Bomber Bug

I have discussed this subject before.  The urge to go see some airplanes.  No one else seems to suffer from it.  In fact I seem to be dealing with a double bug today.  I seem to have contracted a new cold.  It started last night with a sore throat and a sore ear.  I was up at 2 in the morning...not precisely the way I enjoy spending an evening or early morning hours, but at least I could breathe and I wasn't keeping Cora awake.  But, I digress.  I am feeing the air museum bug again.  I need to see some bombers or fighters or even a transport.

I checked the PIMA Air Museum site again.  I do that at least twice a month.  Sometimes more.  They now have their B-36 on display.  I have posted concerning the B-36 before, too.  They have rearranged the aircraft since we were there nearly two years ago.  It makes me want to go back.  We had to kind of see it in a whirlwind tour.  There are aircraft that I'd like to have spent more time examining, but that was not to be.

I know I have told you that I have seen two of the four remaining B-36s.  I have seen the one at Castle Air Museum and the one at PIMA...albeit from a greater distance than I preferred.  The latter was the LAST B-36 produced.  The former is the oldest remaining.  The damned things could carry the first Hydrogen bombs.  Those things were huge!  The Mk. 17 was 24 feet long and five feet in diameter!!  It weighed 42,000lbs and could have a yield of 15 megatons! See here!  A Megaton, by the way, represents the blast 1 million tons of TNT would cause!  When atomic weapons began they measured them in thousands of tons of TNT, or kilotons.

OK, see, I am prepared to lead a tour of a museum!  Anyone want to go with me?  I really want to go to a museum!  And not our piddly-wink little museum here!  All they have is the main landing gear of a B-1 bomber, an engine or two, and a small display of my 1/2400 scale ships.  Not exactly a huge warbird museum.  Sure, it's great for local history, especially concerning Charlie McCallister, who, interestingly enough, got his pilot's license signed by a Wright Brother.  Still, no warbirds!

Ok, even though this sight is named Plane Truth, not Planet Ruth, although, that's a cool name, I won't take up all of my time with whining about my lack of aircraft seeing.  I taught English today...well, 10th grade.  It was a big change from those unruly sixth graders I dealt with Yesterday!  It was a good day, apart from the constant pain in my right ear.  And, did I mention my pants?

My pants.  A pair that must be from ten years ago when I had a slightly smaller frame.  I am not saying I was a pixie sized man, I just wasn't lugging a few extra pounds.  Now, I have a...more...mature figure.  It probably wouldn't have been so bad, but when I work High Schools, I get up early and begin my coffee IV early, too.  Thus, my bladder fills at a much higher rate.  The tighter pants create...ahh, discomfort with a full bladder.  I forgot a belt, so I could not hide my pants being unbuttoned with a belt.  Instead I had to suffer the live long day all buttoned up.  Maybe I am just the only person to suffer that kind of misfortune, I don't know.  I will be  consigning that pair to the Good Will basket.

Now, I think I will go You Tube B-36 movies to get back in the saddle.