OT: Today's plane pic of the day

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:04 am

This might bring back some memories for a few...

Also, check out the Spitfire video they have as well. It's a restored PR.XI. Watching it brought back memories of building model Spits as a kid. Well, attempting to build at least.

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:24 am

Is there a link?

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:35 am

DOH! What, you can't read my mind? Wait, it's probably better you can't...

http://www.planeaday.com/

txpete · Post by **txpete** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:59 am

early model note no mini-guns.
pete

.45colt · Post by **.45colt** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:07 am

Thanks for the link,that video of the Spitfire really made My day.Love the sound.

.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:09 am

Those are both very neat....thanks for sharing. Always love the oily smell of those big old birds.

Out at our airport in Chandler, AZ, in the late 70's, they were rebuilding an old Spit or Sea Fire with the counter rotating props. Would love to find her again and see the old bird in action.

Post by **Hobie** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:59 am

My favorite...

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:06 am

txpete wrote:early model note no mini-guns.
pete

I caught that and the openings for the rear weapons have that "field expedient" look as well.

Hobie, I saw the restored Putt Putt Maru (IIRC) fly in the mid-90s. Possibly my favorite Kelly Johnson design.

If you asked me what my favorite aviation era is, the answer changes by the month, maybe week. If you asked me what my favorite WWII aircraft is, I couldn't give you an answer. If I could pick just one, it'd change daily. I'd have a hard time just narrowing it down to a top ten.

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:24 pm

Many thanks for posting that link.

The sound of that Merlin is something else

txpete · Post by **txpete** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:30 pm

Borregos wrote: Many thanks for posting that link.
The sound of that Merlin is something else

you should hear a lancaster at full power

it will give you goose bumps.

that said I am still a helicopter guy.

pete

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:47 pm

txpete
I hear the Lancaster at full power regularly, I am not too far from the airport at Hamilton where the Canadian Heritage Airplane museum is, they have an airworthy Lanc that flies on a regular basis. Goosebumps is right!!

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:12 pm

Here's an old friend that ended up as a "plane on a stick". That is till they closed the air base. Last I saw, it was still sitting in the dirt at the end of the ramp.

The Phantom was the hottest thing going at one time. Sad to see how they've mistreated this one.

Mike D. · Post by **Mike D.** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:34 pm

The Lanc has 4 RR Merlins. Sounds like a flight of multi P-51Ds. That end of series Spit was amazing.

txpete · Post by **txpete** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:13 pm

I wanted to

when they dropped a bunch of these of the texas coast for a fishing reef.

stew71 · Post by **stew71** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:31 pm

txpete wrote:I wanted to when they dropped a bunch of these of the texas coast for a fishing reef.

At least they went towards something useful. Otherwise they would have been chopped up for scrap and turned into beer cans....wait...those are useful too.

It can be sad to see old warhorses like these simply "tossed aside". But there's little you can do with worn-out airframes other than scrap or turning them into reefs. I feel the same way about worn-out warships that are sunk for the same reason.

1894cfan · Post by **1894cfan** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:41 pm

MY favorites are a Grumman F3F-2 and NA P-51A. YMMV

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:50 pm

Here is my Dad in front of a Skyraider in Danang, Vietnam 1972.

F-4 Phantom 1972, Danang, Vietnam. The bunkers behind the plane were designed to protect them from rocket attacks.

My Father got his start on the RB-36 with those 6 pushers and the 4 J-57's. I can only imagine what they sounded like at full power. Hope someday to hear one in action.

txpete · Post by **txpete** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:21 pm

Cimarron · Post by **Cimarron** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:26 pm

The EAA's B-17G "Aluminum Overcast" was at Jones Airport in Tulsa two weeks ago. The bomber was outstanding and the take offs and landings were a joy to experience. There were two local gentlemen there talking about flying bombing missions in these planes. Both in their mid 80's, one a bombardier and the other a tail gunner, told story after story about their experiences. Both agreed that, while you could shoot back at attacking German fighters, flack was a bigger threat. You simply had to endure the flack barrages. Both told of hearing shrapnel hitting their planes frequently on missions. The bombardier told of one mission in which his plane was so shot up that they had to belly land short of their base in England. The tail gunner related a story of his encounter with Me-262's and how the escorting P-51's could not catch up to the German jet. He was thankful that the Germans had not brought out their jets in a fighter role until late in the war. While the B-17 was great to see, I am so glad I met these two fascinating men and had the opportunity to hear them talk. All in all it was a great day.

txpete · Post by **txpete** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:34 pm

http://www.asb.tv/videos/view.php?v=1bf99434&br=500

Cimarron · Post by **Cimarron** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:36 pm

C. Cash wrote:
My Father got his start on the RB-36 with those 6 pushers and the 4 J-57's. I can only imagine what they sounded like at full power. Hope someday to hear one in action.

I had a good friend who was a photo reconasance crewman on the B-36's at Minot,ND. He claimed the challange was for all 6 pushers and 4 jets to be working on take off and and then again at landing. He said some of the flights seemed to last forever.

txpete · Post by **txpete** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:51 pm

pic of my dad with one of our snakes.238th AWC

dad worked on spits and hurricanes.

pete

Kansas Ed · Post by **Kansas Ed** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:57 pm

Since this is an airplane thread...I'm not sure if any of you have seen the 1948 Cessna 195 that my wife restored several years ago. She sold it to a pilot in the Confederate Airforce (I know..now non-PC name) a couple of years ago. Just thought I would share............the '55 was our family car at the time...sweet little ride...and the second photo is of my Queen doing her thing...BTW, shes an accomplished pilot, A&P Mechanic, and has a BS in Aviation Tech, with a Masters in Space Safety Systems. Oh yea...she can turn a wrench with the best of the boys...

Ed

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:00 pm

Cimarron wrote:
C. Cash wrote:
My Father got his start on the RB-36 with those 6 pushers and the 4 J-57's. I can only imagine what they sounded like at full power. Hope someday to hear one in action.
I had a good friend who was a photo reconasance crewman on the B-36's at Minot,ND. He claimed the challange was for all 6 pushers and 4 jets to be working on take off and and then again at landing. He said some of the flights seemed to last forever.

Yeah, my Dad's planes flew out of Travis, AFB and ran up to Alaska. He still talks about keeping all those engines synched up. I guess there is one left at Pima, AZ , one in CA and one in OH, but none operable today.:
http://www.air-and-space.com/b-36%20survivors.htm
Another plane at the Pima Air Museum was one of the planes my Dad's took care of in Puerto Rico, where I was born . It is the special two seat version, the F-104D. There is no more exciting jet to me personally, than the F-104...the missle with a man in it. Watching one take off with full afterburner is a rush.
http://www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=154
Great picture Pete! The video gave me an eye problem.

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:11 pm

Cimarron

I had a good friend who was a photo reconasance crewman on the B-36's at Minot,ND. He claimed the challange was for all 6 pushers and 4 jets to be working on take off and and then again at landing. He said some of the flights seemed to last forever.

They called it six churnin' and four burnin'
I used to see and hear them way up there when I was a kid... They had a sound sort of like throbbing unsynchronized props...My uncle was a Navigator on those back in the day

Cimarron · Post by **Cimarron** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:17 pm

C. Cash wrote:
Cimarron wrote:
C. Cash wrote:

Yeah, my Dad's planes flew out of Travis, AFB and ran up to Alaska. He still talks about keeping all those engines synched up. I guess there is one left at Pima, AZ , one in CA and one in OH, but none operable today.:
http://www.air-and-space.com/b-36%20survivors.htm
Another plane at the Pima Air Museum was one of the planes my Dad's took care of in Puerto Rico, where I was born . It is the special two seat version, the F-104D. There is no more exciting jet to me personally, than the F-104...the missle with a man in it. Watching one take off with full afterburner is a rush.
http://www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=154
Great picture Pete!

I've seen the B-36 at Wright-Patterson in Ohio and it is one huge aircraft. For anyone that is interested in military aircraft the National Museum of the U.S.A.F. is a must see. Probably more historically significant military aircraft than anywhere else.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:27 pm

Cimarron wrote:
C. Cash wrote:
Cimarron wrote:
C. Cash wrote:

Yeah, my Dad's planes flew out of Travis, AFB and ran up to Alaska. He still talks about keeping all those engines synched up. I guess there is one left at Pima, AZ , one in CA and one in OH, but none operable today.:
http://www.air-and-space.com/b-36%20survivors.htm
Another plane at the Pima Air Museum was one of the planes my Dad's took care of in Puerto Rico, where I was born . It is the special two seat version, the F-104D. There is no more exciting jet to me personally, than the F-104...the missle with a man in it. Watching one take off with full afterburner is a rush.
http://www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=154
Great picture Pete!
I've seen the B-36 at Wright-Patterson in Ohio and it is on huge aircraft. For anyone that is interested in military aircraft the Nationa Museum of the U.S.A.F. is a must see. Probably more historically significant military aircraft than anywhere else.

Gotta make that trip. I felt pretty dumb to learn only recently of the OTHER B-29 "Bockscar" which dropped the bomb on Nagasaki was at Wright Patterson......always assumed Enola Gay dropped both, but not so. The Smithsonian Overflow Museum near Dulles Airport in Washington DC is a must see also, and that is where Enola Gay is at.

Cimarron · Post by **Cimarron** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:23 pm

Yes, when I first saw "Bockscar" I had some sobering thoughts. My dad was in training for the invasion of Japan when Harry Truman made the decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There is a chance I would not be here today if that hadn't happened.

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 8:59 am

great post!
I just happen to live in the highest concentration of private pilots
in the country...daytona beach/port orange/new symrna area...
There is a Fly-in community just to the east of our place....
where you can park you plane in your hanger attached to the house....
This airport use to be a WWII pilot training base....
Every saturday morning a bunch of pilots in all sorts of planes,
from home made bi-planes to WWII plans to the modern stuff...
line up early in the morning...and fly to another airport for brunch...
Its real cool to watch them take off in formation....
John Travolta use to live here....and he had a viper jet...
I believe it was a vietnam era jet...very cool plane....
He had to move out because his plane were getting to big!
Coolest plane I have seen is the P-51....there is nothing like
standing on the side of the runway....and watching one of those take off...
gave me the chills...awesome plane....
They also restored a B17 bomber in new symrna....including the guns.....
Thats another plan that will give you the chills when they crank up the motors...

I wish I was a pilot.....

El Chivo · Post by **El Chivo** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:46 pm

Hobie wrote:

I was just watching a clip about the death of Yammamoto. Well, this was the last thing he saw...

When I was a kid we used to visit Wright Pat once in a while. I remember seeing Bock's Car and walking through a B-29 fuselage. They also have just about every plane you would want to see, a Ju-88 was a thrill for me.

As Boy Scouts we even got to camp there one weekend. They had B-52's parked and ready.

Baja_Traveler · Post by **Baja_Traveler** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:19 pm

I got to fly in Aluminum Overcast from San Diego to Torrance a few years ago. Ride of a lifetime. Here are the pics: http://www.pbase.com/baja_traveler/b17_ ... a_lifetime

gak · Post by **gak** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:17 am

Hobie, two are better than one

though my father was primarily a bomber pilot (17s, 29s, A20s), he got to fly the P-82 (F-82) several times after the war. He thought it was a fabulous ride. I think the 82 was credited with the first kill in Korea IIRC.

And my favorite F-100 Super Sabre.

We had a full squadron of them at our base in southern Japan before they got sent to Thailand in 1963, followed there a year later by their replacements, a squadron of fresh off the line F-105 Thunderchiefs.

Combat Diver · Post by **Combat Diver** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:51 am

I'll add a helo that I never thought I'll be working with as it was always the enemy's. Here's a Polish Mi-24 Hind D taken here in Astan.

CD

El Chivo · Post by **El Chivo** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 4:19 am

after some reflection I think my favorite is the P-40. Not the fastest or sleekest but just about the coolest.

Not an overly exceptional aircraft in any one category, the P-40 Warhawk was a deadly fighting machine in trained hands. The formidable armament of 6 x 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine guns (up to 200 rounds per gun) was complimented by the ability of the aircraft to carry a bombload for an increasingly expanding workload.

gak · Post by **gak** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 6:15 am

Regarding the various B-36 comments, there were some of these left over at Kelly/Lackland AFBs in San Antonio when we were stationed there 1964-66. Although his flying days as primary duty were largely over by then (B-50s --essentially mod'd 29s--and testing some B-58 Hustlers being his last major flying duty in the 50s), my father had gotten to fly the 36s a bit. Like with the 58 (and B-47), they wanted his "take" on it. I don't recall what that was but do remember how huge they were--dwarfing a left-over 50 and the KC97 cargo/refuelers they had there--and my brothers and I were treated to an inside-out tour of a 36 while we were there. Check out "Strategic Air Command" for some great B-36 and B-47 footage--with real life AF pilot Jimmy Stewart. Neat stuff!

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 9:42 am

gak wrote:Regarding the various B-36 comments, there were some of these left over at Kelly/Lackland AFBs in San Antonio when we were stationed there 1964-66. Although his flying days as primary duty were largely over by then (B-50s --essentially mod'd 29s--and testing some B-58 Hustlers being his last major flying duty in the 50s), my father had gotten to fly the 36s a bit. Like with the 58 (and B-47), they wanted his "take" on it. I don't recall what that was but do remember how huge they were--dwarfing a left-over 50 and the KC97 cargo/refuelers they had there--and my brothers and I were treated to an inside-out tour of a 36 while we were there. Check out "Strategic Air Command" for some great B-36 and B-47 footage--with real life AF pilot Jimmy Stewart. Neat stuff!

A great flick indeed!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGjyH2ulsCk

Post by **Hobie** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 10:12 am

Cimarron wrote:Yes, when I first saw "Bockscar" I had some sobering thoughts. My dad was in training for the invasion of Japan when Harry Truman made the decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There is a chance I would not be here today if that hadn't happened.

My dad's company was in formation at the train station to embark for California and then for the invasion of Japan when the surrender was announced. He told me they did an "about face" and marched right back to the barracks. He then went on to occupation duty in Italy. He got a second similar reprieve during the active Korean conflict. I'm very fortunate to be here!

Cimarron · Post by **Cimarron** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 10:36 am

C. Cash wrote:
gak wrote:Check out "Strategic Air Command" for some great B-36 and B-47 footage--with real life AF pilot Jimmy Stewart. Neat stuff!
A great flick indeed!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGjyH2ulsCk

It's one of my favorites, along with "Twelve O'Clock High"!

conger · Post by **conger** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:23 am

I always liked the Corsair F4U

damienph · Post by **damienph** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:46 am

Hobie wrote:
Cimarron wrote:Yes, when I first saw "Bockscar" I had some sobering thoughts. My dad was in training for the invasion of Japan when Harry Truman made the decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There is a chance I would not be here today if that hadn't happened.
My dad's company was in formation at the train station to embark for California and then for the invasion of Japan when the surrender was announced. He told me they did an "about face" and marched right back to the barracks. He then went on to occupation duty in Italy. He got a second similar reprieve during the active Korean conflict. I'm very fortunate to be here!

My Dad was already on his way to the Pacific as a replacement with the 1st Cavalry Division. He ended up on occupation duty in Tokyo and served as a guard at the Japanese War Crime Trials; then GI Bill and 24 years as an Air Force weather officer.

While he was an instructor at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, IL, a friend and I used to play inside the B36 on display, until they riveted the lower hatch shut to keep us out.

Back then (62-66) if we could reach the hatches, we could get inside.

Growing up as an AF brat was great.

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:10 pm

conger wrote:I always liked the Corsair F4U

+2

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:11 pm

Hobie wrote:My favorite...

Then you should like today's:

gak · Post by **gak** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 4:57 am

damienph wrote:
Hobie wrote:
Cimarron wrote:Yes, when I first saw "Bockscar" I had some sobering thoughts. My dad was in training for the invasion of Japan when Harry Truman made the decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There is a chance I would not be here today if that hadn't happened.
My dad's company was in formation at the train station to embark for California and then for the invasion of Japan when the surrender was announced. He told me they did an "about face" and marched right back to the barracks. He then went on to occupation duty in Italy. He got a second similar reprieve during the active Korean conflict. I'm very fortunate to be here!

My Dad was already on his way to the Pacific as a replacement with the 1st Cavalry Division. He ended up on occupation duty in Tokyo and served as a guard at the Japanese War Crime Trials; then GI Bill and 24 years as an Air Force weather officer.

While he was an instructor at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, IL, a friend and I used to play inside the B36 on display, until they riveted the lower hatch shut to keep us out.

Back then (62-66) if we could reach the hatches, we could get inside.

Growing up as an AF brat was great.

---
+1 to the AF brat comment. A bit tough as a youngster making then leaving friends, but sure had some unique growing up experiences in "exotic" places--compared to some. That main experience was Japan for us (62-64). For an 8-10 year old, two years is an eternity and it is still the most formative experience of my life. Our base just 90 minutes from Nagasaki, and we visited ground zero two or three times. We overnighted at one of our naval bases, Sasebo, close by which regularly had a nuclear sub in port that got protested by young marchers in the streets. A heady time in the middle of the Cold War, getting overflown by Russian MiGs from time to time to check out our F-100/F-105 air base (and escorted away by our F-102s), and then right at the beginning of our SE Asia "activity," which we also were very much on the forefront of.
We were stationed on Kyushu, the southernmost of the Japanese main islands, and that was to have been our end-of-war invasion "front." Used to play "war" with my mates on the beaches--remarkably like Normandy etc--with the Japanese pillboxes, gun emplacements (and rusted guns!) still on the dunes and bluffs, and anti-amphibious and tank crosses in the sand/surf still in place, all of which area was "off limits" (ha) and patroled by our MPs where the beach was adjacent to one of our bases.

We were also an old Korean War base that was home for many flights of P-51s, F-80s and F-86s, and these F-82s (Twin Mustangs) shown below,...and another KW base, Asahi, up the road from us had a whole squadron of the 86s--except by "now" in the (in)famous Japanese red "meatball" insignia-given over to the Japan Air Defense Command. We checked them out on one rainy Sunday drive...driving out right onto the tarmac after a Japanese MP saluted us on. Neat stuff for a kid!
F-82s at our base, Itazuke, in 1950.

Noah Zark · Post by **Noah Zark** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 11:58 am

I'll play:

This Ford-built B24H, S/N 42-94791 from the 828th Sdn, 485th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force is "Rough Deal Lucille," named after my mother by my uncle, who was radio operator and waist gunner:

My uncle likes to say that if Hollywood and the Media are to be believed, the 8th Air Force flying B17s won WWII in Europe, and the Marines won WWII in the South Pacific.

The B24 was larger than the B17 and carried a significantly larger payload, and was built in greater numbers than the B17. In fact, more B24s were built that any other aircraft type during WWII, including the C47.

Noah

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:36 pm

Great photos fellas! The B-24 was a neat old bird.

I'm suprised no one has mentioned the Bearcat.

RustyJr · Post by **RustyJr** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 7:21 pm

In the first pic, is that a Specter or Spooky? Are either of these the same as Puff the Magic Dragon. I know one was a C-130 and the other was a C-47 if I'm not mistaken. The one in the picture appears to be the latter but i always forget the nickname for them.

RustyJr

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 7:36 pm

That's an early AC-47 aka Spooky aka Puff the Magic Dragon. The AC-130 is the Spectre.

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 7:42 pm

The B-24 was admittedly the workhorse,
“BUT” the B17 was the true glamour girl.

Hollywood movie star Captain Clark Gable was photographed after returning from a 303rd BG mission to Antwerp on 4 May 1943 in 359th B-17F #41-24635 The 8 Ball Mk II. In October 1942, Gable had graduated from Officers' Candidate School in Miami as a Second Lieutenant. He attended aerial gunnery school until February 1943. On the personal insistence of General Hap Arnold, Chief of the American Air Staff, he was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group to make a motion picture of gunners in action. Gable flew a handful of combat missions and competed some footage for the film, Combat America. The 8 Ball Mk II survived the war also, finishing its days at Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1945.

gak · Post by **gak** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:56 pm

My father clocked a lot of time in the B-24 as a pilot-instructor. He said it flew like a brick, a characterization many gave it. He still had a fond spot in his heart for it but not the warm and fuzzies like the B-17, his sentimental and overall favorite (and most hours logged in the war). As a pure flyer, he really enjoyed the A-20 (A for Attack bomber IIRC) with which he also spent a lot of time. He logged some pretty good hours in the B-25 as well, and "graduated" to the B-29 for late 1944 and most of 1945 logging a ton of hours instructing in that as well. Liked it, but as a flyer not as much as the others. I've really enjoyed pouring over his flight log spanning virtually the entire war, and see a lot of C-47 ("Goonie Bird") hours logged too.

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 1:17 am

Guess I'm weird, but I've always been partial to Marvin Mainliner's bird:

That beach sure doesn't look that today!!

Oly