P-47G "Little Demon"
Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:03 pm
I was going through some of my old Oshkosh pics and stumbled across this one of "Little Demon" back in the mid 80's. According to the warbird registry it's now part of the Fighter Collection at Duxford. Does anybody know if they still fly her...or is she purely static now?
John
John
Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:07 pm
Fuselage presently with Matt Nightingale for rebuild, wings in Australia, the other bits at Duxford. The plan is to re-assemble it at Duxford once the restored sections return and fly it from there.
Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:11 pm
Thanks Mike!
One more quick question since it's a slowwww day here at work.
Does "Little Demon" have any combat history?
John
One more quick question since it's a slowwww day here at work.
Does "Little Demon" have any combat history?
John
Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:13 pm
Nope, it's a Curtiss-built G-model and as such remained Stateside with training units. Just like PoF's example.
Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:18 pm
Thanks again Mike!!!! 
John
John
Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:38 pm
'Little Demon', one of my personal favourites.
Here are a couple of photos that Ray Stutsman gave to me. The 'new' replicating the old.
..and here is a shot that I took after a little sortie round the Elkhart local area with Ray. A bit of scramble to clamber in to the back but...
PeterA
Here are a couple of photos that Ray Stutsman gave to me. The 'new' replicating the old.
..and here is a shot that I took after a little sortie round the Elkhart local area with Ray. A bit of scramble to clamber in to the back but...
PeterA
Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:59 pm
Awesome shots Peter 
...thanks for sharing!
John
...thanks for sharing!
John
Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:19 pm
Boy, would I love to see that flying...
Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:26 pm
Check Out the interesting story & original photos of "Little Demon" ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... DEMON1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... DEMON2.jpg
Digger
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... DEMON1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... DEMON2.jpg
Digger
Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:19 pm
She use to belong to LSFM...It would have been nice to have two different P-47's!
Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:28 pm
PeterA,
Did he happen to take you up and over a little grass strip north of the Elkhart airport?
Did he happen to take you up and over a little grass strip north of the Elkhart airport?
Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:36 pm
Just to follow up on Mikes posts ~ this was all that was left to see at Duxford on July 1st this year in the Fighter Collections hanger !
Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:47 pm
Hey Digger, do you know who wrote that article? Little Demon is my passion, and I had never seen those crash pictures before. Thanks alot for posting the link to them. I personally know Mr Stutsman. He let me sit in the P-47 when we'd stop by for a visit in the late 80's. Went up to visit late last summer. We talk about his Little Demon, and he shared a few stories about the restoration. I had an A-2 jacket made by US Authentics (www.flightjacket.com) with the Demon's nose art on the back. They have a picture of it on their website.
Todd
Todd
Fri Aug 03, 2007 4:14 pm
coldaffyduck wrote:PeterA,
Did he happen to take you up and over a little grass strip north of the Elkhart airport?
CDD,
Looking at my log I see: 2 August 1985 - Elkhart to Elkhart - four low passes...but I am not sure where.
Your strip?
PeterA
Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:00 pm
PeterA,
My Dad's strip is 6 miles due north of Elkhart. I remember growing up, he used to bring that thing down the strip about everytime he went flying. We could actually here him take off from Elkhart if we were outside. One time he came down through with an A-10 on each wing, the Air Force wanted a photo shoot with the Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt II in formation. Also he never made a "low" pass, they were always straffing runs. Ray would start out at between 3000-4000 ft and then dive down to about 25-50 ft everything in our house would shake. God that was awesome. I have already decided that when Duxford gets it flying I will make a trip across the pond to see it. I will talk to my Dad about getting some of the pictures of his passes so I can post them.
My Dad's strip is 6 miles due north of Elkhart. I remember growing up, he used to bring that thing down the strip about everytime he went flying. We could actually here him take off from Elkhart if we were outside. One time he came down through with an A-10 on each wing, the Air Force wanted a photo shoot with the Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt II in formation. Also he never made a "low" pass, they were always straffing runs. Ray would start out at between 3000-4000 ft and then dive down to about 25-50 ft everything in our house would shake. God that was awesome. I have already decided that when Duxford gets it flying I will make a trip across the pond to see it. I will talk to my Dad about getting some of the pictures of his passes so I can post them.