And now for something completely different...

[Okla-homey]

its a damned shame these guy were led by a maniacal monster. They were, some damned fine soldiers. And they killed a buttload of Communists.

P.S. GO WHITEY!:D

xQ4ldl12W0I&feature=related

[yermom]

they were just following orders...

[StoopTroup]

BTW that Maniacal Monster sure sold a lot of books.

Didn't Obama sell some books too?

[Leroy Lizard]

Don't forget their aviators. Hans Rudel was probably the greatest military aviator of all time. In fact, I don't even think it's close.

[StoopTroup]

I'm gonna go with this guy....

http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/UP_HOWARD_HUGHES_ART_COM.jpg

[Leroy Lizard]

Why not just go with this guy? Makes about as much sense.

http://willwalker.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/PeeWeeHerman.jpg

[StoopTroup]

Then maybe you ought to do a little research. The guy turned Air Travel into an Industry instead of a graveyard of bodies.

[Leroy Lizard]

Then maybe you ought to do a little research. The guy turned Air Travel into an Industry instead of a graveyard of bodies.

Gee, something about MILITARY aviators is important here.

[GKeeper316]

hughes designed the japanese zero, which killed more americans than any other single pilot fighter plane.

[StoopTroup]

Gee, something about MILITARY aviators is important here.

It sure is...


The H-1 Racer featured a number of design "innovations": it had retractable landing gear (as Boeing Monomail had five years before) and all rivets and joints set flush into the body of the aircraft to reduce drag. The H-1 Racer is thought to have influenced the design of a number of World War II fighters such as the Mitsubishi Zero, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and the F8F Bearcat; although that has never been reliably confirmed. The H-1 Racer was donated to the Smithsonian in 1975 and is on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

He did some other Military things you might want to bring yourself up to speed on.

[Leroy Lizard]

hughes designed the japanese zero, which killed more americans than any other single pilot fighter plane.

Myth.

[StoopTroup]

Myth.

Here's another myth....:rolleyes:


Hughes was involved in a near-fatal aircraft accident on July 7, 1946, while piloting the experimental U.S. Army Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, the XF-11, over Los Angeles. An oil leak caused one of the contra-rotating propellers to reverse pitch, causing the aircraft to yaw sharply. Hughes tried to save the craft by landing it on the Los Angeles Country Club golf course, but seconds before he could reach his attempted destination, the XF-11 started to drop dramatically and crashed in the Beverly Hills neighborhood surrounding the country club

I guess experimental aircraft for OUR military isn't important....lol

[Leroy Lizard]

It sure is...



He did some other Military things you might want to bring yourself up to speed on.

Stay on track. I mentioned Hans Rudel as the greatest MILITARY AVIATOR of all time. In terms of military aviation engineers, I don't think Hughes compares to Henry Fokker or Willy Messerschmidt.

Now civilian-wise, sure. I can go along with that.

[Leroy Lizard]

Here's another myth....:rolleyes:



I guess experimental aircraft for OUR military isn't important....lol

The plane was a failure. So what of it? The Spruce Goose was designed for military purposes too. So what?

Yes, Howard Hughes did play a role in military aviation. But he wasn't anywhere close to being the top military aviator of all time. He wasn't even the top military designer of all time. Most of his great contributions actually centered on civilian aviation.

[Lott's Bandana]

US submarines are almost exclusively referred to as "boats" by those that serve in them and most official capacities, in deference to the bravery and capabilities of the German Unterseeboots (UBoat) and their crews.

I served on three different boats and have never called them anything else, even though the definition of a ship is, "a vessel large enough to carry a boat(s)". Since mine were the size of WWII cruisers they definitely were ships, but not to me or my shipmates.

Those German submariners (and frankly our own Fleet Boat sailors) were superlative sailors and many times better submariners than my airconditioned, prime rib eatin azz.

[Okla-homey]

they were just following orders...

Good thing we had Woody Guthrie from Okemah, OK on our side.

VwcKwGS7OSQ&feature=related

[texaspokieokie]

my favorite aviator is Chuck Yeager.

top designer (none compare) is (was) Kelly Johnson.

[Okla-homey]

my favorite aviator is Chuck Yeager.

top designer (none compare) is (was) Kelly Johnson.

You gotta give it up to HH though. His H-2 Racer was the last world speed record holding non-military aircraft.

Kelly Johnson was a daisy, but the Lockheed skunk works her ran was literally bathed in Cold War cash wheelbarrowed over by the DAF.

[texaspokieokie]

i'll still go for Yeager & Johnson.

[texaspokieokie]

Kelly, involved in design of SR-71; still the best @ what it did; designed 50 yrs ago.

F-104 very good in many ways, but dangerous to fly.

Yeager took a special 104 up to 108,000 ft.

he flew everything the Air Force ever had.

he even shot down a ME-262 jet during the war.

[texaspokieokie]

pertaining to "maniacal monster" above, turned out stalin was as bad or worse than hitler.