B-17s at Low Level

Hi,

I am building a diorama with a 1/48th scale B-17 at low altitude. It will have
two engines turning and two shut down.

My question is, would a B-17 have its landing flaps deployed at all at this
lower speed and altitude if it was not landing, just hedge-hopping home? And
if so, how much?

Thanks,

Walt

On 12 Mar 2004 12:02:27 GMT, (WalterM140) wrote:

Hi,

I am building a diorama with a 1/48th scale B-17 at low altitude. It will have
two engines turning and two shut down.

My question is, would a B-17 have its landing flaps deployed at all at this
lower speed and altitude if it was not landing, just hedge-hopping home? And
if so, how much?

Thanks,

Walt

I would doubt it. Flaps are designed to let you fly slower but
increase the drag tremendously. If an airplane is crawling home
wounded on less than full engine power, drag is the last thing you
want.

AFJ

Subject: B-17s at Low Level
From: Air Force Jayhawk
Date: 3/12/04 6:14 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

On 12 Mar 2004 12:02:27 GMT, (WalterM140) wrote:

Hi,

I am building a diorama with a 1/48th scale B-17 at low altitude. It will
have
two engines turning and two shut down.

My question is, would a B-17 have its landing flaps deployed at all at this
lower speed and altitude if it was not landing, just hedge-hopping home?
And
if so, how much?

Thanks,

Walt

I would doubt it. Flaps are designed to let you fly slower but
increase the drag tremendously. If an airplane is crawling home
wounded on less than full engine power, drag is the last thing you
want.

AFJ

Unless of course the hydraulic system has been shot out in which case both
flaps and landing gear would be down. As I vaguely remember it that hydraulic
sytem in a B-17 worked off one engine.I don't remember which one. But I might
be wrong about that, Check with a guy who flew B--17's to be sure. But you
could justify showing it with wheels and flaps down if an engine is shut down.
You might add a trail of smoke for reality. How about a red flare or two fired
from the B-17 to show wounded aboard?


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

In article ,
(ArtKramr) wrote:


Unless of course the hydraulic system has been shot out in which case both
flaps and landing gear would be down. As I vaguely remember it that
hydraulic
sytem in a B-17 worked off one engine.I don't remember which one. But I
might
be wrong about that, Check with a guy who flew B--17's to be sure. But you
could justify showing it with wheels and flaps down if an engine is shut
down.
You might add a trail of smoke for reality. How about a red flare or two
fired
from the B-17 to show wounded aboard?


The hydraulic system on the B-17 operated the cowl flaps and the
brakes...nothing else. The gear and flaps were electrically operated.
The hydraulic pump was electric, there is no engine driven pump on the
B-17 so having an engine out wouldn't affect the hydraulics.

I've got a little over 300 hours in a B-17.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

Subject: B-17s at Low Level
From: Dale
Date: 3/12/04 7:53 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

In article ,
(ArtKramr) wrote:


Unless of course the hydraulic system has been shot out in which case both
flaps and landing gear would be down. As I vaguely remember it that
hydraulic
sytem in a B-17 worked off one engine.I don't remember which one. But I
might
be wrong about that, Check with a guy who flew B--17's to be sure. But you
could justify showing it with wheels and flaps down if an engine is shut
down.
You might add a trail of smoke for reality. How about a red flare or two
fired
from the B-17 to show wounded aboard?


The hydraulic system on the B-17 operated the cowl flaps and the
brakes...nothing else. The gear and flaps were electrically operated.
The hydraulic pump was electric, there is no engine driven pump on the
B-17 so having an engine out wouldn't affect the hydraulics.

I've got a little over 300 hours in a B-17.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

Thank you for the correction. I have zero hours in a B-17. My memory fails on
that subject. What group did you fly with? ETO or PT?


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

In article ,
(ArtKramr) wrote:


Thank you for the correction. I have zero hours in a B-17. My memory fails on
that subject. What group did you fly with? ETO or PT?

Didn't fly 'em in the military...just did the airshow thing to impress
the chicks.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

. As I vaguely remember it that
hydraulic
sytem in a B-17 worked off one engine.

That was the Lancaster, Art.

One of the virtues of the Fortress so far as battle damage went was that it
relied so little on hydraulics for the flight controls.

Walt

Dale wrote:

In article ,
(ArtKramr) wrote:


Unless of course the hydraulic system has been shot out in which case both
flaps and landing gear would be down. As I vaguely remember it that
hydraulic
sytem in a B-17 worked off one engine.I don't remember which one. But I
might
be wrong about that, Check with a guy who flew B--17's to be sure. But you
could justify showing it with wheels and flaps down if an engine is shut
down.
You might add a trail of smoke for reality. How about a red flare or two
fired
from the B-17 to show wounded aboard?


The hydraulic system on the B-17 operated the cowl flaps and the
brakes...nothing else. The gear and flaps were electrically operated.
The hydraulic pump was electric, there is no engine driven pump on the
B-17 so having an engine out wouldn't affect the hydraulics.

I've got a little over 300 hours in a B-17.

Dale, with some time on them I'm sure that you'd agree that when
limping home on two engines having your flaps or gear down would
very likely ruin your chances of ever getting home, right?.
--

-Gord.

In article ,
"Gord Beaman" ) wrote:


Dale, with some time on them I'm sure that you'd agree that when
limping home on two engines having your flaps or gear down would
very likely ruin your chances of ever getting home, right?.

At the weights I flew the airplane it performed fairly well on two
engines, even so why stack the deck against yourself by adding drag. G
On a hot day, or high field elevation having the gear/flaps out could
certainly make a difference in the outcome.

There was a bunch of discarded ammo and .50s from the continent to
England for a reason. G

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

pretty much but it would depend on what altitude you were at and how far
away you were form home, i've read a few instances where they were just on
the other side of the channel and made it; maybe not to their own base, but
to somewhere like manston, or woodbridge or bellied in on a field.
"Gord Beaman" wrote in message
...
Dale wrote:

In article ,
(ArtKramr) wrote:


Unless of course the hydraulic system has been shot out in which case
both
flaps and landing gear would be down. As I vaguely remember it that
hydraulic
sytem in a B-17 worked off one engine.I don't remember which one. But
I
might
be wrong about that, Check with a guy who flew B--17's to be sure. But
you
could justify showing it with wheels and flaps down if an engine is
shut
down.
You might add a trail of smoke for reality. How about a red flare or
two
fired
from the B-17 to show wounded aboard?


The hydraulic system on the B-17 operated the cowl flaps and the
brakes...nothing else. The gear and flaps were electrically operated.
The hydraulic pump was electric, there is no engine driven pump on the
B-17 so having an engine out wouldn't affect the hydraulics.

I've got a little over 300 hours in a B-17.

Dale, with some time on them I'm sure that you'd agree that when
limping home on two engines having your flaps or gear down would
very likely ruin your chances of ever getting home, right?.
--

-Gord.