Warbird Information Exchange

P-47D "GAL-O-MY DREAMS"
Lt Staryl Austin who commanded the 492nd FS 48th FW in 1952-54.

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

Jack,

Request: P-47N photos.

check the other post i made for 318th FG

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

Dang it, Photobucket strikes again. I can't see it

Photo on the way via email..............

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

Not sure Jack if that would even be PC for today's audiences. How about "Person-O-My-Dreams???

Something of an aside...do you always fly the same aircraft Randy? Are you assigned one that stays with you until you transition into another type of aircraft or is there a pool in each squdron you are assigned to?

_________________
Earn my respect and never lose it.
Demand my respect and never gain it. -Me

...just another plane dreamer.

No, there are simply a number of assigned squadron jets, and the maintenance folks pair up tail numbers with scheduled flights. Maintenance really "owns" the jets and controls when they fly and when they are down for scheduled maintenance.

As a flyer, I am given a tail number to go fly on each mission.

Now...I am "assigned" an aircraft -- name on the side of the jet and all -- but that's really only for administrative purposes. If I fly that aircraft it's just because the stars aligned and the maintenance schedule matched up with the flying schedule to make that happen.

Randy, is there much difference between aircraft of the same type these days? I've read that back in the day pilots might fly one tail number more than any other because they had become used to the flying characteristics of that particular aircraft. Thanks.

I've seen jets that flew up to 10 knots slower then another of the same type. It really depends on the individual airframe.

_________________
Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

Yes, there are definite differences between airframes. Some are straight and some are bent. Some have chronic issues with avionics or engines or spurious warning lights. Some shoot straight and others may have the gun slightly mis-aimed. One jet might have a little extra power than another. One might have a stronger radar than another.

We even have what we call a "bird board", where we put up little notes next to each tail number to tell how it's been flying lately or how the systems have been working on it. We look at that right before we go fly just so we'll know what we're in for.

They all have individual personalities, and we recognize (and respect) them as such.

Merci, Fouga23, and thanks, Randy, for your replies. I'll no longer wonder if modern production and maintenance didn't make all the birds of a feather pretty much all the same.