September - October 2021

Flight Journal

The Aviation Adventure - Past, Present & Future

Flight Journal2 min read
The Complete Fighter Pilot
Top-scoring Mustang ace Major George Preddy and his airplane represented the best of America during the Second World War. General John C. Meyer, commander of the 487th Fighter Squadron and the 352nd Fighter Group in England during the war, knew that
Flight Journal1 min read
Flight Journal
Executive Editor Debra Cleghorn Editors Gerry Yarrish, Matt Boyd Bud Anderson, James P. Busha, Ted Carlson, Doug DeCaster, Robert S. DeGroat, John Dibbs, Jim Farmer, Paul Gillcrist, Phil Haun, Randy Jolly, Frederick Johnsen, Geoffrey P. Jones, Ron Ka
Flight Journal15 min read
Mustang ACE of ACES MAJOR GEORGE E. PREDDY
When the U.S. entered WW II after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, George Preddy was completing his flying training with the USAAF at Elgin Field, Florida. He graduated as a qualified pilot five days later. He was assigned to the
Flight Journal2 min read
352nd Fighter Group
During WW II, the 352nd Fighter Group was part of the 67th Fighter Wing, VIII Fighter Command of the USAAF Eighth Air Force. The Group consisted of three squadrons: the 328th FS, the 486th FS, and the 487th FS. In June 1943, the 352nd FG began to arr
Flight Journal1 min read
Lt. Bill Preddy
Valor was a Preddy family trait. George’s younger brother, Bill Preddy, a P-51 Mustang pilot with the 503rd FS, 339th FG, was shot down and killed by enemy anti-aircraft fire, aged just 20, on April 19, 1945, while strafing a German airfield in Czech
Flight Journal1 min read
P-51d Mustang
Powerplant: 1 x Packard (Rolls Royce) V-1650-7 Merlin 12-cylinder liquid cooled engine 1695hp at 3,000 rpm Fuel capacity: 269 gallons internal fuel; up to 377 gallons with external underwing drop tanks Maximum speed: 437 mph at 25,000 feet; 380 mph a
Flight Journal11 min read
Straight Wings Vs. Swept Wings
In the fall of 1950, the increasing numbers of MiG-15s based just north of the Yalu River caused great concern with the Far East Air Force (FEAF), and when these swept-wing fighters started coming south of the river in November 1950, air superiority
Flight Journal13 min read
Rare Bear
One hundred feet above the Mojave Desert, Lyle Shelton fought to control his famed F8F-2 Bearcat. “The Spirit of ’77,” as the racer was known at the time, was on a qualifying lap, rounding the 8.5-mile racecourse at close to 420 mph. Mac McClain, fly
Flight Journal1 min read
Rare Bear’s Overall Race Wins
*A new Unlimited class race record speed. **A new Unlimited class race record speed and the fastest race flown to date with Bill Destefani’s “Strega” in 2nd place at 478.680 mph and Skip Holm in “Tsunami” 3rd place at 478.140 mph. Some consider the 1
Flight Journal17 min read
Sr-71 Blackbird
A derivative of the A-12 and YF-12A, which was designed in the late ’50s, the amazing Blackbird remains the fastest ever jet-powered aircraft in the world today. These “speed demons” last belonged to the Air Combat Command’s 9th Reconnaissance Wing a
Flight Journal1 min read
The Need For Feed
The SR-71 used special JP-7 fuel that had a higher flash point than the other JPs. This special fuel was necessary due to the temperature of the titanium fuselage that became extremely hot from the friction of the air at such fast speeds. Only KC-135
Flight Journal1 min read
P-51: The 18th Fighter Bomber Group
Consequently, redesignated F-51s and F-82s were available in sufficient numbers from bases in Japan and Okinawa to help stem the initial North Korean surprise invasion of South Korea in June 1950. Better suited to low-level flying than the F-80, the
Flight Journal8 min read
Fleet Finch
In 2019, I went to the EAA's AirVenture fly-in in Wisconsin for just the second time. The first was back in the ’80s when I flew there in a friend’s Piper Arrow. This year I took my Stinson instead. But this is not about the trip but about one of the
Flight Journal2 min read
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Flight Journal1 min read
Join Our Team!
Do you have aviation in your blood? Crazy about aircraft and flying? Add your unique perspective to our content mix! We’re looking for flightline reporters and contributors to share their expertise and advice in videos and posts. (Original and unpubl
Flight Journal2 min read
The Sleeping Pilot
IN JULY OF 1943, it was the same as now: sunshine was a treasured commodity in Oxfordshire, England. So, even in the middle of a war, when the sun came out and the guns were quiet, young men would do the natural thing and enjoy it in the most natural

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