Howdy all!
My contribution to this wonderful SiG will be a HobbyBoss 1/48 TBM-3 Avenger. There are two major reasons I'm building this specific kit. First, because I got invited to the SiG by a very nice gentleman. Second, I've wanted to build an Avenger due to some personal ties to the aircraft (story explained below.)
First off, the kit! This kit is beautifully molded. The panel lines look great, the details pop, I'm very impressed with it. It gives you an option to have the wings either extended or folded. I haven't decided which way I'll be going yet. The PE parts look quite nice, as does the landing gear; which should be expected of after market parts. Overall, I'm really looking forward to building this kit.
So the personal story... Last Christmas my best friend and his wife gave me a set of patches from her grandfather who passed away. These included a patch from the 747 Shuttle hauler, a NASA meatball and a patch from VT-20. Turns out, her grandfather was none other than Joseph Algranti. I knew he had worked for NASA, I didn't know that he was the Chief of Aircraft Operations at the Johnson Space Center during the Apollo Program. He also flew the 747 Shuttle Carrier for NASA. Oh, and he also taught everyone how to land on the moon with the Lunar Lander Training Vehicle. Here's a cool video of him ejecting out of the LLTV. (Fast forward to 4:24 to get to the ejection and crash.)
[youtube]SFWV7iYd8MI[/youtube]
Anyways, the VT-20 patch intrigued me. Being a naval aviator myself, I was very curious as to what planes he flew in the navy. Turns out VT-20 flew TBF and TBM Avengers during WWII (when he was assigned to them.) Immediately I knew that I needed to build one to display with the patches. This SiG gave me the perfect opportunity!
Here is his obituary and a note from NASA at the time of his passing.
Quite the cool dude. I feel honored that they passed his fleet patch on to me and I'm excited to build a model of what he flew.From a NASA Watch reader:
"It is with the deepest sense of sadness that I inform the NASA community of the passing of Joseph S. Algranti. As the Chief of Aircraft Operations at the Johnson Space Center during the Apollo Program, "Mr A" as we all called him directed the Lunar Lander Training Vehicle (LLTV) program to successfully train the Apollo Lunar Crews to land on the Lunar surface. During its development stages, Joe had to eject from an LLTV only seconds before it crashed. He was an undaunted pilot, leader, and friend. The list of aircraft that he was qualified to command was impressive. I count it an honor to have worked for this man who dedicated his career to the success of NASA. He will be missed by all of us."
Home town obituary:
Joseph Samuel Algranti, 84, of LaGrange, died Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at Hospice LaGrange.
Mr. Algranti was born February 8, 1925 in New York , son of the late Samuel Joseph Algranti and Beatrice Carol Algranti. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BS in Physics. He was a pilot in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Commander in the Naval Reserves. He began his career as a research test pilot in Cleveland , OH at NACA. Next he moved to NASA at Langley , VA. From 1962, he assumed the role of Chief of Aircraft Operations and Chief Test Pilot at NASA in Houston, TX , where he was instrumental in the training of all aspects of the space program. He retired from NASA in 1992, and after retirement, he moved to Chapel Hill and then to LaGrange.
Here's the obligatory box shots for the SiG and some other tidbits of Mr. A and some shots of VT-20 Avengers.
Also, here's a cool oral history he did back in 1998 with NASA. https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_h ... -10-98.htm Very neat story about his time flying for NASA.
Scott
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