Wing Picnics

[jacobtowne]

First is Pappy Boyington (USMC - 28 kills) and the Black Sheep Squadron with Corsair.




Then a Typhoon.




And a (stuck?) Stuka.





JT

[spidge]

My favourite is G-George from 460 Squadron RAAF.

460 Squadron RAAF

The most sorties
The highest tonnage
The heaviest casualties
The most decorations
of any Squadron in Bomber Command

g4g460crew.jpg

460 Squadron had 1018 deaths and was effectively wiped out 5 times.

[Gotthard Heinrici]

Fantastic pics guys!!!

[von Poop]

Great pictures people, It's amazing the wings are so strong for such delicate looking things.
Gotta say G-George could try a little harder, if a Typhoon can support nearly 60(?) bods then surely a Lancaster could manage more than just over 70(?)

I felt i should contribute a pic but they're hard to Google up unless you know where to look, could only find modern efforts.

[Harry Ree]

Originally Posted by spidge

My favourite is G-George from 460 Squadron RAAF.

460 Squadron RAAF

The most sorties
The highest tonnage
The heaviest casualties
The most decorations
of any Squadron in Bomber Command

Attachment 566

460 Squadron had 1018 deaths and was effectively wiped out 5 times.

I think that you will find that a front line Bomber Command Squadron on operations for most of the war and finishing hostilities operating four engined heavies such as the Halifax and Lancaster had around 1000 casualties.The airfield memorials tend to highlight this.

A tremendous sacrifice by the men and youth of Britain, of the then British Empire and those from the occupied countries.The fact that the operational squadrons were kept up to strength after suffering such high losses of aircrew must be a tribute to the recruitment and training organisation of the Royal Air Force.

The losses of aircrew in the single raids on Peenemunde and Nuremburg were particular devastating for some squadrons,overall,the former raid being regarded as successful while the latter proved to be a tragic operation.

They and their groundcrew continue to be remembered.

[jacobtowne]

The snapshot of Boyington is a family photo, I suppose, and the wings of a Corsair, which was designed for carrier landings, are pretty strong.
The Typhoon is another matter. If 55 men weigh an average of 150 pounds, the total is more than four tons, about 8250 pounds.

JT

[spidge]

Originally Posted by Harry Ree

I think that you will find that a front line Bomber Command Squadron on operations for most of the war and finishing hostilities operating four engined heavies such as the Halifax and Lancaster had around 1000 casualties.The airfield memorials tend to highlight this.

A tremendous sacrifice by the men and youth of Britain, of the then British Empire and those from the occupied countries.The fact that the operational squadrons were kept up to strength after suffering such high losses of aircrew must be a tribute to the recruitment and training organisation of the Royal Air Force.

The losses of aircrew in the single raids on Peenemunde and Nuremburg were particular devastating for some squadrons,overall,the former raid being regarded as successful while the latter proved to be a tragic operation.

They and their groundcrew continue to be remembered.

If I recall correctly, Australian Bomber Command veterans were 2% of all Australian volunteers in the 2nd world war and almost 23% of the casualties.

They too paid the price for a free Europe.

[lancesergeant]

Originally Posted by jacobtowne

The snapshot of Boyington is a family photo, I suppose, and the wings of a Corsair, which was designed for carrier landings, are pretty strong.
The Typhoon is another matter. If 55 men weigh an average of 150 pounds, the total is more than four tons, about 8250 pounds.

JT

It wasn't the wings on the Typhoon that were the thing to worry about but the tail assembly. I heard of instance of the tail on some Typhoons breaking off - or was it the Tempest?

[lancesergeant]

Originally Posted by Von Poop

Great pictures people, It's amazing the wings are so strong for such delicate looking things.
Gotta say G-George could try a little harder, if a Typhoon can support nearly 60(?) bods then surely a Lancaster could manage more than just over 70(?)

I felt i should contribute a pic but they're hard to Google up unless you know where to look, could only find modern efforts.

The wings construction is one thing but some of the strength would come down to the wing spar that went through the fuselage. The weight of the crews would be absorbed by the spar flexing. Saying that a bomber with a full bomb load flying at two hundred plus miles per hour is going to be well able to hold the weight of the crew on it's wingspan.

As a point of interest after a Lanc released it's bomb load how by how much would it suddenly rise. I know it is dependent on height - and the bomb load obviously. I heard that the amount was such that even experienced pilots were caught off guard by the rapid ascent. Anyone know by about how much?

Upon bomb release (depending on load, and if any cookies were carried) the Lancaster would jump upwards by between 300 - 500 ft.