Simviation Forum - Boeing 337 Part 1

Jan 6^th, 2009 at 12:16pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
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I'm probably gonna start sounding like a payware reviewer Tongue

.. but I have to share this amazing model.. The A2A Boeing 337 with the Accu-sim upgrade.

Utterly amazing. The system management required is almost TOO realistic. I sure hope they incorporate this stuff into more models.. and that it comes as part of FS11.

A cold-n-dark startup is intense and laborious enough under ideal circumstances (all done from the Flight Engineer's seat).. but I unwittingly started exploring this thing (took me a day and a half to get it airborne) at a northern Michigan airport (I always run real weather). Cold starts when it's -15C are.. umm.. welll... difficult..lol.. I iced up the carbs before a wheel rolled.. and when I DID get it moving.. all the plugs were fouled ..and number-3 engine damaged, because I didn't wait for oil temps to get into the green.

ANYway.. I could write a book about this thing, and what it takes to get it airborne; up to altitude (I've yet to go above FL200) and back on the ground again, and still have 4 engines in good enough condition for the next flight. Embarrassed

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The devil beast looks so nice just sitting there.. Set aside 30 minutes for engine-start and warmup on these frigid mornings.

Ever look up at a big old plane and wonder what's happening on the flight deck? (Fly this and you'll find out)

When you finally DO get these massive R-4360s happy.. their powerful rumble is comforting.

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Reply #1 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 12:17pm

Anxyous Offline
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Nice! Weird looking plane though Grin

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Reply #2 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 12:19pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
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It's pretty much a passenger version of a B-29 (I think)..lol

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Reply #3 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 12:38pm

Hagar Offline
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Quote:

It's pretty much a passenger version of a B-29 (I think)..lol

It was actually based on the B-50 & by all accounts was a horrible aeroplane. Captain O.P Jones, the legendary chief pilot of BOAC, refused point-blank to fly it & was sacked on the spot. The Stratocruiser was in turn the basis for the Guppy series of transports.

To check the realism of the flight model try landing it on the mainwheels first. This was apparently impossible. It was reputed to have a very strong nose-leg.

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Reply #4 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 12:49pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
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I can relate to reluctance.. I wouldn't be crazy about climbing into one either... But it was a reasonably succesful (and safe) passenger transport (albeit my research is young).. just not a good design for that kind of service. I won't give THAT much credit to the designers for replicating an ornery airplane.. but it sure is ornery. Not all that easy to fly either.. It's not forgiving, in any sense of the word.

From the few landings I've exectuted.. you'd have to really screw up the approach to be in a position to put the nose-wheel down first. I'm sure I could do it.. but it would be tough. Full flaps and a nose-down attitude would be a pretty dramtic vertical speed. Fine for losing some altitude, but you'd have to really screw up to do that near the ground.

That aside.. this is one heck of a sim model, in many ways.

Edit.. Oops.. you said main wheels.. Embarrassed

my bad..

Yeah.. when you finally get it to stop flying (just at stall speed).. you aren't pitched up at all.. Even "greasing it in" would take a VERY long runway..

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Reply #5 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 3:46pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
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Ok.. this is weird. The B-50 was originally going to be called the B-29D.. from what sense I can make of it, the B-337 is indeed more of a B-50, than B-29... but even Boeing's site calls the B-377 a civilian transport version of the B-29 Huh

This airplane does indeed have an "interesting" history. I came across a neat article:

http://www.ovi.ch/b377/articles/speedbird/

... with a great reference to the revered, Captain Jones:

Quote:

The Strat was a peculiar beast. Its pilots never knew for certain what might happen next, but we never had to ditch one, as Pan-Am had to do on two occasions. An engine once caught fire, burnt itself out, then conveniently fell off, and there were a few landing accidents (not too surprisingly). That great first gentleman of the air, Capt O.P. Jones (we were on the same Strat course) later landed one short at Goose Bay, fortunately without hurting anyone. Next day he went out to examine where his wheels' marks were. He resigned and never flew for BOAC again. He had done enough for his airline and country.

I tend to believe Hagar's version Wink

Man.. this airplane is as fun to read about, as it is to fly

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Reply #6 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 3:54pm

Hagar Offline
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I finally found what I've been searching for. Interesting comments by the late Wing Commander Tony Spooner DSO DFC on the foibles of the Stratocruiser. http://www.ovi.ch/b377/articles/speedbird/
Quote:

The robustness of the nosewheel leg was proved on almost every landing, as the Strat, when near the ground, had a mind of its own and we used to arrive (one did not land a Strat; one arrived) with the most appalling thumps. No amount of heaving back on the pole would induce the mainwheels to make contact first. Various explanations were offered for this peculiarity. Some said that the wings, which were essentially those of the B-29, had been mated with the double-bubble fuselage at the incorrect angle of incidence. Others pinned the blame on the pernicious lift-spoilers.

Why build a splendid wing and then fit lift spoilers? The story was that the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA: the FAA-to-be) would not give the type its Certificate of Airworthiness because a wing was apt to drop when the aircraft stalled. The CAA wanted the nose to drop first, and the only swift remedy was to destroy an area of lift near the fuselage. Ironically, after BOAC had operated the type for about nine years it was decided that lift-spoilers were not necessary, and they were removed. I was then flying later types, but those who were still on Strats told me that it was then a much better-behaved aircraft.

As the aircraft also ran on its nosewheel alone for several hundred yards during take-off, this, too, could be quite exciting in a strong crosswind. The huge tail made the aircraft try to weathercock into wind.

I believe the B-52 also has this characteristic.

I also found another very interesting article on the Strat if you have 30 minutes or so to spare. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3901/is_200006/ai_n8911736/pg_1?tag=artB...

Edit. Oops, I see you beat me to it on the first article. Wink

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Reply #7 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 4:38pm

jankees Offline
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Nice shots, but I've never bought it, too ugly for a start (but that's a question of taste), and never really wanted to fly this with all it's complexity.
But A2A are working on a P-47 with accusim, so I'll give that a try...

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Reply #8 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 4:40pm

firemonte007 Offline
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great looking shots...i have just downloaded this before i saw your shots, but i havent had a chance to take her up yet... i know she's not the prettiest girl at the ball but she does turn some heads Wink

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Reply #9 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 4:48pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
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jankees wrote on Jan 6^th, 2009 at 4:38pm:

Nice shots, but I've never bought it, too ugly for a start (but that's a question of taste), and never really wanted to fly this with all it's complexity.
But A2A are working on a P-47 with accusim, so I'll give that a try...

Yeah.. at first I'd have prefered a Connie, or a DC-6 ...because I DID buy it for the complexity, first. I get tired of being able to just "fly" a sim plane. I hope realistic systems like this are a trend.. Even a C182 where you have to monitor gauges, and do all the unglamorous piloting stuff would be great. And the fact that it keeps track of abuses.. even has an airframe/engine hours log is something I've wanted all the way back to FS98 ! Random failures are "ok" to keep you on your toes.. but having these big, grumpy, corn-cob engines to keep track of, take care of, and count on over an ocean.. Shocked

), adds a whole new level to simming.. I'm addicted !

And thanks for that link Hagar.. the history of this plane is making it more and more a favorite... I'm glad it's not a Connie or DC-6 Cool

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