P-51 inside spin 360*

[Guppy35]

Isn't this the one that made a forced landing in the backyards of a neighborhood and the pilot was killed?   Few years ago maybe?

That's the one Oboe.  Rebuilt with the families wishes since the pilot who was killed had been the driving force behind the restoration to begin with.

[Guppy35]

So do you still go see her? That's sweet she's still so close to you. I don't think I'll get to take Jenn to Cavenaugh this weekend. Too busy today and supposed to snow tomorrow but you never know. I was at an airshow many years ago in Denton and they had a 109 with no wings on it you could climb in. I bet I sat in that thing for a hour pissing off the line of people waiting. Talking about a kid daydreaming.

Haven't seen her in a while.  She's a Red tail so Matthew will of course have to see her in time

Last Mustang I got up close to was the D model in Fargo when visiting relatives a little over a year ago.  The Mrs took this of the old man watching the little guy in awe of that big propeller.  He knows Mustangs

[Slash27]

Those mirrors were useless in real life.

ack-ack

Why were they used then?

[WYOKIDIII]

No gunsight...that made me a little sad.

[Ack-Ack]

Why were they used then?

To give the pilot a false sense of security maybe?  by the time you saw the plane in your little rear view mirror you were a few seconds away from death and pilots learned very early not to rely on those little mirrors.

ack-ack

[Guppy35]

They clearly had to be more then an ornament since they became standard on fighters.  Spits came with the cupped mirrors that 51 drivers coveted.  38s had their own design etc.

I think it's a little much to say they were useless.  If you read the history of the Spit, it started with none, pilots started to improvise, then a standard rectangle mirror on Spit vs and early IXs followed by the cupped mirror on the rest.  Plenty of 51 drivers had two of them.  You can find razorback jugs with 2-3 mirrors.  While it may have been not much more then a security blanket, the pilots sure seemed to want them.

[Slash27]

Slash,

Took the family two summers ago to the Denton Airshow...I will post a pic of my daughter standing next to a P40E painted in The Flying Tiger scheme...very cool.  She thinks I suck at this game and the guy that flew that 40 around is the best....she is right, I suck at this game!! lmao.

Changeup

Smart kid!! If Denton does another air show Im there. You can buy me a burger.

[Vinkman]

They clearly had to be more then an ornament since they became standard on fighters.  Spits came with the cupped mirrors that 51 drivers coveted.  38s had their own design etc.

I think it's a little much to say they were useless.  If you read the history of the Spit, it started with none, pilots started to improvise, then a standard rectangle mirror on Spit vs and early IXs followed by the cupped mirror on the rest.  Plenty of 51 drivers had two of them.  You can find razorback jugs with 2-3 mirrors.  While it may have been not much more then a security blanket, the pilots sure seemed to want them.

Can't speak for all planes or all pilots, but Guther Rall addressed the subject in his memior. He said they were installed in some of the 109 he recieved and that the mirrors vibrated so much that the blury image was completely useless and he always had them removed.