Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

This is from a visit to RAF Hendon in 2009, interesting because there’s only two intact examples of these left in the world. For scale, I’m 6’ 3” and this thing is a beast!

Great pic!
And for size compairson, here I am (6 ft tall) standing with one of the deadliest fighters in the European theater - Supermarine Spitfire...

And just before boarding FiFi for a 30 minute flight.

Would love to get up in the air in a Mustang, Hellcat, Thunderbolt, Lightening or Spitfire but those options are getting nearly impossible to find (very very few dual seat variants and very very few still flying).

 

[GonePlaid]

where are YOU going?..

Horizontal.(at the time)

 

[GonePlaid]

Great pic!
And for size compairson, here I am (6 ft tall) standing with one of the deadliest fighters in the European theater - Supermarine Spitfire...
View attachment 4137154

And just before boarding FiFi for a 30 minute flight.
View attachment 4137146

Would love to get up in the air in a Mustang, Hellcat, Thunderbolt, Lightening or Spitfire but those options are getting nearly impossible to find (very very few dual seat variants and very very few still flying).

2 seater Mustang in Kissimmee, FL. Does rides, bring $$$$

 

[11th Street Kid]

Great pic!
And for size compairson, here I am (6 ft tall) standing with one of the deadliest fighters in the European theater - Supermarine Spitfire...
View attachment 4137154

And just before boarding FiFi for a 30 minute flight.
View attachment 4137146

Would love to get up in the air in a Mustang, Hellcat, Thunderbolt, Lightening or Spitfire but those options are getting nearly impossible to find (very very few dual seat variants and very very few still flying).

Thanks!

The Battle of Britain hangar at RAF Hendon has some incredible pieces, in fact, the whole museum does, it’s a great day out.

The Stuka has quite a story behind it, I forget the exact date but it was captured intact in 1945 and then put into storage. Originally, it was the later tank buster variant but they removed the under wing cannon and kitted it out to look like the dive bomber it is better remembered as. When the Battle of Britain movie was produced in the ‘60s they were going to use it for filming but the wiring was pretty shot and that idea was abandoned and they never pursued flying status. It’s also hard to put a value on something like that because if they crashed it, it’s pretty much game over. I believe they did get the engine running though and recorded it as when the Stukas appear in the movie, they’re RC models, perhaps overdubbed with the real engine sound?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Corsair or Hellcat for the Pacific theater, P-47D Thunderbolt for the European Theater.

yep, found this one online...precursor to Republic's P-47 after Seversky got ousted for selling to competing (sometimes hostile) nations......won the '38 Bendix with Amelia Earhart rival Jacqueline Cochrane at the helm...I was clearly born in the wrong year......

 

[rdwil191]

Great pic!
And for size compairson, here I am (6 ft tall) standing with one of the deadliest fighters in the European theater - Supermarine Spitfire...
View attachment 4137154

And just before boarding FiFi for a 30 minute flight.
View attachment 4137146

Would love to get up in the air in a Mustang, Hellcat, Thunderbolt, Lightening or Spitfire but those options are getting nearly impossible to find (very very few dual seat variants and very very few still flying).

Nice! I gave myself a birthday present in 2019. I really want to do it again. We were up for almost an hour and just brushed the lower edge of Lake Erie.
My dad was a medic with the 330th air service group on Saipan in WWII. We saw Fifi about 1991 at Youngstown Ohio airport. It was just a walk around then. All I could think about was how Dad's eyes lit up when we went to see her and how he explained every part of that plane to me. He went to Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics before the service and trained to be an airplane mechanic, but the Army Air Corp had other ideas. lol.
He got 2 rides before they flew the planes to Saipan. Once in the Navigator's seat behind the pilot and the 2nd...in the bombardier's seat. When I took my ride...well, it was a bit steep for my budget to sit up there, so I booked one of the "cheap" seats in the rear. but I had to at least sit in front afterwards.

 

[dagrev]

Looks like we have a general consensus - the three point was a bad decision.
Fortunately, Greco gave us a view of how to minimize this design decision. Just a simple bridge cover and tail piece brings it closer to a home run...
View attachment 4137093

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Thanks!

The Battle of Britain hangar at RAF Hendon has some incredible pieces, in fact, the whole museum does, it’s a great day out.

The Stuka has quite a story behind it, I forget the exact date but it was captured intact in 1945 and then put into storage. Originally, it was the later tank buster variant but they removed the under wing cannon and kitted it out to look like the dive bomber it is better remembered as. When the Battle of Britain movie was produced in the ‘60s they were going to use it for filming but the wiring was pretty shot and that idea was abandoned and they never pursued flying status. It’s also hard to put a value on something like that because if they crashed it, it’s pretty much game over. I believe they did get the engine running though and recorded it as when the Stukas appear in the movie, they’re RC models, perhaps overdubbed with the real engine sound?

and ironically the ME109s in that movie were Spanish built and powered by RR Merlins...

 

[dagrev]

I hardly need a lot pushing.....LOL!

I do wonder/wish Gibson would consult knowledgeable folks about this kind of thing, none of us are hiding - You've got Scott out there, and Rob with all this collective Thunderbird intel and they'd likely be only too happy to help so we'd all get a better bass in the end.

Good point. I figured it out, maybe. At Gibson they don't have the interwebs...yet and are unaware of all this consensus. It's a thought that clearly has explanatory power and provides one possible reason. It's a nicer option than saying they are tone deaf or worse, obtuse, to be polite.

 

[dagrev]

seems like a no brainer, maybe they know something we don’t?...

That's generous!

 

[dagrev]

My favorite plane of WWII

Then there is this.... Designed by congress.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I think I'll be holding off on buying one until I hear your review. It's so close and then...I don't get why with all their knowledge and ability to recreate exact spec replicas of other instruments, they insist of goofing with the Thunderbird. Like, they could have absolutely nailed it, and it's so close, and then the stumble on the easiest details. Smaller headstock and tuners for better balance? Fine, I'll give you that 'cause most players do care about it. But the 3-point? The inaccurate pickup location? The bulbous pickguard? Does the neck have a volute I wonder? And for godsake why the knob/output jack configuration. Gibson can do better, we've seen they can with the Epi T-birds, so why they do this I am at a sheer loss.

Also, they claim better balance (I assume for the smaller headstock and tuners), and then put the strap pin on the upper bout instead of the back of the neck? HUH!?

But, if the price is right, damnit, I want one in those colors...

I would think the strap pin location would be fine on an NR. Agreed on the bridge and locations.

It’s not on the Gibson site or their NAMM page yet.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

That's generous!

well, didn’t really wanna say “don’t think Gibson gives a toss about what a bunch of pasty, pot bellied old dudes want”...

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Not me. I'm all about the chrome.

Planet hater.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

F4U all day long....
View attachment 4137101

Ahem

 

[Gaolee]

Many are called, but few chosen.

This is true. Thunderbirds choose their players.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Good point. I figured it out, maybe. At Gibson they don't have the interwebs...yet and are unaware of all this consensus. It's a thought that clearly has explanatory power and provides one possible reason. It's a nicer option than saying they are tone deaf or worse, obtuse, to be polite.

It feels like they conceded the bass market long ago. I’m not sure why they bother. (I’m glad they do.)

 

[Miles_ONeal]

My favorite plane of WWII
View attachment 4137250

Then there is this.... Designed by congress.
View attachment 4137251

I’ll take one of each. Inverness green for the top, Pelham blue for the bottom one.

 

[Klondike]

The P-38 Lightening is my favorite of all the WWII American planes followed closely by the P-51 Mustang. If I had money growing on trees I'd own one of each.

I'm the opposite, P-51 first, P-38 Second.

 

[MCF]

Good point. I figured it out, maybe. At Gibson they don't have the interwebs...yet and are unaware of all this consensus. It's a thought that clearly has explanatory power and provides one possible reason. It's a nicer option than saying they are tone deaf or worse, obtuse, to be polite.

It does make you wonder. Look at the Amp I’m waiting on. Mesa’s bass amp designer is very active on the forums and has pretty much said the latest model is a result of input/comments from players on here. Maybe some of that will begin to happen at Gibson now too. And GK also listens to what players are asking for.