21 December 2018

Restored

Bockscar is restored and in place at Wright-Patterson.


Enola Gay is restored and in place at Udvar-Hazy.


I'm glad they've got them both on display.
Posted by Angus McThag at 22:45
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7 comments:

  1. SofwareJanitor21 December, 2018 23:08

    Those planes and the bombs they dropped saved millions of lives on both sides by ending the war without an invasion of Japan. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to the crews of those planes and everyone involved in the Manhattan project. My uncle who served in the Philippines and Okinawa would probably have been part of the invasion of Japan had it been necessary. He survived worse than 75% casualties in his unit. His luck might not have held out. Undoubtedly my family would have been changed if he hadn't made it back home. I might not even be here.

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  2. Beans22 December, 2018 15:55

    What Leeland said. The projected toll for an invasion leading to subjugation and capitulation was re-evaluated after the war once we got to see what all nasty surprises were in store for us. Modified toll was at least double the casualties, maybe triple. And we're still issuing Purple Hearts originally minted for the projected casualties. That says something. As ugly as the Korean, Viet Nam and GWOT have been, we still have a huge stockpile of PHs.


    As to the photo, I like the positioning of the airplanes. Looks like a P-47N (extreme long-distance version and as fast as a -51, but better armed and armored) and some ImpJap opponent. Got to get up there to see those museums one of these days before I am too old to appreciate them.

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  3. Ritchie22 December, 2018 17:11

    My Dad was learning to fly the P-51, and would have been on deck to fly long range combat missions over the Pacific. Except, some uber-nerds got their physics on, big time. So that Heisenbergian roll of the dice never happened, and here I am, quite alive.

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  4. skybill24 December, 2018 23:50

    Hi Angus!!
    Just give it some time... Dim witted, pampers wearing, cry-baby sno-flake anti-war freaks are going to start complaining that the sounds of the exploding Battleships in Pearl Harbor hurt the ears of the Jap pilots!!!!
    "THEN!!!!" they will want these two aircraft turned into beer cans!!!
    Don't be fooled!!!!!
    What they are doing to the South is just "Kiddy Garden" for their "Plan B!!!"
    It won't be long before these two planes are in their sights!!

    Audentes, Fortuna, Ivat,
    III%,
    skybill

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  5. TXGunGeek25 December, 2018 17:10

    Awesome to see them and to see both FiFi and Dock flying! I am tickled to have a set of prop blades off of Enola Gay at work. The 1-1/2' tip off of one is kept in our control room as a prop for people on tours. Unfortunately, the blade set suffered a catastrophic strike when a model came apart in the wind tunnel at speed. Enough damage was done that the blade set is no longer usable. We still have them as we would not ever get rid of them but they will not ever run in the wind tunnel again.

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    Replies
    1. skybill25 December, 2018 21:58

      Hi "Gun Geek!!,"
      'Got to see "FIFI" fly at the "Reno Air Races" now some years ago!! She was flying and setting up for a "Fly By" ... the announcer said,"We are going quiet to let her have her moment!!" She just flew down the runway then slowly pulled up and did a slo right turn out of pattern!!! "Pure Majesty!!!!!!!!"

      skybill

      Delete
  6. Angus McThag26 December, 2018 01:00

    I very nearly paid for a ride in Fifi. I ended up spectating an engine replacement at Des Moines International.

    I offered to help, but they said they got it.

    I stayed to watch them do run-ups on the new engine. I wish it was today when everything is a camera.

    ReplyDelete

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