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.
Monday, November 21, 2022
1st Lieutenant Edwin L. King, 347th Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group after his P-47 Thunderbolt lost a cylinder and much of the engine oil.
I'm thinking of all that petroleum and his oxygen mask. Ask any aviator what happens when you wear chapstick and an oxygen mask for any length of time.
There is a story I read about the air war in Europe during WW2 in which a Thunderbolt was shot to pieces but a German fighter, to the point it's point free abreast of the Thunderbolt and shook his head at the damage he inflicted. The German pilot gave up, the Thunderbolt kept flying and delivered it's pilot back to base. Once on the ground, an attempt was made to count the battle damage but there were so many holes in the plane that effort was abandoned.
If it's the story I remember, the Jug was damaged by enemy fire early on and the lead pilot ordered him to turn back and return to base in England. Alone and already damaged, he attempted to cross the channel when a FW-190 saw him and closed in. However, the FW had already shot all his cannon rounds and only had the light caliber (.30?) machine gun left. The FW riddled the Jug with all the ammo he had left but failed to shoot him down. Amazed at that, the FW pilot pulled up alongside the Thunderbolt pilot, waved, and then peeled off and left. Ironically, the presence of the FW saved the Thunderbolt as the German anti-aircraft batteries did not fire because they didn't want to hit their own man. It was a hell of a story.
Is that a wet fart then? I swear I cleaned off Piper Cherokees that looked like that on the bottom! From stem to stern....
I read about a Jug that flew into the second floor of a stone house just after take off. The pilot stepped out and walked downstairs in disbelief. Rugged machine.
I have read a few authoritative sources that stated that the P-47 was "the plane that got pilots home."
While the P-51 was the plane with the highest number of kills, It came into the war much later--after most of the good German pilots were dead and after the less experienced pilots were left to defend German skies.
I remember reading a story about testing the P47 on the ramp. They were not getting the power they were expecting so they took the cowling off to check things and one of the cylinders fell out on to the ground.
Any landing you can walk away from....
ReplyDeleteEven better is one where the aircraft is reuseable.
DeleteThe jet engine was the best thing to happen in aviation, but you have to admire the level of performance from the pinnacle of the piston era.
ReplyDeleteThink of what all that fossil fuel spill pollution did to the planet.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of all that petroleum and his oxygen mask. Ask any aviator what happens when you wear chapstick and an oxygen mask for any length of time.
DeleteThere is a story I read about the air war in Europe during WW2 in which a Thunderbolt was shot to pieces but a German fighter, to the point it's point free abreast of the Thunderbolt and shook his head at the damage he inflicted. The German pilot gave up, the Thunderbolt kept flying and delivered it's pilot back to base. Once on the ground, an attempt was made to count the battle damage but there were so many holes in the plane that effort was abandoned.
ReplyDeleteIf it's the story I remember, the Jug was damaged by enemy fire early on and the lead pilot ordered him to turn back and return to base in England. Alone and already damaged, he attempted to cross the channel when a FW-190 saw him and closed in. However, the FW had already shot all his cannon rounds and only had the light caliber (.30?) machine gun left. The FW riddled the Jug with all the ammo he had left but failed to shoot him down. Amazed at that, the FW pilot pulled up alongside the Thunderbolt pilot, waved, and then peeled off and left. Ironically, the presence of the FW saved the Thunderbolt as the German anti-aircraft batteries did not fire because they didn't want to hit their own man. It was a hell of a story.
DeleteThe wing rib structure was that of a grid and was exceptionally strong.
DeleteThe book is Thunderbolt, by Martin Caidin. Robert S. Johnson was the pilot. It's a good book. My dad flew one of these in WWII.
ReplyDeletethx, &this worth a look-
Deletehttps://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/460567/a-fighter-pilots-story/#overview
The Jug brought its drivers home.
ReplyDeleteIf you're an engineering geek (I am) you can appreciate the unbelievable engineering and design of the P47. Check this out.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=insane+engineering+of+the+P47&view=detail&mid=6A7BD58757881F56A9C86A7BD58757881F56A9C8&FORM=VIRE
It's a shame the author didn't go for the blown jug on a Jug headline.
ReplyDeleteIs that a wet fart then? I swear I cleaned off Piper Cherokees that looked like that on the bottom! From stem to stern....
ReplyDeleteI read about a Jug that flew into the second floor of a stone house just after take off. The pilot stepped out and walked downstairs in disbelief. Rugged machine.
I have read a few authoritative sources that stated that the P-47 was "the plane that got pilots home."
ReplyDeleteWhile the P-51 was the plane with the highest number of kills, It came into the war much later--after most of the good German pilots were dead and after the less experienced pilots were left to defend German skies.
I remember reading a story about testing the P47 on the ramp. They were not getting the power they were expecting so they took the cowling off to check things and one of the cylinders fell out on to the ground.
ReplyDelete