Franz von Werra
One major advantage the British had over the Germans in the Battle of Britain was that pilots who survived being shot down could be reclaimed by the British, but they were lost to the Germans. With one notable exception. Franz von Werra was shot down over England and returned to duty.
His story after the jump. Continue reading
If that title/name is frustratingly vague for you, I’ve got a fun story for this one. I have to start by saying I’m not really in to trucks, but I do like building and having a variety of vehicles and service equipment in my display area. I think it adds visual interest to have more than just row on row of airplanes.
After the jump, I’ll tell how I learned something interesting about this non-descript truck. Continue reading
Nose Art
Personal Markings appeared on aircraft of every nationality. They ranged from colorful stripes or accent marks, to lurid creations covering most of an air frame. The most typically American way of personalizing aircraft was nose art.
There are a number of interesting pitfalls to recreating such artwork. After the jump, I’ll look at one favorite example. Continue reading
The Spitfire is easily the most famous British aircraft of World War II, and really one of the most iconic aircraft of the entire war.
After the jump, we’ll take brief look at the development of this type. Continue reading
“Should Britain fail, then the the entire world would sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister …by the lights of perverted science.” ~ Winston Churchill
Germany was clearly the most advanced nation on Earth in several fields of science during World War II. Rocketry was significant among those. Continue reading
The Widowmaker
The Martin B-26 Marauder had one of the most completely mixed reputations of any World War II aircraft. After a very poor start, it would finish the war with the lowest loss per mission rate of any allied bomber.
After the jump, a brief look at the American Medium Bomber. Continue reading
This last week I had the opportunity to spend most of the day at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo with my 13 year old nephew. This is the sort of day that can be enjoyed by different generations pretty easily.
The main display area of the Air Zoo
This is perhaps the most iconic American vehicle of all time. The light, 4 x 4 vehicle could travel highway speeds or bounce cross country quite easily. Well known for ruggedness and reliability, the Willys Jeep served a wide variety functions from the immediate pre-war period.
The best job on the airfield!
John Thach and His Weave
Early in the Pacific War allied air forces were badly outmatched by the Japanese. The Japanese Army and Navy were highly selective and trained to an excruciatingly high standard. Plus, they’d been at war with both China and the Soviet Union in the proceeding years.
The US Navy was the only regular military service that was able to have a positive kill ratio in those first six months (add The Flying Tigers if we count irregular units!). John Thach was one of the key reasons. After the jump, I’ll look at an important tactician and his weapon. Continue reading
Just to prove how OCD I am, I’ve given some thought to how I’m arranging the categories for the “category search” feature available in the right hand column of every page. This actually will get into a little bit of a design/function talk.
If you’re actually interested, a brief explanation after the jump. Continue reading
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Plane Dave 