I have seen video footage of B-52s which show that all four sets of main wheels are steerable. I believe that this feature is intended to enable a pilot to land or take off in a cross wind by setting the wheels parallel to the runway while crabbing into the wind. I have wondered if any of the other bicycle landing gear bombers--the Boeing B-47, the Martin XB-48 and XB-51 and the Soviet Mya-4 Bison had this feature?
ever seen the footage of the jumbo jet freighter hitting a crosswind at the old hong kong airport? it came down on the port gear which was almost sideways, bounced, recovered and landed safely. it is almost beyond belief.
i bet the flight crew needed clean undies after that. and a stiff drink or six.
it's what, 200 tons a 747 weighs? all that banged on 2 wheels before the rest lined up. that is one tough bit of gear.
Or this one:
i would like to see that as a video, the whole thing to the end where passengers fall over in a dead faint when they hit the bottom of the ramp. that's a dramatic pic, but the 747 makes me feel that strut compressing, bending and shreiking with the full weight. maybe it was just a freighter, but damn, that's a whompin! there are some very dramatic b-52 landings and take-off's where they hit crosswinds. of course i can't find them, but if anyone has them to share. please do. i remember one take off of a grossly overloaded camoflaged one taking off where the wheels look 90 degrees to the fuselage. plus the damn thing had an external bombload that i would have thought impossible. anyone else seen it and maybe could share a url? tune in for diaster take off week on the rms channel!
snipped-for-privacy@some.domain wrote the following:
Yes, me too, or at least some other pics of the same incident. Photoshopping is so common these days.
Not all spectacular takeoffs are disasters - some have to be heard to be believed...
i'm not doubting the pic. i'm pretty sure i've seen it elswhere from a trusted source. it just isn't dramatic with only one piece.
snipped-for-privacy@some.domain said the following on 06/08/2011 21:34:
I remember this one making the news stations here in the UK.
If you google Kai Tak Airport, you will find the You Tube video of the
747 landing. In it the 747 makes an s-turn on approach, banking sharply to the left just before touching down.
This one wasn't a disaster, by it was damn close... check the laconic commentary from the Aussies in the tower. :) (Caution: NSFW, language)
RobG (the Aussie one)
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