The CAF wants to restore a C-47 that lead the way on D-Day

TheHDPilot

TheHDPilot

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Dec 1, 2014
Messages
7
Display Name
Display name:
TheHDPilot
This is cool. My Dad would have loved this. I made a donation in his honor.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/caf/save-the-airplane-that-led-the-d-day-invasion

Here's what the CAF has say about it:
The transport aircraft that led the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France more than 70 years ago has been rediscovered in an aircraft boneyard in Wisconsin. Believed lost to history, the airplane was slated to be cut apart and remanufactured as a modern turbo-prop. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is launching a Kickstarter funding campaign to save and restore the plane to flying condition.
 
I'm glad Basler is letting them save it from Turboprop conversion.

They have ALOT of work to do if there is any hope of flying the airplane to Normandy in 2019.

I seriously hope it gets assigned to a unit on the east coast (seems like all the large CAF airplanes are out west). I'd definitely be a sponsor, although on second thought, while I love seeing old warbirds maintained to fly, this one is unique and really would be better off in either the Smithsonian or the NMUSAF.
 
Last edited:
Instead of memorializing all this old crap why don't we just start killing Germans again. Seems past due.
 
They have their work cut out for them,wish them luck.
 
Re: The CAF wants to restore a C-47 that led the way on D-Day

Maybe he's trying to get suspended again.
 
They are currently about 74% of the way to their goal. The contributions so far average out to about $195 per contributor. :)
 
ktup-flyer said:
Grow up. I wouldn't wish war on anybody.
Click to expand...

Right. So why celebrate it, by memorializing equipment. Since we are all friends now, pretty rude to rub their faces in the time our peasants had to kill their peasants. Yeah I know our king said to do it so some think that makes it OK.
 
flyingron said:
We taught them a lesson in 1918 and they've hardly bothered us since then.
Click to expand...
Getting killed by a German soldier during WWII doesn't qualify as hardly bothered, just ask their moms.
 
I vote to keep the old girl fling. I would love to be part of such a restoration. More so I would love to fly something like that. Wonder how loud it is inside cockpit on takeoff.
 
Fearless Tower said:
I seriously hope it gets assigned to a unit on the east coast (seems like all the large CAF airplanes are out west). I'd definitely be a sponsor, although on second thought, while I love seeing old warbirds maintained to fly, this one is unique and really would be better off in either the Smithsonian or the NMUSAF.
Click to expand...


Because, like, FiFi is a puddle-jumper? :D

Seriously, I never made a comparison of the basing of various categories of CAF birds, but it does seem to me that there is a lot of heavy hardware down here in Texas. I sort of assumed that the more temperate weather here would help - but, upon reflection, I don't know if the time gained by absence of bone-chilling cold is offset by the excess of blood-boiling heat. :confused:
 
It only took them two days to reach their target!
 
ClimbnSink said:
I'm (still) an insufferable troll who ends up blocked by most people on the forum :mad:
Click to expand...

Here, since he's blocked and you can't see it... I swear, it's exactly what he said - right from the ass horse's mouth! :rofl:
 
Fearless Tower said:
I'm glad Basler is letting them save it from Turboprop conversion.

They have ALOT of work to do if there is any hope of flying the airplane to Normandy in 2019.

I seriously hope it gets assigned to a unit on the east coast (seems like all the large CAF airplanes are out west). I'd definitely be a sponsor, although on second thought, while I love seeing old warbirds maintained to fly, this one is unique and really would be better off in either the Smithsonian or the NMUSAF.
Click to expand...

The Smithsonian has plenty of stuff, and considering the outcome and accuracy of the drops themselves, well, let's say history is not particularly kind in those regards.;). Considering the use that most of the Bassler TPs see, I'm even torn on if letting it stay in service rendering aid isn't a more suitable future. Either way though, I think it should fly until it is no longer fit to.
 
Local news reporting on this story kept calling it the "bomber that led the invasion of Normandy."
 
ClimbnSink said:
Instead of memorializing all this old crap why don't we just start killing Germans again. Seems past due.
Click to expand...

Because besides being weapons, they are wonderful machines as well, many of them I categorize as works of art, especially when you start looking at the mechanical details. The care and craftsmanship that went into these machines is not trivial, nor was the dedication to a cause. Too bad we can't seem to manage that kind of dedication to a cause besides spreading death.:(
 
Cool stuff for sure, but memorializing old stuff instead of building new stuff is what empires in decline do.
Henning said:
Because besides being weapons, they are wonderful machines as well, many of them I categorize as works of art, especially when you start looking at the mechanical details. The care and craftsmanship that went into these machines is not trivial, nor was the dedication to a cause. Too bad we can't seem to manage that kind of dedication to a cause besides spreading death.:(
Click to expand...
 
ClimbnSink said:
Cool stuff for sure, but memorializing old stuff instead of building new stuff is what empires in decline do.
Click to expand...

Well, that's why I am torn on this one becoming a Bassler conversion. Empires decline because the Ponzi Economies we have been building them on for 6500 years or so collapse with calculable regularity. The one we currently have is on the verge. Using resources to greatest efficiency, that is what lets empires grow ad infinitum, that is what we have never tried. As a modern turboprop powered airframe, this plane has true modern efficiency as a load hauler, especially a bush load hauler, and mankind still needs them in many parts of the world. She still has a solid life in front of her as a turbo prop.
 
Remember, the B-52 is not a lot younger and still is a mainstay of our arsenal today.
 
All DC3s- C47s are now very old. Wing spar problems and structural problems in general. The ones still flying are for the most part on borrowed time. The C130 seems a much more logical choice than the basler conversion. Watching buffalo airways series, it looked like joe was nearing the end of the road with his DC3s.
 
Clark1961 said:
they have?
Click to expand...

Indeed they have! My uncle, recently deceased retired after flying them for years. He retired at Barksdale and spent his later years near there. His son also flew in them, bombed Iraq , refueled in air several times from Barksdale. You certainly don't think the engines in those currently flying have the original engines!? They've been changed and improved several times. The B52 also had structural problems, ( like the tail falling off in turbulence) which were addressed over the years. Constant upgrades.
 
Henning said:
The Smithsonian has plenty of stuff, and considering the outcome and accuracy of the drops themselves, well, let's say history is not particularly kind in those regards.;). Considering the use that most of the Bassler TPs see, I'm even torn on if letting it stay in service rendering aid isn't a more suitable future. Either way though, I think it should fly until it is no longer fit to.
Click to expand...

Isn't there a DC-3 TP spraying for skeeters down in the Keys???:dunno:
 
Jimmy cooper said:
All DC3s- C47s are now very old. Wing spar problems and structural problems in general. The ones still flying are for the most part on borrowed time. The C130 seems a much more logical choice than the basler conversion. Watching buffalo airways series, it looked like joe was nearing the end of the road with his DC3s.
Click to expand...

Does Basler not check for those problems?
 
Rickey nelson had one too. It was a cream puff formerly owned by a dupont. Things turned out poorly.
 
N801BH said:
Rule #1...

Don't keep resetting the heater breaker....:nono::nono:
Click to expand...

Things never go right when one goes cheap or ignores problems in aircraft, or has an idiot work on it. When kippy dupont owned it at Summitt, it was a thing of beauty but that was sometime before it crashed.
 
Jimmy cooper said:
All DC3s- C47s are now very old. Wing spar problems and structural problems in general.
Click to expand...

Oh, here we go again. You are talking so much BS that you have no clue about.

Please educate the crowd on these DC-3 'Wing spar problems', Jimmy. As someone typed in the Gooney, I'd love to know!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top