Virtual Escadrille, Squadra, Staffel, Squadron?

[montanamotor]

Hi, folks.

To clear the mess up a little, which I have created in the "Big guns reloaded"-thread, I take over the last two postings from there and put it here, to give this topic I addressed the room it deserves.

I started it with the following quote:

...and with his terminal breath "Machine-gun Greg" admitted that, he was the one who was responsible for the "Valentine's Day Massacre" in Chicago back in the dark and dangerous days of the prohibition...

Greg, whenever I'll come over to the States in the future, we must meet and fire a few rounds from your Sten Mk. 4, just for sheer pleasure. Ya' know, it's better to have a Sten, than to have no machine-gun at all...

I'll pay back with a ride in a Dardo two-seater. Cross my hearts!

And now for something completely different. Only just, something rather special came to my mind, which I would very much like to share and discuss with you. Maybe it deserves it's own thread here, anyway. But I'll start it right here where I am now, to fit it into the actual discussion.

To start it over, let's see, what kind of people we have here with us now. We have (examples):

1. Aircraft freaks (everyone around here).

2. Motor maniacs (Red Admiral, me).

3. Artistic armorers (GregP and Tony Williams).

4. Airframe woodpeckers (Romantic Technofreak, me - again - Dogwalker).

5. Performance wizards (GregP, Lightning)

And many, many more people with many, many more skills and memories and special interests than I could even dream of!

What did I leave out? Whom did I not consider as he deserves it, yet? I understand that, everyone reading this wants to be mentioned with his very special skills here. Don't hesitate. Please, show up and tell us what you know best! Your skills are welcome!

What for? Therefore: All those guys mentioned above - together with all those whom I didn't mention yet, but who may still come up with their skills and interests - make up for quite an impressing staff for a (virtual, yet...) air combat group already, don't they?

Hmmm, yes: I know I am leaving this thread far behind now. But did anybody ever consider really forming some kind of (virtual, yet) combat air unit among us (or units - fighter, bomber, scout, reconnaisance, liaison)?

Name? "La Squadra Azzura" - perhaps (salutes to Taglia and Simon). "The Great Planes Unit"? Really good, too. And many more names are conceivable. You name them! I can envision a great sticker with the right motto and emblem for the sleeve of my jacket - or "for a hero's chest" - if you like. Would anybody dare trying to develop a design for such a squadron sticker...? Come on, dare sharing your dreams with us as much as we dare share our's with you!

Any other suggestion for a decent name welcome. It should refer to internationality, friendship, peacefulness - but, of course, mainly to the subjects of our deepest and most-sincere interest: Those Great Planes - piston-powered (mainly), prop-driven (mostly), and as fast/sleek/heavy/strong/unique/enduring/fascinating as anyone of us can dream of.

Suggestions?

No, I am not drunk at all, actually. I fact, I am deadly sober right now. But if you should consider this an option for explaning my thoughts now, you should only wait and see what happens, if I got a proper share of ADI down my intake...

"This is not the end. This is not even the beginning of the end. But it may be the end of the beginning."

QED.

Cheers!

Montanamotormaniacmike

Unquote



In answering to that, MarkJ from Newzealand today posted the following answer.


Quote:

That Rover might not be a beauty of English engineering, the V12 is though. Kind of reminds me of the tight fit I had in my little V8 powered sports car, the foot room that is.

Montanamotor, perhaps those of us keen to join the new 'Escadrille', could update our profiles with lists of interests, specialilties, achievments etc.
Personally, I've served with my airforce, am a plane nut like us all, am an ex racing driver, have hunted since a teenager, have a good small arms knowledge, have written a book, presently refuel aircraft for a job, am a father of 2 small boys and I'm currently harrassing the local minister of conservation over their choice of pest control in NZ.
Suppose, within the new 'organisation', I might qualify as a gate guard

another project worth looking at

I could have a try at an emblem design......would need a name and definition first

cheers

Unquote.

Your opinion? Let me have it!

[Grifo]

Hi, if I can take the liberty I would suggest the correct spelling for the first name should be "La Squadra Azzurra" :)

BTW, in Italy this is also the appellative for national football team (WTG! :D)

Having to choose a name, I must say I like the name "The Aerofans", even if this could break the copyright of an italian magazine :D

Cheers

[GregP]

Hi Montanamotor,

I'll join! I like performance, armament, and obscure types. It is NOT that I like ONLY obscure types .... but I like the obscure types as well as the mainstream types.

That's why I think the SAI 403 is a really neat aircraft. It is not mainstream, but is a really nice aircraft that didn't get a chance due to Italy's political situation.

The same can be said for many other types ... they are really nice airplanes that never got a chance.

Many types, like the Boeing F8B, the Martin Mauler, Commonwealth CAC-15, Doflug 3803, and many more were GREAT planes that never got a chance to shine.

I salute them all. :D

[Double T]

"The Black-Sheep Squadron" also has a certain ring to it...
(Big Smile)

Tim

[montanamotor]

Hi, Grifo, GregP,

I knew I would misspell "Azzurra"... Congratulations to the Squadra Azzurra for winning the Football-(Soccer)-Worldcup! :D "Aerofan" is nice - but I suppose that, in the meantime, the individuals which have gathered here at "The Great Planes" may be a little more than "fans", only. Far more they are "experts" for very special planes - because, each and everyone seems to be an expert in his own right and, on his specific area of aeronautics.

Military rankings are granted too, to the members of "The Special Aircraft Unit" by "The Great Planes" already - I like this Idea a lot, Taglia!

But, first and foremost, Taglia supplied us with the name of our "home-country", which should be mentioned above all - the "TGP", of course. So each and every of us should be a member of the

TGPAC - "The Great Planes' Air Corps" (TGPAC - "The Great Pack"...?:D)

and the members of it may be referred to as the "experts" (courtesy german "Luftwaffe").

The origin of the specific member then may be identified by a suffix reflecting his home-country's name, for example:

TGPAC / Italian Division
/ American Division
/ British Division
/ German Division etc. etc.

Next would be the wing, which you would like to be assigned to, most (No obligation here, of course!):

Fighter Wing
Bomber Wing
Scout wing
Liaison wing
Transport Wing

Further we might add on the department, in which the specific "expert" feels at home most (by personal choice) - examples:

TGPAC / Italian Division / Engine Department
Airframe Department
Armament Department
Evaluation Department etc. etc.

FURTHERMORE: In all armed forces around the World it is a common habit, to disclose an individual's name and rank to others SEPARATELY from the unit's emblem. Therefore, there might be another - detachable, velcro-fixed - tag to fix on the "expert's" clothing, disclosing his CLEAR name and his actual personal TGPAC "military" rank - like

"Colonel XXX".

The TGP nick would only be disclosed as a "Kampfname" (Combat-Name?) to our compagnons.

An example: The writing of my own personal emblem would read:

TGPAC / German Division / Fighter Wing / Engine Department

My individual Name and rank would be disclosed on another sticker as "Captain M. Schaefer" - that is, for now.

I know, it sounds a little bit complicated from the start. But once you have started playing around with it, You'll also start to like it - I hope, at least...

Discussion wanted!

Cheers!

Montanamotor

Double T: "Bah, bah... " "The Black Sheep Squad" - Yeah, why not? Makes for a great mascot, too!


TGPAC / Black Sheep / German Division / Engine Department

Suits me fine, doesn't it...? :)

[Mark J]

he he......I like it

so, I could be from,

TGPAC / New Zealand Group / Research Wing / Micro-Fighter Experimental Flight

(can't use NZ Division, the NZ division was our army unit in North Africa/Italy)

sounds like fun:)

cheers

[montanamotor]

Hi, Mark J,

I count your answer as an approval. :) Any more comments?

Let's sum up the components again:

1. TGPAC
2. (Country) Group
3. (Area of interest) Wing
4. (Area of expertise) Department

In my case:

TGPAC
German Group
Fighter Wing
Engine Department

You re right, the Group" may be better suited for our purpose than the "Division"-nomenclature, as we want to form a group, and don't want to be divided into "Divisions" - right?

So, in my case, the sticker then would read:

TGPAC / German Group / Fighter Wing / Engine Department

If the sticker formed a roundel, "TGPAC" would be to be read on the top quadrant in INITIALS, "German Group" forming the left quadrant, "Fighter Wing" the right quadrant and, "Engine Department" the bottom quadrant. For examples, look at the stickers of any NASA-flight-mission.

The mascot depicted in the middle of the sticker should maybe (SUGGESTION!) be an angry looking black sheep, wearing a leather cap and goggles. Perhaps taking aim at the spectator through a Rim-and-bed-sight...? There may a writing under the depicted sheep, reading "Fighting Black Sheep", or like. Try it out.

I think, at the AOL "instant messenger" actually there is an online cartoon game being advertised, named "fighting sheep" or like. Those infantry- and tank-sheep's look may give a good example of how our "fighting black" sheep may look like...

Or - try these ones, for imagining the imaging... (Tough ones!):

http://vampirebedandbreakfast.com/mimi_goths/images/chapter1/backstory_sheep_shoot.jpg

The cartoon below is more cute: Change the moon into the sun on a blue sky, paint the sheep black, give it small angel's wings (bat's wings...? Try out.), a leather cap and goggles, and off you'd go.

http://www.ninaspencer.com/imgs/email/lsheep.gif

Try this sticker (as an example only):

http://www.dierenkliniek-ermelo.nl/Explosief/html/images/sticker_311.gif

Colours at will, a more classic typing than ARIAL, if possible, size to fit a jacket's sleeve, in the background of the mascot there may be depicted all the national insignia of WWII fighting nation's aircraft, surrounding the mascot in a ring just inside the written text. As there are: The Iron Cross (NO Swastika!!!) , Stars 'n Bars, Red Star, Il Fasci, the Cockade, la Tricolore, etc. etc.

Deal?

Cheers!

Montanamotor :D

[montanamotor]

Hmmm,

maybe one could add a "Squadron", too - like:

1. TGPAC
2. (Country) Group
3. (Area of interest) Wing
4. (Plane of interest) Squadron
5. (Area of expertise) Department

In my case, the sticker would finally read as:

1. TGPAC
2. German Group
3. Fighter Wing
4. 403 Dardo Squadron
5. Engine Department

Someone else might be identified as (example):

1. TGPAC
2. American Group
3. Bomber Wing
4. B 17 Squadron
5. Armament Department

And, again, somebody else might be identified as (example):

1. TGPAC
2. Australian Group
3. Scout Wing
4. PBY-5 Squadron
5. Navigation Department

Asoasoasoasoasoasoasoasoasoasoasoasoasoasoasoasoas oasoasoasoasoaso...

Cheers!

Montanamotor