Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: SunTracker on March 09, 2005, 02:29:17 PM

Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: SunTracker on March 09, 2005, 02:29:17 PM
(1) The F4U was originally designed with bombays in the wings, to drop 30-50lb bombs on enemy bombers.

(2)The landing gear doors on the P-51 would sometimes pop open in high speed dives, ripping the wing off the aircraft.

(3)Early models of the P-38 carried a 37mm cannon.

(4)Specially equipped radar versions of the B25H were very accurate.  On one trial, a b25 locked onto the steel mast of a wooden sailing ship.  From several thousand yards distance, the B25H severed the steel mast in two with a 75mm round.

(5) The B-25 was the first aircraft equipped with an aerial flamethrower.

(6)  B-17s were originally equipped with an electronic ball turret.  The gunner knelt on his knees and aimed the turret with a periscope.  A manned turret replaced this system after gunners kept puking from getting motion sickness staring through the periscope.

(7) The first jet engine was built in 1911.
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: BaDkaRmA158Th on March 09, 2005, 02:42:12 PM
"The B-25 was the first aircraft equipped with an aerial flamethrower."

WHAT!? :aok
Title: Re: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: JB73 on March 09, 2005, 03:03:52 PM
Quote
Originally posted by SunTracker
(5) The B-25 was the first aircraft equipped with an aerial flamethrower.
LMFAO!!1

like sharks with lazers on their head....
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: frank3 on March 09, 2005, 03:29:34 PM
Those are some funny and awkward facts SunTracker, thanks for sharing!
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Maverick on March 09, 2005, 03:56:34 PM
Where is the info on the B25 flamethrower??? I assume it was a rearward firing device. Either that or the tail gunner had a massive gas attack! :eek:
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: JB73 on March 09, 2005, 04:03:32 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Maverick
I assume it was a rearward firing device.
2 thoughts:

[list=1]
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: GtoRA2 on March 09, 2005, 04:15:32 PM
1A. The Corsair-1 and -1a had a window in the belly to help aim those bombs.  ALso prolly the reason it had no cockpit floor.
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: BUG_EAF322 on March 09, 2005, 07:30:24 PM
Didnt the germanss had this flamethrower at the battle of britain?
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Jester on March 09, 2005, 07:41:45 PM
1.The rear cockpit armor on early F4F-4 WILDCAT's only came down to the bottom of the pilot's seat.

Marine Ace Joseph Foss stated there was no way to keep a ZERO off you tail 1 vs. 1. If you found yourself in that position you put your feet up on the dashboard (to protect your legs) and try to make him run out of ammunition or keep him moving untill a wingman could come to your aid.

2. The "Special" 800kg bombs carried by the Hi-Level Bombing KATE's during the Attlack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941 were actually 16" AP shells from the Japanese Battleships Nagato and Mutsu. The shells were fitted with fins and drop schakles so they could be carried by the aircraft.
Title: Re: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Holden McGroin on March 09, 2005, 10:14:05 PM
Quote
Originally posted by SunTracker
(7) The first jet engine was built in 1911.


First aviation use, yes...

 (http://www.jp-petit.com/bio_fr/avion_Coanda.jpg)

but in 1903 - Aegidius Elling of Norway built the first successful gas turbine using both rotary compressors and turbines - the first gas turbine with excess power.
Title: Re: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Guppy35 on March 10, 2005, 12:53:58 AM
Quote
Originally posted by SunTracker


(3)Early models of the P-38 carried a 37mm cannon.

.


The P38D was supposed to carry a 37mm cannon but it never did operationally.  The opening for it was covered over.

The E model on had the 20mm in the nose with the 4 50s

Now if you want important P38 trivia, it should be noted that 80th FS Headhunter pilots determined that 58 Fifths of Spirits could be carried in various compartments in the P38.

This helped the Headhunters be one of the most well stocked and well oiled squadrons in New Guinia :)

Dan/CorkyJr
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: SunTracker on March 10, 2005, 03:07:26 AM
A squadron based in San fransisco flew P38s that had 37mm cannons.  I believe I read it in Coont's book.
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Crumpp on March 10, 2005, 03:56:52 AM
There was a flamethrower attachment for the FW-190.

All the best,

Crumpp
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: MiloMorai on March 10, 2005, 05:46:12 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Crumpp
There was a flamethrower attachment for the FW-190.

All the best,

Crumpp


And the Ju 88A-4.
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: BUG_EAF322 on March 10, 2005, 06:15:24 AM
On discovery there was something about a hurrican pilot who rammed a do-17 near buckinham palace.

They told he got some oil on his windscreen of a non workin flame thrower
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Charge on March 10, 2005, 07:26:01 AM
(7) The first jet engine was built in 1911.

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsname=Wikipedia+Images&dekey=Coanda+1910.gif&gwp=8

Coanda's engine was a combination of turbine and piston engine called a "thermojet" used also in Japanese "Ohka" kamikaze bomb.

-C+
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: simshell on March 10, 2005, 06:38:52 PM
what was the flamethrower for:rofl
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Angus on March 10, 2005, 06:53:57 PM
"On discovery there was something about a hurrican pilot who rammed a do-17 near buckinham palace.

They told he got some oil on his windscreen of a non workin flame thrower "

I met one of the pilots who were intercepting the flight that actually hit the Palace.
He got shot, but in his word, "Ginger" nailed the bomber.
Have to look that one up.
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: GScholz on March 10, 2005, 07:36:27 PM
"The first true Gas Turbine was created by Dr. F. Stolze towards the end of the Twentieth Century. Although his model failed to operate solely under it’s own power. It wasn’t until just after the turn of the century in 1903 that Aegidius Elling of Norway built the first successful gas turbine to run under its own power, using both rotary compressors and turbines - the first gas turbine with excess power.  In 1931 the work of Frank Whittle, designer of the first Jet Engine, paved the way for jet flight. However the first Gas Turbine powered flight did not belong to Whittle as the German pair Hans von Ohain and Max Hahn created their own Jet Engine which powered the Ernst Heinkel HE178, the first Jet.

Since that time, there was a marked increase in technological advance and gas turbines soon became the highly sophisticated machines that we have today."

http://www.bath.ac.uk/~en3lsr/gas%20turbines%20web%20page.htm
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Rafe35 on March 10, 2005, 09:18:30 PM
Quote
Originally posted by simshell
what was the flamethrower for:rofl
Set the enemy aircraft on fire when closing in

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!!!!!! YEEEHAW!!!!

 :rofl
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Rafe35 on March 10, 2005, 09:18:38 PM
Quote
Originally posted by simshell
what was the flamethrower for:rofl
Set the enemy aircraft on fire when closing in

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!!!!!! YEEEHAW!!!!

 :rofl
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Glasses on March 10, 2005, 09:32:06 PM
I'd think if it was a headwind flame thrower it would give the pilots a nice tan.
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Guppy35 on March 10, 2005, 11:17:25 PM
Quote
Originally posted by SunTracker
A squadron based in San fransisco flew P38s that had 37mm cannons.  I believe I read it in Coont's book.


Which book?  I think I've got most of em if not all of em.

Haven't found a photo of an operational P38 with a 37mm yet.

Glad to be proven wrong on it though :)

Dan
Title: Post interesting aircraft trivia
Post by: Halo on March 11, 2005, 10:15:39 AM
Good trivia -- keep it coming.  

Aerial flamethrowers?  Don't make much sense, even rear firing.  Guess that's why we rarely hear of them.

Must be lots of fertile info on big ol' ungainly bombers like the triplane Caproni Ca.4-1917 and the Kalinin K-7 1933.  Or the little single-engine Macchi M.41 bis 1929 which is one of the prettiest biplane seaplanes.