Glyn2. Witteman-Lewis NBL-1 “Barling Bomber”
GlynIn retrospect I realize I missed the point entirely….for some reason I assumed we were each giving our opinion of what we thought were the “most historic” i.e. influential, ground-breaking, timeless etc. It didn’t occur to me that we were simply discussing favorites – WHOOPS!
GlynGoodness gracious – while some wonderful aircraft have been mentioned in this thread I have to ask by what standards many of you rank historic aircraft. I had a good chuckle at the overwhelming British slant of the rankings, then saw a fellow American chime in with a list that had not only an F-94 on it but an F-89 as well??? Peeehheeeww!
My list, actually taking into account “history” and role of “fighter”.
1. Me-262
2. Meteor
2. Mig-15
3. F-4 Phantom
4. Mig-21
GlynThe 4 hurricanes that have hit Florida in the last month are highly unusual – the worst season on record. While Florida does get whacked every 10 years or so a major weather event it is not something that is guaranteed on a yearly basis.
I think there are a couple of reasons that Florida is so popular as a base of aviation operations. First and foremost is the fact that for 99% of the year the weather is fantastic – CAVU skies, nearly year-round comfortable temperature etc. While proximity to the water does make for humid conditions that aren’t so great for 60 year old airplanes it certainly beats the major temperature shifts that planes in more northern latitudes go through as seasons change.
Secondly, Florida is a major international tourist destination. How many of you folks have squeezed in a visit to the Kissimmee/Polk City aircraft locations while taking the family to Disney World?
I think Kermit Weeks decided after Hurricane Andrew hit his Miami base that a more inland, central Florida location would be better suited to ride out future storms. As noted, the land is pretty cheap in central Florida and having the chance to fly planes year round has to be a big bonus. While Miami may be more glamourous it definately gets hit by hurricanes harder and more frequently than central Florida.
There really are not many geographic areas in the States that offer the same balance of good flying days, availability to the outside world, and lack of weather risk. We’re pretty lucky in Texas and have plenty of flying days but it can be god-awful hot in the summer and hail/tornados are a big risk EVERY year. While the CAF’s Midland facility is perfect for their needs, it ain’t exactly as easy to get to as Orlando.
GlynThe T-33 should be glossy..the Stearman too. The Jenny should be semi gloss..it looks good to me! The Mustang…well it’s painted silver, so that’s okay. The fact the T-6 has a creative scheme and the T-34 has tip tanks are small beans. And, it’s a fact that gloss paints are easier to maintain and provide better protection.
My logic is anyone who spends millions to own a warbird…and keep it in the air, well he/she can do whatever thay want with it…within reason. In my opinion, these schemes are okay. They may not be the one’s I’d use but then again, I don’t have a million for a Corsair or Mustang!
T-33 I’ll give you. That Jenny is drop-dead GORGEOUS.
Stearman I dunno. Seems to me that nitrate or buterate dopes laid on cotton in the days when these planes were in military service would not have had the sheen that modern fabric-covering paints will provide. A “glossy” Stearman with urethane based paint job is not the same as a nice shiny, fresh out of the factory dope job.
Painted P-51, eh. I could understand wanting to protect a bare-metal airplane with a paint coating if it was going to be tied down outside but these planes are clearly pampered and out of the elements. Heck, corrosion problems are a lot easier to spot without paint covering them up so why not keep this hangar-bird naked?
The idea that gloss paints protect better than flat/matte finishes or that they are easier to maintain is a myth – again it is totally dependent on the paint actually used to paint the aircraft. Shoddy paint, shoddy protection. Modern advances in the composition of aircraft paints have provided flat paints that provide exactly the same amount of protection and resistance to oil and dirt that a glossy paint can. If the correct paint is used you can have a completely authentic finish without sacrificing any durability whatsoever.
That being said, I agree 100% with your comments about letting a guy do what he wants with his plane – I can still reserve an opinion eh? As I said in my first post, hats off to the owner of all these fine planes!
GlynVery impressive lineup – nice to see an individual with such a love of aviation that they are willing to invest such a significant amount of their personal wealth into a collection that will extend the lives of some historical aircraft.
That being said, WHY OH WHY OH WHY do so many American warbird collectors insist on painting their military hardware in God-awful glossy paints? The result is atrocious looking and while I may be in the minority I am simply heartbroken to see such things.
I just don’t understand why a person would invest hundreds of thousands of dollars on a plane’s restoration only to muck it up with a horrible 15 thousand dollar paint job. With a bit of research and the correct materials you can get a much better result for the same of less money. The P-40 and the A-37 look great, and I realize that the F4U-5 and Seafire glossy schemes are accurate but some of the others are…….lacking.
GlynF-5E at RAF Alconbury main gate.
GlynThe HK-1 Spruce Goose has the largest wingspan of any aeroplane at 320ft but I wouldn’t necessarily say that qualifies it as the “biggest aeroplane of all time”. The C-5 Galaxy is much larger and the An-225 Mriya positively dwarfs it.
GlynBeen lucky enough to see Fifi fly before myself – amazing sight to see.
Boeing is heavily sponsoring and providing many of the facilities in which to restore a B-29 back to flying condition. The project has made steady progress over the last few years and is shaping up to be one of the most amazing restoration stories in a long time. With the plane being rebuilt to factory specs by a huge team of skilled volunteers it is a safe bet that we should have a B-29 in the air for many years.
I know Fifi was grounded with some bad engine troubles over the last year or so and the costs to get her back in the air were staggering. I certainly hope the CAF guys can keep her up for a while – would love to see a 2 ship of B-29s make a low pass over an airshow!
Kermit Weeks has a bunch of B-29 stuff, maybe 1 1/2 planes worth. Maybe he’ll get around to getting his up some day….
GlynGlynStupid American post ahead……
As I see it so far, here are the major complaints about Hendon:
1. Horrible lighting for photography
2. ****-poor food
3. Aircraft crammed all about, unreasonable layout
On my last trip to the UK, two years ago, I was thrilled to visit Hendon, Duxford, Cosford, and Old Warden all in the course of two weeks. How my wife, who doesn’t share my love of aviation, put up with it I’ll never know. I guess I did have to take her to enough castles and manor houses to make up for putting her through it!
Anyways – while the above critcisms of Hendon certainly have merit I have to scratch my head and wonder why these issues are such “issues” for you folks. Sure, we all love to take some good snaps when we visit a museum but if they don’t come out does that discount the experience of actually seeing the aircraft themselves? For an American like myself, getting to see S-Sugar, the only complete Valiant, the Defiant, the REAL He-111 and Me-110, etc etc etc was well worth the trip. Certainly I would have preferred to see more developed exhibits and better lighting but seeing so many one of a kind airframes more than made up for any criticisms I may have had.
On the subject of lighting – I made a trip to the new Udvar-Hazy center in Washington DC a month ago and was thinking the whole time how excited I was to share my photos with this forum. Upon getting my pictures back I was crushed at how dark they were – that being said the experience at seeing the museum in person quickly made up for my disappointment. I have had the exact same experiences at the USAF Museum in Dayton and the US Navy Museum in Pensacola. While Pensacola was lighted a bit better all three places were not friendly to photographers. In the same vein, the food at all three of these museums was atrocious.
I guess my point, if I have one, is that folks need to look at the bigger picture and leave the minor nitpicks alone. While food, lighting, and layout problems may seem like major issues to some there are many of us who relish the chance to see these planes in person and that justifies these museums in the first place.
Just my humble opinion, flame away!
GlynI really don’t understand what all the fuss is about. It is certainly no suprise to anyone who follows warbird news that the US Navy doesn’t like their crashed aircraft messed with without their full consent. This is the way it has ALWAYS been, hence that poor Devastator rotting away down below when it should be saved today.
I feel bad for Mr. Crally and can certainly empathise with his frustration in the matter. That being said, he knew who he was dealing with and for that he shouldn’t be too suprised at the current state of affairs. What is encouraging is the amount of press the story has received here in the states, if nothing else I bet the Navy will back off to avoid a PR black eye.
Calling for a boycott of Navy planes is a bit unrealistic and I think unnecessary. This situation will get worked out behind the scenes – I really don’t see the Navy telling all current operators of former US Navy aircraft that they no longer own their airplanes and they’ll have to give them back.
GlynThe Skyraider has always been one of my faves due to the fact that my father flew them for the USAF in Vietnam. He too was based at NKP at the same time as the guys in the article this month.
http://courtesyaircraft.com/Douglas%20A1-H%20Project.htm
Courtesy Aircraft has one of the old NKP Skyraiders for sale as a project, $150K USD. I’ve been riding the old man for the last month that he needs to buy it and put it back the air – not too many folks out there that get to own a warbird they have logged combat hours in. He admitted that the thought had crossed his mind when he saw it – I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
Now if one of the old Alconbury F-5s came up for sale that he used to fly…..:eek:
GlynGlyn“The Last Enemy” – Richard Hillary – BoB pilot, horribly burned in an accident but returns to flying status only to perish after completing the book. Remarkable because of Hillary’s excellent writing skills, hard to classify this as simply a memoir as it reads like literature.
“Serenade to the Big Bird” – Bert Stiles – Another gifted writer who was taken by the war. Stiles, a reflective Colorado native writes about his tour flying the B-17 in the 8th AF. After completing the book he too was lost on a subsequent fighter tour.
“I Wanted Wings” – Bierne Lay, Jr. – Lay is more well known for writing Twelve O’Clock High but his memoir of flying in the between the wars-era USAAC is fantastic. Planes that are often quickly glanced upon in history books come to life in this classic – if you have an interest in the era I highly recommend it!
Add another vote from me for “Goshawk Squadron”, definately my favorite work of aviation fiction.
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