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Praetorium Honoris

Monday, September 2, 2019

P'Cola

So, to recap, last week I decided to change the subject, so we (few, we happy few, we band of...bloggers...to paraphrase Shakespeare....badly) would return to our roots.  All 5 of us are no further than 1 generation (Beans) away from Aviation.  Specifically, Military Aviation.

We had, IMHO only, spent an inordinate time discussing ships, in the recent past.  Now, I've got nothing against ships.  I even like traipsing aboard them on a warm Summer Day in America's SouthEast with the temperature in the low 100's and the humidity in the 80's and 90's.  (I like the cold shower in the hotel room thereafter also.)

I even like sailing on them, preferably with an all inclusive drink package.  How come the Navy doesn't have that option?  'Tis a puzzlement.

Anyhoo, I wanted to talk about airplanes, so I did.  The day after visiting the Alabama Battleship National Monument, Mrs J and I woke up cool and refreshed.  After breakfast, we reembarked in the juvatmobile and headed further east, crossing very shortly thereafter into the State of Beans.    8 miles later we turned off the Interstate and headed for the coast, as the Naval Aviation Museum Website has a very specific instruction that if the visitors do not possess a valid DOD ID card, they must enter from the western gate to the base.

Well, Mrs J and I both have valid IDs.  However, mine, which was renewed the last time I visited a military facility (Wright-Patterson AFB),  is very underexposed.  Making my face unrecognizable.  Mrs J, well,  is within a month or two of a major birthday which will render her current ID expired.

So, prudence dictated entering as if we didn't have valid ID's.

Pulling up to the gate, and handing the ID's (with my driver's license JIC) to the gate guard, he took a look at each, looked at us, rendered a very Marine like salute, which I returned, and he waved us through.

I miss that exchange of greetings, yes I do.

A short scenic drive later, we're at the museum.  The museum has only been open for about a half hour when we arrive, so parking isn't a problem.  Walk in, show our ID's again and begin the show.


One of the first aircraft is the SBD.  The aircraft that, IMHO, changed the course of the war in the Pacific in a few short minutes on June 4, 1942 at Midway.

Among my favorites.

As I'm walking around taking it in, (there's no barrier around the aircraft in this museum, I liked that.) I hear the first notes of the National Anthem being played.  I turn and face the music and while doing so, I notice every one else is also.  (No overpaid thugs taking knees on national TV in view.)  Seems there's a retirement ceremony happening there.

But...It seemed appropriate to the setting.



I'm sure the security measures visible here made the SBD virtually Murphy proof.

Behind me was an F6F HellCat.  And a future fighter pilot.  (Talking with his hands, struttin' like he owns the place...).  By the end of the War, the HellCat had a 19-1 Kill Ratio and a new HellCat was rolling off the production line every hour 24-7. 

Meanwhile the retirement ceremony is going on.  First out of the door, is a Navy Commander.  I glance over, he's in dress whites, the whole shebang.  But does have Wings, so I kinda listen to the spiel.  He commanded such and such squadron, flew in the gulf, flew in the 'Stan, so many combat sorties...This went on for about 5 minutes then "Attention to orders..." and another one's out of the service.

I know how he felt.

F-4F WildCat (you can see the retirement ceremony in the background)
Meanwhile overhead, another favorite.  OK, I'll be honest, I'm fascinated with the War in the Pacific.  Spent a lot of time there, read a lot of books about it as a kid.  I'm going to have a lot of favorites in this museum.


Yep, another one, but, I mean really, who doesn't like a Corsair?


OK, Quiz question #1  What is this aircraft and what was it used for in WWII?

TBM Avenger
This was painted up with some special livery.


No...it isn't his actual aircraft.  That one is in the bottom of the ocean off Iwo Jima.  The future President was rescued by a Sub (USS Finback, SS-230) and actually endured a depth charging before being returned to safety.







Another of my favorites, an F8F Bearcat.  Several still flying on the Reno Race Circuit.

Meanwhile the retirement ceremony is still going on.  This time it's some civilian.  His award citation indicated he was in charge of some aspect of bureaucracy at the base.  Had been there for, well, ever.   Had saved the country by ensuring that every screw on the base was completely accounted for and only issued when a dire emergency happened.

Or something like that.

This eulogy (well,  I was dying) went on past the WWII exhibit, past the early jet age, past Korea and halfway through Vietnam.

F7F TigerCat
The F7F was initially requested in June of 1941, but never made it into combat in WWII.  I had built this as a model as a kid and thought it pretty cool.  It was armed with 4 20mm cannon and 4 50Cal machine guns as well as 2 1000LB bombs.  After the war, it was transferred to the Marines and used for CAS and night interdiction in Korea.

Just for scale, Mrs J is 5'4".  Big engine, big plane.
Quiz Question # 2  Specifically, what is this aircraft and why is it unique?


Another Bad Guy Aircraft.  One may be surprised to know that not every Japanese fighter was a "Zero".  One may also surmise this one is a "George".
F2H-2P
Made it into the Jet Age.  This model of the Photo Banshee was an improvement over the earlier model in that it had 3 cameras in the nose.  This meant the pilot could get pictures in one pass that in the earlier model would have required 3 passes.  Less passes = less chance of meeting the golden BB= more chance of reacquainting yourself with your family.

F3H Demon F7U Cutlass

Rear view of the F3H F7U.  Just to the left of the engine, that's the aileron speedbrake (It looks like a swim fin).  The rudder is the vertical thing left of that. The left wing is the vertical line outside the rudder.  This is a fairly big aircraft to have such small sized controls.  Just off hand, I'd say it wasn't very maneuverable.  (Really got to keep better care of my notes, thanks for the corrections.)


Oh, look!  My favorite view of a Mig-15. In front of me and in gun range!
Nieport 28 and a Fokker (and he's flying a Fokker D.VII...I always wanted to use that line....Sorry)


The Museum had some WWI aircraft also.  Thought their handling of the early (very early) beginnings of Naval Aviation was educational.

SB2U Vindicator

And....Finally.....the retirement ceremony is over.


Just in time for Quiz Question #3  What are these and what are they used for?

By now, we need a small break and decide to visit the Cubi Club for Lunch and took a look around.  When the Big Guy decided the US needed to leave the Philippines and blew up Mt Pinatubo, the Cubi Club was torn down and restored at Pensacola.




Lunch was nothing to do back flips over, but it was OK.  Looking around the bar at the Plaques was fascinating.  Although it was only Navy and Marine Units, I recognized several from various exercises/functions around the Pacific.  I even recognized a few names.

I felt at home.

Call signs are a thing of wonder, aren't they?


Tuna's ride.

A-1H Skyraider

Again, Mrs J as scale.  I think this is a BDP-1 (BDP being Navy speak for Big Darn Plane).  OK it's really a SP-5B Marlin.
OK, Quiz Question #4 (So Sarge gets at least one right) what Aircraft is this the Cockpit of?

Apropos of nothing whatsoever.
Recce version of one of the coolest planes ever.

A-7E Corsair II AKA "SLUF"  (Short Little Ugly F****er)
So I'm viewing this, and two guys, who are obviously off duty, but on Active Duty, walk up and look it over.  One says to the other, "Obviously, some CO left his keys in his car one day at work."

I laughed.

I HAVE seen this picture several times, maybe not this close, but this angle.  It's a wonderful feeling.
After ordering lunch, we heard jet noise outside,  Low, Loud and Fast Jet noise.  AKA the Sound of Freedom.  Yep, the Blue Angels were practicing.  I'd wondered why the museum had emptied out as we were waiting for Lunch.  Ah well.  It was nice to hear them overhead.

Left the museum as Mrs J had an appointment with Pass and ID to get a new ID card.  Drove over there,  got the card with minimum hassle, drove to the Class VI store and bought a bottle of Bruichladdich Islay Barley on sale for $34.99.  I'd gotten tired of paying $30 a round for Single Malt.  Got back to our hotel room just in time.

Single Malt, in a chilled glass, minimum rocks and Florida Liquid Sunshine coming down by the bucket.  The perfect end to a very good day.
So we've reached the planned extremity of our excursion and will begin the trek back home the next day.  Learned a lot about things I used to know very little about and heartily recommend each of the facilities we visited. We had a great time.

Cheers All.

50 comments:

  1. Good stuff neighbor!!
    No internet search, solely from memory:

    Q1 Divebrakes, check - Maybe a Helldiver? Not a Dauntless, and it's a divebomber.
    Q2 ME 262 That is a pretty big canopy for a single pilot, so trainer.
    Q3 A probe to check the depth of fighter pilot ego. And it's never touched the bottom, the tips are still pointy. Ha, made myself chortle a bit. They look like pistons (then the part above nailed it) steam pistons for CV cats. And they even put the nose wheel and slingshot yoke on there to clue you in as it's connected to the shuttle(?). Don't know the real word.

    You put up some absolutely beautiful pictures. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. STxAR
      So Close,
      #1 Nope, Yep, Nope
      #2 Yep
      #3 Ha, penalty for impudence, but yep.
      #4 No answer

      So...50 points, Leader in the clubhouse

      Delete
    2. Coffee hadn't kicked fully in yet (no afterburner or turkey feathers to help me)... I read Q4 as a Sarge only question!! Hahhah... oh well. I can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory just about every time I try! Thanks for not hitting me too hard on my first inclination on the cat parts... ;)

      Delete
    3. There is a drawback to the vaunted first comment position. Lack of coffee.

      Delete
  2. Some veeery nice photos there juvat. Only question I can stab at is #2, ME262 trainer/nightfighter? The others.... got nothing. Grumman certainly had a good run with their "Cat" family didn't they?

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    Replies
    1. Correct. Yeah they did, all the way through Tom-Kitty. ;-)

      25 points.

      Delete
  3. Q1. No answer.
    Q2. German 262. First jet fighter used in combat.
    Q3. The entire unit is the moving part of an aircraft carrier catapult. The end you cannot see is where the steam is applied, and the pointed ends are called spears, the spears plunge into a water filled reservoir at the end of the catapult's launch cycle, and bring the cat to a stop. The clear material represents the deck, and those wheels are the nose gear of an aircraft.
    Yes, the spears travel horizontally, and before you question how they can plunge into a reservoir of water because gravity would make the water run out, the reservoir is kept filled by angled nozzles that constantly spray sea water.
    Q4. No answer.

    I zoomed in on the budding fighter pilot and didn't see a watch.

    STxAR made a great point. I take the Official Chant Quiz from memory as I seem to have mislaid my OCQ Rulebook.

    I used to say I didn't like Scotch. Then I found out that I didn't like inexpensive Scotch.

    Note to self. Check ID expiration dates. Thanks for the reminder.

    Wonderful photo series, and the museum is on the list for a future visit.

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. #1 Ok
      #2 Technically yes, but incomplete 12.5 points
      #3 Excellent answer. The standard from which others will be graded
      #4 ok

      37.5 points and second place, for now....

      Yeah, the ID expires the end of the month PRIOR to your 65th. When it expires so does your TRICARE until it's renewed. You can renew it up to 90 days prior.

      Thanks, It really is a great museum, as is it's USAF counterpart in Dayton.

      Delete
    2. Maybe the Museum Gift Shop is missing an opportunity by not selling toy 'Fighter Pilot Watchs.'

      Might be a big money maker, could even encode a tracking device that would allow Naval Recruiters to show up when the kid is 15yoa or so...

      Delete
    3. Funny you should mention that, Beans. The Museum DOES have a Aviation/Space Camp for young pre-teens. After the interminable Retirement Ceremony. There was a well appreciated period of relative quiet, followed by the "graduation" ceremony for the camp. When I looked into it later, it looks like it's quite a bit more than just camp. They actually get to fly simulators and things like that. I know, just like camp when we were kids, right?

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    4. Well, camp when I was between 7 and 10 was visiting the other islands and touring empty Jap defensive points (always on the lookout for spent bullets or casings but not live ammo, nooo, not live ammo (cough, cough) and other war mementos) while avoiding sharp metal chunks and coconut crabs and biting flys and poisonous fish in the water...

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    5. That explains a lot about you, Beans. A LOT!

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    6. That's the nicest (sniff) thing you've ever said to meeee.

      Delete
  4. You say Demon which had a single tail. The double tail says Cutlass to me.

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    1. Yeah, I bit on the nose. Lost my notes yesterday and went to the Museums website, but not far enough down. Corrected.

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    2. Yup, "Gutless" Cutlass, it's even on the side "F7U-3M."

      I didn't realize they had a Cutlass AND a Demon!

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    3. Hence why I bit on the wrong one. The nose looks virtually the same in both pictures on their site.

      Delete
  5. Great photos, Juvat. Had you gone out back you would have seen one of my old birds, a C-118 from VR-21 that I crewed as Radio Operator. 21 decommed in '77 so we had a lot of time for golf as the aircraft were ferried to the boneyard. My step-dad flew a lot of those WWII and Korea vintage aircraft as a pilot in a FASRON at Kisarazu. I once asked him what his least favorite was and he replied "Corsair, damned thing tried to kill me twice." He bailed out of a burning Corsair at Atsugi. I still have the rip-cord from his parachute as well as his Caterpillar Club pin.

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    Replies
    1. Bailing out of a burning aircraft would go far in quenching the fondness for it, I'm sure.

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  6. 1) This one baffled me, then I looked it up. Now I know why it baffled me.

    2) Me-262, 2 seat version, first operational jet fighter. Not a night fighter as it has no "antlers." (The radar antennae looked like antlers.)

    3) Catapult pistons. After staring long and hard at it, I noticed the nose wheel on the Plexiglas "deck."

    Great post juvat, I love that museum and need to get back down there.

    Was the retirement ceremony in the Atrium? That's where I pinned the wings on The WSO. Fond memories of that place.

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    1. On number 4 I recused myself. 😁

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    2. Yes, it was in the atrium.
      #1 Stumped Him! Wahoo!
      #2 Yes technically, but incomplete as to role. 12.5 pts
      #3 Correct, not quite as complete as John's answer, so 24 points +1 point for Air Force Grading Curve.
      #4 Yes, well it WOULD have looked bad if you'd gotten it wrong.

      Tied for second place with 37.5.

      Delete
    3. Yup, didn't specify that she's a trainer, my bad.

      Delete
  7. Great photos. It's been about two decades since I've been to that museum, looks like they've added a few new aircraft. I really need to make sure and budget some time for a visit next time we're down that way.

    Okay, quiz answers (without looking at the answers above me):
    1. Pretty sure that's an SB2C Helldiver. Dive bomber that mostly replaced the Dauntless.
    2. Two seat ME262. I'm guessing that's one of the flying replicas that got built a while back? Which would make it the only two seater 262 currently in existence.
    3. Catapult pistons? Just guessing based on the nose gear up above.
    4. I'm not good at recognizing cockpits. F-4?

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    Replies
    1. #1 Nope
      #2 Yep, but wrong on mission 12.5 pts
      #3 Yep, not quite as good as answer as John's 24 points +1 Non-Navy Curve.
      #4 Yep

      New leader in the Club House 67.5 Points!

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    2. Aaron,
      According to the Museum's website, that ME262 was captured in Schleswig Germany in 1945. So...not a replica.

      Delete
    3. Interesting about the 262. Like I said, didn't realize any two seaters survived. I wonder if that was on display twenty years ago. You'd think I'd have taken a picture if it was...

      And the tail threw me on #1. Oh well. :)

      Delete
  8. That's no aileron on that Gutless, that's the split speed-brake!

    The rollerons are on them folded wings. They even painted them white so's you'd notice them.

    How can I tell you've never built the old 1/32 Hasegawa kit where all these parts came separate and were poseable?

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    Replies
    1. I don't think I ever saw that kit, because I'd have remembered that.

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  9. 1. Arrrhh, ye maties, that be a Brewster Buccaneer! (Aside from the Buffalo, which was 1st class when introduced, Brewster produced some fine aircraft. What is it about weird aircraft companies that I be so fascinated about? Neat thing, by the way, the US Navy found that putting an air-dropped torpedo in a cheap plywood box could allow them to effectively drop torps from as high as 2K above sea level, thus, not repeating the need to fly low and slow and get blown away.)

    2. Without looking up the answers, the first time I saw that particular plane was in some history book about captured Kraut stuff, specifically an ME-262 (specifically a B-1a version) Weird seeing it back in non-US colors.

    3. Some sort of magic ELINT probe just in case Godzilla decides to get frisky? (Well, once I looked up everyone's answers above it was a definite 'Duh' moment that I can only explain to it being 'Glorius International Socialist Laborer Day, Comrade!' syndrome or something like that. Cat pistons... my original answer was more funny but I knew it was wrong, well, except it could be used on Godzilla if he decides to get frisky, would make a good "world's largest taser" and you could fire it off the USS Ford if they ever get their cats working...)

    4. Crusader or Corsair II cockpit (F-8/A-7) not sure, but got that magic feeling. Love the A-7. It looks like an attack plane. And the Crusader was the Last of the Gun Fighters (supposedly) and was just damn cool looking with that angle of attack changing wing concept. (And now that I looked at other people's answers, well, juvat you glorious bastage, duh, some version of Phantom cockpit love fest going on. So I completely blew it on two answers, dang it.)

    Now a quick question for you and all you players out there? What does the F6F, the F4U and the P-47 have in common (besides being kick-ass tough American fighters using the finest of John Moses Brownings automatic firing guns)???

    As to hearing the sound of freedom, one of the places we used to play at was at a 4-H camp in the Ocala National Forest, quite near a naval bombing range. Funny to watch a bunch of stick-jock busy whacking away all suddenly stop when hearing F-18s cavorting in the sky. Even funnier if you drive down the wrong roads and suddenly realize you are in the middle of a bombing range because some bubbas removed the barriers to go hunting (true story, not happened to me, but someone I know.)

    In socialist Gainesville, we rarely hear military-grade engines, which makes us sad...

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    1. Same round engine? Or maybe the same propeller? I remember the Jugs really shined once they put those 4 paddles on them, like a F4U... Guessing on the Hellcat tho.

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    2. I'll wait to post the answer later...

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    3. #1 Bingo! But what did it DO in WWII? 12.5 pts
      #2 Yep, But what did it Do in WWII? 12.5 pts
      #3 Nope
      #4 Noped

      25 Points, but I got a chuckle out of #2 Bonus 5 points 30

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    4. Beans, Dropped a lot of bombs on that range while I was at Moody. Night time was a little weird because there was so much ambient light from neighboring cities, that night vision was difficult to maintain, but since sea level and the ground were essentially equal, it wasn't difficult to figure out how high you were above the hard stuff.

      Delete
    5. Well, if you must know...
      #1 - Scout/Bomber. Decent bomb or aerial torpedo load, great range and loiter time.
      #2 - trainer, duh. Thus the B-1a designation. Which designates the ME-262 as a... 2-seated trainer fighter (some were armed, some weren't)
      #3 - yah, it boggled me. Familiarish with external cat equipment, not so familiar with in-deck cats. (fascinated with the cats on top of BB turrets or the twin cats on the rear of the Iowa class (carried 3 aircraft internally!)
      #4 - yeah, noped on that, considering how many times Sarge has flashed us with cockpit pictures...

      Curious as to what made you get chuckled on #2.

      Delete
    6. #1 Not according to the
      Museum's info
      on it. Never used in combat according to them.
      Typo on the chuckling. #3.

      Delete
    7. Again, designated as a scout/bomber. Had a decent bomb load. Could drop stuff from on high. But... yeah, it sucked, 5 years too late in comparison to equivalent aircraft. Not too bad for recon or pulling a target. But, yeah, I forgot. Brewster sucked.

      Delete
    8. As to what the P-47, F6F and F4U have in common was the wonderful, great, beautiful Pratt and Whitney R-2800 double Wasp.

      Great engine. Practically unbreakable, unlike that pansy of an in-line Merlin.

      Delete
  10. Forgot to mention that I'm reading, "Zoomies, Subs, and Zeros" by Lockwood and Adamson, and they mentioned fishing George Bush out of the water a couple of chapters ago. I did't know there was film of the recovery.
    https://www.amazon.com/Zoomies-Zeros-Annotated-Charles-Lockwood-ebook/dp/B07QHXKTFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GLRXV7FM5LOH&keywords=zoomies+subs+and+zeros&qid=1567448797&s=gateway&sprefix=zoomies+sub%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-1

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    Replies
    1. Always looking for another read...Thanks John.

      Delete
  11. Excuse me for being negative but the rescue of Bush always sours my stomach. A submarine and crew went within range of shore based artillery to rescue him. At the end of the Vietnam War, he was CIA Director. Didn't do anything (at least public knowledge) to save POW/MIAs. At the time, who was in a better position?

    Great pictures and commentary!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks,
      As to President Bush, he was CIA Director from 30 Jan '76-20 Jan 77. Saigon fell 30 April '75. By the time he took over, any actions with regard to POW's still held captive would have certainly been closely held. So, I think I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

      Delete
  12. GOOD museum, and yes, you CAN get up close and personal with the birds. FYI, that formation of A-4s in the Atrium are in the proper spacing that they actually flew in! Did you get out to the flight line and see the 'big' birds?

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    Replies
    1. Nah, The ID card appointment was at 2, so we ran out of time. But...an excuse to return!

      Delete
  13. The Buccaneer was primarily a target tug, as it wasn't good at anything else.

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  14. That is the only Douglas Dolphin left, next to the P5 Marlin.

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  15. Just as a note, the pilots name on that Corsair is Gregory Boyington.

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