aferguson wrote:yeah that's blunt, Snake.
Bottom line here is I guess: everyone's entitled to their opinion, whether others like it or not. As long as it's not inflammatory, racist, sexist, yadda, yadda. If you don't like it you can disagree with it or simply ignore.
We've had others on here before making wild claims. Some turned out to be true, others not. Everyone can just believe what they want, i guess.
So far this discussion has been civil and i presume it will remain that way. The vast majority who have purchased the Dauntless are very pleased with it....but you can't please everyone. In fact, some people are never possible to please.....i had an ex brother in law like that. Nothing was ever good enough for him...nothing ever lived up to his lofty standards. He was an oral surgeon. He lost his license to practice after killing a patient. He died a few years ago of a heart attack at age 64...he was a toothbrush salesman at the time.
I wonder if i've made my point?
Civil? So far I've been called a boy, a liar, and insane.
"Again, how dare you have the nerve and rudeness to question a longtime forum member such as Yoxford. That's ridculous". It is of no concern to me who Yoxford is. Even if I did disagree with someone, the responses are elementary and childish. Since when did a disagreement make someone insane? The hostility shows the immaturity level, and the lack of acceptance of any dissenting thoughts. Just because someone is a long time member does not mean crap to me, they can still be just as uneducated as anyone else, and that is on full display here. $50,000 for a flight in a Flanker….. Really?? Yoxford was polite and cordial. You have no right to speak on his behalf, and if he was offended, let him do the talking. How exactly is this quote challenging?
"Also, Someone commented that they had flown in a SBD, I was curious as to which one. I know the owners of the flyable SBDs, and have myself ridden in a P-47, P-38, B-17, Lancaster, just to name a few, and have flown a P-51D."
Interpreting this as a challenge raises questions as to whether or not you can read, and understand what is communicated. That comment was completely benign and only someone who is untrustworthy would interpret the statement as a challenge.
Pull out the Merit Corsair, and look at it. It is weathered very well, and much more so than the dauntless. The corsair is detailed all over. Dirty panel lines, wear around access ports, exhaust stains on the underside, and discolorations from service. The Merit SBD has very little of this. The exhaust would have stained much more than what is represented on the model. The model is too clean. Very little darkened panel lines and details missing in the areas where the most wear would have occurred. For being in combat, the aircraft has very little wear. Flak busts and debris would have chipped away at the paint, and this would be evident all over the aircraft. By far, the Merit Corsair has a far better paint job, and bear metal from damage all over the model.
$50,000 for a ride in a Flanker? Try $14,000.00ish. Travel to the former states of the USSR and you too can ride in a Flanker for around 15,000.00. You may pay 50,000.00 if you wish to do it three times. That statement makes me wonder about all the other claims made on this forum. If people are that uneducated on this simple fact, and who made the Corsair I referred to, then that opens a whole box as to the education level of those responding, and whether one thinks before words come out of the mouth.
Everyone is entitled to his opinion. And this will be my last post; and I will tell you what I do for a living. I can see the attitudes here, and that is disappointing because I love to talk about fighter aircraft, and would most likely be the most knowledgeable on this forum regarding anything post WWII. Not only have I participated in building flying replicas, but also restorations. I have many documents on WWII aircraft, battle tactics, AFVs, logistics, and many more. I’m talking about documents, not books. Documents such as Tactical and Technical Trends, ARMY intelligence briefings, interrogations of high ranking officers copied verbatim as to what was said, and many more. I may post photos of myself in the warbirds very soon, and my past US NAVY service, and exactly why I have the connections that I do, (I know many people in Germany, Ukraine, UK, Argentina and others), but it depends on how many more rude messages I receive. I’ve never posted anything rude, but that is what I have received in response. Jealousy on the part of others, yes, hard to believe; if you are uninformed; yes.
Having a particular profession allows me access to not only the aircraft, but also the owners. Something you all will never have. I am an engineer and a machinist, and am paid very well. I own 3 WWII tanks. Two are Soviet, and one is from the UK. I own a M44, a T-34/76 and a M22. I also hold 1-11 FFLs and poses many weapons through the mid 1980’s including a MG34, MG13, a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, or a M1A1 rocket launcher. I design and cut parts for restorations and replica builds of P-51 and Me-109 aircraft. I also repair any WWII aircraft or AFV. The SBD mentioned; I cut pieces for that very aircraft annually. This is exactly why I asked which SBD was flown, I was curious, not questioning. I am one who tends to trust people, and those who don’t typically are prone to lying themselves, as they project their self perception on others. My profession also allows me access to expensive devices to make accurate 1/12 scale models using lasers, lathes and such.
The P-51D I flew is owned by the former CEO of Scotts Miracle Grow. Hence the Callaway Warbird Plus golf ball. I can show you a photo of the golf ball that was given to me by the former CEO, as we occasionally play a round of golf together, but I feel no need to. No coincidence it is called the Warbird Plus, he chose the name (Google it). I know him quite well. He owns an Olde Crow P-51D and flies it out of Rickenbacker. He and I had a large voice in bringing “The Gathering of Mustangs and Legends” to Rickenbacker a few years back. I can remember the arguments; birthplace of flight, the Tuskegee Airmen were based here, and a few others. That is where I flew in the Lancaster, and yes, I did fly his P-51 as part of the air show as I had always wanted to do. Of course there was a B-17 too, but I had already flown in every airworthy B-17. If you look the event up online, you will see that there were over 120 P-51s and virtually multiples of every make of US WWII combat aircraft, and several WWI and foreign WWII aircraft, and the typical modern aircraft. I believe the air show lasted 3 days, and was the largest ever. Everywhere you looked, there were flights of P-51s overhead, and the sound never ceased. All over town, you could observe the B-17 flying, especially in Dublin as it was on the flight path for rides at 400 per. P-51s flying in 2-3 plane flights, P-47s flying tandem, and the F-16s screaming at low altitude were frequently observed. At one point, I was walking across the OSU Oval talking to a history professor, and at least 20 P-51s flew overhead in a loose formation. The plan was to have over 50 fly in tight formation on the last day, but there had been too much rain for adequate practice, so a loose formation of 50 flewinstead. I even had a few wares of my own on display. It’s a shame one B-17 crashed just last year. Gratefully no one was hurt, and yes, I had made parts for the aircraft.
Just because you don't have associations, does not mean others do not. I am a licensed pilot and flying in a WWII plane is not a big deal to me, so I do not take photos of the event frequently. Much in the same manner as a frequent flyer would not take photos of riding at 30,000 ft. Working with these aircraft is my job, and after a year or two, it was no longer something that was special in the same way as someone who sees them up close once or twice a year, and rides in one once in a lifetime.
Well, I guess my point is that I joined this forum to talk to other people who share similar interests. Instead I have been made to feel like I am not wanted, words being but into my mouth that I did not say. All simply because I was not impressed with the SBD, and “challenged” an all powerful elder. “How dare you have the nerve and rudeness to question a longtime forum member such as Yoxford. That's ridiculous”. The caste system on this forum is ridiculous. Again, ‘How dare you have the nerve and rudeness to question a longtime forum member such as Yoxford. That's ridculous.” The only ridiculous act here is how for some reason, challenging someone, which I did not do, is taboo because I am new to the forum, and I’ll flip this around and say how you all dare challenge the assertions that I made; I make my own models, and have contacts and access to many WWII fighters/bombers, and know the owners. How do you know that I do not? Do you know me? I participate in several forums where people discuss the actual aircraft, and own them, Because of this, a select few individuals, not only have been able to sit in, and stand on the aircraft, but I have also made it possible that they receive free flights that last an hour as I have invited them to the workshop, and some willingly traveled many miles to do so. I have never run into so much hostility in a forum. If you all are so knowledgeable, and my comments border on insane, I’ll pose you a question. If you’re educated, you will know the answer, if not, and then you are simply a toy collector and do nothing more than watch the military channel. It’s a simple question, and can be answered in a small paragraph. Answer it if you wish. I will only check back into this post one last time to see if anyone knows the answer out of my own curiosity, and what this forum is made of, and that is all. No comments or posts, as I see that what I have to say is not welcome. The first person to answer the question correctly I will personally invite, and pay for the transportation to our restoration facility, and will have the privilege of flying in a P-51D, P-40E, or F6F-5, firing my own MG34, 13 and a M1A1 with a HE rocket, and drive the M-44, as well as fire the 100mm main gun with live ammunition at least 5 times. You will be destroying an old truck and will have a very eventful weekend. I will also give the individual a 1/16 hand made model of your choice from what I have made. Travel is mandatory to partake in this, but it would only be for the weekend, and I will pay for all the meals and lodging. The first person to answer the question correctly will receive a PM from me with all the details. Everyone who insulted me, or talked down to me will not have this opportunity, so don’t bother answering the question. Yoxford, by all means, answer the question and you will have a chance at my invitation, and all expenses paid by myself. If you (Yoxford) answer the question correctly, I promise you a flight in all three aircraft. Everyone else may choose one. So here is the question:
1. What happened when the P-51D, and the later P-47Ds were released into operational status, and what was the consequence? I’m looking for a specific term. Use the correct terms, and try to not simply explain in basic lingo as that is what people do when they have no idea. This is a very, very hard answer to find online, if not impossible. The offer stands for 48 hours, and is open to anyone except for those I already excluded, and any registration after the date of this posting.
If you know the answer, or think you may know it, go for it. You have nothing to loose, and you may impress some of your forum mates. If someone answers correctly, and is the first to do so, I will let them know publicly, and will PM the individual a message, and take it from there. Yoxford, if you wish to fly in all three aircraft, you will have to take advantage of this within the next three months. My advice to a potential trivia guru, buy a high quality camera as you will never have this opportunity again. I will arrange for a tailing aircraft to take photos of you during the flights, and operating the weapons and tank.
PS: Insanity is a loss of touch with reality, including delusions. I assure that I am for real. This is rare, and who you are talking someone who could have gotten you closer to aircraft than you have ever been before as I repair and build them as part of a team. I performed all the actions I stated. You may call bullcrap (sorry, I don’t curse) if you like, but I could care less. I know what I have said to be true, and have refrained from insulting others in return. If someone answers correctly within the 48 hours, you all may ask that individual what the experience was like.