Tanks, Planes, Boats, Military Stuff

[NWoBHM]

Rey - that made me laugh out loud! Didn`t you like my Teletubbie video? I will post the one about the scary lion next.

Now don`t get putting any daisies down the barrel of your P 38!

[Mufasa]

And in the distance, something approaches...

(moderators: at least let NWo see this before you zap it)
[/quote]

Looks like a U2 mugged a Smurf

[NWoBHM]

Quote:Looks like a U2 mugged a Smurf

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Never did trust Bono and the Edge

[NWoBHM]

I saw an interesting programme last night about the Air Photographic Reconnaissance Wing of the RAF - Through aerial photography they were able to "spot" Hitler`s launch sites for V1 and V2 rockets, and destroy a lot of them before the D-Day invasions, (saving countless lives). Hitler relocated them and hid them better, and was thus able to still bomb London, killing 9000 in all with them.

The interesting thing about the programme was the photos were taken from Spitfires, (they actually had a USAF pilot on film who`s dream it was to fly Spits who was seconded to the squadron), and they took the photo`s at 30,000 feet, cruising at 360MPH. As one pilot said, they carried no guns, but didn`t need to, as nothing could catch them at this point in the war - the German jets of course came a little later.

The clever part was the pilots took the photos with a 60% overlap in area, (they didn`t say how the pilots managed this precisely, but one assumes a lot of skill), and then PI`s (Photographic Inspectors) - a lot from Disney apparently (used to studying film), would take the 2 images, and over lay them at the 60% mark.

Then looking through an eye glass at a certain height created a 3D image of the pictures, thus V1 ramps could be seen, and V2 rockets waiting to be launched etc. Without the 3D effect, it was near impossible to ascertain what the images contained.

A far cry from Satellite images today - but still pretty good stuff.

[Rey]

Interesting stuff. I had no idea 9000 were killed in London from those rockets. Always thought they were very tough to aim and they just kind of blundered around. I was at an aircraft museum in North Carolina and they had one of those rockets on display, one of the only ones still in existence.

[NWoBHM]

Yeah I was a little surprised at the head count - but I am sure that`s what they said. I think it was the V1`s (Doodlebugs) which did the most killing. They were fired off and the engines cut out over London, and down they came - London is a big place for them not to hit anything.

Mind you a few Spitfire pilots became good at catching them and "tilting their wings" with their own sending them spinning off into the Channel.

[Rey]

Here's something for the motorcycle fans out there. Here I am last weekend perched on an old BMW motorcycle with sidecar, this one built in the 1940's for the German Army. I believe this is an R75 model, complete with an 8mm machine gun mounted on the sidecar. Notice even back then the horizontally opposed boxer cylinders just like Bubba's. (EDIT: I have since learned that this bike is an original German Army 1939 BMW R-71)



(Of course this is the way I made most my way across France, on this stolen cycle, until it broke down and I had to ditch it)

[2Beers]

The comment from Mr.2B when he saw your post was "Holy wow, look at that. Nice!"

[Boomer]

I like that! Of course, anything two wheels I like. Especially those WWII or earlier bikes that in some cases still carry some pieces on those to this day.

[burma.girl]

Extra superdeluxe coolness, Rey!

Whilst on vacation last month we took a daytrip to Kelleys Island, a 20-minute ferry ride from the north coast of Ohio. Outside the Kelleys Island Brewery was [what my hubby believes to be] a '50s era BMW motorcycle w/sidecar, with a big slobbery dog perched in the seat. I don't know anything about motorcycles, but I remember noticing the BMW badge, and that it definitely was an older bike that had been restored.

It was similar to the one in your pics, except super shiny black (and sans machine gun, natch). I s'pose the only danger posed was being licked to death by that goofy hound.

Now I really wish I had taken pics.....