What exotic or unusual Gibson trinkets are you hiding...?

[uwe]

The Defiant? Don't make me laugh. A light tank turret with wings. 

[Chris P.]

Defiant. Isn't that a 60s Vox solid state or hybrid amp?

[godofthunder]

"Piranha" - There was definitely a DAF F16 displaying at the RIAT show in 2007... great display - I may be wrong, but if I remember correctly the DVD of the show (yes, it's that  round here) has footage of most of his display from within the cockpit...

Scott...


Not a great shot but this IS a Thunderbolt and a Corsair flying together at a show at Duxford in 2006 - both based there (in Suffolk, UK) - one of the biggest aircraft museums in the UK...

Scott and Mark - If I'm right, had we been in the same small town, we would have all been in the same class in the same year at school... well how about that...
Would have been the class of ...'75-'76? don't know how that all works... I hit sixteen during the summer of '75, and I presume Scott too, and Mark just before Xmas '74...?
Anyone else of that vintage in here...?

Oh I saw it  like saying a Spit and a Hurrie look alike

[Highlander]

Here I sit, shame faced, when even a girl can tell the difference... 

Why doe's the arguably prettier Spitfire get all the credit for the "BOB" when there were more Hurricanes involved, anyway...

I'd better do my research a bit more thoroughly, in future...

[godofthunder]

Well most likely because it was prettier . The Spitfire was faster with higher performance than the Hurricane, plus it represented a whole new generation of fighter plane. The Hurricane being the RAF's first monoplane fighter was a transitional aircraft from the days of the fabric covered biplane. While the Spit had a stressed aluminum covering the Hurricanes aft fusalage was still covered in doped fabric. Still a fine aircraft, one of my biggest thrills was in the early 90's a Hurricane from the Canadian Heritage Warplane society made a appearance at the Geneseo Air show in Upstate NY. To see one of these flying was breathtaking, just beautiful.

[TBird1958]

"Here I sit, shame faced
, when even a girl can tell the difference..."


Just remember I'm not like all the "other" girls you've met Ken (I'm guessing you lead a somewhat sheltered life!) when I was young my neighbours and I were all very avid wargamers, playing Avalon Hill's many great games. We even adapted their rules to conduct our own outdoor wargames using 1/1500th ships or 1/72nd aircraft..........
Look at the bright side tho..............you got one out of two right           

[uwe]

A Hurricane could take down a Heinkel 111, Dornier 17 and even a Me 110. If no Me 109 in the hands of an equally skilled pilot was around and had a tank full of gas. Luftwaffe pilots didn't fear the Hurricane, once they that all it could do was outturn an Me 109, they adapted their tactics.The Spitfire, otoh, was widely respected among Luftwaffe pilots and other than the Mustang they did not care much for Allied fighter planes. That said, the Hurricane had some advantages over the early Spitfire - it could take more of a beating and aces lice Douglas Bader preferred its more closely aligned eight Brownings for their more concentrated firepower. Luftwaffe pilots were also hopeless in North Africa in telling the Hurricane apart from the even more lumbering P 40 Kitty- and Warhawks, so Hurricanes sometimes had an element of surprise.

No issue, numerically the Hurricane bore the brunt of the Battle of Britain, but not by shooting down Me 109s - that wasleft to the Spitfires -, but by downing German bombers which was strategically much more important. Bombers took more resources and time to build and a reduced bomber fleet endangered another Blitzkrieg success against Russia. Who knows, if the hundreds of bombers downed in England had been available for the attack on Russia and if Hitler hadn't wasted crucial time with the war in Greece (thus attacking Russia a few weeks later than planned and being faced with Russian winter earlier as a consequence), then WW II might have turned out differently, glad that it didn't though!

But without the Spitfires, the Hurricanes couldn't have wreaked as much havoc on the Dorniers and Heinkels as they did.

[Chris P.]

And don't forget the Dutch Fokkers!!!

Ow, well, maybe it's better if we do forget them... Though they gunned down some German planes in the early days of May 1940. BTW: Boilersuit still rehearses at a German bunker of the former Bergen Military Airport, from where the Fokkers flew.

And Uwe: Mittwoch it is definately!

[Highlander]

Ok guys and gals, how long before I can come out of the corner and leave the DUNCE CAP on the seat...? I am happy to be the brunt of abuse, I can live with that...

Gotta admit that my aviation "thrill" has always been the "jet-age" and especially the "afterburner"...

The show I took that Hellcat/Corsair pic (got better in flight shots of the Corsair, anyway) was at Duxford's 70th anniversary of the Spitfire show (2006)- they had hoped to get as many Spit's flying at the same time as possible, but high winds kept many of them on the deck, but eight did fly, in 2 diamond formations, and proceeded to strafe the runway as singletons in a beautiful full throttle display...
My daughter has taken to buying me a ticket to RIAT for father's day since 2007 and they were hoping for a big show for the RAF's 90th last year, but in typical British tradition "Rain Stopped Play" (they forgot about the fields the cars parked in and cancelled both days - hyped as being the "Worlds Biggest Air Show" - what a bummer, to coin an American expression...

Are any of you aware that there are more Spitfire's flying today than there were in the 70's or the 80's or the 90's and the number is going up each year... enthusiasts getting "Gate Guardians" and "junk" back to airworthieness...

Posted this shot elsewhere taken the same day  (Aug 2006) of a static Merlin and Griffon engine on run-up for the "Piston-heads"...


... and found video of what looks like the same Griffon being run up at another site, but the sound does not do justice to the "volume" involved...


Reference Hurricanes... the newest airworthy example "pranged" within weeks of a re-fit... here's a link to the accident report...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1161223/Only-surviving-WWII-Hurricane-crash-lands--weeks-1-5million-half-year-restoration-completed.html

Had to do research as penance today and whilst out today I found a book in Waterstones directly linking Republic Thunderbolts against 109's in the European theatre of operation... here's a review and a link for you, Scott (and any other interested party) if you are not aware of it...
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781846033155

Back to the corner...

[godofthunder]

 I could be wrong but I believe that The P-47 once fitted with the paddle blade prop could out climb the BF 109G. The 109 G was heavy and sluggish, they should have stopped at the 109 F, the best of the lot.

[Dave W]

Ok guys and gals, how long before I can come out of the corner and leave the DUNCE CAP on the seat...? I am happy to be the brunt of abuse, I can live with that...


...Back to the corner...

As a Scotsman you should wear the dunce cap proudly. Restore the reputation of Duns Scotus. 

[TBird1958]

That review is interesting and no doubt factual but it compares the P-47C, the D variant fitted with a variable pitch paddle blade prop was a far better performer.............As stated in an earlier thread if I were flying in the war the P-47 would have been my choice, the 8 .50 cal. guns put an incredible weight of fire into a small area, in a rugged airframe with an engine that would get you home with entire cylinders shot out, truely one badass airplane 

[Highlander]

Dave - well, well, well... we live and learn, and thanks for the (re) education... but if the "cap" fits... my face is still burning...

Scott and Mark... have you two ever been "regressed"...? just wondering where you both were, post 1941...

Re my PC'bird - missed a "Mudbucker" up for sale on ebay tonight... went over my budget - I'll keep looking for a bargain - (There was a Dimarzio model 1, but been down that road before) - anyone with a spare and willing to sell for a "reasonable" fee (via paypal), please get in touch...

[OldManC]

Ken, if you want a mudbucker out of a '72 EB3L I'd be happy to post it to you. It's just sitting in the bass waiting to be yanked for an idea I have (the bass will eventually have pickups from a mid 90s LP bass). PM me your address if you want it.

[godofthunder]

"Are any of you aware that there are more Spitfire's flying today than there were in the 70's or the 80's or the 90's and the number is going up each year... enthusiasts getting "Gate Guardians" and "junk" back to airworthieness..." And that's a good thing ! I had read that the #s were climbing and there is now the debate of who should be allowed to fly them and if they should fly at all. There are restorers who specialize in all types of aircraft, P40s to Spits to Me 262s ! I forget the name but there is a company that is building Me262s ! About 2.2 Million will buy you one  ! This is one of my favorite planes and restorations done by Bob Odegaard, Cook Clelands Race 57 a F2G Super Corsair, he also has race 74 and is now restoring that F2G. Bob Odegaard's work is amazing ! http://www.warbirddepot.com/aircraft_fighters_f2g-odegaard.asp