Recent content by YF12A

Remember standing in front of thr XB-42 at Silver Hill many times, odd comes to mind.

I think you mean the Boeing B-314. 12 were made, none survive, just like the Martin M-130, 3 were made, also none survive. The only survivor from that era is the Sikorsky VS-44A. 3 were made, 1 is the sole survivor from that era, on display at the New England Air Museum. IMHO, the best looking...

Don't know if anyone mentioned this, if so my bad, but I wonder what it might have been like in an F-2G with an R-4360 up front in the same situations?

Remember these like yesterday. Going to the 24 Hours of Daytona Race in January 1982 with my 2 best friends, my turn at the wheel when we were, I think in Georgia on I-95 South, when my friend Chip riding shotgun called out a flight of 4 A-10's rolling in on us from 2 O'Clock. They used us as...

Heresy I say, heresy! Look at the Boeing, 3 tails, 4 wings, looks like the XB-15 mated with a ships' hull and a Constellation tail!Look at how integrated the Sikorsky looks in comparison. Realistically, the VS-44A had better range and payload over the 314 and the Martin M-130. If you really want...

My Dad always thought the Boeing 314 was just one of the ugliest flying boat produced. Compared to his beloved Sikorsky VS-44A, the only surviving flying boat from that era thank God, I have to agree. Then Dad gets the B-377 Stratocruiser which he liked, but called it a pregnant B-29! Boeing...

Dave, have to respectfully disagree with you about the XP-72. Yes, heck of an aircraft, but... Probably the best prop fighter to get to a War Zone but not see combat, and was made in large numbers (555) was the P-51H. It could do everything the 72 could do which was more than a match for...

A very long time ago I remember asking my neighbor, former C/O of the 303rd B/G, if he carried a firearm. His response was that as he was the pilot in command and was going to be the last man out of the airplane no matter what, the only thing he was going to carry was his parachute as he knew...

According to Wiki ?!?!, on the Republic XF-12 Rainbow, each R-4360 exhaust system from the turbos produced about 250 HP per engine, not too shabby. Beautiful plane, wish A/Airlines had bought them as my Dad would have had even more airline stories to tell me. As for the R-3350 turbo compound, I...

If I recall right, I think the tires were inflated to around 1,000,000 psi! Just kidding but the pressure was higher than I thought. And then there is the B-58. Great pics from the good old days.

My neighbor flew just about everything, including both the B-25 and the B-26. He told me the B-26 was not as easy to fly and definitely took more training to be safe in it. Said the same thing about the B-24 compared to his all time favorite, the B-17. He kept current in the B-25, among other...

Went to the EAA website today and looked at Aluminum Overcasts' passenger regulations for the first time since I flew her in 1997. A lot has changed! The flights then had a maximum of 7 people, we were in the air for an honest hour and you got to actually fly the B-17 from the left seat, can't...

Speaking of thrust line reminds me of a story told to me by my Father. In the '40's when he was working for American Overseas Airlines, they had one Lockheed Constellation that from day one from Lockheed always required a fixed amount of rudder trim, no matter what. No one could figure it out...

Ok, I just found my Ronco Chop-O-Matic next to my Popeil Pocket Fisherman!

How about an F-7F against an F-82? Timeline wise, they were compatible.