That makes me think: how realistic are the plastic scale models (Airfix ect.), when they were made, I assume, after the last Stirling was gone along with the technical drawings?

If they were able to produce a decent scale model, surely it’s possible to produce a decent 1:1 model.

True DCK, there is actually a thriving community of WWII flight simulation players. I have passed a few simulator fora and they are very clued in about the actual history behind the games.

Warbird simulation could easily lead to a real passion for physical aircraft. The question is: are the project groups actively looking for recruits in that age group?

Anyway, I think the cost of warbird operations will sky-rocket within the next 40 years and it will be the larger groups who can afford to operate them, rather than individuals, or small exclusive groups.

The US alone uses 20 million barrels a day, out of a total of 85 million barrels consumed globally every day. With the Canadian 173 billion barrels we get 5 years extra – with the current consumption.

The total estimated economically recoverable proven oil reserve (including the recoverable part of the Canadian Athabasca Tar Sands) is 1357 billion barrels globally, or about 43 years with the current consumption (although we are currently not recovering the oil at that speed). They will not find double that number from new fields, but maybe another 20 years worth of hard to get and very expensive oil. Once we get beyond that, recovering the oil becomes prohibitively expensive.

Well in advance of that 43 year date, we will find our private oil consumption severely limited, as nations withhold their reserves for essential industry use. This will unfortunately make gas guzzling warbirds a true thing of the past – if emission legislation has not killed them before.

We are running on Bingo fuel, there are no two ways about it and the oil will run out. We will be the last generation with affordable oil and within a few generations, there will be no oil at all – Siltz, None, Nada, Nil, Zip, Zero!

Here’s a sad/frightening thought.

My Grandaughter (She’s only three now), I’m sure, will be of the generation that will witness the removal of all the WWI & WWII war memorials from every City, Town & Village etc, because it will be deemed (by European Parliament) as ‘no longer relevant’ or ‘politically correct’ (maybe even embarrasing) to be reminded that so many lives were lost, whilst at war with our ‘European Brothers’

I’m convinced that this will happen. Especially when the last immediate family of the veterans (Grandchildren) have also passed on and there will be no-one left who remembers or cares anymore.

What do you think?

I personally hope that I will be long gone before this ocurrs.

Why on earth would the European Parliament remove your local memorials?

I’m not a great believer in the EU, but where do you see any indication, that such measures will even be considered. It’s this kind of wild speculation, which detracts attention from actual political problems in regards to the EU. If anything, your own government might consider their removal before the EU is even aware of them.

The United States (not so unlike EU) still have memorials for both the northern and southern sides of their civil war. There are also still Roman war memorials around, even in countries once forcefully under Roman rule.

I think you can rest assured, that your granddaughter, and even her children, will have those lovely English memorials in towns and villages to reflect on the sacrifice made by the past generations. Whenever I find myself in the UK, I always take the time to read them – more people than you expect, are doing the same.

Never mind metal bending and wood carving, there will be no fuel left in 40 years.

I’m sure the Iwo Jima invasion plan envisioned escorting bombers towards Japan from Iwo Jima, but by March 1945 (when the first B-29 landed on Iwo Jima), the Americans really didn’t need much escorting over Japan and even P-51D could hardly escort a B-29 the 1500 mile roundtrip from Iwo Jima to Japan.

The Iwo Jima strip was mostly used for emergency landings (B-29wise). Naturally it could and did (to some extend) provide a base for escort fighters, but from late 1944, the Japanese air defense was not a serious threat. They even removed armor and defensive weaponry from the B-29 to accommodate more bomb-load.

You are absolutely right; the USN/USMC suffered a lot of casualties for nothing.

A good article here: http://www.hnn.us/articles/10693.html

Why do you think that using the P-38 would produce “more bomber casualties and losses from German AAA and Luftwaffe Bf 109s, Fw 190s and Me 262s”?

The P-38 was a very capable aircraft. They saw limited use in Europe, as their twin engines were deemed more necessary over the pacific. The P-47 was also well able to hold its own. Had it been necessary, they would have produced a long range P-47, that could match the Mustang.

Anyway, they would always have found another way to bring daylight bomber losses down to an acceptable level and the plants would have been bombed no matter what.

Does this count?

The Airplane Restaurant in Colorado Springs. The rest og the AC is outside and has seating for the guests.