F4U Dive Brakes

[Scorpiоn]

I remember I asked this awhile back.

I got a book yesterday, that, for once, was not Mickey Mouse, it cover the Corsar in reasonable technical detail.

The dive brakes are the undercarriage doors which are directly connected to the gears.

So there.

That should come in handy.

[Wing Nut]

I don't think those were dive brakes as that would have necessitated lowering the gear to activate them...

One interesting fact though, the XF4U had little bomb bay doors built into the wings to carry small anti-aircraft bombs.  The idea was to fly over a formation and drop the bombs on the enemy aircraft.  Kind of a silly idea, when you think about it.  Does anyone know of another aircraft with this function?

BTW, this should really be in 'Specific Aircraft Types'

[Felix/FFDS]

[quote]I don't think those were dive brakes as that would have necessitated lowering the gear to activate them...

One interesting fact though, the XF4U had little bomb bay doors built into the wings to carry small anti-aircraft bombs.

[Scorpiоn]

I don't think those were dive brakes as that would have necessitated lowering the gear to activate them...

A selector handle in the cockpit within reach of the pilot's left hand is both landing gear actuator and dive brake operator.  Seated at the bottom of a square U-shaped channel, the handle can be pushed to the left and up to lower the gear, or to the right and up to actuate the main gear dive brakes.  The brakes allow a steep dive angle wothout excessive build up, useful in bombing.  When the dive brake option is selected, the tailwheel remains retracted.  If actuated at high speeds, the landing gear dive brakes may hand in the slipstream, not locking until the speed diminishes sufficiently to allow the hydraulic system to force the main gear down and locked, typically at or below 225 knots.

[Wing Nut]

I stand corrected.  :)

[Hagar]

I remember I asked this awhile back.

I got a book yesterday, that, for once, was not Mickey Mouse, it cover the Corsar in reasonable technical detail.

The dive brakes are the undercarriage doors which are directly connected to the gears.

So there.

That should come in handy.

I believe this confirms what I told you before Scorp.

Dropping bombs on aircraft was actually tried by the Germans (if not the Russians and Japanese).

I remember an account of this in "I Flew for the Fuhrer" by Heinz Knoke.  I think it was tried successfully by Bf 109 fighter-bombers against the B-17 formations. The bombs were fitted with an adjustable barometric fuse - in effect an aerial depth charge. If the altitude was judged correctly it was possible to bring down several aircraft in a large tightly packed formation with a single bomb. The problem with the idea was in having sufficient warning & the opportunity to be positioned above the bombers.

[jimclarke]

I believe the germans also experimented with upward firing munitions (not the cannons fired at an angle) that were triggered by a photelectric cell as they passed underneath the bomber formations.

As far as F4U dive brakes are concerned, The Vought Vindicator also use it's landing gear as dive brakes.  Maybe that is where they got the idea from for the Corsair.....?

Haven't found any good Mickey Mouse books lately.

Jim

[Scorpiоn]

Hagar, while, yes, it goes along the same lines of what you told me, the difference is there is a purposebuilt feature for dive brakes, not just lowering the gear.

[Felix/FFDS]

I believe the germans also experimented with upward firing munitions (not the cannons fired at an angle) that were triggered by a photelectric cell as they passed underneath the bomber formations.

Actually, this isn't new.  In fact some of the first mountings of machine guns were oblique upwards on WW1 tractor biplanes.

Some purpose built "night" fighters (Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter, Avro 504, Sopwith Camel, for example) had one or two Lewis guns trained oblique upwards.

[Hagar]

Hagar, while, yes, it goes along the same lines of what you told me, the difference is there is a purposebuilt feature for dive brakes, not just lowering the gear.

I can't prove it as I can't find the thread now but if I remember correctly I did point this out in my previous reply. If not me, it was someone else. Not to worry. I think we all agree.

PS.

I could be wrong but had an idea that the gear doors were used as dive brakes.

PS. Quote: The strong landing gear and the fairings attached to the strut made a suitable airbrake.  On the actual plane, the landing gear handle had a dive brake position in addition to the extended and retracted positions.  The dive brake position would extend the main gear but not the tailwheel because the tailwheel doors were not rated for high speeds.

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=gen;action=display;num=1079380267;start=12

Some people don't seem to believe me even when I get it right.

[Hagar]

[quote]

Actually, this isn't new.

[Woodlouse2002]

No ones talked about aircraft of the Army Air Corps flying against Zeppelins in the First World war armed with a carbine, 15 rounds of ammunition and four incendery bombs. The idea was to use the carbine to slow the airship down a bit, then to fly over head and drop your bombs on it.

[Felix/FFDS]

No ones talked about aircraft of the Army Air Corps flying against Zeppelins in the First World war armed with a carbine, 15 rounds of ammunition and four incendery bombs. The idea was to use the carbine to slow the airship down a bit, then to fly over head and drop your bombs on it.

Aha! So that'swhy there were early experiments with a BE.2 equipped with basic air brakes - the AAC didn't want to overshoot the Zeppelin!

[Scorpiоn]

Some people don't seem to believe me even when I get it right.

Well, ehm...  Erm...

Yeah.

The Lord of Nolij must've been skewered my mind, I guess...

[gramps]

The proto type Corsair(XF4U) had the small bomb bays in the wings. None of the production planes did.  :)