LOL. That won't be a problem. BTW, here is Msdrby's shooting iron.
Posted on 05/15/2004 12:00:14 AM PDT by snippy_about_it
BTTT!!!!!!!
Thanks for the pix. The one with the top half of the empennage missing was amazing.
If you really want to be scary, arm her brothers!
I had the pleasure and priveledge to be standing about 100ft behind a Corsiar when the engine was fired-up one time. It was located between two metal hanger buildings that were about 200ft apart. The noise and reverberation was intense. I know I was grinning ear to ear!
LOL. That won't be a problem. BTW, here is Msdrby's shooting iron.
Fellow radial lovers should plan to travel to Reno the week of September 13th for the air races. The T-6s have their own class and, in the unlimited field, there is a long running rivalry between the baddest radial of them all, Rare Bear, and a gaggle of Mustangs. The old stick and rudder guy says Check it out.
Nice. Hope she can hit on the first shot though. :-)
A Mustang making a low pass. There's a sight and sound to behold.
Pretty! My dad had a similar one hanging on the wall for years ... wonder what happened to it?
Thanks for the Airpower thread, Sam and snippy.
You're welcome CholeraJoe.
Iris7, I happen to live just a couple of miles from the Save A Connie airport. Downtown Kansas Citry Aiport(MKC), A while back the Connie flew over while my neighbor was working on a car. He looked up and asked what the heck was that racket. I told him it was only 13,000 horses flying over.
The Connie has a sound all it's own anymore, any time I here it I try to get out and take a look. Connies are one of the few planes that look like they are going 500mph just sittin there.
One other thing regarding Wright R-3500s and Skyraiders, I recall reading a story years ago of a Skyraider being launched with the WINGS FOLDED and the plane was able to make a safe carrier landing. Have you any knowledge of this story?
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
That one I never heard of. Skyraider is an excellent plane. I read somewhere that it can carry the firepower equivalent to a WWII destroyer. Don't know how true it is but it sure sounds impressive.
Bump!
My grandfather, "gramps," said the mission was hell. The flight was very long, and they were off course. When they did correct the course - because of uncalculated cross winds - the German Wurzburg radars had vectored aircraft aginst the bomb group.
Gramps knew the planes would be sent up against them, because they flight commander had ordered the aircraft to a higher altitude to combat the heavy crosswinds to save fuel for the return trip back to N. Africa.
Once the fighter planes were cleared, the Liberators then dropped to an altitude of about 150 feet. They ran square into an anti aircraft artillery train which began ripping planes out of the sky.
Gramps' plane lost #1 engines on the way in. Both waist gunners wewre killed by anti aircraft fir, and the tail gunner was critically wounded dying before the mission was completed - no one could get to the man, because the floor boards to the aircraft aft of the wing were severely damaged, and deemed unsafe to walk over.
Weapons were dropped on target, and then the crew had to fight a dying aircraft all the way back to the Med, and attempt the crossing. All weapons were discarded along with any unneeded weight.
Engine #3 failed on the return trip, and my grandfather had to make a determination whether to ditch the aircraft. The crew made the determination that the plane would NOT survive a water ditch, so gramps decided they would try to ride it out and hope for the best.
When they reached N. Africa, and made the approach, landing gear would not deploy. Manual attempt was tried, but the undercarriage was so heavily damaged from flak that it was no use.
Ball turret could not be retracted back into the fuselage, and the gunner had to crawl out of the turret, and climb through the damaged fuselage to egress from his position.
Gear up, nose slightly elevated, the plane ground to a halt after breaking in half just aft of the bomb bay.
My grandfather was a strong man, and a good pilot. After VE day he wanted a transfer to the Pacific theater, but his request was denied, and the B-24 he had inherited to fly from Italy into Germany was used as a cargo plane. He died of Cancer in the early 1980's.
SS
Thank you for your grandfather's story. Those were some men we had. America grows them up good!
PING!
LOL I'm on the wrong thread! Oh dear!
LOL. What day is it?!!
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