The Mustang that started it all

[Tony T]

Love this thread. And the originators pics with his Ford Mustang and the North American P-51 Mustang.

I’ve been in the Aviation Industry for 38 years now.

I have a lot of favorite aircraft and have worked on a bunch. But one of the best is the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom.

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[Blown86GT]

And if you are in Phoenix, a drive south about 2 hrs will get you to Pima Air and Space Museum. Worth every minute!

SR-71! Used to see them fly in the mid 80s when my father was stationed at RAF Lakenheath in England. I believe they flew out of RAF Mildenhall...oh and a B-36 Peacemaker! Very cool...pre-cursor to the B-47 and B-52!

 

[Johnnybee]

Johnny, I'm pretty sure the Mustangs had their original Allisons replaced by the Merlin, increasing performance/speed at altitude. At least that's how I remember the story from Dad...

Yes, that’s right. The British received the first P51s and were unhappy with their performance. They transplanted in a Merlin, transformed the plane’s abilities and the rest is history.

 

[Bigfoot53]

It might be appropriate at this point to share a link to my Dad's aircraft photo collection, starting in the early 1940s. With all of the aviation buffs here, some will appreciate the authentic photos. Please respect the copyright but enjoy the selection. I had sent this via a PM earlier but I think this gang will get kick out of this collection, compiled by myself and my brother, from dad's old slides. Yes, slides. Enjoy: http://manthos.net/pappypix.htm Btw, the P-51 illustration is a close approximation of his 2nd P-51 called Mary AliceII/ Mad Pappy.

PS: Nice F-4 pic,Tony. Real pilots use tail hooks... : )

 

[sdiver68]

SR-71! Used to see them fly in the mid 80s when my father was stationed at RAF Lakenheath in England. I believe they flew out of RAF Mildenhall...oh and a B-36 Peacemaker! Very cool...pre-cursor to the B-47 and B-52!

Posted the B-36 because it was my first despite going to all the major A/S Museums. Did you notice the SR-71 cruise drone right next to it? Also a 1st for me. Mustang because Mustang and B-17 like my grandfather flew in during the war.

 

[Johnnybee]

It might be appropriate at this point to share a link to my Dad's aircraft photo collection, starting in the early 1940s. With all of the aviation buffs here, some will appreciate the authentic photos. Please respect the copyright but enjoy the selection. I had sent this via a PM earlier but I think this gang will get kick out of this collection, compiled by myself and my brother, from dad's old slides. Yes, slides. Enjoy: http://manthos.net/pappypix.htm Btw, the P-51 illustration is a close approximation of his 2nd P-51 called Mary AliceII/ Mad Pappy.

PS: Nice F-4 pic,Tony. Real pilots use tail hooks... : )

Thanks for sharing! Love the nose art section. Gotta love military pilots and their fixation for naked breasts!

 

[Bigfoot53]

SR-71!

Heard an SR-71 pilot being interviewed and he said "you haven't been lost until you've been lost doing Mach 3"

 

[Grimace427]

Heard an SR-71 pilot being interviewed and he said "you haven't been lost until you've been lost doing Mach 3"

 

[Bigfoot53]

^Thanks grimace, just wonderful...

 

[Blue Moon]

No matter how many times I hear that, it's still ROTFL funny.

 

[Grimace427]

No matter how many times I hear that, it's still ROTFL funny.

I'll rewatch it several times a year hahaha!

 

[nrc]

I'm happy to be just an hour from the Air Force Museum in Dayton where they have lots of cool stuff. The only downside to the place is that some of their hangars are so packed with aircraft that it's hard to fully appreciate them all. To appreciate the size and beauty of something like the XB-70 you need to be able to stand back from it and take it in without all the other aircraft stacked around.

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/V...Article/195767/north-american-xb-70-valkyrie/

We're planning a Fall trip to Florida and I'm hoping to get to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. The B-17 is my favorite Army aircraft but the F6F Hellcat is my favorite WWII aircraft. Not a glamorous plane, but a workhorse that helped turn the tide in the Pacific.

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