[ARC5] The B-26 "Widowmaker"

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 9:10 PM,  <dean at laptop4hire.com> wrote:

> I would also disagree that the wing was too small.  The wing was the right
> size for the cruise speed (high) and payload that the aircraft was designed
> for.  It just had a high approach speed that many pilots who had been
> trained in large aircraft with lower wing loading weren't used to.  If you
> flew it by the book, there wasn't a problem.  Much the same problems when
> transitioning to the jet age.  Some pilots never made the transition to the
> higher wing loadings and faster approach speeds.

In fact, there's some good information out there about Jimmy Doolittle
going down to where they were training the B-26 crews and showing them
there was nothing wrong with the plane, more a matter of learning how
to fly it. He ran a number of take off and landings, one engine shut
down and otherwise, to show that the bad name the aircraft had gotten
was really not accurate. It was more related to stuffing green crews
into a high performance aircraft before they were ready. Can't
remember his direct quote, but it was along the lines of "If I can fly
it, you can fly it". Crashes dropped off after he spent some time with
the crews.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4