Ludwig

But WAIT ! There's MORE ! Carrier ops in Korea ?!!??! IL-2 Korea new stuff

SO... they are developing Korea.... and now I see that there are new planes coming for IL-2

I LOVE stuff like this.... the trailer made me laugh.... Only in play test now.... available on STEAM and you can sign up now to playtest. Looks like a lot of fun, I would enjoy learning about the guys that came up with the idea. I am betting there is a strong Monty Python influence here.

Recommended book this one, very well written so an easy read and enjoyable. Growing up in Austin and spending time on the battlefield at Shiloh I had a good understanding of the subject but was still pleased to learn more about it. Particularly did not know that when his body was moved 5 years after placement in New Orleans back to Ausin that the "pall bearers" were P.G.T. Beauregard, Braxton Bragg, John Bell Hood, Richard Taylor, and James Longstreet. Also that there was concern over an undue amount of attention from Confederate sympathizers.

HEY..... that Zeeeeero sure looks a lot like a Fw-190......

Well go get $50 clams out of the kitty and get your shiny new Corsair. DCS: F4U-1D Corsair by Magnitude 3 LLC

Thought you guys might be interested in this. New DCS World Su-22M4 mod video attracts community attention – Stormbirds

Virpil has been pummeling my inbox with ads for their sales. Certainly worth considering. I have been using their stuff for the non-F-16 sim now for years and have found it to be quite reliable and easy to use. (FWIW)

Just ran into a guy and in the conversation was mentioned that one of the Texas Airplane Factory Me-262 was going to be finished. Herb Tischler was a master craftsman and he started the project back in the early 90's. I got to see one of them still in clickos just pinned together and they were amazing. Lost the tracks after that and heard that they did not get finished and scattered. One was completed and is in Europe and I think another up around Washington/Oregon area. Anyway, this guy was saying that another was going to be completed and will be flying in the USA. He was not sure but said that there was one that was going to have the original Jumo 004B1 engines (YIKES!) but for you Mx guys already know that is where all those quick disco fittings originated. 10 hour TBO but they could swap an engine in hours.

Always the dichotomy that they have the courage to try this, but not the courage to fly low enough. Where as a long time friend of mine would always interject.... "where the rubber meets the road." I had IPRR recurrent for instructors yesterday and they were going through all the modules, and instructors that have broken down and labeled all these different behaviors and how they manifested, and we covered this stuff from A-Z. It still happens, I am sure always will. Have to love the "please do not attempt this at home" promptly followed by "Hey, hold my beer." Always makes me think of the Marine EA-6B that took out the cable car in Italy back in 1998.

OOoooohhhhh I got major bitched out because we had a dangerous tug when I was working un the line in college. I complained about it was going to hurt people and do damage and I got the yeah-yeah... we know. So after it munched about three airplanes.... 2 singles and a twin I was bored one Summer afternoon and I saw the yellow striping paint we put down on the ramp and I got a manila folder and cut out a plan view of a single and a twin and stenciled them on the side of the tug (Standard old Clark tug at every airport and was of course BLUE) and then took a marker and wrote the tail numbers of the victims. It lasted less than a week before a customer complained. They turned the tug in, had it repaired and painted WHITE all over. I was given unappreciative looks for a month.

Hey Von, your work is always impressive. It is a treat to get to see it here.

I have been saving this one for some time. I am not even comfortable handling the book because of it's rarity, one of those you wash your hands before picking it up to read. What a great guy and a lot of great memories. I have read quite a bit on Gunther before and some even from his own hand but this one is really special. I have enough time to complete it before moving day is at hand. FINALLY after more than 18 months of dealing with the local city government, replat my property and file it with the Texas State government and comply with all the B S that goes with it.....my new shop/game room is on the way. We poured the slab last Tuesday and we should start framing next week as soon as the materials arrive. I hope to be in the new building by the end of September if catch a break or two. I have had everything shutdown and packed up since February and it has made me NUTS but it will all be worth it when I have all the space I could ever want to escape the house and go have quiet time or make sawdust.

When covering this subject, I was always ready to point out that Midway was only 6 months after Pearl Harbor. This reinforced dramatically the impact if the USN had lost just 1 carrier at Pearl Harbor how different the war would have been.

I will certainly look at it. I would be surprised if any new information was available, but you never know. I was stunned that there were 3 of MvR's silver cups here in the DFW area. I would have really enjoyed getting to see them but they are kept secured away and it seems invitations are rare. I thought all that stuff was lost when the Russians came through but it was only about 10 years ago I learned that Hermann Göring himself sent a convoy of trucks and support to the house and they collected EVERYTHING and got it out of there before the Russians arrived. I thought for sure that those silver cups were looted and melted down but such is not the case. The peopke involved were absolutely sworn to secrecy and they managed to keep it quiet for a very long time. I think finally something handed down became known on the market and of course everyone asked HOW did this survive and is there anymore? Thanks for posting Lee this will be interesting to see what comes out.

Some of them are probably better than the guys I have seen upfront. Not kidding,

Oh the Private pilot in the back.... man I would get those more often than you think. Pre-911 the cockpit door was open before departure and there would be some old guy (my age now.... ouch) come into the cockpit and let us know what seat he was in if we were to need some help. I would say the likelihood of a commercial flight today not having a PPL or higher in the back to be <10% The planes are loaded with them.

We had a mech eject himself through the roof of the hangar at Reese AFB in 1979 from a T-38. It didn't take much of a tug judging by the seat trainer. I went through it a few times in Randolph AFB as well as Reese. Seat was armed and obviously should NOT have been and he was climbing around, not in the seated position went it fired.

Next up after the Fw-190 which btw... I never liked the reference "Butcher Bird" as it was used. No, it was not called that it was called a "Shrike" as many German aircraft were named after birds... .Storch, Condor, etc.... the 190 was named Shrike which IS called "butcher bird" so it came to that name second hand. Anyway... The "F" model 109 is a machine and it owned the Spitfire Mk V.

Music... one of my favorites. I actually heard this through the headphones in a B-25 for the first time down in HRL in the early 80s. It was a hoot. Nat King Cole, "Straighten Up And Fly Right"

Moved on to the next one:

This is the guy I like. I would love to get a chance to do this.

The magic between ships and sailors. GOOD for you! Always enjoy seeing others enjoy.

The book I just finished on Walter Schuck may well be the single best I have ever come across. He obviously kept a very detailed journal and really had a lot to say. Just started this one today

Well... I wonder if they are generous or are times getting hard for them.... here is another one today HAPPY EASTER.