This is the Wicked Cool Link of the Week!

 World War II Aircraft:  A Small Tribute to WWII Veterans



Click on the link below...

http://www.stclairphoto-imaging.com/360/P51-Mustang/P51_swf.html

It provides a 360 degree view of a WWII P-51 Mustang cockpit.  It takes a few moments to load but it is very well worth it!    Skip provided us with the Wicked Cool link of the week!

P-51 Mustang from outside:

P-51 Mustang

Wow! 

Just think of the history... probably some of the gauges have been updated due to FAA rules, however it doesn't change the fact that most of the flying done back then was purely and literally by wire or cable as it is. 

One of my most impressive memories of WWII Aircraft was when I got to tour a B-24 Liberator and a B-17 Flying Fortress in Spokane, about three years ago, and actually walk, crawl, and sit where the actual crew and pilots did. The pilots really were steering, pushing, and pulling the plane's control surfaces via cables!  Not only were these guys brave, they were cold, wicked strong, and had "nards" the like and size of 20 pound lead cannon balls.  I became fully cognizant of the fact that when these guys got shot at, the 1/8th inch thick riveted to hollowed out aluminum holed frame bays, just let the bullets pass through... by the thousands, and these air craft just kept on flying if not by pure luck by pure brute, and I mean BRUTE strength! 

B-24 Liberator

B-17 Flying Fortress

 Just think... One of the reasons the Allies won the war was America's collaborative determination and ability to turn her industrial might to making these war planes by the thousands!  The Veteran's say that the sky used to be so full of these planes that the noise was deafening, and that the sun would be blocked as they passed overhead for what seemed like an hour as women flew these aircraft to where ever they were needed from the factories!  Sadly, now there are only less than a handful known to be flying in the entire world!

B-24 Factory

B-17 Factory

I learned later that day that the restoration society was offering hour long public flights for $400.  I hemmed and hawed, toed the ground, thought about the check book, and the credit card, and my responsibilities to the family, projects on the boat, the house and decided not to partake in the flight.  Reflecting on that moment now, I realize that there were and are many things I have squandered $400 on and should have taken that opportunity to fly in an actual museum to World War II.

Probably wouldn't have had the "nards" to be a WWII crew member now would I? 


Bibliographic special thanks to:
1. 360 degree view of P-51 Mustang received via email and located at:

http://www.stclairphoto-imaging.com/360/P51-Mustang/P51_swf.html

2. North American P-51 Mustang picture found using Google Image search and located at:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/north-american-p-51-mustang.htm

3. B-24 Banking picture found using Google Image search and located at:

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Aircraft/Bombers/B24Banking.jpg

4.B-17 Flying Fortresses picture found using Google Image search and located at:

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Aircraft/Bombers/FlyingFortresses.jpg

5. B-24 factory picture found using Google Image search and located at:

http://www.aviation-history.com/consolidated/b24-factory.jpg

6. B-17 factory picture found using Google Image search and located at:

freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Campy Out!!