Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Gaboon on December 22, 2010, 07:03:43 PM

Title: Trivia #5
Post by: Gaboon on December 22, 2010, 07:03:43 PM
name me the oldest known plane still in existence that flew a combat mission on the first day's entrance of the united States to WWII. Name type of plane and its nickname
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: jolly22 on December 22, 2010, 07:04:30 PM
uhhhmmm hmm that fairy plane, i forget what its called.
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: uptown on December 22, 2010, 07:24:08 PM
P38 Lightning? Or maybe a P40?  :headscratch:
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: Gaboon on December 22, 2010, 07:26:18 PM
No it wasn't the P-38 or a fairy plane
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: kilo2 on December 22, 2010, 07:29:48 PM
piper cub?
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: USRanger on December 22, 2010, 08:09:21 PM
I believe B-17 "Flying Fortresses" were engaged while attempting to land on Oahu during the attack.  At least one was shot down.

Going off horrible memory.  Lived near Pearl as a kid.
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: fbWldcat on December 22, 2010, 08:18:19 PM
B-17s from San Francisco were otw to Pearl Harbor when the attacks happened. But the US wasn't at war yet. But I have no clue, either.... This one is tricky. :headscratch:
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: LCADolby on December 22, 2010, 08:18:27 PM
I believe B-17 "Flying Fortresses" were engaged while attempting to land on Oahu during the attack.  At least one was shot down.

Going off horrible memory.  Lived near Pearl as a kid.
The "Swoose" is the oldest B-17 Flying Fortress in existence. It is also the only known U.S. military airplane to have flown a combat mission on the first day of the US entry into World War II and to remain in continuous military flying service throughout
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: Gaboon on December 22, 2010, 08:26:31 PM
ok dolby I'll give ya that one. It was a B-17D that flew missions on December 7, 1941 during the war it had its tail section replaced so it could have a tail gunner. Seeing this the pilot gave it the nick name of Swoose from the names Goose and Swan. After a fashion the Goose became a Swan and just beautiful after the tail change.
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: MK-84 on December 22, 2010, 08:39:16 PM
T4 Texan ;)
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: Guppy35 on December 22, 2010, 10:16:41 PM
ok dolby I'll give ya that one. It was a B-17D that flew missions on December 7, 1941 during the war it had its tail section replaced so it could have a tail gunner. Seeing this the pilot gave it the nick name of Swoose from the names Goose and Swan. After a fashion the Goose became a Swan and just beautiful after the tail change.

Swoose did get a new tail, but not to give it a gunner.  It was used as a staff transport by General Brett.  It did fly some early combat prior to that.  Undergoing restoration at the USAF Museum.  They recently added the 'bathtub' underneath the fuselage where a gunner sat.
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: Gaboon on December 22, 2010, 11:47:21 PM
Ok here the story of Ol Betsy http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123106554
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: Tyrannis on December 23, 2010, 12:41:24 AM
didnt p-26 peashooters also engage japanese zeros? i forget the story completly but i read somewheres that a squadren of p26s based in new guinie engaged japanese forces and actually shot down 37 aircraft.
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: STEELE on December 23, 2010, 10:00:52 AM
I'll go with Peashooter as well
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: Simaril on December 23, 2010, 11:48:36 AM
think the 26s didn't get into fight until next day, and pretty sure none of them survived. There are only a couple airframes left, and the one at Dayton I think was in Panama during the war.

I'd go with a P-36 based in Hawaii. I know the AF museum has one done up as a Pearl defender, but not sure if that airframe was from there.
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: Simaril on December 23, 2010, 11:54:24 AM
think the 26s didn't get into fight until next day, and pretty sure none of them survived. There are only a couple airframes left, and the one at Dayton I think was in Panama during the war.
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: STEELE on December 23, 2010, 12:10:30 PM
I think at least 1 p36 got up during the raid
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: STEELE on December 23, 2010, 12:12:54 PM
I think at least 1 p36 got up during the raid
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: dirtdart on December 23, 2010, 01:07:18 PM
C-47
Title: Re: Trivia #5
Post by: jamdive on December 23, 2010, 05:17:59 PM
It was probably some recon plane, like a pby or the like.