So a brief visit into the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, MI, brought me into contact with this:
F-4 Phantom II, McDonnell-Douglas's finest creation--and proof that even a brick will fly if you give it big enough engines.
Hey Juvat, this button you told me about--it don't do anything. (I made sure to stand well off to the side when checking it out though.)
Yo,
Old AF Sarge...Any of this look familiar?
I wonder why they would paint something like this on the aircraft?
This was in there, too.
Be still, my heart. It's a
Cessna O-2A.
This humble warbird may not have had the power and punch of a Phantom or a Thud, but then again, it was the brains of airstrike, telling the fast-moving heavies where to put the bombs and rockets.
Two engines, centerline thrust. And three hundred pounds of radios allowing a very busy pilot to talk to units on the ground, fighter-bombers in the air and ATC and command back at base, all while trying to spot targets and dodge ground fire while flying low and slow right over the enemy.
Twice now I have seriously contemplated buying one. And someday perhaps...
They have a heckiflopter, too.
Bell UH-1D "Iroquois", better known as "Huey".
(Look familiar,
Old NFO? I seem to recall a few of your stories revolving around these.)
They just got this one in:
A-4C Skyhawk! Cute little sucker, ain't it? Introduced in the mid-1950's, it could carry more bombs that a World War 2 B-17 and deliver them more accurately. It was also the smallest aircraft that could deliver a nuclear weapon at that time.
They did it up as
Paul Galanti's bird. That's an honor well-deserved. (Hey Sarge, you might want to consider this warrior for your blog Honor Wall too.)
More later. Stay tuned.
Very nice! Yes, that panel is very familiar and it was I, not Juvat who taught you about the built in ladder on the Phantom. (Not that that bothers me...)
ReplyDeleteThat whole "tampering etc" on the aircraft was not on operational birds. We had people who would shoot you if you tried to break them. Never seen that before. Odd.
My apologies re: the ladder. At least now a couple of museums know who to blame. Sure is noisy when those drop...or so I've been told.
DeleteHahaha!
DeleteVery nice, and that warning is for folks like you...LOL Re the Hueys, the ones I was around were B models, but that Charlie model Scooter is familiar. We had those at GLYNCO.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Murph!
ReplyDeleteHey Murphy;
ReplyDeleteNice selection of birds, especially with the o2 birdog mixed in there. It is almost like the Museum had their own "strike" package ready for you. As far as the warning thingie goes, there are dummies that like to vandalize old warbirds for representing American imperialism or some nonsense.
dangit the "O" in O2 was supposed to capitalized,
ReplyDeleteThey all look familiar; still trying to decide if it's good that my memories are intact, or bad that I'm old enough to have been in uniform when all these were in active service.
ReplyDeleteThere will be more later. Don't go away.
DeleteSlight suggestion. Before buying a center-line thrust Cessna, first find a mechanic who can/is willing to work on it. The rear engine is hard to access without some serious dismantling.
ReplyDeleteMy last A&P guy said the same thing...right along with: "If you get one, take it somewhere else."
DeleteThe standard saying about the O-2 was the second engine was there to insure you got all the way to the crash site if you lost one.
DeleteAs to the 2nd engine, nope plane flies nicely on one, sort of like a very heavy 172 or a 182 with less motor. I have more than a few hours in one, part of the check-out was single engine ops. Frankly on T/O losing one merely made the run bit long. OTOH, that rear engine is a PITA to work on, ladders and scaffolds oh my..
DeleteRAS
A Cessna Push-pull! Kewl! I built spare part for those during the Iraqi-Iranan war. Then we shipped the parts to France.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why they would paint something like this on the aircraft?
ReplyDeleteHad that said something about attempting to climb in/gain entry/play with the controls/etc., I would have suspected that someone tipped them off to your impending visit... ;-)
The Virginia Aviation Museum (now defunct) had an identically painted A4. I wonder if it simply found a new home.
ReplyDelete