Our friends, Loren and Sharon, drove from their home in Sylvan Lake to spend some time with us today. We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant and then visited the Yankee Air Museum (another ASTC museum). It was small but did have some interesting exhibits. When we entered the museum a nice docent offered to be our personal guide through the facility - how could we refuse? He was full of information about the acquisition of the displays and their historical significance.
My favorite was the Spad VIII. It was a World War I fighter made of wood and canvas. I can only imagine how the thrill of flying was overshadowed by the terror of another pilot firing a machine gun at you in midair!
The French-designed Spad had a wingspan of just over 27 feet. A 220 hp V-8 engine provided a top speed of 135 mph and it was armed with 2 machine guns with 400 rounds each. I'm not sure I would trust my life to such a gossamer flying machine on a good day in ideal conditions let alone while someone was trying to shoot me down!
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