Tally Ho Chaps!

Well, I thought I'd share some pixellated goodness with you all, this time courtesy of the Chino Airport Air Museum. They have some fantastic planes on display here, including some very, very rare WW2 aircraft, most notably some experimental German jet fighters. All in all a very enjoyable experience for a pair of military fans, such as the old man and myself. Once again, I've added a brief description underneath each photograph, so those of you not militarily inclined know what I'm showing you. On with the show....


First of all, some photos of what I personally believe is the most beautiful thing mankind has ever produced - the Spitfire. Everything looks right with this plane, no matter what angle you look at it from. Forget Aston Martins, the Sistine Chapel, the Statue of David - this is the real deal. From the curved wings, to the teardrop canopy, to the rounded propellor, it has it all. To see one in real life is just fantastic.


2 photos of 2 different P-51 Mustangs that the museum has. This was America's answer to the Spitfire, and while not quite as beautiful to look at, was just as effective, if not more so.


A Hawker Hurricane - the predecessor to the Spitfire. While not as fast as the Spitfire, it was more versatile and resilient. As a result, it served many roles - fighter, bomber, escort and even being equipped with anti-tank cannons to strafe German armour.


A P-47 Thunderbolt. Unfortunately I couldn't get a shot of the whole plane, due to the way the museum was laid out, and the fact it was placed right next to other planes. However, I did manage to get a shot of the business end. This plane was pretty much all engine and guns - beauty was eschewed for functionality. The fact it was an all-American design shouldn't surprise you. The engine was capable of propelling this plane at over 500 mph. Standard tactic with this plane was to climb above the enemy, dive on them at full speed, shred whatever was in front of it with the 4 .50 cal machine guns it had mounted in each wing and be gone before the enemy had time to react. This plane is simply colossal for a fighter. At almost 7 tons full weight, it was more than double the weight of the Spitfire.


A Japanese A6M - more commonly known as a "Zero." This is one of the only planes that was in service at both the start and end of the war. Initially this plane was more manoeuvrable and faster than anything the Allies could field against it, and ruled the skies in the Pacific theatre of war. Later on, the Americans in particular developed better fighters that were more than a match for the Zero, however in the hands of a skilled pilot it was still more than capable of taking the Americans on. It's weakness was it's fragility - the bulk of the plane was wood and canvas, which, while making it light and manoeuvrable, made it very vulnerable to any sort of bullets.


A V1 flying bomb, one of thousands the Germans used to bomb London in the latter stages of the war. Obviously this one has been captured before being used.


A Heinkel-163 - one of the rarest fighters of World War 2. I was shocked to see this here. The Germans only built a couple hundred of these, and most of them were destroyed during the war. The principle was that the plane was propelled by a rocket engine, and took off at over 800mph, with the pilot pointing the plane at a bomber formation. As he roared through the formation, he would try and shoot down a bomber and then escape before the American fighter escorts (usually P-51 Mustangs) could react. The experimental nature of the rocket fuel tended to cause more casualties than the Americans did.


An American Shooting Star Jet - mainstay of their forces during the 50's and 60's.



Two Russian MiG jets - the top one is a MiG 21, and the bottom one is a MiG 15. Both were developedin the 1950's. These were excellent jets, and continued to be used by many Communist countries well into the 80's and 90's - as you can tell from the MiG 21, which is equipped with North Korean markings.



I wasn't quite sure what this was doing at an aviation museum but it still looked awesome - a real, working condition Sherman Tank. It's smaller than I would have thought though. Standing next to it, my head would extend up to the turret.






And finally, the highlight of the tour, for me at least - an actual B-17 Flying Fortress. As you can see, it's in the process of being restored. This plane is one of the iconic machines of World War 2 - along with the British equivalent, the Avro Lancaster, it was the plane most often used in bombing raids on Germany. There are very few left in existence though, which is what makes this one so special. The museum had some great memorabilia on the B-17, including original crew gear, souvenirs from various planes, original artwork that had been painted on the planes by the crew, and loads more.

All in all an excellent day. I know I've knocked the Americans quite a bit, but they certainly know how to preserve their history.