Who Likes Aircraft ?
- Thread starter Auggie56
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Not much attempt at streamlining that windshield.
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Considering that Bär was Kommandeur for only about 9 weeks (Feb 13 - April 23), the 12 victories seems impressive.
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When the Second World War broke out and England declared war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939, Canada followed with its own declaration of war one week later. However, Canada's forces were in need of modernization. Following a fly-off competition, the Royal Canadian Air Force wanted Supermarine Spitfires, but they were in short supply, as England needed all it was building for itself. So the runner up was selected and Canada started buying Curtiss Kittyhawks. An improvement over the company's P-40, they had a more powerful engine, better armament, bomb racks and other improvements. They started receiving these planes in 1941.
Three Kittyhawks flying over Canada's west coast in 1942. There were many training facilities out west, with 49,808 pilots trained during the war.
However, when the war was over, all of these fine fighters were surplus to needs. Not only were they becoming obsolete with brand new jet fighters beginning production, but the over all need for a large air-force was scaled back. Canada had, at that time, the world's fourth largest air-force and third largest navy, and it was getting expensive. And so, a great many of these aircraft were disposed of. Many were just scrapped; the market for four engine bombers was rather low. But many of these fighters were offered for sale to whoever wanted them, for $50 a piece. And that's the story of this Curtiss originally taken on by the RCAF on Nov. 6, 1941 as serial number 1051.
Bought for the $50 asking price, it was quickly flipped for a $100 profit and sold to a student. He in turn, sold it to a gas station owner, apparently reading the manual enough to fly it once to get to its destination. Here's a picture of the actual plane having the engine run up at Boeing Field in Washington, still in RCAF paint.
And so, from 1948 to 1968, this once proud bird was a road side attraction in Everett, Washington. An electric motor spun the prop for effect.
Eventually, it caught the attention of people wanting to actually restore it, and so it was sold again a few times, restoration work grinding on until it was finally finished in 1992, including finding a NOS V-1710 engine for it.
It had a nice career including time at the Airventure Museum in Oshkosh, WI. and Warbirds Over Long Island in New York. Note that despite having a Canadian career, it was restored in USAAF colours.
Unfortunately, it no longer exists after the airframe was destroyed during a fatal crash in 2009 while practicing aerobatics for an airshow.
Three Kittyhawks flying over Canada's west coast in 1942. There were many training facilities out west, with 49,808 pilots trained during the war.
However, when the war was over, all of these fine fighters were surplus to needs. Not only were they becoming obsolete with brand new jet fighters beginning production, but the over all need for a large air-force was scaled back. Canada had, at that time, the world's fourth largest air-force and third largest navy, and it was getting expensive. And so, a great many of these aircraft were disposed of. Many were just scrapped; the market for four engine bombers was rather low. But many of these fighters were offered for sale to whoever wanted them, for $50 a piece. And that's the story of this Curtiss originally taken on by the RCAF on Nov. 6, 1941 as serial number 1051.
Bought for the $50 asking price, it was quickly flipped for a $100 profit and sold to a student. He in turn, sold it to a gas station owner, apparently reading the manual enough to fly it once to get to its destination. Here's a picture of the actual plane having the engine run up at Boeing Field in Washington, still in RCAF paint.
And so, from 1948 to 1968, this once proud bird was a road side attraction in Everett, Washington. An electric motor spun the prop for effect.
Eventually, it caught the attention of people wanting to actually restore it, and so it was sold again a few times, restoration work grinding on until it was finally finished in 1992, including finding a NOS V-1710 engine for it.
It had a nice career including time at the Airventure Museum in Oshkosh, WI. and Warbirds Over Long Island in New York. Note that despite having a Canadian career, it was restored in USAAF colours.
Unfortunately, it no longer exists after the airframe was destroyed during a fatal crash in 2009 while practicing aerobatics for an airshow.
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B-26C of the Cuban Air force.
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