Any WWII warbird fans out there?

[Corm]

My Dad said that each bank of a radial engine has one slave cylinder with a real rugged connecting rod. All the rest of the connecting rods for all of the other cylinders are connected to the main connecting rod, and each bank of cylinders is connected through the crank ends.

Thanks for causing me to ask my Dad this question. You should have seen the gleam in his eye when he started talking about these old engines and planes. He went on to tell me that each of these engines had a 35 gal oil tank, and that he has seen planes come back back from a mission with a few cylinders shot off and down 15-20 gals of oil. He said they used to pinch off the oil lines for the missing cylinders, fill up the oil tank, and send those kids back up to fight some more. He also said that towards the end of the war they came out with an engine that had 4 banks of 9 cylinders. It had lots of power but due to problems keeping the rear bank of cylinders cool there weren't many built.

Corm

 

[RobertN]

The Corsair was awesome. After reading a few of web pages mentioned above, I found it curious that the Corsair didn't find itself in other theaters. Nor, did the P51. I have not heard of Corsairs in Europe, or P51's in the Pacific. Didn't the P47 make it into most theatres though?

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[PaulB]

Wow, you guys are amazing. I don't think there is ANY topic that someone on this forum doesn't know something (and often a whole lot) about. Corm, my dad (now passed away) was in WWII also, and loved to tell stories about life during that most terrible time. I was never so proud of him as I was when he and the other war vets would go out every Memorial Day with we boyscouts, and put flags on every veterans grave we had on our maps. I am sure that for some gravesites, it was the only visitation they ever got. When we were all done someone would play taps, and I never once could stop myself from crying, and neither could my dad. Most kids (I started when I was 10, maybe 12) would have thought it was corny, but I will remember it always, and tell my kids about their grandfather and what he did to save freedom.

 

[dullpain]

You may want to try the Air Force Museum web site at Wright Patterson AFB.
The site is www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/.
I am an old jet engine mechanic (ain't touched one in years) and only laid hands on 1 Radial engine in school. Don't even remember what type. They always fascinated me though. Also I recall a group out of Texas called the Warbirds. They fly all over to airshows with WWII planes. You might try a search for "warbirds" & see what it turns up. Attached is one of the jets I worked on. They still use it as a chase/guide plane for the Space Shuttle on landing. There is also the annual "flyin" @ Oshkosh, WI. for all types of aircraft. REALLY BIG Event.They probably have a web address as well. If you find any more let us know. I've started a new folder in favorites on browser for Aircraft.

 

[ERNIEB]

Well, I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Confederate Air Force.http://www.confederateairforce.org/caf_his.html
They are a Texas based group that has a bunch of WWII aircraft, that is still flying.
ErnieB

 

[Bird]

ErnieB, The Confederate Air Force (soon to be renamed apparently since "Confederate" is no longer politically correct) is an interesting organization and does have a somewhat interesting museum in Midland, but after visiting Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the Pima County Air Museum in Tucson, the Air Force Museum in Dayton, the Smithsonian in Washington, and the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, . . . well, maybe if we'd visited the Confederate Air Force first, it wouldn't have been quite so disappointing. Of course, I guess the one thing they have over the others is the fact that they still fly some of those old planes.

Bird

 

[ERNIEB]

Bird, I've never been to their museum, nor even seen one of their air shows. I did see two B-17's flying in to an air show they were having, very impressive sight. Like something out of 'Twelve 0'clock High". It's amazing they can keep those old crates flying.
ErnieB

 

[Bird]

ErnieB, as much as I liked flying, I'll have to admit I'd be afraid to fly in one of those old planes. It truly is amazing that they keep them flying.

Bird