Book recommendation

Changing the subject slightly, I am a big flying boat fan. I saw in the latest Historic Aviation catalog a new book on the PanAm clippers. It is a fifty buck book- a little pricey for me to buy sight unseen. I went to my local library yesterday to pick up a book, and lo and behold they had the clipper book in their "new book" display. I checked it out but have barely started. I'll let folks know later whether it is as good as it appears at first glance.

How did the person who bought you the book guess you were interested in Spitfires, Enzo? Did you perhaps leave a hint or two lying around the house?

(kim)

It was my brother. I've been emailing him about the Spitfire models I've been building. His present also included four bottles of Spitfire ale! LOL

(Cut to image of twelve unbuilt Spitfire models tucked in a corner, a DVD copy of the movie "Spitfire" playing on a TV with a 21st Century Toys 1/18th scale Spitfire suspended over it, and Enzo watching it while wearing a RAF pilot's helmet and goggles and making Merlin engine noises.) :-D

Pat

My favorite of their ads is still this one:

You've hidden a webcam in my house, haven't you?!?!?

did that movie have david niven and leslie howard?

(Enzo looks up to see 1/700 scale Ar-234 circling ceiling light.) ;-)

Pat

Yup, also known as "The First Of The Few":

Pat

They were effectively flying radiators with most of the interior being devoted to removing excess heat from the engine. That's why it took so long to incorporate the technology into a production fighter.

(kim)

i actually have a vhs of the spitfire movie somewhere in the pile. i love dambusters, especially the high tech, big money flak tracers they did by making scratches on the film. and that classy pencil thick outline superimposition of plane-upon-background. they must have spent MANY thousands of pennies on those special effects. my revell dambuster kit would have been more realistic, but outside of the buck ninety eight they spent on production vlaues, it was pretty accurate. the story line, i mean

On Jan 10, 7:45=A0pm, snipped-for-privacy@some.domain wrote:> In article , snipped-for-privacy@daktel.com wrote:> >

Spitfire models tucked in a corner, a> >>> DVD copy of the movie "Spitfire" playing on a TV with a 21st Century> >>> Toys 1/18th scale Spitfire suspended over it, and Enzo watching it while> >>> wearing a RAF pilot's helmet and goggles and making Merlin engine> >>>

noises.) :-D> > >>> Pat> > >> did that movie have david niven and leslie howard?> > >Yup, also known as "The First Of The Few":> >

tape.> >The films of the Supermarine seaplane racers in it are very interesting;> >boy, were those things streamlined.> > >Pat> > i actually have a vhs of the spitfire movie somewhere in the pile.> i love dambusters, especially the high tech, big money flak tracers they did> by making scratches on the film. and that classy pencil thick outline> superimposition of plane-upon-background. they must have spent MANY thousands> of pennies on those special effects.> my revell dambuster kit would have been more realistic, but outside of the> buck ninety eight they spent on production vlaues, it was pretty accurate. the> story line, i mean- Hide quoted text -> > - Show quoted text - Slightly OT: Don't have any Spitfire Ale, but I have a bottle of Rare Beer! Can't have alcohol, so it stays unopened.The home brewer was named Tom Young, so you know it must be great beer!=A0 :-)Tom

That was the state-of-the-art at the time. BTW, that movie and 633 Squadron became the basis for the attack on the Death Star in the original Star Wars. They took the flying down the fjord aspect of 633 Squadron and turned it into flying down the Death Star trench, and added the AA guns shooting at the attacking planes from Dambusters and turned the guns into turbolasers. In 633 squadron they had to hit a specific spot on a mountainside with their earthquake bombs; in SW they had to hit a specific point on the Death Star's surface with their proton torpedoes. In Dambusters, you knew you were at the right distance from the dam when it filled the distance between the two vertical nails on the bombardier's sighting stick; in SW you were ready to fire when the display in the sighting device in the X-Wings lined up right and the two vertical lines joined. Rumor had it that Peter Jackson (who is a major early military aircraft fan) was going to redo Dambusters, but he says that's not the case. If they ever do film it again, they will have to avoid mentioning the real name of squadron commander Guy Gibson's dog, which is the dread "N" word. The dog died before the raid, but its name lived on as the radio codeword for the successful destruction of the Mohne dam.

Sink The Bismarck is also a well done film.

Pat

You've gotta love that line:

Is there any reason the Air Ministry would lend *you* a Wellington?

Barnes Wallis: Well, you might try telling them I designed it!

(kim)