Denny
Canned Monster
B24s were homely looking but did their job. The B29 is another good looking bird. As afraid of heights as I am if there was a B29 near me I would go for a ride in a heartbeat. Research Kee Bird B29 you will cry.
Wow that IS a tragic story! To think! We were THIS close to having 3 airworthy B-29s!B24s were homely looking but did their job. The B29 is another good looking bird. As afraid of heights as I am if there was a B29 near me I would go for a ride in a heartbeat. Research Kee Bird B29 you will cry.
Jaw drops to the floorP-38 Glacier Girl another beautiful bird. Followed the recovery and restoration. What I could not understand is why didn’t they bring up the one that was parked next to it also. The ice really did a number on the air frame. They have for about the last 20 years been recovering fighters from the bottom of Lake Michigan by my old house. They were put down there from carrier landing training during WWII. The recovered not only the worlds oldest and only surviving F-4U Birdcage Corsair but now it is back in flying condition. They recovered the only surviving Battle of Midway Island plane. I can’t remember if it is a SBD Douglass or a Hellcat. But restored it and it is on display now (static) at Midway airport in Chicago.
The ice cold oxygen free fresh water perfectly preserved the birds to the point fuel and oil were still fresh and usable. Machine guns still cycled, tires still had air pressure and batteries recovered following a charge. Lights still lit up and gauges still worked. How amazing is that for sitting at the bottom of a big puddle for 60-80 years!? The biggest threat to them now is the zebra mussels slowly tearing them apart.
There was a Nike Site 10 minutes from our house, fascinating stuff. I walked on top of the silo doors that were welded shut, my daughter wanted nothing to do with the place and was worried the doors might open. There is a Nike missile on display in South Park not far from me either. They were stored in underground silos. If needed, the doors would open and the missiles would come up out of the silos on launch pads pointing toward the sky. Sorry to go off track here, just really interested in this stuff!I think the f-86 Sabre is one of the most beautiful birds ever built. I’m not into flying or heights in general but one thing I had always wanted to fly in was a Huey uh-1. My dad was stationed at a Nike missle base in the Army 15 miles from home. He lived at home the whole time he was in the Army except for basic training and Hercules missle training. We lived around a few Nike bases near Chicago. There were quite a few due to the oil refinery’s in Whiting and East Chicago Indiana. One day my dad and I were riding motorcycles by Wolf Lake and a Huey sets down it was really foggy. We were a few miles from one base. So my dad wants to talk to the guys and I want to check out the chopper. We went over they were ordered to set down because of the fog. My dad gives me $10 bucks and tells me to run to the store and get a bag of ice and a case of Pepsi for the guys. So I did. When I came back they wanted to give me a ride over the lake. But I’m afraid of heights! So the get me in, strap me down and fit me with a headset. I would not let them get over 10 feet off the water because I figured out in my 10 year old brain I figured I could survive a crash from That height. We ended up staying with those guys till the fog cleared. Later my dad told me they could get in big trouble for giving a civilian a ride. One of the best days ever!
OkJT we don’t need to see so many pictures of you. Now that hot chick FiFi we could use more of. Especially the inside. Huba, Huba!!!
I will fly in ANYTHING if I think I can. Not even kidding.janky and flight are two words i dont like in the same sentence. lol. haveing never been in an airplane i feel experience enough to say that if a plane is janky i would not fly in it. but you do you.lol