A major offseason statistical timekiller: If chiefsplanet members were B-17 crews...

**Rain Man** · 01:57 AM

As some of you know, I've got a fixation with B-17 bombers from the World War II era. I've got this really cool simulation game (pencil and paper, not computer) of B-17 missions over Europe. It can track each crew member's history, as well as the success of an individual airplane's mission. It's a majorly cool game if you're into wargame simulations, and is called "B-17: Queen of the Skies." It's made by Avalon Hill.

Anyway, over the past few years, I've been running missions whenever I've been in the mood, and I've got records of almost 300 missions now. I thought it might be fun to use these for an interesting statistical time killer, so you could see what your fate would have been if you had been drafted into the Bomber Corps back in the early days of WWII.

I've got enough missions to run a group of 20 bombers, each with a 10-person crew. If you're interested in participating, do one of the following:

1. If you've got less than 4,000 posts and want to be on a crew, volunteer for service by stating so in this thread. Please don't pm me; just make a post.

2. If you've got more than 4,000 posts, you'll be in by default unless you post or pm me that you DON'T want to be included. If you don't want to read about yourself blasting German fighters out of the sky or falling 20,000 feet to your death in a burning aircraft, you might want to opt out.

Since I've already run the simulations, you'll have no responsibilities other than to watch what happens, discuss it, brag or curse, and maybe make a decision once in a while about reassignment if a bomber crew has casualties. This is just something to watch and ponder your fate. We'll run the game until somebody gets 25 missions, and it'll probably meander on through much of the offseason since it'll take me a while to post each mission.

Crews will be determined randomly, and the hierarchy on the crew will be determined by post count unless a person particularly wants to move down the hierarchy to take a certain position. If there are casualties, you can move around in the crew. (We'll assume that flying lessons come easy to you.) The hierarchy will be:

1. Pilot
2. Copilot
3. Bombardier/Nose & Port Cheek Gunner
4. Navigator/Nose & Starboard Cheek Gunner
5. Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
6. Radio Operator/Radio Room Gunner
7. Tail Gunner
8. Ball Turret Gunner
9. Right Waist Gunner
10. Left Waist Gunner

The way it will work is like this: I'll assign you to a crew, and I'll randomly assign your plane to a mission. Every week or so, as I have time, I'll post the results of missions. Each of the 20 bombers will have a mission in a thread called "B-17 Mission 1" or something like that. Once everyone has flown a mission, the survivors will go on to a new thread called Mission 2, and so on. There will be some shuffling of crews as time goes by, as crew members find themselves without planes or vice versa, and I'll post those changes as we go.

Within a thread, you'll read a summary of each plane's mission, its encounters with enemy aircraft and flak along the way, and its bombing success. The interesting part is that you'll read about any damage to the plane, any casualties to the crews, and/or any enemy planes hit by your own fire.

I'll add more explanations along the way.

Mods, let me know if this is a problem or distraction. It'll be 25 threads in total, one for each mission, and will probably result in one thread that'll bounce off and on the front page through the whole offseason. If it's a bother, we'll move it to another part of the board or just forget about it, but I think it'll be fun.

keg in kc · 01-20-2004, 12:57 AM

I'm game.

2bikemike · 01-20-2004, 12:59 AM

I don't know where you come up with half the stuff you do. You my friend are quite a character.

Ultra Peanut · 01-20-2004, 01:12 AM

That's cool.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2bikemike

I don't know where you come up with half the stuff you do. You my friend are quite a character.

Well said.

|Zach| · 01-20-2004, 01:06 PM

ENDelt, I want you to take this letter for me. You know, just in case something happens.

|Zach| · 01-20-2004, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ENDelt260

I'll hide it up my ass right away.

I am not interested in some young boy getting his hands on it. I need you to put it in a safe place where nobody else will see it.

Logical · 01-20-2004, 02:59 PM

So will I be facilitating death and destruction or directly producing it.

I must begin mental preparation for maximum effectiveness.

Of course I will be in charge of torturing ineffective crew dogs.

|Zach| · 01-20-2004, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logical

So will I be facilitating death and destruction or directly producing it.

I must begin mental preparation for maximum effectiveness.

Of course I will be in charge of torturing ineffective crew dogs.

Ehhh, I hope I am not on Logical's crew...he would be extra mean I believe.

KCWolfman · 01-20-2004, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachKC

Ehhh, I hope I am not on Logical's crew...he would be extra mean I believe.

If I get to be Captain, you probably won't want my crew. I will have them circle around a few times so I can get prime closeups of those we hit.

Garcia Bronco · 01-20-2004, 01:03 AM

I'm in..Nazi scum..

Get some! Get some!

|Zach| · 01-20-2004, 01:17 PM

I call this Plane...

I also call NOT getting this Plane...
rel="Lightbox"?attachmentid=21199&stc=1" border="0" alt="" class="tcattdimgresizer" onload="NcodeImageResizer.createOn(this);" />

**Rain Man** · 01-20-2004, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachKC

I also call NOT getting this Plane...
rel="Lightbox"?attachmentid=21199&stc=1" border="0" alt="" class="tcattdimgresizer" onload="NcodeImageResizer.createOn(this);" />

Never accept an assignment on a plane named "Lefty."

**ChiTown** · 01-20-2004, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachKC

I call this Plane...

Is that called the Flying Pancake Nips? Yeah, I wouldn't ming riding, err, flying that one....

My Dad flew the B17 in WWII. I've got some cool pics that I need to post some day. He took me to a show at the Richards Gabauer (sp??) AFB to watch some of those old planes when I was a kid. He was like a kid in a candy shop. I spent my time trying to load up on all the amenities - popcorn, cotton candy, etc. Man, I really miss my Dad........

01-20-2004, 12:54 AM	Topic Starter
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3168491 VARSITY	A major offseason statistical timekiller: If chiefsplanet members were B-17 crews... As some of you know, I've got a fixation with B-17 bombers from the World War II era. I've got this really cool simulation game (pencil and paper, not computer) of B-17 missions over Europe. It can track each crew member's history, as well as the success of an individual airplane's mission. It's a majorly cool game if you're into wargame simulations, and is called "B-17: Queen of the Skies." It's made by Avalon Hill. Anyway, over the past few years, I've been running missions whenever I've been in the mood, and I've got records of almost 300 missions now. I thought it might be fun to use these for an interesting statistical time killer, so you could see what your fate would have been if you had been drafted into the Bomber Corps back in the early days of WWII. I've got enough missions to run a group of 20 bombers, each with a 10-person crew. If you're interested in participating, do one of the following: 1. If you've got less than 4,000 posts and want to be on a crew, volunteer for service by stating so in this thread. Please don't pm me; just make a post. 2. If you've got more than 4,000 posts, you'll be in by default unless you post or pm me that you DON'T want to be included. If you don't want to read about yourself blasting German fighters out of the sky or falling 20,000 feet to your death in a burning aircraft, you might want to opt out. Since I've already run the simulations, you'll have no responsibilities other than to watch what happens, discuss it, brag or curse, and maybe make a decision once in a while about reassignment if a bomber crew has casualties. This is just something to watch and ponder your fate. We'll run the game until somebody gets 25 missions, and it'll probably meander on through much of the offseason since it'll take me a while to post each mission. Crews will be determined randomly, and the hierarchy on the crew will be determined by post count unless a person particularly wants to move down the hierarchy to take a certain position. If there are casualties, you can move around in the crew. (We'll assume that flying lessons come easy to you.) The hierarchy will be: 1. Pilot 2. Copilot 3. Bombardier/Nose & Port Cheek Gunner 4. Navigator/Nose & Starboard Cheek Gunner 5. Engineer/Top Turret Gunner 6. Radio Operator/Radio Room Gunner 7. Tail Gunner 8. Ball Turret Gunner 9. Right Waist Gunner 10. Left Waist Gunner The way it will work is like this: I'll assign you to a crew, and I'll randomly assign your plane to a mission. Every week or so, as I have time, I'll post the results of missions. Each of the 20 bombers will have a mission in a thread called "B-17 Mission 1" or something like that. Once everyone has flown a mission, the survivors will go on to a new thread called Mission 2, and so on. There will be some shuffling of crews as time goes by, as crew members find themselves without planes or vice versa, and I'll post those changes as we go. Within a thread, you'll read a summary of each plane's mission, its encounters with enemy aircraft and flak along the way, and its bombing success. The interesting part is that you'll read about any damage to the plane, any casualties to the crews, and/or any enemy planes hit by your own fire. I'll add more explanations along the way. Mods, let me know if this is a problem or distraction. It'll be 25 threads in total, one for each mission, and will probably result in one thread that'll bounce off and on the front page through the whole offseason. If it's a bother, we'll move it to another part of the board or just forget about it, but I think it'll be fun. Last edited by Rain Man; 01-20-2004 at 01:57 AM..
Posts: 141,576

01-20-2004, 12:57 AM	#2
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	I'm game.
Posts: 58,682

01-20-2004, 12:59 AM	#3
2bikemike Born to Ride Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NWA Casino cash: $2315377	I don't know where you come up with half the stuff you do. You my friend are quite a character.
Posts: 16,304

01-20-2004, 01:06 PM	#5
\|Zach\| For The Glory Of The City Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $5266768	ENDelt, I want you to take this letter for me. You know, just in case something happens.
Posts: 53,446

01-20-2004, 02:59 PM	#9
Logical Screw U if U can't take a joke Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $10004900	So will I be facilitating death and destruction or directly producing it. I must begin mental preparation for maximum effectiveness. Of course I will be in charge of torturing ineffective crew dogs.
Posts: 31,579

01-20-2004, 01:03 AM	#12
Garcia Bronco No Keys, No Problem Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Denver Casino cash: $5163136	I'm in..Nazi scum.. Get some! Get some!
Posts: 30,924

01-20-2004, 01:17 PM	#13
\|Zach\| For The Glory Of The City Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $5266768	I call this Plane... I also call NOT getting this Plane... rel="Lightbox"?attachmentid=21199&stc=1" border="0" alt="" class="tcattdimgresizer" onload="NcodeImageResizer.createOn(this);" />
Posts: 53,446