From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of the following WikiProjects:

Military history WikiProject     (Rated Start-Class) This article is within the scope of the Military history WikiProject. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see lists of open tasks and regional and topical task forces. To use this banner, please see the full instructions. Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale. Additional information and associated task forces: This article has been checked against the following criteria for B-Class status: Referencing and citation: criterion not met Coverage and accuracy: criterion met Structure: criterion met Grammar: criterion met Supporting materials: criterion met Associated task forces (general topics): Military aviation task force Associated task forces (nations and regions): United States military history task force Aviation WikiProject     (Rated Start-Class) This article is within the scope of the Aviation WikiProject. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see lists of open tasks and task forces. To use this banner, please see the full instructions. Aviation Portal Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale. Additional information and associated projects or task forces: This article has been checked against the following criteria for B-Class status: Referencing and citation: criterion not met Coverage and accuracy: criterion met Structure: criterion met Grammar: criterion met Supporting materials: criterion met Aircraft WikiProject

[edit] Several days

The article states that "due to the technology of the time, a 5,000 mile flight took several days; the crew was made up of several shifts, and bunks allowed them to sleep when off duty". This must be a rewrite of page, where it says that "because a long-range flight, powered by the engines of the time, took several days, the crew had bunks to sleep on between shifts". I think this needs a bit of explanation. My first thought was that the aircraft remained up in the air for day after day, but a quick prod of the calculator shows that, at maximum cruising speed, a 5,000 mile trip would have taken 25 hours. It is my guess therefore that, in this context, Boeing's website is talking about a lengthy combat mission with stop-overs, perhaps in friendly airbases in the Pacific; either that, or we should change "several days" to "several hours". page says that "the crew of ten has soundproofed, heated, and ventilated quarters with rest bunks, a kitchen, and a lavatory", which might make this the first bomber to have a loo. -Ashley Pomeroy 17:31, 26 May 2007 (UTC)