James's Frames: OLD BIRDS & WAR BIRDS

When I was a kid "working" in the summer fields of my dad's farm during the 1940's, WWII
was raging. Small yellow planes from the army air field at Chamblee, now Peachtree Dekalb
airport, would fill the skies with mock dog fights. Oh how I wished I was old enough to be
up there with them!

Still today I am fascinated by anything that flies. Over the years I have collected photos of
old planes and war planes. Below I have included a few.

This is one of my favorites of an old bird AND a war bird. See the star on the lower wing.
It was most likely used as a trainer in the years before WWII. It must be fun to fly today!

This Plane was use as an early trainer for beginning pilots. It is the type I saw dog fighting
over the cotton fields as a boy.

   This is a Ford tri-plane used for air mail service in the 1930's. Notice the large engines
used with small props.

  The next 5 photos are of the North American P-51. The most iconic fighter plane of
all time. This plane was designed and built for the Britain before the US entered the war.
It proved to be under powered at high altitude and a super charged RR engine was added.
Later in the war it was the only fighter that could escort B24 and B17's over Germany.
  Notice the size of the windmills ahead of the 1600 hp engines. About 1,500 P-51s were
built and today less 150 are flying at a cost of 1.5-2.0 million dollars each.

Several photos of several models follow.

The photo above is of an F-80 the first jet fighter in US combat. It was followed by the swap winged
F-86 used in the Koran war dog fighting with the Russian MIG's. in the 1950's.

Above a small WWII trainer parked under the wing of a B-17.

This appears to be an engine from a P-40 Flying Tiger. Notice the eye and shark teeth.
It is ,no doubt for sale.

The next two shots are of a B-26. This is the same type plane flown by Jimmy Doolittle
over Japan in 1942. Note the nose art you will see more of later.