tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25239578363137377532024-03-18T22:43:27.465-04:00BuffaloWingzThings with wings in Buffalo & Western New York... maybe some other places, too...Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-4718976003276400262022-11-05T18:06:00.009-04:002022-11-06T09:07:12.989-05:00One Of the Local Bartenders<p>While your blogmeister does not work at the Buffalo airport itself,
his place of employment is quite literally *at* the airport, just the
other side of the fence. Such proximity during the daily grind affords
him many an opportunity to see, hear, feel, and sometimes even smell
things with wings, often by simply looking out the door that's just a
few feet from where he spends 8 to 10 hours each weekday.<br /><br />The
usual sights consist of rather mundane flying machines, made a bit less
boring by the bright colors with which they're adorned, accented by the
names 'Southwest', or 'American', etc. Every now and again, however,
something a tad more interesting shows up at 'ole KBUF, including one
that appeared many weeks back... a certain bird that your blogmeister
identifies as a VC-25A, but which the masses know more colloquially as
'Air Force One'.<br /></p><p>Anyhoo, the subject of today's installment
of BuffaloWingz ain't 'Air Force One' (look for that soonly-like, in a
future installment), but could conceivably be referred to as such if the
right circumstances were to come about at some point. (Doubtful, but
hey, we can dream, can't we?) And in any case, while the photos below
ain't the goodest your blogmeister has produced, they show a bird that
he finds infinitely more interesting and freakin' groovy than the flying
White House.<br /><br />As he was leaving work the other day, your
blogmeister was informed by Jim, the building custodian, that there was a
'tanker' just down the road, at the post office. Now, most folks would
probably hear that and say to themselves,
"Wut-da-hell's so exciting 'bout a gas truck and why's it at the post
office?" But, being the nut for things with wings that he is, and
knowing that said custodian was once in the USAF, your blogmeister also
knows what the word 'tanker' means when passing between 'ole Jim's lips,
and so decided to take a slight detour on his way home from work to take a looksee at the ramp down at the USPS Buffalo Air Mail Facility. The
following photos resulted from said detour. Again, they ain't the
most-bestest ever taken by yours truly, but... what the hey.<br /><br />Oh,
and at this point, I must point out that Jim was not only in the USAF,
but he once served with the very outfit that operates the tanker in the
photos... albeit back when said outfit was in the moving business, and
not aerial bartending to gas-guzzling jets. (Don't tell Jim I told you
that, though... he's a humble sort and doesn't like the publicity.)<br /><br />What's
that you ask? Oh, geez, how'da-hell could I almost forget? The 'tanker'
is a KC-135R flown by the 328th Air Refueling Squadron of the 914th Air
Refueling Wing, USAFRC, out of Niagara Falls ARS, NY.<br /><br />Enjoy...</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgda2n0-iUrUslRNTQ2jE3Y1G4YdsRjc_O49OzjxP95qVbid7uBfPTQhgwLkQU6kulAnuBKKW2B12rUgSYsPBRYA6l5dZ3baVMDMgK4RZXGs6vD4ynypox7E1CkaDEkX0C-8KB-qtJHwHggpqNYc5F9iv4XnkKPkD9-L5qzA12eBTAhEdu8Z4fnwUVORg/s1000/TankerKBUFUSPS3Nov22-001a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgda2n0-iUrUslRNTQ2jE3Y1G4YdsRjc_O49OzjxP95qVbid7uBfPTQhgwLkQU6kulAnuBKKW2B12rUgSYsPBRYA6l5dZ3baVMDMgK4RZXGs6vD4ynypox7E1CkaDEkX0C-8KB-qtJHwHggpqNYc5F9iv4XnkKPkD9-L5qzA12eBTAhEdu8Z4fnwUVORg/w400-h266/TankerKBUFUSPS3Nov22-001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEBDjbtkG0rWjJzsor0ozgQknfwx3jaGBc_NFj1ggwHgzYEKfZPAQSrpBntg8kwUlimV1mM_zyg3PF2nnrxXcKZdgl4SWDnR9WUFc2zj2XTDdTsqtY48kOGuPVAuwxLedCz-3ICNDBBhmv8mOQcmzu22wBb82BVyFZzJafmy0lTMa3x2QdSnG6ETGaA/s1000/TankerKBUFUSPS3Nov22-003a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEBDjbtkG0rWjJzsor0ozgQknfwx3jaGBc_NFj1ggwHgzYEKfZPAQSrpBntg8kwUlimV1mM_zyg3PF2nnrxXcKZdgl4SWDnR9WUFc2zj2XTDdTsqtY48kOGuPVAuwxLedCz-3ICNDBBhmv8mOQcmzu22wBb82BVyFZzJafmy0lTMa3x2QdSnG6ETGaA/w266-h400/TankerKBUFUSPS3Nov22-003a.jpg" width="266" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_zJKhDWox2tW3VkirLknBIQtsoIyoXC25hnq1BXg0UILDrNkarRtWOgKlW-9jZannWqGgAL1QiceKWhWwxTh4QUchqIgPC32x4IxGfWsaV796TUaFdPVULUnJkmBHoxY8iv-dVZ_VNBkQmRGGZ5jKZcmRxgvK-IWGZM2Z3FlXL4bMD7CLZscFs4GBw/s1000/TankerKBUFUSPS3Nov22-002a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_zJKhDWox2tW3VkirLknBIQtsoIyoXC25hnq1BXg0UILDrNkarRtWOgKlW-9jZannWqGgAL1QiceKWhWwxTh4QUchqIgPC32x4IxGfWsaV796TUaFdPVULUnJkmBHoxY8iv-dVZ_VNBkQmRGGZ5jKZcmRxgvK-IWGZM2Z3FlXL4bMD7CLZscFs4GBw/w400-h266/TankerKBUFUSPS3Nov22-002a.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BuffaloWingz photos by S.Donacik</div><p><br /></p><p></p><p>Fade to Black...</p><p><br /><br /></p>Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-47277175327037025092021-07-20T23:37:00.005-04:002023-07-19T17:34:21.572-04:00Impromptu Airshow<p>Your blogmeister trekked up to the Falls to see a band recently, and while we were waiting for the openers to take the stage, a large-ish 'airliner' wheeled right over the outdoor concert venue, and fairly low, too. This was no surprise, as said venue was the proverbial stone's throw from the Niagara Falls airport. And though your blogmeister was in bird-watching mode, it was a very different, infinitely more-interesting kinda bird that had caught his eye at that particular moment. Though he is as big a nut for things with wings as anyone, your blogmeister readily admits that cheesecake will win out every time. So, upon half-glancing up at the 'airliner', his attention was not significantly diverted from a particularly well-fitting pair of home-ripped daisy-dukes.<br /><br />Anyhoo, some while later, this 'airliner', which kinda looked like a 737, came by again.<br /><br />Then again.<br /><br />Okay, someone's shootin' touch and gos. Not something that you usually see airliners doing.<br /><br />Soooo, the camera came outta the bag, was turned skyward during the next pass, and its wielder was rewarded with a glimpse of the word 'NAVY'.<br /><br />Oooooohhhhh. That ain't no 737. It's a P-8A Poseidon.<br /><br />Click.<br /><br />It ain't a great image, because though the forecast called for no precip, the overcast skies seemed to threaten otherwise, and Sol was getting closer to the horizon.</p><p>So, to use a technical term, the lighting sucked.<br /><br />But your blogmeister is not one to be put off by crap illumination when there's something worth snapping away at. (Matter of fact, so-called 'crap' illumination often makes for way groovier images than bright sunlight at your back.) Also, this was the first P-8 your blogmeister had seen with his own eyes, so he just hadda... and here 'ya be. A not-so-kinda-semi-sorta-crapola snap of a P-8A from VP-30, the FRS RON for the type...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjme-ljUYfBxtBTQ-qT26gzhsXwn4auTI7_LN-8Yt2keEjJTalhYtVw7MmipVr_MlrGpZ6MNyxyRM7YcqZ2HlRlNqITRiMk9SESeoj8d99OB9Lc_thX-tUNeg1UpUx7I9WT_VRnY82zZApJ/s1000/P-8A+VP-30+NFalls++Jul2021+001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="1000" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjme-ljUYfBxtBTQ-qT26gzhsXwn4auTI7_LN-8Yt2keEjJTalhYtVw7MmipVr_MlrGpZ6MNyxyRM7YcqZ2HlRlNqITRiMk9SESeoj8d99OB9Lc_thX-tUNeg1UpUx7I9WT_VRnY82zZApJ/w400-h260/P-8A+VP-30+NFalls++Jul2021+001.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">a BuffaloWingz photo by Steve Donacik</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Fade to Black...</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-63333755320575983942020-07-10T02:12:00.002-04:002021-11-17T15:15:27.574-05:00June Bug Over NiagaraYeah, yeah... we know. Been a while. Sue us.<br />
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For our first post here at BuffaloWingz in more than a few, we offer this super-FREAKIN-groovy shot of a Super Bug family model from VFA-106 'Gladiators' that was snapped a couple'a 'Cutting Edge' calendars back, at the June 2018 edition of 'Thunder of Niagara'. VFA-106 was then and is currently the East Coast Super Bug RAG/FRS. If you don't know what that last means, google it. Your blogmeister is still grumpy over the F-14, VF-101, VF-41, VF-32, and all the other *real* FITRONs, as well as the fact that it's been ages since the last 'Cutting Edge' calendar, and he's in no mood to explain stuff at the moment. (Don't know what 'The Cutting Edge' is? Google it, ya damn kids...)<br />
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Anyhoo, enjoy the snap, dammit...<br />
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James Neiss, Niagara Gazette</div>
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Fade to Black...<br />
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-81218386179825690362019-09-02T16:26:00.001-04:002019-09-08T09:06:23.610-04:00WNY VetsEvery once in a while we here at BuffaloWingz like to plug other web projects that we're working on. This time it's a website that your blogmeister created to honor all vets from the Buffalo and Western New York area, not just those who punched holes in the sky. We dig airplane drivers, but also tip our hats to the ground-pounders and the squids.<br />
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Anyhoo, the site is still rather small right now, but she'll grow. And we'll probably be sharing some of the aviation related pages here in the future. Matter of fact, we'll share one of 'em now.<br />
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Aviation Radioman 3rd Class Joseph Bauer of Lancaster, NY rode the back seat of a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in WWII, though, sadly, only briefly. Find out more <a href="http://wnyvets.p40hawksnest.com/USN/BauerJoseph.html"><b>HERE</b></a>...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bauer-2883">WikiTree</a></b> via WNY Vets</span></div>
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If you're inclined, please click <a href="http://wnyvets.p40hawksnest.com/"><b>HERE</b></a> to give the whole site a looksee. Mind you, it's still a work in progress and certain sections and features have yet to be added. So be easy on us! Enjoy.<br />
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Fade to Black...<br />
<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-31146774906676844262019-07-20T20:17:00.000-04:002020-07-05T04:59:04.648-04:00Breathing Where There Is No AirToday is July 20th, 2019.<br />
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Fifty years ago this day, man first landed on the Moon.<br />
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Hours later, at 02:56 UTC, July 21st, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the lunar surface.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPSC54Vr5xh0oQZ1xUJeYRVwjbdnk1ZObTUHdYDIy1dGlUFFegBpghcmTobyugnGBuliOUrq0gMh7B6bc2n6eGR7_VhHrCECiuJjUqUpwtQvXxsr0IdNrIVS-Jp3htR311bOlpE9hHWCq/s1600/AS11-40-5877HRa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="992" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPSC54Vr5xh0oQZ1xUJeYRVwjbdnk1ZObTUHdYDIy1dGlUFFegBpghcmTobyugnGBuliOUrq0gMh7B6bc2n6eGR7_VhHrCECiuJjUqUpwtQvXxsr0IdNrIVS-Jp3htR311bOlpE9hHWCq/s400/AS11-40-5877HRa.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Project Apollo Archive</span> </div>
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Hundreds of thousands of people in the USA and from around the world helped make it happen. <br />
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My Dad was one of them.<br />
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In June of 1966, Norbert G. Donacik graduated from Erie County Technical Institute and went to work for an aerospace company called Carleton Controls Corporation in East Aurora, NY. At the time, Carleton was working on a contract for Hamilton Standard in Windsor Locks, CT, developing life support equipment for Project Apollo. Although it was not his first assignment at Carleton, he was switched to the Hamilton Standard job within a short time, doing A&T (Assembly and Test) work primarily on components for the OPS (Oxygen Purge System), as well as other components for the PLSS (Portable Life Support System) and the life support systems on the Apollo spacecraft, though I regret to say that I don't know any particulars beyond his work on the OPS.<br />
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This photo shows my Dad, Norb 'Bruno' Donacik, at Carleton maybe a year or three after the end of Project Apollo, judging by the 'Shuttle Is Our Future' pin on his work shirt.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)</span> </div>
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While the PLSS was the main means of keeping the Apollo astronauts alive during an EVA (Extravehicular Activity - any crew activity that takes place outside of a spacecraft in space or, in this case, on the Moon), the OPS was the emergency backup system for the PLSS, and supplied about half an hour of breathing oxygen if used on its own, or roughly 90 minutes if used with the BSLSS (Buddy Secondary Life Support System). There were actually two earlier backup systems developed by Carleton, each referred to as the EOS (Emergency Oxygen System).<br />
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The first EOS...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">From: Apollo PLSS - Environmental Control of the "Smallest Manned Space Vehicle"</span></div>
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...and the second EOS.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">From: Apollo PLSS - Environmental Control of the "Smallest Manned Space Vehicle"</span></div>
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Both of thes<span style="font-size: small;">e met the specifications under which they were developed, but, as is often the case, the specs changed. Each EOS shown here would have provided just five minutes of breathing oxygen, which was clearly not much. So, under the revised specs issued by NASA in mid-1967, the greater-capacity OPS was developed and adopted for use during all of the manned Apollo missions. Thankfully, the OPS was never actually utilized in its primary role as an emergency backup.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Here's an OPS, held inverted, while being inserted into its fiberglass shell.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGo4UZbD6lJjn5EnBl4KCzY7yy6P2b-F3vT8mM5zBgKvvQpBv5jA1T1nqn8KUcqQpmO-TuMqplUQKxOl4W4JlPLWa3uC7IGoPVbyn3W5vNBFDDSYDL6HfGKbEll_ET0vtK_ORfQQJAU18r/s1600/OPS++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="1000" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGo4UZbD6lJjn5EnBl4KCzY7yy6P2b-F3vT8mM5zBgKvvQpBv5jA1T1nqn8KUcqQpmO-TuMqplUQKxOl4W4JlPLWa3uC7IGoPVbyn3W5vNBFDDSYDL6HfGKbEll_ET0vtK_ORfQQJAU18r/s400/OPS++001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And here's a look at the PLSS and OPS together in the Lunar EVA configuration, both housed in cutaway shells without thermal covering. In addition to the OPS, I believe that my Dad also did work on the primary oxygen supply and oxygen regulator, both located in the lower half of the main PLSS housing, but I don't know the extent of his involvement with those particular components.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKp3kSYFP9Gr5QzamGVLvYyR2upPtAjbcEkZfwRijJXwRmDryMynfFXRQZ2fLBl4mHdNCrYadQjXPeE0YdYD0nhWpb1liSV2NmT_JcPi94fDU_l5CaUNC-NK7d-zBbTf43g6kl-B5cGsG1/s1600/S702913Va.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="1000" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKp3kSYFP9Gr5QzamGVLvYyR2upPtAjbcEkZfwRijJXwRmDryMynfFXRQZ2fLBl4mHdNCrYadQjXPeE0YdYD0nhWpb1liSV2NmT_JcPi94fDU_l5CaUNC-NK7d-zBbTf43g6kl-B5cGsG1/s400/S702913Va.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">NASA</span></div>
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In this photo taken on the Moon by Neil Armstrong, 'Buzz' Aldrin is shown carrying two experiment packages, one of which was the Seismic Experiment. (More on that below.) The PLSS is housed in the large 'backpack', while the OPS is inside the smaller pack on top.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXiW6Ux0pK-FsW_AmDDMQlMK3GoDQWy0DIISrTaILbOaJ6vAoMRqsVTT5jknlnDD3ObUVOrnDVkWl9XhB0xfTOUdqzgag1SruYzNqxEeT9EFTdp14jL-OQKr9QI34tUoZrX3R7lCaBz0u/s1600/AS11-40-5942HRa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="994" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXiW6Ux0pK-FsW_AmDDMQlMK3GoDQWy0DIISrTaILbOaJ6vAoMRqsVTT5jknlnDD3ObUVOrnDVkWl9XhB0xfTOUdqzgag1SruYzNqxEeT9EFTdp14jL-OQKr9QI34tUoZrX3R7lCaBz0u/s400/AS11-40-5942HRa.jpg" width="397" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Project Apollo Archive</span></div>
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A series of three photos taken by yours truly at the National Air and Space Museum showing the cutaway PLSS/OPS they have on display. This first shot shows the same side that's facing the camera in the previous photo of 'Buzz' Aldrin on the Moon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIZVdydQU9xIUmO6EbnrJGVjFJWnNuj5J-bpONi3CAUquOtKa6pvd1pptYB1-L2LgtbO48BvoGHK7zy7hyphenhyphenRRDuhB65s4dTHhyEWJYl5WbT2YTtL2K6QtskaxvFrfa1-7dY0UX8Njo4QWm/s1600/OPS+NASM++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="708" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIZVdydQU9xIUmO6EbnrJGVjFJWnNuj5J-bpONi3CAUquOtKa6pvd1pptYB1-L2LgtbO48BvoGHK7zy7hyphenhyphenRRDuhB65s4dTHhyEWJYl5WbT2YTtL2K6QtskaxvFrfa1-7dY0UX8Njo4QWm/s400/OPS+NASM++001a.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">S.Donacik photo</span></div>
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The opposite side...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqOAsuOoTJlhq3mX_ZyKrPk4z6BEW2keBO8P6QKnnk3MNjK440hPHRFVMHo6nJrKtDIdIuc7pV3478uM-dPqzOVn0YX-EDxPBfWJe81itoya6XFTQEtRICgo1JqL3TK2eMqULpxBbRTdP/s1600/OPS+NASM++002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="713" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqOAsuOoTJlhq3mX_ZyKrPk4z6BEW2keBO8P6QKnnk3MNjK440hPHRFVMHo6nJrKtDIdIuc7pV3478uM-dPqzOVn0YX-EDxPBfWJe81itoya6XFTQEtRICgo1JqL3TK2eMqULpxBbRTdP/s400/OPS+NASM++002a.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">S.Donacik photo</span></div>
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This last shot shows the OPS regulator and O2 bottles in gold. These are the components that my Dad did A&T on... it was so cool to go to a place such as the NASM and see something that my Dad held in his hands... something of such historic import and significance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiX451rispgDgT9XiTPyBjd0bheUDtpCPu_nNxvDAuUTbHnV4nIpf_4zYcuzu8JHTdTC52RNxsmpO3hwBCV22Vqs1LTFQVrB9AXnCqS9-U9cL3yyOIG2zH2e7oJvG19tSHzbsuM2kkOds0/s1600/OPS+NASM++003a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="1000" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiX451rispgDgT9XiTPyBjd0bheUDtpCPu_nNxvDAuUTbHnV4nIpf_4zYcuzu8JHTdTC52RNxsmpO3hwBCV22Vqs1LTFQVrB9AXnCqS9-U9cL3yyOIG2zH2e7oJvG19tSHzbsuM2kkOds0/s400/OPS+NASM++003a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">S.Donacik photo</span></div>
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Upon departing the Moon, the crews of each mission left behind many objects, including their PLSS packs, though I am not sure exactly what happened with all of the OPS units. I know that in some of the later missions the crews brought them back, at least as far as lunar orbit, in case there was a problem while docking the LM (Lunar Module - the craft that landed on the Moon) with the CSM (combined CM - Command Module and SM - Service Module, 'home' for the entire crew during most of the mission) and<span style="font-size: small;"> an </span>EVA was required in order to enter the CSM. Once a successful docking and transfer of crew took place in lunar orbit, the LM was set to crash into the lunar surface, and I'm guessing that some of the OPS units were left in the LMs... but simply do not know for sure, because I have read that there was at least one instance of an OPS being used during an EVA on
the way back to Earth, and also that a few other OPS units were actually
brought all the way back to Earth. I don't know how much of these latter two points is true... haven't been able to confirm any of it through an official source, so, again, I don't know what happened with all of the OPS units.<br />
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Here's a photo taken from Antares (LM-8) before Apollo 14 left the Moon. Visible are both discarded PLSS packs, one of which clearly shows that the OPS has been removed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEwRniL26izr21QoT82H32CqPlIda1L0xR9Zs70DJHEpkmJDOmlYlj8cL-9CXBHTkoj6_yair5qKpCP5fG8Ls4L7SfpX7I3vgOrX9go2BVdJt7dLPW46VYuLx4hkLii7fbEJmVHAWxEWZ/s1600/AS14-66-9338HRa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="992" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEwRniL26izr21QoT82H32CqPlIda1L0xR9Zs70DJHEpkmJDOmlYlj8cL-9CXBHTkoj6_yair5qKpCP5fG8Ls4L7SfpX7I3vgOrX9go2BVdJt7dLPW46VYuLx4hkLii7fbEJmVHAWxEWZ/s400/AS14-66-9338HRa.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Project Apollo Archive</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Funny little story here... remember the seismic experiment from Apollo
11 that was mentioned earlier? (Read about it <a href="https://moon.nasa.gov/resources/13/apollo-11-seismic-experiment/"><b>HERE</b></a>.) When Armstrong and Aldrin tossed their PLSS
packs out of the Eagle (LM-5), the boys back on the ground at Houston not only
saw it through the TV camera, but each 'thud' also registered on the
seismometer Aldrin had set up earlier. Upon notification of this, Neil Armstrong apparently said
something to the effect of, "Geez, you can't get away with anything
anymore, can you?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Anyhoo, it's probable that at least some of the OPS units remain on the Moon. And I gotta say, even more cool... WAY more cool than the experience of seeing my Dad's handiwork at the NASM... is the idea that some of his handiwork is still up there, and will be for all time... </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">even if it's in pieces and spread across the lunar surface.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I mean, how frakkin' awesome is that?!?</span></span><br />
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My interest in this subject far outweighs my knowledge, and what I've presented here is obviously a very simple, basic explanation of the Apollo OPS. If you're looking for more detailed information, here's a couple'a links...<br />
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<b><a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19720019459&hterms=OPS+PLSS&qs=N%3D0%26Ntk%3DAll%26Ntt%3DOPS%2520PLSS%26Ntx%3Dmode%2520matchallpartial">Apollo PLSS - Environmental Control of the "Smallest Manned Space Vehicle"</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/alsj-OPS.html">Apollo Oxygen Purge System</a></b> <br />
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This link is to a video... 'tis a neat look at one of the OPS coverings that was brought back to Earth:<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKr-z5RS8uA">Looking at Moon Dust: An Apollo Artifact Comes Out of Storage</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">One last link,</span> to <b><a href="http://www.apolloarchive.com/">The Project Apollo Archive</a></b>, where you will find TONS of photos taken throughout the entire Apollo program, including these three, which are among my very favorites of those taken by the Apollo 11 crew.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDuk-omIUEQ4zJQ2JYFyefNAxudNF2YgW4x276HBLOeiHM2Tu-tDaijoTtf3pIytGUe7V3F4RRGIIRc-fQWNmI1QZlbLaLQZNT2EnSOGKL0StIcU1grjSfWikMzbnRz0s0H0ihksYmb8g/s1600/AS11-44-6549HRa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="1000" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDuk-omIUEQ4zJQ2JYFyefNAxudNF2YgW4x276HBLOeiHM2Tu-tDaijoTtf3pIytGUe7V3F4RRGIIRc-fQWNmI1QZlbLaLQZNT2EnSOGKL0StIcU1grjSfWikMzbnRz0s0H0ihksYmb8g/s400/AS11-44-6549HRa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Project Apollo Archive</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJGW2fM-ucV2R4mP2BKdItH5WXuMmBm5dWn_FlHb4vrfkO0wA0Gjv40_ZPTMCgsKgSJCvv7cVRFr-ATNvaFMhOgYtCQkEsp706709lxIRCtLan5pd_8wSChRwhdNtAs7X_CzZi3Teehuv/s1600/AS11-44-6689HRa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="1000" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJGW2fM-ucV2R4mP2BKdItH5WXuMmBm5dWn_FlHb4vrfkO0wA0Gjv40_ZPTMCgsKgSJCvv7cVRFr-ATNvaFMhOgYtCQkEsp706709lxIRCtLan5pd_8wSChRwhdNtAs7X_CzZi3Teehuv/s400/AS11-44-6689HRa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Project Apollo Archive</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTCukiK34Ibg0RheCvwvvW5Olalv_KsPcfg_P1T7vjojdeq4amHJPdIqwBmcn0A9bCxk6NCZ4o4xB8-c84obTn9BSSZz-CVaw9UXgRREWaq90FxX783a2M1v4JdGXMDDTHg5cGGR2dfVc/s1600/AS11-44-6692HRa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="1000" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTCukiK34Ibg0RheCvwvvW5Olalv_KsPcfg_P1T7vjojdeq4amHJPdIqwBmcn0A9bCxk6NCZ4o4xB8-c84obTn9BSSZz-CVaw9UXgRREWaq90FxX783a2M1v4JdGXMDDTHg5cGGR2dfVc/s400/AS11-44-6692HRa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Project Apollo Archive</span></div>
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And we'll finish off with this... just 'cuz...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_kMYHWNCuM3qHk2hCa58mmgygkUHglJBpkmNc8VJ9o1TO7e4_6J_8CvN-2-PXRTkJP4JrhFKPT0sdIi0l1WRe_yjceLSRTLGrVe8BZzmJ6bNBHdej1-nraezd30QjiUwfw1uNYA5PX6r/s1600/DSC_0004%2528Proc1Crop1%2529a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="728" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_kMYHWNCuM3qHk2hCa58mmgygkUHglJBpkmNc8VJ9o1TO7e4_6J_8CvN-2-PXRTkJP4JrhFKPT0sdIi0l1WRe_yjceLSRTLGrVe8BZzmJ6bNBHdej1-nraezd30QjiUwfw1uNYA5PX6r/s400/DSC_0004%2528Proc1Crop1%2529a.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">S.Donacik photo</span></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-82920498856891158062019-07-14T01:39:00.000-04:002020-05-15T15:48:35.150-04:00A Barn Owl From BuffaloOf all the types produced by Curtiss in Buffalo during the 1930s and 40s, the O-52 Owl is probably in the top five on many a wing-nut's 'obscure' list. Whenever I see a photo of an O-52, it's almost always accompanied by a chorus of enthusiasts singing the same refrain, 'Hmmm... that's a new one on me'.<br />
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The O-52 is interesting in that it was not only ordered by the Army Air Corps without having tested a prototype (which in and of itself was not so awfully unusual), but more so because no prototype was ever built to test. Your blogmeister has found precious little information about the development of this wonderful, tubby little O-bird (that's wing-nut parlance for 'observation aircraft'), and no specific details as to why the type flew straight off'a the proverbial drawing board and into production. We here at BuffaloWingz are sure that the straight-dope is out there, hidden, camouflaged, waiting to be found... just haven't spied it yet.<br />
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What we do know is that, like so many military aircraft produced in the USA during the mid to late 1930s, the Curtiss O-52 Owl was dang-near obsolete right from the get-go. Production began in early 1941 and the type was tested under operational conditions for the first time during the well-known US Army GHQ Maneuvers later in the year. The airplane was found... wanting. Actually, to be fair, it wasn't only the O-52 that was found wanting. In light of the then-modern battlefield conditions observed during the war in Europe up to that time (see what we did there?), the whole idea of the so-called 'heavy observation aircraft' was called into doubt.<br />
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Now, your blogmeister could keep rollin' down the tracks on this train of thought and wind up wandering far outside the scope of this-here cyber-rag. But he ain't gonna... and this bit is getting too long anyway, so... lemme backtrack a bit in order to wrap it up.<br />
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The Curtiss O-52 Owl first flew in February of 1941. As has been mentioned, the type went straight into production... no traditional prototype was produced... the early production ships were used as service test models, similar to the first few early production examples of a much more well-known Curtiss product; the P-40.<br />
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Anyhoo, the photo we present here today for the enjoyment of our readership of less-than-half-a-dozen or so shows one of these early production O-52s at the Buffalo Airport on Genesee St. in Cheektowaga, NY.<br />
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The date, May 30th, 1941.<br />
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The guy with the pikshur-maker... the legendary Rudy Arnold.<br />
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Enjoy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSf2MFX_pXZymmLyr1H55QbjoxQ6ti3SFST9lrJgip_i_dMhwiNhQq4If6YYOMxZ9Hjd4CcZQqTrVmOGGEQLkd_yRMPxSD37CNGRFHaIZFPbXqz_C8vhiqIigsZIWgM1_50Gc_HVIyxMn/s1600/NASM-NASM-XXXX-0356-M0000733-00120a%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1000" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSf2MFX_pXZymmLyr1H55QbjoxQ6ti3SFST9lrJgip_i_dMhwiNhQq4If6YYOMxZ9Hjd4CcZQqTrVmOGGEQLkd_yRMPxSD37CNGRFHaIZFPbXqz_C8vhiqIigsZIWgM1_50Gc_HVIyxMn/s400/NASM-NASM-XXXX-0356-M0000733-00120a%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">NASM (Rudy Arnold photo)</span></div>
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Oh, as we may have mentioned in the past, your blogmeister is also a webmaster. If you wanna see a few more photos of the O-52, take a looksee at <a href="http://p40hawksnest.com/Curtiss/Types/O-52/O-52.html"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">THIS PAGE</span></b></a> from a little 'ole website known as the 'Hawk's Nest'.<br />
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Fade to Black...<br />
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-2850757344741021242018-06-29T23:37:00.000-04:002018-06-29T23:37:17.743-04:00Flying Not So HighIn this installment of 'BuffaloWingz' we present a super-freakin' groovy photo taken by former Canadian Forces CF-18 pilot and six-string-astronaut Chris Hadfield while flying with the Snowbirds over Niagara's Horseshoe Falls back in August of 2013. Enjoy...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKY7tBfzejrr8s2AUCKzGD_bPFylWtXyc36GZ6UimrVImNgw8ff5f27JnPnz-onuhtYmM-Fj4Tbhf037US4RtE5dX2zJUO_50Ina5YAv5inw8DvtzYhSmmghNzRT8OcH1AW04drAVs1Ztm/s1600/Snowbirds+Falls+Hadfield++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKY7tBfzejrr8s2AUCKzGD_bPFylWtXyc36GZ6UimrVImNgw8ff5f27JnPnz-onuhtYmM-Fj4Tbhf037US4RtE5dX2zJUO_50Ina5YAv5inw8DvtzYhSmmghNzRT8OcH1AW04drAVs1Ztm/s400/Snowbirds+Falls+Hadfield++001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Chris Hadfield photo</div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-735571172165107662018-05-31T12:59:00.001-04:002018-05-31T12:59:26.270-04:00Air NiagaraToday we present a fine view showing one of just two 727s flown by Air Niagara, a small, single-route line which operated out of Niagara Falls International Airport from 1980 to 1984.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHn44c5TAx-xT82u_4DW6pObXmEviegAEcx8o5oiMPZ6smnbrxuDvzOnpjcNUxrX0rDKWbLohdBjXYSPsf3KDnfA3m7wQ0-LnC8_NOucGmnMMnGJRtoIYhDOKhUyWa_9_fqnuj0qgF48J/s1600/0285656a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1000" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHn44c5TAx-xT82u_4DW6pObXmEviegAEcx8o5oiMPZ6smnbrxuDvzOnpjcNUxrX0rDKWbLohdBjXYSPsf3KDnfA3m7wQ0-LnC8_NOucGmnMMnGJRtoIYhDOKhUyWa_9_fqnuj0qgF48J/s400/0285656a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trevor Ogle photo</span></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-28576953977871918212018-05-30T01:07:00.000-04:002018-05-31T12:57:19.002-04:00An Old Campaigner from BuffaloThis time 'round we present a photo taken in 1943 at Blackland Army Airfield, Texas which shows six airmen who, unlike the majority of their comrades at the time, had been around the block... some more than once. All but one were veterans of the Great War, and all were decorated in one way or another, including the fella on the far left; Private Leroy G. Payne, a native of Buffalo, NY.<br />
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Oh, almost forgot to mention... the bird behind them is a Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E9uE2LTfnuZAZwkeRIbUFpdbQmBCXKPpj29oOjpeCjHeGCQDbavRW4lXcfBe2G9eatBofCyAaLp7kVetnAN8T7P478NzImWkTc5kuyJLccwvtCfmidwW16tnVGuykhe-uWOIHC1ZVBje/s1600/Blackland+AAF+Waco+TX++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1000" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E9uE2LTfnuZAZwkeRIbUFpdbQmBCXKPpj29oOjpeCjHeGCQDbavRW4lXcfBe2G9eatBofCyAaLp7kVetnAN8T7P478NzImWkTc5kuyJLccwvtCfmidwW16tnVGuykhe-uWOIHC1ZVBje/s400/Blackland+AAF+Waco+TX++001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Project 914 Archives</span></div>
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The tag from the reverse of the photo with more info on Private Payne and the rest of these fellas...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiI9u_jqBJHWw0Uw2TbyX-T9KuAYMlwhFdPPPS2XagUJKKKP3BPJJTDHd_Uaa6WGBu2mZaWn6B8nLxePyLdOOwEGer4aYhz6Mrq3OCMW_F1MuxcV0zI7wNIAPDO-ggkcqhAZCavLDeZO64/s1600/Blackland+AAF+Waco+TX++001r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="644" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiI9u_jqBJHWw0Uw2TbyX-T9KuAYMlwhFdPPPS2XagUJKKKP3BPJJTDHd_Uaa6WGBu2mZaWn6B8nLxePyLdOOwEGer4aYhz6Mrq3OCMW_F1MuxcV0zI7wNIAPDO-ggkcqhAZCavLDeZO64/s400/Blackland+AAF+Waco+TX++001r.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-81050151957246962132018-05-26T23:56:00.000-04:002018-05-26T23:56:07.465-04:00Schoellkopf and The Stump JumperWith this installment of 'BuffaloWingz' we offer a two'fer...<br /><br />The photo presented here shows 'The Stump Jumper', a Curtiss P-40F Warhawk of the 79th Fighter Group's 85th Fighter Squadron, which was known as the 'Flying Skulls'. The Hawk's master, shown on the left, was Major Jacob F. Schoellkopf, the 'Skulls' commanding officer. Both 'The Stump Jumper' and Major Schoellkopf served in the MTO during the Second World War, and both came from Buffalo, NY.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I3rzvdquBuEZgyWBmrWOAO9oYtQlbjQnZrH1wuwb72yLow91WEm-U8XZ6QJtN-WD9e2M40ZuIgkDUBDYlMt3mbAl6R-FWPd5D7ouQYL6sQ2M1XtySqcx5LznaJvU27BWB5gzjOUA9Uex/s1600/Stump+Jumper++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="778" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I3rzvdquBuEZgyWBmrWOAO9oYtQlbjQnZrH1wuwb72yLow91WEm-U8XZ6QJtN-WD9e2M40ZuIgkDUBDYlMt3mbAl6R-FWPd5D7ouQYL6sQ2M1XtySqcx5LznaJvU27BWB5gzjOUA9Uex/s400/Stump+Jumper++001a.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">From: The P-40 Kittyhawk by Ernest R. McDowell (R.M. Hoffman)</span></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-70766746654126063062018-05-25T17:18:00.000-04:002019-09-11T11:32:06.783-04:00The Hawk's NestBeen a while... your blogmeister has been busy updating and improving other web projects; primarily one that he created more than a dozen years ago. That project, known as 'The Hawk's Nest', is an homage to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Please give it a looksee, <b><a href="http://p40hawksnest.com/">HERE</a></b>.<br />
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Anyhoo, as he's plugging his P-40 website, your blogmeister figures that a purty pikshur of the type would be in order. So here's a lovely inflight shot showing two nearly brand-spankin'-new P-40s (the initial production model), taken by the legendary Rudy Arnold. Enjoy...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRno3EbUGIP1cVcnXSnZVktk5UMizbBN1e6EXhCzbbHcRW78zezeRS15uOvBq5vw8V3PhcEBXEUkhieSZZ_jf9yoS8Rck6zHsZS-xRQXeWeG3IAe9Us-1ozXiVfnXxyAmoIVq1ZJcw8q-/s1600/P-40-CU++001%2528cropfix1croplev1%2529a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1000" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRno3EbUGIP1cVcnXSnZVktk5UMizbBN1e6EXhCzbbHcRW78zezeRS15uOvBq5vw8V3PhcEBXEUkhieSZZ_jf9yoS8Rck6zHsZS-xRQXeWeG3IAe9Us-1ozXiVfnXxyAmoIVq1ZJcw8q-/s400/P-40-CU++001%2528cropfix1croplev1%2529a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)</span></div>
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<span id="goog_237879415"></span><span id="goog_237879416"></span><br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-75335664236426157752016-08-02T20:30:00.000-04:002016-08-02T20:51:19.898-04:00Fill'er Up!On August 2nd, 1958, fifty-eight years ago today, the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels, flying the Grumman F11F Tiger, were performing in Western New York skies as part of the festivities celebrating the sesquicentennial of the Town of Clarence, a suburb of Buffalo.<br />
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At a few minutes past 5PM that Saturday, just before he was to start his solo routine, Lt. John R. Dewenter, the lead solo, experienced an engine failure. When the fan stops turning, it's generally advisable to point the bird in a direction of sparse population and go for a ride in the bang seat. But instead of ejecting, Lt. Dewenter chose to stay with the jet and try to make Buffalo Airport because, as he put it, "there were just too dog-gone many houses down there."<br />
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Well, Lt. Dewenter did make the airport, touching down on runway 23 near the northeast edge of the field. Unfortunately that runway was too short for the Tiger. The jet ran off the end of the runway, barreled past the airport boundary and into the intersection of Genesee St. and Dick and Cayuga Roads, narrowly avoiding collision with road traffic, reportedly due in large part to a timely red light, and coming to rest near Joseph DeLuca's Mobilgas service station. Nobody was injured, including Dewenter... but the jet was apparently a write-off.<br />
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The following photos were kindly provided by Robert Lackemeyer. Thank you, sir!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJTwvZPIloyBXg_Yamvze6Q15pkGah8kbZVA2R8JzbOl-NTKR9-zc7d0ajDgnJGW51yRq1bEIgMvpshN33SMV448W1Y0CF96PgJEpxh1DOKoGoS6XkOsaywF5RSN-yFHtS6nAiQ1C8-40/s1600/Blues+Tiger+2Aug58+BUF++002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJTwvZPIloyBXg_Yamvze6Q15pkGah8kbZVA2R8JzbOl-NTKR9-zc7d0ajDgnJGW51yRq1bEIgMvpshN33SMV448W1Y0CF96PgJEpxh1DOKoGoS6XkOsaywF5RSN-yFHtS6nAiQ1C8-40/s400/Blues+Tiger+2Aug58+BUF++002a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcEgB2SttJmc49ziDahydEepNdxxKKuzjuN7RPyr0PfsbkhA9p8onlKPFZ3hhEINMO_43fwduo-caHX1JwnWsL5Sr8UmBTjkq3OREMBnq8EVUrRB0pD7OA_sOXBjdLrOY1BOQTo-KuaH0/s1600/Blues+Tiger+2Aug58+BUF++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcEgB2SttJmc49ziDahydEepNdxxKKuzjuN7RPyr0PfsbkhA9p8onlKPFZ3hhEINMO_43fwduo-caHX1JwnWsL5Sr8UmBTjkq3OREMBnq8EVUrRB0pD7OA_sOXBjdLrOY1BOQTo-KuaH0/s400/Blues+Tiger+2Aug58+BUF++001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3vrGH8mxd4Pd75a_ES1NIow3irYvv_aYOuYJUDXoZzv0vD71fLZ-IHw76hUvalNuery__DrR0ULmrJCR_9m98tY_KwBWeApc_vqRLTikWJkwnl9fGDeMW4GYD2qn84RDk5TAcI-IbN4I/s1600/Blues+Tiger+2Aug58+BUF++003a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3vrGH8mxd4Pd75a_ES1NIow3irYvv_aYOuYJUDXoZzv0vD71fLZ-IHw76hUvalNuery__DrR0ULmrJCR_9m98tY_KwBWeApc_vqRLTikWJkwnl9fGDeMW4GYD2qn84RDk5TAcI-IbN4I/s400/Blues+Tiger+2Aug58+BUF++003a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Those among our readership of about half-a-dozen or so who are in
the know may catch an apparent discrepancy here... if Lt. Dewenter was
the lead solo, why was he flying jet #6, normally flown by Lt. John Damian, the opposing solo, instead of #5? Here's a quote from one of the sources linked below which explains:<br />
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"John Damian and I had inaugurated our "back-to-back" pass that year. John did the inverted portion of that maneuver but had been experiencing low oil pressure warning lights which forced him to break off the pass and return immediately to normal flight. For the sake of the maneuver he convinced me that morning that we should switch aircraft for the show. We did, and you know what followed. What incredible timing!"<br />
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And here's a shot showing our hero of the day... Lt. John R. Dewenter, with his F11F Tiger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xeE5BA1K4iJ8VNysIIbZi8WWCz-VOtn825fTaRq2Fsw0zO04wwwB5OeGfD3rYoPuBsRvZerXr-EYjC-GOZJA2u_7yj7U76XNXZxKdoge07IXAAXp8c53LslTrqwHVC1MEjF88wtfSDca/s1600/Lt+Dewenter++001b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xeE5BA1K4iJ8VNysIIbZi8WWCz-VOtn825fTaRq2Fsw0zO04wwwB5OeGfD3rYoPuBsRvZerXr-EYjC-GOZJA2u_7yj7U76XNXZxKdoge07IXAAXp8c53LslTrqwHVC1MEjF88wtfSDca/s400/Lt+Dewenter++001b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Source: The Golden Eagles <b><a href="http://www.epnaao.com/">website</a></b></div>
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Take a looksee <b><a href="http://www.blueangels.org/NANews/PPPMAST/Oct58/Oct58.htm">HERE</a></b> for more detailed accounts of this incident, including some that were taken from the August 4th, 1958 edition of The Buffalo News. Be sure to follow the three links at the bottom of the page to see everything.<br />
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-52818681948810076052015-10-01T18:58:00.001-04:002016-11-30T19:19:12.054-05:00Flight of the AiracometEvery now and again we like to acknowledge anniversaries around here. S<span style="font-size: small;">o, in this quickie installment of BuffaloWingz</span>, we tip our hats to the Bell XP-59A Airacomet, which flew for the first time on October 1st, 1942... seventy-three years ago today.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XNfrCDUiU6gGpvJa1qzARxr9XusVjqZbLknt2kVNmeftdykglPsy0wW8Ckt_4XVnXNY9-6QGfv3ldefLkBu745a-xu0mWb7ivG2HdPpL-hCeNkhemQXrSsCXr7nyTYDmvRD5AJbCZ75-/s1600/071204-O-9999J-051a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XNfrCDUiU6gGpvJa1qzARxr9XusVjqZbLknt2kVNmeftdykglPsy0wW8Ckt_4XVnXNY9-6QGfv3ldefLkBu745a-xu0mWb7ivG2HdPpL-hCeNkhemQXrSsCXr7nyTYDmvRD5AJbCZ75-/s400/071204-O-9999J-051a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">USAF (af.mil) </span></div>
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Sometime back we had another short installment on the Airacomet... see that <b><a href="http://buffalowingz.blogspot.com/2014/05/americas-first-jet.html">HERE</a></b>.<br />
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-71541690761165385082014-09-11T15:57:00.000-04:002019-09-11T11:53:52.642-04:00An Earlier September 11th...Approximately 5PM, Friday, September 11th, 1942...<br />
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Curtiss test pilot Jack Bertrand Purnell is behind the stick of a brand new P-40 Warhawk on a routine acceptance flight high above Curtiss Plant #2 at the Buffalo Municipal Airport in Cheektowaga, NY. All seems to be going well on this test hop until, roughly quarter past the hour, smoke begins to seep into the cockpit... then flame.<br />
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Jack Purnell...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6ynFBmtckmTU3H1iaYs-jqVld9CxuaK5zYYM84paRCBXwzJh9xjdiRBAnn-Q4s8kG9bFEL8kMlRDJ5jPfjPIOEvs3MxoXq9WqB3FRG91ZJ0GRSY0gIdbdJ1Ey9ji1WPJH7RIwwGVkTo1/s1600/purnell1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6ynFBmtckmTU3H1iaYs-jqVld9CxuaK5zYYM84paRCBXwzJh9xjdiRBAnn-Q4s8kG9bFEL8kMlRDJ5jPfjPIOEvs3MxoXq9WqB3FRG91ZJ0GRSY0gIdbdJ1Ey9ji1WPJH7RIwwGVkTo1/s1600/purnell1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Original image: The Buffalo History Gazette</span></div>
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Purnell does what he can to try to extinguish the fire but is unsuccessful. The heat, growing in intensity, becomes unbearable and he decides that it's time to hit the silk. He rolls the ship over onto its back, pulls the emergency release for the canopy, unstraps himself from the seat, and falls clear of the burning pursuit ship. Purnell is able to deploy his Irvin parachute, in spite of the agony he is suffering from the burns he has received, and begins a slow descent to the ground, eventually coming down near the intersection of Walden and Union Roads.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2Pamr-xoffITckwHUIlkLFoxt9CoPwd9quEqbZitLKX3fgEjouz_-da_Camw1Np9SPfLxHQFTaDR9pEM8DUDLCF2z3yBjM5BX0AVFg6hmye4yiF9cxEHJ-9hcQ68-cwD7dHw_gaLZqJA/s1600/Tried+to+put+out+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2Pamr-xoffITckwHUIlkLFoxt9CoPwd9quEqbZitLKX3fgEjouz_-da_Camw1Np9SPfLxHQFTaDR9pEM8DUDLCF2z3yBjM5BX0AVFg6hmye4yiF9cxEHJ-9hcQ68-cwD7dHw_gaLZqJA/s1600/Tried+to+put+out+fire.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">From: Lockport Union-Sun and Journal, September 12th, 1942</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">via fultonhistory.com </span></div>
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Meanwhile, the flaming Warhawk that Purnell has just abandoned flies on erratically for a few minutes... observers on the ground report that the ship went through several loops and other wild maneuvers, shedding a piece of itself in the process (later discovered to be the drop tank) before finally plummeting toward Earth, and crashing into the nest from which it was hatched... Curtiss Plant #2.<br />
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Your blogmeister is not certain which variant of the P-40 Purnell was
flying at the time, but it was probably either a P-40F or a P-40K. Shown
here is an early production P-40F with Curtiss test pilot Herb Fisher
behind the stick. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkphH66J0UqD7HDB-39SYb_vWI0Q6fLaj3d5SR7ndq3UoFsHUWt5D_gwYr3KPWa6GfE1l515qUQyGnO9K1Xaq1V1-iL0XCaTV2s4x5QWCV2cdPHWEIbZyUsHWpZNwMZ_jHa3OJjgExGXry/s1600/P-40F+41-13997++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkphH66J0UqD7HDB-39SYb_vWI0Q6fLaj3d5SR7ndq3UoFsHUWt5D_gwYr3KPWa6GfE1l515qUQyGnO9K1Xaq1V1-iL0XCaTV2s4x5QWCV2cdPHWEIbZyUsHWpZNwMZ_jHa3OJjgExGXry/s1600/P-40F+41-13997++001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)</span></div>
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<span id="goog_584255027"></span><span id="goog_584255028"></span><br />
The aircraft struck the building's roof at an angle, shearing the wings
off, while the mass of the engine carried the fuselage on through and
into the workspace below, in the area of the tool crib. The impact
produced a shower of shrapnel and gasoline... the latter igniting
immediately in "a blinding flash", as one of the workers described it.
The engine buried itself three feet into the concrete, while the
disintegrating fuselage slid roughly 60 feet across the floor,
continuing to spray the area with flaming gasoline, which accounted for
the majority of the casualties. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0u_SZowGDhqAzAVlgP8AfjCRcsv8jf16EVFq1enFH8IN9jWpSi6zWCBxnE_RlNRiQOMZRtzeC-8TP6Cxwqw6hQqqDvxrNNWOsXXL_JUHNI4GEEF5GgzZqH57eoLdHYYKPopyBbFElvQy/s1600/Explosion1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0u_SZowGDhqAzAVlgP8AfjCRcsv8jf16EVFq1enFH8IN9jWpSi6zWCBxnE_RlNRiQOMZRtzeC-8TP6Cxwqw6hQqqDvxrNNWOsXXL_JUHNI4GEEF5GgzZqH57eoLdHYYKPopyBbFElvQy/s1600/Explosion1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvSP-j7jYvbZCMs099sCEdnzJoW4iX_RO-5VzYoriRoxj9E42k4n8boChB9bWWXa3w8RSrApU9SWCI5Xld77QfbCGkMjGmyW7XRWSEtxILyCKI0FnJ6Ky6KyORqVTNubkB3RQUVQ59DuZ/s1600/Explosion2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvSP-j7jYvbZCMs099sCEdnzJoW4iX_RO-5VzYoriRoxj9E42k4n8boChB9bWWXa3w8RSrApU9SWCI5Xld77QfbCGkMjGmyW7XRWSEtxILyCKI0FnJ6Ky6KyORqVTNubkB3RQUVQ59DuZ/s1600/Explosion2.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">From: Buffalo Courier Express, September 12th, 1942</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via fultonhistory.com</span> </span></div>
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This photo was taken sometime during 1943 and in a different area of Plant #2 from that in which Purnell's ship came down, but we include it here simply to give ya'll a glimpse of how the inside of this place might have looked on the day... just moments before the chaos.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWU2a7-UbpCGl5CTR8R_jbYpl-7xWtBd1_qGZ8uW5B2mvkg-eGtckaMHeRyLRxNcRcmOQowDjEtBKYky0FyVec9QlptkjzAhT5s2DZa9UbV1tj33by3eezvHj5Ga3AaI1SBcreMFOZoPFu/s1600/P-40N+42-104582++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWU2a7-UbpCGl5CTR8R_jbYpl-7xWtBd1_qGZ8uW5B2mvkg-eGtckaMHeRyLRxNcRcmOQowDjEtBKYky0FyVec9QlptkjzAhT5s2DZa9UbV1tj33by3eezvHj5Ga3AaI1SBcreMFOZoPFu/s1600/P-40N+42-104582++001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)</span></div>
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A total of fourteen people died as result of the accident, two of whom, Francis Ryan and Samuel Shalala, were killed instantly upon the plane's impact.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPd2rLzZBNFIjr6od0NhLQNk9Pc6V6W9NphwRNQzjn6oNg07roi58FBQGgy02NFMAh1t50cbt0_MtmSb2gzam-KOlweO6WYqRtuDGgYon8lN9Jrpj7wzxzdW8OlE9F_XRHt_8Y_Wd_Rl4/s1600/Killed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPd2rLzZBNFIjr6od0NhLQNk9Pc6V6W9NphwRNQzjn6oNg07roi58FBQGgy02NFMAh1t50cbt0_MtmSb2gzam-KOlweO6WYqRtuDGgYon8lN9Jrpj7wzxzdW8OlE9F_XRHt_8Y_Wd_Rl4/s1600/Killed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">via the Buffalo History Gazette</span></div>
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In all, there were thirty-four others injured including the pilot, Jack Purnell.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-Abwjw4czwNfLFDybC_6xL2zppFoCNyu51VPqr6yyalewgRQM57Byr9UDCzMDqlCJmJbjPtuo1c4Zwb8KORoAeVKpsy8Ew_eYPUu2oZP5usGZEbpbqT501Hpj3ZpGjlB2Nnloabav2TB/s1600/Injured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-Abwjw4czwNfLFDybC_6xL2zppFoCNyu51VPqr6yyalewgRQM57Byr9UDCzMDqlCJmJbjPtuo1c4Zwb8KORoAeVKpsy8Ew_eYPUu2oZP5usGZEbpbqT501Hpj3ZpGjlB2Nnloabav2TB/s1600/Injured.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">via the Buffalo History Gazette</span></div>
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In the moments immediately following the crash bedlam undoubtedly
ruled... but, by all accounts we've come across, the folks at Curtiss, especially the medical personnel and those of the air raid precaution teams,
bounced back quickly and performed admirably in the face of what must
have been a terrifying scene of utter horror.<br />
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Speaking of the accounts we've come across, contained in the images below is the full coverage given to this incident the following day by both the Buffalo Courier Express and North Tonawanda Evening News.<br />
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We shall let them tell the rest of the story...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOf0SMY4Ls7turyteogvgrbfJnK3hpBAgMu43meyIRA1jSR2oZvHXqgh2k4p9AsKBJ4utt-vsgBzDEdD5eL61sJmERdBIg9ElqqkpHrfm0LILTRkOTkeCzEucvlDaYYgNjQqXy9DDKnX4P/s1600/Buffalo+NY+Courier+Express+1942+-+5376(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOf0SMY4Ls7turyteogvgrbfJnK3hpBAgMu43meyIRA1jSR2oZvHXqgh2k4p9AsKBJ4utt-vsgBzDEdD5eL61sJmERdBIg9ElqqkpHrfm0LILTRkOTkeCzEucvlDaYYgNjQqXy9DDKnX4P/s1600/Buffalo+NY+Courier+Express+1942+-+5376(2).jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKLU2nPgUvKRNu3lHoOFz01-d8Hur3GuvkQIh87c6PCBb9Ebe2fKplfpix58ZtkMF0m5Qj_VktghQ0liTGHUFm9-a9yu52U6Q2VXfVIqBAQ2T21RFs4zSM4RgBOgQMyRe0_oXaGdtkzIq/s1600/Buffalo+NY+Courier+Express+1942+-+5384+(continued)(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKLU2nPgUvKRNu3lHoOFz01-d8Hur3GuvkQIh87c6PCBb9Ebe2fKplfpix58ZtkMF0m5Qj_VktghQ0liTGHUFm9-a9yu52U6Q2VXfVIqBAQ2T21RFs4zSM4RgBOgQMyRe0_oXaGdtkzIq/s1600/Buffalo+NY+Courier+Express+1942+-+5384+(continued)(2).jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoehWS7i0K28RvRNYZlREJd8YZD6myme35sxHRoF3hM-r1-hTl_3zTvu6tQ3B0pTQH7oFcYQojsdYSqDSf4qRUrXniqkDpl_hIttwkVDQr4LHElxsJhAuAhIlQ08RlbvWOVwyA47XqERF8/s1600/North+Tonawanda+NY+Evening+News+1942++Grayscale+-+2179(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoehWS7i0K28RvRNYZlREJd8YZD6myme35sxHRoF3hM-r1-hTl_3zTvu6tQ3B0pTQH7oFcYQojsdYSqDSf4qRUrXniqkDpl_hIttwkVDQr4LHElxsJhAuAhIlQ08RlbvWOVwyA47XqERF8/s1600/North+Tonawanda+NY+Evening+News+1942++Grayscale+-+2179(2).jpg" width="467" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eQUgrfbA1JvBPw7nYuOqG5hj5dMsjDIkn7Bnd1IoGSGpdFhaQHEH2B_4TCkJwCYLubCV65QVwfUaGVGMWV2yzp9H0GlLBSrxZqWRlPx5KaFUix2CV9bjznjFhnIQ7D7NNLIJxYzpRp7O/s1600/North+Tonawanda+NY+Evening+News+1942++Grayscale+-+2181(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eQUgrfbA1JvBPw7nYuOqG5hj5dMsjDIkn7Bnd1IoGSGpdFhaQHEH2B_4TCkJwCYLubCV65QVwfUaGVGMWV2yzp9H0GlLBSrxZqWRlPx5KaFUix2CV9bjznjFhnIQ7D7NNLIJxYzpRp7O/s1600/North+Tonawanda+NY+Evening+News+1942++Grayscale+-+2181(2).jpg" width="468" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All full newspaper pages: fultonhistory.com</span></div>
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A Curtiss Company photo of Jack 'Bert' Purnell.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVxZDTwJqRjuavrQE4X5PqK0FrmkOXcpOEkNjn7ADF44FB-J8SvKN_F8V81nFy_UGW9yAVpPWyuCibfnGQJhLUUEWLNPD1IBKDwKfAY3E7v9cFPbYr-8A3tx5ECr4UHigoV7gATtzuN4n/s1600/JackBertPurnell001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVxZDTwJqRjuavrQE4X5PqK0FrmkOXcpOEkNjn7ADF44FB-J8SvKN_F8V81nFy_UGW9yAVpPWyuCibfnGQJhLUUEWLNPD1IBKDwKfAY3E7v9cFPbYr-8A3tx5ECr4UHigoV7gATtzuN4n/s400/JackBertPurnell001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Alvin C. Smith collection via Brent Smith</span></div>
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Please check out <a href="http://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/september-11-1942-tragedy-at-curtiss.html"><b>this article</b></a> on The Buffalo History Gazette's website. When your blogmeister first began digging online many years ago for info about this accident, that article was pretty much all he could find. Although it is mostly a transcription of excerpts from the Courier Express coverage, it does contain some unique material not found elsewhere... including a link to scans of a booklet that was distributed during a religious mass that was conducted in memory and honor of the victims. In addition, some of the comments made in response to the article are quite informative in their own right.<br />
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-18417581825039597652014-09-10T03:04:00.000-04:002014-09-10T03:04:00.799-04:00It Ain't Air Force One......but it's pretty dang groovy, just the same.<br />
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Your blogmeister was out at KBUF yesterday morning doing that shutterbug thing... but he was experimenting a bit, and caught nothing but a whole lotta 'fail'. Such is life...<br />
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However, an email from a friend arrived later in the day and, well, saved the day... witness this nifty shot of a groovy little Gulfstream operated by the FAA, touching down on Runway 23. Check out the registration... thanks Wayne!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZ6a7kdU-YrAmm7k6_vmBN5uRNSZXY9-N9-geGdZsfTn8SEZgsZfXaAePpPETgtbCjywfWyHwRXz7EyWdRoQ5Fi9XtaDuVOQKdrMDQtOpfl9conC72DgLIxNMYnx8T62EfYx-lr1wj6At/s1600/N1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZ6a7kdU-YrAmm7k6_vmBN5uRNSZXY9-N9-geGdZsfTn8SEZgsZfXaAePpPETgtbCjywfWyHwRXz7EyWdRoQ5Fi9XtaDuVOQKdrMDQtOpfl9conC72DgLIxNMYnx8T62EfYx-lr1wj6At/s1600/N1.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wayne Dippold photo</span></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-51491526694017973532014-09-01T02:27:00.000-04:002020-07-23T08:47:11.696-04:00Cobras in the DenToday on BuffaloWingz we bring you a super-groovy night-time shot of some P-39s about ready to wind their way out the door of the Bell factory in Wheatfield, NY... circa 1941 we think.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDfGuYcGkq4omYqrooh6b7FRGeZZVIcnwRXsrYRr0FaUuiSa5sc2unaVwHJiGy2MUynw-pYZkdHdEH0rq6OTr8YikE2ef-w20Uoh6vKAC1weMZwdKDzjjRZ4Vk3Qfok3kGQIECvh1XvVE/s1600/8e02899ua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDfGuYcGkq4omYqrooh6b7FRGeZZVIcnwRXsrYRr0FaUuiSa5sc2unaVwHJiGy2MUynw-pYZkdHdEH0rq6OTr8YikE2ef-w20Uoh6vKAC1weMZwdKDzjjRZ4Vk3Qfok3kGQIECvh1XvVE/s1600/8e02899ua.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjzlBWUyr6u0NYp1sQetGwwOp_NcZ8bW4D-jq5GzuyCflcwJq1oqp0gnY7CwxC-ZXdcShfHyzLge8xjaN-gSHhX113YVu2DamRslfLSMrp8XtNFbFTGfhFeV83dl_Kp8wLNp3o9FRQ9q6/s1600/8e02899uz1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjzlBWUyr6u0NYp1sQetGwwOp_NcZ8bW4D-jq5GzuyCflcwJq1oqp0gnY7CwxC-ZXdcShfHyzLge8xjaN-gSHhX113YVu2DamRslfLSMrp8XtNFbFTGfhFeV83dl_Kp8wLNp3o9FRQ9q6/s1600/8e02899uz1a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uKoI12Z9XpLZc7S08SJZgjSTG6QTUhwGNRAZ0gPKlYt389-9Ca3dmGLUcETeQaTBaQEuTUz9RCpHewzh6dXk83yIDZE7xIOvYTf8kbt8feTCzHSYBApNrFsxMoblbnpb8h4dLUT16mrP/s1600/8e02899uz2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uKoI12Z9XpLZc7S08SJZgjSTG6QTUhwGNRAZ0gPKlYt389-9Ca3dmGLUcETeQaTBaQEuTUz9RCpHewzh6dXk83yIDZE7xIOvYTf8kbt8feTCzHSYBApNrFsxMoblbnpb8h4dLUT16mrP/s1600/8e02899uz2a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This last close-up shows an interesting detail... note the large, non-standard supercharger air intake on top of the fuselage, behind the cockpit. Your blogmeister isn't a hardcore P-39 guru by any means, and although he's aware that there was a bit of testing with intake configurations, he hasn't seen this type of scoop before. Some additional digging is in order...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukOTygOb7Ap7QoXY2QxDPOwYUFhoaj1m-lJiTNPKAvTgfxKXQI4S6ZnOSHqQWTnn-v4SWAGepTRGRSTn3cNw_Q1k8FWIEhw-6tWBIk_3mmMhyfFkzIzYCogO7dLOEmb6EaZPnnVM7unwy/s1600/8e02899uz3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukOTygOb7Ap7QoXY2QxDPOwYUFhoaj1m-lJiTNPKAvTgfxKXQI4S6ZnOSHqQWTnn-v4SWAGepTRGRSTn3cNw_Q1k8FWIEhw-6tWBIk_3mmMhyfFkzIzYCogO7dLOEmb6EaZPnnVM7unwy/s1600/8e02899uz3a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Original image: Library of Congress</span></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-69584596747911591292014-08-16T08:25:00.001-04:002014-08-16T08:26:25.056-04:00Stormy WeatherAbout halfway through a short visit to KBUF yesterday morning your blogmeister was beginning to think that he should'a brought a jacket... 'twas chilly and windy. There was a solid sheet of cloud that seemed to hover above the field itself but, around the edges of the sheet, in pretty much any direction you faced, there were beautiful rolling mountains of mist...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">S.Donacik/BuffaloWingz photo</span></div>
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Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-52730059295906428122014-08-08T07:56:00.000-04:002014-08-13T14:25:57.461-04:00NoisemakerA quickie today...<br />
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Your blogmeister was out at KBUF the other morning, doing that shutterbug thing, when he spied this Beech E-90 (reg N31A) lifting off from runway 14. Up to the time this photo was taken, all the traffic that morning had been on runway 23, and your blogmeister would have been caught totally unawares had this bird not made one helluva racket while throttling up...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CfkfsOs3hu5O2P6LfpnThy4AiN0EZjFu0j-g9go0u8M6Y8UsjqvgyhxGJ_wdHya9JP06QQL1NFNKUwYoJDb9r4nAKPlSH6Y_L9AT8abipqhWmM-2ufh2LQB1Kg4rxD_ncajFlSanctr5/s1600/DSC_0156a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CfkfsOs3hu5O2P6LfpnThy4AiN0EZjFu0j-g9go0u8M6Y8UsjqvgyhxGJ_wdHya9JP06QQL1NFNKUwYoJDb9r4nAKPlSH6Y_L9AT8abipqhWmM-2ufh2LQB1Kg4rxD_ncajFlSanctr5/s1600/DSC_0156a.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">S.Donacik/BuffaloWingz photo</span></div>
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Fade to Black...Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-52648277865064288502014-07-09T14:30:00.000-04:002014-08-13T14:26:21.096-04:00King Air<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earlier today your blogmeister took a jaunt over to KBUF because his picture-maker needed a bit of exercise.<br />
Come to think of it, your blogmeister could use some of that, too... =P<br />
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Anyhoo, this Beech King Air 90 was the grooviest bird he saw this morning...<br />
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As we said, that was the grooviest bird your blogmeister saw during today's foray outside of his home zip code. But this next shot of a GU-11 was his grooviest grab of the morning...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseUjlq85umz3QCPBSkMhkPh7PpKUqRNhOYhgr2HbFO2ypOkAQFrx3K7eX4VXJM8qs2lEH3yYp4CCLbmGvG2jaYYBNR2oBQdsbs8lhaBTaeeW00TdaW2upnwSTDU9GjMYuwaqkqut7qhhx/s1600/DSC_0341a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseUjlq85umz3QCPBSkMhkPh7PpKUqRNhOYhgr2HbFO2ypOkAQFrx3K7eX4VXJM8qs2lEH3yYp4CCLbmGvG2jaYYBNR2oBQdsbs8lhaBTaeeW00TdaW2upnwSTDU9GjMYuwaqkqut7qhhx/s1600/DSC_0341a.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos: </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">S.Donacik/BuffaloWingz </span></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-54696406885765954642014-07-04T10:19:00.000-04:002018-05-25T18:12:06.104-04:00Warhawk Lays on the Fireworks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey! It's the 4th of July<span style="font-size: x-small;">!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">F</span>or those in the USA, here's some fireworks courtesy of a P-40E-1 on the gun range at Curtiss plant #2, which is now the site of Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The photo is dated May 6th, 1942 but was more likely taken a bit earlier, given all the white stuff on the ground.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7wk5kX0XZ0hmKJu-2cp3tB1-Efzg1meV3dPJSq_nmMEYhOp_QxhWGvPPLqzgqYf13ip6oYXn5c6xm3-_aKYfJGLQsMlDJefStgT-Xw5tct0LVUK6Kppx-nlTtIR_diblXE2Wx3VvnUwv/s1600/Scan-140628-0022a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7wk5kX0XZ0hmKJu-2cp3tB1-Efzg1meV3dPJSq_nmMEYhOp_QxhWGvPPLqzgqYf13ip6oYXn5c6xm3-_aKYfJGLQsMlDJefStgT-Xw5tct0LVUK6Kppx-nlTtIR_diblXE2Wx3VvnUwv/s1600/Scan-140628-0022a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)</span></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-86908701135280319532014-06-29T03:40:00.000-04:002014-08-13T14:26:33.044-04:00Banker BirdDuring a recent visit to Buffalo Airport (KBUF) your blogmeister caught this shot of a Bombardier BD-700 that's owned by a prominent banking firm which we shall allow to go unnamed.<br />
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Also shown in the photo is a ubiquitous GU-11...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">S.Donacik/BuffaloWingz photo</span></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-67610380039360645812014-06-14T20:03:00.000-04:002014-08-13T14:26:52.067-04:00American AirbusYour blogmeister caught these early evening photos of an American Airlines Airbus A319-112 at Buffalo Airport recently...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_iXGOvXV_Mf7oUoRqbRUtYL85To9ijrRDtSO4iUrvMART170KzUEdCgl2VeCQJl9Br69GdgnXG_fXVbEv-dMwqXXkPAwXXlHv2nDDk8lOo8BFPanJr8rQAG82oC8ZyhaW_H5ad7G8L27/s1600/DSC_0296a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_iXGOvXV_Mf7oUoRqbRUtYL85To9ijrRDtSO4iUrvMART170KzUEdCgl2VeCQJl9Br69GdgnXG_fXVbEv-dMwqXXkPAwXXlHv2nDDk8lOo8BFPanJr8rQAG82oC8ZyhaW_H5ad7G8L27/s1600/DSC_0296a.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1y_NnvvW2JAxijrhmA-Jg-AOy7itpEldCxdUJ9ySPfxQRGccphDarlpICdK8jw1wTIVwyL_4wjgENLsLSZYSKIsuPsi6E_j1Pkhf8iyZmw_dajl_4QlXq5TDcxJOMlqViNfz1kPtlNEv/s1600/DSC_0299a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1y_NnvvW2JAxijrhmA-Jg-AOy7itpEldCxdUJ9ySPfxQRGccphDarlpICdK8jw1wTIVwyL_4wjgENLsLSZYSKIsuPsi6E_j1Pkhf8iyZmw_dajl_4QlXq5TDcxJOMlqViNfz1kPtlNEv/s1600/DSC_0299a.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02n2PXB2xUIfFd_uaXNCSdhb86_j4wBqJSS5USIYiY6Jkb_7ndVDylPoA4XDcEizKzta7D3k2kiYdBJkIdOjXzR7uoepUzGDdXKfsNkZr04ylvl4-ScwV14aNzUuX699_WremB6ZoyUBF/s1600/DSC_0304a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02n2PXB2xUIfFd_uaXNCSdhb86_j4wBqJSS5USIYiY6Jkb_7ndVDylPoA4XDcEizKzta7D3k2kiYdBJkIdOjXzR7uoepUzGDdXKfsNkZr04ylvl4-ScwV14aNzUuX699_WremB6ZoyUBF/s1600/DSC_0304a.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos: </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">S.Donacik/BuffaloWingz </span></div>
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<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-47766058740194989442014-06-11T13:39:00.000-04:002014-08-12T12:59:32.875-04:00Diamond 'Lil in the BuffThis installment of 'BuffaloWingz' is two years in the making...<br />
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or ten...<br />
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or seventy-five, depending on how you look at it.<br />
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A couple'a years back, in 2012, the Commemorative Air Force's B-24 'Diamond 'Lil' was slated to visit KBUF, and your blogmeister was rather eager to see her. Not just because he digs the B-24, but mostly because it had been, at that time, eight years since he'd last seen this particular B-24. And during those eight years, 'Lil' had undergone a significant transformation which had left her looking more like her original self. (More on that later)<br />
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Unfortunately, shortly before that planned stop here in Buffalo back in 2012, this B-24 had a bit of an 'oopsy' and never made it, instead heading back to the barn in Texas for some TLC.<br />
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We'd like to tell you 'Diamond 'Lil's whole story, but that's outside the scope of this-here cyber-rag, and we shall focus on her visit to Buffalo. However, we'll give the bare-bones of her story...<br />
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She was built as a B-24A for the USAAC in 1941 but was released for purchase to the British. Unfortunately for the Brits, but fortunately for present-day warbird lovers, she suffered an 'oopsy' and was sent back to the Consolidated factory in San Diego for repairs... never making it overseas and into combat.<br />
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Consolidated decided to retain the aircraft and subsequently used her as a testbed and also converted her to a transport. In this respect she served as the prototype for the C-87, a dedicated transport variant of the B-24.<br />
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After the war she was operated privately as a corporate executive taxi until the late 1950s, and soon thereafter came into the hands of her present-day owners, the CAF... then known as the Confederate Air Force. In 1970 or 1971 her civilian corporate paint-job was replaced with a more military-lookin' scheme meant to represent an aircraft that served in the deserts of North Africa. Also around this time she received her now well-known name and artwork which she carried, largely unchanged, for more than thirty years.<br />
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Here's a look at 'Lil' during a visit to Buffalo back in August of 2004... until yesterday, this was the last time your blogmeister had seen the 'ole gal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqY04wosDgdXksUGCz8lLMHwYocTQUu4NfiuTU2chH6zSEI_s8I8ByVeDVcpZMnP39pM99F6oWDUyMum5Xh-3qM4es5yYT0HNyQCwKRy5Bj2SBYhf-S0S4oXgGgVJOk48llEGtOn7Qqrn8/s1600/DCP_4911a1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqY04wosDgdXksUGCz8lLMHwYocTQUu4NfiuTU2chH6zSEI_s8I8ByVeDVcpZMnP39pM99F6oWDUyMum5Xh-3qM4es5yYT0HNyQCwKRy5Bj2SBYhf-S0S4oXgGgVJOk48llEGtOn7Qqrn8/s1600/DCP_4911a1.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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Remember we mentioned a 'significant transformation' earlier? Well, roughly two years after the above photo was taken, work began to change 'Lil' back to her original configuration as a bomber. For various reasons not all of the 'required' changes were carried out, so she is still something of a hybrid. But she looks much more like a bomber these days, and less like a transport.<br />
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Perhaps in the future we'll present 'Diamond 'Lil's history in more depth over on one of our sister-blogs, '<a href="http://things-wit-wings.blogspot.com/">Things With Wings</a>'. Keep your eyes peeled, folks...<br />
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Alrighty, here we are in June of 2014... and 'Diamond 'Lil' has finally made it back to the Buff. Here's a few shots grabbed by your blogmeister yesterday. He'd initially arrived just before the gates opened in the morning but, as a photographer, was a bit discouraged by the large crowd and overall layout of the display. There were few good photos to be had, so he decided to make another visit later in the day... and the following are the fruits of that second visit.<br />
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This was the first view that greeted your blogmeister through the fence upon exiting his vehicle in Prior Aviation's parking lot...<br />
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A few more shots through the fence... 'Lil' was just about to depart for the first flight of the day.<br />
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Rolling out... <br />
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Here's the first takeoff of the day... it's a pretty poor photo, as it was taken from a long distance, but we've got a couple more later on that are slightly better. (Your blogmeister needs a longer lens!)<br />
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And rolling back in...<br />
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Here at BuffaloWingz we normally don't care to have any modern birds or other elements in our warbird photos, but we thought that this was a pretty neat shot... even with the barber pole in the background.<br />
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The first couple'a shots in this next series provide the only clear look your blogmeister was able to get of the current incarnation of 'Lil', which was painted by 'Mr. Nose Art' himself... Gary Velasco.<br />
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After shutdown and post-flight photo ops for the passengers, your blogmeister grabbed these next two shots before heading over to Mercy Flight (the old Flying Tigers location, for those who know the area) to catch 'Lil's second takeoff of the day.<br />
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And here's that second takeoff... <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos: S.Donacik/BuffaloWingz</span></div>
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Fade to Black...<br />
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Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-15118550406249316052014-05-07T15:05:00.001-04:002020-07-23T08:51:17.809-04:00America's First JetDuring a visit to Britain in 1941, Major General Henry H. Arnold witnessed a demonstration of the Gloster E.28/39, Britain's first jet-powered aircraft. 'Ole 'Hap' said, "Me likey... gimmee one". They said, "Nu-uh, mate, but here's the plans to the Whittle turbojet engine... build your own". (slight embellishment)<br />
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So 'Hap' took the plans back across the pond, got General Electric on the horn, and said, "I've got these-here blueprints for a Whittle jet engine... build me a couple, would'ja please?" to which they replied, "How whittle is this engine?". *Ba-da-doo-chhh!* (more embellishment) Then he rang up Larry Bell in Buffalo and said, "I gots me some jet engines comin'... make me an airplane to put 'em in".<br />
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And here's the result... the Bell XP-59A Airacomet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoTzxliyHlnnFGyH-hT3iyzmgld8OAFFsLEpl9bMUSOtRcn5mOZw7S6lpkIxYp_DlCBWQev8dbNdSL_AiMaBwTt1JI4vcvmPSZBC80xkq9WNlIHc_v0AAmlZlcEo_bNjggqPxsfwaOzlw/s1600/XP-59A++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoTzxliyHlnnFGyH-hT3iyzmgld8OAFFsLEpl9bMUSOtRcn5mOZw7S6lpkIxYp_DlCBWQev8dbNdSL_AiMaBwTt1JI4vcvmPSZBC80xkq9WNlIHc_v0AAmlZlcEo_bNjggqPxsfwaOzlw/s1600/XP-59A++001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">National Museum of the United States Air Force</span></div>
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The whole show was supposed to be hush-hush... so, early on, to hide the true nature of this new bird whenever it was out in the open, a dummy prop was stuck on its nose and much of the ship covered up with tarps to hide the intakes and exhausts. Also, as there was an earlier, slightly more conventional Bell project
that was designated 'P-59'... one that never took off (pun intended)...
the designation 'XP-59A' was chosen in order to make it look, on paper
at least, as though this were simply a continuation of that earlier
project.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMg4TR46mtqI0CW_RE3yS_O9_I6GUoTWVK_h4FBNHnWH9RXncHJqbp7kJK6LFcaSlKpBCE2m7DJyC8nrVCQiOhw-WUjl1Q89dd6dK1HYBabRqJBDF6tj5kInP6tXLO2XSvTupF8tIaL70/s1600/XP-59A+Dummy+Prop++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMg4TR46mtqI0CW_RE3yS_O9_I6GUoTWVK_h4FBNHnWH9RXncHJqbp7kJK6LFcaSlKpBCE2m7DJyC8nrVCQiOhw-WUjl1Q89dd6dK1HYBabRqJBDF6tj5kInP6tXLO2XSvTupF8tIaL70/s1600/XP-59A+Dummy+Prop++001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection) </span></div>
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The XP-59A was shipped from Buffalo, NY by rail and truck out to Muroc Army Air Field, California... chosen for testing 'secret' aircraft chiefly because of its remote location within the Mojave Desert and because of its proximity to Rogers Dry Lake, which is one of the world's best natural runways. Also, Mother Nature provides excellent flying weather pretty much all year 'round.<br />
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Anyhoo, on October 1st, 1942, while conducting high-speed taxi tests on the 'Lake', Bell test pilot Bob Stanley felt the XP-59A float up off the ground... and America's first jet aircraft made its first flight. The first 'official' flight took place the next day, with USAAF Colonel Laurence Craigie behind the stick.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHdXlit1opztmhHIGc4hEEhnW5a8yvFDiCTQBrWYJNWxB7s4gbhwUgzDPweac3VAmP-LYl5oM5sKn6j3C8Pyf34JIjhlYPyc2PO0hyphenhyphenjKdTKQabft2PDKTStxnF2Kxl_5XBJMI-VjY2bZN/s1600/XP-59A+Takeoff++001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHdXlit1opztmhHIGc4hEEhnW5a8yvFDiCTQBrWYJNWxB7s4gbhwUgzDPweac3VAmP-LYl5oM5sKn6j3C8Pyf34JIjhlYPyc2PO0hyphenhyphenjKdTKQabft2PDKTStxnF2Kxl_5XBJMI-VjY2bZN/s1600/XP-59A+Takeoff++001a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Edwards.af.mil</span></div>
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We'll present more on the Airacomet in future installments of 'Buffalo Wingz'.<br />
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Fade to Black...<br />
<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523957836313737753.post-23379906310111271152014-03-31T05:54:00.000-04:002014-03-31T05:54:09.200-04:00Just Another Day in the BuffHere's something appropriate for the here and now in WNY... a fairly recent (January 2014) view of the deicing crews doing their thing at KBUF. Front to back we have a Southwest 737, Delta CL600, and a Delta MD-90...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0R3CZ2_Q8iLUVbXYQ9sw4UBXELZVNbqiTl7vZ15uCE5IN6GaT-lMf2vFjsJ1cE4g87PCf_XMJQjpcQlFLiE7-E1NFzRIp8OyaNMBZsgnDnYYbxGopUsc4MHK71CxEPWIo4UWy90bNDSKX/s1600/Deicing+KBUF+Jan14+001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0R3CZ2_Q8iLUVbXYQ9sw4UBXELZVNbqiTl7vZ15uCE5IN6GaT-lMf2vFjsJ1cE4g87PCf_XMJQjpcQlFLiE7-E1NFzRIp8OyaNMBZsgnDnYYbxGopUsc4MHK71CxEPWIo4UWy90bNDSKX/s1600/Deicing+KBUF+Jan14+001a.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Harry Scull Jr. / Buffalo News</span></div>
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Fade to Black...<br />
<br />Hawk914http://www.blogger.com/profile/04307000030432358831noreply@blogger.com0