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This pilot was somewhat skeptical of the idea that it would be common technique for a pilot in any group flying the B-29 to use the brakes to keep the airplane going straight during the take-off roll. He stated that once the rudder became effective, the pilot flying the airplane would then call for the flight engineer to "set takeoff power", at which point all the throttles would be advanced to the same position.
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He stated that you wouldn't use full throttle at this point, because then you'd have nothing remaining to work with- this implies that a correction to the left might sometimes be needed, since a further correction to the right could always be accomplished by reducing the right-hand throttles.
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So differential thrust is used to compensate for a left-turning tendency. the tops of the levers would form a diagonal line from forward left to aft right.
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He stated that the pilot or co-pilot would typically advance the throttles for takeoff with his hand on the levers in a "twisted" position so that any given lever would be further forward than all its neighbors to the right, i.e. I recently had the change to speak with a current co-pilot of the CAF B-29 "Fifi". The 509th are only referenced here because that's the group Tibbets was part of, it's unrelated. The very fact he says they were taught it, rather than "came up with" it, suggests it was known elsewhere. I think you're misinterpreting the source: he's not saying this technique was unique to the 509th, just that they were taught the technique. Note also that the B-29 had 4 engines, most modern multi-props only have two, and they're closer to the fuselage, which reduces the effect It isn't true for all aircraft with more than one engine now (although it is true for some), but it does still happen and was much common back in WWII - they didn't want the extra supply line complexity of two different sets of otherwise identical engines, when it could be solved with a bootfull of right foot. B-29's only travelled below 80mph on takeoff and landing, so it wasn't a problem during flight, and during landing the throttles were at idle or very low power. As soon as you get above 80mph, you can just input a little right rudder to counteract it. You're travelling at fairly slow speed, so your vertical stabilizer is less effective - at higher speeds, the tail counteracts the torque more effectively (for this B-29 this occurs at 80mph, as mentioned).You've got a very good reason to need to be travelling in an exactly straight line (the runway).The engines are at maximum power, therefore producing maximum torque.It didn't arise ONLY during takeoff, but it is most noticeable then for several reasons If the 509th Group's technique was so good (and apparently not especially complex), why did only they use it?.Why did all propellers rotate the same way? Is this true for all propeller-driven aircraft with more than one engine? Why?.Why did this problem only arise during take-off?.I am not especially knowledgeable in aviation matters, but I believe that the torque is due to the B-29's four propellers all rotating in the same direction. At eighty miles an hour, you get full rudder control, advance the right-hand engine to full power and, in a moment, you're airborne.”
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“Pilots of the 509th Group were taught to cancel torque by leading in with the left engines, advancing throttles ahead of the right engines. It's a rough ride, you lose ten miles an hour and you delay the take-off.” Nothing so rude for Tibbets. The average mass-production pilot offsets torque by braking his right wheels. “It wants to swerve off the runway to the left. “The B-29 has lots of torque in take-off,” he notes. eased the brakes at 0245, the four fuel-injected Wright Cyclone engines pounding. In this book, The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes (p.