7th of December, 2024
As part of our December tradition, we planned to fly our Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero during this Saturday's “Flying Demo” event.
However, due to a recently discovered mechanical issue with its rare, original Nakajima Sakae engine, we regret to announce that the Zero will not be flying. Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve made the decision to ground the aircraft temporarily to ensure its continued preservation and safety.
In its place, we are proud to feature our iconic World War II combat-veteran P-40 “Warhawk” in our "Flying Demo." The P-40 Warhawk holds a special place in the history of Pearl Harbor, as several of these aircraft famously took to the skies on December 7, 1941, managing to down several Japanese aircraft during the attack.
We’ve got some fascinating subject matter for our December 2024 “Hangar Talk” – much of it looking back at events from December dates in aviation history.
Looking Back 80 Years – Germany’s Last Stand
The Museum’s Jim Llano and Daniel Bermudez from the Historical Unit of Southern California team up to take us back 80 years ago this month. In one final breakout push, the German military attacked in the Ardennes Forest between Belgium and Luxembourg to split and encircle the Allied armies to force a peace negotiation. This effort, more popularly known as the “Battle of the Bulge” was a costly encounter under the harshest of conditions. Jim will present a brief look at the events while Daniel will give us a first-person account of the fighting.
Blind Bombing – How RADAR Helped Turn the Tide of World War Two
The Museum’s Ken Saltgaver will provide another in his series of “Tech Notes” – this time looking at the use of Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) and how it was deployed to help the allied nations more effectively hit their bombing targets. This fascinating look at early radar technology will allow all of us to better understand and appreciate the role that science plays in aviation – then and now.
Ted TALK – “Egon Mayer and Success Through Adaptation”
We’re hoping the “third time is the charm” for Ted Mount and this Ted Talk presentation on German World War II ace Egon Mayer. Egon Mayer was a Luftwaffe wing commander who flew the BF 109 and FW190. His aerial credits include 102 enemy aircraft shot down over 353 combat missions. Mayer was the first fighter pilot to score 100 victories entirely on the Western Front. His Ace victories included 26 heavy-bombers, 51 Supermarine Spitfires, and 12 Republic P-47 “Thunderbolts.” Behind this success was his ability to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances of aerial combat. In this “Ted TALK,” we’ll explore many of the tactics he developed to gain the upper edge and in the process, Ted will show all of us how adapting to our own circumstances can lead to new breakthroughs.
Know Your Enemy – A Look at the WEFT System of Aircraft Recognition
Museum volunteer and historical re-enactor Max Harsha joins us once again to present a little-known but exciting chapter in military aviation history. Whether you were an aerial gunner or operated an anti-aircraft gun on the ground or at sea, you had to be able to quickly identify “friendly” aircraft versus “enemy” aircraft. One of the more effective systems used during World War II was known as the WEFT system. WEFT stands for “Wings,” “Engines,” “Fuselage,” and “Tail” and as Max will show us, it was an innovative (and probably fun) way to learn your aircraft.
Remembering Pearl Harbor – George Welch and Ken Taylor
The Museum’s Scott Cassells will help us remember the attack on Pearl Harbor by looking at two veterans from that event and the role they played to defend against the attack. Scott will transport us back to December 1941 to better understand the “Day of Infamy” through the efforts of Welch and Taylor.
Flying Demo of the Curtiss P-40N “Warhawk”
At 12:15pm, Scott Cassells of the Museum will present the “Flying Demo” of the Museum’s Curtiss P-40N “Warhawk” fighter aircraft from World War II. Scott will briefly detail the history of the “Warhawk” in World War II and talk about this aircraft – a combat veteran with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.
Following Scott’s presentation, Pilot Johnny Maloney will fire up the 1,200 horsepower Allison V-1710 inline engine directly in front of the crowd. After Johnny taxis the aircraft away, we’ll hold our Member’s Only Raffle Drawing for some great prizes, including a flight in one of the Museum’s training aircraft. Then Johnny will delight us with an aerial demonstration of the ”Warhawk” with a flight over the Museum for twenty minutes. Upon return, guests may meet and ask questions of Johnny and learn first-hand what it’s like to fly one of the world’s most important warbird aircraft.
In addition to all of the above, we’ll have food trucks on hand, the Gift Shop is stocked with plenty of Holiday Gift ideas, our Museum Guides will tell you the stories of the Museum and its world-renowned collection, they’ll be fun for the kids, and our B-17 will be open for visitors to tour the inside. A great way to spend the day at Planes of Fame!
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