(WW2 P47)Thunderbolt elevated (from lake in Austria) - new pictures

Der Salzkammergut Internet Zeitung ^ | 14. Juni 2005

[rlmorel]

I had a B-17 fly over my house at around 300-500 feet a couple of years ago...I heard the engines, ran outside and it was coming right for me!!!!

I was in my backyard, jumping up and down going WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! with my arms in the air!!

There is NOTHING like it.

[SampleMan]

From condition of plane, he must have ditched.

[colonialhk]

I saw an interview with one of the Tuskegee Redtails and he said he loved the P-47. He felt the P-51 was a better aircraft for their job but still he said he loved the P-47.

Yeah that radial roar is incredible.

[grobdriver]

Yeah - I love jugs, too. ;)
But more to the point(s), I wonder who's going to take on the restoration (in Austria) and who will buy it in the US, what with the government waiting to claim it as theirs (based on recent Corsair action... maybe they learned their lesson and will keep their hands off?).

[Billthedrill]

A Jug BTT. There is a remarkable tale about a crippled one flying for England that was caught by an ME-109. The German pilot emptied both machine-gun and cannon magazines into the Thunderbolt (the pilot of the latter tucked up in front of the seat armor), and the thing still flew. Said German flew up alongside, saluted, and departed.

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[Yo-Yo]

Ooh, lookie at the eight Ma Duces in the wings! Oh boy!

[HEY4QDEMS]

After the translation I did read, thinking the same thing I was.

[CyberAnt]

My favorite is the P-38 - because my dad worked for Hughes Aircraft in Burbank - and helped to build them.

[grobdriver]

Hughes Aircraft in Burbank

Lockheed?

[68skylark]

Impressing and frightening at the same time the armament of this fighter.

Those Germans have a way with words. This is a great sentence. (And it's very true, from what I've read about this aircraft.)

[68skylark]

Absolutely. The airplane is cool also.

[nuke rocketeer]

Seems in remarkably good shape despite 60 years in the water!

[Gritty]

Really cool!

[Lockbar]

Looks like they damaged one of the plane's wings with the lifting straps. This plane is probably worth $1.5 - 2 million even as it sits right now.

[RJS1950]

The "Big Ass Bird" name was also assigned to a Martin B26 Marauder in the 319th BG. I have a framed litho hanging in my office at home. My father flew with the 319th in both the ETO and PTO during the war.

[AggieCPA]

My favorite is the P-38 too - because it was my Grandpa's favorite plane to fly in the War.

I had hoped to somehow get him out to see Glacier Girl because he said he would give anything to see one up close again and hear it take off before he died.

Unfortunately, he went in the hospital Sunday and we don't expect him to come out.

[Skooz]

That happened to me, too.

In 2002, a B-17 taking off from an airshow at the local airport flew right over my house--maybe 400 feet (we live close to the airport).

I heard him coming, and ran to the window, and he flew right over me. Exceedingly cool.

[CyberAnt]

Wow! Thanks for telling me that.

I remember seeing a documentary about the rescue of a P-38 from a glacier - is that what you mean by "Glacier Girl" ..??

I bought the video because when the test pilot took the restored P-38 up for the first time .. I just burst into tears .. wondering if it might have been one of the planes my dad helped to build.

[CyberAnt]

It wasn't Lockheed in WWII.