B-24 Ditching test

[John1]

5 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

I’d imagine that in almost all crash landings, they’d get the crew out of the nose, if they could.  Probably have everyone not flying in the rear with their backs against the rear bomb bay bulkhead so they could bail out of the waist windows as soon as the aircraft stopped.

I wonder if that was just as dangerous?   If as mentioned before, the bombday doors blew out on impact, I would imagine the force of the incoming water would blow out the aft bomb bay bulkhead as well.   PBS (Nova) just did an episode on a just discovered B-24 that ditched in the Med.   Everything aft of the cockpit was in really good shape, everything forward was just a jumbled mess.    Worth watching if you have "on demand" cable.   The B-24 in question was the TulsAmerican, the last B-24 produced at that facility.  

 

[ringleheim]

1 hour ago, John1 said:

I wonder if that was just as dangerous?   If as mentioned before, the bombday doors blew out on impact, I would imagine the force of the incoming water would blow out the aft bomb bay bulkhead as well.   PBS (Nova) just did an episode on a just discovered B-24 that ditched in the Med.   Everything aft of the cockpit was in really good shape, everything forward was just a jumbled mess.    Worth watching if you have "on demand" cable.   The B-24 in question was the TulsAmerican, the last B-24 produced at that facility.  

 

Thanks for referencing this!  I have not see this but will watch soon!

 

I thought this was going to be the show they did about trying to pull a bomber out of the ice in Greenland or something like that.  Now I can't remember what the plane was.

Glad this something new that I haven't seen.

 

[ringleheim]

6 hours ago, John1 said:

the 3 rules cardinal rules of an aviator - 

 

Always look cool

Never crash

If you do crash, at least try to look cool

 

 

Reminds me of the footage of the infamous MiG-29 crash at 1989 Paris Air Show.

 

The pilot ejects a few feet above the ground, his chute doesn't even have time to fully open....he lands, gets out of his parachute gear, reaches into a pocket, pulls a pack of cigarettes, and lights up a smoke!

 

[Jack]

Well i don't get it: even the "ruskies" in modern time would have the SOP to have the navigator in the nose section of e.g. a Il76 (and similar) to be out of that contraption while in landing configuration in general.........(ask me how how i know......)