Paul Mantz

For years there has been a script floating around Hollywood called “Hollywood Pilot” about famous film flyer Paul Mantz.
He did the stunt flying for scores of pre-war films. During the war he commanded the USAAF motion picture unit in Hollywood, Ron Reagan was one of his lieutenants, and post war did flying (and crashing) for films like “It’s a Mad, Mad Mad, Mad, World” , served as director of aerial photography for “Strategic Air Command” and “Spirit of St. Louis” both with James Stewart, crashed a B-17G for “12 O’Clock High”…before being killed in 1964 or 65 while flying the cobbled together plane for “Flight of the Phoenix.”
His partner, Frank Tallman did the B-25 work on “Catch 22” and flew the Grumman Duck in “Murphys War”. Together, they had a huge collection of classic planes…ranging from real WWI fighters, to a lot of inter-war stuff….a Lockheed Vega, Ford Tri-Motor, Curtis Hawk, Boeing F-4, to most WWII warbirds, even a DH Dragonfly…

At one time he bought 500 war surplus planes, kept a few…like the P-51Bs he raced, and sold the rest. They say he got more than his money back from buying the planes due to the amount of fuel still in their tanks.

Are you sure your friend isn’t mistaken, since the French had Tri-Pacers and used them in Africa.
I’ve never heard of any RAF use…seems they would have used Austers as AOP ships.
Early Tri-Pacers had 125 hp engines, (later upgraded to 135, 150 & 160 hp) so they woudn’t have had much payload…especially in hot and high conditions.

I would like a 1/48th B-36 Peacemaker….I know the 1/72nd one exists (and it’s huge !!)
However you’d need a seperate room, or put reinforcing beams in your room if you were to hang it… 😀 😮
TNZ

Okay, how about a 1/1 scale flying P-51D or Spitfire Mk IX?

More fantasies….
Remember what it costs to tool up an injection molded model, and since some of these planes are so esoteric that they might sell a only thousand or so…don’t hold your breath… but here we go..
Douglas C-124 Globemaster II 1/72
L-5 1/48
HU-16 Albatross 1/48
H-19/S-55/Whirlwind 1/48 (other than the ancient Revell)
Cessna 310 A/B/C 1/48

Films have been made about Pearl Harbour, and Midway, and the Japanese lost. I think about the German Luftwaffe would be cool and different, and if Galland was at odds with others, all the better, it would make for an interesting story. Conflict in the air, and on the ground. Then cover his life post-war too. There are several other Luftwaffe aces that could fit the bill too, but I think Galland had a longer and more colourful career.
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I think it would be interesting…something along the line of “Das Boot”…show a sympathetic side to the Germans in the war. After viewing “The Batte of Britian” on DVD recently, I was amazed that the film makers attempted somthing similiar by showing the Luftwaffe pilots.
Galland was by all accounts a “Good Nazi”…if that isn’t an oxymoron.

1 more in Texas

Depends on time of year, I reckon….Texas has three in October at the CAF show at Midland (usually ‘Texas Raiders’, ‘Sentimental Journey’, and ‘Thunderbird’, all usually attend the show, but you might also see Doc Hospers ‘Chuckie’ on the line, or another visiting B-17

It you come all the way to Texas for the Midland show, you may pass through Abilene…it’s on the main motorway between Dallas-Ft. Worth and Midland…if you do, be sure to see the B-17G at the Dyess Air Force Base airpark.
With new security restrictions it’s tough to get on base, but if you contact me by pvt. message, I can get you on….I’m a retired officer.

One more by Richard Bach…and I think it’s his best…
“Nothing by Chance”…. a great summer tale of Barnstorming through Middle America…circa 1969.

Also…the best WWII avaition memior I’ve read…
“Seranade to the Big Bird” by Bert Stiles….a young man quits college and becomes a B-17 co-pilot….his thoughs about war and like..and gives a good vision of life in the 8th AF.
PS. Later after finishing his tour, he switches to P-51s and is killed over France.