Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: MiloMorai on September 09, 2005, 11:53:49 AM
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It is said that the pilot of the Do335 would loose his arms during ejection.
I find this hard to believe since, at least from the V3 onwards, the handles were attached to the fuselage, not the canopy.
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Soooo... if handles were attached to the fuselage... doesn't that mean the pilot ejects leaving the handles behind.... (and arms?) Though I would have thought a system that rendered pilots useless would have never entered service...
What good is a combat pilot with no arms... may as well nix the ejection system and the chute
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yeah!! and then if the pesky pilot has escaped, we should place a jet engine air intake infront of him to make sure we kill the bastige!!
(http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/wwii/books/germany_secret_weapons_wwii/he_162_03.jpg)
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Well, you would die from loss of blood and shock, so why bother with an ejection seat?
Myth Busted!
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Originally posted by SKurj
Soooo... if handles were attached to the fuselage... doesn't that mean the pilot ejects leaving the handles behind.... (and arms?) Though I would have thought a system that rendered pilots useless would have never entered service...
What good is a combat pilot with no arms... may as well nix the ejection system and the chute
The pilot still had to 'pull the switch' for the ejection seat to operate (ie ejection) after releasing the canopy. The canopy release handles did not operate the ejection seat.
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Even when ejecting at Mach 2 you won't lose your arms and legs. You will break them though.
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horrido, i think they lost them by having their rocket seat operate while the pilot still had his hands around the handles attached to the aircraft.
rocket seat and pilot go up, arms still attached to the airplane...
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Your grip is not strong eneough to break, say alone cut off the arm.
Or???
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Originally posted by Angus
Your grip is not strong eneough to break, say alone cut off the arm.
Or???
it would probably rip your arms out your sockets....i wouldnt recomend trying.....
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But your arms have no momentum and the seat kicks up quick.
While it wouldn't be a full tear, I'd say a half tear would be doable.
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never would happen,
All pilots trained for this a/c had special bionic arms attatched that would also eject with the handles.
Occasionally brave pilots would eject on arm at the bomber streams in order to break up the formations, and then attack with their one intact arm. Results of this tactic were mixed.
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I find it very unlikely Milo, never heard it before either actually so by guessing I'd say it is a Myth.
Do you have a source for this or only something you heard? Would be interesting to see it if there is a source and maybe find out where it is from.
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I've seen that claim appear in books and publications. I don't have any Do335 specific books though so I can't check for closer details.
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Sorry can't give a specific source, but I see the claim be stated many times on other forums.
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Rgr That, I know there is a Do335 specific book in a nearby bookstore, or atleast they had it. I will be able to order it once I get my finances straightened out (ok if I find a Job).
I do find it unlikely though that any pilot would be willing to fly the plane if they would lose their arms in case of bailing out. And I find it unlikely that they would spend the time on putting such a feuture in a plane when it made the pilot lose his arms.
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Just from memory I think I read it in "Wings of the Luftwaffe" by Eric Brown, where he was told the story by the german groundcrew, as he was testing the Do335, .
I can't remember if he considered it plausible or found it to be just a myth. I'll check when I get home.
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Originally posted by LLv34_Snefens
Just from memory I think I read it in "Wings of the Luftwaffe" by Eric Brown, where he was told the story by the german groundcrew, as he was testing the Do335, .
I can't remember if he considered it plausible or found it to be just a myth. I'll check when I get home.
Here it is:
Particularly fascinating was the story that when two protoypes came to grief the bodies of their pilots were found to be devoid of arms. The story, recounted to me by a German pilot, alleged that the loss of the upper limbs had resulted when the unfortunate victims had gripped two inclined levers at cockpit sill level and pulled them aft to activate the hood jettison system. This action released the hood effectively, but since the levers were attached to the hood, a firm grip meant, so the story went, that the hands and arms were wrenched off with the rapidly departing canopy. This story made something of an impression on me, and I clambered into the cockpit filled with curiosity. Sure enough, the notorious hood jettison levers were there.
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justin,
it would seem the German was having some fun with Brown (putting some fear in him). Photos of the V3, WNr 230003, CP+UC, have the handles attached to the fuselage sides, not the canopy.
The Monogram/Monach Do335 book says the V2 or the V6 crashed (V6 in the text, V2 in a chart) due to a rear engine fire that burnt through the control cables causing a lose of control.
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Found a nice page about the DO 335 which I haven't seen before.
Seem to have all the final (and partly finnished) planes on a list aswell.
Here (http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/profile/d335top.htm)
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I don't believe it would be possible to keep such a tight grip on something while it jerks away and rips off my arms...
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The story is related by Capt. Eric Brown in his book, "Wings of the Luftwaffe". In it, IIRC, he states that he heard it second hand from a Luftwaffe ground crew member who was one of the POW's helping the RAE immediately after the war.
All the best,
Crumpp
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Originally posted by Bruno
I don't believe it would be possible to keep such a tight grip on something while it jerks away and rips off my arms...
Absolutely. Grip would break before shoulder dislocates & arms torn off - unless you're built like Pop-eye.