Finn. Marinell PBY. Jenny. Dutch. The Flying. Goes. Friends of. A Combat Veteran P-51D Mustang. MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM

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1 SPECIAL RESOURCE SECTION RESTORATION FACILITIES & AVIATION PARTS COMPANIES The Flying Finn PBY Goes Dutch Marinell A Combat Veteran P-51D Mustang Friends of Jenny MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM Biplanes & Triplanes 2014

2 The Flying Finn Story and Photography by Bjorn Hellenius (main-photo) The basis of this fabulous Finnish Hurricane was a Canadian Car & Foundry built Mk.XII that served with the RCAF, but it also includes parts from the Finnish AF Museum in Tikkakoski. ALL WARBIRD restorations are worthy of praise, but every once in a while something pops up that makes you raise your eyebrows. During the summer of 2014 a newly restored Hawker Hurricane emerged from the workshop of Phoenix Aero Services at Thruxton Airport, U.K., after a 12- year restoration. There are approximately 13 Hurricanes flying around the world today, so why is this one so special? Well, besides being very carefully rebuilt, it is unusual in that it carries the colors and markings of a Hurricane of the World War Two Finnish Air Force. The Man Behind the Restoration The owner of this Hurricane project is Phillip Lawton, a very positive and generous gentleman. He has an engineering background and ran a successful company in the hydraulic and water pump business together with his brother for many years. He decided to retire at 50, and the sale of his business provided the funds to get involved in the Warbird industry. Phillip says with a smile, You don t make any money in this business, but if you want to spend a small fortune, this is one of the surest ways to get it done. The Hurricane is his first step into historic aviation. Previous aviation related experience involved touring aircraft and modern aerobatic machines and he used to fly displays with an Extra 300. Before learning to fly he also built plastic and radio controlled models. I still build plastic models for my children as well as R/C aircraft. It s the only way I stay sane in the winter in Finland; you need something to do, he says and smiles again

3 (main-photo) Rob Davies flying Maurice Hammond s P-51D over its wartime base at Fowlmere Airfield, August 13, It was seventy years to the day that this airplane and pilot Lt. Myer Winkleman were lost in action. Marinell A Combat Veteran P-51D Mustang Story and Photography by Richard Paver WHILE THERE are many fully restored, airworthy P-51D Mustangs flying in the United States, the type is also very popular in Europe, although in smaller numbers. Examples that possess a traceable connection to actual combat are extremely rare; therefore, a combat veteran aircraft flying the skies above European soil would be quite unique. The history, restoration and current operation of one such combat veteran, P-51D Marinell, which was fully restored to airworthy condition by its owner, Maurice Hammond, is a story that needs to be told. First Stop Fowlmere The 339th Fighter Group (FG) was one of the final 8th Air Force (AF) fighter groups formed during World War Two. The group became operational at Fowlmere airfield near Cambridge on April 30, At that time Fowlmere was a small grass airfield that had been used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a satellite to Duxford, which was only a few miles away. Fowlmere had a long history with the RAF, having first been used for active operational flying in After the First World War the hangars were demolished and the field returned to agriculture. During the rebuilding of the 3(inset-right) A memorial to the 339 th FG s situated across the road from Fowlmere Airfield, where the group was based in the final 12-months of the war. 3(inset-left) In 1944, Captain Bradford V. Stevens of the 339 th FG poses with his D-model Mustang, Marinell, which he named after a former sweetheart. Photo: 339 th FGA 20 21

4 Rolls-Royce Heritage Museum Allison Branch A History of Firsts in Aviation Story and Photography by Stephanie Carlson Rolls-Royce Heritage Museum Allison Branch Rolls-Royce Meridian Center 450 South Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN Phone: (op-left-top) Allison s crew manufacture s aviation parts in the 1920 s in the Plant 1 shop. (op-leftmiddle) The introduction of machines run with electric motors created an organized workspace on the factory floor. 4(op-bottom-left) Engine cutaways allow visitors to see the compressor inside this J33 jet engine. AVIATION HISTORY took flight in 1903 when Orville Wright flew the first power-driven airplane over a windy beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Air-bound a mere 12 seconds for a distance of 120 feet, the home-built aircraft sparked the imaginations of inventors who dared to dream of flying. Once aviators got off the ground, significant advances in American airpower soared and progressed at a phenomenal speed. This catalyst to cultivating the aviation industry was further energized by the demands of two world wars. James Allison adventured into aeronautics after establishing a small specialty machine shop in Located near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which he built in Speedway, Indiana, his business fabricated and supplied parts for race cars. A couple of years later, in support of the war effort, he converted the shop to subcontract for the United States government, hiring additional personnel to manufacture tools, equipment and vehicles for use in World War I, specifically making parts for Liberty aircraft engines. Historic contributions to aviation pioneered by the Allison Engine Company and its employees are chronicled at The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Museum Allison Branch, based in Indianapolis, Indiana. David Newill, President of Heritage Trust explains that the mission of the museum is to, Locate, collect, preserve, protect, restore and put on public display the legacy of the companies established as Rolls-Royce and the predecessor here in Indy known as Allison. The gallery has restored and sustained an extensive collection of artifacts, piston aircraft engines, gas turbines, and aerospace memorabilia, including the most recent turboprop, turbofan, and turboshaft engines. As the story goes, Allison continued to supply superchargers and high-speed reduction gears to the military after World War I. Meanwhile, engineers recognized the need for a geared engine. Subsequently, design teams generated a functional reduction gear 28

5 SPECIAL RESOURCE SECTION RESTORATION FACILITIES & AVIATION PARTS COMPANIES GossHawk Unlimited, Inc. Heritage Aero, Inc. Aero Accessories, Inc. ACE Allisons Code 1 Aviation Restoration Facilities and Aviation Parts Companies Introduction by Greg Morehead WARBIRD DIGEST S mission statement, The magazine for serious warbird enthusiasts, aims precisely at its market. The warbird community comprises many thousands of people worldwide but ask a warbird person and they ll tell you that their warbird buddies are a sort of second family. Another reality is that not only friendships but also business dealings are more intimate and firms that service the industry tend to be very specialized, with crafts people who have learned how to fulfil some service or skill, and companies that provide important products that contribute tangibly to the warbird creed, Keep em flying. These are the companies that can be counted on to Keep em flying! Because this is a niche market, word of mouth represents a critical component to perceptions and opinions about restoration shops, parts suppliers, and every other conceivable organization that feeds the warbird world with conversation worthy content. Word of mouth marketing is simply people the act of a person expressing their opinions, therefore the information that people ingest in order to feed their opinions largely relies on the effectiveness of a company s marketing efforts. How do they reach their target market? At Warbird Digest we think our magazine is a perfect avenue for businesses and customers to connect. These special resources sections aren t simply advertising. To think so would be short sighted. A high percentage of people who want and need the services of restoration shops and parts companies are regular readers of Warbird Digest, so we proudly offer this special section as a valuable resource. These are the companies that can be counted on to Keep em flying! 33

6 FLYING THE FORTRESS Story by Nathan Harnagel Aluminum Overcast has been restored with a lot of original equipment and fittings. The 398th Bomb Group markings are of the aircraft flown by Col Hal Weekley in combat over Europe. Transparent hatch above the radio room is normally removed for ventilation in summertime flying. THE NUMBER one quality desired by crew members for an aircraft used in battle is that it bring them home safely. In spite of horrific casualty rates during early daylight bombing operations in World War Two, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress established a reputation for making it back to base after receiving phenomenal amounts of damage. Only a few B-17s survived the war and post-war mass scrapping to fly in civilian hands to the present day. I had the rare opportunity to train in Fortress N5017N named Aluminum Overcast and operated today by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). There are times when the choice of name for a new aircraft begins a myth that lasts for generations. The Flying Fortress name for the B-17 was suggested by newspaper reports of the prototype and adopted by Boeing and the Army Air Corps for the design. Armament and armor was added over the years to try and live up to the name, but the Air Corps dogma that the modern bomber would be able to penetrate a modern air defense system without fighter escort proved to be untrue in the crucible of combat. The post-war legend of the Fortress was enhanced by a book, movie, and television series with the title Twelve O Clock High. Watching General Savage fight his way through flak and fighters every week with engines shot out and wounded men onboard stirred the imagination of every kid and adult watching to think about what it would be like to bring home the Piccadilly Lily on two engines to a safe landing at the fictitious Archbury base in England. There aren t many aircraft left flying on four engines so how does one ensure that those pilots needing type ratings in rare, historic aircraft can continue to get training and check-outs? Under the National Designated Pilot Examiner Registry (NDPER) program, select FAA Designated Pilot Examiners with a wide range of experience in these vintage aircraft are authorized by the FAA to provide check 5(above) Instructor pilot Bob Davis and Flight Engineer Michele Davis congratulate Nathan Harnagel on B-17 Second- In-Command qualification. The flight jacket is only for those who have flown aboard Aluminum Overcast and the 50 mission crush cap is one that Harnagel collected in 1982 hoping to fly the Fortress someday. 45

7 6(lower-right) Fighter Factory plane handlers await the signal to pull chocks on the pair of Fokker Driedeckers. Launching both aircraft require ground crews. The yellow nose Dr.I requires a power cart to start, while the red Triplane needs to be hand propped. Photo: Stephen Chapis (main-photo) Newly minted Strutter pilot, and former F-22 Raptor pilot, Josh Wilson prepares to alight on MAM s grass runway. This aircraft appeared in the 2006 movie Flyboys. Photo: Art Norfolk MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM Biplanes & Triplanes 2014 Story by Stephen Chapis THE MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM (MAM) marked the 100th Anniversary of the outbreak of World War One with its fourth Annual World War One Airshow on October 4-5, Dubbed Biplanes and Triplanes, this unique airshow highlights MAM s collection of original and replica aircraft from The Great War period and Warbird Digest brings you a brief glimpse of this notoft covered collection of aircraft. 5(lower-left) One of two Pre-World War One aircraft on display was this 1909 Bleriot XI replica. Acquired from a group in Spain in 2008, it is powered by an original 1910 Anzani Y-Type three-cylinder engine, which makes 35hp. Photo: Stephen Chapis THE FIRST AIR WAR World War One. The Great War. The War to End All Wars. Throughout history the First World War has gone by many names, but to aviation enthusiasts it was the first air war. When World War One began on July 28, 1914, the airplane was a mere eleven years old. Prior to hostilities various armies had experimented with these newfangled, fragile, flying contraptions, but only in the limited, but vitally important role of reconnaissance. To military leaders infantry and cavalry would decide the outcome of The Great War. While seemingly shortsighted, these opinions did have foundation. In summer 1914, England had just 12 aerodromes, none of which were owned or operated by the military. On these aerodromes were some 30 partially Government subsidized civilian flying schools, which had trained about 660 officers. These officers paid their own tuition, which was refundable if they joined the Royal Flying Corps. The situation in Germany, Belgium, and France was much the same, but the United States air arm was completely laughable. 5(lower-center) The MAM Fokker D.VIII wears the markings of 31-kill Ace and Pour le Merite recipient Gotthard Sachsenberg. Dubbed The Flying Razor, the D.VIII scored the final German victory of the war. Photo: Stephen Chapis 51

8 PBY-5A BuNo 2459 was delivered to the USN on November 15, 1941, and saw action with VP-73 & 84 in the waters off Iceland where it sank three U-boats. It is believed to be the highest scoring Allied ASW aircraft of World War Two. Today, it represents a Catalina (16*218) that served with the Dutch Navy from 1942 to In between its life as a World War Two combat veteran and Dutch warbird, appropriately registered PH-PBY, the Catalina appeared in the 1963 movie Flipper and spent decades as a fire bomber in Canada and South America. PBY Goes Dutch Story by Philipp Prinzing 4(op-bottom-left) After flying 92 operational sorties with VP-73 in Iceland, PH-PBY was transferred to VP-84 and flew an additional 103 sorties. When the war was over 2459 was credited with three U-boat kills (U-464, U-582, & U-194) and one damaged (U-528). It was stricken from Navy inventory on October 31, (op-top-right) On the outside PH-PBY wears the markings of a Dutch Navy Catalina that served in Ceylon as Y-83 during World War Two. 4(op-bottom-right) This photo was taken from our subject PBY during an attack on a U-boat in 1943 while serving with VP-84. During this deployment 2459 was coded 84-P-7. WARBIRD ENTHUSIASTS are fascinated by the glorious aircraft of the Second World War, like the Mustang, Spitfire, Me 109, Thunderbolt, FW-190, and Flying Fortress. These iconic warbirds have often gained as much fame as the heroic men and women who flew them during their dangerous missions in every theater of the war. There were many other types, including cargo, liaison, and patrol planes that never received public adoration but were flown by equally proud aviators. A perfect example of a combat workhorse is the PBY Catalina. (For the record, P stands for Patrol, B equals Boat, and Y is the manufacturer designation for Consolidated.) Undoubtedly the most famous PBY Catalina was Strawberry 5, which spotted and reported the Japanese Fleet heading for Midway. Combat histories of PBY Catalinas and their crews include many amazing tales of courage and ingenuity. One of these unsung heroes of the air war is still flying strong. PBY-5A Bu.No (C/N 300), rolled off the assembly line on November 15, It was originally planned as a PBY-5, but was modified on the assembly line to be a dash 5A, so the airframe was completed using parts of each version. In 1941 no one could have known this aircraft would become the top scoring Allied antisubmarine aircraft of World War Two, a movie star, fire fighter, and still be flying in European skies seventy three years later. Our subject Catalina was part of a batch of 33 aircraft ordered in December Its first 56

9 Friends of Jenny Story by Lori Foote Steve Sachs flying the Curtiss JN4H Jenny over fall foliage just outside of Winchester, TN. Photo: Greg Morehead SHE S BEEN called many things: breathtaking, beautiful, clumsy, complicated, challenging, high maintenance, and even the other woman. She s no lady. She s Jenny, and she s all that. The Curtiss JN-4 Jenny has a special place in the history of aviation. Nearly every American World War I aviator learned to fly in a Jenny, and it became America s first mass-produced airplane. She paved the skyward road for barnstorming, wing-walking, charter service, U.S. Air Mail delivery and eventually commercial aviation. One of the most famous Jennies was On May 15, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson oversaw the first letter to be delivered by regularly scheduled Air Mail service, slated to travel from Washington, DC to New York. A stamp picturing Jenny was issued to celebrate the event, but the aircraft was accidentally printed upside down and 100 stamps were inadvertently sold before the error was corrected. Today, that stamp is worth close to a million dollars. Nearly 100 years later, a new has literally come to life once again. It wasn t an easy resurrection. It all began in 2011 when filmmaker and aviation enthusiast Dorian Walker set out on a mission to find someone with a Jenny rebuild project with the intention of using footage in his film entitled Legends of the Sky: THE JENNY. A nationwide search led him to Ohio. Walker shares, I met a wonderful old gentleman who had been Dorian Walker atop the Curtiss Jenny after another successful flight. An aviation documentary venture led Walker to an Ohio based Curtiss Jenny project that is now flown regularly to promote education about the Jenny s importance in aviation history. Photo: Greg Morehead 65

10 AVENGERS On the Lake Story and Photography by Greg Morehead 3(inset-bottom) Charlie Cartledge was humble about his role in planning the gathering of TBM Avengers and veterans, giving thanks to all the veterans who traveled from near and far, and to the volunteers who helped to make the event a success. 5(inset-top) The Four County Marine Color Guard provided an appropriate military reverence to the ceremony that honored the guests of honor. (main-photo) Charlie Cartledge leads a threeship echelon formation over Lake Erie with Brad Deckert flying in the number two position and Tom Buck flying on the outside. Passengers on this flight included VT-46 veteran Kenny Eltzroth and event volunteers. AS FAMILY and friends looked on, World War Two veterans either climbed into or were helped into four Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers. Cameras clicked, smiles mixed with tears, and hands waved as the old veterans took off in the big U.S. Navy bombers once more. It was September 27, 2014, on the shores of Lake Erie in Port Clinton, Ohio, and it was a beautiful day for a reunion. What became a significant memory making event for hundreds of people started with a smile and an offer the previous year. 73