From: rertman@ix.netcom.com
Date: Sun Nov 23 2003 - 08:50:47 PST
Chris & MV'ers:
I have to disagree with you about keeping those old warbirds flying.
In all honesty, it warms my ancient heart to see a graceful B-17. B-29,
etc., make a majestic low pass across the airport; and, for me, nothing will
ever match the roar of a piston powered fighter doing its stuff at an air show.
That said, let me add that nothing saddens me more than hearing about one
of these magnificent airplanes crashing and being lost forever, including the
crew (single seat or 10-man crew). The crew and airplanes are irreplaceable.
My first solo flight was in a 1939 Mead Primary glider at about 50 mph. Later,
at work (Lockheed), I watched the Mach meter go past 3. I've had a love affair
with flying machines for as long as I can remember, including a stint as an
Army helo pilot. My Dad was one of the founders of the museum at Bradley
International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, CT. The original organization
was The Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Association...dedicated to
preserving these treasures.
Yes, it's great to see them fly, but it's tragic to lose one. Let's keep them
intact and on display where they can be seen, touched and appreciated by
later generations.
For flight purposes, let's start an organization to build and fly replicas.
I, for one, would gladly donate my time and what skills I have, along with
some money, to accomplish this.
Thanks for the bandwidth. Sorry to be so long winded. As you can see, this
issue is near and dear to my heart.
Dick
Chris Davis wrote:
>
> I too hope WWII era aircraft will continue to be flown for a long time to
> come, and support the efforts of those involved in keeping them in the air.
>
> That said, keeping an intact example or two stashed away in museums may
> serve more than a "gathering dust" purpose. I remember watching a
> documentary on the History Channel a month or so ago that covered the
> effort to replicate the Wright brothers flyer. The folks involved had to
> do a lot of searching and estimating to make it happen... turns out the
> machine hanging in the Smithsonian isn't as entirely complete or original.
>
> A day may come when it's economically viable to produce faithful copies of
> WWII aircraft, providing something still exists to lay calipers on.
>
> I know... the hand labor involved, expense of the material used, and
> complexity of the designs probably rule this out. But look at the home
> built WW I aircraft made today. Would Eddie Rickenbacker have guessed
> folks would be building replicas of his Spad in their garages some 80 years
> after WW I ended?
>
> Who knows, todays WWII "hanger queens" may prove an invaluable resource for
> aerial re-enactors of the 22nd century.
>
> Chris Davis
> MVPA# 20000
> '45 WC51
> Centerville, UT
>
> ===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
> To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
> To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to <mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
> To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat May 07 2005 - 20:26:28 PDT