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Why does the B-29 not have pilot-accessible thrust?
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Watching this incredible B-29 Superfortress flight, I was amazed to see that it required a dedicated person to manage the 4 engines and their power levels.
Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?
throttle bomber
edited 2 hours ago
Bentoy13
2815
asked 4 hours ago
Cloud
2,08911234
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up vote
1
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favorite
Watching this incredible B-29 Superfortress flight, I was amazed to see that it required a dedicated person to manage the 4 engines and their power levels.
Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?
throttle bomber
edited 2 hours ago
Bentoy13
2815
asked 4 hours ago
Cloud
2,08911234
@Sanchises "Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?" I read this as asking why the pilots didn't have a common throttle lever set between their stations -- which I covered in my answer.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
@ZeissIkon I see - interesting answer!
– Sanchises
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
Watching this incredible B-29 Superfortress flight, I was amazed to see that it required a dedicated person to manage the 4 engines and their power levels.
Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?
throttle bomber
edited 2 hours ago
Bentoy13
2815
asked 4 hours ago
Cloud
2,08911234
Watching this incredible B-29 Superfortress flight, I was amazed to see that it required a dedicated person to manage the 4 engines and their power levels.
Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?
throttle bomber
throttle bomber
edited 2 hours ago
Bentoy13
2815
asked 4 hours ago
Cloud
2,08911234
edited 2 hours ago
Bentoy13
2815
asked 4 hours ago
Cloud
2,08911234
edited 2 hours ago
Bentoy13
2815
edited 2 hours ago
Bentoy13
2815
edited 2 hours ago
Bentoy13
2815
2815
asked 4 hours ago
Cloud
2,08911234
asked 4 hours ago
Cloud
2,08911234
asked 4 hours ago
Cloud
2,08911234
2,08911234
@Sanchises "Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?" I read this as asking why the pilots didn't have a common throttle lever set between their stations -- which I covered in my answer.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
@ZeissIkon I see - interesting answer!
– Sanchises
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
@Sanchises "Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?" I read this as asking why the pilots didn't have a common throttle lever set between their stations -- which I covered in my answer.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
@ZeissIkon I see - interesting answer!
– Sanchises
1 hour ago
@Sanchises "Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?" I read this as asking why the pilots didn't have a common throttle lever set between their stations -- which I covered in my answer.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
@Sanchises "Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?" I read this as asking why the pilots didn't have a common throttle lever set between their stations -- which I covered in my answer.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
@ZeissIkon I see - interesting answer!
– Sanchises
1 hour ago
@ZeissIkon I see - interesting answer!
– Sanchises
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
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votes
up vote
3
down vote
This setup was actually pretty common for four-engine aircraft of the day. Look at the cockpits of airliners from DC-4 to Lockheed Constellation, and you'll always see a dedicated flight engineer station -- not always to the level of managing throttles (requiring a voice command from the PIC to change power setting), but to manage the relatively complex and failure-prone large radial engines. The flight engineer station persisted well into the jet era -- at least to the early versions of the 747, which first flew in 1968 or 1969.
However, if you look closely at a B-29 cockpit, you'll see each pilot has an individual throttle lever set -- they're not between the yokes because of the crawlway for the bombardier station. Rather, they're outboard of the seats, near the (presumably pitch) trim wheels. There were also propeller controls, though they're harder to identify in a cockpit photo. With constant speed propellers, the only control required on an immediate basis was throttle (the flight engineer managed synchronization), and both control seats had throttles, as well as the ability to feather a dead engine.
answered 3 hours ago
Zeiss Ikon
2,100113
1
The pilot had propeller controls as well. 4 toggle switches with a gang bar for simultaneous operation of the Curtis Electric propellers.
– John K
2 hours ago
1
Thanks, @JohnK -- edited.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
This setup was actually pretty common for four-engine aircraft of the day. Look at the cockpits of airliners from DC-4 to Lockheed Constellation, and you'll always see a dedicated flight engineer station -- not always to the level of managing throttles (requiring a voice command from the PIC to change power setting), but to manage the relatively complex and failure-prone large radial engines. The flight engineer station persisted well into the jet era -- at least to the early versions of the 747, which first flew in 1968 or 1969.
However, if you look closely at a B-29 cockpit, you'll see each pilot has an individual throttle lever set -- they're not between the yokes because of the crawlway for the bombardier station. Rather, they're outboard of the seats, near the (presumably pitch) trim wheels. There were also propeller controls, though they're harder to identify in a cockpit photo. With constant speed propellers, the only control required on an immediate basis was throttle (the flight engineer managed synchronization), and both control seats had throttles, as well as the ability to feather a dead engine.
answered 3 hours ago
Zeiss Ikon
2,100113
1
The pilot had propeller controls as well. 4 toggle switches with a gang bar for simultaneous operation of the Curtis Electric propellers.
– John K
2 hours ago
1
Thanks, @JohnK -- edited.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
This setup was actually pretty common for four-engine aircraft of the day. Look at the cockpits of airliners from DC-4 to Lockheed Constellation, and you'll always see a dedicated flight engineer station -- not always to the level of managing throttles (requiring a voice command from the PIC to change power setting), but to manage the relatively complex and failure-prone large radial engines. The flight engineer station persisted well into the jet era -- at least to the early versions of the 747, which first flew in 1968 or 1969.
However, if you look closely at a B-29 cockpit, you'll see each pilot has an individual throttle lever set -- they're not between the yokes because of the crawlway for the bombardier station. Rather, they're outboard of the seats, near the (presumably pitch) trim wheels. There were also propeller controls, though they're harder to identify in a cockpit photo. With constant speed propellers, the only control required on an immediate basis was throttle (the flight engineer managed synchronization), and both control seats had throttles, as well as the ability to feather a dead engine.
answered 3 hours ago
Zeiss Ikon
2,100113
1
The pilot had propeller controls as well. 4 toggle switches with a gang bar for simultaneous operation of the Curtis Electric propellers.
– John K
2 hours ago
1
Thanks, @JohnK -- edited.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
This setup was actually pretty common for four-engine aircraft of the day. Look at the cockpits of airliners from DC-4 to Lockheed Constellation, and you'll always see a dedicated flight engineer station -- not always to the level of managing throttles (requiring a voice command from the PIC to change power setting), but to manage the relatively complex and failure-prone large radial engines. The flight engineer station persisted well into the jet era -- at least to the early versions of the 747, which first flew in 1968 or 1969.
However, if you look closely at a B-29 cockpit, you'll see each pilot has an individual throttle lever set -- they're not between the yokes because of the crawlway for the bombardier station. Rather, they're outboard of the seats, near the (presumably pitch) trim wheels. There were also propeller controls, though they're harder to identify in a cockpit photo. With constant speed propellers, the only control required on an immediate basis was throttle (the flight engineer managed synchronization), and both control seats had throttles, as well as the ability to feather a dead engine.
answered 3 hours ago
Zeiss Ikon
2,100113
This setup was actually pretty common for four-engine aircraft of the day. Look at the cockpits of airliners from DC-4 to Lockheed Constellation, and you'll always see a dedicated flight engineer station -- not always to the level of managing throttles (requiring a voice command from the PIC to change power setting), but to manage the relatively complex and failure-prone large radial engines. The flight engineer station persisted well into the jet era -- at least to the early versions of the 747, which first flew in 1968 or 1969.
However, if you look closely at a B-29 cockpit, you'll see each pilot has an individual throttle lever set -- they're not between the yokes because of the crawlway for the bombardier station. Rather, they're outboard of the seats, near the (presumably pitch) trim wheels. There were also propeller controls, though they're harder to identify in a cockpit photo. With constant speed propellers, the only control required on an immediate basis was throttle (the flight engineer managed synchronization), and both control seats had throttles, as well as the ability to feather a dead engine.
answered 3 hours ago
Zeiss Ikon
2,100113
edited 2 hours ago
answered 3 hours ago
Zeiss Ikon
2,100113
answered 3 hours ago
Zeiss Ikon
2,100113
answered 3 hours ago
Zeiss Ikon
2,100113
2,100113
1
The pilot had propeller controls as well. 4 toggle switches with a gang bar for simultaneous operation of the Curtis Electric propellers.
– John K
2 hours ago
1
Thanks, @JohnK -- edited.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
1
The pilot had propeller controls as well. 4 toggle switches with a gang bar for simultaneous operation of the Curtis Electric propellers.
– John K
2 hours ago
1
Thanks, @JohnK -- edited.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
1
1
The pilot had propeller controls as well. 4 toggle switches with a gang bar for simultaneous operation of the Curtis Electric propellers.
– John K
2 hours ago
The pilot had propeller controls as well. 4 toggle switches with a gang bar for simultaneous operation of the Curtis Electric propellers.
– John K
2 hours ago
1
1
Thanks, @JohnK -- edited.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
Thanks, @JohnK -- edited.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
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@Sanchises "Why was the throttle not placed between the two pilots, like the modern airliners of today?" I read this as asking why the pilots didn't have a common throttle lever set between their stations -- which I covered in my answer.
– Zeiss Ikon
2 hours ago
@ZeissIkon I see - interesting answer!
– Sanchises
1 hour ago