4 FlightJournal.com
EDITORIAL
T
his is sort of an unusual issue, if nothing else
because we peek behind the backdrops and dig
into the background of aviation in several very
different areas. For instance, we get into the nuts
and bolts of warbird restoration. Then we leave the tangible
behind and fl ip over some aviation photographs to give view-
ers information that isn’t visible in the image. A step-by-step
check-out in an FM-2 Wildcat preps readers for their fi rst
fl ight in one. Then we follow a P-40 driver (who wasn’t an
ace) through North Africa and explain the daily life of a jour-
neyman Allied fi ghter pilot. We then step over the line to the
other side and delve into the details, facts, and records of the
highest-scoring German ace in North Africa.
When speaking of warbird restoration, as enthusiasts, we
have all become jaded. We see so many unbelievably well-done
restorations that we forget, or maybe don’t truly understand,
what it takes to get those aircraft to that level of authentic
completion. Also, if you were born after 1970, which makes
you about 50 years old, you’ve never known a time that war-
birds weren’t called “warbirds” and weren’t sought-after, col-
lectible, historic icons. There was a time that they were simply
old airplanes that burned a lot of gas and were a bear to main-
tain. So lots and lots of them were turned into beer cans or just
allowed to disappear into the weeds of unknown airports. The
lead article in this issue, “The Warbird Saviors,” explains how
that changed and introduces readers to a few of those miracle
workers who have dedicated their lives and their skills to bring-
ing what, in some cases, would seem to be thoroughly dead
airplanes back to life. A half dozen warbird restorers describe
their background and explain their views and experiences in
breathing life back into iconic fl ying machines.
In a complete change of direction from hardware-oriented
discussions, we get into the personal history of photographs.
In “Gallery/Behind the Photos: Confessions of an Aviation
Shutterbug,” I walk down a sometimes bumpy memory lane
while explaining what I, as the photographer, see in some of
the images my cameras have captured. I hope I make it clear
that this isn’t unique to me. All photographers surround their
shots with memories. I’m just explaining some of mine.
In “Flying the FM-2 Wildcat,” warbird pilot Mike Heiny
takes us inside the barrel-shaped icon that held the line
in early Pacifi c combat and reveals its innermost secrets.
From prefl ight to landing, he puts the reader in the cockpit,
explain ing every seemingly minor operation that makes the
Wildcat signifi cantly different from later fi ghters. The FM-
was one of the most successful combat fi ghters in the Pacifi c
Theater and was there long after more advanced fi ghters ar-
rived. It is interesting to compare Heiny’s comments about
the airplane and the skill required to land it compared to how
easy the later F6F Hellcat was to land.
Sparky Barnes Sargent’s personal relationship with 100-year-
old Lt. Ben Jones (USAAF, Ret.) comes through in the down-
home quotes from Jones about his time fl ying P-40s in North
Africa and Italy. In “The Boy Next Door Goes to War,” Jones
talks about the rushed and lackluster training he and his peers
received before arriving in the combat zone. It’s interesting
to learn of his on-the-job training while assigned to a British
fi ghter unit. The day-to-day remembrances paint a clear pic-
ture of what he endured on his 102 combat missions.
In a striking counterpoint to Jones’s experience, Robert Tate
goes into great detail in “The Best World War II Fighter Pilot?”
analyzing the short but phenomenally successful fl ying career
of the German super ace Hans-Joachim Marseille. Tate paints
a picture of the emotionally confl icted (he lost faith in the
German cause) and physically challenged (his health was ter-
ribly fragile) Marseille, and details his contributions to the
Luftwaffe versus his peer group.
You might want to take notes. There won’t be a quiz, but
there’s going to be some information in this one you’ll want
to remember. JOf Saviors, Hunters, Fighters, and ImagesBY BUDD DAVISSON
Berlin Express, still in its underwear. It was
restored from a seriously wrecked airframe by
Pacifi c Fighters for Max Chapman. Th e current
owner is Dan Friedkin of Comanche Fighters.
(Photo courtesy of Pacifi c Fighters)