Random Road stuff, part 359…

Another week on the road comes to an end…. the week, not the road…


A friend of mine sent me this- and it IS a real piece of aviation history…
A list of the first 100 people to fly the F4H in 1958/59.

Look closely, and you will see a few ‘familiar’ names…

And the even more interesting document is the original list of proposed names and the votes for each! The Fleet and NATC folks wanted the name SATAN for the airplane!!!

It was and still is a real handful to fly, also nicknamed the Flying Fridge or Flying Brick, and I think the first and last airplane bought by the military with a negative glide ratio (1:2)!

Oh yeah, the name PHANTOM II actually finished 4th in the voting!!!

Somebody asked me if I travelled a lot and did I collect anything… well, other than calluses on my butt, not much; but I do bring back fridge magnets for the office manager and receptionist. This is a pic of the office fridge- I didn’t get everyone up there, but I got a LOT of them…

And a little video of a weird airplane for y’all – GROB EGRETT, a powered glider, kinda/sorta…


And this is the video I was talking about from Italy…

This is the Greek Theater at Taormina, note how good the acoustics are- you can actually hear my shoes skritching across the stones as I walk out…


Y’all have a good weekend, and enjoy the time with friends and family!!!

Comments

Random Road stuff, part 359… — 9 Comments

  1. Nice stuff, NFO. I had to stop and think about the T4H. Never was up much on the Navy models. Now, the F4D and F4E were another thing. 🙂

  2. Sorry Ev…

    S Phillips- Glad you liked them 🙂

    Crucis- F4H was the original designation, as a follow on to the Corsair!!! It wasn’t until it was ‘accepted’ that it was designated the F4A/B

  3. WSF- I’m still shoveling from the last one!

    Julie- no rest for the wicked… Er, weary. I’m out again tomorrow!

    ORPO- Meee toooo! 🙂

  4. I can’t make the list out very well. Is there, perchance, a Charles Bowers on that list? He’s was my Grandfather and I know he flew the F4.

    Brass