Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: colmbo on January 22, 2014, 05:42:34 PM
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Cool.
Oh yeah, I wanna fly this. (http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/media/062/B-36J%20Engineer.html)
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Wow two Flight Engineers? Am I seeing that right?
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Whooo-eeee.. 6 turnin' & 4 burnin'..
No dang wonder they needed 2 flight engineers to do all that fiddle-faddlin'..
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Cool.
Thanks for that, Colmbo.
- oldman
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Yeah, thanks Colmbo, that is really something..
Do they do a similar pan-epic in the XB-70?
That's one bird I've always dreamed of surf-ridin'..Mach 3 at angels 70+..
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Cool.
Oh yeah, I wanna fly this. (http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/media/062/B-36J%20Engineer.html)
How much would you have to go through before they even let you CLOSE to the flight controls of that bird, if it were still airworthy??? :headscratch:
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Basic, then flight school, then to pass B-36 specific course for a start..
Unless you were the Convair test pilot on work-up taxi-trials & oops.. 1st flight..
Worked for H-H & the Spruce Goose..
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Way cool! Thanks Columbo! Sure are a lot of clocks in there.
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Ok Baldy, give us the B-36 cupholder count then.. we know you've done it..
(& can you point out the cigar-lighter, too.. ta, mate..).
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There's 142 different gauges in there (Give or take a few) and over 90 of them are in the back side of the cockpit.
Whaaaaaaaaaaat?
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There's 142 different gauges in there (Give or take a few) and over 90 of them are in the back side of the cockpit.
Whaaaaaaaaaaat?
All a pilot needs is control yoke, rudder pedals and a fist full of throttles. Those technical guys can tinker with all the fine adjustment stuff.
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Nice! Thanks for sharing! :aok
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Cool.
Oh yeah, I wanna fly this. (http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/media/062/B-36J%20Engineer.html)
:airplane: What a great post Columbo! If memory serves, I think the 2nd flight engineer was referred to as "Jr."
For those of you who never saw one of these great birds:
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/B-36sideview_zps88068a81.jpg)
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/B-36rollout_zps8603a5aa.jpg)
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(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/NB-36H_with_B-50%2C_1955_-_DF-SC-83-09332.jpeg/750px-NB-36H_with_B-50%2C_1955_-_DF-SC-83-09332.jpeg)
The NB-36H was built for the Nuclear Powered Aircraft (NPA) program. It was made from parts from a B-36 damaged by a tornado. The original crew and avionics cabin was replaced by a massive lead-lined 11 ton crew section for a pilot, copilot, flight engineer and two nuclear engineers. As the rear section was unmanned, the engines and reactor were monitored via a television camera system. Power was supplied by six Pratt & Whitney propeller and four GE J47 jet engines. The reactor did not power any of the plane's systems, nor did it provide propulsion, but was placed on the NB-36 to verify that the plane could actually carry and run it in the air.
The NB-36 completed 47 test flights and 215 hours of flight time (during 89 of which the reactor was operated) between September 17, 1955, and March 1957 over New Mexico and Texas. The plane was also followed by several support planes. Though it was never needed, there was a direct hotline to the President's office set up in case of a nuclear accident on board the aircraft.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NB-36
(http://sobchak.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/nb36big.jpg)
In May 1946, the Air Force began the Nuclear Energy for the Propulsion of Aircraft (NEPA) project which was followed in May 1951 by the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion (ANP) program. While the NEPA project was mainly concerned with research, the ANP program had the ambitious goal to turn this research into a working prototype. Two different systems were pursued, the Direct Air Cycle, and the Indirect Air Cycle.
The Direct Air Cycle concept was assigned to General Electric based at Evendale, Ohio. This system had advantages in cost, simplicity and reliability. Conventional jet engine compressor and turbine sections were used, with the compressed air run through the reactor itself to heat it before being exhausted through the turbine. This configuration had the additional benefit that the aircraft could take off using on chemical power, then switch to nuclear once the core reached operational temperatures, reducing deployment time.
A series of tests were run known as the Heat Transfer Reactor Experiment (HTRE), involving three different reactors, with the purpose of determining the most efficient method. This program produced the successful X-39 engine, which consisted of two modified General Electric J47s turbojets, with heat supplied by the Heat Transfer Reactor Experiment 3 (HTRE-3).
Development of the Indirect Air Cycle was assigned to Pratt & Whitney. In this configuration, the air did not go through the reactor core, but instead was passed through a heat exchanger. The heat would then be carried by liquid metal or highly pressurized water to the turbines where the hot air would drive the aircraft. Being a closed system, this concept would have produced far less external radioactive pollution. While progress was made, by the end of the ANP project, Pratt & Whitney failed to produce a workable system.
After establishing the parameters for the power plant and the transfer mechanism, engineers commenced work on the difficult issue of shielding for the crew and avionics systems. Initial plans proposed shielding the reactor with massive layers of cadmium, paraffin wax, beryllium oxide and steel. The idea being that the more protection the reactor had, the less shielding the crew cabin would require.
In theory this approach was workable. However in the context of aircraft design, weight or rather that lack of it is all important and this design was rejected. It was decided that the best approach was to use a concept known as "shadow shielding". The layers of protection would be equally divided between the reactor and the crew cabin (also referred to as the divided shield concept). The crew being in the 'shadow' created by the shields. This system satisfied weight requirements, but meant that both the aircraft and the ground staff and equipment were exposed the significantly higher levels of radiation.
One unverified proposal for the problem of shielding was to use only elderly air crew. The reasoning being that the effects of radiation injury and potential sterilisation were of less significance to crew and pilots over a certain age.
http://www.sonicbomb.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=117
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There is one in the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. It really is a massive plane. Thanks for the inside view!
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i have pictures of both the B-36 and the XB-70 from the Air Force museun. ill try to get them up for you guys!
http://www.militaryfactory.com/cockpits/index.asp (http://www.militaryfactory.com/cockpits/index.asp)
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How much would you have to go through before they even let you CLOSE to the flight controls of that bird, if it were still airworthy??? :headscratch:
I could legally fly it as co-pilot, to fly as PIC I'd have to get a type rating (strict checkride to show proficiency in the airplane and systems) in the Peacemaker. Frankly the hardest part would be getting someone to let me fly their airplane. :devil
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I could legally fly it as co-pilot, to fly as PIC I'd have to get a type rating (strict checkride to show proficiency in the airplane and systems) in the Peacemaker. Frankly the hardest part would be getting someone to let me fly their airplane. :devil
:lol LOOKS like a handful to fly.
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LOOKS like a handful to fly.
The Wiki article - hey, with a source, this time! - says:
"The B-36 was not a particularly enjoyable aircraft to fly. Its overall performance, in terms of speed and maneuverability, was never considered sprightly. Lieutenant General James Edmundson likened it to "...sitting on your front porch and flying your house around."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-36
- oldman
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Pretty amazing aircraft.
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:lol LOOKS like a handful to fly.
:airplane: I had a friend who flew a Gulfstream G1 out of PDK for many years, who was a pilot on the "Peace maker" and I reall many conversations that we had about the RB-36. The one he flew had all the retractable gun turrets removed except the G-32 radar operated 20MM tail guns. His comment was that it flew pretty much like any heavy aircraft below 40,000 feet, the problem was when they climbed higher than 40K, that was when it was much harder to fly. Restricted to 10 degrees of bank, and with the J-47's running 100%, it became, according to him, a beast! Even though it had large control surfaces, the slow speeds at which it flew above 40K, it was subjected to "CAT", which he said was one of their fears in the big bird because of the fear of "upsets". He said that he had encountered one during the years he flew the 36 and they almost lost the aircraft, but recovered it down around 30K.
His big compliant was the 12 to 18 hour missions which they flew. Even though they all carried a 3rd pilot and could get up and move around, it wasn't like you could actually rest. They had "bunks" in the rear compartment, which someone could take a nap on, but if your position was in the front of the aircraft, to get to the bunks, you had to lay on your back on a "crawler", which if I remember correctly was 66 feet long. I am like he said, I would never be comfortable knowing that in an emergency, I would have to lay on that crawler back to the front of the aircraft. He said he never did that, for that reason. I think that they also had 2 "bunks" in radio compartment in the front, I think, but can't remember for sure.
He used to talk about the "intercept" missions they flew. They would act as target ship for ANG and active Air Force interceptor squadrons, practicing for high altitude intercepts, over the gulf of Mexico. He said the only aircraft which could get two "gun camera" shots on them, above 50K, was the Lockheed F-104's. They would get behind them, go super sonic, zoom up and get gun camera pass on the way up and then the B-36 would turn and if the 104 pilot was sharp, could get another "shot" on the way back down! He said it was a lot of fun trying to outsmart the 104 pilot..
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Remember Jimmy Stewart in the film Air Force? Here's a clip of the start-up, taxi and take off of the Peace Maker from the film. Great stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGjyH2ulsCk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGjyH2ulsCk)
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Remember Jimmy Stewart in the film Air Force? Here's a clip of the start-up, taxi and take off of the Peace Maker from the film. Great stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGjyH2ulsCk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGjyH2ulsCk)
'Strategic Air Command.' :salute
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Remember Jimmy Stewart in the film Air Force? Here's a clip of the start-up, taxi and take off of the Peace Maker from the film. Great stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGjyH2ulsCk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGjyH2ulsCk)
:airplane: Actually that is part of the movie, Strategic Air Command, which also starred June Alyson, Frank Lovejoy and can't remember the flight engineers name, but he starred in Mash as the colonel.
My friend that I refered to in early post was stationed at Carlswell AFB while this film was being made. He comment several times about seeing all those stars at the officers mess during meal times, to stay away from crowds off base. The aircraft used in the scenes was the only B-36 left at that base, with all the retractable gun turrets still installed. If anybody has never seen that movie, they ought to rent it or buy it, it is well worth watching. It gives one of the best "pictures" of a bomber crewman and how they interacted with each other in the course of a mission. Some of the best aerial pictures you will ever see in a movie, not to mention the music score as well!
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Remember Jimmy Stewart in the film Air Force? Here's a clip of the start-up, taxi and take off of the Peace Maker from the film. Great stuff.
Great sequence. It was doing running the checklist when the crew had worked together a lot. It went smoothly and quickly.
For any who may be wondering why the ground crewman was counting during engine start he was counting prop blades. On the B-24 and B-17 we would engage the starter and count 6 blades at which point the primer was engaged then at 9 blades magnetos were turned on…on the 12th bladed the engine would start and you would then move the mixture from "idle cutoff" to "auto rich". Nothing better than starting a round engine. :D :airplane:
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They used to have the full movie for free viewing on YouTube. It's a $2.99 charge now. They do have the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-ItBbwKFTQ
Regrettably, if you have a Netflix account, it's not available for streaming.
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cvery cool thankx
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they have interiors for a bunch of planes there...
B52 tail gunner
http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/media/041/B-52D%20Tail%20Gunner.html
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great post.
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Even though it had large control surfaces, the slow speeds at which it flew above 40K, it was subjected to "CAT", which he said was one of their fears in the big bird because of the fear of "upsets".
Earl, what's "CAT"?
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Earl, what's "CAT"?
:airplane: Clear Air Turbulence! Usually found on the North side of a cold front, associated with the Jet stream. It could be at any altitude, from 12K on up.
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Thanks.
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The B-26 cockpit and engineer's station (or in this case, engineers' station) is quite impressive.
Also very interesting is that B-52 tail-gunner position. Wow, there's a lot of stuff at the position. Also, there is a lot of wiring down next to the tail gunner's feet, which surprised me.
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they have interiors for a bunch of planes there...
Yes they do. Good find by Colmbo and Nath:
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/virtualtour/cockpits.asp
I want the P-12E. My kind of cockpit.
- oldman
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Such a small plane, the B-29...
(http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm162/jonjdoe/B-36aarrivalcarswell1948_zps6327cf7d.jpg) (http://s296.photobucket.com/user/jonjdoe/media/B-36aarrivalcarswell1948_zps6327cf7d.jpg.html)
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The B-36 suffered severe vibrations when firing its 20mm turrets. As a result of these excessive vibrations, one B-36 actually crashed during gunnery training. Something about damaging the electrical breakers, resulting in engine fires. Unfortunately, not all the men made it out of the B-36 alive. I'll see if I can dig up the article.
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The B-36 suffered severe vibrations when firing its 20mm turrets. As a result of these excessive vibrations, one B-36 actually crashed during gunnery training. Something about damaging the electrical breakers, resulting in engine fires. Unfortunately, not all the men made it out of the B-36 alive. I'll see if I can dig up the article.
Synopsis of Air Force Accident Report (added August 13, 2003)
Aircraft Commander 1st Lt. Oliver Hildebrandt, Pilot 1st Lt. Walter Ross, and Co-pilot Captain Wilbur Evans, and a crew of thirteen took off from Carswell AFB in B-36B, 44-92035 of the 26th Bomb Squadron of the 7th Bomb Wing at 5:05 A.M. on November 22,1950. The planned 30-hour training mission consisted of air-to-air gunnery, bombing, simulated radar bombing, and navigational training.
Immediately after take-off, the #4 alternator would not stay in parallel with the other three alternators, so it was taken off-line and de-excited three minutes into the flight.
About one minute after the #4 alternator was shut down, flames 8 to 12 feet long erupted from around the air plug of the number-one engine. The left scanner reported the flames to the pilot. Six minutes after take-off, the flight engineer shut down the number-one engine, feathered its propeller, and expended one of its Methyl bromide fire extinguishing bottles. The mission continued on the power of the remaining five engines.
44-92035 cruised to the gunnery range on Matagorda Island at an altitude of 5,000 feet. It arrived at 7:00 A.M. and the gunners began practicing.
Radar Observer S/Sgt. Ray Earl manned the tail turret. The charger for the right gun burned out, so he expended just half of his ammunition. Then the APG-3 radar for the tail turret started acting up, so S/Sgt. Earl secured the set.
Aircraft Commander 1st Lt. Oliver Hildebrandt noted that the vibration from firing the 20mm cannons increased significantly during the fourth gunnery pass. Immediately afterward, radar operator Captain James Yeingst notified Hildebrandt that the APQ-24 radar set blew up and was smoking. Vibration from the firing of the guns was causing shorting between the internal components of the radar. Then the liaison transmitter failed as well.
The cannons in the left forward upper turret and the left rear upper turret stopped firing. The gunners attempted to retract the gun turrets, but the failed turrets would not retract. Gunner S/Sgt. Fred Boyd entered the turret bay, but other problems began to take precedence over the stuck turrets. Boyd was called out of the bay before he could manually crank the turret down.
At 7:31 A.M. the number-three engine suffered an internal failure. The torque pressure fell to zero. The manifold pressure dropped to atmospheric pressure. The fuel flow dropped off, and the flight engineer could not stabilize the engine speed.
The pilot shut down the number-three engine and feathered its propeller. The B-36B had only one operating engine on the left wing, so the pilot aborted the remainder of the training mission and set course for Kelly Air Force Base.
Flight engineer Captain Samuel Baker retarded the spark, set the mixture controls to "normal", and set the engine RPMs to 2,500 to increase the power from the remaining engines. Unknown to Captain Baker, the vibration from the guns had disabled the electrical systems controlling the spark settings and fuel mixture. He immediately discovered that the turbo control knobs no longer affected the manifold pressure.
The B-36B could not maintain its airspeed on the power of the four remaining engines. It descended about 1,000 feet and its airspeed bled off to 135 miles per hour. The pilot called for more power. The flight engineer attempted to increase engine speed to 2,650 RPM and enrich the fuel mixture, but got no response from the engines except for severe backfiring. The fuel mixture indicators for all of the engines indicated lean.
The second flight engineer, M/Sgt. Edward Farcas, checked the electrical fuse panel. Although the fuses appeared to be intact, he replaced the master turbo fuse and all of the individual turbo fuses. He noticed that the turbo-amplifiers and mixture amplifiers were all cooler than normal. He climbed into the bomb bay to check the aircraft power panels and fuses, but could not find any problem there.
Kelly Air Force Base had a cloud overcast at just 300 feet and the visibility was restricted to two miles. The weather at Bergstrom Air Force Base not as bad, with scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, broken clouds at 2,000 feet and 10 miles visibility. Carswell Air Force Base was clear with 10 miles visibility, but it was 155 miles farther away than Bergstrom.
Air traffic control cleared all airspace below 4,000 feet aead of the crippled B-36B. Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt was flying on instruments in thick clouds.
The poor weather at Kelly Air Force Base convinced Hildebrandt to change course from Kelly to Carswell Air Force Base, passing by Bergstrom Air Force Base on the way in case the airplane could not make it to Carswell.
Bombardier Captain Robert Nelson made two attempts to salvo the 1,500 pounds of practice bombs in the rear bomb bay, but the bomb bay doors would not open by automatic or manual control, or emergency procedure.
There was no way to dump fuel to reduce the weight of the B-36B.
The flight engineers resorted to holding down the switches used to prime the fuel system in an attempt to increase fuel flow to the engines. M/Sgt. Edward Farcas held down the prime switches for the number-two and number-four engines while Captain Baker held down the prime switch for the number-five engine and operated the flight engineer's panel. The configuration of the switches did not allow them to prime the number-five engine and the number-six engine at the same time.
The high power demand coupled with the lean fuel mixture made the cylinder head temperatures of the engines climb to 295 degrees C. Flight engineer Baker jockeyed the throttles, decreasing the throttle setting of the engine with the highest cylinder head temperature until another engine grew even hotter. The high temperature caused the gasoline/air mixture in the cylinders to detonate before the pistons reached top dead center, diminishing power and damaging the engines.
Despite the critical situation with the engines, Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt decided to continue past Bergstrom Air Force Base to Carswell. Bergstrom was overcast and its runway was only 6,000 feet long. Carswell offered a much longer runway.
By the time the B-36B reached Cleburne, the backfiring on all engines increased in violence. The number-2, number-5, and number-6 engines were running at 70% power and the number-4 engine was producing only 20% power. The airspeed had dropped off to 130 miles per hour.
Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt attempted to restart the number-one engine, the one that had spouted flames on take-off, but fuel was not getting to its induction system. He tried to restart the number-three engine, but could not unfeather the propeller on that engine.
As the bomber passed to the west of Cleburne, the right scanner reported dense white smoke, oil, and metal particles coming from the number-five engine. After a short while the number-five engine lost power, and Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt feathered the propeller on that engine while still twenty-one miles from Carswell Air Force Base.
The B-36B could not stay airborne on the power of the three remaining failing engines. It was flying at just 125 miles per hour, seven miles per hour above the stall speed, losing both altitude and airspeed.
Howard McCullough and W. Boeten were flying Civil Aeronautics Authority DC-3 N342 near Cleburne. They were notified by Meacham Tower to be on the lookout for 44-92035. They spotted it about five miles south of Cleburne. They observed that the number-one and number-three propellers were feathered and the number-five engine was on fire. They turned to follow the descending bomber.
Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt ordered the crew to bail out of the stricken bomber.
(more on that report and others here):
http://www.air-and-space.com/b-36%20wrecks.htm#44-92079
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About one minute after the #4 alternator was shut down, flames 8 to 12 feet long erupted from around the air plug of the number-one engine. The left scanner reported the flames to the pilot. Six minutes after take-off, the flight engineer shut down the number-one engine, feathered its propeller, and expended one of its Methyl bromide fire extinguishing bottles. The mission continued on the power of the remaining five engines.
Yikes. An engine fire, and they continued on with the practice mission.
After that, things just go more and more horribly wrong, as if the plane were slowly marching to its preordained doom.
Also amazing was how bad the parachutes seemed to be. Several malfunctioned, and the ones that didn't still had men injured on landing.
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Yikes. An engine fire, and they continued on with the practice mission.
After that, things just go more and more horribly wrong, as if the plane were slowly marching to its preordained doom.
Also amazing was how bad the parachutes seemed to be. Several malfunctioned, and the ones that didn't still had men injured on landing.
Not surprising to have malfunctions with inexperienced jumpers exiting in those kind of conditions. The streamer is quite often a body position issue at opening, lines can get caught on arms, legs, neck, etc. The method of deployment for that era of parachute was rather unsophisticated, the pack opened and the canopy was pulled out by a pilot chute…no staged deployment other than the suspension lines being stowed in elastic loops.
The guy that opened inside the aircraft and jumped with the canopy in his arms was a lucky SOB,that's a real good way to cause mega issues with the canopy on opening, not to mention the opening will be very, very hard.
Skydivers and paratroopers quite often get injured on landing, no surprise inexperienced (other than the two with two prior bailouts!!) guys hurt themselves landing, especially with those old canopies. They were no to oscillate quite a bit which slams you into the ground.
Sounded like the flight from hades.
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You read the description of that accident and it sounds like a ship, or a spacecraft fighting to keep going. I have walked around and been inside the RB-36 at Castle Air Museum several times. If you get a chance to see one of these giants. Do it. It boogles the mind.
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You read the description of that accident and it sounds like a ship, or a spacecraft fighting to keep going. I have walked around and been inside the RB-36 at Castle Air Museum several times. If you get a chance to see one of these giants. Do it. It boogles the mind.
Did you notice that on the propellors there is what appears to be a vent, a large opening in the trailing edge of the prop near the tip? Not sure why, perhaps an exhaust for heated air to deice the prop?
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Yikes. An engine fire, and they continued on with the practice mission.
After that, things just go more and more horribly wrong, as if the plane were slowly marching to its preordained doom.
Also amazing was how bad the parachutes seemed to be. Several malfunctioned, and the ones that didn't still had men injured on landing.
:airplane: One of the things which always got my attention real quick is when more than one little thing goes wrong! Huh, oh, if more than 2 things, radio quit, right de-ice boot won't inflate or a number of other little things, weather not forecasted correctly, then you better be thinking about your alternate plans. Its always some little series of events which wind up causing the accident or a forced landing somewhere other than destination!
One night in 63 or 64, flying old Douglas 13300, (DC-3), out of ATL to willow run in Detroit, with a load of car batteries, I had one of those scary nights when a lot of little things happened and I made a ASAP landing in Lexington, KY. First, right after takeoff, The AVQ-55 RCA radar quit! Nothing Jim Knox, my co-pilot, or I could get it back on line. No worries, I thought, a warm front laying just north of Nashville and running NE just south of Louisville. I had a old ADF and I always used it as a back up for the radar anyway, so should be no problem. From time to time, a habit I had learned from some other "old" heads, I would lay my hands on the throttles to see if any vibration present. We could begin to see the boomers lightening up ahead of us, so begin to ask ATC about Pirips from any of the carriers around and they said area's of broken TS's, but mostly scatted. Then I first felt it, a slight vibration on the #2 throttle, maybe 2 or 3 seconds. I ask Jim to lay his hand on throttle and see if it came back. Sure enough, he said yes, but very slight, maybe, if I recall correctly, lasted about 5 or 6 seconds. Now, my alert antenna is fully extended, and the puckering factor has risen considerably. OK, time to start reducing throttle and or RPM on #2, see if we can smooth things out.
We had been dodging in and out of the boomers at 9K and was doing ok, still in the clear and "bang", then heavy vibration! Several violent back fires in rapid secession, got the fuel shut off, prop feathered and cleaned up and thankfully, no red glow from right side of aircraft. Move cowl flaps from trail to fully closed, settled down and sent Jim back to look over the engine to see if he could see anything and his report was, nothing that he could see. Now, we have to get this hog on the ground somewhere, declared an ATC alert for the moment to avoid a bunch of paper work, if you declare an emergency to the FAA.
Ask ATC what the weather looked like at Louisville and he said hvy TS in progress, with 2 more cells just west of field. We were 42 DME from Louisville and 61 or so from Lexington, so I said we need to land at Lexington, would like direct please. OK, no problem, weather was good there, something like 2,000 overcast with 5 or 6 miles vis.
Now we are down to 115 knots IAS, and losing about 50FPM, so increase power a little, but didn't want to push the good engine. Southwest wind here at 20Knts, so we are doing 145 knts ground speed, which means about 25 or so mins to Lex. Ask for cruise 2,000, that way I could descend at my pleasure, and altitude below me would be cleared of IFR traffic. The approach and landing was no big deal, but had to get tug to tow us to ramp.
The #2 engine had blown a "jug" and some studs had to be replaced before new "jug" installed. Maintenance people flew up next day, replaced the "jug", test run engine and finished our trip to Willow Runn next day.
Sometimes things happen which just over come everything you can do from the FE station or the left seat in the cockpit, and what happen to those guys in the B-36 is a prime example of that.
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Funny how when your flying a round engine you pick up on those little "shakes", that bit of vibration that wasn't there a moment ago.
We had that on the B-17. "You feel that" we all start watching cowlings, pilot calls it's #1. As the three of us look at it KABOOM big fireball then smoke out the front of the cowling and lots of shaking. Shut it down, feathered and secured…okay, lets go land somewhere. <G>
Talk about a scary night ET, one of our bomber pilots used to fly DC-3s for Sal Air. One dark and snowy night somewhere over either Washington or Oregon he lost both engines. Luckily he was close enough to a field that he was able to do a deadstick NDB approach and land in a snowstorm. Always felt pretty comfortable flying with him.
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Funny how when your flying a round engine you pick up on those little "shakes", that bit of vibration that wasn't there a moment ago.
We had that on the B-17. "You feel that" we all start watching cowlings, pilot calls it's #1. As the three of us look at it KABOOM big fireball then smoke out the front of the cowling and lots of shaking. Shut it down, feathered and secured…okay, lets go land somewhere. <G>
Talk about a scary night ET, one of our bomber pilots used to fly DC-3s for Sal Air. One dark and snowy night somewhere over either Washington or Oregon he lost both engines. Luckily he was close enough to a field that he was able to do a deadstick NDB approach and land in a snowstorm. Always felt pretty comfortable flying with him.
:airplane: Just guessing when I say this, but I would suspect that there are not many of us "round engine" types still around. In addition to flying the aircraft, you had to know much more about the engines then, than you do with the modern jet engine. Even the Kingair I flew for so many years, it was like daylight and dark as to the differences in how to manage the power. So much more automation now days. Setting power output with "EPR' gauges instead of manifold and tachometer gauges on the pure jet engines.
After flying a certain aircraft with round engines, you could tell as soon as you went to full power, if everything was ok. The steady drone of those big engines was reassuring during the takeoff roll.
Some engines, as you very well know, seem to go into "auto rough" when the weather went in the tank at 3 or 4 O'clock in morning with ground fog everywhere in reach.
I ferried a De Havilland Beaver, a Army surplus which had been bought, from ATL to Houston, and I was as nervous as a pregnant nun in a Church all the way to Houston. High time engine, basically all I had for instruments were needle, ball and airspeed with a altimeter which wasn't working correctly, or at best, I didn't trust it. They had install a old Narco VHF radio for comm, one with the crank handle for tuning. Was not going to get in a position of having to shoot an approach anywhere, or at least hope I didn't have to.
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p684/earl1937/beaver_zpsdea2cfdf.jpg)
they should have nicknamed this thing the "Viberator", because if it wasn't the engine sounding rough, the rudder pedals vibrating constantly, couldn't keep the thing in trim and landing this stiff legged thing with out bouncing it like a basketball was a victory in itself.
Made the trip OK, but was wore out mentally when I go there, so stayed the night and started back to ATL in the next morning with a Cessna 182 they had traded in! No problem getting home.
Ferrying aircraft with a ferry permit, sometimes can be an experience, some good and some bad! This was one of the bad ones.
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Question: in the B36 how would they enter the cockpit?
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Question: in the B36 how would they enter the cockpit?
Normally I start by buying her a drink.
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Question: in the B36 how would they enter the cockpit?
:airplane: Thru the nose wheel gear housing.
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Normally I start by buying her a drink.
:lol
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One aircraft, one-hundred-sixty-eight pistons, three-hundred-thirty-six spark plugs...
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Normally I start by buying her a drink.
and if she has friends, buy them all a round too. :cheers: