obsolete with the advent of electronic E6Bs.
E-6B
Dalton invented several flight computers before the design that we all know so well, but they were NOT derived from a shipboard device. (A much earlier - 1917 - very popular flight computer was, however, so it's easy for people to think all F/Cs came from marine usage. Some of the navigation principles are the same, of course.)
His "Model J" was first bought in quantity by the US Army Air Corps in very early 1940, I believe, and it was given the designation of a navigation device "E" along with the "-6B". Even though there was an "E-6A" made, a very real possiblity is that the "6B" was arbitrarily settled on because that was the British/Canadian/ Australian prefix for aerial navigation devices. (e.g "6B/245" for one example RAF flight computer)
Kevin Darling
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E-6B is nice, but the only time I use it is when I'm heading home on fumes and need to streach the last drop, or decide to ditch.
Racing to the fight and in combat it is a non issue. The increased fuel consumption basically just reduced the range and increase the time to the fight if I want to save fuel, which will make bases that are a sector or more apart even more unapealing.