3. RNZAF Sunderland doing a touch and go(!) at Wellington airport in 1959

Holy frickin’ crap… that’s just ridiculous. You couldn’t get a damn slice of pastrami between the hull and the runway!!! 😮 😮 😮

If it’s ok with you, gents, I say we just go ahead and retire the “how low” trophy to this crew… unless anyone can find a pic of Papana’s Jungmeister trailing it’s fin in Monaco Harbor while he flew inverted back in the mid-30s!!! 🙂

Lynn

Good Lord, I’m going to wear out my mouse button clicking on all those wonderful color shots! 🙂

Keep up the GREAT work guys, this is a real treat!

Lynn

Ahoy there, Papa-Lima, someone’s come round and done horrid things to yer Lancaster… shoved an entire Type XXIII submarine up the snout, they did, and a bay window to boot! I’m sure it’s nice enough for a breakfast nook, though… 😉

The Avro Lincoln. A fine study of a graceful aircraft (the Lancaster) beaten senseless with the ugly stick. :diablo:

Lynn

Rocketeer, if I may be so bold, please make that ragwing Hurri the very first image you rescan… I can’t wait to see a better scan of this very VERY early Hurricane! (Note the kidney exhausts, Watts prop, and no lower tail strake)

Looks like you’ve got a veritable goldmine on your hands. 🙂 Thanks for sharing these!

Lynn

Ronnie, THANK YOU! 🙂 Got your email, thanks- I will most definitely be looking for that program and get the DVD on order most rikki-tik!

Lynn

Not mine, but from my stepfather (who was a TSGT/aircrew on EC-135’s with the 6th ACCS back in the late 70s)…

They had flown down to Rosy Roads for some kind of TDY assignment, and as the EC-135 was an electronic surveillance job, they got the “rope off” and sentry treatment. The young Marine sentry wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box though… and my stepfather Terry took full advantage, it must be said.

The sentry spotted Terry exiting the aircraft and decided to make small talk. He pointed to the refuelling drogue stored beneath the aircraft, and asked “What’s that?” Terry politely explained that this was a submarine anti-buoyancy device… they would fly low and slow over the water, dragging this device in the water. This would cause all the Russian submarines to come to the surface, where they’d then be shot with the laser cannons on the wingtips (pointing to the large probes mounted on each wingtip of the 135).

The sentry was wide-eyed in astonishment, and thereafter stood a very close watch over the “laser-equipped” aircraft while Terry and the crew went and got drunk somewhere. 🙂

Still cracks him up almost thirty years later. 🙂

Lynn

…… (speechless)

It’s awfully hard to talk when one’s mouth is agape in astonishment, I’m sure you’ll agree.

I can’t wait to hear the story behind this, as well as the fate of the pilot… that certainly looked like the result of a controlled water landing, I hope he got out OK.

Really, though, the condition of this Jug is simply remarkable. Keep trawling those cold lakes, people! Bring’em up and bring’em home!

Lynn

Mark 12 is certainly correct, greatness is entirely subjective. However, from a sheer skill point of view, I’ll go with Marseille every time… his aerobatic abilities were the talk of the Luftwaffe, as was his deflection shooting. Plus, I can’t help but like a guy who gives the figurative finger to all the strictures of the Luftwaffe hierarchy- he only wanted to fly and party.

For sheer guts, it’s hard to beat Rudel… yes, he was an unrepentant Nazi to the end of his days, and for that reason alone he’ll never be a “hero”, but he was an outstanding combat pilot for damned sure.

Guys like Hartmann, Rall, Barkhorn, or even Schuck and “Bully” Lang racked up the scores they did because the bulk of their targets were more concerned with fleeing than fighting back, and they were never rotated out of the combat zone. They were good, no doubt, but I think even Hartmann was rather modest about his achievements… saying something about “it’s hard to miss when they’re 50 feet in front of you” (or words to that effect).

But the Oscar for Best Collective Effort would go to The Few, from ALL nationalities… with England’s back against the wall, they knew what they had to do, and they did it with good humor and steadfast determination. (And no, that’s not a suck-up to the locals! 🙂 )