[lit-ideas] Re: Hereabouts
- From: "Donal McEvoy" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> ("donalmcevoyuk")
- To: "lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2021 17:41:30 +0000 (UTC)
This is a test post to understand why other posts of mine may have failed to
reach the list. Please ignore. Especially as it would have concerned Arsenal.
D
On Monday, 30 August 2021, 00:57:52 BST, david ritchie <profdritchie@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
On Aug 29, 2021, at 5:14 AM, Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I couldn't remember which bombers exploded, thought they might have been B-29s
and so checked Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunsan_Air_Base They ;
apparently had no B-29s there back in 1953, only B-26Bs.
At a party yesterday evening I mentioned the story of the B29 and got the
response that is all over the web—the B29 program cost more than the Manhattan
Project. If you want to know how and why, read this:
https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-development-of-the-B-29-cost-more-than-the-atomic-bomb?share=1
The short version is that Hap Arnold wanted the world’s best bomber and got
it…sort of. Vast amounts of money went into the program. The planes were
lightly defended because they were going to fly so high. On and on.
Technically marvelous but for one thing—dropping wobbly, floaty bombs from a
plane flying at 300 miles per hour and at 30,000 is not a good way to hit even
a large target. So how were they used? In low altitude night bombing, a task
that other planes could have performed if flying range permitted.
So the program was roundly criticized, right?
Nope. B29s dropped the atomic bombs. Only planes capable of carrying the
payload. Thus…redemption.
What might they have used instead? I looked to see what heavy bomber was used
in Korea and came to the Convair Peacemaker. Now that’s a strange-looking
aircraft, with the propellors on backwards. It’s not clear to me why that was
being developed in parallel to the B-29., belt and braces maybe? It came into
service in August of 1945.
Those who like to think about alternate histories might read the Wikipedia
entry on the Amerikabomber.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerikabomber
It wasn’t for lack of desire that New York escaped bombing until this century.
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
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