Me-262

[Another Ahab]

I found the album cover.

I wonder if the story behind the song is any good.

If I find out anything I'll post it.




View attachment 679216

One of the three songwriters for the tune (one of whom was Jewish), says that he "...can't remember what the inspiration was...".

I guess that sometimes artistic expression simply has no explanation, and a song is just a song:

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=22277​

 

[Tracer]

The Me-262 originally came in both single and two-seat versions. The two-seater was designed as a night-fighter.

During WWII, many P-51s (and other planes) had a second seat added by squadron maintenance shops on war weary machines to use as squadron hacks (for flying about doing business, rather than combat). There was at least one production 2-seat version of the Mustang proposed, the TP-51C, but I believe they only built a few of them. One of the US museums has a flying one.
Check out the TP-47G for an odd one, proposed trainer version of the Thunderbolt.

Cheers

In recent years there have been several P-51s that have been converted to TF-51 (dual control) aircraft. Two Reno Gold Race winning aircraft, the beautiful and famous P-51 racers Stiletto, and Sumthin' Else have been converted to plain Jane TF-51s. Very Sad!!

 

[Another Ahab]

You are right, Tracer. I didn't think it would be sad. But then when you see how the airframe was changed, it just is NOT the same aircraft.

It's not "pretty" anymore.

And that is sad.

 

[M813rc]

Yes, there are lots of post-war civilian two seat mods, I was only referring to the WWII military-modified planes.

Cheers

 

[M813rc]

Can't leave out the TP-39!
Though it was certainly not the prettiest of the bunch......

Cheers

 

[Another Ahab]

Can't leave out the TP-39!
Though it was certainly not the prettiest of the bunch......

Cheers

Is that a modified Air Cobra?

 

[M813rc]

Yep! Engine is mid-fuselage, so you can do whatever you want in the nose, just have to work around the prop drive shaft

Cheers

 

[Another Ahab]

Can't leave out the TP-39!
Though it was certainly not the prettiest of the bunch......

Cheers

Is that a modified Air Cobra?

Yep! Engine is mid-fuselage, so you can do whatever you want in the nose, just have to work around the prop drive shaft

Cheers

Lordy, they sure did butcher that one up.

 

[Another Ahab]

Here's a short interview with one of the few pilots who flew combat in the 262's:

- "...at this time it was better than any other aircraft in the world, no doubt I liked it!"



https://youtu.be/jFsS6MrgWOM

 

[Tracer]

The beautiful Reno Racer Sumthin' Else as it exists today, as the long canopy TF-51 Diamondback. Sumthin' Else was owned and piloted by the late great John Crocker. Brother Ahab, I didn't mean to hijack this thread. Thx.

 

[Another Ahab]

View attachment 682127 The beautiful Reno Racer Sumthin' Else as it exists today, as the long canopy TF-51 Diamondback. Sumthin' Else was owned and piloted by the late great John Crocker. Brother Ahab, I didn't mean to hijack this thread. Thx.

You haven't hijacked anything, Tracer. This is just a conversation here and all contributions are appreciated.

That Sumthin' Else IS something else!

The North American P-51 is a beautiful airframe. And in flight, it's something to see. I count myself lucky to have seen them in the air once or twice.

 

[M813rc]

Lordy, they sure did butcher that one up.



View attachment 682118

They did! Your picture is actually a P-63 Kingcobra. It is basically the P-39 developed to it's full potential as quite good fighter. But by that time, the US wanted to limit the number of fighter types it was using, so the majority of P-63 production went to the Russkies, who used it to good effect. They also used the P-39 effectively long after the US had relegated it to second-line use.

Cheers

 

[Another Ahab]

Here's some of the background story on the new state-of-the-art replicas that have been built.

The vid isn't too long:


https://youtu.be/Kg9Cgnf_0Cs

 

[Tracer]

Took a trip to the Hawthorne Munitions Museum and took some pictures of the museums two QH-50C drones. The drones entered service in the early 1960s and were used by the USN for anti-submarine warfare. One of the drones is armed with torpedo's, and the other is armed with rockets. The drone control station is the size of a small car, a far cry from the hand held controls of todays drones. The info board on the first picture gives the details of this little known aircraft.

 

[Another Ahab]

I wasn't looking for the vid here, but YouTube pitched it up.

I'm guessing it's not chance, but the algorithms somehow:



https://youtu.be/ZaN_sl5NuUY

 

[Another Ahab]

This is kind of long (8 minutes +/-), but it gives an overall summary, from the early development to the final few sorties.

Towards the end of the vid it addresses a U.S. bomber raid over Berlin involving 1,200 bomber aircraft. That would not have been a good day to be in Berlin:




https://youtu.be/Bm4-7GXeaUA

 

[Guyfang]

I met a B-17 crewman at the DMV in Ogdon, Utah. He told me that by the end of the war, bomber raids on Berlin were simply moving mounds of rubble from one side of a bomb crater, to another.

 

[Another Ahab]

This vid is pushing the limit on lapsed time (8 minutes +/_). Generally I don't like posting anything more than 5-6 minutes (people are busy).

But it looks like this might be pretty good (funny, but I haven't watched it all the way through).

I just scoped it long enough to confirm that it's good quality, and might have some good content:



https://youtu.be/2SBAhNb1Y4w

 

[M813rc]

Nice video to watch.

I just wish the folks who make videos didn't think we need rousing music to go along with it, I'd rather hear the aeroplane! Same thing at airshows.

Cheers

 

[Another Ahab]

Nice video to watch.

I just wish the folks who make videos didn't think we need rousing music to go along with it, I'd rather hear the aeroplane! Same thing at airshows.

Couldn't agree with you more.

Over the last couple of years I've even noticed how big Fourth of July fireworks now tend to have a musical "accompaniment".

Doesn't seem like any enhancement, but I guess it's become the fashion.