tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post976568069495249498..comments2023-11-10T04:17:00.492-05:00Comments on View From The Porch: Phoenixes, Helldivers, and Flying Circuses.Tamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-12511983846921339512010-12-28T09:23:11.076-05:002010-12-28T09:23:11.076-05:00Ed,
I had a chance to meet Joe Foss on two occasi...Ed,<br /><br />I had a chance to meet Joe Foss on two occasions. On the first he was autographing his book. I ask him to sign one for my father in law because he had flown in the Pacific.<br /><br />Gov. Foss asked what type plane he flew. When I told him he laughed and said my he must have been a very brave man. Foss said at least you could run in an F-4.<br /><br />Yes I too have read the Japanese started selections for pilots before WWII at avery young age.<br /><br />GerryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-80251969163548624852010-12-28T03:36:47.643-05:002010-12-28T03:36:47.643-05:00All the reading I did about that war, including Sa...All the reading I did about that war, including Sakai and Caiden's book, and I never heard about the G limits of their pilots. I thought their problem was too rigid an adherence to pre-war training formats that gave them exceptional pilots, but insufficient numbers total. Very interesting.<br /><br />The design philosophy of the Zero left it with little room for improvement. I've got a magazine with a test pilots report of flying a Type 52a Zero at the October 1944 Joint Services Fighter Conference. His conclusion: Obsolete by '43. <br /><br />And shades of the Germans, their Navy brass refused to allow a replacement model, with a 2200hp engine, to be built in '42. Eventually they gave the ok, but so late that very few flew before the war's end.<br /> --------------<br />Tam,<br />If you want them, I have about 30 aircraft magazines, most from the 70's. "Air Classics", "Air Progress", and similar. Mostly on WWII aircraft. Just need an address that can handle a 10x12x6 box. You have my email. (just sent you the 82 yo car/ 102 yo driver email)<br />Time to clean up my storage room!Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722792638246578812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-68580025151896677012010-12-27T23:32:16.004-05:002010-12-27T23:32:16.004-05:00Saburo Sakai pointed out that the incidence of Jap...Saburo Sakai pointed out that the incidence of Japanese who could take heavy G was very low. Diet or genes, I don't remember.<br /><br /> They started testing the kids at a very early age, and encouraged the ones who could take G to get into gymnastics and math courses. <br /><br /> The costs of developing Japanese pilots over more than a decade were staggering, finding young men who could take G without years of prep very difficult, and replacing them after Coral Sea and Midway in usable numbers proved impossible.<br /><br /> But at their prime, Japanese pilots went toe to toe with America's best and at least held their own until the Thatch weave was invented.<br /><br /> They destroyed every British unit they encountered, and the Aussies and New Zealanders needed to keep their P-40's above 280 knots IAS to turn with the Zeroes. Below 280, the huge ailerons and light construction on the Zero gave it a turn rate no Allied fighter could match.<br /><br /> As to torpedo design and submarine construction, the Japs were the best in the world, and we played catch-up for 3 years. The I-Class boat was amazing, and the Long Lance torpedo massive, accurate, and reliable as hell.<br /><br /> A lot of Americans died because Congress wouldn't let them properly test torpedoes during the depression.<br /><br /> Kinda makes you wonder what would happen today if we didn't have a POTUS so easily blackmailable by the Joint Chiefs Of Staff.Ed Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-74975146729743437932010-12-27T21:33:50.107-05:002010-12-27T21:33:50.107-05:00Will,
At the start of the Pacific War, the Chrysa...Will,<br /><br />At the start of the Pacific War, the Chrysanthemum Fleet was second to none in the quality of their crews and equipment.<br /><br />Unfortunately for them, extended combat exposed serious doctrinal and logistic flaws that were beyond their capacity to remedy in the time involved.Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-65209542632214246162010-12-27T19:55:23.275-05:002010-12-27T19:55:23.275-05:00If you read Wiki about the Hōshō, you'll find ...If you read Wiki about the Hōshō, you'll find that they did the same "light up the sky" routine to help their fliers get home during a late flight.<br /><br /> Odd that the US considered the Japanese to be second class, considering their navies combat record, and having the world's first operational scratch built flattop, among other attention getting accomplishments.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722792638246578812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-34758642433682224422010-12-27T16:43:04.742-05:002010-12-27T16:43:04.742-05:00It's pretty obvious that the nephew is not dis...It's pretty obvious that the nephew is not displaying his pride of old Hermann's flying record.oghttp://www.neanderpundit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-15821765050008010042010-12-27T12:35:45.265-05:002010-12-27T12:35:45.265-05:00Regardless of his subsequent career, the descendan...Regardless of his subsequent career, the descendants of Hermann Goering can be justly proud of his flying record in the First World War. Military success is no indicator of political virtue (though I make no reference to anyone currently serving in the US Senate, from Arizona or any other State).John Stephensnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-41100925471756190472010-12-27T12:06:37.127-05:002010-12-27T12:06:37.127-05:00Yeah, but that Helldiver is a sexy looking biplane...Yeah, but that Helldiver is a sexy looking biplane. I do have a soft spot for two winged aircraft, I don't know what it is.Calebhttp://gunnuts.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-84131872987136209572010-12-27T10:58:25.534-05:002010-12-27T10:58:25.534-05:00Gerry, I heard the same thing from my old man, who...Gerry, I heard the same thing from my old man, who flew SBD's off the USS Belleau Wood. The Helldivers were pigs, with none of the dive stability or control finesse of the Dauntless, and a nasty blind spot directly aft that the gunner couldn't cover.<br /><br /> Dad was a Crew Chief, later Line Chief, but he'd flown as an aerial gunnery instructor in the Army Air Corp during the '30's, and it got him the chance to fly back seat during lots of raids. If Pete Mitscher hadn't kept the lights on one night in the Marianas, I would never have been concieved.<br /><br /> He only talked about that night once. They were lost and running out of gas. The Wright Cyclone 9 was his baby, and he knew what one sounded like if it was leaned out too far, trying to conserve fuel. First one plane, then another and another, would quit and glide down to the sharks.<br /><br /> Nothing Hollywood, just a few simple reports and quiet goodbyes. Smooth and professional to the end. <br /><br /> Then "The sky lighted up like a Texas whorehouse" two points off the starboard side, and most of the planes made it home. Mitscher was a By-God flyer, and he was bringing his crews home if it cost him half his fleet lost to Japanese submarines.<br /><br /> During Pearl Harbor, an SBD got off the ground in time to become the first American plane to shoot down a Japanese Zero, when the pilot bounced a squadron of enemy fighters and engaged them in a single-handed dogfight. Shortly after, he became the first American pilot shot down in air to air combat.<br /><br /> When I heard that, it reminded me of the crusty old NCO at Schofield Barracks who stood out in the middle of the parade ground with his .45, left arm behind his back, calmly trading shots with strafing Zeroes. They built some men in those days.Ed Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-82169483177887441352010-12-27T09:48:10.780-05:002010-12-27T09:48:10.780-05:00My father in law flew an SBD for the Corps in WWII...My father in law flew an SBD for the Corps in WWII. He said it was slow and underpowered but a great divebomber, The attack was as vertical as possible, firing a short burst from the machineguns to determine the impact of the bomb.<br /><br />In his opinion the replacing SB2C was a dog. After about six months they went to Corsairs.<br /><br />On their first practice bombing run he nosed over and followed the same attack profile as he had used with the SBD. After realing the bomb and stating to pull out of the dive he had a strong vibration.<br /><br />The SBD had a trapize arm that lobbed the bomb under the prop, the Corsair did not. His prop was dinked and unbalanced were it had smacked the bomb.<br /><br />GerryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-11788699025021250332010-12-27T08:06:34.383-05:002010-12-27T08:06:34.383-05:00Old Hermann's nephew works for a supplier of m...Old Hermann's nephew works for a supplier of mine, making fixtures for machine tools. I have his number on speed dial. Six degrees? Not even. If you ask him,as I did, "Any relation?" He says "yes, my uncle" with a certain degree of pride. He has a picture on his desk of himself standing next to Hermann.oghttp://www.neanderpundit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-8951689417056126192010-12-27T08:05:52.222-05:002010-12-27T08:05:52.222-05:00My littermate is off to Krakow shortly, I'll f...My littermate is off to Krakow shortly, I'll forward this!staghoundshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05976667812875074135noreply@blogger.com