Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Amazing what survives.... http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid34757272001?bclid=0&bctid=87804472001 LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Balz, SASS#46599 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 We like that! "Keep em flyin" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 A bit poignant... A gentleman I work with lost his dad exactly one month ago. Mr Frame was a successful farmer and retired Air Force Lt Colonel who had started his flying in P-39's, and even downed a zero! The week before he passed, Bill asked his dad if there was anything he wanted... and his dad looked at him and said "Yes. I want to go to the airfield, climb into a P-39 and fly off..." Lt Colonel Leonard Frame Rest in peace, Sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Balz, SASS#46599 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Tail Winds Col Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I have one of his cards on my desk, so thought I'd add this (address and phone number blotted, of course): P-39 Jock His pickup and automobile wore bumper stickers proclaiming "P-39 Jock." The depiction on the card is a portion of a painting of him "getting the drop" on a Zero... the actual painting is very cool. He would have been 94 in October, and had been flying well into his 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Wow, what a great story! The crew's remains were found inside and yet the plane appears virtually completely intact - what happened that none of them survived? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Sir HP FlashmanVC SASSL#535 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 The Bell P-39 Airecobra was a Single Seat, Mid-Engined, Interceptor & it only took one Pilot to fly it, not a Crew. Pilot Error, Engine Failure, Instrument Mis-set or Malfunction, Weather of some sort (Plane Iced Up, Wind Shear, Sudden Squall, etc.) Wow, what a great story! The crew's remains were found inside and yet the plane appears virtually completely intact - what happened that none of them survived? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Ah, I didn't even notice that - I was listening to the narrator referring to the pilot's remains/medals, and took it as a plural rather than a possessive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Ears Wilson, SASS #77948 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Amazing! Found some more info on the recovered plane: http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/articles/sheppard/p39/index.htm The Ruskies loved the P-39. The Americans and British were only too happy to let them have 'em. Don't give me a P-39; the engine is mounted behind She'll tumble and roll, and she'll bore a deep hole Don't give me a P-39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 My dad told me the reason he joined the Air Corps was because he thought the P-39 was the coolest thing he had ever seen. He never got to fly one but always remained a fan, even given it's many shortcomings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 103 Ross Ave. Buffalo NY Gen. Yeager, as a young pilot, rather liked it. You had to be aware that with the center of gravity behind the pilot it would behave differently than most planes, but apparently they were quite nimble and flyable. If the supercharger had been left n it would have been a pretty good all around fighter and attack aircraft. Without it it made a darned good tank buster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 This is a good illustration of how the plane was built around the 37mm gun. Note the length of the drive shaft that ran under the pilot's legs. P-39 The problem with the P-39's performance was the same as with other Allison-engined aircraft. The P-39, P-40, and P-51 were excellent airframes with an underpowered engine. That's why Lockheed went with 2 Allison engines on the P-38. The P-51 didn't come into its own until they stuffed Rolls Royce Merlin engines in them. More on the recovered P-39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 It's a real experience working on old planes. When I worked at Northrop (retired from there 11 years ago), I was a member of our Historical Aviation Society. We restored a lot of different airplanes that went to museums (one is in the Smithsonian). You never knew what you were going to find. One time we da wallet that had fallen into a closed out area that was from WWll, returned it to the family who were really surprised. The person who was working on the plane later was KIA in Korea. Sometime found signatures of mechanics too. Had a lot of fun doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I wonder if my Dad grew up with or knew Mr. Frame, Hardpan. He was from the Fresno area,too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Sir HP FlashmanVC SASSL#535 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 The "two-stage" Super-Charger that was designed to be used on the Allison's were taken away from the P-39's, P-40's & P-51's by the Brass Hats & Paper Pushers in the Pentagon for what "they" deemed more important applications to the War Effort. These are the "same" ones that "Did Not" send the Needed "Anti-Freeze" w/ the P-40E's, because they couldn't figure out why the A/C would need "Anti-Freeze" to operate the P-40E's in the South Pacific at Nichols Field in Manila. MORONS!!!!! Everything I've ever read or heard from the Pilots that loved the P-39's, is that they were a great handling A/C once you figured out that they were not like any other A/C one had ever flown before. Several actually got to fly them w/ the "two-stage" Super-Charger & were rather ticked-off when they found out that they were not able to keep them. The Brass Hats & Paper Pushers not being Pilots or Schooled in anything having to do w/ the Field of Aviation, were totally Clueless on how Necessary the "two-stage" Super Charger was if they wished these Interceptors to perform at Altitude as they wanted them to. This is a good illustration of how the plane was built around the 37mm gun. Note the length of the drive shaft that ran under the pilot's legs. P-39 The problem with the P-39's performance was the same as with other Allison-engined aircraft. The P-39, P-40, and P-51 were excellent airframes with an underpowered engine. That's why Lockheed went with 2 Allison engines on the P-38. The P-51 didn't come into its own until they stuffed Rolls Royce Merlin engines in them. More on the recovered P-39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Pony Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Dont think they said anything about it but I will assume the pilot's remains will be returned and given due respect and honors. The part about the notes made me recall names and notes written in pencil on the walls of quonset/metal buildings at Ft. Bragg that ran back a long long time. Right out in the elements for all those years and they looked like they could have been written that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I wonder if my Dad grew up with or knew Mr. Frame, Hardpan. He was from the Fresno area,too. Send me an IM with your Dad's name if ya want and I'll ask his son if he knows of him... As an aside, I learned this morning that Mr Frame was a member of the "Caterpillar Club," and had the ruby-eyed gold silkworm lapel pin as a result of having had to bail from '39 after it "threw a rod." THAT must've been interesting! Dont think they said anything about it but I will assume the pilot's remains will be returned and given due respect and honors. The part about the notes made me recall names and notes written in pencil on the walls of quonset/metal buildings at Ft. Bragg that ran back a long long time. Right out in the elements for all those years and they looked like they could have been written that day. IP, there was an article that stated that the remains were returned and buried with full military honors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Whiskers Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 What is now called Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls,Montana was called Great Falls Air base(or East Base) during WW2.It was one of the major ferry stops for planes being shipped to Russia.They'd fly them here and the personel would go through them and repaint them before being flown to Alaska for pick-up by Russian pilots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Hardpan, is your box full? tried to send you a PM, but it said you can't receive any right now........Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 PM sent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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