Warbird Information Exchange

I'm working on an RV-4 as well. If the Radial Rocket turns out to be a quality kit with excellent factory support, I could easily see it becoming the next candidate for a father/son build-up I'll be 100% sold once they offer retractable gear for it (as seen in the 'doctored' photo below). Excellent performance, and big baggage space to boot!

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Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

A few more Osh pics, for what they're worth....

http://community.webshots.com/user/721jason

A few comments after my walkabouts-

4 Wildcats at one event-awesome

There was a Spitfire parked next to the 109, so with all the Mustangs there, why not put one on the other side for some excellent "enemy" photos?

My favorite P-51 there had to be "Daddy's Girl". What a beauty.....so, who's your daddy?

I am always excited to see a bu#'d Corsair that I haven't seen in person before, so the Collings plane was a real treat. It's a shame that it had to belly in during one of the test flights...it sure had a few wrinkled pieces on the bottom. In regards to the ditching incident, was the story (as I heard it) true that the then 18 year old Collings "boy" was the one who ditched in the Atlantic all those years ago? Or is that a blurry version?

I know it's a bit off topic, but for the 2nd year in a row the "Masters of Disaster" aerobatic team put on the best show I've ever seen. What an expression of controlled mayhem. Totally awesome. When Jim Leroy does his rolling harrier, you'd swear he was defying physics.

Did the planed Tri-Motor flight happen? I had heard it was planed for all 5 of Greg Herrick's Tri-Motors(Ford 4-AT, Bushmaster 2000, Krutzer K-5, Stinson SM-6000-B, and Stinson Model A) were to fly in the showcase, with the EAA Ford and the CAF Ju-52(if the EAA and CAF could be convinced to join the flight).

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Dan Johnson

The much-anticipated Tri-Motor flight didn't happen unfortunately. I hear they are planning on doing it next year. Hope I can be there. The new Herrick Timotor is truely stunning. Hard to believe it is flying now after viewiing it at Hov-Air just over a year ago. I have always been a huge fan of the type, having grown up so near where they were built. Mike Westveer of Hov-Air tells me they could put seven (!) more in the air if enough customers come forward. Jim

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Mustangs Rule!

Hey Rob--

I'm thinkin', that's an even better candidate to be "Lucky Quart" than the RV4...maybe the RV oughta be "Beguine Again"!

Steve

Looks sort Sea Fury-ish. How about a nice flame job and call in 'Little Miss Merced?' :0) Jim

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Mustangs Rule!

I've started an album for some of my Oshkosh WWII pics. I don't have a big enough lens to get those great action shots I see some people get so these are just the mundane plane sitting on the ground stuff. I'll probably add a few more and start another album for the civil stuff.

http://community.webshots.com/user/inferalanding

Nice job Elwyn! Thw Spanish 109 looks great.

I guess the lens was the right length for those models though... A little closer to the action!!

I guess the lens was the right length for those models though... A little closer to the action!! [/quote]

I was about 10 feet from the control-line models so the 210 zoom worked out pretty good.

For some reason when I just clicked on the link it only showed one album so this link should take you straight to the Oshkosh album instead of the home page.
http://community.webshots.com/album/170548502gjSPHe

Does anyone know the serial number for the P-51 "Daddy's Girl"?

Pat, it's 44-63807.

Ben

This is directed towards the comments made by Jaybird. The bottom of the Corsair never touched the ground during the "belly" landing. It rode on the prop and the extended flaps.
As for the wrinkled pieces, I'm not really sure what you were seeing. Obviously, they didn't keep us from winning Grand Champion Post World War II.
You do know that a Corsair's wings are supposed to be bent, right?
The ditching story is not a secret and I'm sure you could find that info somewhere.

Congrats Vince. I certainly am not provoking anything, just chit chatting...I'm a huge "bent-wing" fan and as such, certainly loved the
-5NL in all its glory, for sure.

As for the wrinkle comment, with 122179 sitting so close, the tail wheel door skins were certainly "different".

As for the ditching, I also understand that any story I hear needs to be taken with the understanding that it's not going to be 100% accurate by the time it gets to me, unless I was there and had my hands on it myself! When my family suffered a tragic plane crash, I could not believe how screwed up the story was in the media. I would give a straight fact and it was printed completely different. I'm convinced 99.9% of reporters know a whole lot about nothing. So.....just curious to know a little bit more truth about a topic that peaks my interest as a Corsair fan, nothing else, no alterior motive.

Sorry if I came on a little strong about the Corsair. I tend to get a little defensive about it after having spent 11 years with it.
If you go on americanaeroservices.com there are pictures of the recovery after ditching and some details are given in the story of the Corsair.

Vince, I just wanted to say personally congratulations on winning the Grand Campion Post WWII on the Corsair. Wow, what a sweetie!!!!!!! I also just wanted to THANK YOU very much for bringing it out for us to see at Oshkosh. I really enjoyed seeing such a beautiful bird. Awesome Job!

Dave D.