But I wonder how many where actualy working when they got back! Those guys seemed to have good day if they got back with at least half the engines still turning!
We tend to forget in these days of transistors and microchips that the receivers in these old machines were literally rack mounted monstrosities containing vacuum tubes drawing heaps of current.
They almost needed all the engines turning just to power the electronics!
Along with large resistors and capacitors that could leak electrolyte through altitude changes, it was a miracle that half the gear worked in ideal conditions let alone after flak bursts and peripheral damage from shell impacts.
It would be interesting to know just what the dispatch reliability of these machines actually were.