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2018 Road trip
- Thread starter Micdrow
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Certainly. I was working with them for some of time at the beginning of my service.
Very interesting airplane, I learned a lot about it when my son got to sit in the American painted one.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Excellent Paul. How did you manage to get permission to sit in the P-40?
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Well Andy, that's kind of a long story. When we planned this trip we planned it around a specific route with time tables and such plus what we wanted to see or bucket list. That plane was on my buck list as I had never seen the markings before. Any how when we got to the museum we where the only ones there as it's out of tourist season. One of the volunteers asked me how I liked the museum. I said I loved it and truly did. So much to read and see in the museum its unreal. They have trapper keepers full of notes, stories and pictures of people who served during the war on display and free for all people to look at and encouraged to look at. Any way about an hour later this man shows up and said the seen my plates from Wisconsin since we where the only ones in the museum and how close Oshkosh and I said just down the road which is true. He had no museum cloths on or identification so just thought he was a tourist like us so I said I had seen the wildcat in the corner many times at Oshkosh. He asked me how I like the museum and told him the truth. I loved it and if I could move in with a cot LOL. I was only disappointed I couldn't see the Parrot Warhawk but under stood it was in the maintenance hanger and people not allowed in which is true. Being in the military and knowing it takes lots of maintenance to keep them flying I understood. Well next then I know this guy ushered us out the door to across the pavement to another hanger that was off limits. He then left us with a mechanic as he had a phone call. We talked quite a bit and told to take all the pictures we wanted. Next then I know the mechanic had a ladder and ushered my son up into the Mig 17 with American markings. I couldn't thank him enough as my son loved it since he is a jet fan. Then he said we where not done. Since I was a piston engine fan the next thing I new I was in the cockpit of the Warhawk. Quite an experience and loved it. We talked some more and would have talked longer but I did not want to get the mechanic in trouble as he was suppose to be working. I think we talked for an hour and a half to two hours. Any way the original man found us as we where buying some things from gift shop and asked how to tour was which was awesome and one of the high lights and that we would have to come back again which we will. Then disappeared. I never did learn his name though one of the volunteers said he was the owner of the museum. Shocked we left and my son, wife and I said we will be back to each other as we left.
If your a history buff especially on WWII it's an awesome little museum. Tons of artifacts and such on display. I could spend days in there.
Basically that was it.
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Very cool Paul! My dad graduated from U of Michigan in mid 50s and landed a job with Pratt & Whitney. Pratt & Whitney had an engine R&D facility in the boonies of Palm Beach County. The big project they were working on at the time was the J58 engine for the SR-71. He has some interesting stories of the development process. Things they tried, things that didn't work. The extremes that the engine had to operate under! He has some neat stories from back then, and says it was a fun project to be a part of.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Great story Paul. Lucky that you were there at the time and so kind of the staff to take care of you like that. Makes the long trip all that more memorable.
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Very cool story David, Many thanks for sharing David.
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Thanks Andy and yeah I agree it was very memorable.
mikewint
Captain
The SR-71 hit the runway at 155 knots (178 mph, 287 km/h) with the nose 10 degrees up and only about 10,000 lb (4,535 kg) of fuel left. Because of the long nose, the pilot couldn't see the runway markings and the tarmac came up fast as the plane flew straight in while the delta wings caught the air under it and cushioned the touchdown.
The rear tires were a special blend of rubber and aluminum and filled with nitrogen to ensure against catching fire. These cost $2,300 USD each and lasted about 20 missions. To help slow the plane down further and save the tires, the pilot pulled a handle that deployed a series of three drogue chutes ranging in size from 42 inches to 40 feet in diameter. As the last deployed, the pilot let the nose wheel touch down. When the speed reached 55 knots (63 mph, 102 km/h) the last chute jettisoned and the Pilot could use the brakes.
Although the SR was stealthy it was far from invisible. During its lifetime over 800 missiles were fired at SR-71s. None came close to a hit, though one scared the life out of the crew over Libya when it was launched without a radar lock. The first clue of its approach was a pillar of smoke rising into the sky and the pilot, Brian Shul, threw the throttles into full and achieved an unofficial speed of Mach 3.5 (2,665 mph, 4,288 km/h).
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