Added a P-40 to my collection | Page 3 | FerrariChat

Added a P-40 to my collection

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by f4udriver, Jun 16, 2020.

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  1. G. Pepper

    G. Pepper Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Mar 15, 2012
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    George Pepper
    Love the P-40. Such a classic design.

    My dad started out as a nineteen year old second lieutenant flying P-47D's out of Sicily. Awarded the first of his DFC's at twenty. Went on to fly L-20's, C-46's, C-141's and others.

    I quoted your post mostly to let you know I just started reading your book. Hard to put down!
     
    Island Time likes this.
  2. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    Thank you very much about the book. I know that it isn't an exciting war novel or mystery and I'm not a highly trained writer so it is nice to get a favorable comment. I just wanted to describe what it was like to live in the USA during my time. It's just a recounting of the good and the bad. So far I haven't heard any negative comments about it, so that's good, too. Too bad that Amazon cut out the authors from getting samples of their book at cost to send out autographed copies. Hope that you enjoy it as you get further into it and thanks again. Your dad must have been a pretty good pilot to fly the range of aircraft listed. Thanks for his service!
     
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  3. G. Pepper

    G. Pepper Three Time F1 World Champ
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    I like your perspective as a kid with all the events swirling around you. It's unique I think.
     
  4. mottcom

    mottcom Rookie

    Dec 23, 2014
    7
    Fabulous that you're taking on this project. My dad, Charles D. Mott, was an American Volunteer Group (Flying Tiger) pilot during WWII, and it's great to know folks are keeping these warbirds flying despite the difficulty and cost.
     
  5. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    I was told that my SB2C rear gunner friend was lost on take off when the airplane had immediate engine failure shortly after clearing the end of the deck. Lots of bad stories about the airplane and its engine.
     
  6. A12pilot

    A12pilot Formula Junior
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    Aug 11, 2018
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    Welp, that’s official. This was the coolest thing I’ve read all month!! Love it!!!

    Good luck on the restoration!

    cheers
    Dave
     
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  7. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Feb 27, 2004
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    Jim Pernikoff
    Why would the SB2C have had engine problems? It had the same R-2600 engine as the TBM and B-25, and they were not particularly known for engine problems.
     
  8. boxerman

    boxerman F1 World Champ
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    May 27, 2004
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    I have read the same thing many times.
     
  9. solofast

    solofast Formula 3

    Oct 8, 2007
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    I had a friend who during the early part of the war worked a Curtis in St. Louis and later, he was in the air corps and flew the P40 in training and then in Europe flew the P47 and P51. He said the P40 was by far the most enjoyable to fly of the three. He said the controls were so well harmonized that you didn't have to think about what you were doing to fly it. You just looked to where you wanted it to be and it went there. He said you could do a roll and the airplane rolled around eyeballs. That is , the center of the roll was right between your eyes, your head didn't get tossed and you just kept your eyes on the target you were rolling around and it stayed right there in your sights. He said that in terms of tracking a target or in strafing it was much easier to keep your guns on the target with the P40 as it didn't toss you around. Not the fastest or the best, but it was the most enjoyable to fly in his opinion.
     
  10. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    I know that, Jim. I have heard many times that on the SB2C it was prone to flooding and had other problems. I'm not sure what caused the problem with my buddy's airplane but I know that he was apprehensive about the thing as a whole. I have never been able to understand the propensity for some designers to ignore the importance of adequate tail arm on an airplane. The B-24 was another example of it and they had to have two big legged pilots to control it at times. There was more nose ahead of the airplane than behind it. The Germans never had this problem with any of their airplanes and it took Boeing a while to get tail volume figured out, also. On the KC-135 and 707 dutch roll and engine out situations on take off required increases in vertical fin area but no problem on the rest of their designs.
     
  11. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    I used the wrong term re engine. He said that they had trouble with "Loading up", not flooding. Could have been a maintenance problem.
     
  12. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    It was much earlier than that! An early 307 Stratoliner, with the same skimpy "shark fin" vertical as the early B-17s, crashed due to directional instability, resulting in a substantial increase in fin size on both aircraft. And the early C-97s, which were based on the B-29, looked ridiculous with their tiny B-29 verticals. Fortunately, when they switched to B-50 structure and engines, they got its bigger vertical to go along. So Boeing seemed to have a history of "under-finning" their aircraft.

    (It wasn't only them. After the prototype F-100 had a reasonable vertical tail, the first production F-100As had it cut down for reasons unknown. But after one of those planes killed Pearl Harbor hero George Welch, they put the original vertical back on the airplane.)
     
  13. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
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    Terry H Phillips
    My Hun friends were all really chapped off that about the time they perfected her and got rid of her bad habits, they retired her.
     
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  14. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    Yes, Jim. The worst offender of under finning was the 314 Clipper. The test pilot, I think that it was Eddie Allen, on the first flight radio'd that he couldn't turn "the damn airplane!"and he had to use asymmetrical thrust for directional control. I worked out some tail volume figures with an aero guy in my old group and it was 1/16th of what it should have been and even after the additional two outboard fins and rudders it was still short. If one looks at the immense lateral area of the hull under and forward of the wing you can get the feel of it acting like a keel of a ship. Tough to change direction. Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
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  15. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Did you take the little sea rudder into account, Bob?
     
  16. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    That looks pretty well blanked inflight. Huge size might offset that, though.
     
  17. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Well, I forgot all about that addition of area. When I was working in the experimental gas turbine lab at Plant One in 1952 the Old Boeing original factory was still there on the Duwamish. Upstairs in the loft I saw the lofting templates for the 314 scattered all over. They were never kept. Over the years Boeing threw away many historic photos and artifacts.
     
  18. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    I think that this painting was one of my best efforts and difficult to accomplish. Must be correct because it sold immediately in its first show. Prints are available.
     
  19. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Big fan of the P-40. It could take a beating and keep going. The pre-war livery with the early models, is really kewl.

    Enjoy.
     
  20. bijanmaleki

    bijanmaleki Rookie

    May 18, 2005
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    Congratulations! I echo what you said about Thom did the checkout w him last year. What an awesome flying bird!
     
  21. Hannibal308

    Hannibal308 F1 Veteran
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    As I recall, Neal started our T-28 outfit to race before it switched over to the current airshow mission. P-40 is my all time favorite fighter after my own F-16. Alas, for now, I keep to the T-28...

    I can’t wait to see your N redone as you wish it...just fantastic!
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