ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

[Harley909]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Ok...fair enough...here is my beef with the B-24A argument. I have a type rating that qualifies me to fly the B-24J...my pilots license reads LB-30...because the rating is based on the CAF airframe...which is an LB-30...NOT a B-24A...it may have been when it rolled out of the factory...but it does not have a bombay and absolutely no ability to drop bombs. It is an historic airframe as it is as an LB-30, just as ours IS the last flying B-24J...or B-24. It is what it is...I absolutely love what I do for a living and I will call it like I see it.

jim

[V1670]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Here's some shots

[AirDOGGe]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Wicked machine. I must try to get out there during the week.

[rampking]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Thank you again 'AirDOGGe' for passing the word on these aircraft at
Moffett Field.
Not just about the aircraft....
Me-262, B-17, B-24 and P-51...
was able to talk to WWII vet who was a gunner on a B-24 in 1945,
a B-24 crewman who was shot down during his first mission over Austria, had his life saved at a German hospital and remained a POW the rest of the war,
A decorated Korean War vet who served on a Quad 50 AA halftrack similar to the one displayed by the Military Vehicle & Technology Foundation,
and to one of the lead mechanics at the MVTF.org who who gave us a first hand account of the restoration of the only operational Panther panzer in the USA.
All with a real Zeppelin and the Hanger 1 Zeppelin hanger in the background.
Special bonus of running into Stu Ebarhardt in the terminal building !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OYe1hlfSB0

Good times !

[AirDOGGe]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Thank you again 'AirDOGGe' for passing the word on these aircraft at
Moffett Field.

...All with a real Zeppelin and the Hanger 1 Zeppelin hanger in the background....

Well, at least PART of Hanger-1. And bringing those lovely aircraft around is more than enough thanks, so thank YOU so very much.

Truthfully, I look at that old girl today looking like this:





...and for some odd reason, in my head I keep seeing this:




She deserves better.

A decorated Korean War vet who served on a Quad 50 AA halftrack similar to the one displayed by the Military Vehicle & Technology Foundation,
and to one of the lead mechanics at the MVTF.org who who gave us a first hand account of the restoration of the only operational Panther panzer in the USA.

Wow. Now I HAVE to get out there.

I was VERY fortunate to have viewed the "Littlefield"collection at the gorgeous Pony Tracks Ranch in Portola Valley in person while Mr. Littlefield (the foundation's founder) was still with us.

That is the most amazing collection of MIL vehicles and more I have ever seen (including in books and on TV!), far more than one can possibly imagine. I think the count was 250+ when I visited in 2008.





Who would have known that right there in the foothills above Palo Alto/Menlo Park lie not one but two captured Iraqi SCUD missiles, still on their mobile launchers (one tracked, one wheels).






They also have a PAIR of German 12-ton half-tracks, one of them the very truck used in the movie "The Dirty Dozen" by Lee Marvin.









Think of any ground-based military vehicle you saw in a war movie, and they probably have one. No exaggeration there folks.

Yes, they even have one of those oddball halftrack WWII motorcycles...




At the time of my visit, the Panther didn't have it's newly-made replacement turret mounted on it yet, and it's big gun was sitting on a table next to the beast, but it was quite far along and looked so incredible. A huge, newer model Sherman with a welded-steel-plate body sat in a stall next to it.

Their work was absolutely first rate, like watching Ezell Aviation restore White Lightning to perfect stock condition, and everything looked factory-fresh when completed, accurate all the way.


You can see Jacque Littlefield himself, the Panther story, the resto shop(s) and much of the collection via a 5-part program on You tube. Here's part one:

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYq0jaaEu48[/YT]


Thank you for that reminder.

[rampking]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Regarding the MVTF...they are trying to get the SDKFZ 8, 12 ton prime mover
entered into some historical parade in San Jose this summer.
For those of you not aware, it is the same exact vehicle driven by Lee Marvin in the movie, "The Dirty Dozen".
Now wouldn't THAT be something to behold !!

[AirDOGGe]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Regarding the MVTF...they are trying to get the SDKFZ 8, 12 ton prime mover
entered into some historical parade in San Jose this summer.
For those of you not aware, it is the same exact vehicle driven by Lee Marvin in the movie, "The Dirty Dozen".
Now wouldn't THAT be something to behold !!

Heh-heh...I slipped a post in before you that includes a photo of that vehicle. I'm proud (lucky?) to say that I got to sit in it personally, if only for a second or two... () That monster looks a LOT bigger in person.

[rampking]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

I thought I was losing my mind....I was wondering about that !
So your post was a work in progress and I only caught the first round !
Hahahaha !

[Race 29]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Airdog, I've been to that museum!! That was so cool! Do they still have the propeller from the Lucitania there?

I'd love to see the 262! I saw it flying once when it was out at the Sanders place in Ione. It was awesome! Still haven't seen it up close though.

I do have a problem though. First I do have to say that I absolutly do not have a problem with the Collings foundation at all!! I really can't stress that enough! However, last summer I took Mrs. Race29 and the two little 29's out to McClellan to see the B-17 and B-24. They were parked about 200 feet away from the fence, and I was told by the woman manning the gate that it would cost me $35 per person to get closer. Not to walk through the aircraft, but just to walk up to the bombers. $140 just to walk up to see the aircraft close up. I totally get the fact that insurance and fuel alone is extremely expensive, so I really don't expect to be able to take a joy ride or walk through them for free. I really hope the woman was mistaken about the prices, maybe? I honestly believe the Collings foundation and other organisations like them provide a living history that can be touched, smelled, and experianced! I love and appreciate what they do!! I desperatly want my kids to appreciate the sacrifice so many have paid, and what those brave men had to endure to provide our freedom, and to love the tools they used to help provide it.

Race 29

[rampking]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Airdog, I've been to that museum!! That was so cool! Do they still have the propeller from the Lucitania there?

I'd love to see the 262! I saw it flying once when it was out at the Sanders place in Ione. It was awesome! Still haven't seen it up close though.

I do have a problem though. First I do have to say that I absolutly do not have a problem with the Collings foundation at all!! I really can't stress that enough! However, last summer I took Mrs. Race29 and the two little 29's out to McClellan to see the B-17 and B-24. They were parked about 200 feet away from the fence, and I was told by the woman manning the gate that it would cost me $35 per person to get closer. Not to walk through the aircraft, but just to walk up to the bombers. $140 just to walk up to see the aircraft close up. I totally get the fact that insurance and fuel alone is extremely expensive, so I really don't expect to be able to take a joy ride or walk through them for free. I really hope the woman was mistaken about the prices, maybe? I honestly believe the Collings foundation and other organisations like them provide a living history that can be touched, smelled, and experianced! I love and appreciate what they do!! I desperatly want my kids to appreciate the sacrifice so many have paid, and what those brave men had to endure to provide our freedom, and to love the tools they used to help provide it.

Race 29

Race 29,
$12 got me through the gate, up to the aircraft for a walk-around and able to crawl through BOTH the B-17 and B-24....no waiting.

The Me-262 and P-51 were lined off by a rope, but were only feet away.
Yet another bonus, they had the Me-262 hooked up to a tow-bar which was hitched to a 'Kettenkrad' half motorcycle/Half track Prime mover from the MVTF organization...how sweet is that ???
Not done yet, parked next to the Kettenkrad was a real VW Schwimmwagon with both a MG-34 and a MG-42 mounted on it.
The only downer thing about the whole thing was that the Me-262 was not started up when I was there.
I know they are GE-85's but I would have loved to see the Me-262 come alive !
Frickin' awesome aircraft!
I dream of the day it does a parade lap at Reno.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Airdog, I've been to that museum!! That was so cool! Do they still have the propeller from the Lucitania there?

It was still there in 2008 when I went.... BIG sucka, eh?




It was sitting near a prototype amphibious vehicle missing it's tracks and bogeys they had acquired previously, but not yet restored. The story behind the latter as told by the tour guide was that it lost out to it's competitor because their single-turbine vehicle was more efficient than this twin-turbine-propelled amphibian.

...However, last summer I took Mrs. Race29 and the two little 29's out to McClellan to see the B-17 and B-24. They were parked about 200 feet away from the fence, and I was told by the woman manning the gate that it would cost me $35 per person to get closer. Not to walk through the aircraft, but just to walk up to the bombers....

I don't understand that at all. Their admission prices have never been that high, and there's no extra cost to walk through a parked aircraft.

Even their website says "Walk through tours of the aircraft are $12 for adults, and $6 for children 12 and under for access to all of the aircraft. WWII Veterans get into the ground tours at no charge. "


That would have made your total cost 36$.

Perhaps one of the foundation crew who sees this will check in and straighten this out. Coud be she was new at manning the gate and messed up on pricing admission.

[morss]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

the military aviation museums 262 in suffolk va

[Race 29]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Airdog and Rampking, I really hope you are right. When I asked about the prices, it took her a minute, but she came up with the $140 for the four of us, I was a little....uh....surprized! I really hope it's not the same prices when they get here in a couple weeks! What you experiances sounds much more reasonable!

Yeah! That's the propellor (water screw!) from the Lucitania! The owner got it for $12k or something like that! A loan to a friend that was never paid back. That museum was mind blowing! I'm glad you saw it and posted some good pictures! I hear that guy has an outragous 4th of July party! Running over cars with some of his tanks!!

Race 29

[AirDOGGe]

Re: ME-262 coming to Moffett this weekend!

Airdog and Rampking, I really hope you are right. When I asked about the prices, it took her a minute, but she came up with the $140 for the four of us, I was a little....uh....surprized! I really hope it's not the same prices when they get here in a couple weeks! What you experiances sounds much more reasonable!

Yeah! That's the propellor (water screw!) from the Lucitania! The owner got it for $12k or something like that! A loan to a friend that was never paid back. That museum was mind blowing! I'm glad you saw it and posted some good pictures! I hear that guy has an outragous 4th of July party! Running over cars with some of his tanks!!

Race 29

Well.....had. We lost Mr. Littlefield in 2009. Bless him for preserving so much for future generations to see.