I saw one of these at the Wright Patt Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. I stood there so long in awe with my mouth open my family left me and my tongue dried out. It was truly an awesome bird.
I think the A-10 was my sentimental favorite. It is the only gun to my knowledge that is so compelling they built a plane to carry it to the battlefield. She fires ~65, 3/4 pound projectiles per second when the “hawg farts.”
Wright Patt is a good stop if you ever get close.
So they had an area roped off with just tires and landing gear struts standing in the appropriate spots, with a nice sign identifying it. (Just like the rest of the stuff on static display.) On all the listings for the specs, it said "You wouldn't believe it anyhow".
Wasn’t that the prop driven plane at Wright Patt. I think all the jet models were destroyed!
Didja get to see the Valkyrie?
Oh man, I could live there. You NEED a FULL 2 DAYs to do it justice. I especially like the Messerschmidts they have on display. So far ahead of their time.
Walk through the front door, and hanging over your head is a wood and canvas French plane with an engine the size of your family car. You really wonder how it ever got off the ground.
I took my Dad there for a reunion of the boys on his ship. First day, those old boys ran off to a far back corner of the museum. I had trouble keeping up with them. They KNEW where they were going.
There, way back in the corner, was a B29 in pristine condition. The legend said the plane was in flyable condition. Next to it were mock ups of Fat Man and Little Boy.
But what almost had me choked up was all those old boys putting hands on that airplane, openly crying. It was BOCKSCAR, the SECOND plane to hit Japan at Nagasaki. Enola Gay was a good hit, but Bockscar nailed the coffin shut.
All those old warriors knew that that airplane sealed the deal and ended the war. Had it not, most of those guys would have been hamburger on the road to Tokyo.
I stood back and watched a mob of old guys just rub their hands on the belly of that airplane, and openly cry.
Most emotional moment I ever had with my father.