[Leica] Be prepared!!

[nicholsj at edge.net (JAMES NICHOLS)]

When I started flying in 1957, there were several Buffalo "hulks" in the
weeds at the local airport, a WWII B-24 training base.  Several disappeared
over the years, and the last one was trucked to California this past  year
to be canibalized for parts for a rebuild.  Ugly little fighter that never
saw much service.
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN


> [Original Message]
> From: Douglas M. Sharp <DouglasMSharp@netscape.net>
> To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Date: 8/4/2004 5:33:33 PM
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Be prepared!!
>
> Yes indeed Walker,
> The Merlin is unmistakeable - an interesting bit of useless information,
> the Messerschmitt 109 G was licence built in Spain after WWII
> and was, in the last version, powered by the Merlin engine.
> My Uncle did his service the other way round, got his wings in the UK
> and was transferred to Canada to test the US built planes before the
> RAF and RCAF got their hands on them. Apparently the Brewster Buffalo
> was prone to a lot of heavy landings (prangs) until they got it
> sorted out, it also had the pleasant nickname of "The pregnant peanut".
> One of the stranger aspects of testing was to find out which
> planes were capable of being operated from aircraft carriers, an
> excellent way of destroying your own planes
> At the time the RNAS (Royal Naval Air Service)only had old biplanes a la
> Swordfish and were
> desperately in need of carrier based fighters,fighter bombers and
> torpedo bombers. So desperate that the protection of the distant shipping
> lanes in the North Sea was virtually all carried out by Coastal Command
> using long range flying boats and converted bombers
> (The Sunderland, a converted Empire Class flying boat, The Wellington
> bomber, in one version with a colossal de-gaussing ring run by a
> stinking diesel generator which nearly poisoned the aircrews, against
> magnetic mines and a series of pig-ugly torpedo bombers like the Beaufort)
> Luckily the US PBYs like the Catalina were supplied to Coastal Command
> in time to step up, and eventuallyhelp  win, the battle against the
> U-boots .
>
> Douglas
>
> Walker Smith schrieb:
>
> > A fine shot with a great "feel" to it! Sometimes the best shots come 
> > from less-than-the-best equipment.
> >
> > Almost 20 years ago I saw the "Battle of Britain" Memorial Flight put 
> > on an air show with the Hurricane, Spitfire, Mosquito and Lancaster 
> > Bomber. It was a fine demonstration and I especially liked it because 
> > my uncle was detached from US forces early in the war to fly 
> > recconisance missions for the Brits in the Mosquito and/or Spitfire. 
> > (He was a P-38 pilot) He earned his RAF Wings as well as his US Wings 
> > and was authorized to wear both simultaniously. One of very few so 
> > honored with most having been members of the "Eagle Squadron", 
> > American citizens who flew for the RAF and later transferred to US 
> > forces when we got into the fight.
> >
> > True story: I was a member of a shooting club while stationed in 
> > England back in the mid-1980's. One Sunday afternoon we were in the 
> > clubhouse - the old WW2 RAF Nissan hut "Scramble Shack" used by the 
> > RAF fighter pilots and moved from RAF Martlesham Heath to club 
> > property - when a plane flew over. My friend, a WW2 British vet, 
> > immediately said "If I didn't know better, I'd say that was a 
> > Spitfire"! We rushed outside and it was indeed a Spitfire. 40 years 
> > after the war and he still knew the sound it made instantly.
> >
> > Walker Smith
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >
>
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