Dogfights on History Channel...

[doug hodder]

Has anyone else out there been watching this program? pretty incredible material, a lot of WW2 pilots talking about the major dog fights from the war, strategies/ equipment etc......not long before these guys are gone...worth watching and a reminder of what some people went through to give us what we have today....just my opinion... Doug

[SteveH]

Yep, I watched it. That Grumman Hellcat was some airplane. Saw one once at an air show, but it wasn't too impressive looking. Hard to believe they made so many of them, and after designing, testing, and putting them in the fleet in one year. It would take ten times that long now to get the funds appropriated from Congress.

[doug hodder]

I agree Steve...it's a whole different world now, but those guys in an aluminum plane with a piston engine with now outdated "bullets" are pretty interesting to watch.. do you know how many shows are out there?.. and for those of you that haven't seen it...lots of really good computer generated graphics...doug

[s4son]

I saw the one tonight with the Hellcats. I have also seen one with F-86's in Korea and F-4's in Vietnam. The animation is incredible and I love to hear those guys tell their stories.

Scott F.

[Spadinator]

I love the show.....the one about the Dauntless dive bomber taking on the Zeros was pretty incredible.

[madjack]

I agree...having seen 3R4 of them, they are great shows detailing some of the great dog fights and their pilots
madjack

[SteveH]

Yes, what those guys did in WWII is just amazing. I love to listen to them also, and we have a guy here in our car "group" that was a bombadier on a B-25 in WWII in Europe...very interesting stories. Then, I had an RC instructor way back when that flew P40's in WWII in China. He was shot down 250 miles into enemy teritory and had to walk out. Talk about a story. Very sad, he was one of my best friends in the club and he is gone now.

I remember his first sentence in the story..."the first rule about straffing...hit 'um hard on the first pass and then leave...well on the ninth pass, they got my plane in the radiator"

Another thing not too many people know, our son is currently an F-15 Eagle pilot in the US Air Force attached to a squadron in Lakenheath, England. There are two versions of the F-15, the Eagle, and the Strike Eagle. The Strike Eagle has a dual role of air-to-air and air-to-ground, but the Eagle is a dedicated air-to air-combat plane.

[Ira]

I saw it, but I had a little problem understanding how they explained certain maneuvers, why they did certain things WHEN they did.

But one maneuver I DID understand was awesome, but I can't remember the name of it.

It was when a Zero was bearing down on two Hellcats, and the Hellcats would repeteadly criss-cross in each other in wide loops, so at least ONE one of the Hellcats would have a clean shot at the Zero when he came around.

Who comes UP with this stuff? it's amazing!

The kill ratio was amazing with this plane, right? Like 100 plus to 1?

[rooster]

I watched that program also, and I remember watching the pilots practicing their dogfighting manuvers over the Puget Sound in Tacoma Washington when I was six years old. They were the best baby sitters my mother had. We lived on a hillside and we'd sit on the sidewalk with our lunch and watch the P51 Mustangs, P38s and the P40s doing their thing. They would fly from Gray Field at Fort Lewis. Those were the good ole days.


Jim

[asianflava]

I missed it. I saw a commercial for it but forgot to set the DVR. I'm pretty shure the shows I missed will be replayed.

There is an airplane museum in Galveston right next to Moody Gardens. They have just about all the "Cats" there.

[dhazard]

I put together the system that edited the pilot episode. The owner / editor is a blast to work with. He also did Tactical to Practical and Man Moment Machine. I will show him this tread next month.

[MOKI SEAKER]

Ira, I believe that was the thatch weave. Its great to hear the stores. Jim G

[doug hodder]

I'm looking forward to a P-51 episode...that will be a great one...fastest piston engined fighter....Doug

[asianflava]

P-51 Cadillac of the Sky!

[angib]

P-51 Cadillac of the Sky!

Although actually Rolls Royce of the Sky would be a more accurate description! Ordered by the British, the P-51 was found to be inadequate for high altitude work with its original Allison engine. Rolls Royce tried their Merlin engine (as used in the Spitfire and Hurricane) in it and it worked. Packard built a copy of this engine for the P-51B onwards. Wikipedia P-51.

Andrew