Merlin copy in 1:5 scale

[plovett]

I've ridden in a B-29, too.  Pretty fun.

[plovett]

I have flown several WWII era fighters. Nothing sounds like a Packard-Merlin engine. They are very distinctive in nature.

                                                                                           -Keith

B-25 pilots are supposed to be the most deaf of all the WWII fliers.  The Wright Cyclone 2600's to either side of them messed up their ears.  I talked to a B-25 pilot about 35 years ago.  He flew in North Africa if I remember right.

[67428GT500]

I have flown several WWII era fighters. Nothing sounds like a Packard-Merlin engine. They are very distinctive in nature.

                                                                                           -Keith

Umm, Keith, you can not make a statement like that, and NOT expand on it!! There are a very select few who can say that! I noticed the Air Force wings, and the aviation quote, but never asked you about it.

I'm a big vintage aviation buff. I've flown as a passenger on the Sentimental Journey and Diamond Lil (B-17 and B-24 respectively) and an early 30's open cockpit Waco. I would absolutely JUMP at the chance to fly in a fighter, but most are single seaters and I don't know of any others that actually give rides. I would love to hear more about the planes you've flown!

The Collings Fountation gives rides in their P51D two seater trainer.

https://www.collingsfoundation.org/flight-experiences/

I am an American Airlines Pilot. However, I volunteered for Chino Air Museum in Chino California for several years before being based out of DFW.
I worked with Steve Hinton and had the opportunity to fly several of the museum's aircraft over the years. My favorite actually was the P-47 with the Turbo-Supercharged P&W R2800.  I have stick time in most of the more infamous fighters of WWII. I do miss the volunteer time at the museum, the stories shared by the WWII veterans who also volunteered as well.
As for the B-17G, Sentimental Journey. I saw her when the "Confederate Air Force" bought it. It was being restored at Falcon Field, just outside Mesa, AZ. The Chin Turret was missing, as were all the others. The military equipment had been gutted. They did a beautiful job of completing the restoration. The B17 that was at Chino was used in the series 12 O' Clock High. The reason the restoration was only started a few years back as it was still U.S. Air Force property and had not been given to the museum.  They are currently in the process of restoring "Piccadilly Lilly"
                                                                                                       -Keith

[machoneman]

I have flown several WWII era fighters. Nothing sounds like a Packard-Merlin engine. They are very distinctive in nature.

                                                                                           -Keith

Umm, Keith, you can not make a statement like that, and NOT expand on it!! There are a very select few who can say that! I noticed the Air Force wings, and the aviation quote, but never asked you about it.

I'm a big vintage aviation buff. I've flown as a passenger on the Sentimental Journey and Diamond Lil (B-17 and B-24 respectively) and an early 30's open cockpit Waco. I would absolutely JUMP at the chance to fly in a fighter, but most are single seaters and I don't know of any others that actually give rides. I would love to hear more about the planes you've flown!

The Collings Fountation gives rides in their P51D two seater trainer.

https://www.collingsfoundation.org/flight-experiences/

I am an American Airlines Pilot. However, I volunteered for Chino Air Museum in Chino California for several years before being based out of DFW.
I worked with Steve Hinton and had the opportunity to fly several of the museum's aircraft over the years. My favorite actually was the P-47 with the Turbo-Supercharged P&W R2800.  I have stick time in most of the more infamous fighters of WWII. I do miss the volunteer time at the museum, the stories shared by the WWII veterans who also volunteered as well.
As for the B-17G, Sentimental Journey. I saw her when the "Confederate Air Force" bought it. It was being restored at Falcon Field, just outside Mesa, AZ. The Chin Turret was missing, as were all the others. The military equipment had been gutted. They did a beautiful job of completing the restoration. The B17 that was at Chino was used in the series 12 O' Clock High. The reason the restoration was only started a few years back as it was still U.S. Air Force property and had not been given to the museum.  They are currently in the process of restoring "Piccadilly Lilly"
                                                                                                       -Keith

Say Keith, we visited that airport many years ago and I spied a WWII era Focke-Wulf FW190, a rare D9 if I remember right, that had just been restored. Mechanics had the engine covers off and I do believe it had the original V-12 engine. Did you see this airplane or know what happened to it?

Bob 

[ToddK]

I started my Air Force pilot career at a unit that had 5 WWII era C-47’s still in service. As sweet as a big Packard-Merlin sounds, I much prefer the sound of a big radial engine. I used to take great pleasure in taxiing around at night and just giving the throttles a quick blip off idle and back, to get nice big blue flames out of the exhaust.

The P-47 would have been great to fly, with that big lump of round power out the front.

[Heo]

Since there seems to be some aviation interest here. Here is some pictures from the local aviation museum at the airforcebase i worked at in the early 80s



Packard Merlin from a Swedish Mustang



A Swedish Mustang Restored to non flying condition out of a wreck that crached in a swamp and then was used for target practise



A Russian bomb that fell close to the AFB during a bomb raid, The Russians blamed they got lost in the bad wheather but....The truth is probably the wanted to scare us Beacuse we sent Volontares to the winter war
 



SAABs first Jetfighter J29 nicknamed the flying barrel




A Swedish Vampire




My son climbing out of the J37 Flight simulator



A Swedish built Twin Wasp

[67428GT500]

Machoneman:

The museum was actually gathering components to restore the ME 109E and the FW 190-D9. That was part of my volunteer work is running down parts for the many aircraft the museum had either on static display or storage.  I actually found parts for the aircraft is Russia. Trying to get them in required going through the state department. The museum's ME262 was sold off to fund other projects.
We had the only airworthy Japanese A6M5 Zero running the original engine. The Japanese refused to supply copies of the prints for the aircraft and engine so that parts could be manufactured to make the aircraft airworthy.  In the end, there was an agreement with the Japanese that Chino Air Museum would bring the completed aircraft over for a "tour of Japan" for use of the prints. 

                                                                                                              -Keith

[TomP]

The engine looks good, as does Mrs Heo.
 Interesting stuff on the logistics of obtaining enemy wartime documents!