WWII War Birds - pics and video

[diopter]

Am I going Batty?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnbzMxEvJ5Q

 

[CV32]

The newly opened Aeroscopia aviation museum may be of interest if you're going to be in the Paris area.

Musee Aeroscopia

 

[JR Hartman]

no they didn't pan out, the twin Mustang, but its still cool!!

now as to the 4 engine Luftwaffe heavy bomber, Focke Wolf Condor.

 

[wbaad]

A few pics of the Vickers Vimy that Steve Fossett and Mark Rebholz flew in July 2005 to recreate the first nonstop crossing of the Atlantic in June 1919.

As you may recall, Fossett went missing a couple of years later in the Sierra Madre Mountains (while flying another aircraft) and his crash site was discovered a year after that.

Good photos!
I met fossett and the vimmy in Ottawa during their tour before crossing. He went missing flying a citabria or decathlon on a routine flight. I don't recall if they found any more of him in the wreck than his wallet. Sad that he had to go so soon. He held an extraordinary number of various records and accomplishments.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

P61 Black Widow - pretty bad ass.

Not many remaining - four in fact: One in China, one at the USAF Museum in Dayton, a rebuild in progress at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum, and this one, at the Udvar-Hazy, in "just landed" condition:

Also modified into the F-15 Reporter reconnaissance aircraft:

Pretty slick, that.

 

[Kudu]

My father flew one of these in the WW2....

 

[JR Hartman]

pretty rare bird that P-61. Pretty cool too.

 

[Cb750k]

My father flew one of these in the WW2....

Beautiful

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

PBY laid up in the Aleutians:

There appear to be plenty of these old ladies still in existence (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_Consolidated_PBY_Catalinas) with many airworthy, including this beaut:

...currently under restoration in Victoria.

 

[bjmurata]

Beautiful

My father in law was in the RCAF during the war and flew a wide assortment of aircraft but one of his fondest memories was going for his first and only rip in a Mosquito.I can still remember him describing the experience like it was yesterday,he sounded like a kid let loose in a candy store.

 

[Old Ranger]

Quite a few PBY/Catalina's- Canso in Commonwealth Air Forces survived post war scrapping because they were converted for water bombing operations. Used here in Ontario well into the 80's Had one flight during my career with MNR. Timmins to Geralton . Georgian Bay Airways based in Parry Sound operated several of these A/C. One was credited with sinking a U-Boat with 162 BR Squadron RCAF. I believe that aircraft was sold in South America.
Two of the aviation highlights in my life were having flights in the old waterbomber and a CAF C-130 out of Trenton.

 

[bushwhacker]

Remember seeing a program about one of these last year or so out of Vancouver fighting forest fires in Mexico. Can't remember where I saw it.

 

[Ganderite]

I spent a day in one spotting seals for the ships off the coast of Newfoundland. They could stay up a long time if speed was not an issue.

A bit of a pig to fly. had to use a lot of rudder to make a turn, because of severe aileron drag. Also, the only big plane I have seen without flaps.

 

[Halfton]

Remember seeing a program about one of these last year or so out of Vancouver fighting forest fires in Mexico. Can't remember where I saw it.

Bushwhacker, the program you saw was on the Martin Mars water bombers. There are 2 of them left flying based on Vancouver Island, They were built during World War 2 and are the largest amphibian seaplane ever made. I took some grainy pics of them when my wife and I rode our bikes out to the Island back in 2002...sorry only had a cheap cam back then.







Jim

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

I understand the Martin mars boats have retired. I hope I'm wrong. Nothing else does what they do.

Here's one I wish was still around: the Latecore 611:

http://4.bp.########.com/_tO_KHwg9FSI/TGqot_UsdbI/AAAAAAAAAmA/M2xSITc9K8A/s1600/3908668945_12116e98d2_o.jpg

That is a beautiful thing. But is it a warbird? Oh, yes.

Here's a bit of a writeup:

Intended as a large trans-ocean ‘flagship’ for Air France, Latécoère designed in 1938 the Laté 631. It was for that time a huge ship fitted with six engines. It was intended for trans-Atlantic mail delivery and for luxury transport of (rich!) passengers. Work commenced shortly before the outbreak of the war and after the armistice with Germany the Latécoère works were allowed to finish the construction under the Vichy government. First flight took place on 4 November 1942, but the trials in France were halted when Germany confiscated it. The Laté 631 prototype, carrying the civil registration F-BAHG, was flown to Friedrichshafen in Germany. It was the intention to use it as a long-range patrol flying boat fitted with military equipment, but on 17 April 1944 it was destroyed at its moorings on Lake Constance during an Allied Mosquito raid and in total it only logged 40 flying hours.

The second 631 was meanwhile completed in 1943 in the Toulouse plant. To prevent it from being destroyed in an air-raid it was dismantled and hidden. After the liberation of France the construction was completed and it made its first flight on 6 March 1945 at Biscarosse. Carrying the registration F-BANT and named ‘Lionel de Marmier’ it went to Air France for use in the African French colonies. After the war another nine were ordered and built for use by Air France carrying the civil registrations F-BANU, F-BDRA, F-BDRB, F-BDRC, F-BDRD, F-BDRE, F-WDRF and F-WDRG. The ninth and last machine would have been registered F-WRDH but it was never flown. The Laté 631 did not have a very lucky career. F-BANU crashed on 28 March 1950 killing all ten occupants on board. Another fatal crash took place with F-BRDC on 1 August 1948 with the loss of 12 crewmen and 40 passengers. Also F-BDRD crashed on 21 February 1948 with the loss of the crew of seven and 12 passengers. With the loss of the fourth machine, F- BRDE on 10 September 1955 all other Laté 631’s were grounded and stored at Biscarosse inside a hangar. They were all severely damaged when the hangar collapsed during a storm and finally they were all scrapped. The Laté 631 was the last airplane built by the Latécoère company.

Beautiful lines.

 

[CV32]

New book that may be of interest:

Flying Warbirds: An Illustrated Profile of the Flying Heritage Collection's Rare WWII-Era Aircraft, by Cory Graff

 

[CV32]

Sea Vixen and Vulcan in close formation.

Edit: Sorry that it doesn't fit the WWII theme, but was such a beauty pic that I thought it ought to be shared.

 

[bush1]

I understand the Martin mars boats have retired. I hope I'm wrong. Nothing else does what they do.

Yes, unfortunately there gone. A friend of mine was a Flight Engineer on them for the last few years that they were flying in BC.

 

[nntw]

Sea Vixen and Vulcan in close formation.



Edit: Sorry that it doesn't fit the WWII theme, but was such a beauty pic that I thought it ought to be shared.

that just looks.... immoral....

 

[nntw]

Yes, unfortunately there gone. A friend of mine was a Flight Engineer on them for the last few years that they were flying in BC.

gorgeous planes.

there's even a kid's book written from the perspective of one of the a/c, if I recall correctly.

must have been quite a thrill to fly on one!