Sabrejet Posted March 8, 2013 Share #1 Posted March 8, 2013 There's no doubt that the P-47 was a tough ol' bird. This one was hit by flak over Italy but still made it home! Obviously, to say the pilot's vision was impaired somewhat would be an understatement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2relichunter Posted March 8, 2013 Share #2 Posted March 8, 2013 Wow looks like that vet had a fun ride all the way home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted March 8, 2013 Share #3 Posted March 8, 2013 Wonder what the poor soldier who had to clean THAT up afterwards was thinking when he first saw it... Or what he did to get made to be the one to have to do the job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share #4 Posted March 8, 2013 Wonder what the poor soldier who had to clean THAT up afterwards was thinking when he first saw it... Or what he did to get made to be the one to have to do the job! Rather him than me! I'm not sure what the total oil capacity of a P-47 was, but it was certainly measured in gallons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham Posted March 8, 2013 Share #5 Posted March 8, 2013 Reminds me of a BSA I once had. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m1ashooter Posted March 8, 2013 Share #6 Posted March 8, 2013 The crew chief was not a happy camper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAF_Collection Posted March 8, 2013 Share #7 Posted March 8, 2013 Reminds me of a BSA I once had. Graham Good one Graham! with both British bikes and older Land Rovers you know you're in trouble when the oil leaks stop!. Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted March 8, 2013 Share #8 Posted March 8, 2013 I'm not sure what the total oil capacity of a P-47 was, but it was certainly measured in gallons! "28.6 U.S. gal capacity" and that's just for tank attached to the engines - there were also external oil coolers so those and the oil lines would add to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share #9 Posted March 8, 2013 No kidding? Thanks for that Bob! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted March 8, 2013 Share #10 Posted March 8, 2013 I would love to hear the story from the pilot. Any info on who was the pilot?....Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share #11 Posted March 8, 2013 One Lt Edwin King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claymore Posted March 8, 2013 Share #12 Posted March 8, 2013 Well as they say "if there's no oil on it, there's no oil in it", Talked to a Jug pilot that had the same problem, during a dogfight with a FW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-40Warhawk Posted March 8, 2013 Share #13 Posted March 8, 2013 It's too bad we don't have more of the story. A sticky situation indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share #14 Posted March 8, 2013 The man himself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-40Warhawk Posted March 8, 2013 Share #15 Posted March 8, 2013 The man himself! And the only oil on him looks like it came from getting out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted March 8, 2013 Share #16 Posted March 8, 2013 I wonder how he could see to fly. That windshield looks totally black..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72psb Posted March 8, 2013 Share #17 Posted March 8, 2013 When the brown rain hits it's time to find an airfield! While flying back from a fishing trip in Tenn.it hit.The pilot,a 40 year veteran,as calm as could be says."Find me a field"Spotted one ,fast dive from about 9,000ft,landed,lost about 2qts. Bad push rod seal.Put 2 in and flew on home,still leaking. Pilot,Platoon Sgt.August Garleff,G. Canal veteran,flying sergeant program,dock chief,A&E,O'hare Airport,(P-51,F-84,F-86),Missile Man(Nike)Motorpool Sgt.Illinois National guard.Quite the character. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PvtTamura Posted March 8, 2013 Share #18 Posted March 8, 2013 Man, I thought my Jeep leaked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share #19 Posted March 8, 2013 He must have landed virtually blind?! At the very best he just might have been able to look around the side with the canopy open? An object lesson in instrument flying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Signor Posted March 9, 2013 Share #20 Posted March 9, 2013 The P-47 that has all the oil on it is from the 350th Fighter Group,and has the 347th Squadron emblem on it's nose . Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SergeantMajorGray Posted March 9, 2013 Share #21 Posted March 9, 2013 once the oil got all over the canopy he probably opened it and flew like that home hopefully it didn't happen while it was open that would suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted March 9, 2013 Share #22 Posted March 9, 2013 "Pilots joked that P-47s ran best when most of the oil stayed inside the engine. Ltn Edwin King of the 350th Fighter Group came home to Pisa, Italy, the hard way and found that a jug can go for at least a short time, with hardly any oil at all. An oil line was hit during a strafing mission near Brizsua on the planes 110th combat mission. King most probably attempted his hair-raising, no-forward-visability landing by landing in formation with a wingman" National Archives/Army Air Forces "...freakish hit through the propellor blade of a P-47D. If it had been damaged a fraction of an inch in either direction, the blade would have no doubt come apart....Edwin Wright was the 19 year old pilot" National Achives/Army Air Force Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-17Guy Posted March 9, 2013 Share #23 Posted March 9, 2013 And the only oil on him looks like it came from getting out of it. Actually, if you look at the pilots arms, you can see that they are soaked with oil, from flying with the canopy open. The only way to land in that situation, is to roll the canopy back and look out the sides. You can slip the airplane back and forth to see around the nose while lining up and then look at an angle forward to judge your height. It is very challenging to say the least, but something you actually do train for, as it is a very real possibility, ie, blowing a prop seal in a P51. Oil streams back over the nose and canopy and you can't see s**t. As a pilot, I only have a couple of training hops in a P51, but I was backseat in one, when we had to do the exact above proceedure. Massive oil leak, luckily over the airport. We pumped all 21 gallons of oil overboard in a couple of minutes and the engine ceased on roll-out. My hat is off to the pilot of that Jug, what a great job! Also to P&W for building a great engine. I am sure he didn't have to buy any drinks that night!!! Best, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandomatic Posted March 11, 2013 Share #24 Posted March 11, 2013 That would make for an awesome diorama! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etienne Posted March 12, 2013 Share #25 Posted March 12, 2013 Wonder what the poor soldier who had to clean THAT up afterwards was thinking when he first saw it... Or what he did to get made to be the one to have to do the job! Q-tips and Goo-Off is all he needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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