Friday 29 June 2012

Big bird

Like many men I love tools and machinery of all shapes and sizes. The thought and design that goes into devices of all shapes, usage and complexity is a never ending source of fascintaion to me. I take special delight in warplanes and have posted on the joy the sound of a merlin powered spitfire brings when zooming overhead. This plane too deserves some attention as it is hard to beat in the brutal looks department.A giant engine with eight large guns was in the second world war a lethal combo and I look forward to seeing this brute flying overhead at some future event.....more power!

12 comments:

Scrobs... (on another PC) said...

The steady gunship was always foremost in a pilot's mind back then.

Of course the 'nimble' Spitfires and Hurricanes were identified with getting under the Germans' skin, but these planes you describe, were just formidable!

Nice post Thudders, and clearly you're nearly off (in your mind) to sunny CA, for a well deserved hol!

haddock said...

Ahh! the "Jug", why use finesse when brute force will do the job ?.... hope to get to Duxford to see it in September.

NotClauswitz said...

The P-47 Thunderbolt, really the hammer of Thor incarnate. Heavily armed and armored, they would blow-up even trains!

Electro-Kevin said...

I clicked on here, saw that and got a chubby.

Should I be ashamed ?

Thud said...

KEV,Everybody loves a throbing engine

James Higham said...

Like many men I love tools and machinery of all shapes and sizes.

As a builder, I'd never have guessed it, Thud.

Electro-Kevin said...

I'm disturbed it was used to blow up trains.

Thud said...

Ha ha! I never thought of that.

NotClauswitz said...

How about, "French trains full of Nazis!"
Is that better?

NotClauswitz said...

Err, my apologies, etc.

Thud said...

DC...it would be an A10 after him now!

Brian said...

What a super way to celebrate the Fourth of July by posting an American Classic. Happy Independence Day, Yanks!

The "Flying Milk Bottle" before W E W Petter even doodled the Lightning. Truly a marvellous aircraft, it could dive at 550 mph and was so rugged that pilots preferred to crash land it than bale out, knowing its engine would protect them. Despite its amazing ground attack capability and the hard work its pilots did in 1943 winning air superiority, the 8th AF got rid of it indecently fast in favour of the P-51D just because the Mustang could fly to Berlin, instead of the Thunderbolt's forays just over the Dutch border.