Around the world in 175 days.

[blanston12]

Such variety of aircraft and scenery. I'm starting to wonder if Dave B left you his add-on collection in his will.

Thanks Paul, I only wish I could have a collection like Dave B's. That you think it rivals his is the greatest of compliments.

[airboatr]

This has been a long trip, Joe
Are we There yet.. I gotta wee..

[blanston12]

This has been a long trip, Joe
Are we There yet.. I gotta wee..

It has been a long trip, I was just looking at the route and I am not even to the half way point yet. Not the next flight but the flight after that will cross 60 East which is the opposite site of the globe from where I started.

Joe, if you need a bathroom break just let me know, I will wait!

[blanston12]

July 7 1924: In Karachi the flyers were hosted to a dinner by the RAF officers, the first time they had dinner with ladies* present since leaving the states, in a speech the base commander reminded them they had traveled 12,577 miles since leaving Seattle, father than anyone before, but still had over 14000 to go. With the help of the British mechanics they spent two days replacing the engines on there three aircraft, they worked during the day and spent the evenings having dinners at the homes of various British officials. The morning of July 7 they were up at 3am for breakfast and were in the air by 6:30 for Chahabar Persia (now Iran). They flew over sand, ancient lava flows and mountains which Arnold described as the “most lonesome, barren and desolate place imaginable”. Shortly after noon they crossed into Persia and descended on a small port city on the Gulf of Oman.

* I assume 'Ladies' means upper class women of European extraction.

September 7, 2017: For the next flight we will be using the Consolidated B-24. As I am sure you all know, the B-24 is a four engine bomber that first flew in 1939. Designed with a efficient high aspect ratio Davis wing, the B-24 could had a high cruise speed, long range and a heavy bomb load at the expense of being difficult to fly and having poor low speed performance. While the aircrews preferred the B-17, the general staff preferred the B-24 and it was produced in very large numbers, over 19000 were built making it the most produced multi engine American military aircraft in history. The aircraft I am using today was produced by Virtavia and despite being a FSX model works well in P3Dv4. It’s a bit difficult to fly but once you remove the bomb payload it becomes much easier. My flight to Chabahar was pretty easy, weather was good, 9 knot winds with scattered clouds at 3000 feet and a temperature of 27.8C/82F. We flew at 4000 feet along the coast of the Gulf of Oman and landed at Konarak Airport, the 358 nm flight had taken 2.2 hours.

One historical note, after crashing in Alaska, Sergeant Harvey completed flight training in 1926 and was commissioned as an officer. In September 1941 he flew over 3150 miles in a B-24 to carry a lend-lease delegation to Moscow, he then continued around the world through India, Australia, Wake island and Hawaii,

Here are a few pics from the flight.


Ready for takeoff.


Engines running.


Airbourn.


Check the gauges.


Selfie!


Along the gulf of Oman.


Glamour shots.


Landed.

Thanks for reading.
ATB.

[blanston12]

July 7, 1924: In Chahabar they were met by a representative of the Indo-European telegraph company who had arranged there supplies. The fliers quickly refueled there aircraft as they ate the sandwiches supplied by the wife of the British. They were in the air again at 2:35 for Bandar Abbass. The four hour flight was uneventful and when they landed in Bandar Abbass they were greeted by Mr Richardson, the British Consul who had volunteered to act as there advance agent in the area.

September 8, 2017: For the next flight we will be using the Supermarine Spitfire. As I am sure you all know the Spitfire was the star fighter of the RAF for most of World War 2. First flying in 1936 the Spitfire was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft and the only British fighter to be in continuous production throughout the war with the last being built in 1948 after over 20,000 were built. The model I am using today is a Mark IX and was produced by RealAir and is one of my favorites (great shame they shut down). The weather for takeoff was good, 6 knot winds, few clouds at 2000, temperature of 27.7C/82F I flew along the coast of the Gulf of Oman at 4000 feet and after a short time ran into increasingly thicker cloud layer that forced me to descend to 1000 feet to keep the coast in view. I landed at Havadarya Airport, Bandar Abbass after flying 249 nm in 1.3 hours.

Here are a few screenshots:


Ready for takeoff.


Selfie!


Glamour Shots


Flying along the Gulf of Oman


Clouds ahead.


Staying low to keep under the clouds.


Following the coast.


Landed.

Thanks for reading
ATB

[blanston12]

July 8, 1924: The pilots did not refuel the aircraft the night before when they noticed the gas was all stored in two gallon cans. The next morning they were up by 3:30 am to get ready, they hired a group of locals help them refuel. The formed a line from the pile of gas cans and passed them up to the fliers who poured them into the planes fuel tanks. It worked well enough that in 2 hours they were done and off without breakfast. By 9:30 they had arrived at Bushire, considered the most important port in the Persian gulf. They were met by American Consol who sent into town for sandwiches while the pilots refueled for the next leg.

September 10, 2017: For the next leg I will be using the Douglas DC-4. The DC-4 was developed from the DC-4E when proved to be too complicated and large to be economically operated. The new designed had a simpler unpressurised hull and a single rudder, but in June of 1941, before it could be delivered to customers US War department took over all orders for military use as the C-54. During the war it was one of the most common long range transports with 1170 being built, they continued to serve in the Berlin airlift and Korean war. After the war many were sold to civilian operators and another 79 were built post war.

I was holding out hope for the new DC-4 from Flight Replicas but after contacting them it was clear it would not be available in time, so I am using model by Jens B. Kristensen with updates by Bob Chicilo and a new VC panel by Vladimir Gonchar. While the model is showing its age I have always liked this model and have flow many hours in it. The weather for the flight was not great, Foggy with 11 knot winds and 2.5 mile visibility and a temperature of 33C. We took off and followed the coast into the Persian Gulf at 800 feet. Around Bandar Lengeh the fog lifted and we were able to climb to 4000 feet for the rest of the flight to Bushire Iran. The 303 nm flight took 2 hours.

Personal Note, with this flight done, I am now half way around the world!

Here area few pics:


Ready for takeoff.


Climbing out of Bandar Abbass.


Heading out over town.


Along the Persian Gulf.


The fog has lifted.


Cruisin...


Coming into Bushire.


Landed.

Thanks for reading
ATB.

[TSR2]

Keep them coming Joe, this is great

[Paul K]

Agreed - the different aircraft make it very entertaining. I almost liked the Virtavia Liberator there, but then remembered my disappointment with it. The VC is pretty good, it has to be said - shame the external model lets it down.

Anyway, this isn't a grip thread - this a RTW thread, so keep it going Joe. I might have to pester you about the Vertigo Avenger via PM - may I ?

[blanston12]

Agreed - the different aircraft make it very entertaining. I almost liked the Virtavia Liberator there, but then remembered my disappointment with it. The VC is pretty good, it has to be said - shame the external model lets it down.

Anyway, this isn't a grip thread - this a RTW thread, so keep it going Joe. I might have to pester you about the Vertigo Avenger via PM - may I ?

Thanks Paul and Ben for the complements. I agree the Vitaravia model could use some improvement but was trying to avoid this being a series of single seat fighters. As it is I am quickly approaching the end of the WW2 era and there are a bunch of nice wartime aircraft I am not going to be able to include.

Paul feel free to PM me. I have to admit the TBF is a fairly new acquisition for me so I may not be as familiar with it as I should but you're welcome to any information I have.

[blanston12]

July 8, 1924: After 90 minutes of working the sandwiches had not arrived so the fliers and departed for Baghdad Mesopotamia. There route took them over a vast desert to Basra, they followed the Euphrates river to the city of Hilla where they then took a compass course to the RAF field in Baghdad. They were surprised by the large croud of British civilians and military personnel who greeted them. They were immediantly given sandwiches as they tended there craft. Later they were taken to the RAF officers club for dinner. They were so tired when they finally got to there rooms that Arnold wrote “I remember getting to bed but don’t remember lying down”.

September 10, 2017: For the next leg we will be using the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. The Helldiver's introduction was plagued by problems that delayed its introduction, poor handling characteristics even caused the plane to be rejected by the Royal Navy, but the problems were eventually ironed out and had a good record for the last two years of the war with over 7000 being built. The last retired from service in 1958. Its reputation was not enhanced by the fact that it was the last dedicated dive bomber when improvements in level bombing and rockets was eliminating the need for the type. The aircraft I am using is made by Aeroplane heaven and is nice.

The weather for the next leg was not bad, no wind or clouds, 5.0 mile visibility and a temperature of 31C/88F. We took off and headed north along the coast of the Persian Gulf until we found the mouth of the Euphrates river. I followed it until I finally lost the main channel of the river and then made a compass heading for Baghdad International airport. The 427 nmi flight had taken 2.1 hours.
Here are a few pics.


Ready to go.


Heading out over the Persian Gulf.


Out over the sea.


Mesopotamia.


Trying to follow the Euphrates river.


I feel like I should be flying an A-10.


Baghdad!


Landed.

Thanks for reading!
ATB.