Axel 0 Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 0700H: I wake up shower, get dressed looking forward to another day in the Caribbean sun. Then the phone rings.... It's our base commander from Alice Springs. "Captain Axel you remember that *brzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzpopopopopop*? "I'm sorry sir I didn't quite catch that" "Captain do you remember that special mission you had to do for us earlier this year?* "Yes of course sir that blue rod. I remember it mysteriously dis-appeared in Perth and re-appeared Adelaide" "Exactly Captain your *brrr*-sion is to take that same blue rod to Santa Domingo" "Yes sir will do!" *Click* 0900H: I've spent the last 2 hours rounding up the crew, briefing them and arranging transport the the airfield 1000H: There she is the magnificent Heaven Sent "Crew Check in!" "Bombardier" "Navigator" "Engineer" "Tail Gunner" "Ball gunner" "Right Waste" "Left Waste" "Body Gunner" "Radioman" "Co-pilot" "Ok crew this is a short Lower Level Mission so we won't need oxygen. Weather looks good for today but it may be a bit bumpy but keep sharp for anyone trying to steal the blue rod special cargo" "Ok Co-pilot lets start the engines up" "Before start checks. Parking Brake is set. Batteries" "Charged and normal" "Hyrdralics" "Pressurised pump running as expected" "Control Locks" "Off, Full and free movement"" "Gyros" "Uncaged" "Put-Put" "Tail gunner Start the Put-put" "Yessir!" *sound of a small motor starting in the background" "Captain power is comming online" "Put-Put started" "Intercoolers are cold" "Cowl Flaps" "Open fully and Neutral" "Master ignition" "On" "Mags" "Both, all four engines" "Before start checks complete" "Ok will start in order 3-4-2-1. Ground!" "yessir" "We will be starting engines in order 3-4-2-1" "Yes sir, ground equipment is clear. You are ok to start" 1010H "Engine 4 is starting...Oil pressure is comming up" 1015H Four successful starts later and we begin taxiing out to the active. 1025H "Captain all four engines are warmed up and ready to go" "Before take-off checks" "Cowlflaps" "one third and neutral" "Flaps" "Up" "Turbo Dial" "8 for 100 octane fuel" "Prop Pitch" "Full forward" "Crew" "Crew to takeoff positions!" "Yessir we're all ready for tak-eoff sir" "Crew ready for takeoff" "Before take-off checks complete" "Ok should we experience a problem before 80knots I will bring the aircraft to a stop if above we will continue the take-off. After after take-off I will fly the aircraft and handle the turbo and manifold pressure. You will handle the cowl flaps, inter coolers and prop pitch" "Yes sir i've got them" I bring the four throttles forward and start to hear the mighty Wright Cyclones begin to purr and then rawr and they move our majestic aircraft forward. "80" "100" I bring back the wheel smoothly and coax Heaven Sent into the air. "Gear up" I turn the turbo dial back to 4 and half and pull the throttle back to 35MP "Climb Pitch" My co-pilot sets the RPM to 2300Revs "Navigator what's my heading?" "Bearing 278 sir, I will set it on the PDI" "Tail wheel is up!....Main gear is up!" My co-pilot sets the landing gear switch to neutral. 1035H The tower caught this picture of us departing "Sir. I have something on the radio for you" "Ok put it on" Listening to Jazz while climbing the beautiful Caribbean sun while four engines purr along nicely in the background. Life couldn't be greater. What a beautiful view. 1050H We level off at 8000ft and start to cruise "Ok set the revs to 1800 and the pressure to 29' and lets see how she goes" "Yes sir" "Navigator keep calling out those headings and call me when we are 50 miles from out destination" "Yessir" "Ok men lets get to work, get in those turrets and keep sharp for Jerry!" 1215H "50 Miles sir!" "Ok lets start out descent, descent checks!" "Mixture" "Auto-rich" "Descent Power" "Set" 1223H A nearby airfield caught us coming over head Destination in sight! "Approach Checks" "Permission to land" "Radioman contact the tower and ask for permission to land" "Gear" "Gear Down!" "Gear going down" 2 minutes later "Tail wheel...down. Main gear down!" "Gear down green light" "Flaps to 1 third" "Flaps to 1 third" "Flaps going to 1 third" "Turbo" "Set to 8" "Prop Pitch" "Full forward" "Tower has given us permision to land sir!" "Thank you radioman" "Crew" "Crew to Landing positions!" "Ok Crew notified" "Ok final checks!" "Landing Light" "On" "Permission to land" "Obtained" "Fuel Boost pumps" "On" "Flaps" "Flaps down!" "Flaps.....down" "Flaps are set" These are some photos of us coming into land. Some I took, some the tower took This is not going to be a smooth one *bam!* *Squeeeee* "Argh!" TOUCHDOWN! Taxiing in to parking, the radio man complaining about something to do with "bruised buttocks" Parked Up. The special package codenamed "Baton" is safe. From the crew of Heaven Sent. Have a good trip! Link to post Share on other sites
Aidan 1 Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 Great Leg, very well done! Link to post Share on other sites
hurricanemk1c 195 Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 Superb shots and a great insight to the B-17 operations! Link to post Share on other sites
mutley 4,497 Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 What a team effort Alex, well done! Beautiful shots and a great choice of aircraft, I hope you have been enjoying the Caribbean sun! Have a Rum punch on me Cheers, Joe Link to post Share on other sites
rob16584 42 Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 Great post Alex. That's a fantastic looking aircraft Link to post Share on other sites
SEATAC 400 Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 Great posting! :001_th_smiles89: Link to post Share on other sites
ddavid 149 Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 Nice dialogue, Axel - great idea! Wouldn't like to be the guy in the ventral bubble, though!! BTW, was the pilot using his Box Brownie?!? Cheers - Dai. Link to post Share on other sites
Axel 0 Posted November 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 Thanks for all the great comments everyone! Nice dialogue, Axel - great idea! Wouldn't like to be the guy in the ventral bubble, though!! BTW, was the pilot using his Box Brownie?!? Cheers - Dai. Yes the pilot is using his Box Brownie. I wanted to give the impression that although it is in the present outside, inside it is 67 years in the past. Most of the dialogue was inspired from training videos for the B-17 and other American World War 2 aircraft, the film "Memphis Belle" and some of the workings of accusim itself. Link to post Share on other sites
CSoul 182 Posted November 22, 2010 Report Share Posted November 22, 2010 Beautiful plane. Kinda ironic choice, actually, considering what I used for my leg. Great flight, almost like being there for real. Link to post Share on other sites
stu7708 244 Posted November 22, 2010 Report Share Posted November 22, 2010 Great leg in a beautiful old lady Axel.. Link to post Share on other sites
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