Big bombers.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

carefull, you'll have people thinking you're my dad, unless there's sumthing you're not telling me ..............

 

[cheddar cheese]

nah, if i was your dad you would be much better looking

 

[plan_D]

And that's what we call a cheap shot.

 

[cheddar cheese]

no, thats what we call fact

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

don't worry about him, he's just jealous of me........................

 

[cheddar cheese]

but you had your haircut and no-one could tell besides, ive been classed as looking like several famous people before

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

so have i ........................

 

[cheddar cheese]

such as?


[this'll be good ]

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

brad pitt for one................

 

[cheddar cheese]

i knew you would say that, and you look nothing like brad pitt perhaps a non-drugged-up russell crowe maybe

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

can you prove i don't look like brad pitt??

i kindly request that you don't post any pictures of me please, for security reasons..............

 

[cheddar cheese]

what makes you think id have a picture of you?

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

don't deny it, i know about your little shrine to me....................

 

[cheddar cheese]

i dont have a shrine to you but i have a voodoo doll.......

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

close enough for me..............

 

[DaveB.inVa]

does anyone have some stats for the b-52 or b-36? i havent seen any yet and it would be interesting to see some

I just saw this thread and I really love all the big bombers so I figured I'd post some stats. Most of my info comes from a couple of really good books on the B-36 Ive got, one is the warbird tech series and the other is Magnesium Overcast. Let me tell you if you ever want to buy either of the two books go for Mag Overcast, EVERYTHING in the warbird tech is included in Mag Overcast!

Anyway for the XB-36 model:

There were 6 Pratt Whitney R-4360-25
Max speed: 346 mph @ 35000
Cruise: 216 mph
Ceiling: 36000
Wingspan: 230' 0"
Length: 162' 1"

B-36B
6 P&W R-4360-41
Max speed: 381 mph @ 34500
Cruise: 202 mph
Ceiling: 42500
Range: 8175 miles
Max takeoff weight: 311000 lbs
Armament: Two 20-mm M24A1 cannon each in six retractable, remotely-controlled fuselage turrets, tail turret and nose mounting, with 9200 rounds of ammunition.
Maximum bomb load 86,000 pounds

B-36J Featherweight III
6 P&W R-4360-53 plus 4 5200 lb.s.t. General Electric J47-GE-19 turbojets converted to run on 145 octane av gas
Max speed: 411 mph @ 36400
Cruise: 203 mph
Ceiling: 47000
Range: 6800 miles with 10000lb bombload
Max takeoff weight: 410000 lbs
Armament: Two 20-mm M24A1 cannon in tail turret
Maximum bomb load 86,000 pounds

The B-36J Featherweight III's and the B-36B's were the best in my opinion. Even though the J III's were listed with a ceiling of 47k there are documented cases where they cruised at over 60k. One very reputable B-36 pilot I have talked to mentioned a few times that he had been to 63k.
He did say the time he was that high that the crew wore a pressurized suit. The other times he just said they were on oxygen. Even though the B-36 was pressurized they could only maintain a certain differential pressure. I don't have the exact figures here now but I do know an equivalent of 8000' could be maintained up to 25000', he mentioned that the crew would put on oxygen when climbing above the equivalent of 10000' cabin pressure.

Some interesting stuff. The B-36 was designed in case England fell so that raids could take place across the atlantic. The first design proposal came in 1941, but as war conditions improved the design was given low priority. The first XB-36 rolled out in September 1945, but its first flight didn't occur until August 1946.

The aircraft could fly at altitudes so high that the twin turbochargers would have trouble with manifold pressure pulsations. As the engines got less air lower exhaust flow would result. With this lower exhaust flow divided between two turbos there would not be enough flow to provide adequate efficient operation. So to solve this the left turbo could be shut down and its exhaust flow diverted to the right turbo. Now exhaust flow would be high enough to provide proper operation and the pulsations would cease. Flight engineer data states that the engineer should switch to single turbo when the wastegates of both are closed. There was no provision to shut down the right turbo and run on the left. The reason for this because cabin pressurization was provided by the right turbo.

 

[cheddar cheese]

Ah cool - thanks 8)

 

[HealzDevo]

The B-1 and B-2 are necessary. Stealth is a critical component for destroying enemy SAM sites. The B-1s and B-2s do stealth attacks on SAM sites as well as those areas that are likely to be very highly defended. Leaving enemies with only hand-held air-defense leaves them open to air-attack by the more venerable strategic air assets. This is why the B-1 and B-2 actually made it into service in any quantity. True they could have SA-7 Grails, however these are extremely inaccurate weapons. To be truely effective against a jet aircraft a computer and processing power is needed. Not something that is really effective handheld.

 

[evangilder]

Do you mean the F-117 and the B2? The B-1 isn't a stealth aircraft, although it is probably more stealthy than the B-52.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

very sleek lines, very shexy...........