Masters of the Air

[bjphoenix]

My mom’s father was B-17 training pilot. He trained many of pilots that went to Europe. My Dad’s father was a physician in the Pacific and served in Okinawa and Iwo Jima. The things this generation went through would bring our generation to its knees.

My first father in law was bombardier on B29s in the war of the Pacific. He never would talk about the war at all but in the 1980s he started going to reunions of Army Air Corps veterans.

 

[vcp]

Episode 7

"According to some accounts, as the Allies gained air superiority and began bombing German cities, including Berlin, Hermann Göring is reported to have said something along the lines of realizing the war was lost when he saw American fighter planes over the German capital.

The exact phrasing of the quote may vary in different sources, and some historians have debated its authenticity. Nonetheless, it reflects the recognition within the German leadership that the strategic bombing campaign and the overall military situation were turning against Nazi Germany in the later stages of World War II."
... ChatGPT

 

[krislhull]

This is how we make parts when we have an original to use for a pattern. This is part of a turbocharger inlet scoop and diverter (not sure what its actually called). This is stainless steel and incredibly difficult to work with.

We fill in holes with Bondo to get it as smooth as possible. Then we put plastic food wrap on top of it and then cover that with masking tape. The tape is laid across the plastic in at least two directions to make it stiff. Mark the edges and cut it to fit and you now have a 2-D pattern of a 3-D part. Put that on a flat piece of aluminum or steel and trace it.

We start cutting it out by using a step drill for any sharp corners that would be impossible to cut with shears. Then we use hand shears to cut out the rest. Then the real fun starts. Basically, we make a resin female mold and pound the steel into it with nylon hammers. More on that later if people want to see it.

The Champaign Museum has really made a lot of progress on the Lady since I last saw her 12 years ago! Zeus, you and your fellow volunteers keep up the good work!

 

[samb]

A recent interview with the author. Quite the character.