Granny Burnetts Airplane Book

The other day I was on E-Bay (a dangerous place according to my Wife) and found a delightful surprise. One of my searches turned up AMERICA’S FIGHTING PLANES by Reed Kinert. The amazing thing was that it was in Kindle format. I was overjoyed that a new generation would be exposed to this wonder book.

In World War Two my Uncle Jack Burnett went to the Aircorps as an aircraft mechanic. He wrote home strange letters speaking of Pt-19s, AT-6 and B-25s. My Grandfather bought a copy of this book on a business trip to Amarillo, Texas in order to read the code.

My Cousin Eddie read to me from this book at Granny Burnett’s farm. It was the first exposure I had to the planes that would become so important in my life. I’m afraid we grand kids wore that book out. I reattached the covers while working as a library assistant in high school. When Granny Burnett passed away that book went to Eddie – as it should have.

In 1994 I visited THE BOOK BUYERS SHOPE on Alabama Street in Houston, a place every bit as dangerous as E-Bay. I had not thought about Granny Burnett’s airplane book in twenty years at least. I had long since given up any chance of finding another. There on the shelf was the second copy I had seen in my life.

Nothing could ever take the place of Granny Burnett’s book, but I made this one special in another way. I take this book to the Men (and Women) who flew, and now fly, the planes described here. It’s a great ice breaker. Most of them honor me by signing the pages of the planes they flew.

As they thumb through the book two things happen. I have had a number of folks, when they spot performance figures listed here ask, “Weren’t they worried about this information getting into enemy hands?”

Friends and neighbors – they were counting on it! I have had a number of old timers laugh openly at the speeds, ranges and fuel capacities listed.

But the pictures also bring out the stories. Sometimes stories they haven’t thought about in years.

Spitfires on a Mission

The creativity of front line troops has always be an inspiration to me.

Example, free beer has been offered to troops by the British brewey, Heneger and Constable. The men are delighted to avail themselves of this generous gift. But sometimes it's difficult for a product to reach eager consumers.

It seems the priority of supplies being shipped to the troops in France following the D-Day Invasion was not universally accepted. Beer was low on the list. Leave it to a bunch of fun loving but thirsty fighter pilots to find a solution.

The Aircraft pictured here is a Mk. IX Spitfire. The protrusions on the bottom of the wings are pylons intended to attach 'external stores' to the aircraft. Supermarine and the RAF had envisioned extra fuel tanks (drop tanks) and bombs.

Yes dear readers, this one is carrying beer kegs.

It is unclear whether the kegs could be jettisoned in case of emergency, but you could be sure any pilot who arrived without them would have an emergency on the ground. There was one unintended advantage to moving beer this way, colder tempters at higher altitudes meant the beer was properly chilled on landing.

So Spitfires were making trips back to England for 'Maintenance' or 'liaision duties' and returning with joy. It ddn't take long for someone to come up with a special 'drop tank' for carrying beer. These were marked XXX to avoid problems. According to some sources these sometimes gave the beer a metallic taste.

Of course with photos like this one you know the good times had to come to an end. The tax man called on the brewery to have a little talk. It seems free beer for troops in England is one thing, but duties had to be paid on beer going to France.

So, did the beer lift stop? Get real! I would be willing to bet it continued but they just got sneakier.

You Make Due With What You Have

I came across this photograph a few days ago and was delighted by the odd mix of equipment. It is a close up of a holster and revolver being worn by a man in World War Two cold weather flight gear.

The holster is a 'Mexican Loop' style that would be much more at home on the belt of a Cowboy or Western Lawman. It is intended to carry a Colt Single Action Army revolver like the one pictured here.

According to the caption this weapon is a .38 and a lanyard ring can just be made out. There isn't enough detail to determine if it is a Colt, or a Smith and Wesson like the one below.

Note that this holster can not properly seat this weapon. The trigger guard should be in closed inside the bulge below it. This won't be a problem in an aircraft, but can disarming on horseback.

Ask me how I know.

So who would have such mismatched equipment? Truth be told making due with what you have wasn't restricted to any one service or unit within, but one orgination was known for it.

Pictured above is a Civil Air Patrol preparing to go out on Anti-Submarine patrol. Their ride is the Fairchild 24R behind them. To be sure there were military versions of this aircraft, but this one belongs to one of the civilian members of the Civil Air Patrol Wing.

The only man in the photograph of military age is the guy standing to the far left, the one holding the bomb. That bomb will be mounted under the 24R.

Was the Fairchild 24R ever intended to be a bomber? Ah, NO! That didn't slow these folks down much.

So, you might ask, did old men with civilian aircraft ever do any damage with these bombs? The Civil Air Patrol is credited with sinking at least one U-boat.

The Civil Air Patrol perf0rmed vital missions that military aircraft and crews would have had to fly had they not been there. Some of them gave their lives in the process.

When I was growing up two of the best kept secrets of the Second World War were the WASP and the Tuskegee Airmen. In one of my college history courses only the instructor had ever heard of them. The Civil Air Patrols war time activitys were a third.

Their stories makes for great reading, if you can find them.

Now for Something Completely Different - Full Metal Jousting

Update 02/01/2012

I just saw the first TV ad for this series that showed more than the Logo. It looks good.

All of us have an image from childhood of a knight in shining armor. They tend to be the embodiment of courage, strength and justice. Everyone has wondered what it would be like. History Channel is following that dream with a new reality show titled FULL METAL JOUSTING. The show will follow a survivor format pitting sixteen contestants against each other in a winner take all competition. I expect this to be flagged Viewer Discretion Advised. Take it seriously. Jousting as a sport has never really stopped since the days such men at arms were the cutting edge. There are currently Jousting Societies in the United States, Canada and England. I know the English Society is at least one hundred years old. Injuries are common and deaths are not uncommon. I doubt if we will see anyone killed on screen, but from the previews I know there will be injuries.

As folks who have been here before know I am not a great fan of the survival style programs. "Reality" programs aren't much better. That doesn't keep me from checking out the ones on History and Discovery channel. They still make me nuts on occasion.

Is there any chance the next season of TOP SHOTS will recruit grownups that know they will be expected to use anything capable of sending a projectile, or being thrown down range? When they are whining about I didn't expect - fill in the blank - is when I usually change channels.

How could the gun savvy folks on SONS OF GUNS not know there were a number of fighter planes with machine guns that fired through the propeller in World War Two? The Me.109 and P - 39 to name two.

I will be watching Full Metal Jousting. After all, the plottings and back biting in this one will be historically correct.

What's Wrong With This Picture

Some years ago I had the privilege of talking to a B-24 pilot about his experiences with the Eight Air Force in World War Two Europe. One of his stories concerned a return trip to England after a raid on Germany.

With flack and fighters the bomber formations had been scattered far and wide. Small groups of planes were making their way home. Individual aircraft would join up with them now and then. Their guns added to the defense of the group, and the new comers received protection from the others as well. There were still pockets of flack, but before the gun crews could get the altitude and speed right they were usually out of range.

A lone B-24 approaching them wasn't unusual. It didn't respond to their radio calls, but radios went down sometimes. What was odd about this Liberator was that it didn't get into formation with the rest of the planes. The lone B-24 took up their same heading and altitude, but stayed out of machinegun range. All of a sudden the flack batteries they passed got much more accurate.

This continued until they got to the English Channel. The Gentleman told me when his collection of planes crossed the coast the lone B-24 peeled off and went back into Europe.

This picture probably explains everything.

Throughout the war the Germans had an impressive collection of allied aircraft. With the fall of France fast moving German units managed to capture just about everything in British and French inventory.I was shocked when I first saw pictures of American trainers in German Markings. Some were sold to the French.
Others were built by the French under license. Is this an AT-6 or a French built NA-64 trainer. They had both.
I swear, when we get to Mars they will find a Piper Cub there! This one was 'drafted' when the Germans overran Denmark in 1940.

I wouldn't be surprised to find a DC-3 parked somewhere on the moon either! The things are everywhere! Like today, American airliners were sold all over the world. Lufthansa had a bunch of them.

There were no Spitfires in the France prior to Dunkirk. Often damaged planes crash landed in occupied in Europe. That's where this one came from.
I have heard talk of a dogfight between an American P-51 and a captured Mustang flown by a German Pilot. I havn't been able to track down any details, but the Germans had P-51's for this kind of thing.

In one case, an aircraft was brought to the Germans by a traitor. After Pearl Harbor Martin James Monti enlisted in the Army Air Force as an aviation cadet. After flight school he was commissioned as a flight officer. After qualifying on P-39 Aircorbras and P-38 Lightings he was posted to 126 Replacement Depot in Karachi, India (now in Pakistan).

For reasons unknown, newly minted Second Lt. Monti was displeased with his lot in life and set out in search of other adventures. He boarded a C-46 and hitched a ride to Cairo and proceeded to make his way toward Italy.

At Foggia, Italy he stopped in at the 82 Fighter Group and then to the 354 Air Service Squadron at Pomigliano Air Field north of Naples. The 354th. prepared aircraft for assignment to line squadrons. There was a steady stream of pilots coming and going. Lt. Monti was all but invisible.

It isn't clear at what point in his travels Lt. Monti decided to buy his way into the Third Reich, but that was now his plan. He studied the aircraft being worked on and found an F-5 (a photo reconnaissance version of the P-38) that needed work and would need a test flight after the repairs were completed.

The morning it was ready he showed up before the real test pilot and headed for the German airfield outside Milan. On exiting the plane he told the German personal surrounding him he was there to defect.

The above photo is of the plane Lt. Monti flew to Milan.

After that Monti, now an Untersturmfuhere (an SS second lieutenant), worked in propaganda in one form or another until the end of the war. One project that would come back to haunt him was a 'microphone test' he made as "Martin Wiethaupt".

By the end of the war Monti had joined the George Washington Division of the SS Foreign Legions. This unit was made up of Americans who wanted to fight for Germany. There were two of them.

Monti was still in Italy when the war ended and surrendered to American forces. He was proudly wearing his SS uniform at the time.

Screwball Warning.

Now, for me this is where the story looses touch with reality. In 1946 Martin James Monti was sentenced to fifteen years for desertion? Not only that, he was pardoned within a year on condition he join the Army? Why did they want him in the army with his track record? They made him a sergeant!

In 1948 the FBI caught up with Sgt. Monti and arrested him for treason this time based on his recording as Martin Weinhaupt.

Perhaps there is someone out there that can explain to me why stealing a P-38 to give the Germans and joining the SS of all things is "desertion", but making tape recordings is treason. It makes no sense to me.

This time Monti was sentenced to twenty five years in prison. He was paroled in 1960 after serving twelve years.

Martin James Monti lived to see the new millennium. He passed away on September 11, 2000 of all days. As I said before, whats wrong with this picture?

Galloping Ghost

I was heartbroken this evening to hear of a tragic accident at the Reno Air Races. A P-51 named Galloping Ghost crashed into the edge of the seating area. At least three are dead not counting the pilot and so far I haven't seen the same number of injured listed on any two places yet. No one is taking any bets on all the injured recovering.

At this writting no one is really sure what caused the crash. The pilot, Jimmy Leeward, was highly skilled with years of experience. To the best of my knowledge I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Leeward. I had known the Galloping Ghost for years.
There are probably more P-51s surviving today than any other World War Two combat plane. Having said that, there aren't that many Mustangs around, especially not flying. So when attending airshows and fly-ins you start recognizing the Mustangs, B-17s and P-38s like old friends. The loss of human life is tragic, but so is the loss of these historic aircraft.
A few months ago a B-17 called Liberty Bell crashed in a field durring a routine flight. No one was killed, or even seriously injured, but the plane was a total loss. The scene bore a spooky resemblance to World War Two crash sites. There are folks who will ask if the planes are so rare and valuable why risk flying them? Just about any World War Two combat Plane flying these days is valued in six figures. B-17s and P-51s are in the millions. The truth is, if you have to ask, you will never understand.

In 1973 for the first time I stood on the ramp in Harlingen, Texas and watch a P-51 Mustang sputter, then growl to life. A crowd of us watched as it taxied out to the runway. A few minutes later she started to move, faster as she came up on her main gear, and then sprang into the air at a speed and angles I found shocking based on my light plane experience. A second later I recovered my voice and was commenting that the numbers in the books didn't do this justice when an F8F Bearcat caught and pasted the Mustang like it was dragging a plow.

I knew then that the hours of research, and hundreds of pages I had read were baseless without this experience to put them into perspective.

It is a sad truth that planes like this cannot be operated without bending one from time to time. With the weight and speed of these War Birds the results are often deadly. But parking them is unacceptable. The pilots and investors are all too aware of the risk, and they agree.

Good By Gloria Winters

As a kid I never missed Sky King. The formula of a modern cowboy hero flying from his ranch to battle evil in a twin engine Cessna was magic.

He started with a wartime Cessna T-50 'Bobcat' that really was Kirby Grant's personal plane. When the first Songbird developed problems with its wooden airframe (the most common reason for them to end up on the scrap heap) Cessna stepped up with a sleek new Cessna 310. It was a beautiful plane, but I always preferred the T-50.

Long after I should have 'outgrown' Sky King I kept tuning in. Like every other American male I had a thing for Sky's niece Penny, played by Gloria Winters. Sky King planted the seed that made me want to fly, but Penny and the 50's flying rancher setting kept me watching. She had a magic all her own. If you ever saw the show, you know what I'm talking about.

After Sky King Gloria's career in front of the camera pretty much ended. She married the sound man from the series (who she confessed in an interview once she 'didn't know was alive' during the show) and worked off camera for years afterwards.

I was heartbroken yesterday to learn that Gloria Winters had passed away last August. I'm sure it was in the news, but I missed it somehow.

Go with God Gloria, we will never forget you.

The Legend of the Ghost Bomber is Born

(If anyone can tell me why blogger dose this weird spacing from time to time I would be grateful)

By early 1959 the wreaked B-24 had been spotted by a second D'Arcy Oil Company aircraft, and the two locations plotted were fairly close to each other. To the GPS generation this sounds sloppy, but these were the days of dead reckoning.

Most of you will know dead reckoning from story problems on a math test. "If a train leaves the station traveling at X MPH how long will it take..."

The crash site was on a featureless gravel plain near the edge of the Sea of Calanscio, north of the Kufra Oasis. Fact is, once she was located, the Lady Be Good was the best fixed navigation point for over 100 miles in any direction.

The US Air Force had been informed, but visiting yet another World War two wreak in the desert wasn't a high priority. D'Arcy Oil personal were interested, but no one was going to make a special trip. Having said that, exploring war time aircraft wreaks is interesting. In late February of 1959 a D'Arcy ground crew found themselves in the area of the crash.

Gordon Bowerman was the first to spot the bomber in the distance. He and his co-workers, John Martin and Don Sheridan, decided it was break time. The above photograph was taken by Gordon Bowerman on February 27, 1959 as they approached the plane. The tracks in the foreground were made by their vehicle.

They were the first people to visit the plane since 1943.

Approaching the plane was like stepping back in time. Other than the fuselage breaking in half just aft of the wings, the plane was in remarkable condition. She looked like the crew had left moments before.

At least one of the radios still worked. There was food and water stored stored on board that was still good, and a thermos of tea still drinkable. Articles of clothing and equipment were still in place and some had crewmen's names. Some of the planes logs were in place. Even the machine guns and ammunition, usually the first things removed by scavengers, were in place. The only things missing were the parachutes and the Mae West life preservers.

The three oilmen left with a haunting mystery. How had this plane gotten so far inland, and what happened to the crew? The Letter Gordon Bowerman wrote to Col. Kolbus (USAF) explains it best.

Private & Confidential

Lt. Col. Kolbus,

U.S.A.A.F.,

Wheelus Air Base,

Tripoli

2-4-59 (in this case read Mar. 2, 59)

Dear Sir,

During a recent survey trip in the desert north of the Kufra Oasis, my friends and I found a United States Liberator bomber that is almost complete and would appear to have crashed without any members of the crew being aboard. As the plane is so far from any operational airfield that was being used during March/April 1943 period, we would be very interested to know whether there are any records to show whether the crew were saved, or not.

From the maintenance inspection records (form 41-B) the details of the plane are: Squadron Airplane No. 64; Organization: 514 Sq. Bomb Gp.; last (indecipherable): 3rd. April 1943; A.C. Airplane No.: R-1830-43; Serial No.: 24301.

Also there are a few of the crew names that were on pieces of personal and other equipment:

Lt. Hatton

Lt. Woravka

Lt. D.P. Hayes (Computer - See Below ###)

M/SGT. Shea

Lt. Toner

Ripslinger

I had hoped to see you personally when I was last in Tripoli, but my leave was curtailed and you were not at home on the occasions that I did call.

If any information can be found we would be very interested in it, for this is the most complete plane we saw and the absence of evidence of the crew landing with it makes it very strange that a plane should be that distance from the coast.

If there is any other information you would like, I may be able to assist you, but apart from giving you the Maintenance Log (41-B) and a few of the navigators jottings, I cannot see that I have any useful information to disclose. Should you wish to contact me, please write to the address above, and I will reply as soon as possible; but owing to the post being weekly there may be a long delay. The post for me has to be in D'Arcy Office by Wednesday lunch-time to be put on the aircraft.

I hope you, your wife and daughter are all well, and have a very happy and Blessed Easter.

Yours sincerely,

Gordon Bowerman.

In this day of Cell phones and E-mail it's difficult it imagine people ever depended on mail that came once a week.

### For those readers without gray hair, the computer referred to in Bowermans letter was an Army Aircorp AN-5835-1 like in the picture above. Private Pilots were still using the civilian version of this when I learned to fly in the 1970's. Think of it as a round slide rule. As for what a slide rule is, you'er on your own - try Google.