| .................. | (Sep 8, 09 Update: The President did not mention about the effort to convert September 11 into the National Day of Service (legislation signed on April 21, 09). I'm glad that he did not tell the kids about it.. His school speech was very good.) |
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Bronze statue commemorating the World War II Lend-Lease program. Location: Fairbanks, Alaska, by the Chena River, downtown. There is a beautiful bronze statue in Griffin Park ("Griffin" -no relation to the author of this website) that commemorates the World War II Lend Lease Program. It features an American pilot who is pointing in the direction that he came from while piloting a Bell P-39 AiraCobra single engine propeller driven fighter plane. He is going to transfer the airplane to the Russians so as to help them fight off the invading armies from Nazi Germany. The statue shows the Russian pilot as he pulls on his flight suit. Behind the American and Russian pilot is a big 3 bladed propeller which represents a part of the P-39 Airacobra. The P-39 Airacobra had an unusual design in that its engine (a 1,325 hp Allison liquid cooled V-12) was located behind the pilot's cockpit. This was so as to allow a large cannon to be positioned in front of the pilot's cockpit in a way so that it could fire through the propeller hub. The caliber of the cannon is 37 mm. A drive shaft and gear coupling transferred the power from the rear mounted engine up to the front mounted propeller. On the park statue, the barrel of the cannon is visible as it protrudes through the propeller cone. You can even see the rifling in the barrel. The sculptor was Richard T. Wallen. The dedication ceremony for the new statue occurred on Aug. 27, 2006. |
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