Have I got a site for you!
Look at that Fokker!
While scrolling through Facebook earlier, I noticed that a friend of mine posted a link from The Vintage Aviator [NZ].
I’ve always found it amazing that those old planes could leave the ground, much less stay up in the air. Quite a difference between those aircraft from the ones I’m used to seeing in my own neck of the woods. And these, too.
Pilots are freaking awesome.
That is all.
h/t Bruce.
MJA,
You’d probably like the aviation museum in Camarillo, CA.
Ever see in person a totally polished aluminum P-38 up close….or a Jap Zero?
Damn near made me cry.
Imagine Charles Lindberg flying solo across the Atlantic in 1927 in one of those?
He and Chuck Yeager are two of the bravest SOB’s ever.
i love vintage aircraft and cars. Aircraft are fascinating RE their development. One particularly interesting documentary about the development of the B-29 is one youtube. It cost over 3 billion to develop, in 1941 dollars. Everything on it was new. 3 Billion Bucks. Awesome.
The p-51 Mustang had a sister. The A-36 dive bomber. It was a partially redesigned Mustang. It came about because the pursuit budget was all used up,but the attack airplane budget had money left. North American had 100 unpurchased P51 airframes that hey wanted to sell to the Army, so they converted the pursuit mustang to an attack plane.
The A-36 Apache came before the Mustang. It used a lesser, low-altitude performing Allison V-12 instead of the later higher powered Merlin V-12 retrofitted from the Spitfire.
They retained the A-36 for the attack role because it was better suited for lower altitudes. The P-51 was better suited for high altitude bomber escort with its 2 stage, two-speed supercharger.
All things being equal, I’d still rather have a Mk XVI Spitfire against a P-51D – especially in a turning battle.
Two Cannons beat six .50 cals.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Spitfire+Mk+XVI&view=detailv2&&id=029BCAC1AE8CB98EF54BD8AAC72F7804B9465A45&selectedIndex=5&ccid=xedgl10r&simid=608034569652733545&thid=OIP.Mc5e760975d2b81257f4d3e4fe5f41b09H0&ajaxhist=0
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=P-51D&view=detailv2&&id=440E7FB403EE5388F0D0D2A342084A532552EC65&selectedIndex=38&ccid=Ck6p1OQv&simid=608054133221886863&thid=OIP.M0a4ea9d4e42f4b82a9aed0c596929d2fH0&ajaxhist=0
Interesting enough though, speed and ceiling carried the day in the Eutopean theatre. Not so much over the Pacific.
Love the engine pictures on the site. I’ll be checking it out more thoroughly, lots of good stuff.
My dad used to take us to all the air shows in So Cal. Have a cousin who was a test pilot and flight instructor. Flight was always a loved subject in the family. Leave that shit on the ground and go up where nobody can give you a hard time …
Well, there goes getting any chores done this afternoon! Thanks, MJA, those Kiwis are wizards!
If you’re ever in NY.
http://oldrhinebeck.org/ORA/
Some great aircraft from WWII. Among my favorites:
B25 Mitchell
F-4 Corsair
P4 Thunderbolt
The lovely Spitfire
Bf 109
FW 190
Me 262 Schwalbe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9280ALzFwcY
.
I learned to fly in a Waco biplane that my father partially owned. It was nominally a crop duster, but it was mostly something to mess around with and do some low level flying for grits-and-shins. Literally, “stick and rudder” with rudimentary instruments: altimeter; compass; rate of climb; airspeed; turn-and-bank indicator and tachometer. Plus an aftermarket radio.