American Aviation

[mTk]

Uh, Pilots?
Why would they hit the brakes after take-off?

 

[Nort]

I'm no pilot. But my best guess is that the pilot wants to stop the wheels from rotating prior to recessing them into the wheel wells.

 

[Nemesis]

Uh, Pilots?
Why would they hit the brakes after take-off?

I am just guessing, but the wheels were probably spinning. They may have wanted to stop the spinning before the landing gear for stowed.

Seems like a terrible thing to build into muscle memory.

 

[Louis]

@Nemesis @Nort @mTk
The source said: A B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-50468) of the 455th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force which crashed landed on its nose as a result of a freak accident on take off. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Extraordinary take off crash, Italy.'
Six of the crew died in the crash - 21 April, 1945

A comment said: "The pilots accidentally hit the brakes while the plane was still in contact with the runway. It was common for pilots to hit the brakes before retracting the wheels after takeoff, they just did it too early".

 

[Rico]

An inspector with North American Aviation in Inglewood, California, looks over a Mustang Mk I fighter destined for the British Royal Air Force in fall 1942. In March of 1941, the US Congress passed the Lend/Lease Act which permitted the "lending" of US built aircraft to nations that were "vital to the security of the United States". This allowed the US to place an order for 150 Mustangs to be sent to Brittan. This allocation was NA-91, RAF designation of Mustang Ia. The Mustang Ia was equipped with four Hispano 20mm cannons installed in the wings. The nose guns were deleted. Out of the 150 ordered, only 111 were serialed for the RAF and probably less than that actually received. After the attack of Pearl Harbor, the US Army held the remaining Lend/Lease order of NA-91s to Brittan. These, about 55, were designated P-51 and were fitted with four .50 cal guns instead of the cannons. But not all were configured with the Brownings. Cameras were added and a new designation of F-6A. The US Army actually called the NA-91s "Apache".

 

[Rico]

Rows of Vought F4U Corsair‘s and Grumman F6F Hellcat’s fresh off the factory line await to be shipped to the Pacific theater of operations, 1944.

 

[Louis]

Kingfisher floatplane, Pensacola, Florida,1941.

 

[Gunner]

That guy in the flight suit and parachute must be sweltering hot.

 

[Nort]

 

[Louis]

When the damage is not produced by the enemy, it is caused by the weather. Here sailors inspect the mangled remains of a TBM Avenger on the deck of the USS Hornet after Hurricane Cobra swept through in 1944.

 

[Gunner]

Could use some crazy glue and a little duct tape.....

 

[jobu88]

Be a ball turret gunner they said. It will be fun, they said. Ball turret detached and discarded prior to a belly landing, presumably not with the gunner still in it.

 

[mTk]

Presumably.

 

[Gunner]

You guys remember back in 1985 Spielberg produced a series called “Amazing Stories”.
It had a bit of a Twilight Zone feel about it.
One episode was called “The Mission” about a shot up B-17 whose ball turret gunner couldn’t get out of the turret and the bombers landing gear would not go down.

I just looked it up again and didn’t realize it had a (very) young Kevin Costner and Kiefer Sutherland.

"Amazing Stories" The Mission (TV Episode 1985) ⭐ 7.6 | Adventure, Comedy, Drama

46m | PG

www.imdb.com

 

[mTk]

Oh dear. I do remember that one, although did not recall the cast.

 

[Louis]

Various ball turrets for gunner training at Harlingen Base, Texas. 1945

 

[Gunner]

Imagine opening your garage and seeing those sticking out of the ceiling.
Like something out of a science fiction movie.

 

[mTk]

The original "pod people!"

 

[Louis]

PBY Catalina with nose turret.

 

[mTk]

Can barely imagine how hot that must have been!