Event Coverage Hot Rods that saved the "free world"

I did it once or twice. I think you have to go back to your profile page and to the stats page for threads you created. But it can be done easily. Gary

 

http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Heart-Frank-Reese-Mays/dp/1892614162This is a must read then. Bob

 

Awesome pics!!! Thanks for posting them.

 

I like the razorbacks much more than the (vanilla) bubble canopy P-51 Mustangs.

 

I had always been told that true shitty gunner posistion on a b17 was the tailgunner seat. I could be wrong, but i think I rmember my grandfather telling me that you had to crawl down a 3' diameter tube the length of the tail of the plane to get in and out. From what he said, lots of guys didn't have enough time to make the crawl back out again.

 

wow thanks love these airborne hotrods and thanks for the up close detail pics

gotta love a B-17

 

The direct connection between those^ and these are unquestionable and undeniable. Surplus Bomber jackets, Aviator sun glasses, Bomber seats, belly tanks. Those that piloted and wrenched on those were the same generation that piloted and wrenched on Hot Rods... I truly beleive the spark that really ignited the small previously burning flame of Hot Rodding was the men and equipment of WWII. imho

 

My wife's Uncle was a B-24 Belly gunner...he was only 5' 1" tall...we lost him last year at 86 years old.

 

Very cool pictures! Thanks for sharing these with us..

 

Thanks for posting Doug...Hot Rods for sure! Here's some I shot at Wings and Wheels Show.....Thank you to them all!

 

Cool, thanks....I learn something every day!!!

 

There was one tail gunner that was trapped back there and the B-17 was cut in half in midair, he was the only guy in the crew to survive. Like most kids I never asked Dad enough questions about day to day life on a B-17 base, started researching that on the computer. It bothered me that the ground crews and flight crews were housed apart and never socialized. I found that bothersome untill I realized that half the B-17's with a 10 man crew never returned. Guess you had to somehow block out the crew loss, and deal with the next mission that was going up. Truely The Greatest Generation. Bob

 

awesome. hot rods of the sky

 

Thanks Mazooma, as always spectaculer photography. Those Brownie Hawkeyes are something.

 

I would have to say absolutely and unquestionably! After the stuff these guys had seen and done for the last four years or so, how could you expect them to slow down and settle into a day to day routine? Hot rods and racing would be one of the few outlets that would have to in my mind be a similar rush in civilian life. Beyond that, half the technology and construction techniques of the post war lakes cars came dirrectly from the aircraft manufucturers in the L.A. area throughout the war.

 

My Dad flew his second mission in the "909". The triangle A on the tail means it was in the 91st Bomb Group,Hvy, 323 Bomb sq. He flew 33, or 35 missions, (depends on who tells the story) as a tail gunner, on one mission he and the ball gunner switched places, as both were bitching about having the worst spot. When they got back, they switched back because they each thought the other spot was better.
My Dad and the ball gunner are the only two left of their 10 man crew, and my Dad is 89 and we lost him to Alzheimers a couple years ago.
I go see the 17's any time they come to town.

Howard

 

Couldn't have said it better. Again, thanks for sharing.

 

Thanks for the awesome pics Doug! I've seen the Collings planes a bunch of times but somehow missed the details you captured. One thing missing from your photos however is the sound, it sends a chill down your spine. If you're ever in Mass around father's day, be sure and get to Bob Collings open house. He's got quite a car collection long with smaller planes. You can take a ride in the Stearman and take off from the grass runway.

 

Great photos !!!! I was lucky enough to see the Collings planes up at the Worcester airport a few years ago. They are truly awe inspiring.
Thanks to Harms Way for some great pics too. The P-38 Lightning is def. my fav.

 

Awesome!

 

Thank You, to everyone who has posted pics, of the "Hot Rods" of the sky. They are nor off topic, on a "traditional" forum, they are the roots, of the people that started this hobby!

 

Thanks for the photos Mazooma, you always post great shots! My favorite planes from WWII are B17's and Corsairs.

Here are a couple of shots of a book I have on B17s, its from 1943. Some of the pages are semi cut out in the shape of a plane. I think its kind of cool.

 

Wow! Great pictures. Thank You.

 

A few.............

 

Balls of steel, baby. Balls of steel.

 

What a great group of planes. I went to Chino Plains of Fame show yesterday. Wow is all I can say. Love them P-51, Corsairs DC-3's. Wish that B-17 could have been there. The F-86 and Russian Mig was a great show.

 

Great photos!

Thank you for posting them!

 

I just returned from a 92nd birthday party for Mr John Henry Weddle. He stormed the beach at Normandy on D Day, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was in a total of five major battles. He was in London during the Nazi bombing. I thank him for the fact that I'm not typing this in German. His stories are amazing. Most of us couldn't bare up to the challenges those men faced. Most of these guys don't want much recognition for their role in our history, but damn it, they have earned it. Not many of these fellas left, you know. When you meet one, show respect, they've certainly earned it.

 

Great to see a warbird that has some patina about it, and not a 100 point resto, great stuff.