Signed 18X24 on glossy paper stock.The flight log of the Enola Gay on it\'s flight to/from Hiroshima.
The original log, which was in vanKirk\'s possession, was out only one time since the end of WWII....for a signing back in 1990 that the 3 men did.This 18X24 piece is a crystal clear copy of that original log.
The 3 signatures of the pilot, bombardier & navigator, are all authentic hand-signed signatures by the we have multiples of this piece, only one is shown here.Your piece that you receive is the same as this one, and was signed at the same time.Sig position may vary slightly from one to another.Mentioned just for accuracy.In the top white border, the wording appears in a beautiful blue color. The border around the log is jet black. The three original pieces of the flight log were put together, top to bottom, so the entire mission...starting from Tinian...to Hiroshima & the drop, & back to Tinian, could be viewed clearly. The 3 pieces appear age toned a bit, with the journey\'s beginning top portion being somewhat more toned than the middle & bottom portions.EVERY \"time\"...EVERY coordinate...EVERYcorrection is here to be seen...minute by minute, as the flight unfolded. At the 09;15 notation we have \"Bomb Away\"! This was time, based on Tinian time. The actual time of the drop, as most of you know, was 8:15AM. Just in case you don\'t know what the columns are where all the computations & figures are, on the log...from left to right, we have...TimeTrue courseDrift correctionTrue headingVarMagnetic headingDeviation correctionComputed headingTempAltitudeAirspeed DriftWindGround speedRunTo destinationTo next check pointMeteorological ObservationsRemarks.It\'s all here...as i mentioned...second by second...minute by minute...history unfolding before your very eyes. You can just picture in your mind, the flight from each bit of info here.VanKirk was meticulate here, and E V E R Y notation is carefully noted by him.The map on the lower right shows the flight route to Hiroshima, including the time at each noted waypoint.
The square at the bottom center is vanKirk\'s review of the flight, to help one understand just what was happening here. it reads.....On August 6 1945, the B-29 bomber \"Enola Gay\" dropped the world\'s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima Japan. Keep in mind the log was a working document and not prepared with the view that it would go down in history. The purpose of the log was to record flight data used by the Navigator to keep the airplane on course and on time, and also to allow the navigator to determine aircraft location in a short time in the event of problems with the plane or bomb.
The method of Navigation was elementary. The line of small uninhabited volcanic islands between Tinian and Iwo Jima permitted good course control via radar. During darkness (until about 4:45AM) celestial sightings on the star Polaris gave lattitude readings and therefore good speed lines on the course we were flying. During daylight, between Iwo Jima and Japan, good weather permitted accurate drift readings and from them accurate wind calculations. Also visibility was outstanding allowing visual sightings of the Japanese coastline about 75 miles away at our high altitude.Then there is a facsimile signature of Theodore J \"Dutch\" Van kirk, underneath. All the sigs on the lower left are the real authentic sigs of all three men. The facsimile is only in that one description part.The log, again, has a nice glossy surface, which really helps to show the log & its markings, at maximum clarity. It is a medium weight paper, not as heavy as a 100\" litho paper.
In the lower left corner, are the authentic signatures of Paul Tibbets (Pilot)...Tom Ferebee (Bombardier), and Ted VanKirk (Navigator). All three have signed in their respective positions which are preprinted under their space to be signed, with their respective positions in the flight. IF the scan comes out good enough that you can clearly see Paul Tibbets\'s name, it appears that the P in Paul us incomplete. That is only from this scan. EVERY signature...every marking...every notation...every pencil mark on the original log...etc...etc...is perfect...crystal clear...sharp...and complete, as i mentioned. YOUR piece may have the sigs SLIGHTLY different, as this is one scanned example, and i have multiples available. All are basically the same though.
Folks...this is SO obvious that it really doesn\'t need mentioning...BUT.....THIS IS A PIECE OF HISTORY HERE!!!!!......ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY!!!!!!!!!What a great gift for the Military Nut...for someone of the \"next generation\", so they may always remember the sacrifices that were made back then...for them...the youth of the future. Also...great for displaying in high school history classes, or in college history classes. Again...It IS...a piece of history....signed by the three men who made it happen.
This piece consistently sells, when available, in the $175.00--200.00 price range!
UACC Registered Dealer #200.This is an example of the few that i have.Yours will differ only slightly.Buyer pays $8.95 shipping.Insurance provided via Auctiva.Shipped in a sturdy mailing tube. Foreign shipping rates are extra, so please ask if you live overseas, how much your shipping would be.
I cannot be held accountable for the orders arrival when shipping a package internationally.If i am to be responsible for the package, a fee for Registered Mail ($13) must be added in addition to the postage.If the International Registered fee is declined that is fine, but I can\'t be held responsible for the arrival of your purchase in your Country.If you do want to have it shipped Registered, let me know ASAP, and i will send an adjusted invoice. I thank you.
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