The list used to send me evidence that I had posted. But what with COVID and
austerity measures and supporting a really crap team, apparently that’s all in
the past. Now the best you can hope for is the conversational equivalent of
parliament in August: occasional whispers and lots of silent pointing out where
debate used to happen.
David
On Sep 5, 2021, at 10:41 AM, Donal McEvoy <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:------------------------------------------------------------------
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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