Transpo -'72: Washington colour surprise

Thanks Steve,

I am surprised how good they looked after scanning and up on the screen.

I hadn’t seen them for over 25 years and then only to hold up to the light.

I also found a bunch of slides of ‘Airwar 74’ from Windsor Ontario. They will need a bit of perk up with PSP, as from a different camera, but perhaps for posting in a week or so.

You can’t take them with you. 😉

Mark

It just goes to show that until the digital revolution, slides have always been the highest quality colour format. We just had to bide our time until technology allowed quality scanning so they can be fully appreciated.
Excellent? Do you have any older slides?

Hi Mr. 12,
Great collection of photos. Thanks a lot for sharing. Interesting to see all these planes in some colors no longer worn. Wish I had been there, but at age three that would have been a tall order!

Here are some more b/w including L-R Gerry Billings, Bill Ross & Don Plumb in front of Bills Spitfire SL721.

Sad to think about that both Ross and Plumb, two of the early Warbird collectors both got killed in plane crashes 🙁

And Tom Wood has owned his P-51 since 1969, in the same paint scheme. Something of a record?

Didn’t Tom also own this bird when it was painted White with a red stripe?

T J Johansen

Mark 12, is that a Dornier Do-335 in the one shot?!

What a great thread! It is much appreciated!

Great series! Thanks for posting them.

I just wondered, i’ve never seen that paint type of scheme applied to the B17 before. Is is an early form of camofluage scheme ?

(tongue in cheek ) You’ll have to forgive me the pics are older than me, but i looked throught all my books and not seen anything similar. Any body ?

The ‘old junk’ on the Washington ring road.

Here are a few shots of the ‘old junk’ that we came upon on the Sunday morning. Everything was fine until Jerry Billings, relieving himself behind a shed, snagged a trip wire and set alarm bells ringing… literally.

Unfortunately the good shot on the Helldiver was obscured by some ill placed British craft. 🙂

Mark

Fascinating shots everyone. Many thanks for posting.

and

*

Transpo 72 Here are the last of the black and white…

.. except for some ‘old junk’ we came across on the Washington ring road.

Tragic display

Bill G

Thank for your very informative post. I must say the dark side of this show now all comes back to me having read your post.

I had flown in on one of the new 747s but departed privately with Don Plumb and Gery Billing for Canada in Don’s Cessna 310. We were held on the taxi way for departure whilst the Thunderbird team Phantoms performed their routine. I naively thought initially that one of the Phantoms breaking away and tumbling was part of the show until the pilot ejected. We took off and all assumed he would be OK, only to read the next day of the outcome.

Here are some more b/w including L-R Gerry Billings, Bill Ross & Don Plumb in front of Bills Spitfire SL721.

Mark

Transpo 72 information

This is what I recorded on Transpo 72 in my journal – from several sources – I was not there. It was apparently a very eventful, but tragic show. If there are questions about other events, I have similar information from 1950’s through 2004.

Bill Green

The Confederate Air Force had been invited to participate in
the United States Transportation Exposition, “Transpo ’72,” at
Dullas International Airport in Washington, DC, between May 27
and June 4. The show was organized by the Department of
Transportation as a trade show, with a ten million dollar budget,
to demonstrate, and promote, American transportation
capabilities. There were hundreds of exhibitors and, eventually,
millions of spectators. Among the attractions was a big airshow,
featuring military aircraft, the Thunderbirds, civilian
aerobatics, and four days of Formula One racing. The CAF would
perform twice each day. It was by far the most elaborate and
demanding show the organization had attempted.
Bill Ross’ P-38L “Der Gabelschwanz Teufel” [44-53095] made its
first airshow appearance at Transpo 72. Ross also displayed his
Spitfire Mk.XVI [SL721]. There was also a Ford Trimotor [N9683].
The show seemed to operate under a black cloud of misfortune.
On the third day a hang glider of the Australian Birdman Team
fell to his death. Five days later, on Saturday, June 3, Hugh
Alexander, who had won the Wilson AT-6 races in May, was killed
in a midair collision during his Formula One heat race. And on
closing day Maj. Joe Howard had to eject from his Thunderbird F-4 Phantom, then was blown into the flames. The heat destroyed
his parachute and he was killed. Ralph Nader called for an end
to all air racing and aerobatic displays.
In the midst of the carnage, the CAF shows were carried out
professionally and without incident. Twenty aircraft, including
both the B-17G “Texas Raiders” [44-83872] and the B-24 “Diamond
Lil” [AM927]; a P-47D [N47DA 44-90471]; the newly completed P-63A
[42-68941], now in Free French World War II markings; the A-24B/SBD Dauntless [42-54532], and the SB2C-5 Helldiver [BuNo
83589] participated, and generated very favorable publicity for
the organization. “Texas Raiders” led a flight of sixteen CAF
aircraft up the Potomac River to celebrate twenty-fifth
anniversary of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service.
“Diamond Lil” and “Texas Raiders” had both stopped at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, May 24, while
enroute to Transpo.
**** Kestle had taken his Cavalier-modified racing Mustang [44-63481] to Transpo ’72. He left for home, in Columbus, Georgia,
early on Saturday morning, in perfect weather. In Griffin,
Georgia, north of Atlanta, the Mustang inexplicably dove straight
into the ground. Investigators hypothesized that ****, with a
history of heart problems, had had a massive heart attack.

Thanks Mark. That’s why it was not mentioned at all a while back when we discussed the Hudson survivors. Does the CAF still fly it? Or is it tucked away in a museum somewhere?

B-17G. N7227C ex 44-83872 c/n 77235.

Wow, so that’s “Texas Raiders”? I had no idea she has been around that long!
Thanks for the info, Mark!

CWH

Mark–

Must’ve been a thrill going through that bunch of slides. Wonderful timewarp. I wasn’t even into Warbirds yet that long ago (the bug bit during the early days of CWH at nearby Mt.Hope, circa 1976); but these are the aircraft I remember from 70s mags and, in some cases, the memorable late-70s Hamilton airshows.S.

Steve,

Yes, fun to look at this old slide stuff with modern equipment and nice to see the forum reaction. I hope this will spur others.

I did visit CWH on this trip. They were at Buttonville then in the very early days. I visited again in 1974 at Hamilton and got to play with all the toys.

Mark

B-17

I’d love to know which B-17 that is and if it’s still around. And thank you Mark 12 for the excellent black and white photos!

Locobuster

B-17G. N7227C ex 44-83872 c/n 77235.

This aircraft would have every body on their feet. For its party piece, it would come in with the main gear – one wheel up and one wheel down. It would touch the down wheel on the tarmac and roll. Just as every ‘new spectator’ was roaring and pointing it would gently lift off again. 🙂 Wonderful stuff and would be frowned on now I am sure. I should have a photo somewhere.

Mark

Lockheed

Thanks for those great photos Mark12. Can you tell us anything about that Hudson please? Was it flying then? Was it owned by the CAF too? Where is it now?

Dave H,

I think this is a Lockheed Lodestar. N30N c/n 2274 . CAF owned and flew in for the display

Mark

Mark–

Must’ve been a thrill going through that bunch of slides. Wonderful timewarp. I wasn’t even into Warbirds yet that long ago (the bug bit during the early days of CWH at nearby Mt.Hope, circa 1976); but these are the aircraft I remember from 70s mags and, in some cases, the memorable late-70s Hamilton airshows.

Strangely it took me until this past July (Geneseo NY) to see “the first Warbird”, Mustang Old Red Nose. (I did see her dismantled in Texas in ’92 but had to be told that’s which Mustang that was). Certainly was nice to see one of the real touchstones of the Warbird movement beating-up the hallowed turf runway at Gennie…

Thanks for sharing.

S.

I’d love to know which B-17 that is and if it’s still around. And thank you Mark 12 for the excellent black and white photos!

Thanks for those great photos Mark12. Can you tell us anything about that Hudson please? Was it flying then? Was it owned by the CAF too? Where is it now?

OOPS i’ve been up since 0520am I misscalculated!Any thoughts about the book?
pS Are you still working on your project in you garage mark 12?I seem to remember a photo somewhere some years ago of you working on a wing on your drive,I tried for years to get my dad to drive to Bucks from brum to try and find your house!