How 'bout some right proper warbird noise to start the day?

[Mayhemxpc]

I was recently told a very nice story about Allisons and Merlins by a retired colonel during social time at the RAF Club in London. He said, of the Mustang, "Well, we said that you have a very nice little airplane there, but we think it would be even nicer if you put one of our engines in it. Then you Americans embarrassed us by building the Rolls Royce engines better than Rolls Royce did."

[steveinindy]

Then you Americans embarrassed us by building the Rolls Royce engines better than Rolls Royce did."

We do it so well that they now make them here in Indy.

One of my acquaintances actually was part of the Allison team that worked on the P-51 and several other aircraft. He and his wife run a winery and if he finds out someone visiting is an airplane geek, he tends to be much more generous with the tastings. His wife rolls her eyes when someone "gets him started" but several glasses of great wine and tons of airplane talk are always the best ways to spend a summer evening without leaving the ground.

[MEdwards]

These might be from the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand. We visited there a couple years ago quite by accident. It's a great museum, well worth the trip if you're anywhere in the region.