Lightning Strikes!

Model Airplane News, Jul 2005 by Welch, Monty

THE FORKTAILED DEVIL SQUADRON INVADES NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

SEVERAL PILOTS IN MY CLUB FLY MOSTLY

WW II aircraft, and we've found that flying similar aircraft together in formation is a lot of fun and adds a new dimension to our time at the field. To capitalize on this idea and give it direction and organization, we formed the "section 8 Air Force." We thought this was an apt name, since you have to be a little crazy to risk the investment of time, effort and money to be in the air along with seven or eight other airplanes that are trying to perform some semblance of a formation!

We chose to make our first squadron out of P-38s because that plane is a complex, twin-engine aircraft that demands superior pilot skills and building abilities. With models from G&P Sales, Kondor Model Products and VQ Models, we named ourselves the "Forktailed Devils" after the German nickname for that plane. The members of our squadron wear appropriate Forktailed Devil T-shirts and P-38 hats. We've even gotten our families involved; Melissa Hoffman, the wife of one of our pilots, designed the devil logo that adorns each P-38 and made our squadron banner, and my wife, Linda Welch, helped design the nose art that appears on some of the aircraft.

In 2004, the Forktailed Devils made their first group appearance at the IMAA Giant Scale Fly-In at Merced, CA. Of the seven P-38s at the event, six of them took off, flew in a loose formation and landed safely (the seventh one blew a glow plug just before takeoff). Pilots and spectators felt that they had just witnessed a first in model aviation! We also performed at the annual Wings of Victory WW II model airshow in Woodland, CA. This time, seven P-38s took to the sky, and some were equipped with bomb drops that worked admirably. One WW II P-38 pilot in the crowd became very emotional about what he had just witnessed and said we had brought back many memories of his flying experiences. He hopes to bring his P-38 pilot group from Sacramento to the 2005 Wings of Victory airshow in July, where we plan to make another appearance. You can also see us at other Northern California events, including the IMAA show at Castle Park in Merced.

What's next for the Section 8 Air Force? We recently formed a Night Fighter Squadron of P-61 Black Widows, and a B-25 Doolittle Raiders Squadron isn't far behind!