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Winter 2013-2014

Preserving the History  Honoring thWarbirds Official Publication of the Giant Scale Warbirds Association Preserving the History  Honoring the Pilots  Flying the Warbirds

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

Statement of Purpose 1. Promote the hobby of radio controlled giant-scale warbird model aviation through participation in non-competitive fly-ins and public demonstrations, while encouraging sportsmanship and fellowship. 2. Promote the construction and flying of giant-scale warbird model aircraft, with respect to the safety of pilots, mechanics, spectators, and property. 3. Inform the public about the history and heritage of military aircraft — through giant scale model aviation — by scheduled fly-ins, group flying sessions, websites, and public flying exhibitions (fly-ins). A NOT FOR PROFIT* ASSOCIATION Mission Statement The Giant Scale Warbirds Assn. was organized in 1996 for pilots, builders, and enthusiasts of giant scale warbirds (minimum wingspans = 60" multi-wing, 80" monoplane). Because of their warbird heritage, they can be in either civilian or military paint schemes. Membership is open to anyone interested. Our group is the only organization promoting giant scale warbirds exclusively. We have members in 30 states, including: AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, IL, LA, MD, MS, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA & WI. We co-host 12 fly-ins each year. *dues are not deductible for US income tax purposes Join or renew online: http://GSWA-renewal.freehosting.net Organization website: www.giantwarbirds.org Organization Contact: mailto:[email protected] GSWA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Giant-Scale-Warbirds-

Assn/422033134521399

On the cover: Some of the Atlanta area aircraft attending the Warbirds Over Fort Valley event. In the foreground is a Ziroli Skyraider owned and flown by Byron Sauriol, WB #2, Covington, GA –GSWA photo

Warbirds Journal is the official publication of the Giant Scale Warbirds Association Chris Joiner, WB 1, Editor & Publisher

©MMXIV Giant Scale Warbirds Association. The GSWA reserves the right to edit articles for publication. The GSWA logos and the name “Warbirds Journal” and images are hereby copyrighted by the GSWA. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, redistributed via print or email, or posted to a website without permission of the GSWA.

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WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

Winter 2013-2014, VOL XXIII NUMBER 75

Event Reports Calendar GSWA News Event Photos Women at War WWI Bombing Seafire Restoration Aviation in WWI Lockheed Disguised CalGrafx Rivets GSWA Vendors Bally’s Bomber Salute to Gabby Gabreski Zeamer & the Eager Beavers WWI Seaplanes FW 190 on Display

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4 5 6-10 11 13 14 15 16 17-18 19 20 21 23 32

Be sure you have an active Internet connection in order to access the links in this issue.

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

© OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSOCIATION FOR BUILDERS, PILOTS, & ENTHUSIASTS OF GIANT SCALE WARBIRD AIRCRAFT Volume XXIII Number 75

Season Ends Another warbird flying season concluded with the Warbirds Over Fort Valley event in November. Overall, it was a breezy year with many pilots staying home, presumably due to the lingering recession,

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WINTER 2013-2014

gas prices, and economic recovery, if not the weather. At least one event, Warbirds Over Montgomery, is no more after many years of hosting the event. Be sure to check the photo pages. See you in the spring!

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

Calendar: Spring Events April 4-5 – Warbirds Over ‘Bama April 11-12 – Warbird Fly-in, Winston-Salem April 25-27 – Sodbusters Fly-In, Camden May 22-23 – WO East AL, Auburn June 12-14 – WO GA, Andersonville (corrected dates)

GSWA NEWS

HODGES HOBBIES CLOSES

Charter Member Mac Hodges, WB30, has announced that he is closing (now closed by the time this is published) his store. “I am “retiring”…. will work on the flying field, play with a few models, and go to fly-ins. I will still do a newsletter and have all of the fly-ins and now should be able to give them more attention and also enjoy them, as I won’t be in the shop during the event.” Uniquely located on one of the best flying sites around, Mac has operated the shop a little over 30 years, Much of the inventory was sold to CMJ Hobbies of Roberta, GA. Our best wishes to Mac on his retirement. – CJ & GSWA

Carl Bachuber prepares his Globemaster for flight at the ’13 Warbirds Over GA. That is Hodges GSWA photo Hobbies in the background.

Montgomery Event Ends

Warbirds Charter Member passes Ron Storer, of Dacula, GA., passed away last September 24th. He was a founding member of the Southern Scale Warbirds Assn., (later GSWA) with member #14.

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From the obituary: “An outstanding and gifted vocalist, Ron devoted most of his life to his love of worship. Ron's remarkable solo voice was requested countless times for weddings, funerals and evangelistic endeavors. He was the Minister of Music for Atlanta First Nazarene, Lilburn First Baptist, as well as Atkinson Road Baptist Church”. His interest in warbirds – noted for his Meister Corsair, changed over the years and he got into giant scale aerobatics as well as motorcycling. Our condolences to his wife Rhonda and their family. CJ and GSWA

It’s with regret that we report that there will be no more Warbirds Over Montgomery flyins. This is due to declining attendance, noted at most of our events, but it has it this host-club hard. The RAMMs Club has hosted the event for a number of years the last weekend of September. Thanks to the club and its members for having the field in great shape each year, as well as all of the organizational work that goes into hosting a fly-in. --- GSWA

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

WARBIRDS OVER MONTGOMERY-FINAL EVENT!

Henry Andrews, WB 18, Montgomery: a Ziroli 100” P-47, Sachs 5.8 Top Right: Chuck Mullin, WB 197, Montgomery: a Ziroli Stuka, G-62, automotive finish

Above: Jerry Pate, WB 294, Wetumka, AL flies this outstanding F-7F Tigercat (file photo) Right: Pat Williams, WB 482, Montgomery: A COMP ARF Corsair. On-board telemetry. Clocked at 121 mph!

Henry Helmke, WB 58 from Auburn, AL. This Vailly Aviation Stinson L-5 is a yearly visitor to this event Left: Dave Fielder, WB 302, Oxford, GA: TF ARC with a DA50, Warbird Colors, 23.5 pounds.

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THIS WAS THE LAST EVENT FOR WARBIRDS OVER MONGOMERY

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

WARBIRDS OVER GLEN ST MARY

Jeff Howard, WB 489. St Mary’s GA: an EVO 35 powered P-47 featured some fine weathering

Nick Delgross from nearby MacClenny, FL. A KMP L-4. This is a high quality ARF. Nose art & bazookas on each wing.

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WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014 WARBIRDS OVER GLEN ST MARY

Left: Bryan Stephens, WB 553, Starke, FL with a Top Flite kit of the famous P-51; automotive finish. Above: yes, it was a warbird: this is a Stampe SV4 used by the Belgian Air Force for basic flight training; DLE 20. Pictured is Chuck Stracener from St. Augustine, FL.

Fred Thompson from Hawthorne, FL with a highly detailed Piper L-4 in ¼ scale. DLE 35cc; finished with Solartex and Poly-U.

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WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014 WARBIRDS OVER GLEN ST MARY, continued

Left: Bud Inziello from Palm City, FL with his ESM Corsair. Appears to be an excellent ARF. DA50, ESM retracts. Above: another TF P-51, not identified GSWA photos _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

WARBIRDS OVER FORT VALLEY

Left: Frank Gracia from Warner Robins: a TF P-51, ZDZ 80 with functioning exhaust stacks, 4-bladed prop Above: Chris Hulen, WB 570. Loganville, GA; an American Eagle Skyraider with a Quadra 100

A rarely seen Bud Nosen P-51 flown by Rich Schaffer from Lilburn, GA. It has a ZDZ 100 twin. Color scheme represents one of two that were captured on D-Day

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WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

Warbirds Over Fort Valley, continued

Byron Sauriol, WB 2 from Covington, GA: Ziroli Skyraider, G-62, latex paint

Greg Hoke from Warner Robins, flew this TF P40 ARF. Excellent performance from the DA50 and his piloting skills!

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Don Rusin from Warner Robins flew this Hangar 9 , D.VII; EVO61.

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

Focus On: Women at War – from the National WWII Museum There were just over a thousand women in the military before World War II, serving either as Army or Navy nurses stationed in the United States. When war broke out, women wanted to contribute militarily and fought for the opportunity to join. When the United States entered World War II, the US government called on women to contribute. With hundreds of thousands of American men entering the military and going overseas, more women would work outside of the home than ever. Many would be promoted to positions never before attained by women, all the while managing their households alone for the first time. Though professional and personal growth opportunities were many, women’s main charge was to support the war and the men fighting it. The War Department stressed to women that the harder they worked, the quicker their brothers, husbands and sons would return home. There were just over a thousand women in the military before World War II, Women at War, continued Women in uniform took office and clerical jobs in the armed forces in order to free men to fight. They also drove trucks, repaired airplanes, worked as laboratory technicians, rigged parachutes, served as radio operators, analyzed photographs, flew military aircraft across the country, test-flew newly repaired planes, and even trained anti-aircraft artillery gunners by acting as flying targets. Some women served near the front lines in the Army Nurse Corps, where 16 were killed as a result of direct enemy fire. Sixty-eight 11

serving either as Army or Navy nurses stationed in the United States. When war broke out, women wanted to contribute militarily and fought for the opportunity to join. The Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps came to rely heavily on women in crucial stateside jobs, as well as work overseas. By the end of the war, there were more than 288,000 women in the US Armed Forces. Nearly 350,000 American women served in uniform, both at home and abroad, volunteering for the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs, later renamed the Women’s Army Corps), the Navy Women’s Reserve (WAVES), the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS), the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS), the Army Nurses Corps, and the Navy Nurse Corps. General Eisenhower felt that he could not win the war without the aid of the women in uniform. “The contribution of the women of America, whether on the farm or in the factory or in uniform, to D-Day was a sine qua non (something that is absolutely needed) of the invasion effort.” (Ambrose, D-Day, 489) American service women were captured as POWs in the Philippines. More than 1,600 nurses were decorated for bravery under fire and meritorious service, and 565 WACs in the Pacific Theater won combat decorations. Nurses were in Normandy on D-plus-four. At the war’s end, even though a majority of women surveyed reported wanted to keep their jobs, many were forced out by men returning home and by the downturn in demand for war materials. Women veterans encountered roadblocks when they tried to take advantage of benefit

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

programs for veterans, like the G.I. Bill. The nation that needed their help in a time of crisis, it seems, was not yet ready for the greater social equality that would slowly come in the decades to follow.

The National WWII Museum recognizes the contribution that women played in the success of the Allied victory in World War .

Photos and info from the National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA

In WWII, Lockheed produced over 19,000 planes for the nation’s war effort, employing 94,000 as the population reaches 53,899 by 1943.

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WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

______________________________________________________________________________________________

WWI AIRCRAFT Bombing and reconnaissance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VK3cX9ZbQ Click links above for WWI Bomber videos

Gotha G.V German bomber, 1917

Rare Seafire XV Restoration. Go to: https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/ TneYPcyGbbY%26autoplay=1%26r el=0 (as suggested by Ted Cowan, WB 22)

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As the stalemate developed on the ground, with both sides unable to advance even a few hundred yards without a major battle and thousands of casualties, aircraft became greatly valued for their role gathering intelligence on enemy positions and bombing the enemy's supplies behind the trench lines. Large aircraft with a pilot and an observer were used to scout enemy positions and bomb their supply bases. Because they were large and slow, these aircraft made easy targets for enemy fighter aircraft. As a result, both sides used fighter aircraft to both attack the enemy's two-seat aircraft and protect their own while carrying out their missions. While the two-seat bombers and reconnaissance aircraft were slow and vulnerable, they were not defenseless. Two-seaters had the advantage of both forward- and rearward-firing guns. Typically, the pilot controlled fixed guns behind the propeller, similar to guns in a fighter aircraft, while the observer controlled one with which he could cover the arc behind the aircraft. A tactic used by enemy fighter aircraft to avoid fire from the rear gunner was to attack from slightly below the rear of two-seaters, as the tail gunner was unable to fire below the aircraft. However, two-seaters could counter this tactic by going into a dive at high speeds. Pursuing a diving two-seater was hazardous for a fighter pilot, as it would place the fighter directly in the rear gunner's line of fire; several high scoring aces of the war were shot down by "lowly" two-seaters, including Raoul Lufbery, Erwin Böhme, and Robert Little. –from Wikipedia with permission

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

AVIATION IN WWI About 10 years after the Wright brothers made the first powered flight, aircraft remained very primitive by later standards. Because of limitations of the engine power of the time, the effective payload of aircraft was extremely limited. The basic structural and materials technology of period airframes mostly consisted of hardwood materials or steel tubing (braced with steel wires) and linen fabric doped with a flammable liquid, when cured, provided the stiffness required to form the aerodynamic surfaces of the wing(s) and other streamlined surfaces. Aside from these primitive materials, the rudimentary aviation engineering of the time meant most aircraft were structurally fragile by later standards, and not infrequently broke up in flight especially when performing violent combat maneuvers such as pulling up from steep dives. As early as 1909, these evolving flying machines were however recognized to be not just toys, but weapons: The sky is about to become another battlefield no less important than the battlefields on land and sea....In order to conquer the air, it is necessary to deprive the enemy of all means of flying, by striking at him in the air, at his bases of operation, or at his production centers. We had better get accustomed to this idea, and prepare ourselves. — Giulio Douhet (Italian staff officer), 1909

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In 1911, Captain Bertram Dickson, the first British military officer to fly and the first British military officer to perform an aerial reconnaissance mission in a fixed-wing aircraft during army maneuvers in 1910, predicted, in a submission to the UK Technical Sub-Committee for Imperial Defense, the military use of aircraft and the ensuing development and escalation of aerial combat. The first operational use of fixed-wing aircraft in war took place on 23 October 1911 in the Italo-Turkish War, when Captain Carlo Piazza made history's first wartime reconnaissance flight near Benghazi in a Blériot XI. The first aerial bombardment followed shortly thereafter, on 1 November, when Second Lieutenant Giulio Gavotti dropped four bombs on two oases held by the Turks. The first aerial photography flight took place later in March 1912, also flown by Captain Piazza. In 1911, Captain Bertram Dickson, the first British military officer to fly and the first British military officer to perform an aerial reconnaissance mission in a fixed-wing aircraft during army maneuvers in 1910, predicted, in a submission to the UK Technical Sub-Committee for Imperial Defense, the military use of aircraft and the ensuing development and escalation of aerial combat. From Wikipedia with permission

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

Look closely as this photo of farm fields and trees -- not what it seems. The massive Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank lies beneath this clever disguise used during WWII. During the war, the Army Corps of Engineers needed to hide the Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant to protect it from a Japanese air attack. They covered it with camouflage netting. (Lockheed photos)

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WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

Cal-Grafx Sample kits available

Many of you saw the feature article in Model Airplane News and read the blogs by Gerry Yarrish, Senior Technical Editor of MAN showing the graphic rivets and screws provided to Gerry for his F-4U Corsair project. At that time, graphic rivets were in the "experimental" stage, developed for Gerry to enhance the scale appearance of his Corsair. We worked on it, sent some samples to Gerry and the rest is history. After the article was published we were overwhelmed with calls and emails asking about graphic rivets. We are now announcing the availability of rivet sample kits for a special introductory price as shown above. The kit includes everything you need to try our rivets out,

Info: www.cal-grafx.com

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including application tools and detailed instructions. We're not claiming these will work for every modeler. Some scale purists will still prefer the conventional hand-applied glue dot method. However, think about the many hours you will save by applying perfectly-sized and perfectlyspaced rivets using our method. Our rivets adhere well to most substrates and can be painted or clear coated, or simply left as applied. Order your sample kit today and let us know how they work for you. Availability of production sheets will be announced soon in various sizes and spacings to complete an entire model.

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

GSWA MEMBER-VENDORS (note: all links are active if you are online)

http://www.camdencustomcutters.com/ [email protected]

Mike Chilson [email protected] http://www.rcscalebuilder.com

Jerry Bates Plans 251-478-6720, 102 Glenwood St. Mobile, Alabama 36606 [email protected] http://www.jbplans.com/

FRANK TIANO ENTERPRISES Frank Tiano, 863-607-6611 [email protected] http://www.franktiano.com

CMJ Hobbies located on the field at Roberta Rebels RC! Hours: Monday - Closed Tues - Wed 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm Thurs - Fri 12:00 to 7:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Sunday 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Phone: 478-836-9788 http://robertarebelsrc.com/Home_Page.php 17

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

Jim Coppit, www.rcspecialties.net [email protected]

Jim Weems, Tommy McClellan, Mike Chilson, 205-733-2021 [email protected]

http://wwwrcscaleproducts.com

AMERICAN EAGLE MODEL AIRCRAFT COMPANY Quality Fiberglass is now handling orders 931-526-4770 http://www.qualityfiberglass.net/ Bob Neider, 504-455-KITS http://www.flyrcmodels.com

Nate Dickerson Superior Quality Epoxy Coating System www.klasskote.com

Vendors: your company listed here: Contact [email protected]

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WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

http://theballybomber.com/photos.html (this info has been circulating around the Internet)

SPECIFICATIONS B-17G Wing Span: 103 ft. 9 ⅜ in. Length: 74 ft. 3.9 in. (“Cheyenne” Tail) Height: 19 ft. 2.44 in. Power Plant: Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone with 1000 hp @ 2300 rpm @ 25,000 ft Empty Weight: 36,134 lbs. Gross Weight: 40,260 lbs. Cruising Speed: 160 mph. Top Speed: 302 mph. Ceiling: 36,400 ft. Range: 3,750 miles Crew: 10 Bomb Load: 6 x 1,500 lbs. and 2 x 4,000 lbs. Armament: 11 x .50 caliber machine guns (up to 13 x .50 cal) Number Built: 8680 SPECIFICATIONS Bally's Bomber B-17G, ⅓ Scale Wing Span: 34 ft. 7 in. Length: 25 ft. Tail Height: 6 ft. 10 in. Power Plant: 240hp Fuel Capacity: 42 gal. Empty Weight: 1800 lbs. (Est.) Cruising Speed: 110 kts. (Est.) Crew: 1 Number Built: 1

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The project was started back in 1999 and is just now nearing completion. The airframe is all scratch built (of course) and made out of aluminum. The main gear retracts just like the real B-17, and has proven to be the most complicated part of the project. The engines are the Hirth 3002, 4cylinder 2-strokes, that usually have a reduction unit and make about 80 hp. Jack chose this engine because of its size... it was small enough to fit inside a properly scaled nacelle. However, to make it fit properly, the reduction unit is removed which will bring the power down around 60 hp each, with the engines spinning the 46.4" diameter props at about 3,300 rpm. This project, coming to life in Dixon Illinois, has to rank as one of the most fascinating homebuilt aircraft projects of all time. With an estimated 20,000 hours of labor required to build this cute little beast, its understandable why. With a 34 ft 7 in wingspan, estimated 1,800 pound weight and four 60 hp engines for a total of 240 hp, the Bally Bomber is just pure awesome! More at theballybomber.com

For more photos: https://www.facebook.com/BallyBo mber/photos_stream

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

G S W A S A L U T E Francis Gabreski was born to poor immigrants in Oil City, Pennsylvania. His father was able to buy a grocery store and Frank helped. After graduation from high school, he went to Notre Dame and became interested in flying. Frank signed up to become an aviation cadet with the Army. He learned on various machines and the Link trainer. After graduating the course he was sent to Wheeler Field in Hawaii to fly fighter aircraft (P-36, P-40). At 8AM December 7, 1941 Frank saw the attack on Pearl Harbor. With others they salvaged what they could. He flew a P-36 to defend the base. Some pilots in P-40Bs shot down seven Japanese planes. He was sent to England in 1942 as part of the initial build-up and to learn about fighter tactics. He flew a Spitfire Mark IX which had a high rate of climb and maneuverability with faster speed and high altitude performance. It had a higher powerto-weight ratio than the P-40 (Chapter 4). Military strategy in the 1930s advanced bombers to the

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detriment of fighters (Chapter 5). The Battle of Britain showed the need for interceptor fighters like the P-38 and P-47 (p.77). The turbo-supercharger gave high altitude performance to the P-47. There were new tactics (p.87). The P-47s stayed with and protected the bombers (p.103). There is a problem with tracer ammunition and their false trajectory (p.123). Armor-piercing incendiary was best (p.124). Two new improvements for the P-47 was water injection and the paddle-blade propeller (p.139). Gabby had the paint on his plane sanded for smoothness and then waxed (p.140). In July 1944 Gabreski became the top ace with 28 kills (p.166). But on July 20 his P-47 was damaged, he landed and was taken prisoner (Chapter 10).

If ever a man has earned his place in the annals of military history, that man is Francis Gabby Gabreski. His exploits as a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea are legendary; & his rise from humble beginnings to success in military and business career

Chapter 11 tells of his months as a POW until the Russian army arrived (p.199). There was a concentration camp nearby (p.200). Gabby felt proud to help defeat the Germans. In Chapter 12 he tells of his flying in an F86 in Korea. There were differences with jet airplanes (p.211). Gabby won 6.5 victories in Korea, making him the only flyer to be an ace with both propeller and jet airplanes (Chapter13). They had to be careful to stay south of the Yalu river. A new flying formation proved more productive (p.237). He was later invited to the White House (p.246). The `Epilogue' tells of his later life with aircraft development, and overseas. After his retirement he worked for Grumman on Long Island. –available from Amazon.com.

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Jay Zeamer & the Eager Beavers This story takes place in the early days of World War II, in the South Pacific, and if you’re a World War II history buff, you may already know about it. Tenacity over Bougainville "Jay Zeamer and his crew performed a mission that still stands out in my mind as an epic of courage unequaled in the annals of air warfare." - Gen. George Kenney, 5th Air Force Commander Old 666, B-17E 41-2666 was a World War II B17 Flying Fortress Bomber which was assigned to the United States' 43rd Bomb Group in 1943 and was the aircraft piloted by Lt. Col. (then Captain) Jay Zeamer on the mission that would earn him and 2d Lt. Joseph Sarnoski each a Medal of Honor, and every other member of the crew a Distinguished Service Cross. Captain Jay Zeamer didn't have much to draw from in organizing an air crew. He couldn't even promise his men an airplane, but that didn't deter him. He scoured the squadrons of the 43rd Bomb Group for the men no one else wanted, the cast offs and screw-ups. In some ways it might have even seemed comical. Jay Zeamer was the pilot who still had never been checked out to fly in the left seat. Though likeable, he was still the guy no one wanted to fly with, and he was gathering around him a crew of men that like himself, were rejected by the other air crews. Walt Krell recalled, "He (Zeamer) went through the outfit and recruited a crew from a bunch of renegades and screwoffs. They were the worst of the 43rd--men nobody else wanted. But they gravitated toward one another and they made a hell of a crew." To make matters even more comical, Jay's misfit crew didn't have an airplane. There again, Zeamer had his own ideas. One day an old B-17E with the tail number 412666 was flown in and parked on the airstrip. The bomber had seen better days and its

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frame bore evidence of its heavy record of aerial combat. It was so badly shot up it was now worthless, and was parked at the end of the runway where other aircrews could cannibalize it for needed parts. Captain Zeamer quickly intervened and claimed it as his own. Zeamer's crew went to work on what would normally have been an impossible task--turning #41-2666 into a combat-ready bomber. They cleaned it up, patched the holes, fixed its engines, and modified it to their liking. Jay had a 50-caliber machine gun mounted in the nose so he could fire from the cockpit like a fighter pilot. In the nose, the 30-caliber flexible guns normally manned by the bombardier and navigator were replaced with swivel-mounted 50caliber machine guns. The waist guns and radioman's guns were replaced with twin50s, giving the airship unprecedented firepower. Zeamer's crew put guns where they didn't even need guns, leaving loose machine guns on the catwalk so that if a gun jammed at a critical moment they could dump it and quickly replace it with a spare. Sergeant George Kendrick even mounted a gun behind the ball turret near the waist. "I don't know who would have handled that except the side gunner" Jay recalls. "He wanted all the guns he could get! He wouldn't let another gunner back there with him. He said, 'These are my guns. I'm going to shoot them all. I don't want to be bumping asses with another guy back here!' This was George Kendrick, the screwball of the crew." In truth, in the eyes of the other pilots and ground crews at Port Moresby, the entire crew was screwballs. That impression aside however, it quickly became apparent that the men were building a flyable, fightable, bomber. In preparation for a planned major amphibious landing, they flew 600 miles unescorted over open sea to photograph Buka and Bougainville islands. While passing over Buka, about 20 Japanese fighters took off to intercept the lone aircraft. Rather than break off the mission, however, Zeamer continued on. As the crew finished the photo run down the coast of Bougainville, the first of several vicious, coordinated attacks began. Zeamer and his crew desperately fought against >

WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014 Jay Zeamer, continued overwhelming odds to bring back their B17 and its precious reconnaissance film. During the first attack, the bombardier, 2d Lt. Joseph Sarnoski, shot down a Japanese fighter, but he was knocked back by cannon fire. Although mortally wounded, he crawled back to his gun position and shot down another Japanese fighter before collapsing. He had been scheduled to go home just a few days later. Zeamer maneuvered the B-17 to shoot down a fighter with a fixed gun in the B-17's nose, but cannon fire shattered his left knee, paralyzed his legs, and caused profuse bleeding. Enemy fire also shot the rudder pedals away, started a fire, and disabled the hydraulic, oxygen, and interphone systems. Zeamer refused medical attention, and continued to forcefully maneuver the aircraft while the crew, many of whom were also wounded, fought back.

.By 8:45 a.m. the American bomber was over open seas, and the enemy fighters, low on ammunition and fuel, were forced to turn back to Bougainville. 6 out of 9 of Old 666's crew were dead or wounded in varying degrees, their aircraft heavily damaged. It was during the return flight that Zeamer lost consciousness and Sarnoski, still manning his guns, died. Upon landing, co-pilot Lt. Col. (then 1st Lt.) J.T. Britton told the ground crews to get Zeamer first, but the ground crew said, "He's gone!"; Zeamer, however, was not dead, and lived to receive the Medal of Honor; Sarnoski was awarded his Medal of Honor posthumously. In one of the most decorated flights in history, the rest of the crew received Distinguished Service Crosses. This mission was featured on the History Channel show Dogfights, episode title "Long Odds” . –Home of the Heroes.com via Randy Smith,

Atlanta

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WARBIRDS JOURNAL© GIANT SCALE WARBIRDS ASSN. WINTER 2013-2014

WWI Seaplanes For this article I wanted to write about something about WW I aviation that was different. My mind wandered to some of the WW I fly-ins I have attended at Mac Hodges’, and then I remembered that Mac had recently installed a Lake to accommodate R/C seaplanes and boats. That led me to think about a part of the aerial conflict in WW I that has not been written about very often. So, this article will take a brief look at some of the Seaplanes from both the Allied and German forces that took part in that conflict. I have shown the

wingspan of these remarkable aircraft because many of them were very large for that era. I can only touch the surface (no pun intended) of this subject here, but I hope that it might inspire someone to consider building a WW I Seaplane model. Rather than looking at the aircraft from each country separately, I am going to do it chronologically.

--Alan Yendle, WB15, Austin, TX

The Sopwith Tabloid Wingspan 25.6ft

The Sopwith Tabloid started life in 1913 as a two seat land plane. It was called the TABLOID because it was so small. It was subsequently modified to a single seat aircraft with floats and competed in the 1914 Schneider Trophy race, which it won. It was obviously so much faster than all of the other competitors aircraft that some, who were scheduled to start after the Tabloid, decided it was not worth the effort and did not even start the race.

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After completing the twenty eight circuits required for the race, the pilot, Howard Pixton, then made two additional laps with the throttle opened fully, resulting in a new world speed record for seaplanes at 92 mph. The military placed an order for twelve aircraft. They were fitted with a Lewis gun, mounted in front of the cockpit firing upwards through an opening in the top wing. Approximately one hundred and sixty seaplane versions were built. They saw limited war service but some were still on the books in 1918.

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The Short Type 184 Wingspan 63.52ft

The Short Type 184, a Torpedo/Bomber was also referred to as the Short 225 when fitted with a larger engine. First flown in 1915, it was the first aircraft to attack a ship with an air launched torpedo. One aircraft participated in the battle of Jutland being launched from HMS Engadine; it found four German cruisers and reported that back to the ship.

It had some interesting features that included a top wing that increased in chord from the center section to the wing tip, folding wings operated by a winch in the cockpit and was also fitted with a radio that was powered by a wind generator. Approximately nine hundred were produced and this type remained in service until the end of the war.

The Hansa-Brandenburg C C. Wingspan 30.6ft

The Hansa-Brandenburg C C was designed in 1916 by Ernst Heinkel, and entered service in 1917 with the AustroHungarian Navy to provide air defense for the naval bases in the Adriatic. It was also

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used by the German Navy. The Austrian aircraft had one Schwarzlose forward firing machine gun while the German version had two LMG machine guns. Approximately seventy three were built.

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The A D Flying Boat. Wingspan 50ft 4in

The A D Flying Boat was designed by the British Admiralty in 1916 as a patrol aircraft. It first flew in 1917. The crew of two sat in separate cockpits. The armament was a single Lewis gun on a swivel mount in the rear cockpit. It saw little service and

production was terminated just before the end of the war. After the war, nineteen were purchased by Supermarine Aviation and were converted for use as transport aircraft and named the Supermarine Channel.

The Curtiss Model H-12. Wingspan 92ft 7in

Curtiss aircraft number designations are confusing. I believe the Curtiss Model H12 might have been the first seaplane that had the range to fly transatlantic. It was used by the U.S. Navy for anti-submarine patrols of the Atlantic coast. Armament was four Lewis guns in swivel mounts. Several were ordered by the Royal Naval Air Service

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and fitted with Rolls Royce engines. This aircraft was later to be redesigned by Commander John Porte where, as a larger version, named the Felixstowe F-1, it became the prototype for the Felixstowe class of seaplanes.

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The Felixstowe F-2 Wingspan 95ft 7.5 in

As mentioned above, the Felixstowe F-2 was a development of the Curtiss H-12 undertaken by the Royal Navy’s Seaplane Experimental Station, located at Felixstowe, in Suffolk. They redesigned the shape of the hull at and below the water line resulting in much improved sea handling. It was used extensively over the North Sea, being well liked by its crews for its maneuverability. It was mainly used to

search for U-boats and Zeppelins, but could take on enemy fighter aircraft of the day. Armament was four Lewis guns, one in the nose and the others amidships. It remained in service throughout the war. Approximately one hundred and seventy five were built.

The Macchi M. 3. Wingspan 52ft 4in

The Macchi M. 3 made its first flight in 1916 and was used extensively by the Italian Navy for patrol, bombing, reconnaissance and escort missions in the Mediterranean. It was also used to pioneer the use of aerial

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photography for the Italian Air Force. Armament was one machine gun and four bombs. Approximately two hundred were built and they continued in service until 1924.

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The Felixstowe F.3 Wingspan 102ft

The Felixstowe F.3 entered service in 1917. It was the successor to the F.2 It was much heavier than, and not as maneuverable as the F.2 Many of this variant were painted in a dazzle paint scheme, one such shown above. This was done not for camouflage,

but the opposite, to make them visible if they had to ditch at sea.

The Hansa-Brandenburg W.18. Wingspan 35ft 1 in

The Hansa-Brandenburg W.18 was designed by Ernst Heinkel. It entered service in 1917 with the Austro-Hungarian Navy. It was a single seat fighter, armed with

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two forward firing Schwarzlose machine guns. It was used for fighter defense and patrol. Approximately forty seven were built.

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The Macchi M. 5. Wingspan 39ft

The Macchi M. 5 is another small single seater fighter seaplane that was very maneuverable and well able to engage enemy land-based fighters. It was first flown in 1917 and entered service with both

the Italian Navy and Air Force. Its armament consisted of two fixed forward firing Vickers machine guns. Approximately two hundred and forty were built.

The Curtiss H. 16. Wingspan 98.36ft

Entering service in 1917, the Curtiss H. 16 was the final version of the Curtis “H” series. Bigger and heavier than previous types, it had a crew of four. Two pilots sat in the main cockpit with one gunner in the forward

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cockpit ahead of them. The other gunner was in a dorsal position in the center of the fuselage, right behind the wings. They were used by the British in North Sea operations against U-boats and Zeppelins’ and by the Americans in anti-submarine patrols.

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The Felixstowe F.5 Wingspan 103ft 8in

The Felixstowe F.5, designed in 1918, was the successor to the F.2 and the F.3. The F.5 was intended to be an improvement over both of those. While the prototype had a superior performance, the production aircraft were modified to make construction easier by using components from earlier versions, resulting in a lower overall performance. It did not enter service during the war but did replace all of the earlier versions becoming the standard flying boat

for the RAF until 1925. It had a crew of four. Armament was one Lewis gun in the nose, with another three mounted amidships behind the wings. It could carry up to a 920 pound bomb load, and had an endurance of up to seven hours. Approximately fifty three were built with another two hundred and twenty seven built of a F.5L version that had Liberty engines as opposed to the Rolls Royce Eagles.

The Hansa-Brandenburg W.20 Wingspan 22ft 3in

Perhaps the most interesting of all, the Hansa Brandenburg W.20 was a very unusual looking aircraft. Designed in 1917/18, it was intended to be disassembled and carried on the deck of a submarine in a

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water tight container. When the submarine surfaced it was to be removed from the container and assembled so that it could be used for reconnaissance missions for the submarine. It had a crew of one and was unarmed. Only three were built.

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The Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 Wingspan 44ft 4in.

The only Monoplane in the group, The Hansa –Brandenburg W-29 first flew in March of 1918 and so it only had a short operational exposure. It was operated from German bases in the North Sea. In spite of its late entry, over seventy of these aircraft were

built. It was armed with either one or two fixed LMG machine guns mounted on the front fuselage and one Parabellum machine gun operated by the second crew member from the rear cockpit.

The Curtis N C (Naval Curtis) Wingspan 126ft 6in

The Curtiss N C, nicknamed the Nancy, was used by the US Navy from 1918 through the early 1920’s. It was designed for long-range flight with sleeping quarters and radio equipment. In May of 1919, four of these, NC-1, NC-2, NC-3 and NC-4 were designated to make a transatlantic flight to Portugal by way of Newfoundland and the Azores. NC-1 crashed but her crews were rescued. NC-2 was damaged during trials and never

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flew again. NC-3 was forced to land in the sea and floated the rest of the way to the Azores. NC-4 eventually reached its destination in Lisbon, Portugal. Only ten of these large seaplanes were built. R/C comments I have a short kit for a Felixstowe F2a that was given to me some years ago. It has a wing span of just over 100 inches. It was

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WWI Seaplanes, continued designed for two small, 20/25cc glow engines, but I gave up using those many years ago. I have opened the box several times but never had the courage to make a start at building it. For me it would have to be electric. I think that the motors and

escapes would fit into the nacelles, but it would need long leads to the batteries that would have to be located in the front fuselage. Maybe one day ……. Anyway, just to close and show why I am still not ready to build it, here is a three view drawing of the Felixstowe F.2a

Struts anyone? It would be a LOT of work. -- Alan

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FOCKE-WULF Fw 190 on display

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n the dark days of the Second World War, the German Luftwaffe sent wave after wave of Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters up against the RAF. Only 28 of those aircraft remain – and one of them has now gone on display at the RAF Museum Cosford. But the plane is no stranger to museums – it spent more than 20 years suspended from the ceiling of the Imperial War Museum in London. Clare Carr, RAF Museum Cosford assistant curator, said: “Anything German and World War Two is a rare aircraft, so it’s just wonderful we can have it here in Shropshire. As an aircraft, it was so prolific and so successful during the war, but is now so scarce. To have one here, and one with such a unique history, is so exciting.” Cosford’s new exhibit is a unique survivor of a German Mistel combination, where a small fighter plane would be mounted on top of a bomber, such as the Junkers JU 88.

It was used to train pilots in Denmark, where it was surrendered in Denmark in May 1945, and then flown to Germany, still joined to the Junkers. In Germany, it was split from the bomber and both were due to be transported to Britain for examination. But the Ju 88 half never reached the UK, and it is assumed it was scrapped. Ms Carr added: “It has been displayed in the Imperial War Museum for many years and during their redevelopment it has been brought to our conservation area here in Cosford, but the opportunity for us to have it on display was so great we made room for it. The aircraft spent several years on display at RAF Cranwell before a short period in storage at RAF Biggin Hill. Four years later, it was moved to Imperial War Museum South Lambeth, where it remained until last December when it came to Cosford for some maintenance, where it is now set to be a permanent display.

BRAND NEW! P-38 SPECIAL ISSUE

--From the Shropshire Star (UK). Oct. 2013

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From the editors of Flight Journal, P-38 Lightning is an exclusive collection of combat tales and P-38 trivia that belongs in every enthusiast's library. Featuring the finest Lightning photography, the issue is loaded with "did you know?" facts and first hand comments on flying the forktailed legend. This issue will never go out of date and will be read again and again.