ArtKramr wrote:

Subject: Best warbird to own
From: (John S. Shinal)
Date: 11/12/03 7:14 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

(Charles Talleyrand) wrote:

I'm fantasy shopping for my new warbird or historic aircraft. My
requirements are ...

- Historic value (rare and interesting aircraft)
- Reasonably easy to fly
- No turbines and under 12,500 lbs (no type rating needed)
- Seats two
- Aerobatic
- Easy on the eyes

My thinking suggests dive and torpedo bombers might be the solution.
They typically seat two or more, and the naval aircraft should have
reasonable low speed handling. Is this sound thinking? Would a
Dauntless or Devistator or even a Stuka fit the requirements?

My only time in a 'warbird' was an hour of casual instruction
in a Tiger Moth - not exactly zoom and glamour, but a joy to fly, and
highly aerobatic, but a little weak on the verticals ;-D

The SBD Dauntless is supposed to be a very nice 'pilot's
airplane', made to fly comfortably on long scouting missions - it's
not real fast, but is aerobatic also.

The Lockheed Ventura was supposed to be surprisingly aerobatic
as well.



With the right pilot everything is aerobatic.

Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

At least once........

Bob McKellar