Aviation fans have a looksie.

**nudemetalz** · 12th June 2007, 08:15

This is my current wallpaper taken at an airshow in UK, Duxford I think.

Isn't it amazing.
Clearly shows the difference in sizes of the fighters.

**RC1** · 12th June 2007, 08:28

dont you just love the old war planes

**sAsLEX** · 12th June 2007, 08:30

Duxford was weekend just been I think.

Good air museum for sure, they have a B52 just sitting in the American Air Power building with a whole heap of others.

Well worth the look if your over this way.

**Pussy** · 12th June 2007, 08:51

I'm not what you would call an aviation fan, but I would love to have flown a P-51 or an F4U

**Blackbird** · 12th June 2007, 09:20

Originally Posted by nudemetalz

This is my current wallpaper taken at an airshow in UK, Duxford I think.

Isn't it amazing.
Clearly shows the difference in sizes of the fighters.

Duxford is an awesome place. I went there on spec last time in the UK and was lucky enough to see a P47 Thunderbolt doing circuits. The sound was awesome. The real reason I went there was to see the TSR-2 supersonic low level bomber as my late father was on the wind tunnel testing team.

**Pwalo** · 12th June 2007, 09:33

Yep P-47s are huge cf to a P-51 or a Spitfire. Mind you I'm not sure if a full sized American would have been able to squeeze into a Spitfire.

I've only had the opportunity to sit in one combat aircraft's cockpit (the good old Skyhawk), and it was pretty tight.

**MisterD** · 12th June 2007, 10:10

Originally Posted by sAsLEX

Good air museum for sure, they have a B52 just sitting in the American Air Power building with a whole heap of others.

I used to live just down the road and was there when the B52 arrived. When the M11 motorway was built, they cropped the end off the runway so there was just enough space to land, but that beast will never fly away....we parked up on the B-road that parallels the Mway so it came over at bugger all altitude with engines at full noise - twice, cos the pilot needed a second bite....oh man I think my liver shook out of place.

**nudemetalz** · 12th June 2007, 11:00

Wow, seeing and hearing a '52 a low level would be something else !!!

I attend as many airshows as I can here, ie Wanaka, Classic Fighters, Wings Over Wairarapa.
I'm happy to show/post my collection I've taken (and there's quite a number !!)

**terbang** · 12th June 2007, 11:18

Just a punt from left to right: Aircobra, P47 Thunderbolt (ooh ahh), P51 (spinner and prop only?), P51, P51, P51, P51, Corsair, Corsair and a Douglas Skyraider (?).

Love those big piston singles.. Jets are for pussies...

**Blackbird** · 12th June 2007, 11:19

Originally Posted by Pwalo

Yep P-47s are huge cf to a P-51 or a Spitfire. Mind you I'm not sure if a full sized American would have been able to squeeze into a Spitfire.

I've only had the opportunity to sit in one combat aircraft's cockpit (the good old Skyhawk), and it was pretty tight.

The P47 was mainly used as a long range escort for allied bombers. It had a reputation for not being particularly manoeuvrable in a dogfight. One pilot was quoted as saying that the best evasive action strategy was to undo the harness and run round the cockpit!

**Deviant Esq** · 12th June 2007, 11:29

Originally Posted by nudemetalz

I attend as many airshows as I can here, ie Wanaka, Classic Fighters, Wings Over Wairarapa.
I'm happy to show/post my collection I've taken (and there's quite a number !!)

Got any in 1440 x 900 resolution? Nice shiny new 19" widescreen LCD monitor now!

**terbang** · 12th June 2007, 11:34

Originally Posted by Blackbird

The P47 was mainly used as a long range escort for allied bombers. It had a reputation for not being particularly manoeuvrable in a dogfight. One pilot was quoted as saying that the best evasive action strategy was to undo the harness and run round the cockpit!

The P47 was a pwerful aircraft that had, the often rediculed nickname, "Jug" due to its strange shape. It was heavy (around 7 Ton) due to having a lot of armour built into it, so therefore its turning radius suffered a bit. But it had a tremendous roll rate and when taken advantage of, it took many german pilots by surprise. The best evasive strategy in the jug was to poke the nose earthwards and nothing could keep up. And viceversa, twas a big mistake by German pilots to use a dive to escape a Thunderbolt... Confused P47 pilots often reported aileron reversal in high speed dives, which we now know is an advanced state of transonic flight. And they held together..! They were also heavily armed with eight 50 cal machine guns. A fast, reliable and very dangerous fighter that did a great job though it took second fiddle in the limelight to the P51.

**MisterD** · 12th June 2007, 11:59

Originally Posted by nudemetalz

Wow, seeing and hearing a '52 a low level would be something else !!!

I attend as many airshows as I can here, ie Wanaka, Classic Fighters, Wings Over Wairarapa.
I'm happy to show/post my collection I've taken (and there's quite a number !!)

It's more a feeling than anything else, kind of like Motorhead live

It just a shame it was in the days before digi camcorders and the interweb (we're talking 25 years ago at a guess) so it's only fuzzt memories now.

**MisterD** · 12th June 2007, 12:04

Originally Posted by terbang

A fast, reliable and very dangerous fighter that did a great job though it took second fiddle in the limelight to the P51.

Kind of like the Hurricane then? Responsible for most of the kills in the Battle of Britain but all you ever hear about is Spitfires...

**nudemetalz** · 12th June 2007, 12:10

Originally Posted by terbang

Just a punt from left to right: Aircobra, P47 Thunderbolt (ooh ahh), P51 (spinner and prop only?), P51, P51, P51, P51, Corsair, Corsair and a Douglas Skyraider (?).

Love those big piston singles.. Jets are for pussies...

CORRECT !!! And I think there's an F7F Tigercat behind the Spad (Skyraider)

Originally Posted by Deviant Esq

Got any in 1440 x 900 resolution? Nice shiny new 19" widescreen LCD monitor now!

I have. Let me go through my home PC tonight and I'll winzip some to your email.