You have to see this one!

[PA.Dutchman]

For many years as a young child we passed the Willow Grove Naval Air Station on our way to my Aunt and Uncle for Thanksgiving.

Passing Willow Grove we would see a group of captured Axis War Planes. But the outstanding one even then was the ME 262. Even as a child I knew this plane was really something special.

I read all I could find about the plane. Then one year it was gone. Only last month did we see an ad for the Delaware Valley Historical Aviation Association Museum at Willow Grove featuring an ME 262.

We have been down twice already. They were interested in my story of passing the plane for years and then told us their story. That plane was completely restored and flown again in Washington State. A group came and signed an agreement to completely restore this ME 262 Trainer with duel controls and seats if they could take it apart piece by piece to make blue prints and make EXACT reproductions of the ME 262. They have used new GE jet engines of the same horsepower, but they are covered with a copy of the original engines. The front landing gear was known to collapse so one of the same look but stronger has replaced it. So in appearance it is the exact same plane, most of the plane is, and only those items needed to certify it air worthy by our FAA were upgraded.

This plane was completely disassembled and restored and flown. The flights can be viewed on the Internet. Two exact reproductions have been made and one sold to Messerschmidt.

The second reproduction was flown over Berlin in 2005 at the Berlin Air Show.

This ME 262 at http://www.dvhaa.org/index.html is the Restored ME 262 plane. It was used by Germany to train pilots and then the Germans used it to train our pilots after the war. It is the ONLY ME 262 Trainer left in the world. You have to get there to see it! I know I will be going back again, and they have told me I may volunteer to help after I retire.

Do yourself a favor and get by there as soon as you can. It is worth the trip and much much more. There is no charge, but they could use free will donations and please do give them a donation.

[PA.Dutchman]

Here is the site in Washington, the ME 262 on the left with the extended canopy is the Original ME Trainer.

http://www.stormbirds.com/project/index.html

[PA.Dutchman]

Here is the link to see the ME 262s fly.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?...28304330343657