One of the last to be constructed during its manufacturing period, built by Douglas Aircraft Company under license by its designer, Boeing, it was assigned to the US Navy as a PB-1W...Its history can be read here...Its military duty, which included service as the very first AWACS airframe, and subsequent retirement was followed by a civilian career in photographic mapping of the Alaskan wilderness...
Its golden years in retirement now find it providing enjoyment, thrills and nostalgia for new generations of airshow attendees and history buffs who get to hear the roar of the mighty Pratt & Whitney radial engines, and see it become airborne again...I count myself lucky to have seen three of the remaining flying museums, and perhaps the day will come when I can hitch a ride on one...As this one (and don't tell the others, but it's my favorite) moves a little closer to home, maybe I'll get to visit it more often...
Incidentally, when CAF made its formal name change several years ago, many people became upset...I was not one of them, as I saw the change in its true light...It was done to reduce divisiveness, and attract more positive attention to the preservation of history...I put it in the same category as MLK Jr. Day which coincides with Confederate Heroes Day which happen to fall on the same day in Texas...People are welcome to celebrate either as history never changes, only its interpretation, or misinterpretation...
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