Westland Scout Helicopter over Blackbush @ 12:27 today.

When a warbird is sold and goes abroad there’s always so much negativity.
Anyone that’s been around awhile knows this is just the natural ebb and flow.
A Spitfire goes, something else comes here in return. Flying legends is pretty much all foreign aircraft anyway,
even the ones we think are British. Blenheim is a good example.
What matters is that these aircraft have survived.
One day they’ll come home.

I’d say the biggest reason Buchon fans would be upset with that statement, is because it’s not a fact.
The first 109 prototype was powered by a RR Kestrel.
The 109 airframe has flown behind lots of different powerplants during its history.

Andy

Absolutely. But that doesn’t change the fact that we all want to see a `proper` 109 with a DB engine.
Happy to see a Buchon with a Merlin, or even a Buchon with an Alison.
But it’s a 109 with a DB engine everyone wants. The spirit of the 109 will not live again without one.

He put the plane on auto pilot so why would they find foot prints?
He put the plane on auto, jumped out, planed crashed without him.
Wasn’t there a mysterious Harrier which was flying along happily without pilot or seat?

Wasn’t the DC3 designed with this sort of accident in mind,
i.e. the wheels protrude giving the underside protection in the event of a wheels up?
Or is that a myth?

Japan was most certainly a major threat to America.

It was a threat, but never seriously considered to have the ability to defeat America.
After Pearl Harbour America’s industrial might saw to that.
Nemesis by Max Hastings states (and my memory is a little rusty here),
“after Pearl Harbour Japan would never achieve any great military success against America.
Within 18 months of Pearl all but three ships were repaired.
Of the remaining three Arizona was the only American Naval asset lost. Of the others,
one was at Pearl for scrapping and one was back in service after WW2″.

America went from 8th military world power (behind Portugal) to Major World Power within 18 months of Pearl.
You just can’t beat that kind of industrial and military might.

I’m not suggesting American losses were anything less than serious in terms of lives lost of course.