General

[pillage]

Originally Posted by Bored383

Remembering World War Two Airmen: Alan Magee: The Luckiest Ball Turret Gunner of WWII?

Awesome story.

[cwest1977]

I love all things airplanes. When I was in Jacksonville the first week of November, there was a B-17 at Cecil Field. It was awesome to stand there and watch that thing fly by and just imagine the history and what that plane had been through. It was awesome!

[Schmitti]

If you also have time, take a look at the 100th's site... lots of photos:
Official Site of the 100th Bomb Group Foundation

My Great Uncle, Bob Major, was the Ordinance Officer for the 349th:
349th BS - Page 10

The 100th also has a FB page.. I've posted up a bunch of scans from Bob's collection. He had some pretty cool pictures that he kept.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/56754531401/

E

[Falcon16]

Gotta love warbirds. My uncle works as the head AME for a local private field where the owner is a billionaire and bought 3 warbirds all at once . Then last time I was in FL there was a mueseum I went to (can't remember exact part of FL but near Orlando at least) that had a really neat exhibit in which you started out in a room that had WW1 planes and an entrance to what looked like a bunker, you went in to that an ended up in a small room with a projector screen where an old time news reel played, then a siren went off and they yelled GO GO GO! you run out the door into a large hangar that's been painted like a tarmac and parked in there they have all sorts of warbirds bombers,fighters etc you name it. They also had a simulator built into one of the bomber turrets which really gave you a sense of what the gunners went through. I was dizzy afterwards from how fast the turret spins. Best part though had to be out on the tarmac next to the place was a flying condition F4U Corsair they let people sit in for pics (and they had an airmen on staff right there and could fire up the engine if asked nicely) I've got a picture I have to dig out of myself in a WW2 era flight suit and helmet (well cap really since they were leather) sitting in a spitfire at my uncle's airfield with the engine going. Shot in B&W it looks like it could have easily been the 40's.

[HurtCow]

I dig that stuff. I go to the Reno Air Races every year and geek the **** out. Got bookshelves full of WW2 history/warbird stuff, and about a dozen documentary DVD's.

[LettuceHead]

Originally Posted by heinous

saw one of those old bomber ball turrets at the air and space museum, can't believe people can fit in it...

The average height of most soldiers, sailors and airmen in WW2 was 5 ft 6 inches to 5 ft 8 inches. Aircrews were notoriously small statured, especially fighter pilots. Many attribute this to the fact that during the Great Depression nations worldwide were struggling and that the youth ate less during their formative years.

As a collector/ reenactor I am always trying to find original WW2 unifom pieces in my size (6 foot tall, 42 inch chest, 36 inch waist measured at the navel). Not only are they a rarity to find but the collector's market naturally charges more. However, 5' 4" to 5' 8" uniforms are everywhere and much cheaper

[ta2maki]

Originally Posted by LettuceHead

The average height of most soldiers, sailors and airmen in WW2 was 5 ft 6 inches to 5 ft 8 inches. Aircrews were notoriously small statured, especially fighter pilots. Many attribute this to the fact that during the Great Depression nations worldwide were struggling and that the youth ate less during their formative years.

As a collector/ reenactor I am always trying to find original WW2 unifom pieces in my size (6 foot tall, 42 inch chest, 36 inch waist measured at the navel). Not only are they a rarity to find but the collector's market naturally charges more. However, 5' 4" to 5' 8" uniforms are everywhere and much cheaper

Maybe you shouldn't have ate so much when you were a kid.

[Bored383]

My grandfather flew P51's, and he was 6ft2

[moonweasel]

I have a soft spot, I like that site. And a couple of pics I took myself
Doubt I'll ever see this formation again.

Mosquito, the only one flying in the world recently restored. With the legends that actually flew them.

Lucky enough to actually fly in this one

[Brother Jerry]

Curse you for providing this link....I can foresee many hours spent cycling through these images....


And oh to fly in a Corsair....would love to do that.