what would you fly?

Dan K · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:46 am

Some aerobatics by Lefty. Single-engine stuff starts at about 6:30.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiLk6g1VOkQ

TonyM · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:41 am

warbird1 wrote:

TonyM wrote:

whistlingdeathcorsairs wrote:

There is a story about Jimmy Doolittle flying and doing aerobatics on one engine in a Martin B-26 to demonstrate to frightened pilots that the B-26 could be flown on one engine.
I think the account can be found in Gline's book on the subject.

Are you sure he was doing aerobatics in the B-26? That's not an aerobatic aircraft. I've heard the same story, but not the "aerobatics" portion, just that he demonstrated the aircraft at forward bases to dispel the myth of the "Widowmaker" being a deadly aircraft.

Yeah, perhaps your version makes more sense. I guess he really did wring it out though.

TM.

TonyM · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:44 am

Bill Greenwood wrote:

I recall seeing Bob Hoover doing a one engine acro demo many times in the Aero Commander Shrike.

.

I did see the Bob Hoover single engine demo in the Aero. Great stuff. I was lucky enough to meet Bob once.

TM.

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

TonyM wrote:

Yeah, perhaps your version makes more sense. I guess he really did wring it out though.

TM.

I'm not saying you are not correct, just that I haven't heard that before. If you have a copy of Gline's book, I would be interested in exactly what it says. My copy is in storage and I don't have access to it at the moment.

TonyM · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:51 am

warbird1 wrote:

TonyM wrote:

whistlingdeathcorsairs wrote:

There is a story about Jimmy Doolittle flying and doing aerobatics on one engine in a Martin B-26 to demonstrate to frightened pilots that the B-26 could be flown on one engine.
I think the account can be found in Gline's book on the subject.

Are you sure he was doing aerobatics in the B-26? That's not an aerobatic aircraft. I've heard the same story, but not the "aerobatics" portion, just that he demonstrated the aircraft at forward bases to dispel the myth of the "Widowmaker" being a deadly aircraft.

On page 308 of "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" (by General James H. Doolittle and Carroll V. Glines), Paul Tibbets relates a story of Doolittle looping a Martin B-26 on one engine.

TM.

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

TonyM wrote:

On page 308 of "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again", Paul Tibbets relates a story of Doolittle looping a Martin B-26 on one engine.

TM.

Wow, can you write that paragraph here? I'm interested in hearing about that!

TonyM · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:59 am

warbird1 wrote:

TonyM wrote:

On page 308 of "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again", Paul Tibbets relates a story of Doolittle looping a Martin B-26 on one engine.

TM.

Wow, can you write that paragraph here? I'm interested in hearing about that!

Yeah, Stand by. I'll write it up right now.

TM.

TonyM · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:06 am

warbird1 wrote:

TonyM wrote:

On page 308 of "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again", Paul Tibbets relates a story of Doolittle looping a Martin B-26 on one engine.

TM.

Wow, can you write that paragraph here? I'm interested in hearing about that!

Paul W. Tibbets:

"...We got in the air and circled to 6,000 feet, remaining close enough to the field to reach the runway if we had trouble. But everything went smoothly. Doolittle then shut down one of the engines and feathered the propeller. He got the airplane trimmed and we did some flying on one engine, turning in both directions, climbing, making steep banks. The Marauder was a tame bird with Doolittle at the controls. Suddenly he put the plane into a dive, built up excess speed, and put it into a perfect loop--all with one engine dead. As we came to the bottom of the loop, he took the dead propeller out of feather and it started windmilling. When it was turning fast enough, he flipped on the magnetos and restarted the engine as we made a low pass over the airfield. We came around in a normal manner, dropped the landing gear and the flaps, and set the B-26 down smoothly on the runway. The pilots and operations people who had been watching us were impressed."

This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

TonyM

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

Wow, that's awesome, thanks Tony! Even though I have the book I haven't read it yet. It's one of about 500 in my collection that are on my "must read" list!

Thanks for the info, that was news to me!

agent86 · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 3:57 am **Posts:** 926

I saw Bob Hoover do his routine in the shrike in 1974 at Mojave. He not only did aerobatics with 1 engine, he also did them with both engines shut down. its been a long time but if I remember correctly, he looped the plane with both engines off.he called it "enegy management' or something similar.it was one of the best routines I have ever seen

Hemiman · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:04 pm

agent86 wrote:

I saw Bob Hoover do his routine in the shrike in 1974 at Mojave. He not only did aerobatics with 1 engine, he also did them with both engines shut down. its been a long time but if I remember correctly, he looped the plane with both engines off.he called it "enegy management' or something similar.it was one of the best routines I have ever seen

Watched Hoover do those routines at an airshow in Latrobe, Pa. It was shortly after he had his "little" episode with the fire in the mustang. He used the hills and valleys around the airport to "hide" then would make his passes. One hell of a show! Still have his autograph in the program..

Bill

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:56 pm

Here is a bit more of Gen. Doolittle's B-26 demonstration program:
http://www.toandos.com/b26info.html

spartakle · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 9:51 pm

The airplane I would most like to have flown during WWII would be the Spitfire IV.

Here is a photo of Bob Hoover doing low-level aerobatics on one engine in the Shrike:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23057174@N ... 789690023/

Bill Greenwood · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:19 pm

I enjoyed the video of Lefty in his P-38. But to be exact, I don't see a loop in it with either one or both engines shut down. He probably could have done it, might not be that safe at low altitude. The video does show him shutting down one engine then doing a roll, then restarting that engine before doing more manuevers.
I don't think I have seen a loop in a P-38 without both engines running, not at all sure about that.
What's the engine out stall speed of a P-38, not counting the 3 gs or so that a loop would take?

whistlingdeath77 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:41 am

thanks for the lefty video. it was great to see that p-38. Didn't it have an accident at one time? Who owns and flys her now?

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