why am I so obsessed with WW2 aircraft? my dream would be to pilot a fighter...that would make my life makes the hair on the back of my neck standup to hear and old aircraft rumble to life! been up in a B17, pretty awesome.

Maybe you were an aviator in a previous life?

i can sympatize Dave, when i started modelling at age 12 all i built were airfix 1/72 aircraft, since getting back into the hobby three years ago i've built up quite a stash of aircraft again, at the mo i've got sixteen spitfires on the go, five me 109's two, focke wulf's, three hurricanes, four mustangs, a corsair, a zero, a hawker typhoon, hawker tempest, a stuka, a kittyhawk, two p-47's a gotha glider, a horsa glider, a blenheim, a p-38 lightning and an me 262 that's in 1/72 scale then three more spitfires, a focke wulf, two me 109's, and a rebuild of a B-17 from my youth, all in 1/48... i guess you could say i'm kinda obsessed with WWII aircraft myself though i haven't been in an aircraft, i'd love to fly in a B-17, i'm so jealous... i'd also like to sit in a spitfire cockpit just for the experience. Ant.

there are a group of pilots who come around about every 3-4 years with a B-17 and a B-25, the pilot was a WW2 vet, cost me $400.00 some thought I was a bit thick to pay so much.....so what eh?

I have always had a great interest in aviation history since I was very young. Maybe I was killed in WW2 and reincarnated again. Don't know which side I would of be flying for, since I am interested in Allies and Axis alike! Ha ha.

Aircraft are certainly fascinating machines, and the history of WW2 aviation is one of my favorite areas to read about and model. The incredible inhumanity of wars often was punctuated with acts of great humanity. The sacrafice of all on all sides is awesome to read about.

There was great sacrafice in the the air, at sea, and on land. As an aviation historian of sorts I am most interested in the air. There is more to it that just the machines, the men and in some cases women who flew them give each aircraft its humanity. Truly make the machines live!

Most conducted themselves well in the air, except at times the Japanese who machine gunned people in their chutes! An unforgivable act even in a time of war in my estimation!!! I still build Japanese aircraft though and read of JAAF and JNAF pilots and their deeds for some did conduct themselves with some level of respect for the other side.

I try and not forget WW1 which gave birth the airplane as a weapon. WW2 saw it mature. Korea was a transition period. Vietnam was a time when some skills were lost while weapons such as laser guided bombs came into use at least at the end of the conflict. The blending of man and machine is what makes all history of air warfare and even civil aviation to some extent interesting to read about.

I think many of these people and flying machines will be remembered even as man extends his reach into space to the stars. Heroism will be recalled as a common virtue. I think the pyschological and emotional torment, as it could be described, by men who never suffered any physical wounds is as profound as those who gave the ultimate sacrafice.

I finished early last March, 2008, Masters of the Air, and the descriptions of what the people went through, in this case in Europe are incredible. The unique perspective of the unsung hero, the flight surgeon is well told in this book. I highly recommend it to get into the minds of the men who flew to Germany and back, dodging fighters, flack, and the elements. Russell

hey dave $400.00 is to pricy to fly in a B-17... considering there's not many of them flying in the world i think that was a good investment, if i lived in the states, i definately wouldn't hesitate to fork out the cash.. just to be in one would be worth the cash.