WW2 Warbirds!
"Mifflin Clay"
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,177
Likes: 4
From: Mifflin, PA
Got to attend the pre-public opening of the annex (Udvar-Hazy Center) day before it opened to the public. You really need all day there, and then you won't see everything. Heres a couple pics from the opening..(reduced to fit FTE)..anyone wants a cd with about 150 hi res pics (1536 X 1024) of opening day, PM me for details.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,562
Likes: 2
From: Southern MD
OK, Keith! We are a fixin to stay at your place!, Kinda like the Clampets move east for a visit! LOL! I will just park the motor home in front of your house, since you're right in the middle of all the good spots!...........I can just imagine what the "fee" must be to fly on that B17G!
I don't know about being in the 'middle' of the good spots, but, we're pretty darned close (20 miles, or so).
If memory serves me, you can 'hitch a ride' with Collings Foundation for about $300 or so for a flight on the B-17 or the B-24.
I LOVE that museum! I haven't been inside in many years, now.
(And to think I drive past it every day!)
The 'annex' at Dulles. . . I've not been there, yet. My youngest son wants to go.
Air & Space. . . you will need (IMNSHO) at least two days to really see it all. You could see it in one day, but, it would be a 'walk and look' visit.
Dulles. . . I have no idea how long it would take to see it all.
I suppose I'd have to take a cane or a chair.
(Heck, I'd set up a tent and camp there, if they'd let me!)
The weather was junk last October but I had the $2100 in hand to fly in the Collings Foundation's TP-51C. I was so bummed that is was a rainy thunderstorm day. I showed up to tour the 3 planes B-17, B-24, TP-51C and gave them a few hundred donation and they gave me a membership and told me I could come the open house this summer and ride in the bomber of my choice at their open house at the Stow Airport in Stowe, Massachusetts.
I love living so close to them.
I love living so close to them.
There's NOTHING like the sound of a piston engined airplane. Especially a RADIAL engine!
Long live the old warbirds!
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 23,849
Likes: 20
From: McKenzie River
You said it, Keith. Long live the old war birds!, There is no sound like that of a Packard/ Rolls Royce Merlin supercharged V12 in a P51D Mustang.........What must it have been like, to fly one into harms way over Europe in 1944!
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,004
Likes: 1
From: North of Boston MA
The Colling's Foundation also has quite a collection of old cars too.
Auto Collection - The Collings Foundation
I've flown many times into Minute Man Air Field (the official name of Stow, MA airport) or 6B6 to you other aviation types. It's only got a 2800' long runway. On a hot day it is dicey in a small single-engine plane. It must be a real adventure in one of the old warbirds.....
Auto Collection - The Collings Foundation
I've flown many times into Minute Man Air Field (the official name of Stow, MA airport) or 6B6 to you other aviation types. It's only got a 2800' long runway. On a hot day it is dicey in a small single-engine plane. It must be a real adventure in one of the old warbirds.....
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 787
From: Simi Valley, CA
July 27th thru August 2, 2009: EAA Fly In at Oshkosh WI.
One of the largest displays of aircraft in the world.
Everything imaginable shows up from F4U's to Waco's, Spitfires to ****e Wolf's.
B17's to C-47's. 1000's of planes...you name it.
----------------------------------------------
Old93junk:
When Packard accepted the contract to build the Rolls-Royce Merlin in the US, they made so many changes which simplified the design, the engine is known as the Packard-Merlin.
Originally FDR asked Henry Ford to build the engine, Ford accepted.
But when Ford's meager engineering staff looked at the blueprints, they said they wanted nothing to do with it, so Packard got the contract instead.
Packard also built all the PT Boat V12 engines, and supplied diesel engines for other marine applications.
The V12 PT Boat engines were far superior to the Thorneycroft engines installed in British PT Boats, so it wasn't long before Packard was selling these engines to the Brits for their PT Boats.
One of the largest displays of aircraft in the world.
Everything imaginable shows up from F4U's to Waco's, Spitfires to ****e Wolf's.
B17's to C-47's. 1000's of planes...you name it.
----------------------------------------------
Old93junk:
When Packard accepted the contract to build the Rolls-Royce Merlin in the US, they made so many changes which simplified the design, the engine is known as the Packard-Merlin.
Originally FDR asked Henry Ford to build the engine, Ford accepted.
But when Ford's meager engineering staff looked at the blueprints, they said they wanted nothing to do with it, so Packard got the contract instead.
Packard also built all the PT Boat V12 engines, and supplied diesel engines for other marine applications.
The V12 PT Boat engines were far superior to the Thorneycroft engines installed in British PT Boats, so it wasn't long before Packard was selling these engines to the Brits for their PT Boats.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 787
From: Simi Valley, CA
The Kissimmee FL airport has a museum devoted to the AVG = Flying Tigers.
There is a collections of Warbirds including a rare USN version of the B-24, which has a single tail, and was known as a PBY - (something, I forget what its designation is).
You can also take a Warbird flight in an AT-6. Once aloft, the pilot lets you take over.
Don't eat too much before taking this flight, some of the manoevers can cost you your lunch!
There is a collections of Warbirds including a rare USN version of the B-24, which has a single tail, and was known as a PBY - (something, I forget what its designation is).
You can also take a Warbird flight in an AT-6. Once aloft, the pilot lets you take over.
Don't eat too much before taking this flight, some of the manoevers can cost you your lunch!
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,562
Likes: 2
From: Southern MD
July 27th thru August 2, 2009: EAA Fly In at Oshkosh WI.
One of the largest displays of aircraft in the world.
Everything imaginable shows up from F4U's to Waco's, Spitfires to ****e Wolf's.
B17's to C-47's. 1000's of planes...you name it.
----------------------------------------------
Old93junk:
When Packard accepted the contract to build the Rolls-Royce Merlin in the US, they made so many changes which simplified the design, the engine is known as the Packard-Merlin.
Originally FDR asked Henry Ford to build the engine, Ford accepted.
But when Ford's meager engineering staff looked at the blueprints, they said they wanted nothing to do with it, so Packard got the contract instead.
Packard also built all the PT Boat V12 engines, and supplied diesel engines for other marine applications.
The V12 PT Boat engines were far superior to the Thorneycroft engines installed in British PT Boats, so it wasn't long before Packard was selling these engines to the Brits for their PT Boats.
One of the largest displays of aircraft in the world.
Everything imaginable shows up from F4U's to Waco's, Spitfires to ****e Wolf's.
B17's to C-47's. 1000's of planes...you name it.
----------------------------------------------
Old93junk:
When Packard accepted the contract to build the Rolls-Royce Merlin in the US, they made so many changes which simplified the design, the engine is known as the Packard-Merlin.
Originally FDR asked Henry Ford to build the engine, Ford accepted.
But when Ford's meager engineering staff looked at the blueprints, they said they wanted nothing to do with it, so Packard got the contract instead.
Packard also built all the PT Boat V12 engines, and supplied diesel engines for other marine applications.
The V12 PT Boat engines were far superior to the Thorneycroft engines installed in British PT Boats, so it wasn't long before Packard was selling these engines to the Brits for their PT Boats.
My "Partsheimer's" (aka/"Old-timer's Disease") must be getting the best of me. I had completely forgotten about Oshkosh! Thanks, Bill!
"Mifflin Clay"
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,177
Likes: 4
From: Mifflin, PA
Which reminds me ....several weeks after we were there, some idiot "war protesters" managed to dump some yellow paint over the Enola Gay. Got hauled away in handcuffs. Too bad they didn't try it when I was there with my two boys and SIL. They wouldn't have needed cuffs!
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,014
Likes: 91
From: Concord, CA
Bill, the PB4Y-2 Privateer. While only 800 were made they ended up staying in service longer than the original B-24. They were used as aerial firefighters up until 2002. In 2002 there were two crashes of large fire bombers. One a C-130 with over 21,000 hours on the airframe and a Privateer with over 8,000 hours of the frame. The Forest Service terminated all large airtanker planes in 2004. Privateers haven't flown since 2002 if I'm not mistaken.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,004
Likes: 1
From: North of Boston MA
I can't believe I didn't mention the one I should be most familiar with....Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul, Illinois. It is located at the former Air Force Base and the museum is made up of all he former static displays. Some (most?) of the planes need some TLC but it is a nice take if you are in the area. They also have some history of the base and a missle silo trainer.
If you have a plane you can even fly in since they reopened the airport after the base closed.
If you have a plane you can even fly in since they reopened the airport after the base closed.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 787
From: Simi Valley, CA
On Ford Island in Pearl Harbor is another Aircraft Museum with Warbirds present.
Ford Island is accessible by a bridge, busses from the USS ARIZONA Memorial Visitors Center take visitors to the island.
Most peeps are not aware of the USS UTAH Memorial on the west side of Ford Island.
The UTAH was a pre WWI FLORIDA Class Battleship being used in 1941 as a target and gunnery training ship.
The ship's deck was covered with heavy timbers and was berthed where the aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) was usually moored.
Mistaken for the carrier, several torpedo's struck the ship on 7 December 1941, causing it to capsize within 15 minutes. It's still there today.
Chief Watertender Peter Tomich helped many shipmates escape the sinking UTAH, but was unable to save himself.
He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumosly.
Ford Island is accessible by a bridge, busses from the USS ARIZONA Memorial Visitors Center take visitors to the island.
Most peeps are not aware of the USS UTAH Memorial on the west side of Ford Island.
The UTAH was a pre WWI FLORIDA Class Battleship being used in 1941 as a target and gunnery training ship.
The ship's deck was covered with heavy timbers and was berthed where the aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) was usually moored.
Mistaken for the carrier, several torpedo's struck the ship on 7 December 1941, causing it to capsize within 15 minutes. It's still there today.
Chief Watertender Peter Tomich helped many shipmates escape the sinking UTAH, but was unable to save himself.
He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumosly.
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