Spitfire manufacturing | FerrariChat

Spitfire manufacturing

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by Admiral Goodwrench, Oct 15, 2019.

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  1. John Vardanian

    John Vardanian F1 Rookie

    Jul 1, 2004
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    Fascinating for sure...
     
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  2. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    Dec 28, 2005
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  3. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    The ME 109 was designed specifically for this type of construction and German villagers and small towns people did the same thing. Mostly straight line elements in the lofting and simple and rather crude elements (look at the wing to body fillet), rough and simple but it worked. The wing was all straight lines and didn't require any stretch formed skins, etc. Fuselage was the same.
     
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  4. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
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    Terry H Phillips
    Bob- They were producing more Me-109s and other fighters at the end of the war than at the beginning. Fortunately for us, they were out of gasoline, oil and pilots. Hard to train student pilots when US and GB fighters were flying through the pattern shooting anything that flew.
     
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  5. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    The lack of oil, bearings, fuel, and pilots verifies the strategies of the 8th, 9th, and 15th Air forces that hammered Germany until it ceased to function. I will always feel lucky that I was too young and late to be a part of it because a lot of my high school buddies were and never returned. Those in the Marines and Infantry had it worse.
     
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  6. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Bob- The units and personnel that took the worst hits were the Guard units. They were activated immediately and sent overseas early in the war with inferior equipment and not enough of it. The Guard unit in Lancaster, SC, where Mom and Dad were from, was decimated and that happened all over the US.
     
  7. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    #8 Tcar, Oct 18, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2019
    Yes.... my Father in Law was with the New Mexico Guard....
    They were shipped to the Pacific Theater with their horses (Cavalry).
    Their last food before they were in the Bataan Death march were their own horses....
    Most of them did not come home.
    He was a POW for over 3-1/2 years.... weighed 90# when freed.
     
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  8. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    Thanks, Terry. I'm not certain of the date but I joined the Florida State Guard sometime in late 1942 when I was 16. We were trained by ex-WW1 military guys and did a lot of skeet and target shooting with personally owned firearms so when I went into active service light weapons were no mystery to me. A puny effort but at least we were trying to do what we could and learned how to shoot just about everything except automatic weapons. At that time we also helped the civilian aircraft owners who were doing submarine patrol in their airplanes like Stinson 105's equipped with two 25 pound bombs. I have to admit that I didn't know very much about the national guard units and I'm glad that you and Tcar enlightened me.
     
  9. sf_hombre

    sf_hombre Formula 3
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    The knowledge and recollections you guys have on aviation is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
     
  10. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    #11 Tcar, Oct 24, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2019
    Also, as a follow-up... he told me when they were freed, they were taken to a facility to bathe, get clean clothes and be checked over by medics.

    They were then seated to a huge meal. Steak, mashed potatos, corn on the cob, milkshakes, pie, etc.
    Bud (my FIL) told me me could only eat a couple bites... stomach had shrunk... almost cried leaving that food just sit there.
    Just could not swallow another bite.

    Some of the guys, though, DID eat most of their meals... and died. Painfully...
    Stomachs ruptured.

    Their well-meaning rescuers gave them the meal thay had all been dreaming of... and it killed some of them.
    He was hospitalized for 6 months after he was freed... could barely walk when freed.

    Bud died at 57 from 'old age/malnutrition' in the late 60's,,,, his Dr. said he had the body of a 75 year-old. He looked it. He was very frail.
    From starvation and dysentery for almost 4 years.
     
  11. sf_hombre

    sf_hombre Formula 3
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    Did your father-in-law ever write down any of his recollections?
     

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