posted 06-17- 05:34 PM            

Ok first off, yes Jerry it was the "Aluminum Overcast" and no not even for 250.00 I realize that it takes a lot to run those things but that was a little rich for me, you got a hell of a deal. Though at the Caldwell airport (fly speck) to see this thing take off and land was spectacular. You can park your car at the end of the runway and watch this thing rumble headon to you, looked just like I was in England in WWII. Except for the sunny day of course She truly is a beaut but I think I know how she aquired her name. The finish on the plane is not aluminum, it's paint with a clearcoat. I know, so what, but it really was a pretty B-17.

On to the Warhawk Air Museum, the two P-40's that they have right now are a P-40N and a P-40E. The latter #302 being the one that Ben AFLACKKK!!! had all his closeup in, though he was using both. It was really great to see these planes in this condition, meaning that they had smell and grime like you walked into a hanger in Burma and looked at them.

I got to talk to the pilot/curator about some of the particulars of the P-40 and some of this I'm sure you guys already know. Here's what he told me, his name is John Paul (will tell you about that later); "The P-40 can out turn and out roll the P-51B,C and D but the P-51 could leave it in the dust with the Merlin, (P-40 Allison) The P-40 at low altitude and low speed was no match for the Zero, the Zero could kick its ass so to speak. But at alt's around 15,000 and 380Kn the P-40 had an edge on the Zero. He said it had to do with the differences of the air flow over the wings and probably wing surface area (my statement) If in a situation of close combat, a P-40 pilot would due a sharp nose down dive to loose an attacking Zero. The P-40 had a better high speed recovery in this situation than did the Zero. As to faults or characteristics that the plane had that pilots had to overcome, he said that he could not think of any. He told me that this plane was very forgiving and a real honey to fly (think he was bias) So with that he excused himself to go eat, he was kinda arrogant and heady. I don't really think I got of on the right foot with this guy. As you know his Name was John Paul, well I asked him if he would mind if I used his name when I talked to you guys. When I asked him his last name he looked at me like a cow at a passing train (DH) and said it's "PAUL" I said OH I just though you were French or something, didn't really hit it off after that

Other stuff I saw at the museum, Nordan (sp) bombsite, 500 pound bomb, 9mm ERMA sub-machinegun, bulletproff glass panel out of a Mustang (I think) two Merlins 1650 HP and a 1425 HP out of the plane, real close up, I was touching them A Folker DR-1 Triplane rep. A P-51C about 60% restored, Yak 3 rep. with a US engine, a Yak 3U Radial (awsome) T-6 Texan (Marine) really more stuff than I can tell you about, but all of it WWII, even a jeep. One thing of particular intrest was the difference between 303 ammo and 50 cal. It's like 22-250 next to my 300 Win-Mag ammo. He also had some 40MM rounds there and 88's, hand grenades, German, Japanese, US. Really guys more than I can tell you about, it was fun. I got some great pics but sorry their not digital. Oh ya one other thing, this guy Paul John, whatever said that he knew Don Berlin personally, the designer of the P-40...

If I think of more stuff I'll tell ya, thanks