When I finished Basic at Pensacola in 1950 and got to Corpus Christi
for Advanced, we were told that anyone over 5' 10" could forget about
getting into F8Fs.

I suspect that was pretty much true of WWII fighter pilots. R T Smith
of the AVG Flying Tigers noted the difficulty he had in cramming
himself into a P-40. While there were six-foot fighter pilots in those
years, just as there are six-foot downhill racers, more typical in
both these fields of endeavor was the stocky, fireplug guy. Think
Chuck Yeager.

With respect to bombers, Glen Edwards noted his discomfort in the
B-17, and his relief when got into the A-20 where he could reach the
pedals without stretching.

all the best -- Dan Ford
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