AVG - Flying Tigers

Keyworth,

Man, do I envy you! "God is My Co-Pilot" was the first book that I ever read in it's entirety as a kid. It was that good, but I'm sure you've read it a few times too!

Anyhoo, my Dad bought it for me and I treasure that not-so beat-up paperback and always will. I then discovered that my Grandmother had two copies of it, one in very good condition and the other not-so-good. Knowing the interest I had in that stuff, she automatically "signed them over" to me. I tell 'ya, even though I read that book as a modern paperback, it was almost a completely different yarn when I read the original. I can't explain it. I get that same feeling anytime I read a vintage book. I had a friend take the good copy down to WR many years ago for him to sign. But I've already said this...

I really do wish that I could have been there to meet this man. From all accounts, I can believe that he is a "genuine" person and that he sends heartfelt greetings to those whom he may never have met, but in the end... I'm still jealous!

Can you fill us in on any of the highlights of this swaree?

Fitter,

Thanks, guy. Takin' it all one day at a time! And you raced slots in the 60's? Anyplace local? My Dad was also into slots big-time and his team even won a championship one year. Coyote Racing was the name of the team. (He was an AJ Foyt fan. I've also gained an affinity for Supertex!) Still have most of his slots and it's neat to compare the old to the new and see just how far things have come and also how they've stayed the same. Wish I knew more about all of that stuff, tho.


Fade to Black...

Steve:

I used to hang out at Grell's in Williamsville. I really didn't have the money to get too deeply involved at the time, but I did have fun. Another member here (I'm sure you've seen his name pop up here and there), MarkIV, was a bit more into it than I was. I believe he used to frequent the Brighton and Eggert track, as well as our small, hand-built club track.

I still have some of my old stuff... I'll have to dig it all out and take a look.

FITTER out (thinking that maybe this subject would actually deserve a new thread in another category... )

Yeah, by now we could split it up into a couple of different threads. C'este la vie!

Fade to Black...

Hey Blackwolf
I just picked up a new P-40 book 39 to 45(Planes and Pilots prt 3) Have you seen this one or do you have it already. I got the last one in captivity
Flaps up, Mike

Lots of people, lots artwork (good and bad), lots of airplanes (courtesy of the local USAF and the Air Museum. The General was the center of attention and enjoyed every minute of it. It was really supposed to be the art that was the attraction, but it definitely took a back seat. Lots of local IPMS guys around: the local chapter is the Rober L. Scott Chapter. Rained like hell, so it was held indoors. Didn't matter, though. Gen'l Scott held court for about an hour, and no one moved-too busy listeneing to a legend. Aren't many of them left now, and I wish I could meet them all. My dad was a navigator on B-24's and later an intel officer with Lemay and the 20thAF. ................sigh................ Damned fine day despite the rain. I'd go again in a minute - Ed

Yeah, I know watcha mean. They are disappearing fast. I'm still kicking myself for giving away my pass for an open cockpit tour at the AF Museum at the '97 NATS in Columbus. I gave it to a friend who had never done an OCT before, and this was the last one that the museum was going to run.

Anyhoo, part of the tour was a symposium, the guest of honor being Robin Olds. Hearing all the stories that came out of that talk, I wish I hadn't given up my pass.

Oh well, c'este las vie!

Fade to Black...

Hey Butz,

Naw, don't have that one. I'll have to take a look at yours and then liberate it. That's a brand-new book, yes?

Fade to Black...

A good book for technical data and markings and stuff is called the encycolipidia of wwii aircraft, I forgot who wrote it and I can't find it but i think it by gill bosten or something. Do not use the name because it is probably wrong.

Guys

The Curtiss Wright Historical Association in Torrance CA has three early Tomahawks that they are in the process of restoring. I'm not sure if they still have a site up or not but they did have some photos of the construstion. If you see pictures of the Tomahawk in Pensacola, don't base your model of of that aircraft. It is wrong. Alot of the aircraft is an E model. Except the fusalage. That is a B model that was newly produced.

Ah! I was wondering why that Hawk looked "wrong". There was something that just wasn't sitting right.

Yeah, I'd heard about the three Hawks being restored, but that was a while ago. Is this the project that includes a P-40 that went down in Hawaii? I can't remember, there are a couple early Hawk projects that have been going on and I haven't been keeping track!

Anyhoo, if you find out more I'd love to hear about it. It's time that I got back into the swing of things! I'll certainly be searching around for this stuff myself, but any additional info anyone can provide will be most welcome!

Thanks!

Fade to Black...

Yes it's one in the same. The last time I saw it, they had the upper fuselage ready to rivet together. Fighter rebuilders in Chino finished the C model they had and it is currently the only flying Tomahawk. They did paint it in AVG colors. IF you see it, they painted it after Erik Shillings aircraft. Erik recently passed away. He was a great guy, who came by our hanger all the time to talk and we also got to see his home videos from China.

Ah, I thought that might be the same deal. Are you a member of the Curtiss Wright Historical Association? I'd be very interested in joining, if I can. I'd also like to see if I can find out more about my Grandfather who worked at CW here in Buffalo.

The Chino Hawk has been flying since '98, hasn't it? They've left it in the AVG markings? That's good, at first I read that these might be temporary. Last I had heard, the aircraft was to be stripped to bare metal and sent to Duxford and painted in the Russian markings it had carried in combat. I understand that this deal did not go through, however, and I must say that I was happy to hear that. Such a rarity of US aviation history should stay here in the States.

I'd like to build a model of this Tomahawk as it appeared when it went down near Archangelsk. (Also another as it appeared in USAAC markings: 77th PS, 20th PG?) All I know is that it carried the number "53" in Russian service. Would you happen to know if the folks at Chino would be able to help me with any markings info?

Thanks!

Fade to Black...

I am a life member and former President of the group. I resigned as President in 1998 and am now living in Texas trying to put a musuem together for the USS CONOLLY. The aircraft will not be going to England, the last I heard is that it was sold to the second in charge over at Microsoft, and will be staying here in the states around the Seattle area. Let me see if thay are still accepting members into the group. I have a number of photos of her in the rebuild stage, the best ones stayed at the Headquaters for refrence. The current president is Kent Lentz the number to the hanger is 310-325-6155....Please fell free to give them a call and mention my name Robert Krusinowski,,,

Blackwolf:

One site you might want to check out ( if you haven't already ! ) is the Robert L. Scott Fan Club Association.

The URL is: http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/rlsfca/

Jim

It's a great site....
Try this one
http://old.jccc.net/~droberts/p40.html

Hey Fade, last year we had the AVG historian Frank Boring talk to our IPMS club. It was a great time. Here are the links:

http://www.ipmsoc.org (see October club minutes)
http://www.flyingtigersvideo.com/default.htm
http://www.aviationspeakers.com/speakers/f-boring.html

hope these help...

Hey (Blackwolfscd) where can I see pictures of some of your P-40 models?

Thanks for those links, fellas!

Robert, THANKS 2 MUCH! I'll be sure to look into it. Hope they're still accepting members.

DaveW26, the only place I have a photo of a P-40 that I've built is on my website:

www.spasticforplastic.1hwy.com Go to the "Snapshots" page This is the only survivng Hawk I have. It's the Hobbycrap kit and I intended to build it SOB but I wound up adding a few things. There's also a few discrepancies, like with the Fast Frames. Thought I'd try them out, and the windscreen is wrong, but I still like the model. Hopefully the trumpeter kit (if it comes out) will be an improvement over the Hobbycrap offering. Then I can get started...

Sorry for all the pop-ups! (Un)necessary evil at the moment.

Fade to Black...

Blackwolfscd ; I visited your web site. You have some nice pictures of some really good models. I was impressed.