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Number 35

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WARBIRD P-51C

BoiseBoise BeeBee DIGEST FW 190A-9

MARCH / APRIL 2011 FRASCA’S Butcher Bird TBM Avenger 85828

UltimateUltimate RewardReward The “FIFI” Success Story DISPLAY UNTIL 5/14/11 UNTIL DISPLAY BoiseBoise BeeBee Story by Philip A. Janquart Photography by Jim Raeder

5The Paul family gather with friends, crew, volunteers, and supporters following the first flight piloted by John Maloney.

OHN PAUL looked on with confident enthusiasm as pilot John Maloney maneuvered the Boise Bee—now one of only five operational P-51Cs in Jthe world—down the runway at the Nampa Municipal Airport and into the sky. It had been over 30 years in the making; John countless others, undertook a big push to bring 5(op-inset-photos) Three photos of Duane W. Beeson during his World collecting parts where he could, and squirreling the airplane to flight condition. On September 29, War Two service, during which he accumulated 25 victories while flying them away until he had what he needed to bring 2010, the effort paid off generously. his P-47 Boise Bee and later his P-51B. For his heroic achievements to life the model P-51 he remembered visiting Beeson was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished as a kid in Banning, California. The last two Test pilot John Maloney, who is also the vice Flying Cross with five oak leaf clusters, Silver Star, Purple Heart, Air years John and his son John-Curtiss, as well as president of Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, Medal with five oak leaf clusters, and Belgian Croix de Guerre.

8 DIGEST #35 MARCH/APRIL 2011 WARBIRD DIGEST #35 MARCH/APRIL 2011 9 UltimateUltimate RewardReward The “FIFI” Success Story

Story by Chris Trobridge and Photograpy by Scott Slocum

N AUGUST 5, 2010, the B-29/B-24 Squadron of the Commemorative OAir Force (CAF) and the B-29/B-24 Squadrons everywhere celebrated a major milestone when the only airworthy B-29 “FIFI” returned to the air. Although the return is widely known among the aviation industry, many do not know the full extent of the challenges faced and sacrifices made. This monumental effort deserves an in-depth review of the project’s high and low moments, and of the people who saw “FIFI” through adversity to victory during this latest trial.

WARBIRD DIGEST #35 MARCH/APRIL 2011 17 Under a ForeignForeign FlagFlag The F8F Bearcat in Indochina 1951-1954 Story by Ted Young

HE F8F Bearcat is one of a small number of American military 5Early in 1952 an F8F Bearcat of GC 1/8 airplanes that saw active combat service not with the US military but under Saintonge heads off the flag of a foreign power. In the Bearcat’s case it was the French flag. on a mission against T the Viet Minh carrying From 1951 to 1954 the Bearcat flew with the French Armée de l’Air in the war in two tanks of napalm. Indochina, in a role that was decidedly secondary to its original mission. Photo: Collection of P. Jarrige, courtesy In the summer of 1943 Grumman began work on airplane that was 50 mph faster than the F6F Hellcat Claude Requi a new fighter design to replace the F6F Hellcat with a superior initial rate of climb. The prototype then in production. Grumman engineers wanted XF8F-1 made its first flight on June 25, 1944. The to offer the U.S. Navy a fighter that would have Navy was so impressed with the new Grumman exceptional performance at low and medium fighter that a few months later it placed orders with altitudes, with superior climb and maneuverability Grumman for 2,033 Bearcats, and an additional to counter the latest generation of Japanese fighter order with for 1,876 as the F3M-1. planes, and the ability to operate from any of the Navy’s carriers. In contrast to its larger sister, the The F8F entered squadron service with VF-19 F7F Tigercat, Grumman chose an approach that during May 1945, but was just too late to see action combined the smallest possible airframe built in World War Two. VF-19 was on its way to the around a powerful engine. The XF8F-1 Bearcat, as Pacific Fleet when the war ended on August 15, it was designated, was about the same size as the 1945. The Navy cancelled its contract with General and around 1,300 pounds Motors and cut back its contract with Grumman. heavier, but had the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine The F8F continued in production at a lower rate. offering 2,100 hp in place of the Wildcat’s 1,200 By the end of 1947 Grumman had completed 880 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830. To conserve weight F8F-1 Bearcats, including 226 F8F-1Bs with four the XF8F’s armament consisted of only four .50 20mm cannon in place of the .50 caliber machine caliber machine guns, deemed adequate against the guns. Grumman then shifted to the F8F-2, building more lightly built Japanese aircraft. Additionally, 293 of this revised version with a taller vertical tail the Bearcat could carry two 1,000 pound bombs surface and a dorsal fin. The F8F became the Navy’s and four rockets under the . The result was an main during the late 1940s. At the

WARBIRD DIGEST #35 MARCH/APRIL 2011 35 Receiving a development contract for the new streamlined and engine nacelle designs, fighter primarily because other German companies Tank was actually surprised when General Ernst were already heavily involved in producing Udet selected the design. combat aircraft for the , Focke-Wulf’s design team, headed by Kurt Tank, actually In retrospect, it eventually became obvious that Udet, proposed two different designs, one powered by Germany’s second-highest-scoring World War One the same Daimler-Benz 601 in-line engine already fighter ace and an extremely popular and talented in use by the Bf 109, Bf 110 and He 111, and the pilot, was actually out of his element as head of the other powered by a radial engine. Since prevailing Air Ministry’s Technical Office. Nevertheless, his opinion at the time favored in-line engines for push to get the Bf 109 fighter and Junkers Ju 87 Stuka fighters because they could be fit into more dive-bomber into service were good decisions, as was his decision to favor the radial-engined Fw 190 over the in-line engined proposal. Of course, the fact that the DB 601 engine was in great demand at the time may have been a primary influence.

The resulting Fw 190 emerged as a low-wing monoplane with a wide-track undercarriage that

FRASCA’SFRASCA’S Butcher Bird Story and Photography by Frank B. Mormillo

ISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was a truly outstanding and versatile fighter plane in World War Two Luftwaffe service, second only H in terms of numbers to the . Ordered by Germany’s Reichluftministerium (RLM) in 1937 as a single-seat fighter intended to simply

back up the already successful Bf 109, the Fw 190 was initially regarded merely (main photo) Frasca’s as “a second iron in the fire.” Dubbed “Wurger” (“shrike” or “butcher bird”), in FW 190A-9 with the San Gabriel Mountains as a backdrop. combat the Fw 190 proved itself to be one of the most effective fighter aircraft of World War Two, superior in most respects to the more numerous Messerschmitt 3California Aerofab’s Matt Nightingale (left) and Rudy Frasca with the FW that it was supposed to back up. 190A-9 at Chino.

44 WARBIRD DIGEST #35 MARCH/APRIL 2011 WARBIRD DIGEST #35 MARCH/APRIL 2011 45 OV-1 Mohawk 64-14262 Magnificent Mohawk Photography by Paul Bowen

5(top) Mohawk 262 ITH A RATHER unique shape, this “dragonfly-looking” aircraft often earns catches the early light as Ed Finnegan and Shari the nickname “crowd magnet” from spectators and air show workers. Thomas form up on the Wherever it goes, curious people are drawn to the rare and unique airplane. B-25 photo ship. W A regular, if odd-looking, airplane on the air show circuit is the OV-1 Mohawk, serial 4(op-top-left) Flight number 64-14262, which is owned and operated by American Wings Air Museum instruments on the left, engine switches overhead (AWAM) from Anoka County / Blaine Airport in Blaine, Minnesota. on the “eyebrow” panel, navigation equipment in Meticulously maintained by AWAM volunteers, proudly adds, “And they all work, too! Even the the center. The Mohawk is this Mohawk is presented exactly as it appeared scratches, scuffs, and oil stains are authentic!” equipped for all-weather, on active duty. They are very conscientious day or night operations. The technical observer about keeping Mohawk 64-14262 in its “just off John Williams, another AWAM volunteer (sensor operator) sat in the the combat flight line” patina. Joe Aragon, 64- and Mohawk pilot adds, “Our aircraft are true right seat and usually had 14262’s crew chief, says, “This is a warplane, not ‘time capsules.’ They look exactly like they just no flight controls. a ‘showplane.’ Everything on this aircraft is either came off the flight line of a Mohawk unit and original or completely authentic. We use the original are maintained to exacting military maintenance 4(op-top-right) Cowling de- ejection seats and ; everything is just as it standards. With the airplanes maintained this way, sign permits easy access for maintainers. The Lycoming was on active duty.” The aircraft is equipped with we can more effectively teach and explain to young T-53-L-701 engine produces one FM tactical radio, two VHF communication people and older spectators what their parents (or 1400 shaft horsepower and radios, one UHF communication radio, one HF in some cases, grandparents), friends and neighbors turns a 10 foot Hamilton- communication radio, an ADF, a VOR, a TACAN, did while serving our nation.” And he should know. Standard propeller. and an inertial navigation system. Joe Aragon John flew Mohawks in combat in Vietnam.

50 WARBIRD DIGEST #35 MARCH/APRIL 2011 S HE SAT AT the breakfast table, immersed in a struggle A New Mission A between analysis and emotion, Brad Deckert of Eureka, Illinois told his wife, Jane, “I just don’t think I can keep it.” Jane realized how much he TBM Avenger had already invested, emotionally and financially, in the TBM Avenger project they had purchased from the Fargo Air 85828 Museum. With her trademark wisdom Story by Greg Morehead and optimism she encouraged Brad to Photo: Greg Morehead persevere. Owning a big, noisy warbird 5Brad Deckert with two of the many TBM veterans he has befriended with lots of “cool factor” was a dream since he and his wife Jane became the caretakers of a combat veteran Brad had finally realized. The weight Avenger. From left: Bill “Shorty” Hickman, Brad Deckert, Kenneth Eltzroth. of responsibility, endless maintenance 6(op-bottom-right) Grumman TBM-3E BuNo 85828 during its wartime challenges, and spending absurd assignment with Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 234 (VMTB-234) and operating from the escort carrier amounts of time in the hangar nearly USS Vella Gulf (CVE-111) during World War Two. squashed that dream. Brad began the story, alternating between seriousness and smiles: “Jane was always an easy sell on the airplane. First of all, it meant something to us because we consider it a tribute to our friend, Gerry Beck, who was very special to us. The plane had been sitting in his Wahpeton, ND hangar for quite some time. After his death we were in Fargo attending the Thunder Over Reno movie premier, which was a film Gerry had been involved with. While we were attending an after-show party we were presented with the idea of buying the TBM and the price seemed 3During the 2010 annual inspection and restoration some of like a deal I couldn’t pass up. I jokingly the “regulars” pose with their labor of love. tell people the purchase can be blamed Left to right: Gregory Bohn, Mike Rawson, Bill Ruder, Brad Deckert, Tom Hartman. on Mark Tisler of Tri-State Aviation because he was an instrumental influence.” With a chuckle he continued, “Jane probably describes it best when she paraphrases the purchase as the result of ‘good friends and alcohol.’”

In 2008 Brad purchased the TBM with partner Linda Schumm, a Cessna rep and owner of a flight school based at Mount Hawley Auxiliary Airport Photo: Greg Morehead (3MY) in Peoria, Illinois. Linda became one

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