Warbird Digest #44 Sept/Oct 2012

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Warbird Digest #44 Sept/Oct 2012
Cover: When it made an unsuspected arrival at AirVenture 2012, the newly restored B-25J Georgie’s Gal created quite a buzz. Pilot Paul Stojkov, with copilot Mack Deeds and Paul Draper in the nose, flew for Warbird Digest and photographer Scott Slocum during EAA’s annual event in Oshkosh, WI.
Photo: Scott Slocum


Lend-Lease -- Curtiss P-40E KittyHawk
In 1942 a young pilot and his P-40E went missing in the vastness of the Egyptian desert. Seventy years later the plane’s discovery was international news. Historian Mark Sheppard offers the full story of how the discovery took place, the details about the aircraft, and the haunting tale of that fateful, final mission.


New Kid on the Block -- Liberty Aviation Museum
An advance team from the new museum in Northwest Ohio worked furiously alongside the craftsmen of Aero Trader in Chino, CA, to prepare a fully refurbished B-25 for the museum’s grand opening on the shores of Lake Erie. Certain the plane was not going to be ready, the undaunted museum staff, volunteers, and visitors celebrated. Suddenly, the B-25 roared overhead the surprised gathering. This is the story of the B-25’s restoration and the newest aviation museum in the country, the Liberty Aviation Museum.


2012 EAA AirVenture Awards Results


The Aussie Sabre
As the jet age dawned, countries around the world were eager to supply their air forces with modern designs. The Australians chose the North American F-86 Sabre as their new fighter, but rather than export aircraft from the U.S.A., the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) license-built their own version, and incorporated some unique changes. This story explains the development of the Aussie Sabre, and the unique partnership of the RAAF and the Temora Aviation Museum, and the only airworthy CAC Sabre.


Zero Resurrections
For decades the only semblance of a Japanese Zero was the performance of movie-made replicas in the United States. Then, in the 1970s the Planes of Fame Air Museum launched the first “real” Zero since the fall of the Japanese Empire. Today, there are five flyable examples with the possibility of more on the horizon.


The Evolved T-6 -- Walt Orth’s LTA-6 Mosquito
As the Korean War raged the United States Air Force implemented a new tool in their arsenal. From their inventory of AT-6 Texan trainers there arose a new breed of the aircraft that would serve as a front line liaison and attack aircraft. Working together with Jeep based Tactical Air Control Parties, the LTA-6s provided close air support and battlefield reconnaissance. This is the story of how Walt Orth successfully transformed a T-6 into a one-of-a-kind, fully authentic LTA-6G Mosquito.


Walt and the Tonopah Queen
Walt Olrich is a pioneer within the warbird movement. Some of his greatest memories were created while flying the amazing Grumman Bearcat during the resurgence of air racing in the 1960s. Steve Chapis sat down with Walt, who shared his memories and some amazing photographs.


Stars and Stripes MiG Town
Who would have ever thought that the nemesis of American pilots during the cold war, the MiG-21, would be flown and operated from the American Midwest? From the heartland, on the western outskirts of Chicago’s sprawl, Dekalb, Illinois boasts not one but two of these amazing aircraft. Paul Van den Heuvel operates a MiG-21UM and William Ward flies a MiG-21MF from the Dekalb Taylor Airport. Italian photographer Luigino Caliaro caught up with them and scored the story.

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[davidbray]

Dangit... I really need to find a place that sells Warbird Digest again, my only option here was Borders (rip.) Perhaps it's time to count pennies to see if I can subscribe, I've been wanting to for a long time but I haven't had the money. I would really like to read the MiG article. I've met both pilots a couple times, DeKalb Taylor is pretty much in my backyard.

[Chappie]

I hear the Walt Ohlrich story is a really good read.


Chappie

[JDK]

I hear the Walt Ohlrich story is a really good read.

I shall thumb those pages with interest... I hear the article on the Aussie Sabre might be worth a look, also.

Regards,

[Chappie]

I hear the Walt Ohlrich story is a really good read.

I shall thumb those pages with interest... I hear the article on the Aussie Sabre might be worth a look, also.

Regards,

I look forward to the Aussie Sabre article as well!


Chappie