2 and a half Jugs!  

Since the Ohio 48th Squadron completed the 1/2 scale P-47 , it was a goal to get a photo with a full size jug sometime in the next few years. We had seen numerous warbirds in and out of Middletown all Summer since the Planes of Fame were using Hook as a Summer base for air shows in the Midwest. Several of their people including Mint Moore and local aviation expert, Jerry Gabbard, told me that there were several P-47's close by.  So I hoped along with the others that we might get to see one by Summers end.

One beautiful Summers evening, Jerry called me and said a couple of P-47s were flying back to Tennessee from a show. They might stop at MWO for a quick visit. Jerry knew we wanted the photo and he tried his best to get them to stop. The pilots were tired and wanted to get home so they passed us by.  But, as they neared Kentucky, the weather suddenly turned bad and they decided to turn back and land at Hook Field. Jerry called me and said they are on the way.   I called the gang, ran back to the hangar and pushed the half scale P-47 to the ramp.

Within minutes you could hear the sound of the mighty P-47 and they made a real nice pass over the field. Neighbors saw that and before they landed, a crowd had formed. Little did the crowd know what was about to happen. When we parked the 2 brightly painted P-47s I pushed the little jug in between them. Everyone just stopped and looked. The 2 pilots smiled and immediately walked over. They never saw a 1/2 scale P-47 and enjoyed looking at the three aircraft parked together.

The photographers in the area knew this would be a one in a million photo. After we talked with pilots, we offered them something to drink and they were ready for a rest. This seemingly small event made history for everyone there and for Hook Field. With a little research, we determined there has never been a photo taken of 2 full size Thunderbolts and a 1/2 scale together in the history of aviation. Several people there that night commented that it was a very special site.

The members of the Ohio 48th Squadron finally got to see what we were hoping for. All of our hard work meant something and we will never forget that evening at Hook. The photo tells it all....2 and a half Jugs.

What a beautiful site! Mike Williams

Checkout the history of the 1/2 scale P47