"Fifi" in 1988 - Page 2 - Aircraft of World War II

Geedee · 01-12-2009, 02:37 PM

I've done a selective enlargement from the 'fuzzy' picture...how embarrassing !...and I think I've found your tail lights....then again, I could be wrong !

evangilder · 01-12-2009, 02:50 PM

Great pics guys!

I would love to see her fly again someday.

Gnomey · 01-12-2009, 03:47 PM

Excellent stuff Gary!!

HoHun · 01-12-2009, 04:23 PM

Hi Geedee,

>Do you mean the vertical red tubes ?. They're something to do with the brakes...I've added a blown up segment from one of the cockpit shots that should help. On looking at the handles, it looks like they could be a parking brake ?

The hydraulic system of the B-29 had only one function, and that was operating the brakes. With that background, I'd interprete the text on the red handles as emergency system in case of a hydraulic pump failure - you'd have enough pressure stored in a hydraulic accumulator (US terminology - some manuals come with a "bi-lingual" glossary, but I can't find one right now and am not sure of the British term either ...) for about three brake applications before the brakes would go dead.

As the B-29 did not have a steerable nose wheel, you needed two brake levers for directional control ... just what we see in your picture.

I was actually thinking of the vertical tubes running over the entire height of the cockpit, "hugging" the contours of the panel. The port one is visible behind the brake handles, and your photograph sort of busts my "control lock" idea as the lower end of that tube appears to be firmly screwed in. Surprisingly, there are not many pictures showing the cockpit of a B-29 in flight, but the few I found (and a single manual drawing as well) show these tubes to be absent. However, after seeing your pictures, I'm confused about their function.

>Ref external tail pics, I've added the only ones I have (Including a fuzzy one !!). I'm not sure but on the pic of the rearmost under fuselage gun barbette, it looks like there might be a light between the .50's ?

Hm, my guess would be that the lens in the barbette must be part of a gun camera - another detail I have never seen anywhere else! :-)

I agree that the "fuzzy" picture probably shows the tail light - thanks a lot! :-) I had seen this detail on low-resolution photographs and couldn't figure out what it was!

Thanks a lot!

Henning (HoHun)

Geedee · 01-12-2009, 05:11 PM

Ah !...those tubes.

Looking at their location and the fact that they are firmly attached, makes me think they are nothing more than 'grab handle' (bit like on buses for those passengers that have to stand and need something to hold onto) to stop any one going forward...or back from...the bomb aiming position, grabbing hold of one of the control wheels as they walk past. However, I could be wrong...probably am, but thats my thoughts.

I also have a little bell rininging in the back of my mind that for some reason keeps telling me that the rear nav light on the '29 is a twin light setup, ie, two bulbs and two lenses side by side, but again, I could be wrong as this is the first time I've seen a 29 in the flesh so to speak.

I didnt even know until just now that it didnt have a steerable front wheel, just like the B24. Thats a serious design fault I reckon, with a piece of real estate that size trundling along the taxi-ways relying on differential power / braking to go straight / around corners !

HoHun · 01-12-2009, 06:07 PM

Hi Geedee,

>Looking at their location and the fact that they are firmly attached, makes me think they are nothing more than 'grab handle' (bit like on buses for those passengers that have to stand and need something to hold onto) to stop any one going forward...or back from...the bomb aiming position, grabbing hold of one of the control wheels as they walk past. However, I could be wrong...probably am, but thats my thoughts.

Hm, good suggestion - I'll believe in that one until we're proven wrong! :-)

>I didnt even know until just now that it didnt have a steerable front wheel, just like the B24. Thats a serious design fault I reckon, with a piece of real estate that size trundling along the taxi-ways relying on differential power / braking to go straight / around corners !

Oh, then you probably haven't found this fascinating article yet:

Pelican's Perch #56:<br>Superfortress!

There is also a supplement to the article:

Pelican's Perch #56 Supplement:<br>Randy Sohn on the B-29

(Deakin has more interesting Warbirds articles there, good for a couple of hours of highly interesting reading :-)

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

01-12-2009, 02:50 PM	#17
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 15,420	Great pics guys! I would love to see her fly again someday. __________________ For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

01-12-2009, 03:47 PM	#18
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 16,510	Excellent stuff Gary!! __________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

01-12-2009, 05:11 PM	#20
Geedee Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 895	Ah !...those tubes. Looking at their location and the fact that they are firmly attached, makes me think they are nothing more than 'grab handle' (bit like on buses for those passengers that have to stand and need something to hold onto) to stop any one going forward...or back from...the bomb aiming position, grabbing hold of one of the control wheels as they walk past. However, I could be wrong...probably am, but thats my thoughts. I also have a little bell rininging in the back of my mind that for some reason keeps telling me that the rear nav light on the '29 is a twin light setup, ie, two bulbs and two lenses side by side, but again, I could be wrong as this is the first time I've seen a 29 in the flesh so to speak. I didnt even know until just now that it didnt have a steerable front wheel, just like the B24. Thats a serious design fault I reckon, with a piece of real estate that size trundling along the taxi-ways relying on differential power / braking to go straight / around corners ! __________________ Cheers Gary My P-51D Cockpit Project http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/sta...ect-18113.html Sex and Drugs and Sausage Rolls

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01-12-2009, 04:23 PM	#19
HoHun Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,765	Hi Geedee, >Do you mean the vertical red tubes ?. They're something to do with the brakes...I've added a blown up segment from one of the cockpit shots that should help. On looking at the handles, it looks like they could be a parking brake ? The hydraulic system of the B-29 had only one function, and that was operating the brakes. With that background, I'd interprete the text on the red handles as emergency system in case of a hydraulic pump failure - you'd have enough pressure stored in a hydraulic accumulator (US terminology - some manuals come with a "bi-lingual" glossary, but I can't find one right now and am not sure of the British term either ...) for about three brake applications before the brakes would go dead. As the B-29 did not have a steerable nose wheel, you needed two brake levers for directional control ... just what we see in your picture. I was actually thinking of the vertical tubes running over the entire height of the cockpit, "hugging" the contours of the panel. The port one is visible behind the brake handles, and your photograph sort of busts my "control lock" idea as the lower end of that tube appears to be firmly screwed in. Surprisingly, there are not many pictures showing the cockpit of a B-29 in flight, but the few I found (and a single manual drawing as well) show these tubes to be absent. However, after seeing your pictures, I'm confused about their function. >Ref external tail pics, I've added the only ones I have (Including a fuzzy one !!). I'm not sure but on the pic of the rearmost under fuselage gun barbette, it looks like there might be a light between the .50's ? Hm, my guess would be that the lens in the barbette must be part of a gun camera - another detail I have never seen anywhere else! :-) I agree that the "fuzzy" picture probably shows the tail light - thanks a lot! :-) I had seen this detail on low-resolution photographs and couldn't figure out what it was! Thanks a lot! Henning (HoHun)

01-12-2009, 06:07 PM	#21
HoHun Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,765	Hi Geedee, >Looking at their location and the fact that they are firmly attached, makes me think they are nothing more than 'grab handle' (bit like on buses for those passengers that have to stand and need something to hold onto) to stop any one going forward...or back from...the bomb aiming position, grabbing hold of one of the control wheels as they walk past. However, I could be wrong...probably am, but thats my thoughts. Hm, good suggestion - I'll believe in that one until we're proven wrong! :-) >I didnt even know until just now that it didnt have a steerable front wheel, just like the B24. Thats a serious design fault I reckon, with a piece of real estate that size trundling along the taxi-ways relying on differential power / braking to go straight / around corners ! Oh, then you probably haven't found this fascinating article yet: Pelican's Perch #56:<br>Superfortress! There is also a supplement to the article: Pelican's Perch #56 Supplement:<br>Randy Sohn on the B-29 (Deakin has more interesting Warbirds articles there, good for a couple of hours of highly interesting reading :-) Regards, Henning (HoHun)