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The Muderous Marauder And Silver Wings And Santiago Blue

C

casey jones

Charter Member
Sometime in 1941-1942 the B-26 was going through a period of troubles, the aircrews
began to call it names, yes there were accidents like any new design this does and
will occur. One day a lone Martin B-26A appeared over the field. As it approached
it shut down its port engine and circled on one engine then started the engine and
snapped its wheels and flaps down. The pilots and aircrews who watched this demonstration
of airmen ship ran to the plane as it taxied up to the flightline, their jaws dropped when
the hatch opened and five women pilots dropped through the hatch to the ground, they
were members of the WASP, Women Army Service Pilots. The pilots and aircrew looked
on with red faces. I don't remmenber where I read this but it stayed in my memory to
this day.

Thanks

Casey
 
Great story. I've heard it before and I like it.

I wouldn't be surprised if those gals had better training than some of the early military pilots.

The early Marauders had more than their share of accidents, partly because the trainee pilots just weren't ready for such a high performance plane, and partly because the early Marauder didn't have enough wing area for its power and weight. When the Truman committee asked Glen Martin why there were so many B-26 crashes he said it was because the wings were too small. When they asked him why he didn't make them bigger he said he had a contract from the Army to build them the way they were.

True, but the Army contracted for them that way because that was how Martin designed them and submitted them for Army acceptance.

Whoever it was that made the decision to produce the initial design as-is, it wasn't long before later Marauders got a bigger wing.
 
There is a story about Doolittle doing the same thing with the B-26. His angle was to go to a base, select one of the aircraft at random from a dispersal, and take it up and wring it out; part of the routine included stopping and restarting both engines at different times, also a deadstick landing was demonstrated.

He did the same thing with P-38s as well.
 
SSI01 said:
There is a story about Doolittle doing the same thing with the B-26. His angle was to go to a base, select one of the aircraft at random from a dispersal, and take it up and wring it out; part of the routine included stopping and restarting both engines at different times, also a deadstick landing was demonstrated.

He did the same thing with P-38s as well.
Click to expand...

Tony LeVier dd a traveling road show like that with the P-38 when pilots started getting shy about the Lightning's single engine performance.
 
Milton Shupe said:
This video explains the issues properly and how they evolved. There is more to the story than you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VJ-XQ0J81E
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link Milton. I had heard the story before, but it remains interesting. When people think I am exaggerating with my weathering, look closely to the cowling at 4:27. When you check out the map of the mission described after 12:29 you can find out where I live. I live in the village called Noordwijk.

Cheers,
Huub
 
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