17 replies to this topic

[superaben]

What impresses me is the heroism of the guys who flew these planes.  Look at the cockpit: there is no electrical automatic anything.  Its 1000 levers, 100 gauges, and your training. 

 

Now fly over a Japanese island being straffed by more steel than you care to know about, carring a couple tons of high explosives in your tail, and knowing that if you go down you're done. 

 

Those guys were the greatest.

 

Ben W.

[Amigatec]

This plane didn't have a pressurized cabin, and notice no doors on waist gunner positions. At 20,000 the temp can hit -60.

[HowardsMF155]

What impresses me is the heroism of the guys who flew these planes.  Look at the cockpit: there is no electrical automatic anything.  Its 1000 levers, 100 gauges, and your training. 

 

Now fly over a Japanese island being straffed by more steel than you care to know about, carring a couple tons of high explosives in your tail, and knowing that if you go down you're done. 

 

Those guys were the greatest.

 

Ben W.

My Dad was a pilot in the Air Force in the late 50's and flew a cargo plane, a C-47 I think.  He told me once that part of the final test for a pilot was to be blindfolded and still be able to reach the correct switches.  They are awesome machines.