Now This is What I Call a Hungry Flying Tiger P-40...
Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:34 pm
Last edited by J.C.Seixas on Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:53 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:41 pm
I've seen this one before and if I'm not mistaken that is the wingtip of a Mustang.
It's a good picture thanks for sharing
Shay
____________
Semper Fortis
It's a good picture thanks for sharing
Shay
____________
Semper Fortis
Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:08 pm
It appears to be a P-51C wing tip, judging from the probable location (China) and the definite location of the nav. light.
Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:46 pm
This incident is described in Don Lopez' book, Into The Teeth of the Tiger...
At Kweilin, we were based on the fighter strip, not the main runway at Yang Tong Airfield. The 74th usually operated from this strip. It was so narrow that the wings overlapped when two P-40s took off in formation. When our aircraft were parked along the runway during the daylight hours, their noses extended over the runway edge.
A few days after we arrived, I was in the alert shack reading when I heard a 76th Squadron P-51, which had come in from its base at Suichwan the night before, start up and taxi into take-off position. After the pilot completed the run up and mag check, he started its takeoff, and after only a few seconds, he chopped the throttle and aborted the takeoff. I thought that he had some kind of engine problem, but someone outside yelled, "Hey Lope, that Mustang just ran into your airplane!" I rushed outside with everyone else to see the damage to my P-40. It looked undamaged from a distance, but it had a P-51 wingtip imbedded in the front of the fuselage right in the middle of the shark mouth. It looked as though the P-40 had spitefully bitten off the wingtip of its slicker, faster compatriot. A closer examination revealed that the P-51 wing tip had hit my prop and the front of my lower engine cowling, ripping off the tip and leaving it in the teeth area.
Surprisingly, the only damage turned out to be to the cowling. This lower section, known as the bathtub to the mechanics, covered the oil and coolant radiators, and the bottom of the engine. It also served the all-important role of tooth bearer. My crew chief, Sgt. Key, removed the damaged bathtub and replaced it with a spare that had not yet had the teeth painted on. He carefully inspected it for other damage but could find none. The prop had rotated when it was hit so the engine was not overstressed. I took it up for a short test hop and everything checked out. My morale suffered for a while since our painter did not have his equipment with him. I became a toothless tiger and had to gum the Japanese for several weeks.
Fade to Black...
At Kweilin, we were based on the fighter strip, not the main runway at Yang Tong Airfield. The 74th usually operated from this strip. It was so narrow that the wings overlapped when two P-40s took off in formation. When our aircraft were parked along the runway during the daylight hours, their noses extended over the runway edge.
A few days after we arrived, I was in the alert shack reading when I heard a 76th Squadron P-51, which had come in from its base at Suichwan the night before, start up and taxi into take-off position. After the pilot completed the run up and mag check, he started its takeoff, and after only a few seconds, he chopped the throttle and aborted the takeoff. I thought that he had some kind of engine problem, but someone outside yelled, "Hey Lope, that Mustang just ran into your airplane!" I rushed outside with everyone else to see the damage to my P-40. It looked undamaged from a distance, but it had a P-51 wingtip imbedded in the front of the fuselage right in the middle of the shark mouth. It looked as though the P-40 had spitefully bitten off the wingtip of its slicker, faster compatriot. A closer examination revealed that the P-51 wing tip had hit my prop and the front of my lower engine cowling, ripping off the tip and leaving it in the teeth area.
Surprisingly, the only damage turned out to be to the cowling. This lower section, known as the bathtub to the mechanics, covered the oil and coolant radiators, and the bottom of the engine. It also served the all-important role of tooth bearer. My crew chief, Sgt. Key, removed the damaged bathtub and replaced it with a spare that had not yet had the teeth painted on. He carefully inspected it for other damage but could find none. The prop had rotated when it was hit so the engine was not overstressed. I took it up for a short test hop and everything checked out. My morale suffered for a while since our painter did not have his equipment with him. I became a toothless tiger and had to gum the Japanese for several weeks.
Fade to Black...
???
Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:47 pm
The P-40N was flown by Lt Don Lopez of the 75th FS 23rd FG (the NASM DL) and hit by the 51 in a taxi accident i believe. 
???
Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:49 pm
Ha ya beat me by a minute but you used a book and I employed my frontal lope 
Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:24 pm
Jack...not to nit pick BUT...I'm sure you meant frontal loBe not loPe.
Mudge the pedant
Mudge the pedant
Re: ???
Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:46 pm
Jack Cook wrote:Ha ya beat me by a minute but you used a book and I employed my frontal lope
You're not the only one who knows this kinda stuff, Jack.
Nor are you the only one with a good memory... after all, howd'ya think I knew what book this story was in? AND I knew exactly which page to turn to... so neeeaahhh!!!
Fade to Black...
???
Fri Feb 23, 2007 4:06 pm
you mean to tell me that you actually used a book? 
Fri Feb 23, 2007 4:29 pm
Yeah, I used a book. 
I guess that makes me a
, huh?
Although you're not the only one who knows about this stuff, apparently you're the only one who was born with this knowledge already uploaded to memory... from what I gather...
Yay for you!
Fade to Black...
I guess that makes me a
, huh?
Although you're not the only one who knows about this stuff, apparently you're the only one who was born with this knowledge already uploaded to memory... from what I gather...
Yay for you!
Fade to Black...
???
Fri Feb 23, 2007 4:50 pm
Na, I got way to many books and mags 
but, you've got the cool website
but, you've got the cool website
Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:20 pm
I guess thats what a Mustang gets for all those years of looking down on the P-40!
Long live the real legend!
Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:47 pm
wow i've never seen that pic, definetely the collision area was a 1 in a million shot!!
???
Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:10 pm
It's much worse when both are moving!
Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:09 am
Every pilot that jumped in a P-40 and flew a combat mission is a hero to me. Especially my favorite was in the Pacific where the P-40's fought hard with long odds to protect the allied nations. No where near as great a performance like the P-51. But it was a nimble plane.