Aviation TechnolologyZephren Collinson (THE Bowmaster of Japan)

Jets

In-Line Engines● Cylinders arranged in banks,

straight or V shaped● Water Cooled● Sleek, long nosed planes● Most often powered Jets

Radial● Cylinders arranged in circle

around crankshaft● Air cooled● Round, stubby nosed aircraft● Generally powered Bombers

Spitfire

Grumman F4F Wildcat

Mosquito and B-29

De Havilland Mosquito● Two in-line engines● All-wooden, unarmed● Extremely fast● Load: 4000 lbs. Range: 1485

mi.

B-29 Superfortress● Four radial engines● Heavily armored, 12

machine guns, 1 cannon● Very heavy, moderately fast● Load: 20,000 lbs. Range:

5,830 mi.

Ploesti Raids and Flying the Hump

Ploesti Raids, 1943● Large network of Oil Refineries

near Bucharest, Romania● Supplied about 60% of oil to

Germany● Five bombardment groups of

B-24 bombers● Information intercepted, ran

into extremely heavy fire● Flak Train - very cool/deadly● Took out 42% oil capacity,

soon restored● 53 aircraft lost (10 crew in

each)

Flying the Hump● From 1937-1942, Japan

blocked all easy sea and land routes into China

● Allies needed to keep China supplied and in War

● Hump = Himalayas● Pilots flew over Himalayas

into China from 1942-1945● Very dangerous, about 1000

men lost

Ploesti Raids and Flying the Hump

Navigation Technology

● LORAN (LOng RAnge Navigation) (time delay)

o radio navigation system o More accurate in day, worked when cloudy

● Radar (RAdio Control And Ranging) (higher

frequencies)

o Fire Control and Detection Fire Control allowed pilots to attack at night Detection created 3d map of surroundings

● Bombsightso Factored in airspeed, height, ballistics, etc.

Allowed for precision bombing

Questions

1.What type of, and how many engines did the B-29 Superfortress have?

2.What Romanian city was Ploesti near?3.What is the main difference between

RADAR and LORAN?

Bibliography

● http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/dehavillandmosquito.cfm

● http://www.boeing.com/boeing/history/boeing/b29.page

● http://acepilots.com/planes/main.html● http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1733.html● http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ploesti.htm● http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cg

i?article=1011&context=ac_symposium