warbirds, WWII planes/tanks - Page 2

smileyman · 12-31-2008, 10:40 AM

I have heard these things at airshows and they are so damn cool. Those big radials, especially when they have 4 going like on the B17 are pure sweetness! I am a huge fan of the P40, but knowing what they are and what it took to fly them, much less fight in them, gives me a huge appreciation for the pilots and crews.

dReWpY · 12-31-2008, 03:14 PM

A-10, was the last plane with character... i know its a different era, but the new planes dont have the same appeal, and yes i know they are designed to for a completly different reason then to make my civie mouth water, but i can still chime in, damnit, and thats the american way

julie j · 12-31-2008, 03:41 PM

Any of you recognize my avatar? Hint: Not all that bad asses were men!

http://www.wingsacrossamerica.us/wasp/

smileyman · 12-31-2008, 05:33 PM

Julie, do a search on Female Russian pilots in WW2. They were so short handed and desperate they resorted to female combat pilots and to their suprise they were not only good a few were well respected aces.

I think the Luftwaffe lost alot of pilots to the female ruskies who earned a ton of respect...

Dragonpaco · 12-31-2008, 05:41 PM

slightly off topic, but i love nose art

julie j · 12-31-2008, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smileyman

Julie, do a search on Female Russian pilots in WW2. They were so short handed and desperate they resorted to female combat pilots and to their suprise they were not only good a few were well respected aces.

I think the Luftwaffe lost alot of pilots to the female ruskies who earned a ton of respect...

I will have to do that. My dad is a big WWII buff and I have been to a lot of museums in my life but have never learned of other women pilots.

Homeslice · 01-01-2009, 04:12 AM

Awesome how many different planes and other weapons were designed during such a short few years.

was92v · 01-01-2009, 11:01 AM

Great thread! I love old War Birds. The B-17 for me is The Bomber. The 29 was a better,bigger etc, but almost another generation. The is no better sound than a radial engine. The sound draws me in like a moth to light. Not that the water cooled in lines aren't awesome though. There is a guy around here with a P-51 that flies regularly and the sound of his plane will have me running out of the house instantly. He flies the shit out of it too. The sound of his plane when he is kicking it is music to me. I've stood in my yard and watched for as long as I can hear it. When I hear him pushing it I know he is really moving, then when he pulls it into multiple rolls you can hear the supercharger screaming and vapor trails off the wing tips when he rolls.
I used to sit and wait for the hillbilly air show every Saturday afternoon.
A friend I used to work with used to spin wrenches for Skip Barber in Sebring. Years ago a guy he knew called him and told him that the aero repair shop in the next hanger was scrapping old parts and had sold a bunch of stuff as scrap metal. We bought some of the stuff just to save it. I bought 3 NOS Pistons for a B-17 in sealed boxes. Beautiful pieces of work. I gave two of them away to friends and kept one for myself.

smileyman · 01-02-2009, 03:41 PM

RULES OF THE AIR

1. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory.

2. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again.

3. Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous.

4. It's always better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here.

5. The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

6. The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane used to keep the pilot cool. When it stops, you can actually watch the pilot start sweating.

7. When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No-one has ever collided with the sky.

8. A 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. A 'great' landing is one after which they can use the plane again.

9. Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

10. You know you've landed with the wheels up if it takes full power to taxi to the ramp.

11. The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival. Large angle of arrival, small probability of survival and vice versa.

12. Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier.

13. Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds.

14. Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take offs you've made.

15. There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately no-one knows what they are.
__________________

12-31-2008, 10:40 AM	#11
smileyman White Trash Hero Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NW Arkansas Moto: Buell 1125R Porco Rosso Edition Posts: 4,895	I have heard these things at airshows and they are so damn cool. Those big radials, especially when they have 4 going like on the B17 are pure sweetness! I am a huge fan of the P40, but knowing what they are and what it took to fly them, much less fight in them, gives me a huge appreciation for the pilots and crews. __________________ Arkriders.com To be the best you must first be willing to risk the worst!

12-31-2008, 05:33 PM	#14
smileyman White Trash Hero Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NW Arkansas Moto: Buell 1125R Porco Rosso Edition Posts: 4,895	Julie, do a search on Female Russian pilots in WW2. They were so short handed and desperate they resorted to female combat pilots and to their suprise they were not only good a few were well respected aces. I think the Luftwaffe lost alot of pilots to the female ruskies who earned a ton of respect... __________________ Arkriders.com To be the best you must first be willing to risk the worst!

01-02-2009, 03:41 PM	#19
smileyman White Trash Hero Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NW Arkansas Moto: Buell 1125R Porco Rosso Edition Posts: 4,895	RULES OF THE AIR 1. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory. 2. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again. 3. Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous. 4. It's always better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here. 5. The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire. 6. The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane used to keep the pilot cool. When it stops, you can actually watch the pilot start sweating. 7. When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No-one has ever collided with the sky. 8. A 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. A 'great' landing is one after which they can use the plane again. 9. Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself. 10. You know you've landed with the wheels up if it takes full power to taxi to the ramp. 11. The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival. Large angle of arrival, small probability of survival and vice versa. 12. Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier. 13. Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds. 14. Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take offs you've made. 15. There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately no-one knows what they are. __________________ __________________ Arkriders.com To be the best you must first be willing to risk the worst!

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12-31-2008, 03:41 PM	#13
julie j WERA Yellow Plate Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Lynnwood, WA Moto: F650GS & XT250 Posts: 666	Any of you recognize my avatar? Hint: Not all that bad asses were men! http://www.wingsacrossamerica.us/wasp/

01-01-2009, 04:12 AM	#17
Homeslice Elitist Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area Moto: Gix 750 Posts: 11,351	Awesome how many different planes and other weapons were designed during such a short few years.

01-01-2009, 11:01 AM	#18
was92v Nowhere Man Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 558	Great thread! I love old War Birds. The B-17 for me is The Bomber. The 29 was a better,bigger etc, but almost another generation. The is no better sound than a radial engine. The sound draws me in like a moth to light. Not that the water cooled in lines aren't awesome though. There is a guy around here with a P-51 that flies regularly and the sound of his plane will have me running out of the house instantly. He flies the shit out of it too. The sound of his plane when he is kicking it is music to me. I've stood in my yard and watched for as long as I can hear it. When I hear him pushing it I know he is really moving, then when he pulls it into multiple rolls you can hear the supercharger screaming and vapor trails off the wing tips when he rolls. I used to sit and wait for the hillbilly air show every Saturday afternoon. A friend I used to work with used to spin wrenches for Skip Barber in Sebring. Years ago a guy he knew called him and told him that the aero repair shop in the next hanger was scrapping old parts and had sold a bunch of stuff as scrap metal. We bought some of the stuff just to save it. I bought 3 NOS Pistons for a B-17 in sealed boxes. Beautiful pieces of work. I gave two of them away to friends and kept one for myself.