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Aviation history anyone?

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NutmegCT

NutmegCT

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Quite a story:

Pan American's Boeing 314 "California Clipper" seaplane, left California on December 2, 1941, destination Auckland New Zealand via Hawaii, on its regularly scheduled passenger service.

View attachment 42067

The Japanese attack on Hawaii prevented the planned return flight, so the aircraft had to return to the USA flying west, over 30,000 miles, via:

Gladstone, Australia
Darwin, Australia
Surabaya, Java
Trincomalee, Ceylon
Karachi, British India
Bahrain
Khartoum, Sudan
Leopoldville, Belgian Congo
Natal, Brazil
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
New York, arriving January 6, 1942.

On returning to the USA, the "California Clipper" was renamed "Pacific Clipper".

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ms84WfJwalI



A side note: many commercial pilots entering military air service during WW2 were permitted to wear their commercial airline caps while in military uniform.





Tom M.

 
Nice to watch that Tom, thanks for sharing it with us. I knew of the aircraft, but never saw that footage. :encouragement: PJ
 
In the late 1940's, I saw one of these take off from Long Island Sound near Oyster Bay. I believe it may have flown to Portugal?
 
The whole story of that period for PanAm would be interesting. This clipper, before starting home, flew to New Caledonia from New Zealand to evacuate the PanAm personnel stationed there to Australia before starting West. And another clipper flew to Wake Island after the initial attack to successfully get the PanAm station people out from there. Returned to Australia with a few more holes than it started out I gather. There were others doing other work to save folks too.
 
I understand that the last Clipper was scrapped many years ago. I would hope this is not true, but have my doubts. If one was available to use in a movie, half the cost of making the film would be in fuel costs. It cost over $10,000 to fly a Super Constellation one way from Texas to Ohio many years ago in fuel costs alone. Hate to see what it would cost today. If one is still around, I would think it would be in a military grave yard, but most of those have been picked clean. Shame. PJ
 
A number of years ago I did the funeral of a woman who had been an actress in Argentina - she married a PANAM pilot and moved to the USA. it was such big (and romantic) news that it made the front pages even in Brazil. Unfortunately when she got to the USA she discovered he wanted to do the "Green Acres" thing on a scrub farm in Florida. So, she decided to go back to Argentina to re-start her career. Unfortunately, as she was leaving she made disparaging comments about a "C grade two bit Argentinian actress" - Eva Peron! So, when she got back, Evita (in power now) blackballed her completely. So, she returned to the USA where she lived happily? ever after.
 
That is really cool, would love to see one of the big flying boats of the era in action.

I also saw a video of a restored Lockheed Constellation in flight recently, another neat "golden era" plane. I think a lot of us have an interest in "planes, trains and automobiles" but for me anyway the first to are mostly enjoyed through books and videos.
 
Agree on the Constellation! One of the best looking aircraft of the 1930s-1950s.

And here's a Vought-Sikorsky "amphibion" (VS-44) that we've got on display at the New England Air Museum.

1942Vought-Sikorsky-VS44-c.jpg


It's named "Excambian", and during WW2 flew New York - Ireland.

And another Clipper story:

 
This is the type that flew from Texas to Ohio with a $10,000 gas bill. Photo 1
View attachment 42120
Next is the most beautiful aircraft ever built and it was in the Air Force service!
View attachment 42121 PJ
 
Columbine! Eisenhower!

:encouragement:
 
NutmegCT said:
Columbine! Eisenhower!

:encouragement:
Click to expand...

I should have mentioned Eisenhower, sorry. Just my opinion on the beauty of it, but I'll have to stick to it. :thumbsup:
 
SR-71 is beautiful in the sense of "form follows function". To understand the beauty you need to realize its capabilities. And yowzers what an amazing airplane.

Columbine is just beautiful. Even to folks who know nothing about airplanes.

P.S. I have no one favorite. It's like cars... sometimes a T6, other days an SR-71. And other days a DC-3. And then I defer to a Ryan ST-A... https://sss.airliners.net/photo/Ryan-STA/1991929/L/. Or a Piper Cub. (TR, Alfa GTV, step-down Hudson, W108 Mercedes, 911, ...)
 
Mike - I think we share a few brain cells. For design as well as utility: DC-3, ST-A, Cub, Mercedes, Porsche (tho' I'd go for a 356 over a 911).

Here's the prototype Constellation, 1943:

749x395xLockheed-L-049-Constellation-NX25600-XC-69-Burbank-9-January-1943.jpg.pagespeed.ic.1TMzHs3mCk.jpg


Lockheed XC-69 Constellation 43-10309
 
We definitely share a few brain cells - but the good ones! I have read every page of your "Mac & Phyllis Take a Trip", maybe twice, and dream of doing the same: a slow car, cross country, who knows what will happen where.
 
I would list the Spitfire as the most beautiful plane in my eyes. Some of the racers of the 30s, like the Hughes H1, rank right up there too.
 
Walter - the Spitfire was certainly one of the most beautiful planes in the eyes of most British citizens in 1940!

f25b25a41393f0737fdc973f8aa7312f.jpg
 
It may not be pretty to most people, but the TBM Avenger has my vote. I guess the first bird you get to turn wrenches on always has a spot in your heart. It was my experience at the restoration hangar that gave me the confidence to make the jump to cars. Despite the TBM's size, it is a pretty straightforward aircraft to work on. LeRoy Grumman said "Make 'em simple, make 'em tough", and the Avenger was definitely there on both counts.

DSC_0405 by David Cohen, on Flickr

DSC_0429 by David Cohen, on Flickr

DSC_0434 by David Cohen, on Flickr

Several members of the restoration crew including myself at an open house in Culpeper this past November:
WD-The Restoration Crew 1 by David Cohen, on Flickr
 
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