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Posted on 08/02/2014 12:25:57 PM PDT by Squawk 8888
Matthew Munson, age 34, of Henley-on-Thames, England, is an affable, unpretentious and ridiculously wealthy Brit. By his own admission he is captive to some impulsive spending habits, particularly when the spending involves mechanical things — planes, trains, helicopters, automobiles and the like, but no boats.
His wife Helen is familiar with her husband’s financial proclivities. As she puts it, she’s “a bit used to him doing these sorts of things,” such as buying a $250,000 Ferrari to add to his Ferrari collection (he owns 12) without asking her first.
“I didn’t realize I hadn’t told her,” Mr. Munson says, laughing.
Ms. Munson was duly informed in advance of his latest gambit. She even encouraged it, if not the final price.
The electrical engineer with the thriving international IT business paid $79,000 in an online auction for a seat on an original, Second World War, Canadian-made Lancaster bomber, departing from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at Hamilton International Airport Monday for a two-month air show tour of England.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalpost.com ...
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For my uncle , mid upper gunner Flt/Sgt. Jack Rennick , who died with the rest of his Lancaster crew in G for George , June 23 1943. He was 22 years old, his 27th trip. A terrific hockey player.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4Gh2DfPkP4
FYI there are 2 B 24 still flying. Diamond Lil is owned by the CAF and the other one is owned by the Collins Foundation.
Diamond Lil was the 38th B24 built.
I hope someday to be able to treat myself to such things.
Thanks for your post #37. I hope you get to ride in a B-24!
The next day she flew out and the 321st Bomb Wing launched a B-1B and the two aircraft flew in formation over the base. The Lanc was at full throttle while the B-1B was doing everything possible to not fall out of the sky.
I have a great professional photograph of that moment. I doubt it will ever occur again.
Good to know. The one I saw had the natural(silver) finish.
God bless him and his mates. I thank them for my freedom.
There is nothing more beautiful than the sound of two or four radial engines when they are synced. I loved flying the old Twin Beeches and DC-3s. Didn't care to do much else when I was doing some air cargo work.
My mind is melting. The 319th Bomb Wing flew the B-1B. The 321st was my Strategic Missile Wing on the same base.
Yup. It’s those big Pratt&Whittney engines.
I was painting the house on a stepladder when I heard a familiar sound, slid down the ladder, and raced to an opening in the tree canopy. It was a B-25. A neighbor joined me, so I asked, "You followed me because you like old WWII bombers, too?"
He said, "No, it's because I've never seen you run before!"
:)
I thought it was a great movie, but I watched a version that had the dog’s name edited out.
Watching an unedited version was interesting. I had no idea.
As far as I am concerned, it was part of the whole thing.
I live in Massachusetts in the flight path of Hanscom AFB, and one day,I was in the back yard, and I heard them: The unmistakable sound of large piston-driven radial engines.
About 500 feet up, right over my house was a B-17.
Now, I have been to Oshkosh three or four times and seen the warbirds there, but...to see one appear out of the blue raised a feeling in me that was equivalent to the difference between seeing a bald eagle in a cage, and a wild one flying close by.
Thanks for your post#31 and the critique on the Lancaster. According to that 91 year old WWII AAF pilot vet the most dangerous plane he ever flew in was the BT-13 which they had at this exhibition I mentioned. That film the Brits did “Dam Busters” is still a classic. As far as that Canadian kicking in the 79,000 euros to “Keep em flying” God bless him.
They according to what the radio report I heard were charging six bits $75 bucks for a short hop on the “Lib”. But there are too few of these airframes around “ There were 14,000 “Libs” built and 12,000 “Forts”” according to that 91 year old vet who’s name I wish I knew
My first flight-instructor had been an ME-110 pilot during the war.
Claimed he shot down four Lancasters and three other aircraft (I don’t recall what he said they were).
55 Spitfires and 13 Hurricanes are in airworthy condition. By contrast, there are over 150 P-51 Mustangs still in the air, and several dozen others in various stages of restoration.
-ccm
And a lot of those Spitfires were resurrected in the 80’s. I saw a bunch being restored at the Imperial War Museum shop in Duxford.
Someone had the great idea to collect up a lot of the Spitfire “gate guards” around the UK before they rotted away for ever. They were replaced by full size fiberglass replicas and the gate guards restored to flying condition.
Can’t say I blame him. The old war birds are a sight to behold. The B-17 Aluminum Overcast of the EAA flies here regularly and even with the $400 price tag for a flight they seem to stay busy. Been in and out of it a few times. Amazing machinery.
If I had the $$$, I would have done it, too.
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