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OT: Dambusters and how did they do that?

hairyspin

hairyspin

Administrator
Staff member
If you're watching in the UK, Channel 4 has a programme on recreating the Upkeep weapon (bouncing bomb) used on the Moehne and Eder dams by 617 squadron. Barnes Wallis's calculations are apparently lost and the programme is to be about reinventing the device.

Telly worth watching on a bank holiday? Whatever next?
 
Two hours of a programme and well worth it! I hope some of you saw this - or you catch a repeat some time.

And thanks to the Canucks for making this programme possible! :salute:
 
I saw it Tom, really enjoyed it. That was some looooowwwwww flying!!

I must get around to soriting out Tazmans CFS3 Dambusters stuff again.
 
Reminder

Hi

I read this and then remembered that I had downloaded a documentary months ago about the Lancs and damn busters. Turns out it is the same show. Watched it last night.

Great show. Funny too. Nice they don't hold back on the language at the end. My but those northern Canadians are a colourful bunch....makes me proud

Cheers

TW
 
Initially I was a bit cynical about this prog with the claim that they had to start again from scratch. But it was a good watch, I quite like the fact they went to Canada and used an old but still working DC4. I agree about the pilot of the DC4, Arnie was one helluva pilot. He did all the low level runs by eye at 60 feet! I loved the bit where he decided to be helpful and drop to 50 feet and had the splash cover his tail!
 
To gauge the drop height exactly they had two lights angled to converge when at the correct height.

Cheers: t
 
I kept wondering if they would get to a "That's fine - tomorrow we do it at night with flak and searchlights" moment.

Unfortunately Mrs H preferred Coronation Street.
 
Sadly they weren't allowed to drop explosives from a civilian aircraft, and blew up the dam by placing the 'bouncing bomb' against the dam. They did however use brightly coloured childrens inflatable paddling pools to guide the pilot onto the line of approach for the bombing run! The DC4 didn't have a bomb aimer.
 
I just noticed this post. To bad we can't view that over here in the states...sounds interesting!

For a pretty good show on that over here in the US...
Quite a few years back the PBS series Secrets of the Dead had an episode on Wallis' development of the bouncing bomb. It featured Wallis' son who helped his dad with the backyard proof of concept experiments before the large-scale models were tested.
I can't find it right now but I'm pretty sure the episode is available on Hulu.
 
A Great programe to watch, many thanks to all the prodution team but most of all to
Buffalo Airways and it's very special pilot. When he got it down to 50ft i was watching it through my fingers.
 
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