1944 Joint Fighter Conference

[Zipper730]

Anybody have any information about and the findings of the 1944 Joint-Fighter Conference

Airframes , drgondog , F fliger747 , fubar57 , S Shortround6

 

[drgondog]

Anybody have any information about and the findings of the 1944 Joint-Fighter Conference

Airframes , drgondog , F fliger747 , fubar57 , S Shortround6

Yes. I have the book.

 

[Shortround6]

Report of Joint Fighter Conference: NAS Patuxent River, MD - 16-23 October 1944 (Schiffer Military History): Dean, Francis H.: 9780764304040: Amazon.com: Books

Report of Joint Fighter Conference: NAS Patuxent River, MD - 16-23 October 1944 (Schiffer Military History) [Dean, Francis H.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Report of Joint Fighter Conference: NAS Patuxent River, MD - 16-23 October 1944 (Schiffer Military History)

www.amazon.com

used copies are going for as low as $19.00
The book, as published, is 356 pages.

 

[Zipper730]

That's pretty cool

 

[GregP]

The Zero flown in the 1944 Fighter Conference is the same one flown today by the Planes of Fame Air Museum, # 61-120. If also never broke during the entire conference, which is more than you can say for most of the Allied fighters flown there. They put about 150 hours on it and it kept on ticking, like a Timex watch.

 

[Zipper730]

Ordered the book, it's slated to arrive in the middle of the month so it seems.

 

[Zipper730]

The book has arrived!

 

[GregP]

It is a good read, but not a quick read, if you actually read it and don't just scan it.

 

[BiffF15]

It is a good read, but not a quick read, if you actually read it and don't just scan it.

Reading it now.

 

[GregP]

I was surprised to learn how many things the pilots didn't really like about most of the planes, particularly the cockpits and the general handling. I also wonder why so many pilots didn't fill out and hand in the scores. Seems to me as if that's why they were there to start with, but many didn't comment on some items.

I interpret no comment as "nothing unusual" or "nothing bad or good to say," but still ...

 

[SaparotRob]

That's what I would like to read. Were there great planes whose pilots would rather shoot a toe off than fly again? Were there planes whose pilots, after returning from a long arduous mission, asked if they could fly around a little longer because the plane was a joy to fly? I know that some famous pilots loved aircraft that are commonly derided. I remember reading a post that mentioned the B-17 was like flying a four engined Piper Cub. I assume this to be a good thing. Source: GregP's signature.
So it's the planes the majority of serving aircrew's feedback I'm interested in. The guys fresh out of school who never planned to ever fly, let alone be in aerial combat. Winkle Brown, Chuck Yeager or that Grumman test pilot who enjoyed flying a truly awful plane because he knew it would suck, are exceptional pilots who could master and enjoy the strange.

 

[GregP]

That's what I would like to read. Were there great planes whose pilots would rather shoot a toe off than fly again? Were there planes whose pilots, after returning from a long arduous mission, asked if they could fly around a little longer because the plane was a joy to fly? I know that some famous pilots loved aircraft that are commonly derided. I remember reading a post that mentioned the B-17 was like flying a four engined Piper Cub. I assume this to be a good thing. Source: GregP's signature.
So it's the planes the majority of serving aircrew's feedback I'm interested in. The guys fresh out of school who never planned to ever fly, let alone be in aerial combat. Winkle Brown, Chuck Yeager or that Grumman test pilot who enjoyed flying a truly awful plane because he knew it would suck, are exceptional pilots who could master and enjoy the strange.

Corky Meyer I think you might mean. His pilot reports were always interesting, with some generally unexpected comments.

 

[Clayton Magnet]

Corky Meyer I think you might mean. His pilot reports were always interesting, with some generally unexpected comments.

I think it was Corky Meyer that said, after testing a particularly poor prototype aircraft,
"...the cockpit was difficult to get in and out of. It SHOULD have been made impossible..." or something to that effect

 

[yulzari]

I think it was Corky Meyer that said, after testing a particularly poor prototype aircraft,
"...the cockpit was difficult to get in and out of. It SHOULD have been made impossible..." or something to that effect

I believe that was the test pilot of the Blackburn Botha.

 

[Juha3]

I believe that was the test pilot of the Blackburn Botha.

I think it was Harald Penrose, the chief test pilot of Westland from 1931 to mid 50s, also a naval architect and an aviation author, e.g. multi-volume history of the British aircraft industry British Aviation. I specially liked his memoirs, the title was something like Adventure with Fate IIRC.

 

[Reluctant Poster]

I highly recommend Corky Meyers book

Corky Meyer's Flight Journal: Meyer, Corwin H.: 9781580072038: Amazon.com: Books

Corky Meyer's Flight Journal [Meyer, Corwin H.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Corky Meyer's Flight Journal

www.amazon.com

He absolutely loved the Seafire he tested at the Fighter Conference.

 

[hobbes154]

This thread seems to have driven up the price [edit: of the original report, not Meyers' book]
It can be borrowed from the Internet Archive however.

Is there a short summary floating around anywhere? I could have sworn I had/read a short pdf with the same or similar results (e.g. P-47 best above 25,000ft) but can't find it. Possibly I'm just mixing up this old thread and this similar comparison.

 

[GrauGeist]

Were there great planes whose pilots would rather shoot a toe off than fly again? Were there planes whose pilots, after returning from a long arduous mission, asked if they could fly around a little longer because the plane was a joy to fly?

My Uncle Jimmy was a USAAC pilot, trained and experienced on the P-36. He was stationed at Pearl when the attack occurred. His P-36 was fueled up but lacked ammunition.
He lamented that situation for the rest of his days, but made it very clear that he would have gladly taken his P-36 into battle against any Japanese, anywhere anytime.
On the otherhand, he had an unhealthy dislike of the P-39 (which he was assigned after Pearl Harbor).
When he had the opportunity to train on the P-38, he jumped at it. Not because he liked the P-38, but because he hated the P-39.
One comment he made to his sister (my Grandmother) in a letter, about being assigned to the P-39, was "Oh what have I done to deserve punishment of this magnitude?"

Oddly enough, he never mentioned whether he liked or disliked the P-38, but considering how vocal he could be about things he didn't like (like the P-39 for example), it seems that he was ok with the Fork Tail Devil.

 

[drgondog]

This thread seems to have driven up the price [edit: of the original report, not Meyers' book]
It can be borrowed from the Internet Archive however.

Is there a short summary floating around anywhere? I could have sworn I had/read a short pdf with the same or similar results (e.g. P-47 best above 25,000ft) but can't find it. Possibly I'm just mixing up this old thread and this similar comparison.

"Best All Around Figher Above 25000 Feet
P-47 45% votes
P-51 39% votes
F4U1 7% votes
F4U4/F6F 3% votes
P-38 1% Votes

Best All Around Fighter Below 25000 Feet
XF8 30% votes
P-51 29% votes
F4U1 27% votes
F7F 6% votes
F6F 2% votes
F4U4/Mosq 2% votes

Contractor pilots attending
Chance Vought -22
Goodyear - 13
Grumman -8
Republic -5
Bell - 3
Lockheed, Northrup, McDonnell & NAA -2 ea

USAAF 40
USN/Marines - 66
RAF/RN- 13
NACA - 4

 

[Zipper730]

This thread seems to have driven up the price [edit: of the original report, not Meyers' book]
It can be borrowed from the Internet Archive however.

I wish I knew that it was available...