Gentile and his Razorback

Bill Greenwood · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:52 pm

It seems the name I have seen with the ads may have been Ray? Gentile, perfhaps a brother or a son ? Great photos Jack!

visaliaaviation · **Joined:** Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:01 pm **Posts:** 353

Not taking myself too seriously but...

When did Gentile EVER fly a "razor back"???

Certainly he flew a P-47 "razor back", but Ive yet to see a photo of the oft reported, but thus far elusive NAA product, touted to show the same spine features.

The crashed aircraft in the photos has a "flush cockpit enclosure" (NA 5822 "Aerodynamic Dimensional Data for P-51B Airplanes" NAA 1943)

Great photo of Gentile's statside D
Thanks

visaliaaviation · **Joined:** Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:01 pm **Posts:** 353

Not taking myself too seriously but...

When did Gentile EVER fly a "razor back"???

Certainly he flew a P-47 "razor back", but Ive yet to see a photo of the oft reported, but thus far elusive NAA product, touted to show the same spine features.

The crashed aircraft in the photos has a "flush cockpit enclosure" (NA 5822 "Aerodynamic Dimensional Data for P-51B Airplanes" NAA 1943)

Great photo of Gentile's statside D
Thanks

APG85 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 16, 2007 12:35 pm

Call it what you will, it's a great looking plane.

five-one · **Joined:** Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:38 pm **Posts:** 44

[quote="visaliaaviation"]Not taking myself too seriously but...

When did Gentile EVER fly a "razor back"???

Amen.

Thats like when you hear people sayin'- He's the driver. Instead of, he's the pilot!

I was at an airshow many moons ago and heard someone say: yeah son thats the back wing......

Just call it the stab for gods sake!

Or heres another one I remember from the madera airshow about 20 some odd years ago..... Yeap, thats the ol' p-47 lightning.

Some things just throw everything else off!

Lol

Oh well, what the hay

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:46 pm

Quote:

When did Gentile EVER fly a "razor back"???
Certainly he flew a P-47 "razor back", but Ive yet to see a photo of the oft reported, but thus far elusive NAA product, touted to show the same spine features.
The crashed aircraft in the photos has a "flush cockpit enclosure" (NA 5822 "Aerodynamic Dimensional Data for P-51B Airplanes" NAA 1943)

PO-TATO POTA-TO
I've talked to a lot of pilots who flew razorback mustangs but never gave across a single one who flew a flush cockpit enclosure P-51B

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:52 pm

I've seen wartime references that refer to the "high back" models, never as a "razorback". Too late, though, when one refers to a P-51 "razorback" version, everybody knows what is meant. The slang has taken root in the "enthusiast" community, and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

I guess the F-15 pilots who have those "Eagle Driver" patches need to burn those patches immediately!

:wink:

Wade

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:10 pm

five-one wrote:

visaliaaviation wrote:

Thats like when you hear people sayin'- He's the driver. Instead of, he's the pilot!

Hey, what do you mean? I have heard a ton of pilots use the driver term (myself included).

visaliaaviation · **Joined:** Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:01 pm **Posts:** 353

A little more seriously...

Sure we all know when some one says the "back wing" we know its a discriptive term for the stab, tail, empange. But it is, in a sense, appropo. It may be crude but it is accurate. Even to an un-initiated crowd everyone pretty much knows exactly what part of an airplane is being spoken about.

I have no problem with "back wing" if someone wants to use it. Same for "driver", although I feel the latter has more of a sence of romance. In my dreams I might even think that I might, someday, when my ship -family fortune-and the Mega Lotto all hit on the same day, be thought of as a Mustang driver.

But this is supposed to be a well informed crowd, right? Yet "razorback" is as much a decriptive term as much as "back wing". In the case of a Mustang i\, "razor back" is definitely not accurate. And while a lot of us may know what exactly what aircraft we are talking about, there are a few who may not.

So, the next time we bitch (and we know we ALL do it) about some lousy air show announcer, TV program, or movie for not representing factual events or machinary, let's remember how important differentiating between "potato and po-tato" actually can be.

ZeamerB17 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2007 4:48 am

Chicoartist wrote:

I've seen wartime references that refer to the "high back" models, never as a "razorback". Too late, though, when one refers to a P-51 "razorback" version, everybody knows what is meant. The slang has taken root in the "enthusiast" community, and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Wade

That's the "fastback" version for all you Mustang freaks

.

Dave

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:12 am

zeamerb17 wrote:

That's the "fastback" version for all you Mustang freaks

.

Cool - there was a Shelby P-51???????

I'll be here all week, folks!

Wade

B17news · **Posted:** Sat Jul 21, 2007 8:55 pm

My father in law has a book signed by Gentile to him from his days at Wright Field (FIL was a P47 crew chief). I'll be sure to show him that photo, its a very good one.

Ed

visaliaaviation · **Joined:** Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:01 pm **Posts:** 353

Chicoartist-

any chance you could expand on particulars of "war time" use of the term "razorback" as applied to Mustangs? My impression is that it became known in the 50's and not during the war. any correction or clarification would be apprecirated.

charlie

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:05 pm

Quote:

any chance you could expand on particulars of "war time" use of the term "razorback" as applied to Mustangs?

PO-TATO POTA-TO
I've talked to a lot of pilots who flew "razorback Mustangs" but never gave across a single one who flew a flush cockpit enclosure P-51B

Rogue · **Posted:** Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:17 pm

I just call them P-51B's! :twisted:

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