Aircraft

Texas Lawdog · March 27, 2011, 06:17:40 PM

I'm sorta partial to the F3F Grumman bi-plane.

Leo Tanner · March 27, 2011, 07:43:26 PM

A Hawk was responsible for sinking the Bismark. The pilot came in low and they made a good hit. The ships finished her off but that was the crippling blow.

Arcey · March 27, 2011, 08:06:11 PM

The way I heared it, a Swordfish did the damage what jammed the rudder of the Bismarck 'n the Brit's ships sank 'er.

Delmonico · March 27, 2011, 08:14:39 PM

Quote from: Arcey on March 27, 2011, 08:06:11 PM
The way I heared it, a Swordfish did the damage what jammed the rudder of the Bismarck 'n the Brit's ships sank 'er.

Yep, it twas a Swordfish, my vote for all time cool bi-plane. The mechanical computers for the Bismark's guns were not geared to hit a plane that slow, they shot in front of them. Got add Johnny Horton's classic song:

Leo Tanner · March 27, 2011, 08:21:16 PM

My mistake. It was a swordfish. Don't usually think of biplanes an WWII. Johnny Horton didn't even mention it in his ditty.

Delmonico · March 27, 2011, 09:47:06 PM

Quote from: Leo Tanner on March 27, 2011, 08:21:16 PM
Don't usually think of biplanes an WWII.

Soviets used the Polikarpov Po-2 on the Eastern Front a lot, a bi-plane, flown at night a lot by women pilots they often shut of engines and glided over German camps and bombed and strafed them, didn't do a lot of damage as such except raise heck with their moral.

http://www.flyandrive.com/nightwitches2.htm

Texas Lawdog · March 28, 2011, 01:02:38 AM

Seeing Russian women anytime would be a strain.

Leo Tanner · March 28, 2011, 01:08:24 AM

Quote from: Texas Lawdog on March 28, 2011, 01:02:38 AM
Seeing Russian women anytime would be a strain.

I seen some perty ones but there is some kind of age limit on em. I think it is 39.

Texas Lawdog · March 28, 2011, 01:15:06 AM

I guess it would make a difference on how many "hard miles" they had on them.

Texas Lawdog · March 31, 2011, 06:02:05 AM

We're supposed to have our first A-26 squadron meeting on Sat. Morning. No news on the flying statis for it's flight from Midland to Breckenridge. I hope we have good weather for some Pane Rides to generate some income for the VFM.

Texas Lawdog · March 31, 2011, 03:18:06 PM

They were unable to find a pilot for the ferry flight of the A-26, so it looks like another week before it can be moved to Breckenridge.

Bryan Austin · March 31, 2011, 03:59:25 PM

SUN-N-FUN, Lakeland Florida. Large storm passed by in the mid morning AM this morning. We had two airplanes on display. A brand new Maule and a used Maule. Both were damaged by high winds and blowing signs, building parts etc! One Maule suffered only a bent wing strut but the other one suffered vertical stab damage, right elevator damage and the left wing collapsed. Headed that way in the morning with a spare strut for one Maule and a trailer to haul the other one home.

http://www.avweb.com/news/snf/SunNFun2011_StormDamage_Tornado_70Trapped_204377-1.html

Bryan Austin · April 02, 2011, 05:24:29 PM

Here is the Maule we went and trailered home! Its the red and white airplane.

Texas Lawdog · April 02, 2011, 06:43:33 PM

That kind of weather is got good for airplanes of any type. We had our all day CAF meeting in Fort Worth today. We noe have about 70 members in the A-26 Invader Squadron. I am on a committee to help design squadron caps and a squadron patch. I had a good time, meeting new folks. I got to talk to Chuckie today. She owns the hangar that the Squadron meets in as well as the Vintage Flight Museum. Hopefully the A26 will be flown to Breckenridge next Sunday for repairs. The plane is expected to arrive at Meacham Field in Fort Worth by the end of June.

Texas Lawdog · April 03, 2011, 02:22:04 PM

I did some research on the A-26 we are getting. It was a drug smuggler plane, known by DEA, as the "Gray Ghost". It landed near Amarillo with one engine gone and some Grass on board. The Sheriff's Dept was unable to find the pilot. They confiscated it and the CAF bought it from Potter Co. in about 1978. The CAF has a Lockeed Lodestar that crashed in West Texas with a load of Grass and It was purchased from a Sheriff's Dept. as well.

Leo Tanner · April 03, 2011, 03:21:32 PM

As much as I hate pot I guess in some strange way it was the reason you got a couple of good planes. Funny how things work out...

Texas Lawdog · April 03, 2011, 04:19:56 PM

Amarillo is just one county south of my hometown, My Dad was still Sheriff in Dumas, I don't remember him saying anything about it back then.The cop in me think it's sorta funny.

Steel Horse Bailey · April 03, 2011, 10:19:05 PM

Best part of the movie "Always" (Holly Hunter & Richard Dreyfuss; a movie love story that spotlights forest fire jumpers, or "Fire Eaters." Also, a good performance by John Goodman.) was that there were a few A-26 Borate Bombers, and a PBY featured. The opening scene of the PBY skimming the water to load up before a drop, that scares the bejeezus out of a couple fishermen in a small rowboat when the PBY flies directly at them and raises up to miss them just a few feet above their heads is darn near worth the price of admission by itself! If I were one of them, I know I'd be pretty impressed!

LOVE those A-26s!!
(And PBYs, too. My Dad [Navy, WWII] said it was his favorite plane to fly. When he died, my {now EX} Father-in-Law, who carved Dad's gravestone, carved a PBY to honor Dad. It's beautiful.)

Leo Tanner · April 04, 2011, 08:55:18 AM

Heard a story about a diver that went missing for days. They found him miles away in a forest that had recently burned. The authorities figure he got a free plane ride (unbeknown to the pilot). If you dive in a designated water drop you should bring a parachute.

Texas Lawdog · April 04, 2011, 09:06:49 AM

It wasn't the plane ride that got him, it was that sudden stop after he jumped.