And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
A P-51D tasked with escorting B-29s on their 8 hour missions over Japan, receives new fuel drop pods for an upcoming mission. 1945
And this-"Due to the danger of structural failure with external fuel tanks installed, make only the maneuvers necessary to maintain safe flight." Paraphrase from pilots' handbook.
I read somewhere that the ground crews had to practically pour the pilot out of the cockpit after those long missions. They cut some of those drop tanks in half and used them for "hot tubs", running pipes from nearby hot springs on Iwo Jima.
Thanks to rapid advances in atomic physics, my Dad did not have to do this, greatly increasing my chances of being here to write this.
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteAnd this-"Due to the danger of structural failure with external fuel tanks installed, make only the maneuvers necessary to maintain safe flight." Paraphrase from pilots' handbook.
ReplyDeleteWhoever came up with the nose art slogan had a great sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that the ground crews had to practically pour the pilot out of the cockpit after those long missions. They cut some of those drop tanks in half and used them for "hot tubs", running pipes from nearby hot springs on Iwo Jima.
ReplyDeleteThe first was probably the reason for the P-82. Too bad it was too late.
DeleteThe drop tanks were made of plastic resin impregnated paper, of all things.
ReplyDeleteWeren't those the Brit ones? Those there look seriously aluminum.
DeleteMy Dad was one of those pilots.
ReplyDelete