According to a program on the Discovery channel they were putting guys
into Spitfires that would be the equivelant of a low time solo student
now days.

I wouldn't be surprised if that's true, but I've heard a lot of
"facts" on the Discovery Channel (and the History Channel) that were
NOT true.

I doubt their writers are well-trained in historical research and
evaluation of sources. There's a lot of nonsense in books, too, which
those writers probably draw on as 'gospel."

Did you know, for example, that the top speed of the Vultee BT-13 was
190 miles per hour?

The F4U also is *big*, heavy, and although a carrier bird is not
exactly a short field plane.

There was a recent discussion of that in another newsgroup and I was
surprised at how quickly an F4U can get off. I don't remember the
number, but I think it was around 2,000 feet.

I don't remember if they hald a larger engine than the "Jug", but I
think they did.

Both the P-47 ands the F4U had the PW R-2800 engine. I vaguely recal
that the Goodyear FG-1, based on the F4U, may have had a larger
engine.

The Jug ran a miserly 80 to 90 gallons per hour at
economy cruise as I recall.

That sounds about right.

I'd like to have one of the tricycle gear Skyraiders. I think most of
those were tail draggers.

I've never even HEARD of an AD that was not a tail dragger. Do you
know if there's a picture of a tricycle gear AD on the net?

That thing is huge and had the largest
radial engine we ever used, as far as I know.

I think it was a 3350. I think there was a 43XX radial that was used
on the Connie or the DC7, but my memory is quite vague on that.

vince norris