Posted on 09/15/2015 8:04:49 AM PDT by Snowyman
A flypast involving about 40 Spitfires and Hurricanes is taking place to commemorate the 75th anniversary of World War Two's Battle of Britain.
The grouping - the biggest in one place since the war - took off in waves from Goodwood airfield in West Sussex before dispersing around the region.
Prince Harry was due to take part, but gave up his seat for a battle veteran when one of the Spitfires was grounded.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Bump for later.
I always thought the Spitfire was prettier than the Hurricane and the Hawker Typhoon prettier than both.
It must have been something to see one of those air battles in person. It’s hard to really reconcile the grainy footage of it with a 21st century photo of the actual planes. Somehow the current photo doesn’t seem like it could possibly have been the real aircraft.
I agree but to me the most timeless and beautiful fighter of that era was the P-51.
Just as the Ford GT-40 is timeless. When a design is right it is right forever.
Also the Corsair. I love those old planes as I actually saw them as a boy and made paper and balsa models of them. How time has flown.
I forgot to mention that the V12’s sounded soooooo fine. A sound I will never forget.
Was standing next to a B25 a few years ago after maintenance and they were doing a full power run up. Awe inspiring as the ground was vibrating as well as my insides.
A German pilot was shot down over England, near an RAF base. He was captured by a civilian with a gun and held until the authorities could collect him.
He was picked up and taken under guard to a holding cell on the base he had - a couple of hours earlier - participated in bombing and strafing. As he was being led from the lorry to his cell, he looked at the damage (lots of burning aircraft, huge holes in the runway, a pall of smoke hanging over everything) and said, in English, to the British officer who was guarding him "what do you think of that?"
He was conducted to his cell without comment, where he kept overnight until someone could come and transport him to a POW facility.
The next morning he was to be picked up. The same officer went down to his cell to get him. When he was brought out into the daylight, he the German witnessed a total transformation. The runway was usable, with all the craters filled in. Crews were rapidly re-paving it. Most amazingly, there were dozens of brand-new American-made P-51s standing where the hulks of the bombed and strafed Spitfires and Hurricanes had stood the day before.
The RAF officer said to him: "what do you think of that?
The German replied "that's why you're winning the war."
I was a few weeks from getting to ride in a Mark VIII Spitfire that had been converted to a 2-seater. One of the hot shot RAF Battle of Britian Honor Flight pilots, took it for a spin and landed gear-up. Whoops!
The wooden prop had to be reconstructed by a company in Germany. It was sold, along with my opportunity to ride in it, once it became flight worthy again some years later.
Oldplayer
Always loved the corsair.
The Heinkel 111 bombers were in fact Spanish built CASA 2111 bombers, Heinkel 111 H constructed under license, but with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and many other modifications. The Rolls engines were more powerful than the original Junkers Jumo and so the planes had more performance. In fact, all the real airplanes used on the film, except the Junkers Ju 52 (also Spanish built CASA 352) had British-built Rolls Royce Merlin engines.
(emphasis mine)
Yes. I made a beautiful paper and balsa model of the Corsair as a boy. It flew a few feet! I wonder if the paper and balsa models are still around and if so how much they would cost?
As much as I can appreciate your story, North American Aviation didn’t deliver the first Mustang until the end of 1941. Even then it’s Allison engine had to be replaced by a Rolls Royce Merlin which was better at high altitudes. The first Merlin-equipped Mustang, the P-51B, flew in November, 1942.
At 30,000 feet, the Merlin equipped Mustang reached 440 MPH, almost 100 MPH faster than the Allison-equipped Mustang at that altitude.
An amazing plane.
http://acepilots.com/planes/p51_mustang.html
bttt
I tried to find the story using Google, but was unable to.
Great story!
My grandfather said that the formations - 1000s of planes - would shake the ground as they went overhead. He was glad that they were outbound.
A few years ago I used to support a retired engineer that flew them near the end of WWII and some Korea. Great guy.
Not sure if he is still alive. Lost track of him.
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