The B-29's Fatal Flaw

แชร์
ฝัง
  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ธ.ค. 2020
  • The B-29 superfortress had a Hidden yet fatal design flaw from the first day it was introduced into service. A flaw that would lead to the catastrophic failure of the B-29 mid-air and the ghostly disappearance of the bomber and her crews.
    Please Subscribe by clicking here, Its free and helps grow the channel massively. Lets get to 100,000 subscribers! th-cam.com/users/SgtVittie?su...
    Support my work for just $1, These videos take week to research and produce. Donations keep our lights on. You can do so here : / sgtvittie
    Over 1800 members, Join me on Discord!
    / discord
    #history #ww2
    Video Sources (In order)
    • HOW IT WORKS: WW2 B-29...
    • The Last Bomb | 2008 D...
    • Video
    • Discovery Channel Gr...
    • The B-29 Bomber | Comb...
    • Wings of Russia docume...
    • Joseph Stalin (Documen...
    • Russian WW2 long range...
    • Tupolev Tu-4 NATO Code...
    • B-29 Raid With P-51 Es...
    • Joseph Stalin, USSR's ...
    Music Sources
    Strings Inspiration - SergePavkinMusic
    Music Link: • Free Music / Cinematic...
    Music: Goodbye Forever - SergePavkinMusic
    Music Link: • Free Music / Sad Piano...
    Song: "Savfk - For Tomorrow [Epic]" is licensed under a ‘Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)’.
    Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: bit.ly/Savfk-ForTomorrow

ความคิดเห็น • 1.1K

  • @FlakAlley
    @FlakAlley  7 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Hey have you seen this before? th-cam.com/video/WGzGrdLhzis/w-d-xo.html

  • @thesnazzycomet
    @thesnazzycomet 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1207

    Flak Alley: *posts B-17s fatal flaw*
    Flak Alley: *posts B-29s fatal flaw*
    B-24: *nervous sweating*

    • @nickthompson9697
      @nickthompson9697 3 ปีที่แล้ว +90

      Weak tail.

    • @riograndedosulball248
      @riograndedosulball248 3 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      *0 protection from below in early models*

    • @moonshredder5181
      @moonshredder5181 3 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      Aka known as the flying coffin

    • @nickthompson9697
      @nickthompson9697 3 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      Lots of planes were called flying coffin.

    • @Crosshair84
      @Crosshair84 3 ปีที่แล้ว +46

      Had the gliding characteristics of a brick, bombay doors tended to fail when ditching, fuel system tended to leave the fusalage/bombay full of fumes, and did not react well to being shot at.
      Also, due to its car assembly line production methods, it could not receive incremental upgrades like more conventionally produced aircraft did. Meaning that brand new aircraft had to go right back into the hangar to be retrofitted with upgrades.

  • @JabaActual
    @JabaActual 3 ปีที่แล้ว +452

    Here is an anecdote about the Tu-4: a crew member of one of the B-29s that landed in Soviet territory forgot his personal camera in the plane. The soviets found it when taking the plane apart, and as a result all Tu-4s had handheld cameras as part of standard equipment.

    • @dawnboyd1753
      @dawnboyd1753 3 ปีที่แล้ว +39

      That's a new one but not at all surprising The pressure Tupalov was under, with Beria's guns aimed at his team's heads.Dad told me when I was ten years old (1957) the Soviets had trouble with the the main gear struts. Everybody knows about the the repair patch on the vertical stab that was duplicated.The story about the landing gear is less well known, They had trouble with the L.G. metalurgy. So they just put an order with Boeing , The parts were on the dock when the feds stopped the shipment. That story was told to me by my father back in the fifties.Boeing , according to him, didn't really care. When, on Aug.6 1945, Major Thomas Ferebee pressed the button that opened the shackles allowing Little Boy to fall free from the Anola Gay the world changed. Now that the weapon system was operational it was in a way.......obsolete. I can imagine LeMay , chewing on a cigar. thinking , " now if we could just fly two or three times faster and ten, maybe a hundred times more bang I can get most the defense money .Screw the West Pointers,and those boat boys, Of course, a separate Air Force would be needed, requiring more personnel, runways, bases, enlisted barracks, officers housing ,O'clubs, then swimming pools golf courses,........and, by the way, more stars! Dr. Strangelove is close to reality (I was a SAC pilot for 11 years, scared the crap out of me contemplating the geopolitical games Kissinger and the boys at the CFR play in between visits to Epstien's island.) I am going to share your story with my old fart pilot friends.They will understand the Russian logic or lack thereof You really have to feel sorry for Tupolev. When "Uncle Joe" says make an exact copy he meant it. Oh, one more Beria et al , will be checking. One more thing James, what's your source ?

    • @JabaActual
      @JabaActual 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@dawnboyd1753 I don't remember where I heard this story first. it's more of a myth/joke at the russians' expense, so verifying it or finding the source would be nearly impossible.

    • @Lets_Go_Brandon2024
      @Lets_Go_Brandon2024 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@dawnboyd1753 - The truth/story about the landing gear/wheel metallurgy is EXACTLY why virtually EVERY SINGLE ONE of our B-29s were scrapped, so parts couldn't be illegally sold to Russia. If I remember correctly from aircraft mechanic school 30+ years ago, it had to do with the magnesium content in the struts and the rims themselves that Russia couldn't figure out. Fun fact, almost every single soda can today still has a slight percentage of the actual aluminum used to build these aircraft, since we used virtually every ounce of it for the war efforts and specifically this aircraft. 🇺🇲👍🏻😎👍🏻🇺🇲

    • @pup1008
      @pup1008 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      There is a story that someone smeared chewing gum on the runway of an early *Concorde* air display as the Soviets were developing a similar plane, the TU-144 but couldn't get the compound for the rubber right to facilitate highspeed/high angle landings. The Russians then took this to be the actual missing component they were looking for!

    • @robertsandberg2246
      @robertsandberg2246 ปีที่แล้ว

      The evil and paranoia of Joseph Stalin are nearly incomprehensible.

  • @danilobarcelos7307
    @danilobarcelos7307 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1098

    "Hey! Let's land in the USSR, they are our allies!"
    "Well yes, but off to gulag you go"

    • @sirtigalotwolfe2962
      @sirtigalotwolfe2962 3 ปีที่แล้ว +136

      "Hey Let's Trade with China and bring them into the WTO."
      "Well Okay, But We will wage secret cold war with you and steal you Tech."

    • @anthonykaiser974
      @anthonykaiser974 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      The USSR wasn't at war with Japan.

    • @danilobarcelos7307
      @danilobarcelos7307 3 ปีที่แล้ว +39

      @@anthonykaiser974 In 1945, the Soviet Union invaded Manchuria. Even if they didn't, soviets and americans still fought the germans together and were perceived as allies.
      Edit: I'm not arguing they were full allies, i'm saying they fought in the same side and looked like allies enough for the joke to make sense.

    • @JimHalpertFromTheOffice
      @JimHalpertFromTheOffice 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@danilobarcelos7307 I mentioned in one of my other comments about being confused. FlakAlley was saying the Yak fighters were preparing to shoot the B-29 down, despite the fact that they became allies after Operation Barbarossa in summer 1941. So...I'm getting the feeling that FlakAlley is stretching the truth/being dishonest. I'd like to see his sources confirming this information.

    • @todi75
      @todi75 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      @@danilobarcelos7307 The USSR & Japan, signed a non agression pact in 1941. Therfore they where a neutral country in the pacific war and not allowed to release combatants that entered the USSR! Anyway they staged an escape so all US internees could return to their units in january 1945

  • @CrazyPetez
    @CrazyPetez 3 ปีที่แล้ว +382

    The cowl flap issue was known from the start of bombing Japan. Fully loaded B29s taking off from Tinian had to balance aero drag against climbing. Open the flaps to keep,the engines cool, they couldn’t climb. Close the flaps to climb, the engines would overheat. It wasn’t so much the cowl flaps were a bad design, but that the engines were at the bleeding edge of cooling vs. power.

    • @AllThingsCubey
      @AllThingsCubey 3 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      Nah, definitely blame the flaps.
      See, the crucial detail is that the flap design made the airflow TURBULENT over the wing behind each engine. This caused a significant loss of lift as well as a massive increase in drag.
      Had the flaps been better designed or the engine positions been better considered, with a more mature development, then they could have provided the same cooling without anywhere near as many aerodynamic issues.
      Such cowling flaps always produce some extra drag when opened, but it was the way they interacted with the wing aerodynamics of the B29 which was so dangerous.

    • @alangordon3283
      @alangordon3283 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@AllThingsCubey hinsights a glorious thing for keyboard generals .

    • @jefftube58
      @jefftube58 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks for this info. Perhaps if the 29 had been designed with air intakes aerodynamically designed instead ?

    • @bobkohl6779
      @bobkohl6779 ปีที่แล้ว

      My Dad worked on solving the problem. It was known

    • @rickgpz1209
      @rickgpz1209 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@jefftube58 The cowl flaps are air EXHAUSTS, not intakes.

  • @ongdat92
    @ongdat92 3 ปีที่แล้ว +542

    “Hey let land in USSR “
    Russians: *oh frick here you go to gulag*

    • @gmoops8986
      @gmoops8986 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Kinda bummer huh? The alternatives were limited.

    • @harryshuman9637
      @harryshuman9637 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Apparently it was done in accordance with the Japanese non-aggression pact.
      On paper they were held captives, but the Soviets actually released them back to the USA via Iran.

    • @harryshuman9637
      @harryshuman9637 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@thefockn3831 Sources?

    • @thefockn3831
      @thefockn3831 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@harryshuman9637 I made three accusations I assume you're wanting sources on the American world war II prisoners that were left to die in Russian POW camps after the war but I want to make sure

    • @harryshuman9637
      @harryshuman9637 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@thefockn3831 Yes, I would like sources for that.

  • @bigblue6917
    @bigblue6917 3 ปีที่แล้ว +631

    The problem in wartime is everything is needed yesterday.

    • @octaviovaladaoferreirinhad2689
      @octaviovaladaoferreirinhad2689 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Simple and true definition

    • @TricksterDa
      @TricksterDa 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Still not an excuse to deliver a weapons system with design flaws that can kill our military personnel. Get it fixed at the point of manufacture, not on a battlefield.

    • @qasimmir7117
      @qasimmir7117 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Very well said.

    • @octaviovaladaoferreirinhad2689
      @octaviovaladaoferreirinhad2689 3 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      @@TricksterDa Makes every sense from our modern perspective, but by the time the B-29 became operational, aviation was only 40 years old. Also safety standards of the industry were vastly different from today. The cars didn't even have safety belts for example. Now look at present time: the F-22 alone took more than a decade to be developed. The B-29 during a similar length of time went from state-of-art to total obsolescence.

    • @Riceball01
      @Riceball01 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@TricksterDa Easier said than done in the middle of an all out war where you're trying to crank out things as fast as possible.

  • @reagantumurbaatar9244
    @reagantumurbaatar9244 3 ปีที่แล้ว +877

    Not in War Thunder, you can just fly to space with these things and get an ez win

    • @theholyromanemperor6275
      @theholyromanemperor6275 3 ปีที่แล้ว +70

      nah fam, UFOs will shred you to subatomic level within 5 mins

    • @michaelvigil5321
      @michaelvigil5321 3 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      It might be modeled somewhat correctly but we can know that because we aren't flying the bomber for 150 minutes straight

    • @vaidasspu
      @vaidasspu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +100

      Playing b29 is the fastest way to bankruptcy

    • @TheMattc999
      @TheMattc999 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      😂

    • @cristobalalvarez5491
      @cristobalalvarez5491 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@vaidasspu actually no the arb234

  • @paulslevinsky580
    @paulslevinsky580 3 ปีที่แล้ว +191

    I read a good article about a young flight engineer on the B-29 that found out why the engines were losing oil...the cause of frequent engine fires. He saw a wisp of oil on the pushrod tube of a hot engine, near the rubber seal. Suspecting that the rubber was swelling in the extreme heat and losing its ability to seal, the bright young man made a full set of heat shields for one engine (36 pushrod tubes) from old felt-lined flying boots. Upon returning from his next mission he saw that the retrofitted engine had lost almost no oil while the other three were nearly dry. His discovery was reported up the chain where Boeing/Wright then set about the task of solving the problem more elegantly.

    • @drstrangelove4998
      @drstrangelove4998 ปีที่แล้ว

      😂😂😂

    • @dynmicpara
      @dynmicpara ปีที่แล้ว +1

      DIRECT, KINETIC PARTICIPATION of the Citizenry acted on by a somewhat non-bureaucratic, USAAF lacking today.

    • @patriciapiper6294
      @patriciapiper6294 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      A special event.😮 being heard. Hurrah for him.

  • @PHX76
    @PHX76 3 ปีที่แล้ว +462

    And the repair cost...
    Im sorry I just can't

    • @midnight1274
      @midnight1274 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      They lowered it my guy it’s only 6k SL now

    • @andrewruss5824
      @andrewruss5824 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@midnight1274 no, what

    • @bosermann4963
      @bosermann4963 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@andrewruss5824 war thunder meme

    • @andrewruss5824
      @andrewruss5824 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@bosermann4963 I know it's war thunder but the repair did they really lower jt?

    • @bosermann4963
      @bosermann4963 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      @@andrewruss5824 it kinda keeps going back and forth with their "bAlAnCiNg" from update to update, but unfortunately is still above 40k. those assholes will never make it playable or payable with the bomber gameplay, propably in vain hopes of forcing people to spend cash to replenish lost silver.

  • @johngaither9263
    @johngaither9263 ปีที่แล้ว +35

    The cowl flap issue would never have occurred if the engine overheating problem had not been so severe. Accord to my dad, who was a B-29 navigator, engine fire and a runaway prop were the two most feared failures. He survived both due the skill of his AC. Dad hated the B-29 and often said the plane came far closer to killing him then the Japanese ever did.

  • @k.w.churchill4397
    @k.w.churchill4397 3 ปีที่แล้ว +296

    They should have bailed out over Russian territory and let it crash somewhere.

    • @xXrandomryzeXx
      @xXrandomryzeXx 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Yes, and thrn the crew would have probably been killed. Imagine if that plane crashed into a vilage or a town or a city.

    • @riograndedosulball248
      @riograndedosulball248 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      @@xXrandomryzeXx in SIBERIA? Really? I guess there weren't a whole lot of people there at the time

    • @magma4800
      @magma4800 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Tu 4 lol

    • @xXrandomryzeXx
      @xXrandomryzeXx 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@riograndedosulball248 surely but its still a chance

    • @douglasmiller8607
      @douglasmiller8607 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Yes, bailed out over russian territory but set the autopilot to fly it to crash in Japan. Then the japanese wouldve copied it and been really screwed.
      Boeing knew Wright was having problems with the engines but stuck to the accepted practice that bombers only used radial engines(duh? The Lancaster) Boeing had done studies with Allison V-12s and V-24s on B-17s and B-29s respectively, found they had superior flight characteristics but didnt want to do modifications to the airframes.

  • @yabojabo8578
    @yabojabo8578 ปีที่แล้ว +44

    It wasn't the cowl flaps that were the issue, it was the Curtis-Wright R3350s that had cooling issues. This forced the crews to open the flaps in which created the issues you note. The old saying goes, more B29s were lost to Curtis-Wright than to enemy action.

    • @robinwells8879
      @robinwells8879 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Very difficult to cool so many rows of cylinders evenly front to back. The back rows were always experiencing pre heated air and exhaust valves suffered accordingly. They needed more power and this was the most expedient way to achieve it.

    • @dennisyoung4631
      @dennisyoung4631 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      They ended up going to forged-and-then-machined cylinder heads…. Using ganged slitting saws….

    • @pickcomb332
      @pickcomb332 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Two issues, engine overheating and cowl flaps. It's actually a dilemma. You can have an engine that overheats or cowl flaps that function with cripplig lag, but not both.

    • @robinwells8879
      @robinwells8879 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@pickcomb332 NACA later developed the NACA duct that accelerates the out coming cooling air to much the same velocity as the slipstream it’s entering thus reducing turbulence and drag. These would have helped with the dilemma I imagine.

  • @jimfinlaw9432
    @jimfinlaw9432 3 ปีที่แล้ว +50

    Nice video. My father was a Boeing B-29 Superfortress pilot in 1945 when he was stationed at MacDill Army Air Field in Tampa, Florida. He loved this airplane so much that my father postponed his wedding to my mother twice just so he could learn how to fly the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. My father had been an instructor pilot in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Consolidated B-24 Liberators and Martin B-26 Marauders. He had flown 5 combat missions in Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers for the 512th BS, 376th BG, Twelfth Air Force before he was sent back to the states to become an instructor pilot. One requirement the Army had for their instructor pilots was they had to have combat experience. My father was one of the U.S. Army Air Forces top multi-engine pilots when he graduated from the advanced multi-engine training school at Moody Field near Valdosta, Georgia in 1944 where he achieved not only the single highest advanced multi-engine score in his class, but he also achieved the second highest advanced multi-engine score the U.S. Army Air Force ever had recorded during and throughout WWII! Yes, he was indeed that good, but he was also very quiet, laid back and modest as to just how good of a multi-engine pilot he really was. General Charles "Chuck" Sweeney had the single highest multi-engine score the Army Air Force ever recorded and he flew the Nagasaki mission and Bob Cardenas had the third highest multi-engine score the U.S. Army Air Force ever had recorded during WWII where he later flew the B-29 mother ship so Chuck Yeager could break the sound barrier in the experimental Bell X1 rocket plane; so my father was in pretty good company when it came to multi-engine scores. In flying the B-29, dad soon called the Wright R-3350 engines on the B-29 wrong engines and flame throwers because they had a nasty tendency to overheat and sometimes catch on fire. The cowl flaps were a big problem on the B-29 because they generated so much drag when they were extended and its true they were electrically operated, which turned out to be a major design flaw. Another design flaw in the B-29 engine bay were parts made of magnesium. Some engine fires inside the engine bay would burn so hot that it would easily cause these magnesium parts to ignite. Along with the cooling air coming into the engine nacelle during flight, this burning magnesium fire would act like a blow torch, which would easily burn holes clear through the engine nacelles firewall, breaching it and would proceed to melt the main wing spar structure. I'm certain some B-29's were lost because of this fatal flaw as well. On takeoff, the B-29's engine cylinder head temperatures were redlined at 289 degrees Fahrenheit, but on hot muggy days down in Tampa, Florida, dad said the engine cylinder head temperatures in his B-29 were reading well above 320 degrees Fahrenheit on takeoff. He had to rev the engines up that high and keep the cowl flaps closed or else the airplane would never get off the ground. Over the entrance to MacDill Field there was a sign over the entrance to the base that read "Two a day in Tampa Bay," but to be fair, the base was averaging aircraft losses of two aircraft a week. Not all aircraft lost were B-29's; this also included a few B-17's, B-24's and Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers as well. Most of these wrecked bombers were plucked out of Tampa Bay from barges and brought back to the base where they were cannibalized for usable parts. As it turned out, dad missed the war in the Pacific flying B-29's by just two weeks. The war had ended just two weeks to the day before he and his assigned B-29 crew were to report for combat duty at North West Field in Guam in the Mariana Islands, but those orders were rescinded. Dad stayed in the service until 1946 when he transferred to what was then the U.S. Army Air Force Reserves until in 1947 when it became the U.S. Air Force Reserves where he later went on to fly the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber in the mid-1950's. He retired from the Air Force Reserves in 1957.

    • @walteralter9061
      @walteralter9061 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Great story. My dad told me his career 1942-48 was as an instructor with Training Command, but later, as a B29 pilot, he never saw action. Probably why I had a father. He lost a lot of friends in the war. I'm not sure if he was a B29 instructor, but he was a basic and advanced flight school instructor. When he was stationed at Ontario CA, he met some WWI flyboys who worked for the Hollywood studios. One of them took him up in a Stearman and showed him some of the offensive and defensive maneuvers they used against the Bosche. One of my best memories was being hoisted up inside the nose hatch of his B29 at age 4 for a little off the record tour. I rode on top of him on the rope pull tram through the bomb bay tunnel to the radio/nav compartment. My first theme park ride, lol. I recall being extremely impressed by the smell of the hydraulic fluid and all the wires and hydraulic piping arranged in perfect order, an environment completely unlike our house.

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Wonderful stories from both of you lovely folks. Have a great new year :)

    • @waltbullet1287
      @waltbullet1287 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      A amazing man! Loved his country unlike our leaders

    • @Dac54
      @Dac54 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Bob Cardenas retired as a Brigadier General in 1973. He is 100 yrs old; was born March 10, 1920 in Mexico. His story is one that could easily have been made into a Hollywood movie. He truly is an American hero.

    • @gwaithwyr
      @gwaithwyr ปีที่แล้ว

      Great story. You must be very proud!

  • @g43654
    @g43654 3 ปีที่แล้ว +47

    This proves that the shortest way to improve one's army is to copy everything, preferably for free.

    • @kiljucook7625
      @kiljucook7625 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      In what universe reverse engineering is gratis?

    • @josephking6515
      @josephking6515 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      A lesson the Chinese took to heart for *EVERYTHING* .

    • @robertdevito5001
      @robertdevito5001 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Or buy something without paying for it.

    • @gregschmidt1903
      @gregschmidt1903 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Today's China game plan.

  • @navigatorofnone
    @navigatorofnone 3 ปีที่แล้ว +410

    I made a comment at the community post about this plane and someone tried to argue my point. 😂😂😂 this video is my vindication.

    • @jefferyepstein9210
      @jefferyepstein9210 3 ปีที่แล้ว +44

      You could comment that the sky is blue and someone would disagree.

    • @thatoneguy6466
      @thatoneguy6466 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      @@jefferyepstein9210 not in Detroit

    • @navigatorofnone
      @navigatorofnone 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@thatoneguy6466 😂

    • @zachatttack3107
      @zachatttack3107 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Not when a tornado hits.

    • @sportsboyjon
      @sportsboyjon 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@jefferyepstein9210 thats cause its BLACK dude. Dont say obviously fake b.s. colors. #science #sawitwithmyowneyes

  • @davem5333
    @davem5333 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    B-17 pilots found that they also had a cooling issue with the cowl flaps during climb. It was found that not fully opening the cowl flaps but climbing with a lower angle and higher airspeed, the airplane actually climbed faster and had cooler running engines.
    The flight manuals of many of the WWII aircraft were not the best procedure.

  • @elvisischrist
    @elvisischrist 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    The intake and cooling of the engines on B-29s was critical and was one of the systems constantly monitored by the flight engineer. Flights to bomb Japan were very long, and if care was not taken, overheating could occur. It could be a fatal flaw, but multiple engine redundancy, and the capture of bases closer to Japan (Iwo and Okinawa) helped to combat the condition.

  • @dawnboyd1753
    @dawnboyd1753 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    You have got part of a much deeper story. I am 73 and grew up hearing about the two subjects mentioned. My info comes from personell that were there. When I was 10 my father was discussing the cowl flap criticallity with a FE from Wright Patt.These flight test guys were great always taking the time to explain to a kid how simple the basics are.As to the other, the diversions, that gets dark, but the truth is rather humorous...... as "Uncle Joe" said " Black humor is like bread, not every gets it." My sources in no specific order father; Hump C-46..R-2800, MX ops fit test and operation B-29 , RC-121,...L-1049, R-3350 with PRT's He liked the B-29, thought the connie was bad design with a bad engine.Hated the plane.But then what the hell did he know. He only test flew the acceptance flight from out of Burbank for the USAF.and just 5000 hrs total.His friends were Tony LaVyre and Fish Salmon.(I got to meet both on my way home after UPT in 71) He told me the Curtis Wrights were pushing thermodynamic and metallurgical limits...... the Pratt 2800 not so much. And that boys and girls is why to this very day if you go way up north, if your quiet and stll and near an airport you might catch a glimpse of my fathers absolute favorite bird the DC-6. If you're lucky to see one in flight you will notice the difference between the connies and the sevens.The Six you will observe is, in fact, actually,flying, Why is it still capable flight you may ask? Because it has a unique ability. It makes a PROFIT. Back to the B-29.My uncle, mom's brother loved them. Went from B-17's, 24's, 29's, 50's, 47,s 52,s and a real POS F-111.(He was DO at Pease when they came on line in 71).The Australian Air Forces a few years ago finally found a good use for them. As landfill ! Mom only flew bombers as a co-pilot ( 17's and 24's) She was put into pursuits (P-39's, 40's 47's 51's and 63's ). I will end with Dad's joke . "Do you know how to tell the difference between a DC-6 and a DC-7? Very simple. A six has four engines swinging four three bladed props. A seven has four engines swinging three four bladed props.
    Back to the 29's that diverted to the Ruskies, Mom's 39 deliveries all had red stars on them. Oliver North's "War Stories"interviewed her, about the movement of the Cobra's, Mitchell's and Skytrains.Soon after I pick up a book "Cobras over the Tundra" by Everrett A. Long.He lived in Reno 35 miles east , so I called him. Two hours later he's knocking on the door tape recorder in hand. At first i thought he was just some airplane "enthusiast"with nothing to offer. Boy was I wrong !!! Everrett dropped a figurative bombshell of information, regarding the real bombshell ( the atomic one)and suddenly I had the missing piece to the puzzle.....I don't want to get into a public pissing contest so you can contact me for private forum. I've been told I'm a pretty good aviation artist and would like to send you a print of a B-29 I painted when I was a 2nd Lt. stuck in the BOQ in Eilson in January 1972. Minus fifty outside. I hadn't picked up drinking at the O'Club yet. That would be at Kadena a year later. Thanks for jogging my memory. Gotta get back to check on the mid-east flap. Got a hundred bucks says Netanyahu is about make his move in this chess game. The tankers have massed ;are airborne and have gone dark.In finance,you follow the money. In war,follow the KC-135's. Flew the "Q" models out of Beale for 10 years chasing Habus and Dragon Ladies to the "hot spots." That was fun. Fly and party. No alert. My favorite bird,favorite mission. I don't mind mosquitoes and humidity, but hot sand and fleas is more than I signed for coach. You go play in the sandbox! "There's a bad moon arising" Mike Capt USAF

    • @icewaterslim7260
      @icewaterslim7260 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Without any return to the JCPOA I would rather have the Israeli PM (Bennett currently) inherit the whole issue and leave it to them without our input, participation or any measure of support. But I realize that as a far fetched fantasy.

    • @johngaither9263
      @johngaither9263 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      My dad was a B-29 crewman, and my grand dad was a QC inspector in Dayton for B-29 engines during WWII.

    • @ronjon7942
      @ronjon7942 ปีที่แล้ว

      Did your pops elaborate on what he thought made the Constellation a bad plane? As a Kelly fan, I gotta know. Tony LaVyre, the Lockheed test pilot? Wasn’t he the first to fly the Starfighter?

  • @luftwaffle4993
    @luftwaffle4993 3 ปีที่แล้ว +185

    No one:
    Literally no one:
    B29s cooling System: imma ruin this mans whole career

    • @michaelmurray7199
      @michaelmurray7199 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      That is true. Because the Wright R-3350 was rushed into production, the engines had numerous problems with overheating as well as fuel system problems, particularly with their carburetors. This fuel system problem was remedied when they replaced the carburetors with fuel injectors.

    • @myparceltape1169
      @myparceltape1169 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I remember reading about the overheating of those engines in an old library book I was issued with in 1995.

    • @cowboybob7093
      @cowboybob7093 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      5:46 Cowl flaps - cooling system - some interesting drag related assertions, ending in a "takes a lot of effort to make these" fund drive. Yeah, but titles that border on clickbait don't help get eyeballs to subscribe. Nice try, don't quit, don't quit your day job either, don't quit dating, don't quit walking your dog, but yeah, if this is your dream don't quit it either.

  • @justkirt4282
    @justkirt4282 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Title: The B-29's Fatal Flaw
    War Thunder Players: yes, it's the expensive repair cost!

  • @crankychris2
    @crankychris2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    B-29's had 4 other flaws. They were the Wright R-3350 engines, so prone to overheating that the Air Force thought we would lose one of our precious A bombs. The crews were expendable, losing one of our two bombs was not. This is why it was a complete commercial failure. The B-47 and B-58 were also deadly failures.

  • @Chase-ts7gu
    @Chase-ts7gu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +292

    The fact the Soviet Union had the audacity to treat a US aircrew like this while also stealing the bomber, after we’d sent them millions upon millions of tons of weapons, fuel, food, and raw materials to help fight Germany, is appalling and shows that they truly weren’t our ally in any kind of way.

    • @shaymcquaid
      @shaymcquaid 3 ปีที่แล้ว +47

      The enemy of my enemy is my friend. (but still my enemy)

    • @Boppinabe
      @Boppinabe 3 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      Just Communists being Communists.

    • @spreadeagled5654
      @spreadeagled5654 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      The Cold War had started already..

    • @themadmoderator8465
      @themadmoderator8465 3 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      ask any of the baltic states who were the evil ones and most put germany in second place

    • @wavecentral
      @wavecentral 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Well, they were allies with the nazis just a few years earlier.

  • @eucliduschaumeau8813
    @eucliduschaumeau8813 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    My grandfather was a Lieutenant Colonel in the USAAF in WWII and he used to say that it was the engines on the B-29 that were the problem. The engines ran too hot as a function of poor design and the flaps reduced lift when opened. The flaps were more to let heat bleed off the engines than actually cool them, but same result.

  • @naciremasti
    @naciremasti 3 ปีที่แล้ว +48

    Due to the garbage algorithm today, I've managed to watch a majority of your catalog today, so y'all gotta new subscriber today, thought I'd help change that percentage.

  • @roberthart557
    @roberthart557 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Regardless of how advanced the the plane is ,if it is not reliable it is junk. We lost more of them to flaws than to enemy fire. The engines were very prone to catching fire.

    • @michaeld5888
      @michaeld5888 ปีที่แล้ว

      Still did a job and warplanes are made to very different standard and quickly as war gives very little time to think and plan. How many small high powered twin bomber pilots in the widow makers would have survived with counter rotating props avoiding the crazy torque rection on take off but needs must. The Spitfire with its crude carburetors not working inverted at the start and puny rifle calibre machine guns was not exactly perfect against fuel injected canon equipped opposition but it did the job. Then there was the canvas bodied Hurricane that burnt many a pilot as the fuel was so vulnerable but they won their battle.

  • @belgianfried
    @belgianfried 3 ปีที่แล้ว +60

    "only 5.4% are subscribed"
    *no more mr. nice man*

  • @douglasmiller8607
    @douglasmiller8607 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Yes, Radial engines can take gross damage inherent to the air cooled designs however the early Wright R-3350 used magnesium in the engine block which combined with overheating led to engine fires that couldn't be put out.

    • @johngaither9263
      @johngaither9263 ปีที่แล้ว

      They could be extinguished, and my dad's AC managed to accomplish it by diving the plane from 30,000 feet and blowing out the fire. A maneuver both the engine and plane manufacturer said was impossible. Perhaps so and dad and his crew mates just got lucky that day. The fire went out and the wings didn't come off.

  • @dannynye1731
    @dannynye1731 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    The R3350 radial was redesigned to have large components cast instead of forged because of lack of forge capacity for a new engine design. The engines ran hot and failed early. Every B29 flying to the Marianas carried a spare engine in the aft bomb bay to compensate for the engine’s short life.
    The Cowl flaps worked fine with the early production engines and the post war forged engines. The Connie and AD-1 Skyraider had long service careers also.
    That being said, BMW sliding ring style cowls would have been Ideal, like on a Ju88S or Do217

    • @eleventy-seven
      @eleventy-seven ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Many parts like turbo housing made out of magnesium. You can't put magnesium out once it's on fire. After switching to fuel injection things were far better.

  • @nickthompson9697
    @nickthompson9697 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    Enough electrical gremlins to start a circus.

  • @glennpowell3444
    @glennpowell3444 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    The big issue with the R3350 is that when in runs to hot the sodium filled exhaust valve stems would crack leaking sodium which would burn in contact with moisture in the air furiously.This in turn would set the aluminium engine housing to burn and in turn cause the wings to burn containing high octane petrol.That's why the gills had to be kept open even at cruise.

  • @brettbradshaw3297
    @brettbradshaw3297 3 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    My Uncle Johnny was a gunner on B-29s during the Pacific Campaign.

    • @SilverShark8554
      @SilverShark8554 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Did he ever saw combat? Or do you not know.

    • @db5202
      @db5202 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Mine was a top Turret gunner in the B29, he was shot down over France and served the balance of the war in Stalag 17B.

    • @TNTBoom-gf3er
      @TNTBoom-gf3er 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      @@db5202 No B29 was ever shot down over Europe.

    • @nisanight2247
      @nisanight2247 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@TNTBoom-gf3er I resisted the urge to mention that. The first thing the military warns people who research a family member is the story might turn out to be way different than they've heard.

    • @stephenp8086
      @stephenp8086 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@db5202 No B-29s served in Europe during WWII. B-29 has no "top gunner" position. CFC position controlled the top gun turrets. You are confused with the B-17.

  • @chrismartin3197
    @chrismartin3197 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    He-177: hold my beer

  • @kennedysingh3916
    @kennedysingh3916 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    During their Gypsy Task Force missions, many B 29's were sent to Vernam Field, Jamaica as part of their long distance training missions. Some arrived on less and 4 engines, many crashed on landing. In one case a group of B 29's, on their way hear when in a cloud and after their exsit the lead bomber could not be found.An exstensive search was done but not a trace of the bomber was found. My grand mother use to operate a shop south of the base and my grand dad drove trucks their.

  • @Culpze
    @Culpze 3 ปีที่แล้ว +171

    wait so in a ulternate universe the b29 that delivered the atomic bomb crashed in the sea?

    • @nickthompson9697
      @nickthompson9697 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Yup.

    • @apollo4619
      @apollo4619 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I mean we were making a new bomb every 2 months or so

    • @nickthompson9697
      @nickthompson9697 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      And the war was already over anyway.

    • @ThatsMrPencilneck2U
      @ThatsMrPencilneck2U 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@nickthompson9697 The Japanese were continuously at war for a decade. What difference did a week or two make?

    • @nickthompson9697
      @nickthompson9697 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@ThatsMrPencilneck2U they were literally cutting down entire forests to make synthetic fuel by that point. No more fuel left, game over.

  • @2xtoo145
    @2xtoo145 3 ปีที่แล้ว +38

    65% lost. Not great, not terrible

    • @lifeishardagain8594
      @lifeishardagain8594 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Not safe, not dangerous

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      65% to Malfunctions such as the design flaw mentioned. Not the Total Losses of the B-29

    • @petemiller519
      @petemiller519 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I don't think you would hold such a cavalier attitude if you were one of the crew. Those men died fighting for your freedom and rights.

  • @rvillgaming6306
    @rvillgaming6306 3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    B-29 crew while in Russian hands: "So you'll let us go and we'll be on our way with OUR B-29, 'cuz that's what allies do, right?"
    Russians: "Well yes but actually no"

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Precisely

    • @themecoptera9258
      @themecoptera9258 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      There is a technical point here which is important.
      By that point the Soviets had declared war on Germany, but not japan. So while the US and USSR were allies in Europe against Germany, they weren’t allies in the pacific against Japan. Rather the Soviets were nominally neutral in the conflict between the Western powers (and also China) and Japan.
      International law requires that if a crew serving in a belligerent military lands at an airfield of a neutral country, they must be interned for the duration of the conflict. So as a neutral power in the war with Japan, the soviets has to take the crew into custody.
      That said, the soviets actually didn’t follow these rules to the letter, instead they staged a prison break so the crews could “escape” back to friendly lines.

  • @pup1008
    @pup1008 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    The computer assisted Fire/control system on the *B29* was so advanced that it actually had the same kill ratio (11-1) as the *P-51 Mustang!*

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks for the comment Pup! indeed the B-29 was incredibly advanced when it came to fire control systems for its time however it did suffer from a fatal flaw as explained in the video which made its loss rates one of the least desired of the second world war

  • @johnjephcote7636
    @johnjephcote7636 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    The Vulture engines fitted to the Avro Manchester (an ancestor of the Lancaster) were subject to overheating (they were two in-line engines combined). To open the cooling gills meant that the a/c could not maintain height so... either burst into flames or fall out of the sky.

  • @FallGuyManiac
    @FallGuyManiac 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    My grandmother's cousin was a commander of a B29 bomb group flying out of India. On Nov 5, 1944, he took a plane (not his, as a commander he didn't have his own plane) on a night bomb run to Singapore. During the flight, the plane ("Lethal Lady") caught on fire over the Bay of Bengal and was lost. Speculation was that the engine overheated, caught on fire. With all that magnesium, it didn't take long. Ted S. Faulkner had been an army pilot before the war. In fact, he was the pilot of the secret B-24 that was at Hickam on Dec 7th. His plane was on the tarmac being serviced and was hit by a bomb. His plane was the first American plane lost in WWII, and two of his crew were the first US airmen lost in WWII. Later, he flew B-17's and was part of the flight that took the Phillipine president out of the Phillipines. www.findagrave.com/memorial/56782293/ted-sinclair-faulkner

  • @PraiseDog
    @PraiseDog 8 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    The engine issues were not fully cured until after the War, but stop gap measures were taken to limit incidences of catastrophic failure.

  • @FlakAlley
    @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +221

    🌞Have you seen this? th-cam.com/video/pGpjp1hBrOk/w-d-xo.html

    • @damiensadventure
      @damiensadventure 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I'm not sure where and what part of the world you get your dialect of English from... But it's PERFECT for narration.

    • @ryderplaysytofficial8018
      @ryderplaysytofficial8018 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Hi im new

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ryderplaysytofficial8018 Hello there :)

    • @nickstocker5697
      @nickstocker5697 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      My father who was in the raf during ww2 told me that the fatal flaw with the b29 was that the Portslade engines on said aircraft were attached backwards and the aircraft when attempting to taxi just spun around in circles! There were several attempts to fix the problem but it was eventually rectified by a boffin watching a child on a roundabout at the park who grasped the basic principle which was put into immediate effect but not before several pilots had been badly centrifuged,

    • @nickstocker5697
      @nickstocker5697 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@bryananderson3422 lol!

  • @tomnekuda3818
    @tomnekuda3818 3 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    We should have never sent our boys out with the situation like the cowl flaps that could have been corrected.....especially when we ended up being forced to land in Russia with that SOB Stalin in charge. In hindsight, he was more dangerous than Hitler, Mussolini, or the Japanese war lords.

    • @washingtonradio
      @washingtonradio 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      The fundamental problem was the Wright engines needed more development. But in the middle of a war there was not enough time for the engine development. Plus the B29 development itself was rushed to get it into production.

    • @tomnekuda3818
      @tomnekuda3818 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@washingtonradio Yes, that is all true and it was very important to get the 29's into service. My Dad serviced the 29's(and other planes) in the Pacific Theatre in WWII and was on Tinian when the B29 (Enola Gay) made its flight to deliver the bomb. Since he was responsible for servicing the big planes he may have made sure the Enola Gay was in shape to deliver its' payload. I know that he said the Enola Gay was guarded nearly shoulder to shoulder by the MP's and was in a big hanger at the end of the runway. He said he was just waking up in his tent the morning the 29 roared to life on its mission to deliver the H-Bomb. He was on nearly all the islands in the Pacific as his duties moved him around.

    • @wordsmithgmxch
      @wordsmithgmxch 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      War is hell.

    • @nickthompson9697
      @nickthompson9697 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yeah, mussolini was a pushover just like trump.

  • @MrJeffcoley1
    @MrJeffcoley1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    A Soviet defector said the Russian copy of the B29 was right down to the paint scheme, including the use of 2 different shades of green in part of the interior. To him it was obvious, the Americans ran out of paint and used another one that was close but not a match. And all that effort to build a propeller driven bomber in the jet age just as the Americans produced the B52.

  • @sd906238
    @sd906238 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Stalin wanted some B-29s in the worst way possible. Every time he filled out his wish list of items he wanted from the US he would always put B-29 as the last item. He hoped that somebody would make a mistake and actually send him some B-29s. When Uncle Joe finally did get those 4 B-29s he ordered that exact copies of them be made. So his factories made exact copies of them including all of the design mistakes.

    • @hokehinson5987
      @hokehinson5987 ปีที่แล้ว

      FDR used his personal confident' Harry Hopkins a soviet mole to manage the lend-lease program.
      Hopkins sent millions of $$$ of material thru canada Alaska route into unkel Joe's backyard.
      Plans to the A bomb, plans for the breeder reactor and yellow cake uranium mined in Canada were just some of the unofficial items sent over. The Aleutian campaign was fought to keep the Canada Alaska lend lease route safe & open had nothing to doing about jap invasion...Japan didn't have resources to do anything more than land a few brigades of marines...most likely they were looking for safe fishing waters...

  • @13stalag13
    @13stalag13 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The B-29 was NOT the only plane in the world that could carry the A bomb at that time. The British Lancaster could also carry it. As a matter of fact, the only reason the B-29 could carry it was because they used some of the bomb bay parts from the Lancaster. The British even had a squadron of Lancasters on standby in case they were needed.

    • @co8783
      @co8783 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Doubtfull they could have pulled it off as range, altitude, performance, and speed were all a concern

    • @BC-op7rj
      @BC-op7rj 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thedoomturtle 2 The Lancaster had the superior bomb bay requiring very minor modification, thus more easily carrying these bombs. B29s needed major modification to carry the bombs. B29 had a front and rear bomb bay separated by a spar. Lancaster Range issues were expected by Tiger Force and was to be solved by inflight refueling.
      The biggest concern was that Drop height and air speed was lower, causing the Lancaster crew to be much closer to the blast compared to a B29 crew. Distance from the blast was deemed a manageable risk. If the B29 failed after cutting away the main spar, then there was a squadron of Lancasters trained and ready to go.

    • @Idahoguy10157
      @Idahoguy10157 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Aside from the large bomb bay what advantage did the Lancaster have over the B29? It wouldn’t be range, cruising altitude, pressurization, or defensive armament. I’m not disrespecting the Avro Lancaster here. Only pointing out differences. The one advantage I see are the Lancaster had more reliable engines.

  • @xray86delta
    @xray86delta ปีที่แล้ว +4

    A fascinating video. I had heard for years about the overheating issue on b-29s, and the military had invested too much time and money not to push the project through, but I had never heard about the drag issue the cow flaps created.

  • @jukeboxhero1649
    @jukeboxhero1649 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I had no idea that thing had anything but a flawless performance record

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Unfortunately not

  • @waynep343
    @waynep343 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    a friend Otto Fisher was a B29 pilot during the war... coming in later.. after a bombing over japan the bombay doors were closed and smoke started pouring out of the instrument bay.. the flight commander ordered everybody to prepare to bail out.. john which is what everybody called him said were still over japan . got a pair of wire cutters from the radio man and went into the instrument bay to find out what was burning.. he found a box that was on fire and started cutting wiring going into it .. it stopped burning, it turned out to be the voltage regulator for the generator on the number 3 engine if i recall.. they had no electrical power but the B29 was flying.. they landed back at Sipan and the boeing crews examined the plane.. found out why it started a fire and were able to fix the issue on that plane and all the others.. B29s had been dropping over japan without radio calls from any of them..
    john had several other incidents during training for the army air corp.. during flight school.. and john came from colorado springs colorado.. had worked in the gold mining there since was was 10 or so.. learning to play poker from real gold miners.. when he went to training.. the instructor said to go out and fly figure 8s.. when he and the others returned from that. the instructor ask if everybody had performed them.. everybody said yes... john got up and said you guys are all wrong.. you can't perform a figure 8 in that aircraft. it does not have enough power to do more than a figure 6.. the instructor said show us on the board.. he proceeded to draw a 8 on the board.. starting at the top.. wing over and dive thru the middle flipping back around and coming up thru the bottom. but the plane only has enough power to make it back to the middle.. not enough to make it back to the top.. oh.. and nobody told him you could not fly an trainer inverted.. he tried it.. within a few seconds oil started coming out of the engine and down the side of the plane.. he flipped it right side up and then went and landed.. the crew chief said did you fly it inverted .. nope.. it just started blowing oil out so i brought it back and landed.. the crew chief took the engine apart and could not find any issues with it .
    john moved thru several fighter schools.. not for lack of talent.. but because the training staff was running poker games and winning all the pay from these newbees that had never played poker.. john won all the pots. so the staff kept kicking him to different training schools to get rid of him.. he ended up flying B26's. during on training mission over the san joaquin valley. one of the other pilots said he was going to go down under the clouds to see where they were. he warned that pilot that is tule fog and only 20 feet deep at the ground.. he went down anyway... managed to hit something came back up.. when that plane landed there was blood on the prop and fuselage. they had taken some bodies head off with their prop.. i don't recall if it was somebody in a car or on a tractor.. being a qualified pilot already when moved to B26's.. he was put in charge.. as they completed his first practice mission.. he decided to do like fighter pilots and do a victory roll down the air field.. yelling for the crew to hang on.. when he landed the ground crew chief inspected the plane.. every structural rivet was knocked loose in that brand new B26.. he was put in the stockade.. brought before the base commander. the base commander said that he should be court martialed for ruining a brand new aircraft that was war material.. but because the base commander was training ground crews on wooden mockups of engines and air frames.. he now had a complete plane to train his ground crews on that would never fly again do to him.. so he was booted up to B29s..
    john passed away in 2017.. but had spoken several times at Van Nuys air shows.. one thing for those around colorado springs. his job as a kid was to pluck gold nuggets off the rugs as the water pushed them along. he said a lot of nuggets got past him over the years and are somewhere in the tailing piles.

    • @miafillene4396
      @miafillene4396 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I remember him at the Van Nuys show!!! My hometown. Thank you for the fond memories!

    • @waynep343
      @waynep343 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@miafillene4396 i knew him and were friends from 1969 till he passed away in 2017..

    • @miafillene4396
      @miafillene4396 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@waynep343 I consider you lucky.

  • @chrissteele4748
    @chrissteele4748 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    My grandpa the F/O on a B-29 name Salt Peter Resistor later renamed Salt Censored Resistor as the first was to racy for the day. His main complaint about the plane was the super chargers failing at altitude and engines that were under powered for the size and weight of the plane. It also was a handful to land. But he said once you knew your plain it was not a bad plane to fly. He flew over 30 missions over Japan. Pics of his plane and crew with Capt. Blakley and their missions info can be found on the internet. After he passed I found them and reading the flight logs and seeing a pic of him and his plane helps when I miss him.

  • @cayden3410
    @cayden3410 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    The fatal design flaw is the repair cost.

  • @jeesmith99
    @jeesmith99 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Subscribed today. Love the shows.

  • @crispycritterz
    @crispycritterz 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    I’d be more worried about those Wright Cyclone engines catching fire for no obvious reason. With parts of the engine being made of magnesium what could possibly go wrong?

    • @kirknay
      @kirknay 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      What if I told you that major sections of modern aircraft are still magnesium?

    • @crispycritterz
      @crispycritterz 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@kirknay what if I told you that NONE of them are engine parts?

    • @kirknay
      @kirknay 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@crispycritterz I work on the things. I think a transmission bolted onto the front of an engine is close enough to an engine part, since it comes off with said engine.

    • @crispycritterz
      @crispycritterz 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@kirknay Oh Goody! We can talk shop!
      I've never seen any aircraft that used magnesium except on the wheels.. and these days it's becoming rare.
      I worked on one of the last Connies that had the same engines as the 29's except ot was a different generations... (355's if memory serves....) those power plants were prone to catching fire.. a fire so hot that it ignited the magnesium parts on interior. That is why nickel-Chrommium replaced the mag components. The ones that were not retrofitted were retired.
      That was one of the many bugs in the 29 and lead to it's retirement.... well that and it was actually obsolete before the war even ended. They had a few left over to use in Korea but that was about it.
      The turbo prop was well on it's way so straight lines and radials were being let go.
      I spent 10 years building, rebuilding and scrapping these things.... I saw the C-121 go.... the C-130 in her heyday and the debacle of the C-141. They were/are beautiful birds, but The Super Connie had a magic about her..... and it wasn't those Wrights strapped to her wings.

    • @dawnboyd1753
      @dawnboyd1753 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@kirknay Where and when?

  • @drlong08
    @drlong08 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Considered myself to be a pretty knowledgeable aviation buff....glad to know there are still things to learn!! Great video and who knew the cowl flaps were such an issue! If it were me as the hack mechanic, I'd drill a hole in each cowl flap so even fully closed they allowed more air to escape. I also suggested screen doors on subs to allow for better ventilation but that was rejected....

    • @johngaither9263
      @johngaither9263 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Fifi and Doc both have reduced or in some cases removed the turbochargers that created so much of THE heat and fire hazards of the engines. They can because they will not be carrying max weight bomb loads and were granted permission to make the changes by the FAA.

    • @dynmicpara
      @dynmicpara ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Good thinking!

  • @MrAndrew1953
    @MrAndrew1953 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    This is the first I have heard of this design flaw. Quite incredible that it wasn’t picked up during testing. It should have been so obvious.

    • @fludblud
      @fludblud 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Thats the point, Curtis LeMay famously remarked that 'we'll test them in combat' in order to get these bombers to the front line as fast as possible. Boeing had built only two prototypes before full scale production commenced which meant the entire original 2,500 production run of the first B-29s was itself the test with the crashes and bodies to back it up. Only after the new Pratt and Whitney engines were fitted to the B-29D/B-50 variants after the war was the problem actually fixed.

    • @MrAndrew1953
      @MrAndrew1953 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@fludblud All the same, if you lose 400 planes like that you must surely start to think there’s something wrong with them somewhere. Japanese airforce, ground defences weren’t in very good shape at that stage.

    • @ronjon7942
      @ronjon7942 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@MrAndrew1953 Was the same story as in Europe. We could absorb the losses as long as the enemy suffered more losses.

  • @michaelmckinley4588
    @michaelmckinley4588 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    some epic Superfortress footage. and good info on the TU-4 story. nicely done. Thanks for posting.

  • @scottross80
    @scottross80 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video thanks for sharing, very informative!

  • @patrickhenkel7502
    @patrickhenkel7502 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    You have to remember that Japan and the Soviet Union had a nonaggression pact between them, so technically landing a bomber and and welcoming the crew as allies would’ve been a violation of the USSR’s neutrality with Japan. This is the exact scenario that resulted in Doolittle’s raiders landing in China as opposed to the Soviet Union. Hell one of Doolittle’s raiders had to crash in the USSR and were “captured” and had to “escape”

  • @WillmacLMCD
    @WillmacLMCD 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I built a B29 in Kerbal Space Program, a great game with realistic physics. I also get alot of stall issues, while the engines are nearly overpowered for its weight

  • @Theearthtraveler
    @Theearthtraveler 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    A great video!! I never heard of this until now.

  • @thesnazzycomet
    @thesnazzycomet 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow Vittie... I remember when I was like one of of the few people that was subscribed to you and we were friends, look how much you’ve grown! :,)

  • @slateslavens
    @slateslavens 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Thanks for the video. I haven't watched your videos before, and honestly I was a bit skeptical. Having watched though, this is absolutely fascinating and 100% legitimate.
    Having spent my childhood in the Dakotas during the 1980s as Navy brat, I am a Cold War kid. We were fed a _lot_ of propaganda about the superiority of our military might versus the rest of the world. It was quite the eye opener as a young adult in the US Army in the 90s to learn otherwise.
    These are the stories that are/were completely left out of that Cold War era narrative, and much of the history taught both then and now.
    Thank you for taking the time to research and produce the videos you share. I'm subbed.
    Les Berg

  • @ljimlewis
    @ljimlewis 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Never even heard about this. Dad’s cousin was B-29 pilot. So I subscribed.

  • @merlin6955
    @merlin6955 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Really appreciate your time and effort producing videos of such fascinating rarely know historical facts and events.

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Our pleasure!

  • @YesYes-mh4zg
    @YesYes-mh4zg 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks for this video:)hope you had a great Christmas

  • @su57felon94
    @su57felon94 3 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    This is incredible! Merry Christmas Happy New Year and thank you for yet another educational video

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Merry Christmas and happy new year to you

  • @davidwhite9159
    @davidwhite9159 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    The Avro Lancaster had the carrying capacity for a Nuclear Bomb and did have the range if it used Iwo Jima. It had the big advantage being more reliable and not needing such a large modification to be able to accomplish this task. However as it would have dropped it at a much lower altitude than the B29, it’s escape from the blast would have had to be a diving turn that would have been more dangerous.

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks for the comment David, Certainly!
      The Avro Lancaster could easily carry the bombload and should work as tests showed however in a combat situation compared to a B-29 whether or not the Lancaster would have completed the mission remains a question. The Lancaster was much older in design. In case of an interception, the Lancaster wouldn't be able to fend off Japanese fighters who often took down B-29s flying at a much higher ceiling than what the Lancaster was capable of since it was un-pressurised. The B-29 could cruise at higher speeds and higher altitudes for longer, much better armed defensively and overall proved to be very successful in this role. It would have been quite the risk using the Lancaster when such technology was available

    • @andrewallen9993
      @andrewallen9993 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@FlakAlley If the B29 project was even more delayed than it actually was the Avro Lancaster was actually tested as the " plan b" aircraft.

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  ปีที่แล้ว

      @@andrewallen9993 Thanks for the comment, of course, it was the second best option available but we are 50/50 on whether it would have been able to get the job done in actual combat, given its downsides over the B-29. For bomb load the Lancaster was more than capable and over Germany proved very successful alongside escorts.

    • @BobSmith-dk8nw
      @BobSmith-dk8nw ปีที่แล้ว

      There was concern about having The Bomb armed before take off. So - an expert performed an arming procedure on The Bomb after the aircraft was on it's way.
      The Bomb Bay on a Lancaster was not accessible by the crew. All the bombs had to be armed before take off.
      .

  • @whydahell3816
    @whydahell3816 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I'm subscribed after being schooled like that! Great informing video!

  • @Rick1959
    @Rick1959 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank You for this channel! I just subscribed! 🙂

  • @tacit-knowledge-1455
    @tacit-knowledge-1455 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Just curious if bomber crews or ground crews tried any field modifications to prevent this problem?

  • @michaelwier1222
    @michaelwier1222 3 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    The American crewmembers were actually treated quite well, although they had little to no freedom of movement.
    The Russians couldn't immediately release the crews back to the Americans because Russia and Japan were not at war and Japan could consider their release an act of war. It wasn't the crews the Russians wanted, just the planes.

  • @antman5474
    @antman5474 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Fascinating. I have subbed.

  • @michaelkrehl4246
    @michaelkrehl4246 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Good job on the video!

  • @NATES84
    @NATES84 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    There is at Melbourne Airport in Florida an aircraft company big hub a street named EDDIE ALLEN .He was one of the first B-29 test pilots to have his wing (engine?) catch fire and burn off .He died trying to land the plane in Washington State I think

  • @douglasmiller8607
    @douglasmiller8607 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    The b-29 was grossly under powered with the wright engines, had Boeing done a proper alternative design installation with the Allison v-24 3420 ,wouldve given the b-29 over 10,000 take off horsepower than the wrights 8,500 hp

    • @julosx
      @julosx 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      This big Allison engine was then untested that's why Boeing engineers didn't see it as an option.

    • @douglasmiller8607
      @douglasmiller8607 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      The Allison V-24 was tested extensively on several aircraft and the supercharger was modified for use on the F-82 Twin Mustang Allison V-12 engines.

    • @douglasmiller8607
      @douglasmiller8607 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      The B-29 was later engined with the PW- 4360 and renumbered the B-50.

    • @douglasmiller8607
      @douglasmiller8607 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@julosx actually the v-24 was developed along the V-12 1710 but they couldn't find a use for it. Lockheed's put 2 on the p-58 as a bomber escort but the total drag from the radiator scoops negatively reduced the top speed. But a flush mounting for the b-29 gave it 10000hp for takeoff then set it for cruising it reduced fuel consumption it was a very efficient engine. The British used Merlins on the Lancaster bomber.

  • @40MileDesertRat
    @40MileDesertRat ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very interesting review. Thank you.

  • @Flies2FLL
    @Flies2FLL ปีที่แล้ว +1

    "The B-29 Superfortress may well have had a few design flaws. And I want to point out to you that those "design flaws"? Well, we all know that the bottom of the B-29 turned into the bottom of the 737, which in turn probably needed the Linoleum tiles.

  • @Ktkgal
    @Ktkgal 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hi also I love your videos

  • @carlosbanegas7561
    @carlosbanegas7561 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Like the Tiger and so many other wartime weapons, the B29 was its own worst enemy

    • @dawnboyd1753
      @dawnboyd1753 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Good point! I know my aviation history and am beginning to study the development of the tank. I even bought a Tamiya model kit of the Tiger1 for my daughter. She has been curious about everything since she was little. I got the kit for her to study the suspension .Started her flying at 12 in gliders then a Stearman and right into into a Pitts S-2 Her instructor said she had an innate feel for flying , but she wanted to be a nurse. To your point, the problem is ubiquitous in procurement process (watch Kelsy Cramer's Pentagon Wars) The twenty nines problem was Arnold ordered a leading edge technology unproven prototype design into production.What could go wrong? So as a backup he had Consolidated hang the same engines on a modified Liberator called it the B-32 and now he had a real POS!. The trade offs made in the designs of these machines is interesting to study

    • @timwhitten9918
      @timwhitten9918 ปีที่แล้ว

      Tell that to Tokyo, 279 fire bombed it and by all accounts killed more than the A-bomb

  • @sirpinkalot4784
    @sirpinkalot4784 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Loved the video!

  • @ricksadler797
    @ricksadler797 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video thank you 😊

  • @mikebode3740
    @mikebode3740 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

  • @terrymarshall2613
    @terrymarshall2613 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    This was known to them that worked on the ground... dreaded over heated engines with seized bolts or broken bolts in the magnesium engines. Cowl flaps closed maximum temperature maximum pressure and away you go . good luck

    • @timothykeith1367
      @timothykeith1367 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      When a B29 fell into hands of the Russians, the Soviets copied the aircraft, including the overheating engines.

  • @alangarnham706
    @alangarnham706 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for presenting this video. Excellent work and very interesting

  • @geoffk777
    @geoffk777 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser (a post-war civilian airliner) also had some cowl flap issues, and at least one crash of this type was attributed to misaligned cowl flaps.

  • @olivergs9840
    @olivergs9840 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I was wondering what it would be, and was expecting to be along these lines, as the B-50, and all subsequent developments of the B-29 used so called "Andy Gump" chinless nacelles, which house the engine in a circular cowl, with annular cowl flaps, and had the turbosupercharger and oil cooler intake mounted far behind and underneath.

    • @butchs.4239
      @butchs.4239 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      The B-50 also did away with the problematic Wright R-3350 and replaced them with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines.

    • @olivergs9840
      @olivergs9840 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@butchs.4239 didn't everything have problems with the 3350?

  • @ringo688
    @ringo688 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I've heard from other sources that modified Lancaster's were originally going to drop the atom bomb and that they were fully prepared to do it.This was only cancelled a few weeks before as certain American generals/politicians were outraged that a British plane and not an American plane was going to make such an "historic" raid.

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว

      They were modified and could carry it. However its highly unlikely that the lancaster with no escorts would have succeeded at Japan

    • @13stalag13
      @13stalag13 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@FlakAlley We find your conclusion to be very doubtful, as the Enola Gay was not escorted. It was sent in alone so the Japanese would think it was a weather scout.

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@13stalag13 The Lancaster did have good range and payload capabilities but it was far slower and requires escorts to stay alive. Hence the night bombings with spitfires and hurricanes. The altitude it flew at was low in comparison to the B-29. That is why the Superfortress went into Japan without escorts. Nothing would climb up there quick enough. Same cannot be said about the Lancaster...although many claim that it was meant to be a backup option for the bomb. We dont believe it would have succeeded given the mentioned circumstances

    • @americanrambler4972
      @americanrambler4972 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Lancasters were considered to carry the A-bomb, as they had the demonstrated payload capacity (they carried and successfully released the Tall Boy bombs in 1944.) and would have required fewer modifications to carry it. But the B-29 was selected instead. Keep in mind, the B-29s tasked to carry the atomic bomb were not off the shelf models, but were a special variant. They were extensively modified for the task. They had very specialized modifications and crews incorporated to carry out the task. A fairly large number of planes were tasked for this operation. They were kept isolated from the rest of the bomb groups. They also had there own command structure and support units. This took considerable amount of time to train and prepare for.
      This was not by any means a “last minute” decision. The start of the program to Carry and drop the bomb was initiated in late 1943. It was known as the
      Silverplate project. There were at least 14 B29s assigned to the program. The 1st modified plane was completed on February 2nd 1944. Among the modifications were more powerful fuel injected engines, removal of forward and aft belly machine guns, reconstruction of the bomb bay compartments, bomb doors and high speed pneumatic door actuating mechanisms and specialized bomb racks. (It was found during testing, the weight of the bombs were causing release problems when dropping them. British bomb release hardware was used to solve those problems.)
      The silverplate bombers would have been considered “hot rods” in the overall B29 fleet because of the substantial performance modifications incorporated into them made them significantly faster and better performers in a number of aspects.
      We only remember about the two which actually dropped the bombs. But these were a number of very special B29s allocated to the job.

    • @terrycooper4149
      @terrycooper4149 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Lancaster lacked the Range to fly from Tinian and back.

  • @skybot9998
    @skybot9998 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    They didn't have the luxury of years of testing for any of the planes or tanks or anything that was built. They built things as best they could and all to often the flaws were found out after people were killed.

  • @JaredJanhsen
    @JaredJanhsen 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Most pilots focus on altitude after Rotation. With the B29 the pilots' eyes are glued to the Air speed indicator throughout the climb to keep the engines cool.

  • @petergouldbourn2312
    @petergouldbourn2312 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderfully narrated and scripted , historical piece Pete 🇬🇧

  • @testick8431
    @testick8431 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Why was the lancaster video deleted? I just wanted to watch it now since i didnt have time yesterday and now it is removed?
    If it is a monetization problem then it is ok. But i dont know if it is an accident

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      It will be back soon, yes..same issues unfortunately

  • @bigredc222
    @bigredc222 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I've watched and read tons of stuff about the B29, and I've never heard about this design flaw, it's very interesting.
    Thank you.

    • @eleventy-seven
      @eleventy-seven ปีที่แล้ว

      Made by Boeing. Nothing else needs to be said.

  • @FestusBro
    @FestusBro 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Excellent content!

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Glad you enjoyed it

  • @some_random_rando
    @some_random_rando 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Even with these flaws the crew still flew them. These men were truly built different

    • @ChaplainDMK
      @ChaplainDMK 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      More like nobody fucking told them

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@ChaplainDMK Lack of intricate testing by the designers is what lead to this

    • @graham2631
      @graham2631 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@FlakAlley the war was full of rushed into service equipment. The mark14 torpedo jumps to mind. One thing it did give us was a generation of excellent test pilots.

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@graham2631 Indeed, they did what they had to do at the time :) and it worked despite the flaws

  • @Imnotyourdoormat
    @Imnotyourdoormat 3 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    can thank curtiss lemay's "we'll test them in combat" policy for that......

    • @TricksterDa
      @TricksterDa 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Had the Axis Powers won WW II Lemay would have been executed as a War Criminal for Crimes Against Humanity: The firebombings of Dresden, Cologne, Kyoto and Tokyo; more civilian deaths than Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.

    • @Imnotyourdoormat
      @Imnotyourdoormat 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@TricksterDa in 1 night, over 100,000 people were killed in the incendiary raids on both Tokyo and Yokohama...Tokyo still considered the worst fire in the history of the world.

    • @01Z06guy
      @01Z06guy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@TricksterDa Japan and Germany were both bombing cities long before the US even entered the war. For either of them to call him a war criminal for doing the same thing would be some serious hypocrisy.

  • @EXG_BLU
    @EXG_BLU 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great Vid Buddy, so close to that 100k Play button, keep it up ❤️😁

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Happy new year Blu, thanks

  • @deanb4799
    @deanb4799 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Really enjoyed this! Well done.

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thankyou!

    • @deanb4799
      @deanb4799 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@FlakAlley ...and I subscribed lol!

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@deanb4799 Awesome, happy holidays

  • @32shumble
    @32shumble ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I always wondered if the large pressurised cabin was an extreme vulnerability - what happened if even one small-calibre bullet punctured it?

    • @winfriedwilcke1705
      @winfriedwilcke1705 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Not much. The outflow valve(s) would close just a little bit more.

  • @neilwilson5785
    @neilwilson5785 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I'm subscribed! I don't know why so many YT users don't ever like and subscribe.

    • @FlakAlley
      @FlakAlley  3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks so much

  • @ret7army
    @ret7army 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very interesting video thanks