Extreme Topics

[Scorpiоn]

No we're not gonna talk about adult films or fascism, just my current interests...

[visitor]

605;

Here's your B-17 stuff, everyting you will ever need to
know, with pictures!!
http://www.b17flyingfortress.de/english/nav_detail.htm
Enough of your:


A little sample of what is there!!


Brad

[Smoke2much]

Scorpion, I know what you mean mate.  There is plenty of beginners guide sort of stuff available in book and web site form, if you are looking for more in depth information my tip is to find the books without pictures in them.  If this sounds silly or patronising I apologise but I have wasted loads of money on books that are packed full of great photo's and illustrations but the text is poor.  Get a book on a subject with very few pictures in it and it tends to be more academically sound.

Will

[Hagar]

More info on the B-17 here. http://www.angelfire.com/fm/odyssey/1fortress.htm
If you've never seen it try to get hold of the original documentary movie "The Memphis Belle - A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944)". http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6301903226/ref=ase_yellowairplanepr/103-5902190-8860647?v=glance&s=video#product-details
It was shot by William Wyler, the famous Hollywood director on actual combat missions.

This is, quite simply, one of the best wartime documentaries shot during WWII. It chronicles the 25th mission of 'The Memphis Belle" a B-17 and its crew that flew early in the air war over Europe when losses were staggering and survival of men and machines was doubtful over a 25-mission tour. Shot by William Wyler, the film is in full color, much of it shot in combat conditions over Europe. The narration is excellent.
This is not a very long film, but it is a must for anyone interested in the air war. I highly recommend another documentary to better understand the air war if you enjoy 'Memphis Belle'. It is called "Pistol Packing Mama: The Missions of a B-17", also available through Amazon.com. Taken together, these two videos will give the general viewer an excellent idea of the dangers of flying early in the war and of the resiliency and courage of the crews.
Do not expect the camera work to be smooth in the aerial combat sequences. Remember that the plane was shuddering with the recoil of its guns and also under instense fire. Also, the cameraman was probably having second thoughts about coming along on the mission at all! To me, the camera work only intensifies the drama of the battle.
Highly recommended. Not to be confused with the Hollywood version of 1990, with the same title. This is fact, that one is historical fiction.

[Scottler]

605...I'm just curious.  How many libraries did you go to in your search?  lol

[Hagar]

[quote]605...I'm just curious.

[Felix/FFDS]

The  "mushroom" cloud is associated with nuclear detonations, but it is actually typical of a high explosive detonation - witness an image of an oil tanker, etc., blowing up.

Since a nuclear detonation is immensly more powerful, that's why you get the "full" mushroom - stem skirt and cap.

[Scottler]

Well, all explosions tend to have a very mushroom-esque appearance, if you watch them....even the small ones!

[Scorpiоn]

Sorry for the belated reply, a bad combat simulator, bad memory and a good war stategy game have taken their toll on my forum time! But, wow!  Thanks to X, Smoke, Hagar and Felix!  I honestly didn't think this post would get a reply.  First thing's first, Hyperion, I tried one.  Simple reason is, is to get anywhere I have to have my parents shuttle me around if I need (want) to go anywhere, and my parent consider anything more than a mile away too far.  Although I do remember going to Houston's downtown library, and I was looking for different subject matter (insects), I yeilded the same results.  My dad agrees with me, and I believe him, because even though he the minimum on the Wasp, he saw a lot of places.  His stories usually start off, "While my buddies were drinking and p---ing away their money, I saved it, and went into town and learned...".  Amongst his account are the "awesome" (in the dictionary sense of the word) libraryies he's visited.  Italy, Chile, New York etc.  At any rate he says the libraries in Houston are "Mickey Mouse" (in other words infantile).  Anyway...

I kinda just used the B-17 as an example, nut it's not as if I don't find it interesting anymore.  Just more weekend reading material! Thanks X. Hagar, many thanks for the links!  Great stuff.  The uniform site, which was good by itself, led me to a publisher's site with many promising books! Now to get money/a job... Smoke, I hear ya, the only book I've seen to combine pretty pictures and useful info is Duel for the Sky.  It even specifies what squadrons are being discussed.  Charts, everything! Felix, that tends to be the problem, I haven't seen all these explosions.  Everytime I've looked up explosion images on google, I get some weird goth site or 9/11, drying up the will to even look any further. Although now that I think about it, my theory doesn't explain H-bombs, in which the cap forms first, and rings in either bomb.