Great story sent from a family friend and military veteran:
From: Jack Winninghoff
Subject: Re: Fwd: SPITFIRE 944 A Great True Story – gotta watch this
Walter,
Gotta watch is an understatement to the 10th power!
As a youngster my first serious technical interest was in photography. I built an enlarger and did my own processing for many years. After getting my wings in WWII, I wanted to fly reconnaissance in P-38’s. (didn’t succeed – was put in the VHB (B-24 school and then B-29’s).
I built a very detailed model of a Spitfire in HS – loved that elliptical wing.
I spent a good many years with several companies involved in designing lenses and cameras, e.g. Perkin-Elmer who built the US Cameras and the SR-71 Cameras, and Itek who dominated the low orbital recon satellites.
At Itek I became quite friendly with the then retired father of US Army WWI reccee, General George Goddard.
At Perkin-Elmer and Itek I had great success in writing proposals for camera development and multi sensor systems (Photo, IR, Elint, and Radar). I traveled to Germany and France hawking our proposal to up date tactical recce A/C.
I am so grateful to you for sending this to me
Jack
PS I have a fair number of books on the subject of the value of photo recce, which arguably can is considered to me of critical value to us as early as the balloon flights of the civil war, WWI, and certainly WWII, and the cold war. You are welcome to browse and borrow.
FWD: Here is some footage of WWII — thought you would be interested.
What a terrific presentation and footage!
SPITFIRE 944
Click on site below.
treetrunkdings 