lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Have to agree with Adler here... This place has its own personality, and until u adjust to it, u should keep ur fat yap shut and have fun...
When did you first become interested in Warbirds?
- Thread starter Medvedya
- Start date
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Great minds think alike. 
Henk
Master Sergeant
Oh sh*t another one will be added to les collection of meatballs kicked off.
corsairfreak
Airman
For me, it started at a very early age. I was born in 1970, and as a child growing up in the '70's, I remember watching Baa Baa Black Sheep with my parents. Then I saw the movie Midway on T.V. There were some other movies about the air war in Europe that I saw as well, such as '12 o'clock high'.
I also remember my parents building one of the 1/32 scale Revell F4U-1A Corsairs back then, and they hung it up in my room when it was done. Between that, and Baa Baa Black Sheep, is likely why the Corsair has been my favorite plane ever since.
That, and my dad had a collection of books on WWII aircraft, and before I learned to read I'd go through them looking at all the pictures.
I've been an avid scale modeler since about 1986, and I have just over 150 built model planes in 1/48 scale, most of which are WWII subjects. Of that number, about 30 are F4U Corsairs. But I build subjects from all theaters, although my favorite subjects to build have to do with naval aviation from all countries in WWII.
I also remember my parents building one of the 1/32 scale Revell F4U-1A Corsairs back then, and they hung it up in my room when it was done. Between that, and Baa Baa Black Sheep, is likely why the Corsair has been my favorite plane ever since.
That, and my dad had a collection of books on WWII aircraft, and before I learned to read I'd go through them looking at all the pictures.
I've been an avid scale modeler since about 1986, and I have just over 150 built model planes in 1/48 scale, most of which are WWII subjects. Of that number, about 30 are F4U Corsairs. But I build subjects from all theaters, although my favorite subjects to build have to do with naval aviation from all countries in WWII.
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
- 19,937
- Dec 20, 2003
if memory serves me correctly the grandfather ( 
) of our very own les was a blacksheep............
) of our very own les was a blacksheep............
TsgtE662
Recruit
I've been interested in warbirds and military history since my childhood. I have been reading books on WWII and other eras since Elementary school days. I'd always go to the library in school and check out every book I could to read. I have over 500 books so far filling 4 book shelves in our computer room/office.
joebong
Airman
My attempt at yuks, (See,8th A.F. one man out."stories") was firmly and sans fanfare halted, granted my humour is a tad off kilter. I respect this forum and those who contribute. At 47yrs I fancied myself a bit the sage at WWII aviation, but these guys are serious, huge stores of data, minutia and anecdotes. So I contribute when I can, avoid arguments (I'd lose most of them anyway.) and learn something from this unique coalition of A.C.fans.
My interest in WWII avi began in 65, my older brother built a revell Dambuster and a P40 etc. Then a kid named Jesse moved next door, so reading and model building was how we became pals, he and I built a couple of Revell flying tigers and went tearing down the street, chopping up any imaginary zeros in our path. Its only gotten worse since then.
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
corsairfreak said:
That is infact correct Oh Master of the Eweish... Bill Case, 3rd highest scoring Black Sheep with 8 kills....Lanc said:
Erich
the old Sage
joebong I am the SAGE !! ............ let's not forget that ok
and with that I can pretty much say what I want here ........... yeah right
after todays work in the trees I feel like a war-bird or is that a war-turd ?
thus I have spoken . . . ...........
after todays work in the trees I feel like a war-bird or is that a war-turd ?
thus I have spoken . . . ...........
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
So sayeth the Sheppard, so sayeth the Flock...
riseofnations
Recruit
- 9
- Jun 24, 2006
Most machines from the period interest me eg, aircraft, tanks old steam enginges etc., i like the noise, colours and my dad was interested in the stuff. Then i learned my grandad was in the RNZAF and so ive been told time and again that he was supposibly the last guy to fly out of Singapore before the Japs overan it.
By the way if anyone could please vote for my web site at the netguide awards it would be most appreciated. International voters are allowed and the instructions for voting is on my Famous Conflicts homepage. cheers
By the way if anyone could please vote for my web site at the netguide awards it would be most appreciated. International voters are allowed and the instructions for voting is on my Famous Conflicts homepage. cheers
Heinz
Captain
I like mechanical things I have to admit. Cars, trains, aeroplanes, tanks, ships you name it ill have read about it.
Warbirds probably from a spitfire kit my old man bought me and built.
My Dads father was in the British 8th Army with Monty and my other grandfather was in RAAF.
So I guess thats helped my interest grow
Warbirds probably from a spitfire kit my old man bought me and built.
My Dads father was in the British 8th Army with Monty and my other grandfather was in RAAF.
So I guess thats helped my interest grow
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
I had an interest in WW2 aircraft during the war because I was barely old enough to be aware of some of the types in magazines and newspapers. I really started getting interested in 1955 while working at Temco Aircraft at the same time I was in college. Temco was next door to Vought and there were some F4Us still around on the flight line and I would go out and look at them during lunch time. Also, when I was in high school we used to spend a good bit of time on Padre Island near a Navy aerial gunnery range. Watching those TBMs, Hellcats, Corsairs and Bearcats dive in on the targets was a real thrill.
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Is the Corsair, the first bird u came in contact with, ur favorite fighter??? Just curious...
Civettone
Tech Sergeant
I know exactly how that happened with me. The kids next door got some cool posters from aircraft (I especially remember the F-14 and F-4G). They also knew a bit about them, though looking back they knew nothing. Just the stuff that kids now: how fast it was and how many bombs it could carry. But I was impressed and interested.
Then a couple of years later (must have been 13 or so) I saw an ad for an aircraft cards collection. Each month you would receive 60 cards with a picture of an aircraft on one side and information about it on the other side. So I asked my mom if I could get it and then month by month the collection grew until there were about a thousand of them. In the beginning I kinda played with them. Would put my favorite ones on the table which represented my country and would take others to attack it, and then my air force would defend and naturally shoot down the enemy. Later on I took it to another level and started writing down complete OOBs per year. So gradually it became more serious. But I think it took me till I was 18 and I got internet connection before I really started to learn and look beyond the specifications of an aircraft. Up till then the fastest was also the best fighter, and the bomber with the most bombs the best bomber.
And yet I could name the maximum speed of every aircraft of that collection. Something I'm no longer capable of. As Lennon used to say "That's the bargain with it ya know".
Kris
Then a couple of years later (must have been 13 or so) I saw an ad for an aircraft cards collection. Each month you would receive 60 cards with a picture of an aircraft on one side and information about it on the other side. So I asked my mom if I could get it and then month by month the collection grew until there were about a thousand of them. In the beginning I kinda played with them. Would put my favorite ones on the table which represented my country and would take others to attack it, and then my air force would defend and naturally shoot down the enemy. Later on I took it to another level and started writing down complete OOBs per year. So gradually it became more serious. But I think it took me till I was 18 and I got internet connection before I really started to learn and look beyond the specifications of an aircraft. Up till then the fastest was also the best fighter, and the bomber with the most bombs the best bomber.
And yet I could name the maximum speed of every aircraft of that collection. Something I'm no longer capable of. As Lennon used to say "That's the bargain with it ya know".
Kris
Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
From my dad. He was a former Air Force pilot (short time in the 50s being medical discharge) and he loved building models. I started modelling and it went from there. Didn't hurt that we were also living near the flight path of a local rinky-dink airport. I remember how excited my dad and I were to see a flight of three P-51s go overhead.
Still modelling, still interested and trying to pass it on to my kids.
Still modelling, still interested and trying to pass it on to my kids.
trackend
Chief Master Sergeant
My mother told me of my Uncle ( a ww2 Wellington pilot ) and how he had died after only a few missions upon returning from training in Canada so it sort grew from there.
lesofprimus
Brigadier General
Several things molded my intrest in WWII Aviation... The main things were my Grandfather, who flew Corsairs with VMF-122, -112, and -214, and the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC...
My Grandfather was an inspiration, and a funny guy... Told alot of stories... Took me to alot of places.... My Dad also was a pilot also, and I went flying with him and Grandpa twice a month...
The first time I went to the Air and Space Museum, I was hooked.... Hearing the stories, meeting the pilots, and reading some books doesnt make it all click together until u actually can touch the planes.....
Then the Hook sets....
My Grandfather was an inspiration, and a funny guy... Told alot of stories... Took me to alot of places.... My Dad also was a pilot also, and I went flying with him and Grandpa twice a month...
The first time I went to the Air and Space Museum, I was hooked.... Hearing the stories, meeting the pilots, and reading some books doesnt make it all click together until u actually can touch the planes.....
Then the Hook sets....
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
lesofprimus, I got a book sometime during WW2 and I remember only two pictures(these were color paintings) one was a Wildcat pursuing a Zero in a dive and the other was a Corsair against a background of clouds. The Corsair was the XF4U and was silver with yellow wings. I got hooked on the Corsair and have read everything I can get my hands on about it.
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
I was in a Piper Tomahawk on the taxiway at Addison airport in about 1980 when looking to my left I saw an F4U that looked factory fresh taking off. I almost ran off the taxiway. LTV had just finished completely renovating one and I believe this was that plane, piloted by,I believe, Paul Thayer, the CEO of LTV, a former Navy and Vought test pilot. I taxied down to the run up area turned into the wind and did my runup check list and called the tower to say I was ready for the active runway. They called back and said to hold as a Corsair was doing a fly by. I looked to my right and here came this big blue F4U about 50 ft off the deck going like the dickens right down the center of the runway. After he was gone I pulled out and took off and felt very insignificant. Unfortunately, in a few months this same plane had an engine failure, crashed and Thayer was lucky to get away with no serious injuries. Thayer had a run of bad luck as he was later convicted of insider trading and spent a year or so in a federal prison.
