OT-National Museum of WW II Avation
11-21-2017, 07:32 PM
#61
Melting Slicks
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Love these pics and stories.
Kolsen, I don’t think the OP would mind if you told us which warbirds you were checked out in. I’d love to hear your handling impressions between the fighters. Preference between round and water cooled. I couldn’t see from the Evergreen site it’s collection.
Kolsen, I don’t think the OP would mind if you told us which warbirds you were checked out in. I’d love to hear your handling impressions between the fighters. Preference between round and water cooled. I couldn’t see from the Evergreen site it’s collection.
11-21-2017, 08:04 PM
#62
Melting Slicks<br><img src="/forums/images/ranks/3k-4k.gif" border="0">
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Love these pics and stories.
Kolsen, I don’t think the OP would mind if you told us which warbirds you were checked out in. I’d love to hear your handling impressions between the fighters. Preference between round and water cooled. I couldn’t see from the Evergreen site it’s collection.
Kolsen, I don’t think the OP would mind if you told us which warbirds you were checked out in. I’d love to hear your handling impressions between the fighters. Preference between round and water cooled. I couldn’t see from the Evergreen site it’s collection.
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jcsperson (11-21-2017)
11-21-2017, 08:50 PM
#63
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2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (track prepared))
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This is truly amazing. Since there weren’t too many of these groups flying, I started looking through the pic and lo and behold, there is my dad kneeling behind Todd’s! Absolutely strange coincidence that the fathers of two guys into old Corvettes served in the same unit. Thanks for sharing Todd. We should stay in touch. Happy Thanksgiving!
The Corvette Forum is an amazing place.
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warrenmj (11-21-2017)
11-22-2017, 04:07 PM
#64
Love that pic of the Bearcat and the Vette. Two real bearcats.
Here's my best story. Airshow in Hillsboro, Or. 20 years ago with 5 of Evergreen's warbirds. Sitting under wing of our Ford Tri Motor watching show. Fellow taps me on shoulder, "I'm ex-marine, can I get closer to the Corsair?" Asked Darin who was flying it in the show to take him. When Darin comes back he says listen to this. The fellow goes up to the Corsair and kisses the cowling. Then he tells Darin in WWII he's trapped on the hill surrounded by Japanese, only him and one other marine left. Then he hears two Corsair's. The shot an escape path for them to get out. Made it to the end of the war. Now in the reserves he gets a call from the Marine Corp, it's Korea and we need you. Back in it again he's trapped on a hill again surrounded by North Korean's and only him and two other Marines left. Not going make it this time. Then he hears that sound again. Told his buddys to hunker down we'll make it.
The Corsair saved his life twice hence the kiss on the cowling.
Here's my best story. Airshow in Hillsboro, Or. 20 years ago with 5 of Evergreen's warbirds. Sitting under wing of our Ford Tri Motor watching show. Fellow taps me on shoulder, "I'm ex-marine, can I get closer to the Corsair?" Asked Darin who was flying it in the show to take him. When Darin comes back he says listen to this. The fellow goes up to the Corsair and kisses the cowling. Then he tells Darin in WWII he's trapped on the hill surrounded by Japanese, only him and one other marine left. Then he hears two Corsair's. The shot an escape path for them to get out. Made it to the end of the war. Now in the reserves he gets a call from the Marine Corp, it's Korea and we need you. Back in it again he's trapped on a hill again surrounded by North Korean's and only him and two other Marines left. Not going make it this time. Then he hears that sound again. Told his buddys to hunker down we'll make it.
The Corsair saved his life twice hence the kiss on the cowling.
A wife and three kids at home under the age of five. When you hear people use the word hero these days it doesn't even come close to real meaning of hero like Jim and all the others who sacrificed their lives for this country.
11-22-2017, 06:01 PM
#65
Burning Brakes
Ok just the one's I flew. Don't want to get to carried away as I have many, many stories. As the B-747 Chief Pilot here at the company headquarters I had most weekends and evenings free so I was an easy pick.
Since I had lots of tail wheel time they started me in the AT-6. Then went to the T-28. Then I flew the TBM torpedo bomber. Next I flew co-pilot in the B-17, they wanted me to get type rated in it but decided against it as it flew a lot and I really enjoyed the fighters more. Then I flew the Corsair, my favorite, and finally the P-51 Mustang.
We did lot's of rides in the B-17 for the owner every time he had VIP's in town so I ended up in it anyway unless he wanted to give them rides in the P-51, I really enjoyed that.
The owner talked me into taking charge of those old warbirds. I trained a few pilots to fly some of them and take them to airshows. Training was AT-6, front seat then back seat. T-28 with much bigger radial all with me as instructor. Then the bigger fighters had to be a ground school and coxpit checkout and then you were on your own. "Don't bend it or the old man will fire you and me".
Since I had lots of tail wheel time they started me in the AT-6. Then went to the T-28. Then I flew the TBM torpedo bomber. Next I flew co-pilot in the B-17, they wanted me to get type rated in it but decided against it as it flew a lot and I really enjoyed the fighters more. Then I flew the Corsair, my favorite, and finally the P-51 Mustang.
We did lot's of rides in the B-17 for the owner every time he had VIP's in town so I ended up in it anyway unless he wanted to give them rides in the P-51, I really enjoyed that.
The owner talked me into taking charge of those old warbirds. I trained a few pilots to fly some of them and take them to airshows. Training was AT-6, front seat then back seat. T-28 with much bigger radial all with me as instructor. Then the bigger fighters had to be a ground school and coxpit checkout and then you were on your own. "Don't bend it or the old man will fire you and me".
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11-22-2017, 08:09 PM
#66
An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos
11-22-2017, 09:39 PM
#67
Melting Slicks
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So Kolsen, why was the Corsair your favorite? I would expect the Mustang the more maneuverable/nimble. I think the gross of the Mustang is ~12klbs, Corsair ~18klbs. But not hard for me to imagine the joy of being behind 2,000 radial hp. Amazing stuff young men just jumping in a single seat Corsair a few hours after it arrived in the Pacific. Yes. Real heroes.
11-23-2017, 10:00 AM
#68
11-23-2017, 12:16 PM
#69
Burning Brakes
The Mustang I flew had fuel injection so was easy to start. Water cooled so you had to be careful you didn't overheat it on the ground. It's a little short coupled so the rudder was heavy. Most people wheel land them because it's a little squirrelly on landing because of the laminar flow wing stall characteristics. I flew into numerous small fields so learned how to deal with it. Loops required large rudder deflections in comparison to the Corsair.
Corsair was big, long and loud. Flight controls where very smooth at high speed or low speed. Conventional three point landings where a challenge because you where so far back and the big round engine blocked your view but for some reason I found the right picture looking at the side of the runway and was always able to make perfect landings.
Great old memories.
Corsair was big, long and loud. Flight controls where very smooth at high speed or low speed. Conventional three point landings where a challenge because you where so far back and the big round engine blocked your view but for some reason I found the right picture looking at the side of the runway and was always able to make perfect landings.
Great old memories.
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