So I bought an Air Force...

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2923

Just saw this advertised in the latest EAA Warbirds magazine. Has anyone here read it? Ordering my copy at lunch time....
http://soiboughtanairforce.com/

Stoney · **Posted:** Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:17 pm

Is that some of the airplanes Mark Clark helped being back?

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2923

I'm not sure if Mark was involved, he lurks here so maybe he will chime in (If we are talking about the same Mark Clark). I ordered the book, I will let you know if Mark is in it. For those of you that have not clicked the link, it is a book written by Will Martin detailing his recovery of Nicaraguan P-51s (at least 23 of them), P-47 and C-45s.

51fixer · **Posted:** Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:09 pm

Bald Eagle is one of the ones he returned as well as Big Beautiful Doll.
It was done in the early 60s and I don't believe Mark's father was involved. At least none of the paperwork show any Clark names.

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:14 pm

I still have an old document where Mark Clark has all but sealed the deal on the Honduran Air Force as well (their Corsair fleet anyway) and had N-numbers reserved for all. Another group snuck in under the wire of course and snagged them. It's amazing to consider what WWII warbirds were still hanging around in old military inventory, even as late as 1980.

dc8jet · **Posted:** Wed Sep 11, 2013 6:15 pm

I picked up the book at Oshkosh. I enjoyed it.

zorro9 · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:11 pm **Posts:** 671

Rob/F4U Folks:

Good day!

..mmmm that's explains why the the temp FAA N numbers prior to the ferry flight of Dec '79 & the mistakes with FAH 619!!

p.s Any chance that Mark Clark may have some boneyard pics of the FAH corsairs?? Looking for FAH 613 & FAH 610!! For what I understand a simple phone call made to a guy in the E. Coast stole the show!! The rest is now history!!

Stoney · **Posted:** Wed Sep 11, 2013 9:03 pm

The reason I asked is the was an article in a old Air Classic about Mark being some back for SA

zorro9 · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:11 pm **Posts:** 671

Stoney:

Good day!

Where was he flying from? P-47s?? P-51s?? FG-1ds??

p.s BTW,.. Do you have the AC article about the "Desert Warbirds" of Bob Bean in Arizona?? c. 198os??

Tom_W · **Posted:** Fri Sep 13, 2013 8:55 am

Warbirdnerd,

I saved this for my holiday read and I really enjoyed it, surely one of the first North Americans to return P-51s from south of the border or were there others prior to this?

Very hairy prangs described throughout and quite amazing that nobody died and that so many aircraft actually made it back, many of them being ex-8th and 9th Air Force vets from the closing months of the war in the ETO if I'm not much mistaken.

Can anybody confirm whether 44-63675 'Sierra Sue II' was the aircraft 'retained' by the Nicaraguan AF to supposedly go on display only to be sold to Dave Allender a few years later?

Cheers

Tom

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2923

Tom_W wrote:

Can anybody confirm whether 44-63675 'Sierra Sue II' was the aircraft 'retained' by the Nicaraguan AF to supposedly go on display only to be sold to Dave Allender a few years later?

Cheers

Tom

I can. You might also enjoy this book, I did, but I am biased.
http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/S ... ue-II.aspx
I spent a lot of time around SSII and Roger Christgau.

Stoney · **Posted:** Fri Sep 13, 2013 9:31 am

I've got years of Air Classics out in the garage that I haven't looked at in years, so don't remember.

Tom_W · **Posted:** Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:14 am

Warbirdnerd wrote:

Tom_W wrote:

I can. You might also enjoy this book, I did, but I am biased.
http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/S ... ue-II.aspx
I spent a lot of time around SSII and Roger Christgau.

I enjoyed it too

I tried getting in touch with the Doc a few years back as we had a chap over here desperate to get hold of an ex-8th/9th AF vet P-51D but I think he wanted her to stay State-side from the feedback I got.

I loved the chapters about getting her back to the States and all of the hassles Dave Allender had in trying to mod her into a racer, halcyon days

Ken · **Posted:** Fri Sep 13, 2013 11:20 am

The excerpt on Amazon is very well written and caught my interest. Thanks for posting.

Ken

zorro9 · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:11 pm **Posts:** 671

P-51 Folks:

The poss P-51D AAF 44-63675 GNXX on display on grounds at Managua Airport. Photo via D. Phillips c. 1970s.

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