"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
When I was going to college Black Sheep was in its hayday. Pappy Boyington came to our college and gave a lecture on the show and the F4U and to tell some war time stories. He also said that those planes were suppose to fly carrier but they had so much torque that if you were not a good pilot that those planes would under full throttle on take off would roll over on take off so they tried to land base them to give them more runway to take off. Don't know if that is gospel but those were the stories he told.
The USNavy fliers were taught to make a straight on final approach with a signal man guiding him in, problem was with that huge motor the F4U fliers couldn't see the deck or the signal man so the Navy wouldn't approve the plane for carrier operation. It was the Brits that taught the USN to make a constantly curved approach keeping the carrier in sight. The USN did operate the F4U after that.
The issue is never the issue. The issue is always the revolution.
David Horowitz, Saul Alinsky and every woman I've ever argued with.
While I'm at it, there was another one, the P47 Thunderbolt. More chopped liver I guess.
Growing up in the 60s, my best friends father had been a WW 2 fighter pilot with experience in multiple different planes, both theaters. His favorite plane, bar none was the P-47. "Why" we asked ?
Two reasons, he answered.
#1 A thick sheet of steel armor right behind the pilots seat, thick enough to stop a 8mm machine gun bullet.
#2 The very heavy and powerful P-47 could out dive just about anything, giving the pilot a sure escape from a bad situation.
I agree with with assessment... I'm not sure how many P-47's were in the Pacific. I know the Mexican Air Force flew them in the Phillipines. Yes, the Mexican Air Force fought in WW2
It was the Brits that taught the USN to make a constantly curved approach keeping the carrier in sight. The USN did operate the F4U after that.
Imagine flying your whole mission, knowing you still had that ordeal coming up when you were done
The first guy to try that deserves a medal, I mean it ain't like they could eject if things went south.
Birdwatcher
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
A not so great landing aboard my Dad's boat CV11 Intrepid..Pop said carrier trials were ugly but the only saving grace for screwed up approaches was all the extra power the big Wasp had on demand to successfully abort what would have been a disaster in a lesser power plant..Torque rolls were common early on especially when the 4 blades were added..quote from one of the Intrepid pilots,"The Hog Nose is a great aircraft but it'll kill ya in a NY minute"
You better be afraid of a ghost!!
"Woody you were baptized in prop wash"..crossfireoops
i do believe there is a shop rebuilding the old warbirds there.....know alot of the 'birds found here there and everywhere wind up in NZ to be brought back to flying condition before heading off to other parts of the world....
A serious student of the "Armchair Safari" always looking for Africa/Asia hunting books
I just finished reading Robin Olds' autobiography, Fighter Pilot. Olds loved the P38 and had several victories in it in Europe before it was replaced by the P51, which he considered a far superior fighter. He didn't get too technical about it, but he did touch on the topic of how tricky the P38 was to fly and fight in.
a number of pilots in the Pacific Theater were saved a swim due to that second engine.....it had its quirks but given it did ok to great at everything thrown at it EXCEPT the one thing it was designed for cause Germany never made any high altitude bombers its a hell of a plane....it was given a wide variety of jobs to due over its life in WWII
A serious student of the "Armchair Safari" always looking for Africa/Asia hunting books
(1) No matter how one looks at it, these are incredible statistics. Aside from the figures on aircraft, consider this statement from the article: On average 6600 American service men died per MONTH, during WWII (about 220 a day). Most Americans who were not adults during WWII have no understanding of the magnitude of it. This listing of some of the aircraft facts gives a bit of insight to it.
(2) The US civilian population maintained a dedicated effort for four years, many working long hours seven days per week and often also volunteering for other work. WWII was the largest human effort in history.
With the Pentagon controlling press releases like they did in WW II,i do not think the average American knew what the daily troop loses were. Iwo Jima is a prime example.
And it cost more to assemble a C-47 Gooney Bird than a P-51 Mustang or a P-47 Jug???????
The P-38 didn't shine flying out of England. But in the Pacific the AAF wanted every one they could get
"All that the South has ever desired was that the Union, as established by our forefathers, should be preserved, and that the government, as originally organized, should be administered in purity and truth." – Robert E. Lee
The 8th Air Force was told by the RAF that the P-38 was in their opinion, useless. Remember that the RAF had the DeHavilland Mosquito. That was tough competition for the P-38 at high altitude and maneuverability. Both aircraft are classics. But in different hemispheres.
While I'm at it, there was another one, the P47 Thunderbolt. More chopped liver I guess.
Growing up in the 60s, my best friends father had been a WW 2 fighter pilot with experience in multiple different planes, both theaters. His favorite plane, bar none was the P-47. "Why" we asked ?
Two reasons, he answered.
#1 A thick sheet of steel armor right behind the pilots seat, thick enough to stop a 8mm machine gun bullet.
#2 The very heavy and powerful P-47 could out dive just about anything, giving the pilot a sure escape from a bad situation.
I agree with with assessment... I'm not sure how many P-47's were in the Pacific. I know the Mexican Air Force flew them in the Phillipines. Yes, the Mexican Air Force fought in WW2
Yes Mexico had a 25 plane P-47D squadron. They had no record of combat wins or losses. Twelve planes were lost to accidents.
Mexico and several South American nations only joined us when it was evident the NAZIs would lose.
The famous Brazilian Samba Squads. The Germans always knew when they faced the Brazilians due to the distinctive sound of the Brazilian Model 27 machine gun - boom chicka boom, chicka boom boom boom.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!