Lindburgh’s baby son was kidnaped by a derranded student. The baby was sick and required regular medication. The kidnaper did not realise this and the baby un- fortunately died. When the body was found a photgrapher broke into the mortuary and photographed it and pictures were printed on the front pages of various news papers in the U.S. Poor little mite.

Rgds Cking

Sheesh, that’s nasty.

Movies where an airliner takes off as (say) a DC-10, cruises as an A300, and lands as a 707. So easy to get right

Well, distracting as it may be, this is almost always seen in low budget productions because they can’t afford to send a film crew to different airports and film the same plane. They resort to clips from a stock film archive and hope they can piece together a suitable string of shots that represent the story.

As for Lindbergh versus A&B, I’ve never taken any special interest in the crossing of the Atlantic and can only base any knoweledge I have learned on what I’d seen on TV over the years. I always was under the distinct impression that Lindbergh was the first to fly across the Atlantic, full stop – not the first solo, and I had never heard of Alcock and Brown till only a few years ago. I wonder how much emphasis is really ever put on the fact that it was not the first crossing in a plane. I’d never heard it wasn’t till recently as I say.

John, what was the story of the Lindbergh baby? I’ve heard something that his kid was stolen? Is that right?

My maternal grandfather, Ian Fitness, who I never knew as he died before I was born, had served his national service in the NZ Army in the 1930’s, in the Waikato Mounted Rifles. When war broke out, he was found to have flat feet, a hernia, a farm and two children so was inelligable for service. he did however serve in the Home Guard, and as he had a large dairy farm he was in a reserved occupation as NZ dairy farmers were essential for supplying our own troops, and keeping British people fed too.

My Nana, Vera Fitness, also worked on the farm and she was a passionate knitter. Mum says she provided a lot of woolen clothing for NZ servicemen from her knitting, and I suspect she probably knitted for the national organisation called Air Force Relations as Cambridge had a branch of this.

I’m unsure if my paternal grandfather, Jim Homewood, did national service. By WWII he also had a farm and two kids. he farmed right next to where they built Ardmore aerodrome. He was known to be deputised on occassion for the RNZAF Police to help them catch black marketeers robbing the station. As well as that and the Home Guard which he was probably conscripted into I’d think, that’s basically his military service.

However his brothers were all in the army, some overseas. Uncle Ted Homewood was a Sgt with the NZEF in charge of his younger brther, Pvt Bob Homewood. Bob apparently had something happen that freaked him out and he deserted. He somehow made his way from the Western Desert in Egypt or Libya all the way back to the UK before he was caught up with! He turned himself in and volunteered to become a medic, returning to the front in that role. I wish I knew this when he was alive, I’d love to have recorded that story.

My other nana, Rose Homewood, had a brother who was a pilot in the RNZAF. He was shot down (alledgedly by an American according to Nana and Dad when the told the story) whilst flying a Harvard towing a target from Ardmore. He refused to ditch it in the sea, and flew it back toArdmore and belly landed it, saving the plane but ending up in prison for doing so. That’s how Nana told it several times. I’d like to see the official documentation someday.

The most interesting relation was my Great-grandfather’s brother. Frank Fitness was one of the first ashore at Gallipoli and served there for the whole campaign. He then went right through France too. he was wounded three times and was finally killed in Flanders in 1917. He’s a bit of a hero to me, especially since none of my direct relations saw active service, and those who did I don’t really know or are long dead.

Sorry, I am probably wrong, I thought there were some suitable aircraft flying or close to it in the UK or Europe.

Hasn’t Messershcmitt got a flyable DB engined Buchon? The ex-Has Dittes one? Or was that the DB engined one that crashed a few weeks ago?

Alternately what about the Breighton Buchon we hear so much about on the forum – is it still not flyng?

There was also recent talk on the forum wasn’t there about a recently restored Bf109E in Britain? Is that no longer in the UK?

It is good that the film will help keep both the B17 and the Harvard flying, I have no qualms about that, it just seems odd in today’s film climate to still be dressing up Harvards to pretend (rather badly) to be enemy fighters. It has only ever worked well in Tora, Tora, Tora in my opinion.

It may also be a budget problem I guess, but Verhoeven is a well known director, he should be able to get the funding I’d have thought.

I REALLY hope that site is a joke.

Go on, it’s a hoax, right?

Please say it’s a hoax… it is, isn’t it?

I mean, if that’s serious… who in their right mind?… What sort of drugs would they be on to make these things? … And who on earth would buy them???

This is either a hilarious joke hoax site…or… some sick, twisted, mad people who need serious help…

Mind you… I will admit, I do like the Michael Moore doll with his Oscar, now he’s a legend!

Thanks cas, cheers