P-47D with Malcolm hood

[oboe]

This is just not right:



Though I'm sure the pilot appreciated the extra visibility.  I've heard it took 135 man-hours to install a Malcolm blown canopy on a P-51B, and these mods were done at the depot level in England.

Looks like an operational-level aircraft, with the nose art and all.   I had thought at first it might've been an experimental installation done at the factory.     

[Guppy35]

They were few and far between but they existed.  Not a factory mod but done overseas.

[Vraciu]

Yuck!

[MiloMorai]

F6F also

[colmbo]

unregard

[BuckShot]

It looks nice on the Hellcat.

[streakeagle]

I like the blown canopy on any aircraft. No frames = better visibility and in my opinion it just looks better, even on the P-47.

[DaveBB]

Early and mid-war U.S. planes did not place a high priority on visibility for some reason.  Chalk it up to inexperience.  Of course there are two notible exceptions, the P-38 and P-39.

[Guppy35]

Early and mid-war U.S. planes did not place a high priority on visibility for some reason.  Chalk it up to inexperience.  Of course there are two notible exceptions, the P-38 and P-39.

I believe the logic was the fight would be fought too fast and it wouldn't involve turning.  All you needed to see was forward to shoot a bomber.  Along the lines of the same goofy logic that told the thinking types that jets wouldn't need a gun, just missiles....

[Guppy35]

Oboe, this image is from my collection of a 9th AF fighter Group pilot in his Jug taken in March of 45.  Not sure why he hung on to the razorback so long. Could be his lucky bird but there are images of it with the conventional canopy from an earlier time.  Note the two different mirrors visible. No doubt a third on the other side.  This guy wanted to be able to see behind his bird

If you go to this link:  http://www.368thfightergroup.com/368-noseart-395.html

Scroll down to Lt Vieck's A7-X "Miss Second Front.  This is that bird with a Malcom much later than the image of it nice and clean right after D-Day.

[oboe]

Very cool, thanks Dan.  With that striped prop hub and alternating light/dark on the cowl flaps it must've been a sight in living color.  Add to that the unusual Malcom hood on a Jug and the mental image I get is almost clown car like.   One big, fat clown car, to be sure.

Also, its nice to see another image of a pilot wearing Ray Ban aviator sunglasses with goggles up top of the headgear.  I've been playing around with that look as I work on updating P-38 skins, and wasn't sure how realistic it was.  Do you suppose the goggles fit over the glasses?  I thought the goggles had their own tinted lenses and so sunglasses would be unnecessary but clearly they wore both from this photo evidence.  Maybe at some point during the mission, they took the glasses off and put the goggles down over the eyes?

[MiloMorai]

oboe, when I had to wear glasses while riding the mcycle had some aviation type goggles I pulled down over the glasses in nasty weather.

[Vraciu]

Part of the reason for cable temple Aviator-style sunglasses is putting things on over them--helmets, headsets, goggles.

[colmbo]

Part of the reason for cable temple Aviator-style sunglasses is putting things on over them--helmets, headsets, goggles.

After a 10-12 hour day wearing a Dave Clark with thick glasses frames you'll quickly buy a pair with thin frames.

[Vraciu]

After a 10-12 hour day wearing a Dave Clark with thick glasses frames you'll quickly buy a pair with thin frames.

Amen, brother.