Amerikabomber: The Nazi Plane for Bombing America

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[@megaprojects9649]

Head to www.Policygenius.com/Megaprojects to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.

[@josephharrison5639]

Much like the video you did for F1 do a video for NASCAR

[@paultiffanyrutherford5898]

L

[@paultiffanyrutherford5898]

L

[@paultiffanyrutherford5898]

Pllp

[@paultiffanyrutherford5898]

Ppp lp

[@baronrichardharkonnen]

You should do a video on Welthauptstadt Germania. The Nazi rebuild of Berlin that never happened. Interesting stuff and WWII related.

[@greg_allen]

Agreed. That would make a good video

[@superchug2469]

He made that video actually I watched it it I'd good.

[@calvingreene90]

The B-36 proves that the Amerikabomber was doable but would have to have been started well before the beginning of the war.

[@williamzk9083]

-You are correct in your assessment. What became the B-36 was started before US entry into WW2. A German Focke-Wulf Fw 200S made a mail plane/airliner flight from Berlin to New York with Lufthansa planning regular flights (denied by Roosevelt). Despite peaceful intentions it however promoted Happ Arnold to push the B-36 program which itself came out of the XB-15 and YB-19. The Me 264 started to receive support when the US lend lease act came in. -The Me 264 with 4 x Jumo 211 engines could barely make the distance from Germany/France to US East Coast with the Me 264 however Messerschmitt's plans were always to start to develop the aircraft to use the 2200-2400hp DB603H or Jumo 213E/ and maybe BMW 801 as an interim and with these 2200hp engines a heavily armed and armored Me 264 could reach the US East coast . These engines started entering service in late 1944/early 1945. However 1750hp versions were available in late 1943. The early Jumo 211 version would have needed quite a long runway and this was the other issue. -The problem was that Erhard Milch wasn't allocating Messerschmitt the resources (hanger space, engineers, draftsman, tradesman) to push the Me 264 and the firm didn't have enough resources of its own due to the Me 210 fiasco. -But if resources are fully allocated we could see the Me 262 first flight being brought forward from say Dec 1942 to say June 1942 with an entry into service say November 1943 with with either Jumo 211J or BMW 801 engines. About November 1944 ie 12 months latter the DB603/Jumo 213 can be used and a short time latter in early 1945 the 2200hp versions which can easily reach the US East Coast with a good bomb load and be fully armed with remote controlled 20mm turrets. -1945 is too late to effect the course of the war but the early versions can provide maritime reconnaissance and lay mines both would be of enormous value. especially the reconnaissance. -There are two ways to speed this up. The first is the 6 engined Me 264/6 also called the Me 364. Assume the first flight is brought forward from Dec 42 to June 1942 we can see the aircraft in service by December 1943 with Jumo 211 engines fully able to attack the entire US East Coast. With DB603A/Jumo 213A the range extends and with the DB603L/Jumo213E it can almost get halfway across the USA by 1945. -The other is in flight refueling. The Germans conducted successful in flight refueling experiments from 1940 culminating in multiple successful hookups between Ju 290 and Ju 252 in 1942 using a drogue system. It was quite effective. -Here is the reality. The head of the procurement and technical branch of the Luftwaffe Erhard Milch didn't support the Me 264 and the America Bomber and even directed wasteful effort. Had he have supported the aircraft at least a vewrsion with 2000hp engines supported by in flight refueling could have been operational by late 1943 or early 1944. -

[@florinivan6907]

@@williamzk9083 A few of these aircraft available would not change much. You would have needed large numbers. Basically the same numbers as the Allies were using on Germany proper. But this means not only fuel but a massive expansion in aircrew. These planes had a typical aircrew of 8-10. By late 43 Germany was running out of skilled personell. Plus these aircraft would certainly have had a higher loss rate than Allied bombers. The trip alone was riskier. Without a nuclear weapon the impact of just a few dozen aircraft was gonna be limited. Without that if you want a real impact you need to start even earlier. But if you go too early then you have to assume aircraft tech in general would be more advanced.

[@penskepc2374]

​​@@florinivan6907 seriously, they wouldn't of even really made a tactical dent either. He points out all the factories on the east coast, but the bulk of the manufacturing and steel production was all in the Midwest.

[@WaukWarrior360]

​​@@williamzk90831) Did they actually have remote controlled turrets like the B-29 and B-36 (German electronics were typically inferior to American equivalents). 2. If the Me-364 could have hypothetically flown to say.... Ohio, would it have had a significant bomb load like the B-36 and would it have been able to make a round trip like the B-36?

[@williamzk9083]

@@WaukWarrior360 -Turrets: The Germans had at least 2 mass production aircraft in service with remote control guns: the Me 210 and the evolved Me 410 as well as the Heinkel He 177. Both were in service before the A-26 and B-29. There was also small numbers of Ar 240 prototypes which successful recon missions over the UK and like wise the Ju388L of EK388 had a remote controlled tailed turret aimed by an automatic upper/lower periscope like the Ar 240/400 and A-26. The Me 410 (and others I assume) had a computing mechanism that compensated not only for projectile fall but the effect of air speed. They weren't quite as sophisticated as the GE system of the B-29 as they didn't compensated for motion but that was a lessor issue than windage. These were all mechanical turrets but they worked. -There are copyright photos in R. Forsyth/E. Creek Book "Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerikabomber" of remote controlled electro-hydrodralic dorsal ventral turret of the Me 264 V2 on the aircraft so they had hydroelectric. -In terms of American superiority in electronics I think that this is a bit overstated and more an advantage of production. German electronic output was dedicated to radar and communication out of necessity. -Besides the US the Germans were the only nation to have RPC remote power control where the computations of the FLAK predictor or fire control computer were directly applied to the gun (elevation in the German systems). In some way the Germans were more advanced. They had mastered the art of selenium and copper oxide solid state diode production and this in combination with magnetic amplifiers allowed them to produce superior optical stabilizers that were latter adopted by the US. These also drove servo motors to position the swash plate of their hydroelectrically turrets. So yes they had remote control turrets that worked. -In terms of range the Me 264V1 with Jumo 1450hp 211J or 1500hp P engines was expected to have the range to fly Brest(France) to New York and back with a little to spare but it was marginal with almost no bomb load or armament. It would have had an outsize impact proving reconnaissance of convoys, weather reports and maybe sowing mines. It needed RATO to get the fuel of the ground. The Me 264V2 with 1800hp BMW 801E engine could do the trip a little more realistically. Engines in the 2400hp class (DB603H, basically a DB603LA with C3 fuel) but the 2250hp DB603LA was available already by wars end on the Ta 152C. With these engines the Me 264 could carry significant armament (remote controlled 20mm guns) and a worthwhile bomb load to the US east coast and a little beyond. For greater ranges in flight refueling was to be used. Experiments with a hose an drogue technique between a Ju 290 and Ju 252 over then Germany near Prague was highly successful. -The Me 364/6m or Me 364 with 6 x DB603H engines was a monster that could fly half way across the US and return. Not as big as a B-36 but very capable nonetheless.

[@oracleofdelphi4533]

Can't fault them for overthinking the name.

[@gonphercoughie897]

It's interesting to note that the B-24 picture you used is actually a photo of the XB-41 which was a B-24 with the nose from a B-17G grafted on to increase forward fire power against frontal attacks.

[@ChattahoocheeRiverRat]

INTENSIFY FORWARD FIRE POWER !!

[@randomotter6346]

Fun fact: the Americans made their own ‘Germany bomber’, which became the B-36 peacemaker.

[@jmmartin7766]

And then we stationed them there during the cold war-- that is indeed an "in your face" reminder that "we won and you didn't!" Lol! Cool, but definitely cold! 😎

[@WAL_DC-6B]

This is true! Had the U.K. fallen to the Nazis, this would have deprived the U.S. of bases from which to fly out all those B-17s and 24s. The Consolidated (later Convair) B-36 would have been the only bomber capable of flying round trip from the U.S. east coast and also carry a sizable bomb load to attack axis targets in Europe.

[@oracleofdelphi4533]

I wonder what we used it for.

[@magnemoe1]

@@WAL_DC-6B This and then that was not an problem the B-36 was on the not an priority over the B-29. And you need an significantly bomber force to do real damage in WW 2, the London blitz did not do much damage relatively. The late war allied 1000 planes bombing runs did but was very expensive in resources, planes and crew.

[@timengineman2nd714]

@@magnemoe1 Most of the trouble with priorities the B-36 (& B-50 & the "Spruce Goose") was that all 3 (and a number of other lesser known aircraft) had to wait for the R-4360 engine to become available and somewhat reliable!

[@anlasbry]

The flying wing design was referenced in Captain America: The First Avenger.

[@hardtelling3879]

I believe the B-2 has the same measurements as the one in the late 40s. It was ahead of it's time, if they had the computer controls then it would have been successful, probably. I wouldn't mind watching the movie now it's been a long time lol thx for the reminder

[@hardtelling3879]

@Shawn Stafford the xb-35 or 39 not sure right off but not everything is the same but the wingspan is the same 🤔 I gotta look it up now lol

[@hardtelling3879]

@Shawn Stafford I used to go to sleep to certain documentaries about WW2 lol I been watching German gun camera footage lately. Not much I've not seen but whatever it is I would love to see it lol

[@hardtelling3879]

@Shawn Stafford yeah I do only when I watch KZbin through Xfinity and it's usually what wakes me up lmao I know what you mean because the silence is deafening.

[@hardtelling3879]

@Shawn Stafford you can go into settings on whatever device your using and turn it off I think, if I set something on my iphone it doesn't always turn out the same on Xfinity for example. Hey check out Funker530 either the site or app they been putting out good combat footage for years and police body camera footage. They have a KZbin channel but it gets to graphic for here lol 👊

[@jezrix7257]

Simon, love the videos - keep them coming. Any chance of coving the bombing of Darwin, Australia by the Japanese? Thanks.

[@kenhelmers2603]

I always look forward to these :) Thanks Simon and co.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

2:15 - Chapter 1 - The plan to bomb america 5:35 - Chapter 2 - AIM 7:05 - Mid roll ads 8:25 - Chapter 3 - Proposals & designs 9:10 - Chapter 4 - Horten 9:45 - Chapter 5 - Heinkel 10:50 - Chapter 6 - Eugen sanger 11:40 - Chapter 7 - Junkers 13:00 - Chapter 8 - Focke wulf TA400 14:10 - Chapter 9 - Messerschmitt 15:40 - Chapter 10 - Other claimed amerikabomber flights 16:40 - Chapter 11 - The amerikabombers that never where

[@feyaia]

What! No mention of Hitler's Little Green Men? 🤣

[@johnforsyth7987]

Very informative video. I always learn something new watching your videos.

[@vasilerogojan4520]

This is another "what if" scenario that could be interesting and obviously ambitious.

[@mbr5742]

The germans had an ugly option ready that they never used - Nerv gas. At this point in history the allies where not aware how those worked and had no protection against it (They assumed the stuff worked like WW2 poison gas). Tabun, Sarin and Soman work totally different and extremly small amounts are lethal

[@Otokichi786]

But the Nazis never used gas against Allied forces. Why? Thank the fact that much of the Heer (Army) was propelled by horse. If the Nazis ever used gas, the Allies would "return the deed" by the ton and what would pull the wagons and field guns? Gas warfare was s Boogie Man of the early 1930's, since the Italians had used Mustard gas in 1935 against Ethiopia. The Nazis could have dropped a nuclear-waste-based "dirty bomb," but that's another History channel speculation.

[@iyubecaid3510]

I honestly don’t know if they would’ve used gas because they new the Allie’s would definitely retaliate with gas if there own

[@mbr5742]

@@iyubecaid3510 The allied at that point had WW1 style poison gas. Against those the german army had equipment. The germans used nerv gas - different way of action, requires far more protective gear

[@iyubecaid3510]

@@mbr5742 yeah but if they used it on the Allie’s they would’ve certainly developed more efficient ways to deploy the gas and the WW1 gas was already effect as well

[@mbr5742]

@@iyubecaid3510 Imagine a couple of Arados jets hauling ass over Normandy dropping small airburst bombs similar to the SD2. Minutes later everyone under the path starts dying very horribly, basically choking to death due to muscle cramping. No gas detector has given warnings. No external traces (unlike say Lost that causes large burn style wounds) can be seen and even tsnk crews are effected. End of the D-Day landings. Worst case even ships are effected.

[@calvingreene90]

The bomber variant Condors did a fair bit of damage by spotting allied convoys for the U-boats. But in the end the UK could afford to throw away several obsolete Hurricane Fighters for each condor brought down. Planning on ditching in the North Atlantic hoping to be picked up by a corvette is not a mission profile I would want to fly but they had volunteers.

[@daveanderson3805]

The Condor suffered from structural weakness though. Quite a few broke up in flight, apparently.

[@calvingreene90]

@@daveanderson3805 I believe it was mostly on landings. But shot up with the radio destroyed and not making back could be recorded by the British as getting away but not make it home.

[@65TossTrap]

Nice presentation. Have you considered an episode on Axis flights to Manchuria? SM.75's and purportedly a Ju-290.

[@Kyanzes]

LOLz... rox marshall... 3:38 subtitles. Excellent video.

[@tplyons5459]

There were infact two JU-390s, V1 and V2. V1 did the NY flight. The 390V2 was not factory built but was a converted JU-290. When KG-200 took control of the various long range transports General Krammer who was head of special weapons research managed to get the V2 and disappeared with it. The JU-390V1 was found by the Soviets near Prague with no propellers.

[@yankeeclipper4326]

It's supposedly on the bottom of a bay on the coast of Maine.

[@CaptHollister]

It's surprising that in the midst of s surfeit of advanced designs, no one in WW2 used in-flight refueling despite the fact that a safe and practical method had been developed in the 1930s

[@adamloverin231]

Yeah. Pretty much “duh.” Easily developed, manufactured, and deployed at the time. But hey, hindsight is 20/20, as they say.

[@duanesamuelson2256]

Not so surprising. It would have taken more resources for design, testing and manufacturing of said tanker. B 24 and B 17's had a payload of 8000lbs..roughly 1000 gallons if tanks pumps and hardware are weightless. Long range fighters and bombers were developed by the time there were planes with payloads which would have been useful (B 29, Lancaster, with payloads of 10 tons and higher). Though it seems strange today, resources were limited and utilized for things considered most needed.

[@CaptHollister]

@@duanesamuelson2256 The Allies did not require refuelable planes because they could easily fly to continental Europe from Great Britain or to Japan from Pacific island bases. The Germans had no such options, but squandered their resources on useless ultra-long-range bombers. It's a very good thing, of course, but still surprising. Another option which they didn't seem to explore was the use of their long-range flying boats whose diesel engines could have been refueled by rendez-vouing with ships or submarines, though admittedly by the end of the war it would have been very risky.

[@duanesamuelson2256]

@CaptHollister that I will agree with, however they didn't have the resources to have an effective conventional bombing campaign, plus so much of our manufacturing was located centrally in the country. They did have plutonium and could have rendered large areas uninhabitable for hundreds of years, but the west coast would have been a better place to do so leaving that option more in Japan's court.

[@shrimpflea]

@@duanesamuelson2256 The Germans never had plutonium.

[@jeffduncan02]

Do a video on the American Norden Bomsight, used in their WW2 bombers.

[@ProperLogicalDebate]

Being in the crew there would be two danger points. Approaching and retreating from the target, and also Europe since the Allies knew where/when you bombed.

[@casualmilsim2459]

Great video Simon and Co. Can you do the Dehaviland Mosquito please.

[@BoneTime]

Good work. Good stuff. Thank you.

[@lochnessmonster5149]

Using Amerikabomers to hit New York City would have gone like this: Goring: "My Fuhrer, we've finally launched our bombers to hit New York City." Hitler: "Was the mission a success?" Goring: "I don't know my Fuhrer, none of them came back."

[@StarScapesOG]

Simon, seeing ancient megaprojects are cool, but we have some modern ones that are amazing as well that you haven't covered, you should look at doing either Bagger 288/293 and or the Bingham Canyon Copper mine. Seriously, they are very impressive feats each.

[@Joze1090]

"Ancient"... bro this is still literally living memory.

[@1967buickriviera]

@@Joze1090I believe he is talking about things such as the building of Roman structures.

[@ededdynova]

Yet another great video thank you 🙂

[@ThorfinnSkullsplitter-fz7ff]

The V2 could fly straight up to an altitude in the range of 130 miles, making it the first rocket into space (11 mins in).

[@BazzebaGaming]

Let try and get this noticed!! A video on bouncing bombs from the world wars and other quirky weapons used during war!

[@nathanrawson5509]

A great video could be the formation of the eu, conversion of currencies to euro, and formation of central bank. Love the show and watch every episode. Keep on keepin on

[@rorytribbet6424]

I’m floored by how creative that name is

[@alm5992]

6:00 "...the American plan to bomb America" rofl

[@alberthadley452]

B-36!!! Next video should be the Peacemaker B-36!!!

[@wolfvontyr2266]

Expanding on the Horton example, they had a prototype fighter that was along the same lines as their bomber. A flying wing with engines inside the body, and wood used in the main fuselage (from memory), but thats not the most interesting part. Tests in the 70s/80s on the only remaining fuselage in Lockheed's Skunkworks found that the aircraft had stealth characteristics, largely down to the construction and shape of the body. A project that arguably influence the creation of the B-2.

[@STHV_]

The reduced radar signature was minor and not intentional, it was just an inherent feature of flying wings, the entire internal structure of the Ho 229 was made of hollow pipes with the skin of the aircraft being almost entirely wood.

[@MitchMcConnell294]

You should a video on the RQ-170

[@stevellewellyn2195]

How about a video about air launch V1 campaign from HE111 on Manchester and Liverpool

[@allgood6760]

Thanks for this👍

[@hagerty1952]

10:45 Why no images of Sanger's "Silverbird" skip bomber? You can find them all over, and there are dozens of books written about it (including one of mine).

[@robertbruce1887]

Thank you Simon for a what l think is a little knows sspect of WW2, & a scary one had it succeeded. In my book on Montreal ( City Unique: Montreal Days & Nights in the '40s & '50s) authour William Weintraub descibes air rair precautions taken in Montreal in WW2, such as British style blackouts , including turning out the lights on the giant cross on Mount Royal. He specifically mentions the known concern of the He 177 as the reason behind these measures.

[@cookingwithchefluc7173]

Was hoping for another WW2 video. The ww2 videos are probably the best of all Simon's videos!

[@jrmckim]

Amen

[@cookingwithchefluc7173]

Lets get this look 200 likes

[@Joze1090]

@@cookingwithchefluc7173 no thanks

[@stephendavies6949]

Hello Simon & Team. Could you tell me where I could buy a black globe & floor lamp used in the background? Thanks

[@JB-rt4mx]

Gee, wonder where the B-29 got inspiration for the cockpit/fuselage design, also the Heinkel 111 and Heinkel 177 Grief..🇩🇪

[@boohoo153]

Anyone else catch the "American plan to bomb America"? Timestamp 6:00 😆

[@boohoo153]

Mistake or not, David Attenborough is your rival!

[@jb6027]

A rumor started by Nancy Pelosi...

[@Talex-jb8bp]

The development of the metallic cartridge case for firearms

[@richcotton4974]

Good job on the sponsor ad, i was looking for the skip button, then I realized it was Simon

[@ZAV1944]

You may consider doing a megaprojects or side projects on the Nakajima G10N Fugaku which was basically the Japanese Equivilent of the Amerikabomber.

[@pamelamays4186]

Suggestion: The Navajo Wind Talkers

[@WAL_DC-6B]

The ME 264 nose had a strong resemblance to the nose of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Wonderful video on the "Amerikabomber." Thanks for sharing!

[@randomotter6346]

The glass nose was actually quite popular on German medium bombers, such as the he111

[@WAL_DC-6B]

@@randomotter6346 Especially that HE 111!

[@randomotter6346]

@@WAL_DC-6B just the first one that came to mind

[@Strike_Raid]

5:40 Wow, dig that crazy B-24.

[@adamtheninjasmith2985]

OK Simon. I have a challenge for you! Let's see a megaprojects on you. You guys are probably laughing but I for one am super interested in seeing the insides and outs of all your channels and how it all works. You're a busy guy to say the least. I know because I'm subscribed to enough of your channels to see enough videos to be blown away. You're a madman! There's gotta be enough to put out a good episode. The logistics are pretty intense! I haven't done any maths (yeah I said maths even though I'm American) but you put out a lot of video hours per week. Enough waffle, (yes! I love this expression from my UK youtubers) keep it up!

[@jesses3252]

Simon, please do a mega project on telecommunication. Being able to call, text and email people all around the world is vital to are modern world. A video on the history, tech and all the work that had to be done to connect everyone would be interesting.

[@phantomechelon3628]

Instead of trying to build a bomber with the range to strike the US, they should have just tried to build an extended-range V2 rocket. Would've been quicker and cheaper...

[@richardgreen7225]

Germany had flying boats that almost had the range for a one-way trip. They could have dropped incendiaries and then landed in a nearby harbor expecting to be interred as war prisoners (if they were lucky). It would have been similar to the Doolittle raid on Japan.

[@ifga16]

One of the proposed bombers that actually existed had nose gear robbed from crashed B24 Liberators.

[@ProperLogicalDebate]

3:24 How small compared to the B-25 used in the Doolittle Raid? Results?

[@robminter1]

I would love to see a video on the German type XXI u-boats. My father served on the U-2513 which was captured by the U.S. at the end of the war. At the time he served on it the boat was at Key West. He was always reluctant to talk much about it except to say we were very lucky those u-boats didn’t become operational a couple of years sooner.

[@czb117]

Can we get a video on how America defended the east coast? I'm not very knowledgeable on that and would find it very interesting.

[@brianwilson3458]

Would tie in with the 2nd "happy time" when uboats sank shipping off the east coast.

[@raymondyee2008]

11:47 ah yes the JU-390. Remember “Secret Weapons Over Normandy”?

[@maxpayne2574]

They might get through to the U.S. once. The second flight would fly 16 hours only to be shot to pieces by swarms of fighters. It's a good thing for the World Hitler was truly crazy.

[@templetse2293]

There was a captured Amerika Bomber in the USA in 1945! Tail number 022 / E-3400. Unsure of manufacturer. It wasn't FW200 for sure. But, it had only 4 engines and was claimed that it could fly to NYC and back to Europe. I have picture of it! On left side of outside cabin was painted "Alles Kaputt" and had an upper dome machine gun on top and what appears to be frontal facing machine gun also.

[@ronaldshimekph.d.6812]

Ah, Simon, there is the converse aircraft - the B-36... 😶

[@josiah1583]

The Horten Ho is considered to be the first stealth aircraft with a much smaller radar cross section than other aircraft of the time.

[@Joze1090]

Oh shit, what up name brother

[@josiah1583]

@Shawn Stafford I think he means me, lol. Not a ton of us Josiah's we have to stick together.

[@Joze1090]

@@josiah1583 my muhhfuckin dawg

[@danielmoseley8040]

Speaking of World Wars, a video about the Maginot Line would be awesome!

[@JimBob-vb8oz]

Been done already

[@Willysmb44]

I agree with all this, but imagine something like that showing up. If it was later in the war, people would have remembered the 'war nerves' earlier where everyone was terrified the Germans or Japanese would show up overhead at any moment. By, say, 1944 or early 1945, would a anti-aircraft unit be hesitant to shoot at something like this, for fear of hitting a potentially friendly aircraft (or worse yet, an airliner)? I would imagine this could have happened, had one flown over NYC. Had they gotten there, i would have given greater than even odds of them being able to drop something on an American city before being engaged

[@duanesamuelson2256]

Look up the bombing of Los Angeles about what American reactions would be. A very bizarre story (and a real event).

[@TheEvilCommenter]

Good video 👍

[@Chobaca]

Props for what you'll use to pick the comments.

[@tylerray1728]

Do a Megaprojects on nuclear powered tanks!!

[@SPROCKET_VR]

We need a story on the BAC TSR2

[@encodersofia]

12:25 I didn't know imp. gallon is the metric equivalent of US gallon

[@valleynick3344]

You should do a video about horten 225

[@kellywright540]

Pretty cool picture of the B-24 bomber with a B-17G nose grafted on to it!

[@sailingbrewer]

Wow was that a super early B-24!?!? I don't think I've ever seen one with a nose like that

[@Clipgatherer]

Hitler certainly would have needed a long-range airplane, if his intention had been to escape to South America, Japan or wherever he was later rumoured to have fled.

[@ericmcconnaughey2782]

I think Mark Felton also did a good video on this subject.

[@stephendavies6949]

When I was a small boy, I seem to recall my great uncle talking about the idea of creating a "death ray" to destroy enemy planes. Not sure when this idea was considered, but I guess it was either towards the end of WW1 or the beginning of WW2. If this was the case, perhaps it would make a good Mega (or perhaps Side) project subject?

[@albertodadamo7373]

It was the beginning of radar In the Second World War , the British government asked Watson watt if a death ray was possible and he done the equations and told them no but came up with kernel of an idea that led to radar👍

[@KingJohnMichael]

Sun gun

[@wombatwilly1002]

The Nazi's were working on a concept of putting a giant,turnable mirror into orbit that could be turned and using the sun's rays to fry cities.Don't laugh,it's featured on the AHC (American Heroes Channel) every so often.

[@Hedgehobbit]

Nikola Tesla claimed to have designed a "death ray" that could shoot airplanes out of the sky from 200 miles away. It wasn't much a "ray" as it was closer to a rail gun. He called it Teleforce.

[@exidy-yt]

Are you sharing article topics between your channels, Simon? I am SURE I saw a story on the Amerika Bomber on another one of your channels a year or so back....

[@evandempster6460]

I've been begging for forever for a video on the Burj Khalifa!

[@pablomahe1284]

Hello, an interesting topic would be the Hermes, the european space shuttle

[@uschurch]

We need a Uralbomber now more than anything.

[@waynec3563]

The 3 prototypes that Horten built were for the Ho 229 jet fighter, not the Amerikabomber, which never left the drawing board. A steam turbine for the Me 264 was probably true, but only in the initial stages of development by wars end. Some prototype parts may have been made, but not a complete system. The idea was that it could run on a mix of petrol, of which Germany had little, and pulverised coal, of which Germany had a lot.

[@andrewdurand339]

British bombers in WW2 struggled to hit anything within a mile of their target in 1941. That was flying at about 2 miles high and less than 300 mph. I'm extremely skeptical of the accuracy of Sanger's design hitting anything from an altitude of 90 miles flying at 14,000 mph.

[@paulpaterson1661]

Sights improved besides the B17 was a piece of shit with a pathetic bomb load.

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

Pretty funny putting a picture of the only B-24 with a B-17 front fuselage.

[@markfryer9880]

Very strange, when you consider how rare that photo would be compared to photos of standard B-24s?

[@11bravocrunchie22]

Burt Rutan and Voyager, the 1st non-stop, unrefueled circumnavigational flight around the world

[@jetsons101]

Great watch. I have heard that the B-29 bomber took more money and manpower to develop than the A-bomb. Thanks for posting.....

[@mikehoward9912]

It cost about 3X as much. Russia cloned the B29 with defects and all. Stalin said IDENTICAL !

[@markfryer9880]

Each B-29 was costing the USAAF 1 Million dollars in 1944. A book I have on the B-29 has an anecdotal story of a pilot picking the receipt of his control column.

[@GoodVideos4]

One of those lesser known projects of WW2, much like with Mark Felton ones.

[@Claytone-Records]

How about the rebuilding of GMBH after the war for a Megaproject?

[@jb6027]

5:38. That's a VERY interesting B-24 photo. It appears to be a B-24 with a B-17G nose spliced onto it!!! Do you have any more information on it???

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

It eas a one off test airframe designed to reduce drag. Consolidated decided against putting it into production.

[@ChippewaJoe]

Nice a new one.

[@tannermarriott7656]

Now imagine instead of these wonder projects they would've focused on more panzer 4's and conventional fighters

[@kekero540]

America “look what they need to imitate even a fraction of our power.”

[@jmmartin7766]

It wasn't enough of a "wonder" to win the war, so...

[@willmcclenaghan109]

You should have mentioned operation north woods.

[@MrComfyAustralia]

Awesome as always. Come on over to the great Aussie Land and have a wine on me :)

[@colbeausabre8842]

"Wunderwaffen" = You wonder if it is a weapon

[@robertmcginnis8090]

Sydney Opera House

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

The Horten Brothers, as I can see also told here, had made plans for a flying wing, as the famous jetfighter, flying wing, which may have had a range able to do it. But by that time I doubt Germany had enough fuel for it? English photo reconnesance made sure that the germans had, nearly rebuilt the fuel producing factories, before they became bombed again.

[@erikvan9582]

This must be what the Jormungandr from Konpeki no Kantai based on

[@markrowland1366]

XB19, a giant Douglas, pre-war aircraft that might have had the range to bomb Germany, was used throughout WW2.

[@allangibson2408]

The XB-19 was thoroughly obsolescent by 1944 - the far more capable B-36 and B-35 were ready for production… The B-29 was quite capable of bombing Germany from Iceland that was under US control from 1941.

[@clinthowe7629]

The only way they could have done it would have been to seize a base somewhere in the Atlantic, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Haiti, or some remote Canadian island, stock it with supplies and men, fuel amd bombs, plus fighters to defend the bombers. Germany lacked both, the industrial strength, and the time for such an operation.

[@travisreed1730]

Let's be REAL, there'd probably have to a MASSIVE ESCORT to protect the Amerikabomber, with the proviso that they ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO MANHATTAN. Not to mention, it'd probably take 3 of them to inflict any serious damage.

[@ericthompson3982]

Yeah, the asymptote on that one's pretty stupidly low.