10 Allied planes that sealed Nazi Germany's fate

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Somewhere I have an older documentary on the development of the Spitfire which has Bader, Galland and Tuck...ah! here it is

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDzZnCkbxgs

and a wartime "documentary" on Stanford Tuck View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxMJ2mX9UWo
 
We didn't get too many British aces on the airshow circuit in the USA for some reason. I saw Johnny Johnson at one airshow but didn't get to meet him. He gave a short talk during one the breaks in the aerial action. We did get a few Janapese and German aces at the shows and they were without exception seemingly nice people. Met Pappy Boyington in the early 1980's, right when Baa Baa Black Sheep was running. He apologized for not looking like Robert Conrad ...

I have seen a LOT of mostly-US pilots at the Planes of Fame (once a month or more), but they are there for the paying customers, not to visit with the volunteers. So, although I see and listen to them, we don't usually get to meet them unless they stroll over to our aircraft under restoration. That happens occasionally. Got to meet Bud Mahurin, Bob Cardenas, Scott Crossfield, and a few other notables ... but they were mostly just looking over the YP-59A and talking with old friends.

One of our volunteer team members on the project flew B-47's and was in pilot school with some of the more famous test pilots, and they chat away and wander off talking of old times and great (or sometimes lousy) old planes, the guys who augered in, and the few friends still around.
 
Here's one I've posted before from the brochure I have on the movie:



Scott Crossfield would have been interesting to listen to, Greg. Was introduced to Gerald 'Stapme' Stapleton once, his hands were yellow with nicotine, but with a cheeky smile we talked about things; he was interested in the fact I was a Kiwi. I also met Bill Reid VC, another swell guy. John Young visited where I worked once and I asked him about the sandwich on Gemini 3! Met Sandy Johnstone, Spitfire pilot; we had an open day and he visited, also met Flt Lt Dave Castle, who was crew aboard the Vulcan that diverted to Rio de Janeiro during the Falklands war - interesting wee story!
 
Great pic!

I got to talk for about an hour with Pete Law, and he was VERY interesting. A truly knowledgeable guy around warbirds of any sort.

One guy I forgot to mention is Bob Guilliland. He is friends with one of our team members (as I said above) and visits every so often. He was the test pilot on the SR-71 and has some really interesting stories about it. He says it is VERY true that you've never been lost until you are lost at Mach 3 ... Said they had a complete systems failure and had to decide where they were by looking down at the USA and deciding to try for a point that looked promising from 80,000 feet and turned out to be an Air Force base. They never thought they'd have to navigate by remembering the terrain as seen from WAY up there.

They got a green light from the tower, but would have ignored it and landed anyway ... they figured it was patently impossible for some foreign SR-71 to land and invade the USA, so they didn't think they'd be shot if they landed unannounced at the air base. They were right ... they even got offered a meal on the way in to the tower.
 
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Here is a good reference to Rall's height..

First pic Rall, Goehrke, and Krupinski - US FA reunion 86.

Second Pic Goehrke, Rall, (don't remember), Galland and Krupinski. I am taller than every German ace in the pic except the center (unk) who was as tall as me at 5-10... with Krupinski and Goerhke about 5-9.
 

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tyrodtom said:
It's real strange you can remember the guy's height, but not his name.
Click to expand...

It's a problem of CRS. There were nine LW aces at the Reunion and I lost some pics that had each one identified on the back - but this gentleman eludes me. As to strange regading height - nah. the strange thing is when you find a WWII fighter pilot taller than 5-9.
 
Rall had a great sense of humor, and seemed to have never met a stranger in the few times I was with him..I took these pics in 1986. Far more charismatic than Redford could aspire to be.
 
Without the Spitfire and Hurricane to fight the Luftwaffe to a draw, there would have been no British air bases to hold the American bombers. Even B-29's couldn't have beaten Hitler from mainland American bases. That makes the Spit-Hurri combo WWII's most important and influential aircraft, period! Both first, and no second place.......
 

Certainly true for 1940
 
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