Saturday, April 23, 2011

No damage at Creve Coeur.

Phew! Creve Coeur lucked out and there is no damage from last nights tornado that caused extensive damage over at Lambert Field less than 10 miles away.

A golf driving range had the windows of its office blown out but the only damage near Creve Coeur is a mailbox blown down, and it was on its last legs.

A bunch of smiles at the airport this morning.

Monday, April 18, 2011

DO-335


On my way home from work I had to good fortune to be going thru Washington Dulles Aiport, home of the National Air & Space's Udvar-Hazy Museum.


Though I'd been there before, I wanted to specifically to see two airplanes; the Northrup P-61 Black Widow and the ultra-rare Donier DO-335 Pfeil (Arrow).


The DO-335 never saw combat during World War II, but if it had it would have given Mustang and Thunderbolt fighters a run for there money. Fast, maneuverable and packing a 30 mm cannon and twin 20mm cannons, it could handle it's own in a dogfight.


The story goes that when this one was captured by US forces in 1945, it was flown to Cherboug to be taken to the United States. Escorted by two Mustangs, the Pfeil easily ran away from them, arriving 45 minutes before it's escorts.