Warbird Information Exchange

In view of the recent topic about the Brewster Buffalo, how many pilots who actively flew it, are still alive? Either with the USN, Finland, The Commonwealth Nations.

I too would be most interested to find out who the remaining Buffalo pilots are and, if possible, get some first-hand accounts of their time in the cockpit.

BTW - in the latest issue of Flight Journal, there's an article on the FM-2 Wildcat. In a sentence or two in the article, the pilot who flew the Wildcat started off in the Buffalo.
Perhaps there are pilots out there who belong to other organizations or pilots' groups (F4F, F6F, Corsair, etc.) who primarily flew other aircraft in operation who still had some earlier operational or training time in the Buffalo?

Regards,
Mike

Check here:

http://www.warbirdforum.com/buff.htm

and then

ask here

http://p196.ezboard.com/fwarbirdsforumfrm4

excellent question!! maybe a survivor or 2 or 3 can dispell the bad rap the type has taken all these years!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

I spoke with a man named Steve Beville, who flew in the Cleveland Air Races in P-51D, "Galloping Ghost". During the war he'd flown in Ferry Command, moving aircraft from ststion to station. He'd had the chance to fly a buffalo in England. He loved it so much he said he'd "sell his house" if he got an opportunity to buy one he loved it that much. Gives you an idea of how much fun the aircraft could be to fly.

Cheers, Richard

There are a few dutch and Aussies still going down here - i regret to say none I have heard speak had particularly nice things to say about them but that coulde just be the sample? They did pretty much get shot out of the sky by the Japanese so perhaps against the Japanese they have a point?

Regards
John p

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Air Vice Marshall
Sunshine State Air Farce

i heard the initial prototype / prototypes had kick ass performance ..... then the u.s. navy added all the extras x 20 just short of ridiculous with the type only lacking feathers as a bird, & horns as named buffalo. with all that heaped on the performance gradually lagged down hill.

_________________
tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!