On Sun, 05 Jul 2015 07:07:47 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sat, 4 Jul 2015 11:01:04 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
. ..
On Sat, 4 Jul 2015 07:28:17 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:
...
This is the sort of accomplishment that has real significance:
http://airminded.org/2009/10/23/the-great-air-race/

In what sense?

"Could any more striking contrast be imagined than the weariness and
exhaustion of Scott and Black and the pleasant excitement of
Parmentier's passengers, who flew in the world's most notable race
as
tourists?"

First place went to a custom British racer, second to a standard US
airliner which stopped for passengers. The DC-2 was an early version
of the classic DC-3, the 247D its similar Boeing competitor. The
British winner was made of wood.


--
Ed Huntress

Are you really unable to see the significance of an American
commercial airliner nearly beating a purpose-built British racing
plane?

Not since the dementia hit him several years ago, no.


I'd love to watch some of today's commercial passengers _attempt_ to
walk up and down the aisle to their seats in a grounded Gooney Bird.
And I'd love to fly as a crewman in a Spooky version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAFVuG2KQqk Arr, arr, arr!

Dad flew Gooney Birds (somewhere) and C-123s (over Nam) in the 60s,
just before retiring.

I was assigned to Nha Tang AFB in the Air Commando Wing that owned and
operated the Puff airplanes. If I remember correctly we lost one
airplane during the 14 months I was there. It crashed on climb out
taking off from Cam Ranh and was damaged so badly that it was never
determined whether it was caused by enemy fire or not. But they did
find the torque tube connecting the elevators broken and we did a
"before it flies again" inspection of every airplane - none damaged.

We did a big mod on the mini gun mounts and I went along on the first
one modified. We carried several 55 gallon drums and pushed one out
the door into the bay. Made a firing pass - one gun, big fountain of
water and the drum disappears. It was quite impressive. Push the rest
out the door. Make a firing pass with all three guns... BIG fountain
of water and all the drums disappear. Even more impressive.

Our brag was, at that time, was that we never lost a fort, if we
reached the fort before the V.C. had gotten through the perimeter.

If you went in a bar with any of the Special Forces troops there and
bellied up to the bar the usual opening remark is "what outfit you
in". If you said, "air commando wing... puff the magic dragon" you got
free beer :-)
--
cheers,

John B.