New & improved for July

New at the Warbird's Forum: Here's an artist's sketch of the Flying Tiger Heritage Park near what used to be the Guilin airfield in southwestern China. (It's now evidently a housing development.) Claire Chennault's headquarters cave is about all that remains of the WW2 airfield, and that's what inspired the museum, which is a collaborative effort of an American foundation and the Chinese government.

'I've been a fan of the [Brewster] Buffalo for a few decades now,' writes Andy Reid, 'so when the X-box 360 game "Battlestations Midway" ... was found to have the Buffalo in it, I just have to go and buy the game.' Why would anyone choose to fly the Brewster fighter in combat--even simulated combat--if he didn't have to? Read Andy's article here.

Some heavy reading: Edward Luttwak's Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace is a brilliant book, though not an easy read. I like the fact that he channels John Boyd: 'With Rommel leading them in person, the Germans could act must faster than the British could, much as a better fighter pilot with a better machine can turn inside the circle of a more sluggish opponent ... while his opponent is still trying to react to the first turn.'

And for fans of the immortal Piper Cub, which ten years ago replaced the Buffalo as my all-time favorite aircraft: ‘We would love to invite you to attend our 25th West Coast Cub Fly-in,' writes Mina Mandibles of Lompoc CA. The dates are July 10-12.

Also in California, Channel 10 in San Diego reports that ‘A 35-year-old man led officers Tuesday on a high-speed chase that ended when the stolen car he was driving crashed through a fence and into a vintage airplane at Gillespie Field, ending up in a hangar, police said.’ The plane was a Piper Cub, whose left wing is now somewhat the worse for wear. It won’t be heading off to Lompoc any time soon.

The automobile jumped a 50-foot ditch in order the reach the fence, the hangar, and the Cub. Blue skies! – Dan Ford