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Stepwilk

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February 5, 2017 at 3:45 pm in reply to: WWII bomber guns versus fighter guns? #806132

Stepwilk
Participant

I wouldn’t say that the combat-boxes were ‘such a failure’ by any measure,

Didn’t the USAAF stand down the unescorted Eighth Air Force bombers due to unacceptable losses for a period of time in 1943, I think it was? Sounds like failure to me.

February 4, 2017 at 2:38 pm in reply to: Boeing 314 Clipper sponsons question #806524

Stepwilk
Participant

Thank you all–oustanding information.

April 30, 2016 at 10:56 pm in reply to: A curious German weapon #878567

Stepwilk
Participant

Good lord. There are dozens of posts every week that I don’t follow up on either. If I respond to some site that Donald Trump is a moron, I’m done. Not getting into a micturation match.

April 30, 2016 at 10:38 pm in reply to: A curious German weapon #878702

Stepwilk
Participant

I don’t understand, though I have seen these outraged complaints about Pampa 14 a number of times now. It seems to me–perhaps I’m too much of an outsider–that he collects some photos of a specific airplane and publishes them on some apparently Brazilian blog. Okay, fine, I visit the blog, scroll through the photos and I’m done. He hasn’t charged me to visit the site and as far as I know hasn’t stolen my identity or email. Big deal. The photos are usually relatively ordinary, but so what?

Yet let some Brit forum member post a couple of Spitfire photos and everybody is full of praise and thanks.

What am I missing?

March 23, 2016 at 10:25 pm in reply to: Most Types Flown #903277

Stepwilk
Participant

One of the things that needs to be taken into account is how the types are logged. I have over 120, but I’ll be the first to admit that I log a Cessna 172B and a Cessna 172K as different types, which is cheating. I also have a 1049 Constellation logged, and I sure as hell would consider a 1649 another “type.” And I have a B-17G but I’d consider a B-17F another addition to the list if I ever got the chance. Yet Eric Brown logged one “Spitfire” although he probably flew a dozen or more very different Spitfire Marks. So there are several different ways to skin this cat, and unless there are strict standards as to what can be logged as a separate type–are there?–I’d question some lists.

March 19, 2016 at 1:36 am in reply to: Most Overrated Fighter Of WWII (2005 Zombie) #906063

Stepwilk
Participant

This may interest you.
http://www.hortenwings.com/

Wake me when they stop dreaming.

March 18, 2016 at 6:47 pm in reply to: Most Overrated Fighter Of WWII (2005 Zombie) #906181

Stepwilk
Participant

My nomination: the mythic Horten 229. Which in fact never existed, despite the NASM calling its Horten IX V3 a “Horten 229.”

March 16, 2016 at 8:48 pm in reply to: Percy Pilcher's Triplane? #907696

Stepwilk
Participant

Thanks, Robert. I’ve seen that BBC Triplane replica show. Pretty amusing…they mounted an engine with 50 percent more hp than Pilcher’s original, and it had probably 50 times a better power-to-weight ratio. No surprise that it flew, albeit barely. I doubt Pilcher’s Triplane would even have taxied fast, though of course the drive mechanism was the pilot’s legs.

March 16, 2016 at 7:00 pm in reply to: Most Overrated Fighter Of WWII (2005 Zombie) #907715

Stepwilk
Participant

I think the problem here was a designer was overrated.. (takes cover)

Actually, I think Hall Hibbard had more to do with the design of the P-38 than did Kelly Johnson…

March 9, 2016 at 6:54 pm in reply to: The Bridges at Toko-Ri #912726

Stepwilk
Participant

The maneuver was typically used to pinwheel the carrier–to turn it in a tight space. It was the source of much dissention between the black- and brown-shoe officers, because it was very hard on the aircraft engines, running at something close to full power without adequate cooling.

January 28, 2016 at 11:49 pm in reply to: Turrets #857391

Stepwilk
Participant

Yes, that was Fred. I did an article about him for Aviation History magazine and have all his contact info if anybody wants to email me at [email]stephwilkinson@verizon.net[/email]. (Send me a PM and I probably won’t notice it for months…)

January 21, 2016 at 4:53 pm in reply to: Looking for opinions re. the relevance/importance of the Horten Ho 229 #861236

Stepwilk
Participant

wiki claims that traces of ‘conducting material’ were found between the laminations by visiting Northrop-Grumman reps at Silver Hill

Wiki is wrong, surprise surprise. NASM’s restoration department extensively tested the Ho IX V3 that they have part of, using digital microscopy and sophisticated spectrometry and concluded that there is NO added carbon black or coal dust in the glue between the plywood layers. The black specks taht were assumed by Northrop “experts” to be carbon black turned out to be simply oxidized old wood.

I can’t find the link right now, though I have the material printed out, but it’s a chapter headed “Was It Stealthy?” in a full NASM report on the partial airplane.

January 16, 2016 at 2:13 pm in reply to: Horten 229 nosewheel a He-177 tailwheel? #865021

Stepwilk
Participant

Yes, I have good contacts there including the curator who will be in charge if their -229 restoration when it gets underway, but always like to get a basis of informed opinions before I talk to them.

January 16, 2016 at 8:16 am in reply to: Horten 229 nosewheel a He-177 tailwheel? #865067

Stepwilk
Participant

The Ho 229’s main gear is from a Bf 109. I’m talking about the nosewheel, which is typically said to be an He 177 tailwheel. Is it possible that a bomber has a tailwheel and tire that much bigger than a fighter’s?

December 20, 2015 at 8:46 pm in reply to: Pampa's usual stuff. Stuka this time. #885394

Stepwilk
Participant

I’ve been ripped off big time with some of the research I have posted on-line

That’s like saying you’ve been ripped off big-time “with some of the research I have posted by nailing it to a telephone pole.” I make my living as a writer, these days largely for Aviation History and Air & Space magazines, as a Contributing Editor of each. Trust me, I don’t post my research on the Internet unless I feel like giving it away.
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