Hobert Jones 1923-2010
Hobert made most if not all of his propellers for his custom built airplanes. He brought one to BBP and showed it off one Tuesday afternoon. I carefully placed it on the floor and took a picture. That’s the picture you see on BBP email distributions and is proudly placed at the top of each of these Webpages. (I once calculated the approximate length/width of the prop but forgot to write it down – I had found the exact place on the concrete floor where the photo was taken and measured the distance between two spots near the tips of the propeller – now the floor has been painted over and so that’s not possible now – guess I will now use my shoe width for comparison)
I’m amazed that Hobert used a hatchet to cut a propeller blank down to size. It seems that one poorly placed cut could ruin the work. If Hobert ever told you of any such mistakes, please let me know so that I can insert the story here. Thanks.
- Here’s a nice article written about Hobert Jones….interviewed just three days before his death. Hobert Jones, Baxter County History, Volume 37, Number 3 – July, August, September 2001 Hobert_NEW
- E.R. (Buddy) Johnson wrote this article featuring Hobert for the November 2005 issue of Aviation History. http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-fourteenth-air-force-heir-to-the-flying-tigers.htm
- A Baxter Bulletin article found at this online link….http://www.china-defense-mashup.com/hobert-jones-remembers-world-war-ii-with-flying-tigers-over-china.html
- Here’s another interview of Hobert…August of 2011…author unknown. Hobert Jones interview 8-27-11 with pics
- Here’s a nice online collection on Hobert: http://www.intheirwords.org/the_veterans/wwii_vets/vet0081?SQ_DESIGN_NAME=air_corp_no_flag
- Another online source with bomber pictures: http://dainthecbi.com/WartimePhotographs.html
- Send me your story about Hobert….it will appear here with or without your name attached.