OT - Grumman F3F-2

[66GTO]

But my favorite aircraft (at least bomber) is the B58 Hustler. It was absolutely beautiful.

I am with you all the way on the B-58, damienph! It wasn't operationally successful, but it was a looker.



I've never seen one up close, but caught a glimpse of a few in flight as a kid growing up near Eglin AFB.

[awp101]

I was digging around my aviation pics folder on the 'puter and ran across these I'd forgotten about. Should be something here for a few of y'all...







This one came from my collection. As I recall, I found it in an antique store in Ft Worth or Arlington and being an old warbird pic I had to have it. It wasn't until later I really started looking at it. I believe it was taken at the Consolidated factory in Ft Worth (IIRC the barriers near the a/c have something about Ft Worth or Consolidated stenciled on them) and it has something to do with the delivery of a British B24 (LB30 maybe?) but I don't know what. Between the men and the a/c is a covered wagon that has something about winning the West or where the West begins painted on it as I recall. I don't remember exactly because it's been a couple of years since I had my loupe on it and it's not in front of me to examine right this second.

[awp101]

Hobie, did the Curtiss SBC Helldiver do anything for you?



I love those pre-war Navy color schemes:

[damienph]

66GTO In 1959-60 we were stationed at Clinton-Sherman AFB, Burns Flat/Elk City, Oklahoma (long closed). As I recall it was a SAC base that flew B52s. When a B58 flew in, my dad took me to see it on the flight line. What made a real impression was how LOUD it was when it took off. At that time, my dad was a weather forcaster; one of his duties was to brief B52 pilots on weather conditions as they were flying over the artic on the way towards the Soviet Union. Later in 1961, he was stationed at Thule AB,Greenland and told me that he used see B52s at altitude turning back as they were recalled from their mission toward the Soviet Union. I suspect that few people were aware that we were flying B52s with nuclear weapons toward the Soviet Union on a regular basis. He said the crews never knew until they were called back if the were going to fly all of the way.

[cshold]

My great Uncle Paul Stahle was a B17 pilot during WW2 then the B-29, then onto the
B-52. What an awesome career he had.

[trapper45]

When I was a kid Revell? I'm not sure really made a 1/32 scale kit of the F3F. It had retractable landing gear, you rotated the prop and the gear went up or down. I never could afford to buy one.
Joe

If memory serves, the F3F was a Monogram kit that came in two versions, Al Williams' Gulfhawk and a regular fleet version. Monogram also had a 'Phantom Mustang' kit molded in clear plastic so all the innards (engine, guns, cockpit, etc.) were visible.

[AJMD429]

(Dumb Question Alert) . . .

What was the bit about inserting a shotgun shell into the plane - is that some kind of starting mechanism...?

[Lefty Dude]

Some of the older Aircraft Engines used an 8 gage or there about Shotgun shell to start the Engine.

I have the description in one of my Naval Aviation Electrician Mate manuals, I'll try and look it up. After 50 + years I still have all my Navy School text books.

[bigiron]

coffman starter.

[jeepnik]

Back when I was stationed at George AFB in California, the Phantom was the bird to fly. Sadly, it's days are gone. This poor old Phantom ended up as a plane on a stick. Then when the base was shut down and turned over to the local city, it was dragged down to the end of the flightline and dumped. I hope someone at least makes it a static display, but I fear it it now scrapped.

[MrMurphy]

The old 10ga blank was a starter to get the engine turning, basically a kickstarter.



Phantoms are still in service here and there. Japan, Turkey and a few others still have them in service. Stationed in Italy, we'd see 2 or 4 come through doing dissimilar warfare training against our F-16s and other countries in the area. Seeing a flight of Phantoms rolling off the strip pouring smoke, i'd tell the young kids "that right there is old school &)*!=whupping" at least as far as it came to jets.

45 years later and still in frontline service in a few spots in the world. Come to think of it, the Mig-21, it's main competitor, is still in service too in a few places. The Chinese spawned an entire group of aircraft off the basic airframe and they still use them.

[gak]

When we (my dad) were stationed in southern Japan from '61/62-64, essentially a former Korean War base, then a TAC base (fighters vs SAC's bombers), we had F-102s as interceptors, a few 101s IIRC for recon, T-33 trainers, and the mainstay during our first year F-100s, which were replaced the 2nd by F-105s. Both of the latter were eventually sent to Vietnam/Thailand.

My favorite as a kid and growing plane nut was the F-100 "Super Sabre" and remains to this day "the perfect 'old school' jet" to me in terms of proportions, all-around capability/agility, etc. It was also the perfect follow-up to its predcessor--the famous F-86 "Sabre," a tough act to follow.

The 105s I recall really "sat up there" and were comparatively huge, effectively the size of a B-17 nose to tail. I think they were the first bona-fide certified (designed as) "nuclear-capable" fighter-bombers. I liked the 105, appropriately named "Thunderchief," but 'bout shed a tear watching all our F-100s fly off the last time to be replaced. We've got amazing archival 8mm footage of the last 105s taking off to leave for Thailand--the first IIRC--in June 1964 (and thereby closing the base--to that pointb Cold War mission ). I need to get that out to DVD!

[COSteve]

The 105s I recall really "sat up there" and were comparatively huge, effectively the size of a B-17 nose to tail. I think they were the first bona-fide certified (designed as) "nuclear-capable" fighter-bombers.

They are huge and some may not know that they actually have a bomb bay in them. Yep, only fighter in the USAF designed with a bomb bay in it.

[trapper45]

coffman starter.

Check out the real 'Flight of the Phoenix'--the Jimmy Stewart one. Coffman starter cartridges are used to crank the salvaged engine.

There were also shaped-charge progressive-burn cartridges used to quick-start the B-52 and KC-135 without an external air cart hooked up. The B-57 used the same setup.

[MrMurphy]

There is still an intact flight of deactivated F105s at Lackland AFB in the training areas. They are fairly huge for fighters, and sit on a baby-sized runway mockup used for training Security Forces troops in the basics of airbase defense (patrols, watch standing, etc).


I pulled a couple hours guarding the tail of a pair of them in October of 2005, which is how I know.

[Newtmaker]

There is also one at the Titusville Warbird Museum. They had an open house there back in April and had people at each plane that had flown them. The retired USAF Colonel that was at the 105 was an absolute goldmine of war stories and fact and figures from the Vietnam era. We must have spent an hour with him.

They have some great planes at the War Bird Museum and it is well worth a visit if you are in the area!

Walt

[missionary5155]

Good morning
dad was a LO assistant on a CVE. he said he loved landing the f4f and the later version as they came in nice and slow. He hated the Corsairs.. they had to come in hot and by the time it was eveident they needed a wave off it was nearly to late to jump into the safety net and get into the "crash hole" before impact if things were real bad.

[gak]

Last night they had a story on the local news here in Arizona about a surviving B-17 pilot able to see one of his birds fly again - I think in Yuma this past weekend. He was thrilled. In this case it was the "Liberty Bell," fully restored "G" model (chin turret)--like one of our Arizonans, "Sentimental Journey"--one of the better known 17s to do the national show circuit--and one of only 14 (or so) I think they said still flying. Man, great footage...watching that B-17 pull up close then taxi and take off was a sight--and sounds!
Couldn't find a link to that story, but here is our local museum in the Phoenix area, a local wing of the Commemorative Air Force (fmrly Confederate...) HQ'd in Texas, including a look at Sentimental Journey.
http://www.azcentral.com/video/#/Commem ... 3874133001

[Boreman]

When we (my dad) were stationed in southern Japan from '61/62-64, essentially a former Korean War base, then a TAC base (fighters vs SAC's bombers), we had F-102s as interceptors, a few 101s IIRC for recon, T-33 trainers, and the mainstay during our first year F-100s, which were replaced the 2nd by F-105s. Both of the latter were eventually sent to Vietnam/Thailand.

My favorite as a kid and growing plane nut was the F-100 "Super Sabre" and remains to this day "the perfect 'old school' jet" to me in terms of proportions, all-around capability/agility, etc. It was also the perfect follow-up to its predcessor--the famous F-86 "Sabre," a tough act to follow.

The 105s I recall really "sat up there" and were comparatively huge, effectively the size of a B-17 nose to tail. I think they were the first bona-fide certified (designed as) "nuclear-capable" fighter-bombers. I liked the 105, appropriately named "Thunderchief," but 'bout shed a tear watching all our F-100s fly off the last time to be replaced. We've got amazing archival 8mm footage of the last 105s taking off to leave for Thailand--the first IIRC--in June 1964 (and thereby closing the base--to that pointb Cold War mission ). I need to get that out to DVD!

I have a soft spot in my heart for the F-100,also.I spent my time in the AF as a member of the stand board weapons load crew.I was in a squadron of F100's we ferried across the pond in June'68 to Korea.The F-100 was the first in the series of the "century aircraft " ie;the 100,102 ,104 etc.The F-100 never let us down.She was a fine ship!!!!!!