B-29s Battle Nicks

[Steve Nelson]

I'm assuming the pic was taken from another B-29. Judging by the blurring of the attacking aircraft, the camera was focused on the Superforts.

SN

[Jack Cook]

Using the above equation I was able to determine that this photo was
taken during the making of "Godzilla vs. Mothra"

[Steve Nelson]

Couldn't be...those markings are for a unit that wasn't in service at the time of the Mothra. Could've been taken during the Gydra or Gamera campaigns, though.

SN

[muddyboots]

Using the above equation I was able to determine that this photo was
taken during the making of "Godzilla vs. Mothra"

You left out a decimal point. Do over.

[Steve Nelson]

And show your work!

SN

[JDK]

Using the above equation I was able to determine that this photo was
taken during the making of "Godzilla vs. Mothra"

You left out a decimal point. Do over.

Now look here, this is all getting far too silly.

Do we know what kind of camera was used for the picture ?
I'm really dredging the stagnant corners of the old brain, but am I correct in recalling that horizontal "window shade" focal plane shutters like the old Leicas could distort images if the subject was moving relaitive to the cameras shutter ?
If the camera was aimed at and moving "with"the B29s, the Nick going the opposite direction would seem to exacerbate the situation.

Interesting suggestion. I don't think it would happen that way, but the only examples I can think of show the item not being panned with, or that are passing, as being angled at the top and bottom, as they've moved left-to-right while the exposure was underway.

This is the classic example:



Note that while everything is 'leaning', all the dimensions (height and length) are still 'correct' - and the relative motion equates to two aircraft going in opposite directions (but much faster!).

http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/tech/fp-shutter.html

But then again...

From the same website:

Many of the film SLRs being still in use have shutter curtains which need 1/60 s for the full travel. With these, the slant in our example will be four times greater, about 4° or 8°, respectively — and this will be hard to miss. For a classic SLR, synchronizing only up to 1/30 s, the effect will be twice as pronounced, although you have to remember that it depends on the relationship between the curtain travel direction, camera orientation, and subject movement.

For your entertainment, here is a reproduction of a drawing from one of the old Polish photography books in my collection: Techniques of Modern Photography by T. Cyprian, published in 1949 (no, I'm not that old; just bought the book visiting Warsaw a few years ago). It shows the geometry distortion caused by focal plane shutters, as dependent on these factors. Interestingly, the example cameras chosen were Leica and Contax (two rangefinder legends), but also the Kodak Ektra. The Contax column is applicable to the modern digital SLRs — nihil novi sub sole!

My head still hurts!

[PinecastleAAF]

I just found out Martin Caidin was involved in the making of Godzilla vs. Mothra! Who knew? Mystery solved.

Now if you could just dive the Nick model past the B-29 model at 400 + mph and get a photo of that we could compare the two.

[JDK]

Now if you could just dive the Nick model past the B-29 model at 400 + mph and get a photo of that we could compare the two.

Of course without verbally making the engine and gun noises at the same time the experiment may be flawed...

[51fixer]

I just found out Martin Caidin was involved in the making of Godzilla vs. Mothra! Who knew? Mystery solved.

Now if you could just dive the Nick model past the B-29 model at 400 + mph and get a photo of that we could compare the two.

Contact Mythbusters.
Rich

[Steve Nelson]

Actually, since the models were 1/72 scale, you would only need to drive them past each other at about 6 mph to replicate the photo.

SN

[PinecastleAAF]

Actually, since the models were 1/72 scale, you would only need to drive them past each other at about 6 mph to replicate the photo.

Good point. Well get busy and let us know how it turns out. I guess you will have to finish the models first. Maybe by then this thread will be dead.

[muddyboots]

Actually, since the models were 1/72 scale, you would only need to drive them past each other at about 6 mph to replicate the photo.

SN

BEAT ME TO IT!

[Chris Brame]

No B-29s in Godzilla vs. Mothra, but it did feature a miniature JASDF C-46 (with bomb bay) dropping bombs on Godzilla!

[PinecastleAAF]

Maybe the original photograph is a fake with staged models made to roughly resemble Superforts and a Nick for PR purposes. If so then they might only be going 6 mph in the actual picture.

But take into account the closing speed. How does that affect the equation?

Perhaps it is an alien spacecraft designed to look similar to a Nick just to throw everybody off.

Or Amelia Earhart after some modifications have been done to the Electra. New tail, new wing, modified fuselage, new engines, etc.

[Steve Nelson]

Well get busy and let us know how it turns out. I guess you will have to finish the models first. Maybe by then this thread will be dead.

Are you kidding? At the rate I finish models, the internet will be dead by then, and replaced by direct intergalactic telepathy!

SN