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July-August 2012
- Forensics and Fervor
- 70th Anniversary Reunion of the Doolittle Raiders
- The Doolitte Raid: Saylor’s ‘Keys’ to Success
Southwest Ohio, the birthplace of American aviation, hosted two events aimed at honoring the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. The B-25 Gathering at Grimes Field in Urbana, Ohio became the staging ground for 20 B-25 Mitchell bombers that flew en masse to historic Wright Field at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, where four of the five surviving raiders gathered for the 70th anniversary of their daring raid.
A rare Yakovlev Yak-1 was pulled from an icy Russian lake with many clues to aid in its identification. This amazing aircraft’s restoration is now well underway and impressively includes a perfectly running Klimov MP- 105 engine. Now that it is for sale the big question is who will ultimately own and fly it.
The Lone Star Flight Museum is the proud owner of a P-51 Mustang that was recently restored at Ezell Aviation. In harmony with LSFM’s hometown heritage the plane was finished as Galveston Gal, the World war Two aircraft of Capt. Raymond Lancaster. On at least a dozen occasions Lancaster’s squadron flew support for the 303rd Bomb Group, which included the famous B-17 Flying Fortress Thunderbird. Now these two icons of the air war in Europe are flying together again.
Despite American stereotypes to the contrary, the people of Normandy love and respect the sacrifices of American soldiers, sailors, and airmen who fought for French liberation. Sixty-eight years after D-Day, people still flock to the villages of Normandy to thank veterans and to honor the dead. A partnership between the C-47 Drag-‘em Oot and the Round Canopy Parachuting Team brings history to life.
With aircraft as unique as the Ryan PT-22 Recruit it’s understandable that a friendship might develop between two “recruit buddies.” This is the story of Doug Schuster and Terry Freedman of Southern California, and their “Maytag Messerschmitts.”
The Cavanaugh Flight Museum’s P-51 Mustang known as The Brat III is a story of a true warbird survivor. Not only did The Brat III survive aerial combat during World War Two, it also survived foreign military service that lasted until 1984. Destiny moved in when The Cavanaugh Flight Museum learned about the original World War Two pilot, Hjalmar Johnsen, and decided to pursue a ground up restoration.
While everyone has heard of General James H. Doolittle, there were 79 other men who took part in the raid, each with their own important story. This is the little known story of Sergeant Edward J. Saylor and how his mechanical genius saved Plane# 15 from being pushed overboard, and how his success ultimately played a role in the survival of Ted Lawson on the crew of Plane# 7.