Manti Messenger | 1944-02-25 | Page 4 | Steak Special Plane a Wreck, but it Can Bring in the Bacon

Steak Special Plane A Wreck but It Can Bring In the Bacon Nearly every plane in the U. U S. S air force carries a pet name given it by the crews Most of them have havea a waggish touch like Old Baldy Taxpayers' Taxpayers Reward Crosby's Curse Dina Dma Might Pudgy or Jersey Skeet- Skeet er There is one which is particularly apt It is named Steak and Eggs Special and it is exactly that This plane has a curious history Members of a light bombardment squadron found themselves woefully short of the simpler pleasures of life when they moved up to New Guinea While on the mainland they had acquired acquired acquired ac ac- ac- ac a taste for the Australian dish steak and eggs and after a afew afew few weeks on corned willy American American Amer Amer- ican jean bully beef and army stew they decided that action must be taken Getting to work on the graveyard graveyard graveyard grave yard a crew of skilled engi aero and mechanics salvaged an A 20 with its wings and undercarriage undercarriage undercarriage missing and the fuselage ripped open Using pieces from 6 other other wrecks vre ks the they con constructed 1 I I complete plane piane ana greatly darIng earing gave it a test It took off cleanly and showed remarkable remarkable remarkable re re- re- re flying qualities Nearly every member of the squadron tested tested tested test test- ed it and six weeks after the work began it was ready for its first mission mis mis- sion sion-a sion a trip to the mainland to collect collect collect col col- col- col lect steak and eggs bacon and other other other oth oth- oth- oth er delicacies seldom seen in New Guinea For many weeks now the Special has been flying a r regular gular trans trans- ocean service with its precious car car- ar- ar go It cannot be used as a combat pl plane ne but pilots off duty use it for fora a flip across the Coral sea and buy up in a big way in the butchers' butchers and grocers' grocers shops on the mainland