Bucket List Flight

A few years back I was visiting the In Laws in Henderson Nevada. As we drove past Henderson field I notice some kind of program going on.
I asked my Father-in-law what was going on and he said FiFi is over there. What's a FiFi I asked. WW 2 bomber. My eyes instantly glazed over and I forgot
why we were even in town. I mope around for about 10 mins and then asked if anyone was interested in going. No one.
Anyone care if I go? No, please go... Not sure how to take that but off I went.
Here's FiFi, B-29
But there's more.
Not sure what this is, but it's British.

And a Navy Trainer.

But the one I am riveted on is this.

So I gander on over to the booths.

The planes have all been grounded due to winds, but they have just been cleared and are going to fly shortly. 3-4 hours, if there is time. Big list.
The Trainer and the Brit are booked for the day.
What about the Mustang? Well, it's been grounded for maintenance but it'll be ready to fly in about 45 mins. How long is the list?
There isn't one, it's open, you can be first. (Pinch me, I must be dreaming) I'm in..........
Crawling the wing into the cockpit.

Taxing, waiting on FiFi

There's FiFI

Manuevers in for the Kill, (Kinda of wierd, shooting down one of your own)

All done.

MichaelB said:

Not sure what this is, but it's British.
View attachment 20518

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British markings but not British.

A few more.

Great way to spend your afternoon ! You a lucky man .... an old buddy lives in Henderson , it would be a very tiny world if you married into Magro family .... thanks for posting these photos

Yes, It is a small world Craig. And the older we get the smaller it gets.
But no, didn't marry into the Magro family.
And yes, I am lucky, it just came together on the spot.

L.A.B. said:

British markings but not British.

Beechcraft Model 18 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

C-45 Bucket of Bolts

commemorativeairforce.org

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Figured someone would know. I do remember now it being a trainer.
It was a few years ago.

Wow. Lucky man! What a day.

So cool.

Love the Mustang, but also love the twin Beech...

Anyone remember/see the documentary on a grounded B29 in the frozen North somewhere?
Absolutely heart breaking watching it come back to life to die again so cruelly.....

No, Hadn't seen that one.
But there is B-29 history near Henderson at Lake Mead.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Lake_Mead_Boeing_B-29_crash It's still there, under water.
It's up the Overton arm, before the big turn to Echo. We usually go pay hommage to it when we are on the water.

EstuaryBoy said:

Anyone remember/see the documentary on a grounded B29 in the frozen North somewhere?
Absolutely heart breaking watching it come back to life to die again so cruelly.....

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It seems that operators of not-for-profit foundations which charge $$ for passenger rides on vintage WW2 airplanes
are not held to the same maintenance standards commercial airlines which also charge $$ for passenger rides.

About 10 years ago I was fishing with a mate off from Donnibrook in my boat and after a while we could hear this loud noise coming closer and all of a sudden this low flying plane came over the tree tops it was a Mustang, the sound of its high reving engine was so good but when it flew over us it did a complete roll over like to wave to us and then he was gone, but about 30 minutes later he came back the other way and did the same thing another role over, my mate and myself were the only ones on the water at the time, it was like he was putting a show on for us, I have never forgot that day and the same with my mate we still tell the tale to this day, the sound of that roaring engine is still in my head.

A good friend of mine who flies told me he know the owner of the Mustang and takes people for joy flights out of Caboolture airfield and flies up the coast and back again, I think we were very lucky that day out on the water.

Ashley

The fact the P-51 was available to fly that moment was surreal to me.
Growing up as Lad in the 60's, the P-51 was my absolute favorite plane. My friend's favorite was Grumman F6F Hellcat. We would debate which one was better.
I had the Cox model P-51 gas plane along with the little plastic model.
I was all over it. If anyone were to ask me if I had one choice, which WW 2 plane to fly in, it would be a P-51.
I went to see FiFi, and found the Man O War.
For the record, the only WW 2 plane I have flown in.
Bucket list check....

and to think after ww2 they were giving them away for a song and a dance ... on my bucket list too

I have a neighbor that's friends with guys that have some of these WWII aircraft. Once in a while they fly over my place. One time a P51 Mustang and an F4U came over so close I could see the pilots. The F4U came in first and at maybe a couple hundred feet that thing sounded like no other plane you've ever heard. It was loud, like a war machine. They came out of Manassas airport. The P51 was small in comparison to the F4U. Those must be some huge engines in those planes.

The German Stukas were 1200HP 12 cylinder inverted V fuel injected water cooled magnesium engines made by Jumo. Imagine that in 1936. What was Norton making then, the E-2?

"Those must be some huge engines in those planes."

Yup, they were. 18 cylinder rotary up close must sound hell is coming to dinner.

XF4U-1 powered by an XR-2800-4 prototype of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp twin-row, 18-cylinder radial engine, rated at 1,805 hp (1,346 kW) went ahead quickly, as the very first airframe ever designed from the start to have a Double Wasp engine fitted for flight.[14] When the prototype was completed it had the biggest and most powerful engine, largest propeller, and probably the largest wing on any naval fighter to date.[15] The first flight of the XF4U-1 was made on 29 May 1940.

Same engine shared with the Hellcat.

850commando said:

and to think after ww2 they were giving them away for a song and a dance ... on my bucket list too

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There is a guy rebuilding a P51 in your area . I think he got one flying and was doing another for sale.
he called me about going there to finish it .
likely show it to you , if you can find him
I have relatives in Eston .
have not been there in 25 years
I don’t like snow . Fussy in my old age

EstuaryBoy said:

Anyone remember/see the documentary on a grounded B29 in the frozen North somewhere?
Absolutely heart breaking watching it come back to life to die again so cruelly.....

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They guy behind getting the plane out of there was
· Darryl G. Greenamyer . I raced against him at Reno air races in 2002 and 2003 . Experimental aircraft . We qualified in the gold placed 3 first year and second the next year.
but we did set a world speed record at Reno the first year .
It was fun .

As many of you know, what gave the P-51 it's muscle was the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, manufactured in the USA under liscense by the Packard Motor Company. If you find WWII military issue Snap-on Whitworth tools, then there might be a good chance they were manufactured for the purpose of assembling or performing maintenance on the Merlin Engine. Just like a later model British bike enthusiast , the P-51 mechanic probably had a large tool box for both his Whitworth and SAE tools!