Those of you who frequent The Lexicans have already seen this, those of you who don't (and why not, I ask?) should watch it now... the world's only flying de Havilland Mosquito:
Beauty, in both sound and vision.
H/t to Comjam @ The Lexicans.
Beauty, in both sound and vision.
H/t to Comjam @ The Lexicans.
That video will never get old.
ReplyDeleteHowever, sitting in my cubicle just did.
I feel for ya, Sarge.
DeleteViewing that makes one realize just how valuable and precious all the existing original combat-era film stocks of WW II aircraft really are and how much we must work to preserve them..
ReplyDeleteAND the aircraft, too.
DeleteSpeaking of which, one of the ac pictured, a Pacific Theater P-38 named "Putt Putt Maru" and her pilot Charles McDonald jogged my memory as I recalled he was a pretty famous ace. When I Googled to my surprise I found that he was a 1938 LSU graduate! He scored 27 kills as the 3rd highest ace in the Pacific and retired in '61 as an O-6. (Read his Wiki page!) Turns out his P-38 is STILL in existence and owned by a guy in Houston. I'm now on a kick to get LSU to acquire the ac as a static display (properly environmentally controlled) and name the AFROTC bldg after him (or a wing--I think they still share same bldg w. the Army) I've got a call in to the AFROTC CO this am--awaiting his return call. There is plenty of alum dinero floating around to do this--hell, you're namesake LSU Pennington could do this out of small change..
DeletePS: Should have mentioned this was from the pics provided by that Navy F-4 jock on the post @The Lexicans by wlb50 on 7 Jan.
DeleteI'm hurt you didn't ask THIS Pennington for his support. I could name the ROTC building using some of my small change but I'd have to think about restoring the "Putt Putt Maru."
DeleteKidding aside... you GO, Virgil.
Being a "distinguished" LSU AFROTC grad I thought of asking them to name the building after me--but then realized the costs involved in re-building the place in the shape of a Rum bottle..lol
DeletePPS: Just found out the Head of LSUs AFROTC Det 310 is a NON RATED FEMALE 0-5! GAAAK!!! And you know MY views on women in the armed services. What a healluva role-model for future young male officers! Nothing like the femminista tail wagging the dog! DOUBLE GAAAK!! Any odds on the lesbo quotient as well?
DeletePlus I'm further pissed that, when I didn't get a call-back from ANYBODY, when I called again the secretary said: "Oh I didn't give your msg to Colxxxx, I gave it to Sgt zzz." As you well might imagine we ended that little conversation with said secretary being in NO DOUBT as to whom my second msg should be directed..
My life seems to revolve around the Dilberts of this world these days ...sigh..
Pardon my snickering, Virgil, but rest assured I'm laughing WITH you. ;-)
DeleteI have similar views on wimmen in uniform these days. That wasn't always so, because I was ALL for it back in the day when the AF was hell-bent on integrating women into various and sundry career fields. The main reason being it improved my chances of getting a date (to use politically-correct language) over those times when my career field was exclusively male. Those mountain tops I served on were pretty isolated and more woimmen was a decidedly GOOD thing. The environment has changed, however, and I would be court-martialed today for doing the things we all took for granted back in the day. This is progress?
Beautiful airplane and a great video. Also, thanks for the links. I spent some time on The Lexicans and also at the long wiki article on the mosquito.
ReplyDeleteThat Wiki article on the Mosquito was one of the best they've ever done (on aircraft).
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