Spitfire

[oldcrowcv63]

Ok, I gave my homage to the wonderful Spifire. And DaveBender, you are my hero for placing the Corsair where it should be. But the real American sweetheart should be the P-38 Lightning. It is all-American. Excess, complicated, sexy, really too much for what was needed! It was there from start to finish. Only political and egotistical actions slowed it's development. I mean really, is there anything better than this picture?

View attachment 192237

From wikipedia:

Late in 1943, a few hundred dive flap field modification kits were assembled to give North African, European and Pacific P-38s a chance to withstand compressibility and expand their combat tactics. Unfortunately, these crucial flaps did not always reach their destination. In March 1944, 200 dive flap kits intended for European Theater of Operations (ETO) P-38Js were destroyed in a mistaken identification incident in which a RAF fighter shot down the Douglas C-54 Skymaster (mistaking it for an Fw 200) taking the shipment to England.

John, you know I love the Spit, but isn't it a bit of dirty pool to be so jealous of potential competition that you literally shoot down your allies' prettiest contender for that year's prom queen? Should the Spitfire's name be changed to Veronica and that of the P-38 to Betty?

PS I always thought Veronica prettier than Betty too!

 

[Wayne Little]

Love that flag waving shot!

 

[fastmongrel]

Pic of the decade for me nuuumann do you know of a larger version I can use as my screensaver.

 

[Readie]

Thank for posting the spitting fire picture.
What a fantastic shot.
Says it all really
John

 

[Readie]

A wonderfull story of survival...

Spitfire back in the air after 71 years - Telegraph

http://spitfiresite.com/2011/09/press-review-2011-09-05.html

John

 

[The Basket]

The Spitfire is such a beautiful machine. Not just for an aircraft but as a beautiful object of art.

Work of genius

 

[Readie]

John, you know I love the Spit, but isn't it a bit of dirty pool to be so jealous of potential competition that you literally shoot down your allies' prettiest contender for that year's prom queen? Should the Spitfire's name be changed to Veronica and that of the P-38 to Betty?

All is fair in love and war Mal

 

[renrich]

Anyone interested in WW2 American fighters owes it to himself(or herself or themselves) to get a copy of "America's Hundred Thousand" by Dean. It has almost everything you ever wanted to know about the subject( and perhaps a lot you don't want to know) including month by month production figures. A great book which many of us already own. I bought mine in around 1999 and it is dogeared from use.

 

[Shortround6]

I second that, I have found a few errors but no book of that size and scope doesn't have a few errors. No other book that I know of contains as much information on the subject.

 

[oldcrowcv63]

Crap Another Book to buy!! you guys are killing my retirement stash!

 

[renrich]

OC, you will not regret it. Just set aside a lot of time to study. Just as SR said there are a few discrepancies but not many and the information is exhaustive and you will enjoy the photos of the old planes. If you are not an engineer like I am not, you can learn a lot of technical stuff also.

 

[oldcrowcv63]

As it turns out my initial training and employment was as an engineer although our faculty claimed we were actually majoring in aerospace science!. All I know is that whatever was the major I didn't learn as much as I should but then. However, the first airframe we studied as seniors was a freakin' blimp! Our wind tunnel labs had no context so only years later did I realize we had done a lab assessing the performance of the Wright Brother's wing. I needed the kind of context that a knowlege of history, practical experience and this forum provides to fully appreciate the subject.

After leaving for military active duty I never worked as (pretended to be) an 'engineer' again.

 

[nuuumannn]

do you know of a larger version I can use as my screensaver.

Fastmongrel, if you ask nicely, you can have a copy! I've sent you a PM.