Many of today's multi-engine procedures were learned the very hard way from mistakes in WW2. Ever heard of "One a day in Tampa Bay", regarding the Martin B-26 Marauder (built in Baltimore, MD)?
The B-26 had to take off and land at very fast speeds, due to the short wings ( high 'wing loading') supporting a heavy plane. So short that pilot soon called it "the Baltimore Whore", that is, "no means of visible support".
The new pilots were not prepared for the high speeds, from what I read in several books, and the mechanics were new to the electric prop governors, which were difficult at first to maintain (the C-46 Commando had the same props).
During takeoff, many planes with new pilots ("cherries") were lost when either an engine failed or a prop's pitch would immediately go flat, creating an instant huge drag on one side. Pilots sometimes survived when the Instructor Pilots were prepared to yank both throttles back to idle and ditch in the bay-maybe they had all discussed this beforehand in the squadron and briefed it during taxi-out. At least they had better directional control. One of our pilots has a father whose plane was the only one to return to England from one of the first two B-26 missions over Holland.
Britain/Ireland and the US: two peoples divided by a common language.
[This message has been edited by Ignition Override (edited 31 January 2001).]