B17 Mission..post Viper's 262 attack

[Curval]

Viper engaged my B17 formation as I was on the way home from bombing the Bish HQ, in a 262 last night.

He took out both my drones and I wasn't able to get my guns on him in his first few passes...devastating slashing attacks.

On his final pass on my sole remaining 17 I managed to ping him and smoke erupted from his 262.  He had me laughing because after that pass he typed "That's not good" over the text channel 1.

He broke off and headed back to land his damaged bird leaving me to cross my fingers and hope that he wouldn't make it home.  During the wait I checked on my plane.  Incredibly my horizontal stabilizer was gone and I was still airborne..at least one engine was out and I was trailing smoke badly (see pic).  I couldn't turn my aircraft, so I kept it straight and level on a course towards enemy territory.  

I was attacked by another con before I bailed...you can see his chute in the lower left of the pic.    He was my third kill of a fighter on this mission.

Viper then typed "Whew" on the text buffer and my heart sank...he had made it back..no 262 kill for me.

But, definately one of the most fun times I've had in a bomber.

Viper.

[Curval]

Pic of the damage.

[bj229r]

hmm..i guess ya could try fiddlin with #1 and #4 prop speed to turn

[Otto]

As information, no conventional 'real world' aircraft could contiune to fly without a Vertical Stabilizer.

[Curval]

I thought it was the horizontal stabilizer....the tail section that is missing is vertical itself, but isn't it there to stabilize horizontal movement?  

[Vipermann]

-=S=- Curval

I was really sweatin it out on the way back. Oil in both engines was spewing out the back and I had over a sector to get back to base. There was a N1k at the base when I was landing but he must not have seen me since he went after another guy and died to the ack.

I saw one flash on your tail as I went by, then heard on ping on me. I Look back and see all this smoke pouring out the back.

Good shootin on that last pass

-=S=-
Viper

[hazed-]

no plane can fly without a vertical stabiliser but if you have ever seen that picture of the B17 that lost 2 thirds of its vertical stabiliser to a 109 which rammed him you would agree if any plane 'should' fly well with damaged vert stab then its the B17

if i can find the pic ill post it. It really is an unbelievable mess but it made it home.

[Midnight]

Originally posted by Otto
As information, no conventional 'real world' aircraft could contiune to fly without a Vertical Stabilizer.

B2 bomber

[Keez]

See, flying a bomber just by yourself is a tricky business... Take some friends along and these red guys, as seen in this pic....

[Keez]

become amusing rather than scary because they run like dogs with their tails between their legs after the first pass, because of all the tracers that fly around

[TWOLF]

Well Hazed if it's any consolation I have seen the picture that you are talking about, but I can't say that I remember where.  I seem to remember hearing about another that was missing the entire tail section that made it back by stearing with engines, and using banking turns.  There are a number of buff sites out there.  Sinse I am burning time at work I will do a little surfing.  If I find anything I will post it here.

[Curval]

In actual fact I have seen that picture too Hazed...but at least they had 2/3 of the vertical stabilizer left.  Check out the side view of this B17...

I had to edit just to add that I didn't retouch this at all.  I have the film of it too.

[moose]

A multiengine plane can fly w/o a vert stab IIRC

Nifty did it once with a b26 in a snapshot or something I think

You can manage your engines to prevent it from spinning