"A humbling experience" – my foot!

My friend Graham Skellam flew both Hurricanes and P-47s in Burma (113 Squadron) and he says that flying the Thunderbolt was a job, flying the Hurricane was a pleasure.

One of my old customers used to tell me stories of him doing the same out in
the Far East, flying Hurricanes and P-47s that is. He did his flying training in
Canada. No idea of which squadron(s) he was with. His name was Pickard.

He emigrated out to either Australia or New Zealand some years ago, to where his
daughter was living.

Indeed so….circa 1971 I think.

I brought some bits home lashed to the roof of my A35.

Those were the days!

…..until I arrived, that is! 🙂

Was that you who found that, Andy?

So who can blame me for loving it??

Here is Stephen Grey on the P-47. This from an interview with me in about 1998 asking about its flying characteristics:

“Settle into the cockpit and space plus comfort prevail. Start the 2800 engine and it begins to feel like a ‘class act’. Taxi to the hold and it feels like a beautifully damped Mack truck. At run-up it purrs rather than barks. Put the hammer down for take-off and there is no kick in the back or dart for the weeds. It runs straight and true – if sedately.

Put the wheels in the wings and it turns into a crisp handling fighter, with beautiful ailerons, outstanding controls, great visibility and a sensation of pedigree.

True, it does not climb with the best of them, but stuff the nose towards the greenery and the air speed indicator will wind to the stop and stay there faster than any other prop fighters I have flown. Circuit work, landings and ground handling are docile and beautifully mannered.

Fortunately, or regrettably, I have not had to fight in the Jug. However, from a little arm-wrestling with others behind the hangar, I know that the Jug could fight incredibly well, if differently. If I were able to transpose myself back to the 1940s and had a choice I feel my survival instincts would tell me to chose the Jug but my competitive instincts would tell me only to fight on my terms and with a lot of airspace underneath me.

The sheer rugged technical quality of the airplane is its charm, the handling a joy. When I climb out and walk away I always look back at the ’47 with affection. What a character.”

TFC?

So what’s the problem with the F4U? Apart from forgetting to lower the wings before take off??

= Tim

Stephen Grey was sitting next to me at an airshow once while his P47 was flying and the commentator was saying how the pilot was ‘Hauling this massive brute of an aeroplane through the sky’ and Stephen told me he hates that sort of description because firstly it makes it sound dangerous and secondly the P47 is such a pussycat. He told me that of all his fighters the P47 was the one that could most likely be flown by an average PPL with tailwheel experience. He said that you only have to get it near to the ground with the wheels down and it will land.

Great quote, was the commentator Brendan O’Brien by any chance?
And the TFC fighter least likely to be flown safely by an average PPL?
The Corsair has to be a contender.

I enjoyed the Heroes of the Skies series………I’m afraid I have to agree about Lord Ashtray though.

Hi, Digger!

= Tim

Yes Chidham; however I am near Petworth at Kirdford.

We had a German bomber come down in a nearby farm. Its wings were used for roofing an outbuilding!

…..until I arrived, that is! 🙂

Chunky.

A read a quote many years ago, – time and senility obscure it’s origin which went like this;- ‘An experienced SEAC RAF Spitfire pilot was being shown around an American airbase and was shown the Jug and invited to sit in it. He marvelled at the sheer size, comfort, the armrests and ashtray. Upon exiting the machine he was asked by the American squadron commander what he thought of the Jug. “Wonderful!” he exclaimed, but it will never replace the aeroplane!”

For many years I thought the Jug was a big ugly lump, but I’ve actually rather come to like it now. It’s got so much presence, rather like the Bearcat and the ‘190. Chunky…:)

My favourite quite about the P-47 is someone saying that the best way to avoid enemy fire in it was to run around inside it!

And – a passing thought – it was customary to use throat mics in US a/c.

Very nice in the Far East!

= Tim

Isn’t it also the case that the P-47 was the first fighter to have air-conditioning?

Colin

Not Chidham; Kirdford near Petworth.

We had a German bomber come down in a nearby farm. Its wings were used for roofing an outbuilding!

The lower 2 ‘flags’ on Tim’s photo are close to chidham…you can see the Thorney Island Hangar group on the left of the photo.

rgds baz

Did the commentator have ze French accent?………>:o(

No, very English.

West Sussex – Chidham?

Yes Chidham; however I am near Petworth at Kirdford.

We had a German bomber come down in a nearby farm. Its wings were used for roofing an outbuilding!

West Sussex – Chidham?

Where my a/c finished up! ( A German recce photo)

= Tim

A good friend of mine, who did fly the P47 and Spitfire in combat, liked the P47 for the diving ability and the large size of the cockpit.

Oh would that be the one with Lord Ashtray and his sleep inducing style of narration/presentation?

The very same!:rolleyes: And in response to another post I thought the CGI was dreadful. Wrong aircraft and endlessly repeated sequences form one programme to another.

Built a few 1/48th examples, which made me appricate the shape & shear size of the P47 against other 1/48 fighters.

Tim gets to trump that of course with his 1:1 experience 😀