pampa14's Aviation Click Bait

Looks Cool...But the B-17 is not the Belle.

When the 91st Bomb Group began using the Triangle A symbol, the Belle was already back stateside.

 

The Memphis Belle as she currently sits in a restoration hanger at the National Museum of the USAF.

 

Also famous for the nose art - the two different coloured pin-ups, made by George Petty: in blue on the aircraft's port side and in red on the starboard.

 

I certainly agree its a bunch of great photos. The Memphis Belle is most certainly a great story.

But there is one thing I will disagree with you on.

The 'most famous bomber ever' goes to one not even built yet when the above photos were taken.

She was called the Enola Gay

Sorry, most well known B17. Sorry

 

Thought it may interest people to see Bassingbourn as it looks today - I had to go there two weeks ago on business.
Apologies for the poor photos - it's an active Army facility now so I had to snatch a couple of i-phone pics.

I was mainly thinking of former Forum member ( now sadly passed away ) 'B17Sam' who so kindly met with me at Duxford in 2005.

 

The following link shows a full report and lots of pictures taken during a visit to the Museum of TAM, the largest aviation museum in the world maintained by an Airline:


http://aviacaoemfloripa.blogspot.com.br/2012/05/museu-da-tam-sao-carlossp.html


Hope you enjoy the photos and I count on your visit!

 

An excellent museum well photographed. Good number of WW2 planes. Is the first yellow nosed plane listed as a ME 109, a true ME or the Spanish reconstruction ? Either is fine by me, just wanted to know how one tells them apart.

They do a fine job of maintaining their facility as well as the planes themselves.

Thanks for pposting.
Gaines

 

The 109 seems to be a very poorly done fiberglass replica.

 

Follow in the link below, an extensive report and a collection of photos of this heavy fighter used by the Luftwaffe during WW2:


http://aviacaoemfloripa.blogspot.com.br/2011/01/messerscmitt-me-410-hornisse.html


Hope you enjoy and I count on your visit!

 

Sorry Pamap....can't speak Espanol, (if that is the language used), but the photos certainly look interesting to say the least.

I wonder what the problem with the 410 was? (other than lack of pilots and fuel or late introduction).

With 20mm and 30mm cannon, Shrage Muzik layout, cannon in 'gill' positions, it looks like a bomber killer to me.
No nightfighter variant? It did have Lichtenstein Radar, after all.
So what was the problem? Heavy on the controls, like the 110? No top speed like the 210? Powerplants not powerful enough or with too many 'bugs' to iron out from production?

Seems these second generation Messerschimdt aircraft were all alike from this perspective, that is they all had insurmountable teething problems that rendered their operational careers nul and void.

No problems with the Kurt Tank designed FW-190. Why could Focke Wulf be so successful when Messerschmidt, Junkers and Arado were all so lacking in ability to see project after project to completion?

Did the Luftwaffe suffer from over complication when putting these birds together? If so, they share something with the firms like Porsche and Henschel, who tended to over complicate their armoured vehicles. Makes one wonder whether the German armaments companies producing all of these weapons all had the same malaise.

Anyway, nice pictures, even if I get no answers to my questions. Someone will know, I've no doubt!

 

I think the Me410 suffered from several problems.

It had a very troubled development via the Me210 at a time when Luftwaffe technical development was shambolic. It was not introduced until early 1943. .

In some ways it might have been the German equivalent of the Mosquit as an intruder and light bomber. However its performance was not good enough to rely on speed. I do not know why it was not considered as a night fighter, perhaps the weight of AI rader may have reduced its performance. The Ju88 and Me110 had enough speed to catch night bombers and mounted a much heaver battery. The He218

1.

 

Wonder if "Schrage Musik" implies it was a night fighter?...Was SM ever used during daylight?

 

Not if you dont want the sh*t shot out of you...are you going to sidle up to a bomber and keep pace with them?? : )

 

the 410 carried a semi-automatic 50mm cannon.

 

The 410 was certainly trialed with SM...50mm was the bomber detroyer version...21 rounds.

 

They made another attempt at a Mosquito with the TA 154

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei03mkG8X1k

 

looks like a lot of blind spots on the FW

 

I see some attack/destroyer versions had 4 MG 151's or a 50mm and 2 MG 151's firing forward.
There were 2 remote controlled barbets on the sides carrying 1 MG 131 each.
Some had as many as 8 MG 151's firing ahead.
The night fighter had the SN-2 Lichtenstein radar, 2 MG151, and 2 30mm MK 108. Does not say if the 30mm were SM mounted, and have yet to see a 410 with the SM setup.
Interesting in that some carried 210mm rockets in a 6 tube rotating pack housed in the bomb bay.

Manufacture of the 410 was terminated at the #352 plane ( after an order for 1,000 ), and demand for Willi Messerschmitt's resignation was heard.

 

Lots of biind spots on the Mosquito too. If you want an aircraft with good all round visibility build an Fw`189. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_189

 

Yeah, the 189 Uhu was years ahead in its' class. Although it was a three seat reconnaissance and close support, it still made a big impression. Some were even equiped with FuG 212 Lichtenstein C1 radar and served as night fighters
Only 846 were produced, and eventually only French factories produced parts and assembly at Bordeaux-Merignac. Which eventually became the Dassault Mirage plant.