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Spyder with Canadian Heritage Warplane

gazunni

New member
We were at a fundraiser ride today in support of the Canadian Warplane Heritage museum to support the rebuilding of one of the engines on the Avro Lancaster Bomber one of only 2 operating in the world. Had an opportunity to have a picture of my Spyder taken with the Mitchell B25 Bomber. Thought some might appreciate it
 

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Ford Tri-Motor

Thanks for posting the Mitchell picture. I grew up in Canada and have memories of visiting the Avro plant near Toronto and seeing a number of WW 11 planes as well as the new Avro CF 100 that was a big deal back in 1952. I also remember listening to CBC radio when I was a small kid during the later part of the war years (1943-45) to a program called "L for Lanky". It documented the flights of a Lancaster crew flying out of England and was amazing stuff for my five and six year old ears.

It's not a war plane but here is a video I took of a 1928 Ford Tri Motor when it visited Briscoe Field in Lawrenceville, Georgia last year.

 
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B25s

Fifteen of the raids aircraft made it to China and the other one made it to the Soviet Union. All but three of the crew survived but all the aircraft were lost. Eight crewmen were captured by the Japanese Army in China and three of these were executed. The B-25 that landed in the Soviet Union at Vladivostok was confiscated and its crew interned for more than a year. Thirteen entire crews, and all but one crewman of a 14th, returned either to the United States or to American forces. (google article)

These gentlemen did an awful lot to encourage America in 1942. Things were not going well. I can't imagine the courage and guts necessary to carry out a mission like this one. The Russians were dependant on the US for so much early in the war and were our allies then and still the lousy .......s kept the crew for a year before releasing them. This was a precursor to Russia's attitude towards the end of the war.

This was the last year for the mission reunion. They are down to counting survivors on one hand now. God bless them all.

Tuck
 
B25, German tank and BMW Story

Some years ago while working part time in a BMW shop, an elderly gentleman came in wanting to sell an old single cylinder BMW cycle that he had bought after the war and used while in college. When I went to pick it up and he was rummaging around in a drawer looking for the key....BMW's for years used a type of key with a prong that pushed down in the headlight....he pulled one out with a swastika emblem on top. He said "you can't have this one" and then found the original one. He then related why: During a raid over France during the Normandy invasion the B25 he was piloting got hit and he crash landed it in field next to an orchard. They all survived and immediately got away from the plane in hopes of not being captured. Hiding in the trees he could hear the rumbling of a motor but it didn't seem to be moving. He crept close enough to see it was a German tank, hatch open, no one around, abandoned. He climbed into the tank, pulled out the switch key with a swastika on it! It was identical to ones BMW used for many years afterwards, without the swastika of course. He later made his way to ally lines and safety. I can never see an old BMW bike or B25 without thinking of this nice old gentleman.
 
Some years ago while working part time in a BMW shop, an elderly gentleman came in wanting to sell an old single cylinder BMW cycle that he had bought after the war and used while in college. When I went to pick it up and he was rummaging around in a drawer looking for the key....BMW's for years used a type of key with a prong that pushed down in the headlight....he pulled one out with a swastika emblem on top. He said "you can't have this one" and then found the original one. He then related why: During a raid over France during the Normandy invasion the B25 he was piloting got hit and he crash landed it in field next to an orchard. They all survived and immediately got away from the plane in hopes of not being captured. Hiding in the trees he could hear the rumbling of a motor but it didn't seem to be moving. He crept close enough to see it was a German tank, hatch open, no one around, abandoned. He climbed into the tank, pulled out the switch key with a swastika on it! It was identical to ones BMW used for many years afterwards, without the swastika of course. He later made his way to ally lines and safety. I can never see an old BMW bike or B25 without thinking of this nice old gentleman.
He's "Da man!" Priceless!
 
I was stationed at Eglin AFB, Fla (1955-1959). There were some CF 100's stationed there for testing/flight ops. A flight of two CF-100's requested a "Low Go" down the runway. (Planes came close to runway, but do not touch). The usual radio chatter about instructions included the tower asking if they had their gear down. They answered, we have our gear extended. They were cleared to do it. One difference from most Low Go's, they were upside down. The USAF tried to "get them" for something. One was mis informing the tower about gear status. They just replied, we had out gear extended, maybe the tower assumed we were right side up. I have no idea what, if anything ever happened after that. I do not remember much else about them.
Oldmanzues
 
Cool pic and interesting stories. Thanks for sharing. We took this pic last year at a Texas Honor Ride event.
 

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