Monday, September 24, 2018

B-24 Liberator - Narrower than I would think.


9 comments:

  1. Width of two 500lb bomb racks, no wider as total drag is determined by cross sectional area times Cd. Less total drag is more range and faster top speed.

    Spin Drift

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  2. AKA the flying box car. Also, bomb bay doors rolled up the outside like a garage door. Less drag than opening into the slip stream. Doors were also break-away. In an emergency they could jettison the bombs right through the closed doors.

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  3. But the wing chord is thick enough to crawl through.

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  4. Better known as the "Furniture Van" by its German adversaries. The B-24 was equipped with the Davis wing, a narrow, slender semi-monocoque design with low drag and high speed. Unfortunately, it did not have the strength and durability of the B-17 wing with its main spars capable withstanding the pounding from the enemy gunfire. The Liberators had a bad habit of folding up with only minor damage to their wings as seen in various gun camera footage on you-tube....

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  5. Just flew in her last week in Laconia NH. What an amazing experience, provided another whole perspective of what it was like to crawl up to the nose and peer through nordan bomb site.

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  6. No nose turret makes it appear narrower than it is

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    Replies
    1. Yes, there is a nose turret. The twin .50's are pointed right at us, and reflected in the center plexiglass.

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