An interesting little video about a plane crash from WWII that was filmed, but the pilot NEVER saw the film until the grandson of the Dr. that filmed it showed up at the pilot’s house last year (60+ years later). Quite a bit different from today isn’t it…
It’s about 14 minutes long, but worth the time.
Interestingly this was EARLY in the P-38 program, note the reference to the F-5 and the turbosupercharger problems.
Flying unarmed over Germany and orbiting to get pictures? These guys clanked when they walked though…
The Spitfire had the same range as the P-38???
Surprising.
Added fuel tanks in both wings leading edges in place of the .303 mg’s gave the plane the extra range.
What a great video. I could see the sparkle in the old pilot’s eyes when he saw the video of the wheels-up landing and realized it was him.
This was just great to see.He was a most amazing man,
and evidently a very good pilot.
Amazing. Thanks for sharing that!
Outstanding, I operated a KC-135 Simulator(long ago) and was privileged to with an instructor pilot who had flown B-17’s over Germany & B-29s over N. Korea. Once he got to know me pretty well he told some amazing stories!
No matter how calm, no matter how reserved, no matter how stoic, that sparkle in the eyes goes on and on…
That’s a great video. Thanks for posting it up.
My dad spent some 20+ years in naval aviation starting in WWII (mustang also), but lost almost all of his memorabilia in a nasty divorce from his first wife. I’d love to be able to find something like this of his time in service. I can only imagine how incredible it must be for this war hero to see some of the old days.
Yep . . . he clanked! I am always struck by the quiet demeanor for such brave men . . . it was great he got to see this footage.
Wow.
LL- Wet wing and added tanks…
Toejam- Yep, it’s a GREAT story!
ACZ- You’re welcome sir.
Woody- Write em down! PLEASE!!!
Brighid- That it does!
Richard- Yep, it’s “gotta” bring back a lot of memories!
Bill- That it is!
I had heard that a company in Texas was building Spitfires using the plans for a Mk IX. I saw a blurb about one they’d build for the Confederate Air Force(?). Don’t know if they still are. They had problems find RR engines or their modern equivalents.
There is a company that recently moved from Australia and is now producing 90% scale Spitfires in Texas. These are all metal kits.
Tom
Tom- I’ve heard that, and they are supposedly a blast to fly!
Dang… the dead we owe… to men who were men…
Dann in Ohio
Alan- Yep!
Crucis- The engines are damn near priceless, and if anybody DOES find one, a bidding war breaks out immediately!
Dann- Yes we do!
Clanked when they walked indeed. That was a wonderful film and good on those guys to track him down and then make sure he got a copy of all that footage. You could see the emotion in his eyes as he viewed it. Moving.
That gentleman had, and never lost, the “right Stuff”.
Six- That it was, can you imagine the memories that must have brought back?
WSF- True!!!
That was amazing. We owe those men a great debt. There are so many stories that are being lost, hopefully a few more get preserved forever. Thanks for posting it!
Those 14 minutes may well have been the best spent today. Thanks a million.
link forwarded…
danno
He was so matter of fact about something that was so dangerous and took so much coverage.
Gerry/Danno- You’re welcome!
TOTW- That he was! Amazing!!!
That was awesome… Thanks so much for bringing that to us. I showed my wife and son. This needs to be seen by lots of people… clanked when he walked Indeed.
Mark- You’re welcome!
My late husband was a Spitfire pilot in WW2. He was often wing man for Johnny Johnson, top scoring ace for England. Phil was from Oklahoma with about 20 hours in a Piper Cub, but we weren’t getting into the action fast enough, so he hitchhiked to Canada to join.
In his last years, Phil wrote his memoire of growing up in the dust bowl of Oklahoma and flying the Spitfire. His last wish was that I would edit and publish the “ferociously” written book. The title is “Surviving Victory”. He was every bit as great a writer as he was pilot, actor and sculptor. More information on his website which I maintain. The book is available on Amazon.com.
Barbara- Thank you for the comment, and I’ll pick up a copy.
I also forgot (age, I guess) to mention that I also published Phil’s complete logbook. It is very legible and detailed – and, as far as I know, the only WW2 logbook in publication. It is also on Amazon.com. Search under Philip Vickers.