|
|
Post by madmorgan on May 22, 2016 9:15:30 GMT
As an Amazon prime member, I have to the good fortune to be able to watch the Young Indiana Jones series. Last episode I watched concerned his adventures with Pancho Villas and the use of aircraft by General Pershing in April of 1916. The planes were two seaters and the rear position would throw large onehand 'dumbell' style bombs from the plane. Not only did the aircraft perform recon missions but were light bombers as well. Apparently they didn't have any machineguns, which I found odd. I'm really looking forward to the next few episodes as he's just jointed the Belgium army whilst getting involved in the Irish Revolution. Loved the battle sequence with the 'armored truck' charging the occupied post office, firing away with the machine gun - it looked just like the AD TX 'USA AC' with a Vickers instead. Also the sequence with the Royal Horse Artillery pulling into position and firing with their 13pdr guns! As far as AQ purposes, the use of the aircraft with 'dumbbell bombs' is interesting - they were at a low altitude and would probably need to be much higher to take on tripods. But, I found the 'dumbbell bombs' the most interesting aspect. This were the size of your gym style fixed weight dumbells, the small ones used in each hand to do reps with. The large bomb section was formed as a teardrop bottom, looking like a bomb. The fellow just held out his arm with the bomb and let go as he pleased. Not sure what the weight was, but it must of been small for the fellow to 'one hand' it, if only for a few seconds. In any case, the planes caused Pauchos forces no limit of problems and I was impressed with the amount of damage even such a small warhead would do. Good stuff!
|
|
|
|
Post by scottwashburn on May 22, 2016 11:14:10 GMT
Well, don't forget that this was TV and they like big explosions  I can't imagine they were dropping real bombs and filming the explosions. They had charges planted on the ground and they could make those as big as they want. And bombs dropped by hand from high altitude are going to be very inaccurate. They'd be lucky to hit the right state, let along something as small as a tripod But i remember that series and they were good! |
|
|
|
Post by madmorgan on May 23, 2016 9:51:22 GMT
Last night watched 2 more episodes as they get into trench warfare on the Western Front. My gods what a great series! In the first of these epidsodes, you get the awesome image of a line of six German trench mortars letting go with bombs and later gas canisters! Later on after the gas canisters, you get the outstanding image of a group of German cavalry in gasmasks including the horses (hurray S2G). A final assault pushes the early victory of the Belgiums back with flamethrowers!! Visions of my Germans and also the KGL folks danced before me. The second of these episodes caused me further drool as batteries of French 155mms fired away at the lines. A British fellow talks to Indy about his lovely 8" howitzer (on a barette btw) and then the old films and new of two Krupp Big Berthas on rail carriages. I was in seventh heaven as the trench scenes exploded on the screen, easily seeing 'tripods' advancing thru the haze of the battlefield. I know - but, this is why I use the name "mad..." |
|
|
|
Post by madmorgan on May 25, 2016 11:06:18 GMT
Last nights episode was all about airplanes and zepplins - love the first part with the numerous air battles and photo recon missions. The later part was rather boring as well as improbable. Indy should of died in the hydrogen explosion period. The more interesting part of it was the Gotha bomber (10 enigines!). In any case, I'm inspired to add to my XYZ alternative aircraft section with proper research done first. Cheers!
|
|
|
|
Post by scottwashburn on May 25, 2016 13:58:29 GMT
I don't recall that episode so I can't comment intelligently (but I'll comment anyway!) Keep in mind that hydrogen behaves differently than many other explosives. Remember the film of the Hindenberg exploding? It's had to imagine anyone getting out of that alive, but in fact, the majority of the people aboard did escape.
|
|
|
|
Post by madmorgan on May 26, 2016 10:17:26 GMT
Yes indeed - guess I'll accept his survival. Last nites episode was all about the Russian Revolution - good stuff, but more interesting was the Cossack uniforms & weapons, including my favorite, the HMG on a little wheeled sled. They were still using those into WW2.
|
|
|
|
Post by boxholder on May 26, 2016 12:48:38 GMT
Yes, Mr Washburn. You are correct about the dynamics of a hydrogen fire.
Hydrogen would only explode if enough air was "contaminating" the hydrogen which was contained in separate cells inside the zep hull. Zep crews paid unwavering attention to "purity"of their hydrogen cells. That is why it was so hard for the British shoot them down. Even the incendiary bullets tended to just puncture the cells. The bullets would continue into the pure hydrogen and burn out harmlessly. Hydrogen leaking out would also tend push air out of the cell delaying possible ignition. The hydrogen-air mixture inside the hull was problematic, but they had vents to try to dissipate the mix. Eventually, the incendiary bullets might start a fire if enough hits and luck prevailed. Where there was a shootdown by gunfire, most accounts indicate ignition was like the Hindenburg crash, a rapid, progressive fire. A direct hit by an explosive anti-aircraft shell would give a whopping big bang with the sudden rupture and ignition of multiple cells augmenting the shell explosion.
Of course, if you had a cell that was contaminated and ignited, there would be a rapid, progressive firecracker detonation of adjacent cells. Yep, bye-bye zep! From high altitudes, all your hydrogen would burn before you got down. It is a LONG drop with an abrupt stop.
|
|
|
|
Post by phgamer on May 26, 2016 15:06:11 GMT
I saw a special regarding BMW's hydrogen fuel cells. They demonstrated a hydrogen explosion. The gas is rising so fast it carries a lot of the energy with it. It is not a good thing to be exposed to, but survivable. The Hindenburg had 36 killed, 61 survivors.
|
|
|
|
Post by madmorgan on May 27, 2016 9:50:37 GMT
Wow, sounds like the Texas helium 'fields' are damn important to the USA AQ war effort! |
|
|
|
Post by boxholder on May 28, 2016 11:52:39 GMT
Helium is pretty much indispensable if you are seriously considering airships for combat use. You can shoot a LOT of holes in a helium-lifted zep and all you get are slow leaks. In game time scale, no effect on the beasts. This makes them extremely robust compared with airplanes of the era. The Brits lived this experience until they got some really functional incendiary ammunition.
The Germans did not have access to helium because the US had a lock on helium supplies, so hydrogen was forced on them. The results were obvious.
Add to that, the gas cells were inside the streamlined hull and were accessible to the crew. So, patches could be applied to limit gas losses even while the zep is in action.
Also, multiple machinegun positions were built into the combat zeps, so even with limited speed and maneuverability, they could make life hard for fighter planes.
|
|
|
|
Post by madmorgan on May 31, 2016 10:03:27 GMT
Yeap, as you say helium is the zeps golden goose. And for AQ this makes even more sense vs a heatray - although in true, a single hit by one of those will send it down anyway. But, the zeps will use superior altitude to insure safety & a carpet kind of bombing would be an awesome asset.
|
|
I can't imagine they were dropping real bombs and filming the explosions. They had charges planted on the ground and they could make those as big as they want. And bombs dropped by hand from high altitude are going to be very inaccurate. They'd be lucky to hit the right state, let along something as small as a tripod 
