Really big big boom!

[Dick Dastardly]

Took in the air show at Oshkosh today.  Biggest event in aviation happens right here in Wisconsin once a year.  Here's a shot of a good use of some Holy Black, gasolene and probably some dynamite.  The aircraft are the Lancaster (British), B24 and two B17s.  You seldom see them fly, let alone in an airpower display like this one.

Enjoy the boom.

DD-DLoS

[litl rooster]

DD you couldn't talk yer way on board as a gunner?

[Dick Dastardly]

Nope Rooster,  I even wore my bowler hat, but they wouldn't let me load no BP loads in 'em 50 Cal guns.  I suspect that I cud have got away with some bp 303s in the Brit bomber tho. . .

DD-DLoS

[Tommy tornado]

Used to go up their to see your Cheese-head airshow with my Dad as a young Flatlander.  It was always a good time.   

[Grapeshot]

Sent my Stepkids up there with the Civil Air Patrol about 10 years ago.  They flew up in a Delaware Air Guard C-130.

My Step Daughter loved it.  The Step Son didn't.  He wanted t come home after a couple of days.  I had to tell him that he volunteered and I didn't have the money to bring him back.  He wasn't a happy camper.  But in the long run, it tought him that he could do things that he thought he couldn't.

Nothing like being away from home to build confidence in your abilities when you don't have Mom babying you.

Yeah, I'm hard.  But I knew it would be to his benefit, regardless what he thought at the time.  They were with people we trusted and were in touch daily.

[J.J. Ferrett]

How far away were the bangs? Were the bombers actually droppin the stuff, or was it just a display?]

And keep those .303 Brits loaded with Cordite.... Its not BP, its not smokeless, well.. its not nice. grin.

I have tried .303 Brit with FFg and its one hell of an interesting shoot. I have never come back from the range with such a large shoulder bruise than I did that day.
I believe I still have some loaded with BP and lead somewhere around here.

[gw]

Nice airshow, 2 flying B-17's is a real rarity these days. My father, 86 now, was a B-17 ball turret gunner in late 1944-45. He related how on one mission he had reversed the 'charging handles' on his .50cal. guns and found out too late that they could not be loaded in flight! The pilot told him to aim at any enemy aircraft and act as though he was going to fire at them, even though he couldn't do a thing! Talk about frustration! He also participated in missions over Dresden, which I have to assume were not pleasant to experience, as was the airshow you attended. Thanks Dick.

[Dick Dastardly]

Thanks Pards,

Two B17s flying together is indeed rare.  Even more rare is to have one of the two remaining Lancasters and the B24 flying with them.

DD-DLoS

Yes, those are set fireworks.  Really shook things up.

[Delmonico]

JJ, the 303 Brit was a black powder catridge the first couple of years of it's life, with a 215 gr RN Cupro Nickel jacketed bullet, at 1850 fps, when they went to cordite it only gained 120 fps.

Besides Nitrocellulose and Nitroglycerin it is 5-6% Vasoline.