I’m watching a documentary on the History channel about the P-38. Apparently they were having fuel economy problems when they first came out. The military asked the worlds foremost expert on fuel conservation Charlie Lindberg to help. He suggested reducing the engine to 1400 rpm’s @ 30 inches of manifold pressure. Pilots were skeptical, so he agreed to fly with them. While flying as a civilian observer he shot down an enemy fighter. Upon hearing this, he was quickly brought back to the states.
I found that to be pretty interesting.
Charles Lindbergh, 1 sortie = 1 kill.
Not to bad, maybe I will vote him as the greatest fighter pilot.
I believe I have seen that same documentary on the History channel about Charles Lindbergh. I had never seen or heard that fact about him before. He truely was quite a pilot…
Have you ever seen the old movie with Jimmy Stewart playing Charles Lindbergh, I believe the name of it was “THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS” … ??? Great movie, great actor … Jimmy Stewart I believe flew B-17’s over Europe in the second world war. I have heard that he was a great pilot too.
I was aware that stewart was a ww2 pilot. I never saw the movie your referring too. I did see the one he was in about SAC, I think the title is Strategic Air Command or SAC, I can’t remember. He was a B-36 pilot, that was a good movie.
I too had never heard that little tidbit about Lindbergh. What a great show it was.
Did you know Lindbergh was an anti war activest? He even went to Germany in the late 30’s and told the American people that Germany did not want war. He visited the aircraft manufacturing plants and even commented on how their aircraft were much better than any thing operated by the allies. He was very outspoken against supplying England and France with aid. How times change.
OK, so Lindbergh was a complicated man with more than a bit of tragedy in his life. Though he was widely regarded as a Nazi sympathizer because of his remarks after his guided tour of Germany, he did serve his country in the war, as well as being a genuine pioneer of aviation.
Lindberg was a true pacifist, as opposed to a Nazi sympathizer-BIG difference! When the U.S. became fully involved in WWII, he made every effort to join the military to offer his expertise in some fashion, but was turned down because of public perception. To his everlasting credit, he volunteered as a civilian advisor to teach the aviators in the Pacific techniques and tricks to get the best results from their aircraft. He was credited with at least one Japanese aircraft downed while flying P-38’s with the likes of Tommy McGuire, Charles McDonald and Dick Bong! Not a bad crown to hang out with! He also flew with the Marines, as I mentioned in an earlier reply.
Anybody get Wings?Airpower magazine. They just did and article on the Jimmy Stewart movie. Lots of shots of a B36B interior and stills from the movie. Interestng if you like that sort of thing.
A lot of today’s Hollywood elite could take a lesson or two in patriotism and sacrafice from good ol’ Jimmy Stewart.
As for Lindbergh, most research indicates that he was neither a Nazi sympathizer or a pacifist. Most of his statements in the late 30’s and early 40’s lean much more towards isolationism. (funny that the guy who brought Europe and America so much “closer” together, was an isolationist.) He didn’t support or condemn Nazism, he just wanted America to leave it alone. He felt it was Europes problem, as did many Americans, pre Dec, 7.
I just finished reading Martin Caidin’s Book, P-38: Fork-Tailed Devil. In this book, he mentions Lindbergh and his work on fuel conservation and finding the best power settings for fuel economy and he states that Lidbergh did this work with Corsair and Lightning units and that he shot down 2 Japanese aircraft…one while flying a Corsair and one while flying a Lightning…