B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs

On 4/7/2012 1:23 PM, Gordon wrote:

i haven't been to that museum since the very early 90s, but I work
with their staff probably on a monthly basis... time to arrange some
Space A travel to P'cola

While you're at it, check the Blue Angel's practice schedule. The link
is on this page:http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/show/ 8 months out of
the year, they have practice dates right behind the museum at Pensacola.
It is really a great way to see them. And free!

I can't tell you why, but what really sticks in my mind about the naval
air museum is their lighter-than-air exhibits. I don't know anywhere
else in the world you can see that stuff.

Vaughn

On 4/7/2012 4:55 PM, Dan wrote:
On 4/6/2012 10:24 PM, Peter Stickney wrote:
The PBY is an amazing beast - I've never been inside one, but I've seen
a couple of them fly.


If you ever get the chance to go to Pensacola NAS the museum has a
cutaway Catalina fuselage. They may look big on the outside, but they
are crowded inside. Take a look at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter...09/4728119350/

If I wanted to make a comparison to B-17, it is cramped inside in
some places and open in other. To give you an idea stroll inside a
B-17 from cockpit to aft crew door. The bracing for the bomb bay cat
walk makes one walk sideways even when bombs aren't present. I must
admit I had a bit of a belly last time I did that and it was a tight
squeeze. The waist, nose, cockpit and radio sections of B-17 are
fairly roomy. There are spaces and restrictions in the PBY. The
engineer's feet block the top foot or so of the cockpit door. If you
want to open the blisters you do so on your knees. Neither was built
for luxury, but both had character.

Plan on taking a full day at the museum if you go. The displays are
jammed together so photography can be a bit tricky.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired



We have one here currently airworthy that shows up at Airshows.
All the Airline pilots who can't afford WW2 fighters are lined up to get
ratings on it

"Peter Stickney" wrote in message
...
...
The PBY is an amazing beast - I've never been inside one, but I've
seen
a couple of them fly.
It's a big airplane - it bulks out about the same as a B-17, with
half
as many engines....
Pete Stickney

The only one I was able to examine closely (at MHT) was IIRC a partly
restored former houseboat that had received the amphibian conversion
and a rear door after the war with whatever parts were available. It
was far from a museum-quality original.

I didn't know in advance how many rare classics would be at that
airshow so I took my pre-war Leica instead of the SLR and couldn't
capture interior detail.

jsw