...but I will tell you what is impressive to me:
...The Collings Foundation has brought a B-17 a B-24 and a P-51 to Dallas to show and to sell rides for fund raising. I live in the traffic pattern of Love Field and the B-17 and B-24 have been flying low over my house. It almost brings tears to my eyes to see and hear these old planes still flying.
They radiate competence...you see them and just know that they are the finest craftsmanship in the world. The sound that their engines make is a low grumble....and you just know that the German people who were not involved with the NAZI's hated to hear these sounds rumbling in the distance, but were absolutely moving their way....
...they will be flying all day tomorrow, and I will be watching every one...
To this day I believe that the B-17 is the most beautiful airplane ever built.
All fine airframes, for sure. I’m a big fan of the B-25 ever since I read about them (as a kid) being flown off aircraft carriers. I know that also has to do with the men flying them at the time but day-em... that’s one helluva feat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqvZ0gH-r44
My 91 yr old dad was in a 7th Army AAA battery during WWII from North Africa on through Germany’s surrender. He’s mentioned that as they were fighting their way across France they would often see the entire sky filled with what looked like thousands of bombers, headed to their targets in Germany. A sight like that will never be seen again.
And you’re right, the sound of those WWII engines is something special. There’s a few vintage planes flying out of an airport near me in SoCal and I love to hear them pass overhead.
You said: “They radiate competence...you see them and just know that they are the finest craftsmanship in the world.”
Damn straight. Those were the days when “close enough for government work” was standard of pride.