I confess, I had wanted to be a Soldier since I was knee high, so I never did give much thought to vintage military aircraft. Growing up in Columbus with Wright Pat down the road, by rights I should have paid more attention. Maybe it is a touch of sentimentality I am getting in my old age, but I am starting to see the romance with these obsolete war birds .
These machines were made in a time well before computers and certain air superiority. Even if you cannot appreciate the birds, you can sure appreciate the grit for the men that flew them.
13 comments:
My first "Wen Mac" .049 powered model airplane was a Corsair.
That was a time when the human controlled the machine. Now we're just about in the time when the machine controls the human..
Like old warbirds, do ya? Well, you're going to love this one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfU5yBlw7U
Did the Jap newsreel editors not see the soon-to-be Kamikazi pilot taking a leak in the background at 35:15?
mike, remember the af museum is also at wpab.
10 years ago, i went by the south dayton airport.
there was a navy blue f4u there.
the problem is, it was at a 45 degree angle, nose in the concrete.
must have done a number on that prop.
also, my father was a AO1(aviation ordnance) usn pacific. 1940-45.
he loaded munitions on aircraft like f4u.
A beautiful bird, but my favorite is still the P-51 Mustang.
That was in a day when planes were designed by humans, not only for function, but artistry. Or at least as much artistry as could be crammed into some of the cargo planes and heavy bombers.
The designs just flowed, from nose to wingtip to tail rudder.
B Woodman
III-per
Hi Matt and Mike,
To "anymouse" at 7:55AM.....If ya' still had that "Wen-Mac" Corsair in yer archives...that would be a doozie!! I still have a couple of "OLD" model airplane engines and they still work!! 'Have an "O.K. Cub .049" "A" model with the big red plastic gas tank and the front venturi/needle valve I got for my birthday in "1957!!!!" Back then small .049's only cost $3.95 ea.!!!
The "Corsair," P-51 Mustang, F-8 Bearcat, P-38 Lightning among others .."Great Planes" Check out the "National Championship Air Races" at Reno on You Tube Vids!! Voodoo" is a highly modified Mustang and is current "Top Dog!!" One vid has you in the cockpit from taxi roll out thru the flight, landing and shutdown !!!! Fly Fast and Low...Turn Left!!
Blue skies,
skybill-out
Some of the "newer" planes are still beautiful; like the F-14 Tomcat and Domino's favorite:
The A-10 WartDog.
I didn't have the heart to tell her...
Bill and Domino
III
I believe some Corsairs were built in Akron, Ohio.
There's a museum at the airport in an old hanger, the Military Air Preservation Society ( MAPS).
The have a cockpit fuselage section of a Corsair. If in the area, check it out. Well worth the visit.
Papa
Yeah. Curse at em, be too pissed to be scared, I liked that. I had a great uncle who was a pilot in the Hell Diver squadron. I was born in '57 too, but I only got to meet him once, an impressive man.
Tom-Bibleater
The "Bent Wing" was one hell of a bird ! Designed by humans, it embodied many of their frailties as well. But the USN, Vought, the English and the USMC persisted and it became a front-line carrier fighter, and later a fighter bomber persisting into the jet era. Big, unforgiving and hard to fly it was also tough, durable and - when not hauling almost as much weight in bombs, rockets, MG ammo and fuel as many WW2 medium bombers - it was FAST from sea level to the mid-twenties. !
Hi Mike and Matt,
To "Moe" I know what you mean bout the "Tomcat" and the "Warthog!!" I was a "Parachute Rigger" for Uncle Leroy's "F14 IRAN" Project in '76. Got one "Save!!" Also worked for McDonnell-Douglas on the ACES II program....Ejection seats in the F-15, F-16, A-10 and B-1B .
Got "saves" from all 4!!!!! One day in the shop at Douglas, the phone rang 4 times with report of "Punch out's!!!" There was a lot of Beer Glasses raised high at the "Waterin' Hole" that night!! Not quite Pancho's Happy Bottom Riding Club!! but a good facsimile!!!
Got Gunz....OUTLAW!!!!,
III%,
skybill-out
My Dad was on carriers in the Mediterranean and Atlantic during the Korean War. While at sea, he took tons of 8mm color movies, including footage of flight operations. His ships carried Corsairs. He was on the Roosevelt, the Bennington, and the Lake Champlain.
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