I feel sorry for the gunners... if they couldn't feather those props those guys were either going to go down with the plane or become salsa...
By the way what was that window in the nose?
Bell XFM-1 Airacuda
- Thread starter Wildr1
- Start date
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By the way what was that window in the nose?
wuzak
Captain
For aiming the bombs?
Shortround6
Major General
The alternative exit route was to go through a tunnel/crawlway in the wing root from the nacelle to the fuselage.
A difficult journey for even a thin and agile fellow unencumbered by flying suit/parachute.
A difficult journey for even a thin and agile fellow unencumbered by flying suit/parachute.
swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 3,954
- Jun 25, 2013
The gunners didn't aim the guns; maybe the nose glazing was for the fire control system
Like dropping them on bomber formations?
Good shots!
What kind of fire-control?
swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 3,954
- Jun 25, 2013
There was a Sperry fire control system that aimed and fired the guns. See Bell XFM Airacuda Bomber Interceptor / Bomber Destroyer / Heavy Fighter - United States
swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 3,954
- Jun 25, 2013
I'm not sure, but I think it aimed and fired the 37 mm, which were flexibly mounted.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The thermionic director was mounted in the nose. It's optic looks like a light centered in the nose window.
The prototype/early production airframes weren't fitted with the system, so the nose is solid in some photos.
The prototype/early production airframes weren't fitted with the system, so the nose is solid in some photos.
- Thread starter
- #32
flypaper2222
Airman
From what I hasve read one of the main problems was enginge cooling. The engines would quickly overheat just ideling on the tarmac. One of the photos above shows a make shift attempt to solve this problem with blowers piping air into the cowling air intakes (7th photo from the top)
flypaper2222
Airman
From what I hasve read one of the main problems was enginge cooling. The engines would quickly overheat just ideling on the tarmac. One of the photos above shows a make shift attempt to solve this problem with blowers piping air into the cowling air intakes (7th photo from the top)
You can say that again...
swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 3,954
- Jun 25, 2013
Considering all the other problems, cooling was just one more symptom of an intrinsically flawed design.
special ed
1st Sergeant
- 4,860
- May 13, 2018
Are these pictures still available from Bell?
- Thread starter
- #39
Was this due to the lack of a slipstream?
