THE 617 SQUADRON DAMBUSTER ANNIVERSARY FLIGHT BRIEFING DETAIL:

A flight to both the Moehne and Eder dams from the German airport at Wickede (Dortmund) EDLW to Paderborn-Lippstadt (EDLP) a distance of 38Nm. The dams are to the right of the flight path with no navigation aids in the area. Fuel load is set to 1000USG.

Unless otherwise instructed try to maintain 155 to 165mph max whilst flying this re-enactment.

Set up the flight panel buttons and switches. Check the aircraft settings and familiarize yourself with the attack routes on the Dams - Group 3 button 1

Request permission to take off from EDLP and climb to 2700ft heading 84. The EDLP NDB is active shortly after. The DME (no VOR) for EDLP is active from 35 miles out, at 26.5 miles turn right onto heading 130 and begin reducing altitude to 2400ft.

Set your SCREEN FOR A ZOOM OF 0.31 using the default height (space bar) as the starting point. Maintain the setting when looking forward, beware other views may cancel this setting.

Select radio silence by changing Com1 to another frequency.

MOEHNE DAM: change heading and fly down the right side of the southern valley, not over the range that forms the dam.

Reduce altitude circling anti-clockwise into the Northern arm at 1700ft and 5Nm from the wall. Enter at 180mph (DME 18 miles). Set Autopilot to off.

Activate the Dann Bombsight Group 3 button 2. Reduce height to between +100 and +80 feet (red area), increase airspeed to 210mph and fly through the valley in the point sticking out in the north arm.

Sharp right turn onto the target heading (317), down to a level +60 feet well before the white marker as that is your release point 386 yards from the wall (should be 400 yards).

Required airspeed 210 to 220mph (vertical needle). Aim to fly over the marker and at the center of the wall. PAUSE WHEN YOU WOULD RELEASE THE BOMB.

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Check your achievements in height, speed (210-220) and angle to the wall, Shift+] will give you the ground map, I wonder if you are over the marker and correctly aligned square on with the wall? You must not be forward of or further to the side of the marker by more than 2 degrees (315 to 319).
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Drop the bomb by using [Alt A F] and changing the payload so that station 2 is zero.

De-activate the Dann bomb sight with Group 3 button 2. Select full throttle. Release pause and climb over the wall, turn left climb back into the anti-clockwise circuit so as to see the wall from 2100 ft minimum.

TO THE EDER DAM: nominal heading is 120. Enter the Eder Dam co-ordinates in the GPS.
Eder Dam Wall: N51 10.6 - E009 01.3

Set screen magnification to default 1.0 and seat height to suit. Auto pilot to off. Activate the low flying gauges Group 3 button 3 and reduce altitude and fly at tree top height and 160mph. Miss any tall trees, buildings, towers, fly under power lines and low over the houses but no trees in the radiators thanks, all at +90 to +60 feet above the ground.

The ground radar gauge should always be in use and not locked at 100ft because you are too high, if so, you fail the test.


ARRIVAL AT THE EDER DAM: de-activate the low flying gauges Group 3 Button 3. Veer slightly right and climb to 2500ft for the anti-clockwise circuit of the dam.

Set the screen for a ZOOM RATIO OF 0.31 with a default spacebar starting point.

After viewing the wall begin decent to 2100 ft heading 280. Hold an airspeed of below 200mph and fly around the Waldeck Castle. Activate the Dann Bombsight Group 3 button 4. You have no bomb so the aircraft is lighter and easier to fly.

Shut down engines to idle, glide down, your speed will increase, miss the power pylon, turn left over the spit of land. Maintain 210 to 220 mph (vertical needle), align the aircraft with the 401 yard white marker (H124) and the wall center using the Dann sight. PAUSE WHEN YOU WOULD RELEASE THE BOMB.

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Check your achievements in height, speed (210-220) and angle to the wall, Shift+] will give you the ground map, I wonder if you are over the marker and correctly aligned square on with the wall? You must not be forward of or further to the side of the marker by more than 2 degrees (122 to 126).
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De-activate the Dann bomb sight with Group 3 button 4. Select full throttle. Release the pause and climb over the wall, bank right, miss the trees, bank left to rejoin the anti-clockwise circuit at 2100ft. Repeat or give up!

Head off for EDLP at 2600ft. Approx heading 323:
PADERBORN-LIPPSTAT EDLP: Length Runway 7152 ft
NDB 354 - ILS (6) 111.70 >058 - DME 108.5 - Height 669
Outer Marker (6) N51 34.4 E08 30.7

Set screen magnification back to default 1.0 and set seat height to suit. Break radio silence and contact the tower, follow instructions.

Land, park and shut down engines, turn off fuel.

END OF DAMBUSTER ANNIVERSARY FLIGHT TRIBUTE.

Try the Eder only flight with full bomb load.

May you be good enough for acceptance into 617 Squadron (RAF) as a Dambuster pilot, flight engineer, navigator and bomb aimer.

Devised by Ross McLennan, August - October - final November 2004.
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