Heck Pops are not you a "OLD THING OF VALUE" ? I know you have a lot of value to us members here at HBA. 
Old things of value.
- Thread starter BJC
- Start date
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My thread, so I get to make the call. Pops definitely is a “thing of value”. With the way he still is designing and building, I’m not ready to call him old.Heck Pops are not you a "OLD THING OF VALUE" ? I know you have a lot of value to us members here at HBA.
BJC
wktaylor
Well-Known Member
120mm… my dad flew '40s in the CBI also... early1943-to-late1944.
Flew first with the 25thFS Assam Draggins ~30-missions... and was then transferred to the brand new 80thFS Burma Banshees as a 'combat experienced pilot'... until he totaled-out at 75-missions. Transferred back to USA and started training in '51s for the invasion of Japan.
During Korean War... With his CBI combat experience [flying over Himalayas] and his electronics and 'weather' technical ratings... he was in Alaska helping set-up the DEW line.
Flew first with the 25thFS Assam Draggins ~30-missions... and was then transferred to the brand new 80thFS Burma Banshees as a 'combat experienced pilot'... until he totaled-out at 75-missions. Transferred back to USA and started training in '51s for the invasion of Japan.
During Korean War... With his CBI combat experience [flying over Himalayas] and his electronics and 'weather' technical ratings... he was in Alaska helping set-up the DEW line.
CAVU Mark
Active Member
I started to think about the guys I knew and subsequently a list began, most WWII aviators some infantry, all great guys
Frank H. built TBFs on Long Island, flew C-47s in south Pacific. Taught me how to cover fabric planes. "Top Shelf" guy.
Fielding W. - 50 B-25 missions in Africa and Italy. Turned down his 51st, monte casino. Flew B-17, 29, 36, 47, 52 through View Nam. Forward planning for Nixon, he gave me matches from Air Force One! His family gave me his aircraft pictures.
Don D. - flew transports in south pacific. Jumped off a C-47 under fire at Henderson Field and messed up his back for the remainder of his life. Served with me on HOA board. Claimed he denied McArthur a "test flight" before departing HI, said he was not going to land with full fuel. Visited for hours.
Bob B. - Flew B-24s, lived near Fielding W. Recieved DFC and liked me as long as he got what he wanted from our HOA.
Jim M. - flew Navy in the 50s, F6Fs radio controlled for target practice. Turned down jets for Skyraiders. Met John Wayne on board his ship when filming for In Harm's Way. Still pals. Sold his Ryan STM for him.
Hal N. - flew TBMs for Navy. Instrument and night rated for carriers. Flew the DS-1 Baby Bird for Don Stits. "Top Shelf" guy.
Misc:
Ken B. - Consolidated Aircraft field rep., spent the entire war in England. Photographed the nose art of his sightings. I photographed the album. Flew in Boeing 314s into LaGuardia. Established his duster business in Imperial Valley CA where he spent the rest of his life. Ran over himself at 99 at the post office drive up mailbox, passed one day before his 101st. Good friend of Jim M. above and how I met him. Donated FBO to airfield and they named a street after him.
Bob W.- "The Commodore" built planes for Consolidated. Learned to play Canasta in engine nacelle #5 in B-36 rebuild. Lived aboard the Star of India in San Diego for 6 years when she first docked in SD. Said he always dazzled the girls when he would take them back to his "boat".
Jim C. - worked for Consolidated in WWII. Sent to New Orleans to help them manufacturer the center of PBYs. Said the Canadian PBY hulls never leaked, not so for the New Orleans units. Still working on planes in SD with John A. below.
John A. - Army Infantry - from Belgium but grew up in Chicago area near my home. Fought in Battle of the Bulge, now holds the ladder for Jim C. True, but I am always on watch.
Dick F - Army Infantry Paratrooper, sweetheart of a guy. Jumped in operation Dragoon and fought his way to the Battle of the Bulge. I don't recall his unit only that he lost a very large percentage of his fellow soldiers. He would come over and hang out when we were building a Stearman.
Jack W. - Navy landing craft coxswain. Another HOA associate. Claimed the marines landing in the South Pacific had it easy. They only had to make one trip to shore, he had numerous.
My Father - U.S. Army, communications in New Caledonia, South Pacific. Never said one word to me about the war but I know all the songs on the time, he played them on the piano.
I am very happy to have known these men and have provided assistance in restoring numerous aircraft in their honor for the San Diego Air and Space Museum, USS Midway and the WWII Museum in New Orleans.
Frank H. built TBFs on Long Island, flew C-47s in south Pacific. Taught me how to cover fabric planes. "Top Shelf" guy.
Fielding W. - 50 B-25 missions in Africa and Italy. Turned down his 51st, monte casino. Flew B-17, 29, 36, 47, 52 through View Nam. Forward planning for Nixon, he gave me matches from Air Force One! His family gave me his aircraft pictures.
Don D. - flew transports in south pacific. Jumped off a C-47 under fire at Henderson Field and messed up his back for the remainder of his life. Served with me on HOA board. Claimed he denied McArthur a "test flight" before departing HI, said he was not going to land with full fuel. Visited for hours.
Bob B. - Flew B-24s, lived near Fielding W. Recieved DFC and liked me as long as he got what he wanted from our HOA.
Jim M. - flew Navy in the 50s, F6Fs radio controlled for target practice. Turned down jets for Skyraiders. Met John Wayne on board his ship when filming for In Harm's Way. Still pals. Sold his Ryan STM for him.
Hal N. - flew TBMs for Navy. Instrument and night rated for carriers. Flew the DS-1 Baby Bird for Don Stits. "Top Shelf" guy.
Misc:
Ken B. - Consolidated Aircraft field rep., spent the entire war in England. Photographed the nose art of his sightings. I photographed the album. Flew in Boeing 314s into LaGuardia. Established his duster business in Imperial Valley CA where he spent the rest of his life. Ran over himself at 99 at the post office drive up mailbox, passed one day before his 101st. Good friend of Jim M. above and how I met him. Donated FBO to airfield and they named a street after him.
Bob W.- "The Commodore" built planes for Consolidated. Learned to play Canasta in engine nacelle #5 in B-36 rebuild. Lived aboard the Star of India in San Diego for 6 years when she first docked in SD. Said he always dazzled the girls when he would take them back to his "boat".
Jim C. - worked for Consolidated in WWII. Sent to New Orleans to help them manufacturer the center of PBYs. Said the Canadian PBY hulls never leaked, not so for the New Orleans units. Still working on planes in SD with John A. below.
John A. - Army Infantry - from Belgium but grew up in Chicago area near my home. Fought in Battle of the Bulge, now holds the ladder for Jim C. True, but I am always on watch.
Dick F - Army Infantry Paratrooper, sweetheart of a guy. Jumped in operation Dragoon and fought his way to the Battle of the Bulge. I don't recall his unit only that he lost a very large percentage of his fellow soldiers. He would come over and hang out when we were building a Stearman.
Jack W. - Navy landing craft coxswain. Another HOA associate. Claimed the marines landing in the South Pacific had it easy. They only had to make one trip to shore, he had numerous.
My Father - U.S. Army, communications in New Caledonia, South Pacific. Never said one word to me about the war but I know all the songs on the time, he played them on the piano.
I am very happy to have known these men and have provided assistance in restoring numerous aircraft in their honor for the San Diego Air and Space Museum, USS Midway and the WWII Museum in New Orleans.
Dad enlisted in the Navy the day after graduating from high school in 1944. He wanted to join the Air Force but his cousin, who was a B-24 pilot, had been shot down and killed during the disastrous Ploesti raid and my grandparents said, "no flying for you!" He served throughout the war as a radarman on a destroyer, mostly in the Pacific. It wasn't until the 1970s that he finally scratched his flying itch with R/C models, his best friend and fellow R/Cer had been a PBY pilot. Mom wouldn't let him learn to fly real planes, said he was too old, so he paid for my lessons and flew with me every chance he got.
120mm
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2020
- Messages
- 41
Not 40s. P-400s.
Export only P39s intended for Dutch east indies and former RAF birds. Very restricted capabilities and utterly worthless at altitude. Some went to Guadalcanal and others got roped into the post Flying Tigers USAAF in China.
Uncle Adrian hated flying the thing, because of the altitude issues in fairly mountainous terrain.
He later flew P40s and then later P47s in California late war, because his malaria kept coming back and they eventually sent him home for that.
