Martin Mars
Moderators: Guru's, The Ministry
- Chris Trott
- Vintage Pair
- Posts: 2590
- Joined: 26 Jun 2004, 05:16
- Location: Houston, Texas, USA
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Just look at how detailed the real panel is -
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0194471/M/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0455071/M/
All the gauges are in the back at the Flight Engineers' station.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0551520/M/
Dave, you forget, this is an OLD airplane. They needed certified flight engineers and mechanics to actually run the engines at all times to ensure that when something died (as it always did) you could have someone who "should've known better" to blame . There were just too many things for a lowly pilot to be able to properly monitor. Not to mention manage the very sophisticated fuel system. The Mars is one of the few planes that was "so complex" that it required 2 flight engineers to operate the engines and fuel systems. So the flight deck crew ended up actually being 6 - 2 pilots, a navigator, 2 flight engineers, and a radio operator. I believe (but don't have the book anymore) that one of the flight engineers was also the crew chief (making it one of the few times that you had an enlisted man holding an otherwise officer position).
One of the few books on the Mars can be found on the next still in circulation -
http://www.historicaviation.com/histori ... l+Aircraft
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0194471/M/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0455071/M/
All the gauges are in the back at the Flight Engineers' station.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0551520/M/
Dave, you forget, this is an OLD airplane. They needed certified flight engineers and mechanics to actually run the engines at all times to ensure that when something died (as it always did) you could have someone who "should've known better" to blame . There were just too many things for a lowly pilot to be able to properly monitor. Not to mention manage the very sophisticated fuel system. The Mars is one of the few planes that was "so complex" that it required 2 flight engineers to operate the engines and fuel systems. So the flight deck crew ended up actually being 6 - 2 pilots, a navigator, 2 flight engineers, and a radio operator. I believe (but don't have the book anymore) that one of the flight engineers was also the crew chief (making it one of the few times that you had an enlisted man holding an otherwise officer position).
One of the few books on the Mars can be found on the next still in circulation -
http://www.historicaviation.com/histori ... l+Aircraft
Last edited by Chris Trott on 06 May 2006, 15:05, edited 2 times in total.
- Trev Clark
- The Ministry
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- Joined: 26 Jun 2004, 08:54
- Location: Runway 26 at RAF Tangmere....most Mondays!
Chris, I have always beleived the only commissioned Flight Engineers in the US were the (Performance Engineer Officer) on B-36's. The Navy has always had them as NCO's and the US Marines rate the C-130 navs as corporals :shock:I believe (but don't have the book anymore) that one of the flight engineers was also the crew chief (making it one of the few times that you had an enlisted man holding an otherwise officer position).
ATB Trev
- Chris Trott
- Vintage Pair
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- Joined: 26 Jun 2004, 05:16
- Location: Houston, Texas, USA
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Hrm... doing some searching, I guess the FEs are typically NCOs. I had been under the impression that the USAF at least used only Officers for flight-deck crew. Navigators in the USAF are all officers however, even though the USN and USMC use enlisted for that position (the few whom are left).calypsos wrote:Chris, I have always beleived the only commissioned Flight Engineers in the US were the (Performance Engineer Officer) on B-36's. The Navy has always had them as NCO's and the US Marines rate the C-130 navs as corporals :shock:
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- Concorde
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