- Thread starter
- #161
Another site/source on antique and old warbirds;
www.vintageaviationnews.com -
www.vintageaviationnews.com -
Hanger Tails(Tales) ~ Flying/Aviation
- Thread starter Stryder50
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #162
- Thread starter
- #163
Showing up shortly after Boeing's 307 was the Curtiss CW-20, a.k.a. C-46 Commando.
...
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a low-wing, twin-engine aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company publicity.[2] It was used primarily as a cargo aircraft during World War II, with fold-down seating for military transport and some use in delivering paratroops. Mainly deployed by the United States Army Air Forces, it also served the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps, which called it R5C. The C-46 filled similar roles as its Douglas-built counterpart, the C-47 Skytrain, with some 3,200 C-46s produced to approximately 10,200 C-47s.
After World War II, a few surplus C-46 aircraft were briefly used in their original role as passenger airliners but the glut of surplus C-47s dominated the marketplace and the C-46 was soon relegated to cargo duty. The type continued in U.S. Air Force service in a secondary role until 1968. The C-46 continues in operation as a rugged cargo transport for arctic and remote locations with its service life extended into the 21st century.[3]
...
en.wikipedia.org
..........
Several still exist, including a couple airworthy it seems;
en.wikipedia.org
...
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a low-wing, twin-engine aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company publicity.[2] It was used primarily as a cargo aircraft during World War II, with fold-down seating for military transport and some use in delivering paratroops. Mainly deployed by the United States Army Air Forces, it also served the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps, which called it R5C. The C-46 filled similar roles as its Douglas-built counterpart, the C-47 Skytrain, with some 3,200 C-46s produced to approximately 10,200 C-47s.
After World War II, a few surplus C-46 aircraft were briefly used in their original role as passenger airliners but the glut of surplus C-47s dominated the marketplace and the C-46 was soon relegated to cargo duty. The type continued in U.S. Air Force service in a secondary role until 1968. The C-46 continues in operation as a rugged cargo transport for arctic and remote locations with its service life extended into the 21st century.[3]
...
Curtiss C-46 Commando - Wikipedia
Several still exist, including a couple airworthy it seems;
List of surviving Curtiss C-46 Commandos - Wikipedia
- Thread starter
- #164
Add to your aviation museum list;
Military Aviation Museum,
Virginia, USA
www.militaryaviationmuseum.org
Military Aviation Museum,
Virginia, USA
Military Aviation Museum | Aircraft Collections | Virginia Beach, VA
The Military Aviation Museum, located in Virginia Beach, is home to the world's largest collection of airworthy vintage military aircraft.
www.militaryaviationmuseum.org
- Thread starter
- #165
Nearly 4,000 Boeing B-29 superfortress bombers were built. About 22 survive and only two are airworthy = flyable.
en.wikipedia.org
...
Twenty-two B-29s are preserved at various museums worldwide, including two flying examples; FIFI, which belongs to the Commemorative Air Force, and Doc, which belongs to Doc's Friends. Doc made its first flight in 60 years from Wichita, Kansas, on 17 July 2016.[90] There are also four complete airframes either in storage or under restoration, eight partial airframes in storage or under restoration, and four known wreck sites.[citation needed]
Three of the Silverplate B-29s modified to drop nuclear bombs survive. The Enola Gay (nose number 82), which dropped the first atomic bomb, was fully restored and placed on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air & Space Museum near Washington Dulles International Airport in 2003. The B-29 that dropped Fat Man on Nagasaki, Bockscar (nose number 77), is restored and on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. The third is the 15th Silverplate to be delivered, on the last day of the war in the Pacific. It is on display at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, posed with a replica of the Mark-3 "Fat Man" nuclear bomb.
B-29 'It's Hawg wild' at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford
Only two of the 22 museum aircraft are outside the United States: It's Hawg Wild at the Imperial War Museum Duxford and another at the KAI Aerospace Museum in Sachon, South Korea.[91]
Those two flyable B-29 will meet and be together at
“As AirVenture is the world’s largest annual gathering of warbirds, bringing these two iconic aircraft together is another of those ‘Only at Oshkosh’ moments,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “These airplanes are big favorites wherever they appear, but together they will make the ‘Turning the Tide’ commemoration even more unforgettable.”
As currently scheduled, each airplane will spend time featured on EAA’s Boeing Plaza. FIFI will be on display on July 22-24, while Doc will take centerstage for display on July 25-28. The airplanes are also scheduled to make a formation flight at the beginning of the July 24 night air show. When not on display at Boeing Plaza, flight experiences on Doc July 22-25 will be based at Appleton International Airport, approximately 20 miles north.
FIFI is owned and operated by the Commemorative Air Force’s B-29/B-24 Squadron of Dallas, Texas. It was acquired by the CAF in the early 1970s when a group of CAF members found it at the U.S. Navy Proving Ground at China Lake, California, where it was being used as a missile target. The airplane was rescued and restored, then flew for over 30 years until 2006, when the chief pilot made the decision to ground it pending a complete power plant re-fit. After an extensive four-year restoration that included installing four new custom-built hybrid engines, FIFI returned to the sky in 2010 and has since traveled coast to coast. More information is available on at the CAF’s AirPower History Tour website.
Doc was built in 1944 and for many years was part of a squadron known as the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in upstate New York at Griffiss Air Force Base (hence, the name Doc). The airplane was retired in 1956 as the jet bomber age began and sat as a target for Navy training missions in China Lake, California, until 1998. A restoration group took possession of the airplane from the U.S. government and hauled it back to Wichita, Kansas, in pieces in 2000. After 16 years and more than 450,000 volunteer hours, Doc made its first flight after restoration in July 2016, 60 years after it had been retired. Flight experience information for Doc at Oshkosh is available at Take a Ride of a Lifetime - B-29 Doc. Doc is owned and operated by Doc’s Friends, Inc., a non-profit based in Wichita.
....
Boeing B-29 Superfortress - Wikipedia
Twenty-two B-29s are preserved at various museums worldwide, including two flying examples; FIFI, which belongs to the Commemorative Air Force, and Doc, which belongs to Doc's Friends. Doc made its first flight in 60 years from Wichita, Kansas, on 17 July 2016.[90] There are also four complete airframes either in storage or under restoration, eight partial airframes in storage or under restoration, and four known wreck sites.[citation needed]
Three of the Silverplate B-29s modified to drop nuclear bombs survive. The Enola Gay (nose number 82), which dropped the first atomic bomb, was fully restored and placed on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air & Space Museum near Washington Dulles International Airport in 2003. The B-29 that dropped Fat Man on Nagasaki, Bockscar (nose number 77), is restored and on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. The third is the 15th Silverplate to be delivered, on the last day of the war in the Pacific. It is on display at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, posed with a replica of the Mark-3 "Fat Man" nuclear bomb.
B-29 'It's Hawg wild' at the Imperial War Museum, DuxfordOnly two of the 22 museum aircraft are outside the United States: It's Hawg Wild at the Imperial War Museum Duxford and another at the KAI Aerospace Museum in Sachon, South Korea.[91]
Those two flyable B-29 will meet and be together at
A B-29 reunion announced for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (April 4, 2024) — Superfortresses ‘Doc’ and ‘FIFI’ to make rare joint appearance. The world’s only two flying examples of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress will make a rare joint appearance this summer during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024, supporting the “Turning the Tide” salute to 1944 and the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The 71st edition of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s fly-in convention is July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.It is believed to be only the fourth time two B-29s have made a joint public appearance in 50 years, with the first taking place in Oshkosh in 2017. It is the first time these aircraft have appeared together since 2018.“As AirVenture is the world’s largest annual gathering of warbirds, bringing these two iconic aircraft together is another of those ‘Only at Oshkosh’ moments,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “These airplanes are big favorites wherever they appear, but together they will make the ‘Turning the Tide’ commemoration even more unforgettable.”
As currently scheduled, each airplane will spend time featured on EAA’s Boeing Plaza. FIFI will be on display on July 22-24, while Doc will take centerstage for display on July 25-28. The airplanes are also scheduled to make a formation flight at the beginning of the July 24 night air show. When not on display at Boeing Plaza, flight experiences on Doc July 22-25 will be based at Appleton International Airport, approximately 20 miles north.
FIFI is owned and operated by the Commemorative Air Force’s B-29/B-24 Squadron of Dallas, Texas. It was acquired by the CAF in the early 1970s when a group of CAF members found it at the U.S. Navy Proving Ground at China Lake, California, where it was being used as a missile target. The airplane was rescued and restored, then flew for over 30 years until 2006, when the chief pilot made the decision to ground it pending a complete power plant re-fit. After an extensive four-year restoration that included installing four new custom-built hybrid engines, FIFI returned to the sky in 2010 and has since traveled coast to coast. More information is available on at the CAF’s AirPower History Tour website.
Doc was built in 1944 and for many years was part of a squadron known as the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in upstate New York at Griffiss Air Force Base (hence, the name Doc). The airplane was retired in 1956 as the jet bomber age began and sat as a target for Navy training missions in China Lake, California, until 1998. A restoration group took possession of the airplane from the U.S. government and hauled it back to Wichita, Kansas, in pieces in 2000. After 16 years and more than 450,000 volunteer hours, Doc made its first flight after restoration in July 2016, 60 years after it had been retired. Flight experience information for Doc at Oshkosh is available at Take a Ride of a Lifetime - B-29 Doc. Doc is owned and operated by Doc’s Friends, Inc., a non-profit based in Wichita.
....
A B-29 reunion announced for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024
B-29 reunion added to warbird highlights at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024
commemorativeairforce.org
- Thread starter
- #166
- Thread starter
- #167
So if ever in the region of Eastern Oregon, near Bend, hop up about 30 miles north to Madras and visit one of the most impressive aviation museums of vintage World War Two era aircraft. Almost all are restored to flying condition.
Erickson Aircraft Collection
www.ericksoncollection.com
The above website of theirs has some fantastic images of their aircraft in flight.
More images here. Some are from a ways back when some aircraft had different paint schemes.
Erickson had his start in the air forest fire bombing business. A few of the old tanker/"bombers" were parked there.
Erickson Aircraft Collection
Erickson Aircraft Collection | Erickson Madras | Oregon Aviation Museum
The Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon displays a vintage WWII aircraft collection started by Jack Erickson in 1983. The collection features over twenty warbirds, most of which are still in flying condition.
www.ericksoncollection.com
The above website of theirs has some fantastic images of their aircraft in flight.
More images here. Some are from a ways back when some aircraft had different paint schemes.
Erickson Aircraft Collection - Wikipedia
Erickson Aircraft Collection - AirMuseumGuide.com
Erickson Aircraft Collection is an Oregon jewel
HISTORY — Warbird Flights
BTW, 'stumbled' upon this jem of a museum a couple Summers ago when visiting one of the wife's sisters who lives in Bend, OR. Need to make another trip there soon, maybe for the air show/festival they have.Erickson had his start in the air forest fire bombing business. A few of the old tanker/"bombers" were parked there.
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- Thread starter
- #168
Aviation related as well as History and Military ....
Operation Mole Cricket 19, as the famous engagement was designated, was aimed at destroying the Syrian SAMs positioned in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. The operation took place during the first week of the 1982 Lebanon War that saw Israel and its Lebanese allies face off against Syria, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and their allies in Lebanon.
The battle, which marked the first time a Soviet SAM battery was destroyed by a Western aircraft, had such an effect that the Soviet Union, whose aircraft Syria primarily used, sent military officials to investigate how Soviet aircraft and SAMs were defeated.
Many different factors came together to produce the stunning air combat victory.
....
How the Israeli Air Force once destroyed over 60 enemy jets and dozens of Soviet missile systems in battle without losing a single fighter
...- The Israeli Air Force achieved an unmatched air combat victory in the 1982 Lebanon War.
- The battle, known as Operation Mole Cricket 19, saw over 60 enemy aircraft eliminated without a single Israeli loss.
- Israel's aircraft, weapons, training, and strategic adaptations led to the historic win.
Operation Mole Cricket 19, as the famous engagement was designated, was aimed at destroying the Syrian SAMs positioned in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. The operation took place during the first week of the 1982 Lebanon War that saw Israel and its Lebanese allies face off against Syria, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and their allies in Lebanon.
The battle, which marked the first time a Soviet SAM battery was destroyed by a Western aircraft, had such an effect that the Soviet Union, whose aircraft Syria primarily used, sent military officials to investigate how Soviet aircraft and SAMs were defeated.
Many different factors came together to produce the stunning air combat victory.
....
- Thread starter
- #169
Follow The D-Day Squadron Live Flying Across The Atlantic Ocean
That's All Brother and Placid Lassie are two of the airplanes participating in the airshow. Photo by Rich Cooper
....
Follow The D-Day Squadron Live Flying Across The Atlantic Ocean
FlightAware has created a special link to track the progress of the fleet.
vintageaviationnews.com
Grumpyolman
Platinum Member
WWII aircraft are an interest of mine. My dad was a member of the 5th Air Force stationed in New Guinea 1941-1945. As a kid, he would tell me stories about the war, these stories got more graphic as I got older.
But I digress. These lovely old aircraft are getting REALLY old in 2024. It's similar to a Civil War cannon. Do you really want to fire one?
I consider myself lucky to have seen them fly in the 80's, 90's and beyond. But they are so damn old now, So damn old.
But I digress. These lovely old aircraft are getting REALLY old in 2024. It's similar to a Civil War cannon. Do you really want to fire one?
I consider myself lucky to have seen them fly in the 80's, 90's and beyond. But they are so damn old now, So damn old.
- Thread starter
- #171
Firing a Civil War canon is done by some reenactment groups. But I'd suspect they have been inspected by modern metallurgical devices first.
The old aircraft, warbird and civil, tend to be some of the best inspected and maintained aircraft around. They have more FAA regs to comply with, and often they have new parts recently fabricated.
Still, like any aircraft, one can get into trouble very quickly if making the wrong mistake(s).
- Thread starter
- #172
Thread in the Europe topic area here;
Spitfire crashes in field near RAF Coningsby....Pilot dead.
Spitfire crashes in field near RAF Coningsby....Pilot dead.
- Thread starter
- #173
The 80th year anniversary of D-Day, June 6,1944 id just over a week away. There are numerous events planned in celebration. Among the several aircraft, types that are veterans of WWII, there is this;
www.theepochtimes.com
Still Flying High, WWII Plane That Led D-Day Operation Heads to Normandy
Max Gurney, 102, of San Diego is a proud member of the small contingent of surviving veterans who will witness the historic event.
Still Flying High, WWII Plane That Led D-Day Operation Heads to Normandy
Max Gurney, 102, of San Diego is a proud member of the small contingent of surviving veterans who will witness the historic event.
www.theepochtimes.com
- Thread starter
- #174
Finishing up a book on them, so here's another interesting chapter in aviation history;
The Red Tails - Tuskegee Airmen
tuskegeemuseum.org
cafriseabove.org
The Wiki page, it's rather long and I'll read it later to see how it compares with other material I've read about them.;
en.wikipedia.org
The Red Tails - Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum Orgnization
The Museum is a Repository for the History of the Tuskegee Airmen and Boasts the Largest Collection of Airmen Artifacts in the World.
tuskegeemuseum.org
Home | CAF RISE ABOVE
RISE ABOVE is the CAF three-fold educational outreach program that brings the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) to life in communities and classrooms everywhere.
cafriseabove.org
The Wiki page, it's rather long and I'll read it later to see how it compares with other material I've read about them.;
Tuskegee Airmen - Wikipedia
Grumpyolman
Platinum Member
I was lucky to have actually talked to some of the Tuskegee airmen at an airshow about ten years ago, I shook their hands and thanked them for their service, Those were some of the sharpest guys I’ve ever talked to.Finishing up a book on them, so here's another interesting chapter in aviation history;
The Red Tails - Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum Orgnization
The Museum is a Repository for the History of the Tuskegee Airmen and Boasts the Largest Collection of Airmen Artifacts in the World.Home | CAF RISE ABOVE
RISE ABOVE is the CAF three-fold educational outreach program that brings the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) to life in communities and classrooms everywhere.
The Wiki page, it's rather long and I'll read it later to see how it compares with other material I've read about them.;
Tuskegee Airmen - Wikipedia
it was an honor.
- Thread starter
- #176
Most were in their early twenties when recruited and had also been in the civilian pilot training program started in many colleges in 1940 by FDR. The selection process was the same as for white pilot trainees (when not a bit tighter) and training standards were as tough if not more so than that of whites. Their "wash-out" rate was about the same as white's.I was lucky to have actually talked to some of the Tuskegee airmen at an airshow about ten years ago, I shook their hands and thanked them for their service, Those were some of the sharpest guys I’ve ever talked to.
it was an honor.
This being about 80+ years ago, they would have been pushing 100 years old when you met them. IIRC, the last living one passed recently.
Their combat record is exception for accomplishments, especially in escort protection of bombers involved in strategic bombing campaign against Germany. BTW, they only served in the ETO, non of the black combat aircraft units served in the Pacific.
They were a significant factor in breaking down the segregation of the US military as well as segregation in society. Not an overnight achievement and still a ways to go some might say. Still, they helped break through the barriers and provided major input towards integration. Many of the Red Tails went on to great achievements in business and government.
They definitely were major trailblazers and may have been a crucial factor in dismantling segregation in the years to follow WWII.
- Thread starter
- #177
Bush pilot wings
Bush Pilot Wing w/2 clutches
We offer the largest selection of military patches and pins on the web - US Army, US Navy, US Marines, US Air Force, US Coast Guard and many more.
www.militarypatchesandpins.com
- Thread starter
- #178
I was tempted to place this in History as a thread of it's own. I might still. For now, it's interesting aviation tale. I met General Anders (Ret.) a little over a dozen years ago, when his museum was located here in Bellingham. When increasing airline traffic and rising rents caused complications, he moved the museum down the road to Skagit airport. As can be seen in the linked articles,he was an icon/legend in recent history. The video of the crash makes me wonder on the "cause".
Retired American astronaut William Anders, who was part of the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, has died after his small plane crashed into Puget Sound in Washington State.
The 90-year-old died after the small aircraft he was piloting crashed near Orcas Island on Friday, resulting in a fireball as the plane hit the water.
Officials with the United States Coast Guard Pacific Northwest said the crash happened just before 11:45am on Friday.
.....
www.dailymail.co.uk
Anders claimed some fame when took a classic photo of Earth from Lunar orbit;
He was also involved in the warbird preservation community;
The type of aircraft he was flying;
....
An earlier and interesting link with history was from his father;
...
William Alison Anders was born on Oct. 17, 1933, in Hong Kong, where he was living with his mother, Muriel Adams Anders, while his father, Lt. Arthur Anders, a career Navy man, was serving as an officer on the gunboat Panay on patrol along China’s Yangtze River.
After a stint in Annapolis, Md., the family returned to China, with his father posted aboard the Panay, once more, as the executive officer, or second in command. But after a Japanese attack in Beijing in July 1937, prompting the start of the Sino-Japanese War, Bill and his mother fled to the Philippines.
In December, while the Panay was carrying out the evacuation of Americans from China, Japanese planes bombed and strafed the boat.
Its captain was severely injured and Lieutenant Anders, who was also wounded, nevertheless took command and ordered the boat’s machine gunners to fire at the Japanese planes. He also oversaw the boat’s evacuation before it sank, for which he received the Navy Cross, the service’s highest award for valor after the Medal of Honor.
The episode, which became known as the Panay Incident, heightened tensions between the United States and Japan, which only four years later, would attack Pearl Harbor, drawing America into World War II.
....
www.nytimes.com
....
Website for the museum;
Other article links;
en.wikipedia.org
William Anders dies in plane crash: Apollo 8 astronaut, 90, named as pilot killed in Washington fireball smash
...Retired American astronaut William Anders, who was part of the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, has died after his small plane crashed into Puget Sound in Washington State.
The 90-year-old died after the small aircraft he was piloting crashed near Orcas Island on Friday, resulting in a fireball as the plane hit the water.
Officials with the United States Coast Guard Pacific Northwest said the crash happened just before 11:45am on Friday.
.....
Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, 90, killed in small plane crash
Former astronaut, William Anders, 90, who had been part of the Apollo 8 mission in December 1968, has been killed after crashing his small plane into Puget Sound near Orcas Island in Washington State.
Anders claimed some fame when took a classic photo of Earth from Lunar orbit;
He was also involved in the warbird preservation community;
The type of aircraft he was flying;
....
An earlier and interesting link with history was from his father;
...
William Alison Anders was born on Oct. 17, 1933, in Hong Kong, where he was living with his mother, Muriel Adams Anders, while his father, Lt. Arthur Anders, a career Navy man, was serving as an officer on the gunboat Panay on patrol along China’s Yangtze River.
After a stint in Annapolis, Md., the family returned to China, with his father posted aboard the Panay, once more, as the executive officer, or second in command. But after a Japanese attack in Beijing in July 1937, prompting the start of the Sino-Japanese War, Bill and his mother fled to the Philippines.
In December, while the Panay was carrying out the evacuation of Americans from China, Japanese planes bombed and strafed the boat.
Its captain was severely injured and Lieutenant Anders, who was also wounded, nevertheless took command and ordered the boat’s machine gunners to fire at the Japanese planes. He also oversaw the boat’s evacuation before it sank, for which he received the Navy Cross, the service’s highest award for valor after the Medal of Honor.
The episode, which became known as the Panay Incident, heightened tensions between the United States and Japan, which only four years later, would attack Pearl Harbor, drawing America into World War II.
....
William A. Anders, 90, Dies; Flew on First Manned Orbit of the Moon
During the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, his color photograph of an emerging Earth, known as “Earthrise,” became an icon and driving force for the environmental movement.
Website for the museum;
Other article links;
William Anders, Apollo 8 astronaut who took Earthrise photo, dies in ...
Apollo 8 astronaut Anders, who took 'Earthrise' photo, reported dead i
William Anders - Wikipedia
Grumpyolman
Platinum Member
If you look at the video of the T-38 going down, you'll notice it was in a direct nose dive.I was tempted to place this in History as a thread of it's own. I might still. For now, it's interesting aviation tale. I met General Anders (Ret.) a little over a dozen years ago, when his museum was located here in Bellingham. When increasing airline traffic and rising rents caused complications, he moved the museum down the road to Skagit airport. As can be seen in the linked articles,he was an icon/legend in recent history. The video of the crash makes me wonder on the "cause".
William Anders dies in plane crash: Apollo 8 astronaut, 90, named as pilot killed in Washington fireball smash
...
Retired American astronaut William Anders, who was part of the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, has died after his small plane crashed into Puget Sound in Washington State.
The 90-year-old died after the small aircraft he was piloting crashed near Orcas Island on Friday, resulting in a fireball as the plane hit the water.
Officials with the United States Coast Guard Pacific Northwest said the crash happened just before 11:45am on Friday.
.....
Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, 90, killed in small plane crash
Former astronaut, William Anders, 90, who had been part of the Apollo 8 mission in December 1968, has been killed after crashing his small plane into Puget Sound near Orcas Island in Washington State.
Anders claimed some fame when took a classic photo of Earth from Lunar orbit;
He was also involved in the warbird preservation community;
The type of aircraft he was flying;
....
An earlier and interesting link with history was from his father;
...
William Alison Anders was born on Oct. 17, 1933, in Hong Kong, where he was living with his mother, Muriel Adams Anders, while his father, Lt. Arthur Anders, a career Navy man, was serving as an officer on the gunboat Panay on patrol along China’s Yangtze River.
After a stint in Annapolis, Md., the family returned to China, with his father posted aboard the Panay, once more, as the executive officer, or second in command. But after a Japanese attack in Beijing in July 1937, prompting the start of the Sino-Japanese War, Bill and his mother fled to the Philippines.
In December, while the Panay was carrying out the evacuation of Americans from China, Japanese planes bombed and strafed the boat.
Its captain was severely injured and Lieutenant Anders, who was also wounded, nevertheless took command and ordered the boat’s machine gunners to fire at the Japanese planes. He also oversaw the boat’s evacuation before it sank, for which he received the Navy Cross, the service’s highest award for valor after the Medal of Honor.
The episode, which became known as the Panay Incident, heightened tensions between the United States and Japan, which only four years later, would attack Pearl Harbor, drawing America into World War II.
....
....William A. Anders, 90, Dies; Flew on First Manned Orbit of the Moon
During the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, his color photograph of an emerging Earth, known as “Earthrise,” became an icon and driving force for the environmental movement.
Website for the museum;
Other article links;
William Anders, Apollo 8 astronaut who took Earthrise photo, dies in ...
Apollo 8 astronaut Anders, who took 'Earthrise' photo, reported dead i
William Anders - Wikipedia
I'm not a licensed pilot, but I do know if there were any control surfaces still working, he would have attempted to pull back the stick.
There was no evidence he did. He suffered a medical emergency of some kind.
RIP, pilot.
- Thread starter
- #180
That's what I was thinking.
In deference to the family I was holding off on speculation.
"... makes me wonder on the "cause"." meant it could also have been intentional, at least at the start before the attempt to pull out/up, which it appears was started too late to work.
Also, like nearly every other aircraft, it's rare to go in a straight down dive without intent behind the controls. the T-34 is a fairly stable aircraft.
About that clip, upon looking again .... First the sound is out of sync, slightly delayed. Second, the start makes it appear the aircraft is upside down and coming out of a loop, but spent too much time in dive down before attempt to pull up, out of the loop. It's possible a second too long in blackout in recovery phase of the maneuver.
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