No worries...I'm on vacation this week :)

Clue 4
Clue 3

1. This airplane was built by 3 manufacturers throughout WWII
2. This airplane shares wheels and tires with 2 other aircraft
3. A popular 60's TV show was created by the pilot of one of these
4. The last one was retired from USAF service in 1959


Jim

I'm with Hydro Junkie on this one. That particular airplane was only produced through 1944. Maybe I missed something? Thanks; Ernie P.

Last clue for the day...

Clue 5

1. This airplane was built by 3 manufacturers throughout WWII
2. This airplane shares wheels and tires with 2 other aircraft
3. A popular 60's TV show was created by the pilot of one of these
4. The last one was retired from USAF service in 1959
5. This airplane shares the same prop as the 1830 powered C-47

Please don't tell me it's the DC-3

I don't think so, Hydro Junkie. I don't think either the DC-3 or its military equivalent C-47 were produced "throughout WWII"; and neither was produced by three manufacturers. But, I've been wrong before. This one is definitely not a disappointment. Thanks; Ernie P.

I'm guessing the B-17. It was manufactured by three companies, and it was manufactured throughout WWII, though not by all three all of that time. Clue No. 1 seems a bit ambiguous. My guess is based mostly on its having been flown by Gene Roddenberry, who gave us Star Trek, probably the best TV show of the 60s (except for F Troop, of course).

Well, drat! You may have it, Top_Gunn. I mentally eliminated the B-17 early on for some reason; and never reconsidered it. It does seem to qualify. Thanks; Ernie P.

We have a winner! Congratulations Top_Gunn, the B-17 it is...I tried using a popular airplane with obscure trivia.

Clue 5

1. This airplane was built by 3 manufacturers throughout WWII
Lockheed, Douglas and Boeing built these throughout the war...towards the end they were being flown directly to the scrap yards.
2. This airplane shares wheels and tires with 2 other aircraft
The B-24, the B-17 and the B-29 all shared the same wheels and tires. The B-29 used different brake pucks.
3. A popular 60's TV show was created by the pilot of one of these
Gene Roddenberry was the man...5thBG pilot in the South Pacific
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/...rry/index.html
4. The last one was retired from USAF service in 1959
Both the Navy and the USAF retired the B-17 in 59 (I got this from wiki...the CIA used one until 62)
5. This airplane shares the same prop as the 1830 powered C-47
The B-24 actually uses the same prop as well

You're up Top_Gunn!!!!!

Jim

Good job of making an interesting quiz about one of the least obscure airplanes ever! Without the Roddenberry clue I'd still be lost.

I'll try to come up with something by tomorrow. It would probably be a waste of time looking for a warbird tie to F Troop, but I may try.

How is this, Al,
This plane shared it's name with a character actor on an old TV show. Name the plane
I felt a reference to Larry Storch was a fun way to start this one though the plane's ID would be almost instantly known to anyone that watched the show.
Now it's your turn to come up with one:p

Excellent! Whether there's anything else, I dunno.

Looking for the name of a pilot.

1. A very high-scoring ace.

2. Began his military service in the signal corps.

Top_Gunn; didn't all the American trained aces of WWI begin in the Signal Corps? Like Rickenbacker, Luke and Werner? Thanks; Ernie P.


The Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was themilitary aviation service of the UnitedStates Army from 1914 to 1918, and a direct statutoryancestor of the UnitedStates Air Force. It absorbed and replaced the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps, and conductedthe activities of Army aviation until World War I, when itsstatutory responsibilities were suspended for the duration of the war. TheAviation Section organized the first squadrons of the aviation arm andconducted the first military operations by United States aviation on foreignsoil.

Frank Luke Jr. (May 19,1897 – September 29, 1918) was an American fighter ace, rankingsecond among U.S.Army Air Service pilots after Captain EddieRickenbacker in number of aerial victories during World War I(Rickenbacker was credited with 26 victories, while Luke's official score was18). Frank Luke was the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor. LukeAir Force Base, Arizona, a U.S. Air Force pilot traininginstallation since World War II, is named in his honor.

Joseph Frank "Fritz" Wehner (20 September 1895 – 18 September 1918) was an American fighter pilot andwingman to Frank Luke.

Yes. The pilot I'm looking for is well known, but he isn't Luke. (Or Rickenbacker)

Today's clue: Looking for the name of a well-known pilot.

1. A very high-scoring ace.

2. Began his military service in the signal corps.

3. Trained as a telegraph operator.

Today's clue: Looking for the name of a well-known pilot.

1. A very high-scoring ace.

2. Began his military service in the signal corps.

3. Trained as a telegraph operator.

4. After completing his service in the signal corps, he took flying lessons and earned a pilot's license.

Christmas eve bonus clue: Looking for the name of a well-known pilot.

1. A very high-scoring ace.

2. Began his military service in the signal corps.

3. Trained as a telegraph operator.

4. After completing his service in the signal corps, he took flying lessons and earned a pilot's license.

5. He then re-joined the armed forces and completed a military flight training course.

Merry Christmas to all; and to all a Good Night. Thanks; Ernie P.

Christmas clue: Looking for the name of a well-known pilot.

1. A very high-scoring ace.

2. Began his military service in the signal corps.

3. Trained as a telegraph operator.

4. After completing his service in the signal corps, he took flying lessons and earned a pilot's license.

5. He then re-joined the armed forces and completed a military flight training course.

6. His first victories were achieved while flying a fixed-gear airplane.

Finally, a clue that should narrow the field quite a bit.

Looking for the name of a well-known pilot.

1. A very high-scoring ace.

2. Began his military service in the signal corps.

3. Trained as a telegraph operator.

4. After completing his service in the signal corps, he took flying lessons and earned a pilot's license.

5. He then re-joined the armed forces and completed a military flight training course.

6. His first victories were achieved while flying a fixed-gear airplane.

7. After his initial victories, he flew an American aircraft, and after that a German one.

Well, that should engender a few guesses. Thanks; Ernie P.

Today's clue:

Looking for the name of a well-known pilot.

1. A very high-scoring ace.

2. Began his military service in the signal corps.

3. Trained as a telegraph operator.

4. After completing his service in the signal corps, he took flying lessons and earned a pilot's license.

5. He then re-joined the armed forces and completed a military flight training course.

6. His first victories were achieved while flying a fixed-gear airplane.

7. After his initial victories, he flew an American aircraft, and after that a German one.

8. His brother once served in the French Foreign Legion.

Today's clue:

Looking for the name of a well-known pilot.

1. A very high-scoring ace.

2. Began his military service in the signal corps.

3. Trained as a telegraph operator.

4. After completing his service in the signal corps, he took flying lessons and earned a pilot's license.

5. He then re-joined the armed forces and completed a military flight training course.

6. His first victories were achieved while flying a fixed-gear airplane.

7. After his initial victories, he flew an American aircraft, and after that a German one.

8. His brother once served in the French Foreign Legion.

9. He was offered a commission but declined because he would have had to stop flying during the officer training program, and he feared that he might become rusty.

Today's clue:

Looking for the name of a well-known pilot.

1. A very high-scoring ace.

2. Began his military service in the signal corps.

3. Trained as a telegraph operator.

4. After completing his service in the signal corps, he took flying lessons and earned a pilot's license.

5. He then re-joined the armed forces and completed a military flight training course.

6. His first victories were achieved while flying a fixed-gear airplane.

7. After his initial victories, he flew an American aircraft, and after that a German one.

8. His brother once served in the French Foreign Legion.

9. He was offered a commission but declined because he would have had to stop flying during the officer training program, and he feared that he might become rusty.

10. The American plane he flew (clue 7) was a de-navalized version of a plane the US stopped using in combat very early in the war and which is widely regarded as a failure. He scored more than 30 victories while flying it.

The planes sound like the Brewster Buffalo and the ME-109 which means the pilot had to be a Finn. I'm going to guess it was Eino Ilmari “Illu” Juutilainen