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3 comments

[–] doggone 1 points (+1|-0)

...The second of two prototypes of the Douglas XB-42, ...on a routine flight out of Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., suffered in short order, a landing gear extension problem, failure of the port engine, and as coolant temperatures rose, failure of the starboard engine. Maj. Hayduck bailed out at 1,200 feet, Lt. Col. Haney at 800 feet, and pilot Lt. Col. (later Major General) Fred J. Ascani, after crawling aft to jettison the pusher propellers, at 400 feet – all three survived....

...Classified jettisonable propeller technology caused a problem for authorities in explaining what witnesses on the ground thought was the aircraft exploding...

[–] pembo210 [OP] 1 points (+1|-0) Edited
[–] doggone 1 points (+1|-0)

That's great. I was curious about the port and starboard engines, and there they are.