Love Of WWII Aircraft

I've sent some emails to some members with more "indepth" quesions, but as part of a school project, I ask...

"Why do you like WWII aircraft so much and what draws you to them?"

 

Nathan I may have answered this from my perspective, but once I knew I had two cousin's serving in the Luftwaffe as pilots // back in the 1960's this got my interest up in the men, machines and operations of both the Luftwaffe and the US/RAF air forces.

~E

 

I came by it through exposure.

My father was a US naval aviator. Got his wings in 11/40, flew fighters at Coral Sea, Midway, and in the Solomons, TF-38 staff at the end. I grew up on naval bases and naval air stations. I remember when USN airplanes were all blue and when seaplanes packed the now vacant ramps facing Willoughby Bay at Norfolk NAS. My father spent 33 years in commissioned service, retiring in 1971, my freshman year in college. In my younger days I could listen to an airplane going overhead and tell what type it was without looking. Of course, that all makes my interest somewhat parochial, I tend to limit myself to US naval aviation in WWII with only occasional forays into other areas.

Regards,

Rich

[ 28. October 2003, 08:53 PM: Message edited by: R Leonard ]

 

Like the rest of the subject, it was first and foremost a question of knowing intimately the subject for miniture wargaming. For me it was never enough to just game things. I wanted to know what worked historically and what didn't. That turned into a lifetime learning project involving far more than just a few coffee table books with pretty pictures.
It has forced me to ask questions and get answers on things most casual history buffs (on aviation or otherwise) ignore for the most part. For instance, I liked Mr. Leonard's posts of TAIC reports on the Zero and Fw 190. While not new information for me they are the kind of detail I can appreciate and make use of.

 

I am interested in WW2 in Europe 1939-45 mostly but on the air battles stuff I´m mostly interested in the aces. Of course the different planes and how they developed as a respond to the enemy plane development-it´s so much faster during war- is interesting to study as well.

The Me-262 is the thing that really interests me. The plane of the future at that time.

 

I'm not a big air-buff, but as a very interested person in military history, an arm such as the aerial must be deeply considered since it has become the first arm in modern warfare.

In WWI it's always good to learn about how it begun, the innovators, the chilvaric aces and the man-to-man duels.

In WWII that's not so much the case. The air arm must be studied because it really influenced the course of battles and aeroplanes types also did. We have huge and very important battles which were almost completely air battles like the battle of Britain, Midway, Coral Sea...

Even if I am not deeply interested in particular types of aeroplanes nor particular air missions, I have a good notion of them to put them into the picture of the general battle.

 

hmmmm why do i like WW2 aircraft so much. I think #1 i am attracted to the personal nature of what aircombat was in ww2.

So why am i not as interested in ww1 planes?...well i find that interesting too but not as much. I think that tends to be because ww1 planes were frail looking and due to the bi-plane design look too far removed from my time.

#2 Because of the personal nature of aircombat in ww2 many aviators decorated their planes so that many planes were completely unique even among planes of the same model.
Each unit had it's own markings and camolage...and each pilot had his own artistic impact on a plane. Plus the country markings were big and bright.
Todays jets rarely have significant nose art and the general markings are no where near the amount as in ww2. The country marking are black and faded.

#3 I also think the use of guns made the whole act of a dogfight seem more "romantic" if that makes sense. There is more challange in it rather than simply locking a missle on.

#4 I also find the deep hum or throaty roar of a prop engine much more pleasureable than the high pitched whine of a jet engine.

#5 Plus having significant interest in the war helps me enjoy the aircraft as well.

So i think that is somewhat the basic reasons why i like ww2 aircraft.

 

Ron good to see ya on the forums again !

~E

 

thanks! I've been really busy but i still read the postings! see ya

 

Thanks everyone for sharing your reasons on "why you like WWII aircraft". All of the reasons will be very helpful.

 

I was in the Navy from '89 - '92 and worked with all the then current helicopters and AV8-B. My ship was an anphibious assault ship named after Guadalcanal. As the original USS Guadalcanal captured the U-505 on 4 June 1944. Our ship had artifacts from the battel of Guadalcanl as well. Started reading about aviation of WWII, went to air shows and loved the sound, smell and sight of piston engined aircraft. I'm stil involved in military aviation and enjoy applying what I know to what I've learned. I'm also a veteran and understand what the WWII vets went through.

 

WWII aircraft was actually the thing that got me into warfare. I had always liked the colors and types of planes, so I started studying the history behind them and I ran into WWII when I was 7 lol

 

When I was a kid, mid 70's, living in Redding, Ca. there was a Forest Service Borate Bomber base there. One of the planes that flew out of it was a converted B-17 and I would run outside everytime I heard that big dog fly over. Seems like there were some C-47's and some A/B-26's as well.