Dec 172011
In 1947, NACA-Langley conducted ditching tests on a 1/20 scale model of the XB-36. This involved accelerating the model under a rail system and releasing it over water, letting it glide down to a landing. In order to more accurately represent the configuration of the aircraft, panels were removed from the underside… landing gear doors, bomb bay doors, skin panels, etc. Obviously, a B-36 would not land in the water without good reason; and battle damage would rank way up there. While the plane remains stable during these battle-damage-landings, it sure does grind to a halt in a hell of a hurry. In suspect a real-life ditching like this would involve the aircraft breaking into several chunks.
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