Event Coverage Hot Rods that saved the "free world"

Ok, OK.....off-topic to some degree, but most of you will get the direct connection here.
Afterall, without Warbirds and the tough youngsters that manned them, we'd be in a really different world today.
You think you have something to gripe about today in America?
Think of the alternative....

So....yesterday the Collings Foundation brought their B-17 "Flying Fortress", B-24 "Liberator" and their North American TP-51C Mustang to the airfield in Burbank.
I know I and others have posted photos of these birds before, but they never lose their appeal to gearheads.
Check out their website. They are keeping many old planes, cars and military items in functioning condition for the public to learn from and the children of today to have a better understanding of the word "sacrifice", "freedom" and real "Patriotism", not just who has the flag lapel pin on this week.
www.collingsfoundation.org
Some of you folks have had to honor to have flow with this group. I have had that honor, too, along with Rick Finch, our own retired dragster driver here on the HAMB.

























front of the B-24



rear of B-24

 

Wow!!!

 

great pics,But what is this?

 

gun Turit baby,bang bang bang.

 

Thanks for the great photos, Mazooma1. I always enjoy your shots.

 

Enjoyed!

 

That would be the side mount of the belly turret under the B-17.

 

Awesome photos...thanks for posting. So glad to see that some of these unbelievable machines are still in action. Just imagine the balls it took back then....

 

You had to be half nuts (and small) to climb into the belly turret!

 

Does anyone know the significance (if their is one) of why the props are black with yellow tips?

 

Oh, hot RODS. I thought you meant some kind of marsupial. Spell check! Gary

PS. Good pix. Got any racing sea plane shots? Those were my favorites for nothing more than plain old going fast.

 

Mostly so you don't walk into a spinning prop. Gary

 

Great pics of great planes, flown by the greatest generation, so sad we're losing more every day. Thanks for posting.

 

So you can see them and you don't get your head taken off. All black, you might not see than when the engine was running...

 

Gee thanks....when I see I've made a spelling mistake in the title, I have never figured out how to correct it, as you can with misspelled words in the text.

Also, sorry...they didn't show up yesterday with any racing seaplanes.

 

What, do they run Prius engines??

I asssumed that, but thought it may have just been a manufacturers color scheme...

Thanks!

 

thanks for splain'in that to me

 

Thanks for posting the photos! As a Chief Armored my Dad got to overhall all 10 of the 50 Cal machine guns per B-17 after every mission at Great Ashfield with the 385BG. Bob

 

Hot Rods of the Sky !!!!!

 

Extremely cool pictures. Thanks for posting.

 

Mazooma,
Thanks for the great photos. I love the detail shots, especially of the ball turret. That is something one rarely gets to see. You have to marvel at the hundreds of thousands of parts needed to build one of these planes and the skill to design and build them, in the thousands. Thanks again.

 

OOOOOH-RAAHHHHHH !

 

This is all stuff I found on line,.... Beauty, Power, Speed, Style & Firepower !

 

Oh man! WWII planes ALWAYS get my attention! Mazzooma, the bombers and p51 are bitchin', but then Harms Way had to go and post Corsairs... In my humble opinion still one of the coolest mechanical contraptions ever conceived! I can't even begin to imagine the balls it took to just flat strap yourself in and go do what you know needed to be done. I think I could have, but my hat is permanently and very reverently tipped to those that did!!!

 

Bitch'n.

 

X2!!!!on the balls of the ball turrent gunner! hanging right out there for every german fighter pilot to target. saw a show on history chanel once where they spoke to a former BT gunner, he said often the hydrolicks would be shot out and the gunner would be stuck inside, not able to rotate the ball to get out, and if that also took out the landing gear guess who was first back on the ground GREATEST GENERATION!

 

GREAT pictures!!

They had me making P-51 engine sounds while I was looking at them!

Sam