General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: oakranger on February 14, 2016, 08:02:46 PM
Title: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 14, 2016, 08:02:46 PM
Howdy Folks! I thought about to start a mega thread in the Aircraft and Vehicles strictly on real life photos of aircraft of WWII.
Rules are very simple:
Post any real life photos of any aircraft , from any country, at any time pre-WWII to post-WWII. It does not matter if they are experimental, crashed, scrapped, destroyed, taxi or in flight. Make sure while you post include information, if any, or asked the readers for help on identification or history. Oh, please keep it clean.
-ENJOY!
Captain Paul Hall's P-47D Thunderbolt fighter 'Dixie Gal' of 57th Fighter Group, US 64th Fighter Squadron at rest at Grosseto, Italy, Oct 1944-May 1945. Story was that Capt. Hall was going on an attack run on a German Tank. Mis-judge his alt and pulled up, but hit ground while attempting to pull up. He flew 150 miles to the nears air field to land. (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/189991_4964487240186_442694897_n_zps76e834a9.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 14, 2016, 08:57:27 PM
Story was that Capt. Hall was going on an attack run on a German Tank. Mis-judge his alt and pulled up, but hit ground while attempting to pull up. He flew 150 miles to the nears air field to land.
Hard to argue with that photo. Amazing.
- oldman
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 14, 2016, 10:47:10 PM
1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron/P-47D-25 "A6" (Red Flight). Flown by Asp. Canario upon returning from a Ground Attack Mission.
On 01-27/1945 the Red flight (aircraft code: "A") took off for a sortie. 1º Ten. Av. Dornelles was leader of the formation, including 20 year old pilot Raymundo da Costa Canario, flying the P-47D #44-19663 (the "A6" aircraft). Canario was originally in Yellow flight.
While commencing an attack at low altitude, Canario collided with a factory chimney (which fell down). In the collision the P-47 lost 1.28m (50.394") of the right wing, but that loss of a part of the wing did not hinder it coming back to the base. Dornelles opted to fly over the Adriatic Sea, since there was excessive flak and dense clouds inland. Over Veneza some Spitfires had almost knocked them down therefore they had not recognized them immediately as allied pilots. After this "small" incident , Dornelles flew with Canario until 5000 ft, keeping silence on the radio.
The low and dense clouds made it difficult for a visual approach. That is when Dornelles found a hole in the clouds and told Canario: "Wait here. I will to go down to have a look and and I will come back to to tell you if this airstrip is okay for you to land." Canario ignored the request and flew back with Dornelles. A few moments before Canario to land he heard on the radio: "Abort! Abort!" As a stricken P-61 Blackwidow needed to make an emergency landing!". After which Canario made his final approach and landed safely. Dornelles flew 89 missions after telling his fellow aviators "I'll never make it to 90 missions" and he died in 04/26/1945, while flying his P-47. Canario flew 51 missions in total and survived the war.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: hgtonyvi on February 15, 2016, 07:47:21 AM
Oakranger is that a corsair with double probs? I've never seen that.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 15, 2016, 08:26:27 AM
I would have hated to be the bombardier sitting in the glass nose. It was a suicide position if you had to hit the silk, the bombardier wouldn't have been able to get out in time.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Ack-Ack on February 16, 2016, 05:01:59 PM
used for what? Certainly not for taking on fighter interceptors..... :headscratch:
I'm guessing it's just for testing, those don't look like RAF Coastal Command VLR B-24Gs which did carry rockets but had a different launcher than those in that picture.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 16, 2016, 05:38:48 PM
I would have hated to be the bombardier sitting in the glass nose. It was a suicide position if you had to hit the silk, the bombardier wouldn't have been able to get out in time.
I'm guessing it's just for testing, those don't look like RAF Coastal Command VLR B-24Gs which did carry rockets but had a different launcher than those in that picture.
IDK, I looked into it and found noting as to how often they where used against, at least, the German Subs. Only info I did found was a total 72 German subs lost from liberators (U.S or RAF) attacks.
Rocket racks used against subs. Not sure if they used them or experimental, been researching on it and came up with nothing as of yet.
The VLR B-24s of Coastal Command used rockets to attack U-boats. One of their favorite tactics was to fly at night and then light up the sub with blinding spot lights and fire off a salvo at the sub while it was surfaced.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Squire on February 18, 2016, 05:00:32 PM
Quote
There something new for me. Did the British fought along with U.S in the battle of Aleutian Islands? What where they doing up there?
No.111 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Ack-Ack on February 18, 2016, 05:01:03 PM
There something new for me. Did the British fought along with U.S in the battle of Aleutian Islands? What where they doing up there?
The British didn't take part in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands. Don't know why those RAF pilots are there, unless they were part of some sort of exchange program with the USAAF or the Canadians (Canada took part in Operation Cottage).
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 18, 2016, 05:25:02 PM
The VLR B-24s of Coastal Command used rockets to attack U-boats. One of their favorite tactics was to fly at night and then light up the sub with blinding spot lights and fire off a salvo at the sub while it was surfaced.
Ah, thanks for sharing. This is good that people sharing facts and photos. Keep it up.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 18, 2016, 06:52:04 PM
The British didn't take part in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands. Don't know why those RAF pilots are there, unless they were part of some sort of exchange program with the USAAF or the Canadians (Canada took part in Operation Cottage).
Looked up history on operation cottage, as it is part of the Aleutians camping, RCAF squ. 111 and 14 saw action with at least one kill. Both flew P-40K.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Ack-Ack on February 18, 2016, 07:00:38 PM
Looked up history on operation cottage, as it is part of the Aleutians camping, RCAF squ. 111 and 14 saw action with at least one kill. Both flew P-40K.
The Battle of the Aleutian Islands was the only other time a USAAF B-26 launched torpedoes, it happened on the same day as the Battle of Midway.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 18, 2016, 11:22:12 PM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on February 19, 2016, 12:45:00 PM
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XT2NFMKU4xE/VcC7IV-0kVI/AAAAAAABs8Q/EQgRRgXduQc/s1600/American%2BTroops%2Bon%2BTarawa%2BAtoll%252C%2BGilbert%2BIslands%2Bduring%2BWorld%2BWar%2BII%2B%25281%2529.jpg) Some touchup paint work
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on February 19, 2016, 12:46:02 PM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: tmetal on February 24, 2016, 05:22:54 PM
not Friday and they have been posted on these boards before; but they are nose art and family so I'm gonna toss them on this thread anyway.
This is my Grandfather posing in front of his C47 pamphlet bomber "Litter Bug" during the Vietnam War. It's hard to make out, but the nose art is a cloud blowing the clothes off the woman.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 24, 2016, 07:18:08 PM
Interesting camo pattern for allies. (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/426484_488345337880403_2143736365_n_zps8e89f975.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 25, 2016, 05:52:34 PM
First drone by Germans? "In Reih und Glied die kleinen undemannten Aufklarer" -> In rank and the small unmanned air craft what i think it translate. (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/4.png) (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/3.png) (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/2.png) (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/1.png)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: puller on February 26, 2016, 08:02:22 AM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 26, 2016, 04:25:00 PM
Nose art Friday!
If i am not mistaken, this what just a propaganda shot. There really was not shark mouth on any stuka, or any other German plane, if i am not mistaken. (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/Ju-87.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Devil 505 on February 26, 2016, 05:09:03 PM
If i am not mistaken, this what just a propaganda shot. There really was not shark mouth on any stuka, or any other German plane, if i am not mistaken. (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/Ju-87.jpg)
There as some 110s which are well known, also some 109Ds and even one 190A that I've seen.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 26, 2016, 05:36:40 PM
Chief test pilot for Curtis and WWII film consultant for the P-40 H. Lloyd Child (with clipboard)
The fellow climbing out of the cockpit is Herb Fisher, the only civilian to be awarded the USAAF Air Medal during WWII. It was awarded by President Roosevelt during a special White House ceremony. Herb did a tremendous amount of high speed dive testing just after the war in a P-47. One of the country's more accomplished test pilots in his day....
Charted flight data from one of Herb's 150+ test dives.... Deliberately diving into full compressibility over 150 times took some nerve....
111 Squadron Pilots: Skelly, Crowley, McLeod, Merkley, Gooding, Hicks, Gohl, Stusiak at Fort Greely, Kodiak, Alaska; April, 1943.
Only Gooding and McLeod survived the war. :salute
Hmmmm. Fort Greely and Kodiak are several hundred miles apart. Greely is in the interior about 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks. Kodiak Island is east of the head of the Alaska noodleula.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on March 03, 2016, 07:57:52 PM
This is interesting. (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/5042710835_9ae60ed5a1.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: save on March 04, 2016, 07:57:37 AM
Fw190D12 and -d13 had guns shooting through propeller hub 30mm mk108 or 20mm mg151
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: LCADolby on March 04, 2016, 11:18:56 AM
Devil, I see a skin in you future, and it B e a ooootifool (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMTBVLdB8-o/TVidRNdqT7I/AAAAAAAAAdI/Ou7ETueTf6s/s1600/Bf110IIZG76HaifischgruppeBalcanesve.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: puller on March 04, 2016, 11:49:59 AM
Devil, I see a skin in you future, and it B e a ooootifool (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMTBVLdB8-o/TVidRNdqT7I/AAAAAAAAAdI/Ou7ETueTf6s/s1600/Bf110IIZG76HaifischgruppeBalcanesve.jpg)
Yes!!!! :aok +1 Devil skin this b**** :rock :rock :rock
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Devil 505 on March 04, 2016, 12:31:54 PM
Devil, I see a skin in you future, and it B e a ooootifool (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMTBVLdB8-o/TVidRNdqT7I/AAAAAAAAAdI/Ou7ETueTf6s/s1600/Bf110IIZG76HaifischgruppeBalcanesve.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on March 06, 2016, 09:39:15 PM
"Well, that's what been causing the vibration on the plane"
Lt Edwin Wright of the 404th Fighter Group, 9th AF examines the damage to his propeller after returning from a ground attack mission near Munster, Germany..October 1944. A 88MM shell came from behind and failed to explode. Notice some surface damage on the way down to the prop tip and maybe some damage on the surface of the prop behind him. you can say that he escaped death at four different times on that flight: 1. 88mm missed hitting the main body of the jug by feet or inches. 2. 88mm did not exploded on impacted. 3. Few inches on either side and half the prop might be gone. 4. Made it home, alive, and safely landed the jug.
He was hit by flak six different time and survived but die at age 36 from lung cancer.
What appears to be P-40s taking off on a carrier...
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Devil 505 on March 08, 2016, 11:50:32 AM
That's from Operation Torch. The P-40's flew directly to their land bases. This was a non-combat event. The carrier was just a means for east transport, and launching from the deck just an easy way of unloading the aircraft.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Ack-Ack on March 08, 2016, 12:25:32 PM
That's from Operation Torch. The P-40's flew directly to their land bases. This was a non-combat event. The carrier was just a means for east transport, and launching from the deck just an easy way of unloading the aircraft.
During the battle for Saipan, P-47s were launched from USS Manila Bay and were attacked and had to launch some to act as a CAP.
Those splashes you see are from bombs dropped by a Japanese plane. (http://www.navsource.org/archives/03/0306106.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: lyric1 on March 08, 2016, 04:51:06 PM
Beau.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRc4VY4hBnM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on March 09, 2016, 11:57:08 AM
That's from Operation Torch. The P-40's flew directly to their land bases. This was a non-combat event. The carrier was just a means for east transport, and launching from the deck just an easy way of unloading the aircraft.
I was just looking at the skin of the P-40 and wonder if they may be North Africa.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Devil 505 on March 09, 2016, 03:31:01 PM
Oakranger, you are correct. Operation Torch was the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. That video was taken of the first delivery of land based fighters after the beachhead was established. The point I was making before was that what you see in the video were simply ferry flights and not combat ops.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on March 13, 2016, 11:38:57 AM
Lieutenant-Colonel David C. Schilling, an ace P-47 Thunderbolt pilot of the 56th Fighter Group, holds an adapted hand gun. Schilling was Commanding Officer of the 56th FG between 12 August 1944 and 27 January 1945.
Lieutenant-Colonel David C. Schilling, an ace P-47 Thunderbolt pilot of the 56th Fighter Group, holds an adapted hand gun. Schilling was Commanding Officer of the 56th FG between 12 August 1944 and 27 January 1945.
Saw something that looked like that down in Detroit last week.
I was surprised that they did this back then. Funny to see that second handle up front too. I guess he came prepared that if gets shot down over Germany. He will take a few German soldiers with him with that many rounds.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: FLOOB on March 24, 2016, 02:46:09 AM
It looks like a WWI air to air pistol, they also used to shotguns.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on March 24, 2016, 08:25:27 AM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: bozon on April 10, 2016, 04:56:40 AM
I should fly the spit 14 more in the MA. But every time I get around to learning it, it gets ENY locked and I am back in my trusty Mossie VI that never ever gets locked, yet kicks tuches just the same.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on April 10, 2016, 08:51:15 PM
I should fly the spit 14 more in the MA. But every time I get around to learning it, it gets ENY locked and I am back in my trusty Mossie VI that never ever gets locked, yet kicks tuches just the same.
If you are not knight you should joined. eny will never be a problem with that bird.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on April 17, 2016, 06:23:05 PM
Crikey I just about fell off my chair. That's British!
Sure is! Spit is one of the most beautiful planes ever made, and the Mk. XIV is the best 109 ever made. ;) It's the supreme E-fighter of WWII. Wish we had the clipped bubble top version in AH...
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: nrshida on April 24, 2016, 03:10:06 AM
Sure is! Spit is one of the most beautiful planes ever made, and the Mk. XIV is the best 109 ever made. ;) It's the supreme E-fighter of WWII. Wish we had the clipped bubble top version in AH...
I like the aesthetics of the Griffon-engined versions more too. +1 on the bubble-top clipped wing. Too bad the one we have now has faulty weight distribution (oops did I say that out loud?).
I think of the 109 and Spitfire as being polar opposites which occasionally touch the same point on the performance tables. Not having flown a real 109 of Spit14, in-game the K-4 is a far superior stall fighter, imho.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on April 24, 2016, 09:32:19 AM
I think of the 109 and Spitfire as being polar opposites which occasionally touch the same point on the performance tables.
In terms of design philosophy yes, they are very different. Makes the 109 design that much more impressive since it achieved close parity with the Spitfire despite being compromised by design considerations other than performance.
Not having flown a real 109 of Spit14, in-game the K-4 is a far superior stall fighter, imho.
Stall fighter yes, because of the flaps. The Spit XVI is the better E-fighter though with excellent E-retention, high speed control authority and turbolasers.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: nrshida on April 24, 2016, 10:33:43 PM
In terms of design philosophy yes, they are very different. Makes the 109 design that much more impressive since it achieved close parity with the Spitfire despite being compromised by design considerations other than performance.
I don’t follow your last sentence. (Real-world) I think the Spitfire had a better form and a slightly better engine but the 109 is structurally more advanced with a superior supercharging solution.
Stall fighter yes, because of the flaps. The Spit XVI is the better E-fighter though with excellent E-retention, high speed control authority and turbolasers.
(In-game only) yes and the slats and most especially the nose-high stability. Park a K-4 on its arse in the vert , pull off the power and let go of the stick and it’ll self-correct. In the XIV you’ve got some fancy pilot stuff to do and about 3,000 feet to burn to get out of that flat spin, often inverted. I feel sure the AH Spit XIV has a CofG / CofP fault.
I like the 30-mm better than Hispanos but I've noticed it's divisive for players.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Serenity on April 25, 2016, 01:30:19 PM
(In-game only) yes and the slats and most especially the nose-high stability. Park a K-4 on its arse in the vert , pull off the power and let go of the stick and it’ll self-correct. In the XIV you’ve got some fancy pilot stuff to do and about 3,000 feet to burn to get out of that flat spin, often inverted. I feel sure the AH Spit XIV has a CofG / CofP fault.
I like the 30-mm better than Hispanos but I've noticed it's divisive for players.
Have you tried the DCS Bf-109? I tend to put a little more faith in their flight model, and aircraft characteristics, simply because everyone I know who has flown the actual aircraft they model has given rave reviews about how accurate it is.
In Aces High, I can make the Bf-109 dance pretty handily. In DCS, which seems to do a MUCH better job of modeling things like torque, and doesn't flatten things out, I can barely take off in the K-4, and landings are a prayer at best...
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: GScholz on April 27, 2016, 05:24:23 AM
I don’t follow your last sentence. (Real-world) I think the Spitfire had a better form and a slightly better engine but the 109 is structurally more advanced with a superior supercharging solution.
I mean Willy didn't design the best plane he could have designed for performance only. He made compromises for production and serviceability. He was often criticized by his competitors, Heinkel in particular, for making a "simple" and aerodynamically inferior design. The Heinkel 112 was in fact favored by the Luftwaffe, but Willy knew that there was more to a military aircraft than performance. He also understood politics.
If the Luftwaffe had gotten its way instead of the politicians the Battle of Britain would have been a battle between two remarkably similar looking fighters.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: LCADolby on April 27, 2016, 05:38:45 AM
Willi wasn't good at politics :old: bf not Me ;)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: GScholz on April 27, 2016, 06:06:17 AM
Willy Messerschmitt was the chief designer and engineer at Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bf). Willy's political abilities and help from his friend Hugo Junkers, helped him take control of the company in 1938 and reconstituted it as Messerschmitt AG, with Willy as chairman and managing director. Willy managed to get his design into the 1935 fighter competition and win it despite being a hated enemy of Erhard Milch. The German field marshal who oversaw the development of the Luftwaffe as part of the re-armament of Nazi Germany, and who only answered to Göring and Hitler himself. If not for Milch's interference Willy would have had his name on the company letter head in 1933.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: nrshida on April 27, 2016, 07:28:37 AM
I mean Willy didn't design the best plane he could have designed for performance only. He made compromises for production and serviceability. He was often criticized by his competitors, Heinkel in particular, for making a "simple" and aerodynamically inferior design. The Heinkel 112 was in fact favored by the Luftwaffe, but Willy knew that there was more to a military aircraft than performance. He also understood politics.
Oh I see your perspective. I didn't mean to imply poor English. Your English is extremely good, better than most Texan's in fact :rofl
Well, let’s be honest, Willy cheated on the design brief by violating one of the stipulations which allowed his design to match or exceed the others which the competition could not. Fully working prototype helped a lot given the time pressures. Good trick though, if you can get your client to swallow it. I think Willy was an excellent designer, forward thinking, good anticipation of changing environments and imaginative solutions. Yes very well disposed to mass production, unlike the Spitfire, especially the wings. I read somewhere at one point there were countless Spitfire fusalges waiting for their wings to be built.
Just from a purely original design perspective though I think the de Havilland Mosquito trumps both the 109 and Spitfire. A genius proposition, almost uniquely remarkable in a lot of ways. The Hornet's construction was even more advanced along the same concept.
Have you tried the DCS Bf-109? I tend to put a little more faith in their flight model, and aircraft characteristics, simply because everyone I know who has flown the actual aircraft they model has given rave reviews about how accurate it is.
In Aces High, I can make the Bf-109 dance pretty handily. In DCS, which seems to do a MUCH better job of modeling things like torque, and doesn't flatten things out, I can barely take off in the K-4, and landings are a prayer at best...
No buddy sorry. I've only played AH. Have flown a glider and an R-22 and seem to have an affinity to vehicular control in general but it's just semi-informed instinct about the Spit14. You're a real pilot aren't you? What is your opinion of the AH Spit14? Dubious longitudinal stability explainable by dodgy weight distribution? I know the Ta-152 guys discuss that reason for a similar departure.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: nrshida on April 27, 2016, 07:36:23 AM
This was one of my finest 30-mm shots when I mucked around with the G-14 many years ago:-
https://youtu.be/x2yFy8-gfL0?t=25
That naughty Mr. Joach1m never even gave me a mention in the credits :old:
Can catastrophically miss with Hispanos though. Too much lead I expect, the Ho-5 plops it's pellets out a bit slower.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: LCADolby on April 27, 2016, 10:03:04 AM
Well, let’s be honest, Willy cheated on the design brief by violating one of the stipulations which allowed his design to match or exceed the others which the competition could not.
What did he cheat on the design? I'm not familiar with it and genuinely very curious as a 109 lover.
No buddy sorry. I've only played AH. Have flown a glider and an R-22 and seem to have an affinity to vehicular control in general but it's just semi-informed instinct about the Spit14. You're a real pilot aren't you? What is your opinion of the AH Spit14? Dubious longitudinal stability explainable by dodgy weight distribution? I know the Ta-152 guys discuss that reason for a similar departure.
That's a tough question. Honestly, I've not spent much time in the Spit14, and more importantly, I've never flown a plane as far beyond it's envelope in real life as we routinely do here lol. Not so much out of my own fear (That ejection seat is VERY comforting lol) but more because in all but 3 hours of high-performance flight so far, I've had an IP in the back grading me on safety lol.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: nrshida on April 27, 2016, 02:00:45 PM
That's a tough question. Honestly, I've not spent much time in the Spit14, and more importantly, I've never flown a plane as far beyond it's envelope in real life as we routinely do here lol. Not so much out of my own fear (That ejection seat is VERY comforting lol) but more because in all but 3 hours of high-performance flight so far, I've had an IP in the back grading me on safety lol.
What did he cheat on the design? I'm not familiar with it and genuinely very curious as a 109 lover.
Well he exceeded the specified wing loading. But since manoeuvrability came lowest on the list of priorities, it was a smart approach. Especially since he could already demonstrate everything else working. The other entrants needed revisions, I think is the kind way to put it. Also like GScholz said it was obviously production-friendly. I think it was the right choice at the time. Old Willy had anticipated energy fighting it looks like.
That's soon to change. Now that I'm in intermediate jet, on both of my flights so far, when I've completed my necessary training maneuvers, the IP has taken over, followed immediately by the words "Hang on!"
It's funny what happens when you stop have Helo and P-3 guys for instructors :D
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Delirium on April 27, 2016, 09:14:49 PM
For no more rational reason than its quirkiness, design and the bravery of those who fought in it. Excellent wishlist thread over here with a wealth of pictures and info:-
For no more rational reason than its quirkiness, design and the bravery of those who fought in it. Excellent wishlist thread over here with a wealth of pictures and info:-
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on April 29, 2016, 09:26:57 AM
This is one of my favourites... (http://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/canada/2013/11/09/second_world_war_flying_ace_hailed_as_hero_in_canada_and_israel/george_buzz_beurling.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: MiloMorai on April 29, 2016, 10:44:56 AM
That be Screwball.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on April 29, 2016, 08:51:20 PM
Yet it doesn't carry more firepower than a Hurricane IIc...
Well, it did it earlier and faster on less power. If it had been designed for Merlins, well, it would likely have been up there with the Fw187 as an actual twin engined, high performance fighter rather than the overweight twins like the Bf110 and Ki-45 that mostly made it to service.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: nrshida on April 30, 2016, 02:25:25 AM
You wanna watch yourself GScholz. At this rate you'll soon have to change your avatar to Winston Churchill and sell your BMW for a Morgan Plus 8 in BRG :old:
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: GScholz on April 30, 2016, 09:03:50 AM
A long time ago I did own a Rover SD1 2600 VDP... in gold. Still one of my favorite cars ever. Such a nice ride, and made all the right noises. Being a British car made by communists on strike all the time it also made all the wrong noises now and then and was in the shop a lot.
But when it worked it was such a nice car to drive...
These days I do drive a Bimmer yes... but I also have a Land Rover, so I have one foot on each side of the Channel. ;)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: nrshida on April 30, 2016, 11:47:55 AM
Very cool cars the old SD1s. Poor man's Daytona they used to call em. Yeah trade unions irreparably damaged and killed the UK's motor industry. Social change was also necessary I suppose. Britain always was class-based and heavily buerocratic. Just watching Top Gear again and there's a season 4 episode featuring the Jaguar XJS. May's explaining how they cut costs even on the rubber in the bushings, the plastic electrical connectors, everything they could. There's a company that reconditions good ones and fixes the whole mess making a decent car.
All Over for Rover now of course :cry
Opps, I seem to have simultaneously rule #3 & #5ed myself all at once. Pardon.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Widewing on May 01, 2016, 09:22:18 PM
I figure a lot more folks would fly P-40s if they had a Viper covering their six.....
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 01, 2016, 05:57:37 PM
Wire ripped into the B-24. Getting mixed information on this. One story, which i never heard before, 109s would drag a long cable wire getting above the bombers formation and drop it onto them. Another was Ju-88s doing the same method, but explosives attached onto the wire.
I think some of the early P-38s in the MTO had a camo paint scheme when they arrived in theater.
Here is an RAF evaluation P-38 with a camo pattern. (http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/298/pics/9_1.jpg)
I just notice some of the other pic I posted with the P-38 has simuler camo skin.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Devil 505 on August 01, 2016, 10:13:23 PM
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7408/11743795853_c22780526d_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/iTL2mR)Bf 109 K-4 W.Nr. 33. ..., unit unknown, Bad Aibling, 8 May 1945. Source: US Signal Corps via facebook.com. (https://flic.kr/p/iTL2mR) by Marc-André Haldimann (https://www.flickr.com/photos/28092068@N03/), on Flickr
Quote
Extracted from a movie, this picture captures the moment just after the landing 22nd Tac. recon Sqn F-6 D-10-NT 44-12470 flown by Frederick W. BUEHL caught the right wing tip of the Bf 109 K-4. The F-6 cartwheels to its destruction, the pilot surviving; shaken out of its mounting, the DB 605 D of the Bf 109 K-4 shows towards the photographer the engine cowling with its characteristic late Bodenwöhr or Flossenbürg produced Bf 109 K-4 camouflage in the 332 ... 335 ... W.Nr. batch. Picture courtesy of Alfred Monzat, War planes Group, Facebook.com, 18 December 2013.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 06, 2016, 12:28:58 PM
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7408/11743795853_c22780526d_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/iTL2mR)Bf 109 K-4 W.Nr. 33. ..., unit unknown, Bad Aibling, 8 May 1945. Source: US Signal Corps via facebook.com. (https://flic.kr/p/iTL2mR) by Marc-André Haldimann (https://www.flickr.com/photos/28092068@N03/), on Flickr
That is a nice photo....sad to see it happen.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Devil 505 on August 06, 2016, 01:02:14 PM
Indeed. At least we know the pony pilot survived the crash.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 27, 2016, 12:48:34 PM
It is my understanding that the inner engine got hit by flack, broke off and hit the outer prop.
I trimed the link to this.... https://www.facebook.com/gordon.permann.1/videos and found a blank page (so the "video not found error"). Going to the main page I clicked on his "photos" and found a video group. Clicked on it and found 2 videos. Right clicked on the second and copied "image location" and got the link below.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 28, 2016, 06:52:29 PM
Looks like he got rammed by one of our AH rammers.
Here is the story behind it. https://books.google.com/books/content?id=nlO3CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA86&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&ots=1_R3Hyhh6-&sig=ACfU3U3SmDnJMIps2XShWvv-8OrCwkfBuw&w=1280 (https://books.google.com/books/content?id=nlO3CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA86&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&ots=1_R3Hyhh6-&sig=ACfU3U3SmDnJMIps2XShWvv-8OrCwkfBuw&w=1280)
Either they waist gunners eat a lot of beans and need more ventilation or it's an engine test bed. Looks like it might be a tail pipe below where the tail turret was.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Oldman731 on August 29, 2016, 09:17:38 PM
Looks like he got rammed by one of our AH rammers.
Here is the story behind it. https://books.google.com/books/content?id=nlO3CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA86&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&ots=1_R3Hyhh6-&sig=ACfU3U3SmDnJMIps2XShWvv-8OrCwkfBuw&w=1280 (https://books.google.com/books/content?id=nlO3CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA86&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&ots=1_R3Hyhh6-&sig=ACfU3U3SmDnJMIps2XShWvv-8OrCwkfBuw&w=1280)
Did he get jumped from a unseen N1k2? Or was he dogfighting the Japanese ace? I can't believe that aircraft made it back, due to the extreme loss of lift on one side.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 30, 2016, 11:14:57 PM
Did he get jumped from a unseen N1k2? Or was he dogfighting the Japanese ace? I can't believe that aircraft made it back, due to the extreme loss of lift on one side.
Yes, they were on patrol for many days not seeing much of big fights until that day when VFM-113 got jumped.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 30, 2016, 11:35:30 PM
Looks like he got rammed by one of our AH rammers.
Here is the story behind it. https://books.google.com/books/content?id=nlO3CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA86&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&ots=1_R3Hyhh6-&sig=ACfU3U3SmDnJMIps2XShWvv-8OrCwkfBuw&w=1280 (https://books.google.com/books/content?id=nlO3CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA86&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&ots=1_R3Hyhh6-&sig=ACfU3U3SmDnJMIps2XShWvv-8OrCwkfBuw&w=1280)
I have to wonder if a photo got swapped. That looks more like ground collision damage than gunfire damage, especially the elongated hole in the side of the fuselage with the paint scrape under the cockpit.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 31, 2016, 11:28:31 AM
I have to wonder if a photo got swapped. That looks more like ground collision damage than gunfire damage, especially the elongated hole in the side of the fuselage with the paint scrape under the cockpit.
What would caused the elongated hole?
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: colmbo on August 31, 2016, 12:26:59 PM
The entire rear fuselage is broken lose, notice the frame seam that is opened just ahead of the star insignia. Rear fuselage twisted, I would be surprised that it would have been able to fly with that damage.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 31, 2016, 02:09:21 PM
The entire rear fuselage is broken lose, notice the frame seam that is opened just ahead of the star insignia. Rear fuselage twisted, I would be surprised that it would have been able to fly with that damage.
Yep, I see that as a possible. Another possibility is air collision. But also think if this, that elongated hole could have been from a 20 mm round just hitting at the right angle.
Idk, but like you there could be a possible questioning that who ever took to photo and wrote about it could have exagrated some.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 31, 2016, 11:42:47 PM
I have to wonder if a photo got swapped. That looks more like ground collision damage than gunfire damage, especially the elongated hole in the side of the fuselage with the paint scrape under the cockpit.
The lack of any obvious shrapnel damage is also indicative of it being something else than cannon damage.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: colmbo on September 01, 2016, 08:09:11 AM
Read about that b-17. The whole front of the B-17 up to cockpit gone. Pilot and co-pilot had the front row seat. They can just lean fowared and look down.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: DaveBB on September 02, 2016, 03:18:26 PM
Oakranger, in the picture it said the pilot, copilot, navigator, and bomb aimer were blown away. I don't see anyone in the photo. In your story that you read, did the pilot and co-pilot survive?
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on September 02, 2016, 03:28:09 PM
Oakranger, in the picture it said the pilot, copilot, navigator, and bomb aimer were blown away. I don't see anyone in the photo. In your story that you read, did the pilot and co-pilot survive?
If I recall, and maybe I am wrong, the pilot and copilot survived but bailed out of the bomber after a while. There are two photos of this B-17, this is one.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on September 02, 2016, 04:02:20 PM
Oakranger, in the picture it said the pilot, copilot, navigator, and bomb aimer were blown away. I don't see anyone in the photo. In your story that you read, did the pilot and co-pilot survive?
Here is a link to a BBS that I read about it. Benguttery is who knows the story about what happen.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Guppy35 on September 04, 2016, 05:03:06 PM
Your B-25 quiz for the day. What model is it. Where did it come from. Who does it belong to, and what did it and it's Group mates do that was a first in WW2.
Your B-25 quiz for the day. What model is it. Where did it come from. Who does it belong to, and what did it and it's Group mates do that was a first in WW2.
Your B-25 quiz for the day. What model is it. Where did it come from. Who does it belong to, and what did it and it's Group mates do that was a first in WW2.
OK then I'm guessing it's a late G conversion to strafer-nose.
The exhaust ports, dorsal turret location and waist gun windows suggest a G model. No 75mm, so one of the earlier versions. Scholtz may be right on the historical significance.
- oldman
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Guppy35 on September 04, 2016, 11:55:58 PM
OK then I'm guessing it's a late G conversion to strafer-nose. First to fly over the Japanese mainland since Doolittle?
That be it :) Hawaiian Depot Modified B-25G of the 41st BG. Strafer nose, side gun pack on the right, rocket rails, waist windows, tail gun etc. 41st was the first B-25 Group to hit Japan since the Doolittle Raid.
Kind of a pretty version of the 25. I like the look better than the gun nosed J for some reason.
I came across a series of photos of this bird and crew on eBay. They were not labeled and it took me a while to nail it down.
You can see the rocket rails in this one (http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/8gunG7.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/8gunG7.jpg.html)
The open waist window and wind deflector mod was specific to the Hawaiian Depot (http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/8gunG5.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/8gunG5.jpg.html)
The side gun pack is visible in the next two. (http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/8gunG4.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/8gunG4.jpg.html)
Love the look on the Marine's face :) (http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/Flying%20Forts/YB17SFMarine_zpsacc1a653.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/Flying%20Forts/YB17SFMarine_zpsacc1a653.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Guppy35 on September 06, 2016, 10:33:51 PM
Forgot I had these two (http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/Rapid%20City%20B17s/Flagship1_zpsq821obg3.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/Rapid%20City%20B17s/Flagship1_zpsq821obg3.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Hajo on September 06, 2016, 11:52:43 PM
Favorites of mine and a print I own. Klibbe and Rankin. Autographed by both of them. Always liked the P47. 56th FG flew them the entire war and were the highest scoring FG in the ETO.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on September 07, 2016, 03:48:22 PM
Thanks for posting the early B-17s, guppy35.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on September 07, 2016, 06:49:56 PM
Ki-45 clark field, 1945 (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/Kawasaki%20Ki-45%20Toryu%20Clark%20Field%201945_zpstlfem8as.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Guppy35 on September 07, 2016, 09:52:14 PM
Lend Lease KingCobra from the photo collection (http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/Cobras/KingCobra_zpsvocaj9ct.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/Cobras/KingCobra_zpsvocaj9ct.jpg.html)
And another Lend Lease bird (http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/Cobras/KingCobra_zpsgtgqo2c1.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/Cobras/KingCobra_zpsgtgqo2c1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Guppy35 on September 07, 2016, 09:57:30 PM
Favorites of mine and a print I own. Klibbe and Rankin. Autographed by both of them. Always liked the P47. 56th FG flew them the entire war and were the highest scoring FG in the ETO.
This is the one above and behind my computer. Signed by 13 370th FG P38 pilots. Got it along with the B10 jacket and Ike Jacket of one of the signers. (http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/602%20Squadron/38-Print_zps5drs98wf.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/602%20Squadron/38-Print_zps5drs98wf.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Guppy35 on September 07, 2016, 10:07:45 PM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Guppy35 on September 07, 2016, 10:11:38 PM
Last but not least, my favorite early Fortress of all time, from the greatest guilty pleasure wartime movie ever "Air Force". The famous "Mary Ann". Left Hamilton Field and flew into the attack on Pearl Harbor. Stopped off at Wake Island on the way to the Philippines. Got bellied in on her first combat mission only to be resurrected by the crew that never sleeps and escapes the fall of the Philippines. While heading for Australia she and crew spot a Japanese invasion fleet and lead the attack that totally destroys it. What an airplane! :)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: 38ruk on September 11, 2016, 01:15:18 PM
While looking up the Boll Weevil.... I found this story on the 506th website . Wonder how many of these stories will go unknown and unseen by the generations that have come after .
I notice the dash marking on the wing but i really notice are the two fins, antennas or what ever they are behind the cockpit.
My guess would be radio antennae.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Guppy35 on September 11, 2016, 11:32:15 PM
The twin antenna were for the "Uncle Dog" radio direction finding gear that the Iwo Mustangs needed for all that over water flight. The radio antenna itself was moved to below the engine in between the wheel bays.
The stripes were for ground attack sighting. They show up on a few ETO birds towards the very end of the war in Europe and were on the PTO Mustangs in the summer of 45.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: 38ruk on September 12, 2016, 01:18:34 PM
Looking at the pic more closely i see they have a bunch of flap out .... must be something slow taking the pictures 8)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on September 14, 2016, 06:12:56 PM
Mitsubishi_G4M Betty(s) Guadalcanal - Tulagi on August 8th, 1942.
:rofl no worries. At least I got on a video somewhere :banana:
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on September 29, 2016, 06:03:42 PM
Coastal Command Mosquito Mk XVIII of 248 Squadron showing the size of the QF 6pdr carried in the nose, minus the gun carriage. This was also called a 'Molens gun' named for its manufacturer. They were used against U-boats then replaced by rockets. Take notice of the barrel sticking out under the Mosquito.
Meanwhile back in Baltimore Martin engineers devised a number of improvements to the design, most noticeably a "twisted wing" with a 3 1/2-degree up angle to make take-offs safer, a solid nose with two 37 mm cannons and two .50 caliber machine guns, and a horn-balanced rudder. Acting without authority from procurement officials, the company modified three "dog ships" kept at the factory as "B-26-E"'s. They were flown down to Washington for demonstration to General Arnold and his staff, who were duly impressed. Although lower-ranking procurement officers were livid, they approved the wing change in another B-26 model, which they insisted should be the B-26F. On the assembly line in Baltimore stripped "Gypsy Rose" planes gave way to the new F model late in 1943. Never enthusiastic about the flying wing, which in any case had design problems at Northrop, Martin executives argued the company out of the B-35 contract and accepted orders for another 950 B-26G's to be built in 1944 and 1945.
http://www.b26.com/page/glenn_martin_museum.htm
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Becinhu on October 13, 2016, 10:42:00 AM
That's just corky and shuffler on a normal landing. You should see what happens if they are damaged....
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Parking lot outside the 80ths O'Club :D
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Devil 505 on October 13, 2016, 04:01:47 PM
Building a 109.
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/3/2914/13938045910_8e81955332_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/neE8so)18. Building of a Bf 109 G-8, Wiener Neustadt Flugwerke: fuselage half shells finishing, WNF, Wiener Neustadt, 1943 (?). Source: expired eBay auction via scalemodels.ru. (https://flic.kr/p/neE8so) by Marc-André Haldimann (https://www.flickr.com/photos/28092068@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Ack-Ack on October 13, 2016, 04:46:04 PM
Those ladies got photobombed by a Hitler impersonator.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Devil 505 on October 13, 2016, 05:03:23 PM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: The Fugitive on October 13, 2016, 09:48:56 PM
The last one is where Corky jr parks ALL of his returns :devil
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: 38ruk on October 14, 2016, 01:46:17 PM
All the inverted ones are Corky's .... he is king of using the canopy as a runway skid.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Becinhu on October 14, 2016, 04:20:54 PM
I once had an awesome in the weeds dogfight with corky...then I realized I was just circling a friendly base tower and corky was hanging out the window yelling "PEW PEW PEW!"
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on October 14, 2016, 04:58:48 PM
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/30/article-2137263-12D72DFA000005DC-212_964x531.jpg) Jugs @ Halesworth Airfield Station
but what kind?
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on October 14, 2016, 05:02:55 PM
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/30/article-2137263-12D72DFA000005DC-212_964x531.jpg) Jugs @ Halesworth Airfield Station
but what kind?
If it's really Halesworth, I'll guess D21s. Seems they were the first that the 56th got with all-metal finishes, but the timing is right on the line between Halesworth and Boxted.
- oldman
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: MiloMorai on October 14, 2016, 10:41:25 PM
the P-47s
“Bonnie” a P-47D of the 62nd Fighter Squadron. This aircraft has been attributed to the 61st FS but the yellow rudder of the 62nd is clearly visible in this shot. Pilot currently unidentified and information also wanted in respect of serial # and code letter.
Last eruption was march 17-23 1944. That's is ash on the b-25
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: DaveBB on November 27, 2016, 06:16:39 PM
Interesting seeing the B-25 loaded with external bombs. Perhaps it was carrying fuel tanks in the bomb bay for preparation for a long range mission. Also noteworthy is how the hot ash burned off the fabric on the elevators, but did not pop the tires. Did the tail gunners canopy melt?
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: puller on November 28, 2016, 12:23:13 AM
I don't know where I'm a gonna go when the volcano blows... :D
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on November 28, 2016, 12:54:34 AM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Zimme83 on December 24, 2016, 09:31:29 PM
Swedish Gladiator during the Winter War: (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b4/00/77/b4007756215ca679e4184b6e960f1885.jpg) Top scoring Swedish pilot during the Winter war, Per-Johan Salwén, awarded with 3 aerial victories (one I-15 and two SB-2) (http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/images/salwen_1.jpg) Seversky P-35 (J 9). A Bunch of them ended up in the Philipines, still in Swedish air force markings.. (http://ww2photo.se/air/swe/jakt/j9/08402.jpg) B 5 dive bombers, (Northrop A-17) (http://i.imgur.com/kMDpjBo.jpg) J 20 (Re 2000) (http://ww2photo.se/air/swe/jakt/j20/08385.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Zimme83 on December 24, 2016, 09:39:54 PM
P-35A in the Philippines... (https://cdn3.cdnme.se/cdn/8-2/28197/images/2011/j-9-ph9_137574438.jpg) (https://cdn1.cdnme.se/28197/9-3/p-35a_54d225e62a6b226fd4d65b04.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on December 24, 2016, 10:09:44 PM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on December 30, 2016, 06:15:30 PM
don't mind the pen pointing at the flash guard. What struck me was the "LOADED" written over the tape that cover the guns. How often was this safety practice occur? (http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp20/skbluestem/IMG_0047_zpsvvq7c767.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on January 05, 2017, 09:14:30 PM
A Douglas Havoc NF.II Turbinlite (Serial No. Z2184) at RAF Boscombe Down. In this photograph we can see clearly the flame suppressor on the port exhaust stack as well as the double pair of arrowhead antenna arrays for the RDF equipment.
Thanks Oakranger. This was one thing I'd never heard of. What a rush to be the aerial flashlight.
- oldman
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on January 08, 2017, 01:19:57 AM
Interesting read on it.
By Dave O'Malley
Inside the glassed-in nose of a Heinkel He 111 bomber, a pilot and his navigator/bombardier sat in silence, a silence that only they recognized beneath the blasting thunder of their ship’s two Jumo V-12 engines. Tonight was a good night to be out over England in the summer of 1942—dark and moonless. Tonight’s target was the city of Coventry—according to Tomas his navigator, just 130 miles to the west. Tomas spoke quietly on my the intercom, “We are just north of Ipswich now, still another 40 minutes to go.” He was glad Tomas knew where they were. The pilot had been to Coventry a year ago, and he hoped this would be the last time. Outside the cockpit, all was total darkness, no light above or below. He no longer could see the vague silhouettes of the others, or even their exhaust flares. Just blackness. The night was a dark friend. So far so good. Ten seconds later, the comforting cover of night was turned into the blinding light of day. In a single moment, the cockpit had become a searing blue-white room of unholy light crossed by shifting shadows. Within the light, the engines seemed to shriek like banshees. The pilot’s first reaction was incredulity—there was no searchlight that he had seen below, yet somehow it had found him the instant it was turned on. How was it possible? A millisecond later, he reefed the Heinkel into a diving left turn, with Tomas, who had stood up to move down to the bomb aiming position, slamming onto the cockpit glass on the starboard side. The beam of light seemed to follow him down and was so broad, he could not get out of its grasp. He could hear his gunners, Gerhard on top and Arno in the ventral turret hammering away at something with their MG 81s. The cockpit smelled of cordite and an odd whiff of something electrical. While the pilot corkscrewed, tracer rounds started washing by like liquid blobs of light and then rounds started thumping and ripping into his aircraft. This fanciful scenario was what inventor Sydney Cotton, Air Commodore William Helmore (the godfather of Photo Reconnaissance) and the Royal Air Force had imagined when they invented, patented, built and deployed the 2,700 million candela Helmore Turbinlite aboard a modified Douglas A-20 Havoc (Boston) night fighter. As it turned out, the system was not successful and scenarios such as this never really happened. The German pilot and his crew would continue on to the city of Coventry that August night and, along with others, drop their bombs. It was the last raid on Coventry. Five months later, the lights went out on the Turbinlite concept forever. By late 1940 and early 1941, the concept of the night fighter was truly coming into its own. Specially dedicated squadrons were forming with specialized tactics, equipment and training. New forms of portable radars were slowly coming into use, but mostly they were only able to get a tracking night stalker to within the general area of an operating enemy bomber. Air Commodore William Helmore, as special scientific advisor to the Chief of the Air Staff, dedicated much of his time on the subject of night fighters and their equipment and, along with Cotton, came up with a concept they called ATI—Air Target Illumination. The idea was to put a searchlight in the nose of an aircraft, and using both ground radar and new RDF (Radio Direction Finding) radar in the aircraft, guide the pilot to within striking distance of the enemy at night. At this point the pilot would switch on his searchlight, illuminate the bomber and accompanying fighters would shoot it down. The concept of illuminating enemy aircraft at night, for satellite fighters to take out, seemed simple enough, and this alone most likely drove inventors and the RAF to push forward with the concept even as better radars were being developed. The idea was to attach the world’s most powerful searchlight to the nose of a powerful twin-engine night fighter. The light itself was designed for this specific purpose under the patents and direction of Helmore and Cotton and was far more powerful than any military light of the day. To understand exactly how powerful it was, a comparison should be made. The service searchlights in use by the Army and Navy up to this point consumed 150 amps of current. The Helmore Turbinlite drew 1,400 amps. Specially designed 12-volt batteries were created which could discharge in 120 seconds. The 48-battery array was carried in the fuselage and weighed so much (nearly 2,000 lbs) that the Turbinlite aircraft could carry no offensive or defensive armament. The light burned through its carbon rods at a prodigious rate, these being fed mechanically as they were consumed by the arcing electricity from the batteries, generating considerable heat and toxic gas fumes. The heat and gas output problem was dealt with by a chin intake which drove cooling air into the nose section and forced it out through a hydraulically-actuated vent door on the starboard side. The light itself had an elliptical reflector, which projected a horizontal “sausage-shaped” beam of light with a 30 degree divergence. This gave a horizontal light coverage of 950 yards wide at one mile ahead of the aircraft. This powerful and wide beam would light up any bomber ahead for a mile, allowing the accompanying Hurricanes (sometimes Bolton Paul Defiants early on) to spot and attack the enemy aircraft. The two parasite fighters in the team kept station on the Turbinlite Havoc throughout the chase using formation lighting on the Havoc’s wings. This lighting was in the form of a white strip along the trailing edge of the main plane on both sides, illuminated by an angled lamp. Using small elevator inputs, the Havoc pilot was to keep the beam on the enemy as the Hurricanes made their attack. Of course, operating in relatively close formation in the dark with barely visible lighting required radio work to fully communicate in an environment where hand signals did not work. This meant that instructions and communications via radio could be detected by the enemy. A system of code words and expressions were used to communicate command and intentions—all kept to the bare minimum. The pilot of the Turbinlite Havoc, unable to see the Hurricanes on his wings would ask “ARE YOU SNUGGLING?” (Are you in formation?) If he did see the Hurricanes and wanted them to close formation, he would order this with the single word “CONTRACT” and “EXPAND” if he wished the formation to open up. When the Havoc was within 5,000 feet of the target, the pilot would declare this with the single word “WARM.. If he wanted to tell the Hurricane pilots that he was dropping back he would say “COOLER.” At 3,000 feet back, he would declare “HOT,” to which the Hurricanes were obligated to confirm receipt of the message by saying “UNDERSTAND HOT.” Ten seconds before illumination, the Havoc pilot would say “BOILING.” The Hurricane pilot had a code as well to communicate with the Havoc in the lead. Approaching the Havoc, and in need of the formation lights, he would say “SHOW UP” and if he felt that station keeping lights were too bright, he would say “CLOSE WINDOWS”. Other signals were “I AM DESOLATE” (I have lost you), “I AM SKYLARK” (I am above you), “I AM SNAKE” (I am below you) and “I AM PANCAKING” (Obliged to return to base). The forward-firing machine guns of the straight Douglas Boston and Havoc night fighters were removed as were any defensive guns. The Turbinlite Havoc carried primitive AI Mk IV airborne interception radar, the RAF’s first air-to-air radar system. The radar was used to bring the Havoc and Hurricane hunter-killer team close to a formation of German bombers and leave the Helmore Turbinlite to illuminate the target. Operation of the radar equipment was just as much an art as it was a science and the effective use of the system depended on the experience and the ability of the operator to correctly interpret the displays on its two cathode ray tubes.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on January 08, 2017, 01:27:45 AM
......continue.
The first units to train and employ the Turbinlite Havoc were 1451 Flight at RAF Hunsden and 1422 Flight at RAF Shoreham. By the summer of 1942, there were a number of RAF Night Fighter Flights which operated the Turbinlite Havoc. These Turbinlite Flights (smaller than a squadron) would work in unison with Hurricane and Boulton Paul Defiant night fighter squadrons from nearby bases, which supplied the team’s fighters. This initial system was far from satisfactory as there were difficulties coordinating join-ups in the dark, with fighters arriving too late or not at all. It was decided that the flights should be upgraded to Squadron status and be given both Havoc and Hurricane aircraft working as a cohesive team. All of these flights would become squadrons in September of 1942. It was thought that this teamwork concept would help ameliorate the rather abysmal operational record of the Turbinlite. It did not. In all, 10 RAF Flights were initially converted to the Turbinlite system—including 1456 Flight at RAF Honiley (and later RAF High Ercall), 1454 Flight at RAF Charmey Down, 1458 Flight at RAF Middle Wallop, 1457 Flight at RAF Predennack, 1422 Flight at RAF Heston, 1452 Flight at RAF West Malling and 1460 Flight at RAF Acklington. Each of these RAF Havoc flights (except for 1422) would eventually become one of the new Turbinlite Squadrons numbered sequentially from 530 Squadron (1451 Flight), 531 Squadron (1452 Flight), 532 Squadron (1453 Flight) etc... through to 539 Squadron (1460 Flight). Nearly 100 Havoc/Boston aircraft were converted to the Turbinlite standard in order to supply aircraft to the ten Squadrons. All of these squadrons operated both the Havoc stalker aircraft with their own Hurricane hunters and all of them would be out of operation at the end of January 1943, only a few months after being formed. In the summer of 1942, the Turbinlite Havoc was demonstrated for King George and Queen Elizabeth. It is not known whether this was a nighttime demonstration, but likely so. This would have been an impressive sight indeed. But sadly, the combat record of the Turbinlite Havoc and its parasite fighters was not nearly as impressive. From what I can tell, there were but a few actual contacts resulting in engagements with the enemy, and it seems that only one enemy aircraft was shot down as a result of the Turbinlite system—a Heinkel He 111. In the negative side, numerous Havocs and Hurricanes were lost while on Turbinlite operations. Most tragically however, on the night of 4–5 May 1942, a single Short Stirling bomber of 218 Gold Coast Squadron returning from an operation, was tracked, lit-up and shot down by a Havoc/Hurricane team. Given the obvious good lighting provided by the Turbinlite, it was indeed tragic that a four-engine bomber like this was shot down over England where no German four-engine aircraft were known to operate. When the sum is calculated, the Turbinlite experiment record is decidedly in the negative side. The newer centrimetric airborne radars that were being developed in 1942 spelled the end of the ineffectual Turbinlite system. New two-seat and powerful night fighters like the Beaufighter and Mosquito, using more advanced radars and pilot and navigator/radar operator teams, gave a better chance of finding and destroying the enemy, because they had their own offensive machine guns and cannons. The almost unimaginable power of the Turbinlite blinded more than just enemy aircrews. RAF commanders and planners pushed onwards with the Turbinlite hunter-killer concept despite the early and considerable lack of success by the original Turbinlite Flights. The establishment of the ten new squadrons, equipped with Hurricanes and Havocs, indicates a certain ill-founded hope that the Air Target Illumination concept would, given time and the right tactics, work. It took only four more months before it was finally clear, under the glare of the Turbinlite, that the system was a failure. In retrospect, it seems now to be considered merely a “stop gap” system, awaiting the development of better radar. But, at the time, I am sure the air crews involved were told it was the next best thing. Article by: Dave O'Malley / Via. / http://www.vintagewings.ca
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: FLOOB on January 08, 2017, 08:26:04 AM
How many RAF crew did it take to change the light bulb?
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: drgondog on January 23, 2017, 04:49:48 PM
Except for a very few minor parts there are zero similarities between the B/C/D/K and the P-51H.
Completely new design that originated with the XP-51F which was also very different as it was designed from a blank Vellum sheet - not 'same as - except as shown'
The reason the H did not make WWII as the production version of the XP-51G is that the original Lightweight XP-51F did not have the internal fuel tank and only 180 gallons in the wings. When it first flew in February 1944 it was clear to AAF that the Mustang needed 250+ gallons of internal fuel to perform the escort mission.
The result was a required design change to a.) add a 50 gallon fuel tank, b.) increase wing fuel from 180 to 206 gallons, add pylons for bot external fuel or 2x1000 bombs, c.) lengthen the aft fuselage by 13" to alleviate the yaw stability issues of B/D/F/G. All that, while maintaining 11G ultimate/7.3Limit G load capability at 9600 GW drove the growth of nearly 2000 pounds combat loaded over the XP-51F.
The XP-51G with equivalent R.M.14 SM would have one helluva middle range escort/interceptor/dog fighter but AAF didn't need one with the P-80 coming on line.
My father loved the H over the D and the B, stating that it was a real pilot's airplane with no real nasty habits.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: DaveBB on January 24, 2017, 04:07:23 PM
Believe it or not, a big problem with the P-51D that the P-51H rectified was the tailwheel falling off. The D's tailwheel is only held on by one strut, the H has two.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Devil 505 on January 24, 2017, 04:17:33 PM
Believe it or not, a big problem with the P-51D that the P-51H rectified was the tailwheel falling off. The D's tailwheel is only held on by one strut, the H has two.
That's like one of those engineer jokes. Begins by improving the tailwheel mount - ends with an entirely new airplane. :devil
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on January 24, 2017, 06:29:48 PM
It is amazing that they still could fly it back home.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on January 25, 2017, 09:34:25 AM
This is a fav of mine... (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp202/ruspren/P-47-Lt-Edwin-King-flak-caused-oil-leak-Italy-Jan45_zpsea4a5307.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: DubiousKB on January 25, 2017, 09:38:49 AM
Wow, great stuff everyone... Very interesting and scary stories.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: 38ruk on January 26, 2017, 01:59:14 PM
Wonder if that oiled jug flew around for 10 more minutes in the combat area shooting people down hehe
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: MiloMorai on January 26, 2017, 02:47:57 PM
Ltn Edwin King of the 350th Fighter Group came home to Pisa, Italy, the hard way and found that a jug can go for at least a short time, with hardly any oil at all. An oil line was hit during a strafing mission near Brizsua on the planes 110th combat mission.
distance ~200km or for those using the archaic system ~125mi
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on January 26, 2017, 06:45:57 PM
Ltn Edwin King of the 350th Fighter Group came home to Pisa, Italy, the hard way and found that a jug can go for at least a short time, with hardly any oil at all. An oil line was hit during a strafing mission near Brizsua on the planes 110th combat mission.
distance ~200km or for those using the archaic system ~125mi
It just come to show how tough she is.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on January 29, 2017, 03:25:16 PM
That's some sort of proto-Friedrich. There's no oil cooler under the nose and the spinner has a large inlet - probably for an annular oil cooler in front of the engine.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on January 29, 2017, 05:30:48 PM
Here is another photo. Saw a discussion at LEMB, the captioned of the a/c as Bf109F V-22, WNr.5601, NB+NH. Not sure it is correct though. Was it instead Bf109V-25, D-IVKC, WNr.1930 which made trials with a ring shaped oil cooler?
That is what I was wondering. Reading over the specs of the Ju-88, 4-A was the only variant that had the MG17 on the nose but There could be others too. There where other variants that had extra gun, for example a single MG17 on the starboard and port.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 05, 2017, 09:01:48 PM
Like most of us we are constantly learning something new. Once again, I have gain something new that I have never heard of. I first came across photos of Ki-57. Was struck me was the cross on them. I was not sure if they were Balkenkreuz Cross, Eisernes Kreuz cross or Red Cross. Since the ki-57 was a transport plane I played the Red Cross card, however, I never heard Japan useing the Red Cross so I took these images to another BBS for help.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: DaveBB on February 11, 2017, 08:29:12 AM
Didn't click any of the links but the surrendering Bettys had B-25 escorts. Supposed to maintain a mile and a half seperation, the Bettys formed on the B-25s in close formation.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 11, 2017, 11:19:50 AM
Didn't click any of the links but the surrendering Bettys had B-25 escorts. Supposed to maintain a mile and a half seperation, the Bettys formed on the B-25s in close formation.
Guess that they wanted to. They know that people are after them so they must have felt safe close in togeather. Here are another video on them in formation. I bet never in their days, B-25 pilots, would be flying next to a enemies like that and no shooting. Had to be a rush.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 11, 2017, 11:26:57 AM
Here is another link that has a few color photos of the Betty. And other jap planes that did the white paint and green cross.
that is a strange plance to install s propeller. :headscratch: Do you know the story behind this one?
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: colmbo on February 22, 2017, 08:00:01 AM
The airplane is a B-17, the propellor looks like the Ham/Stan used on the -17 and it appears to have part of the gear box attached to it. My guess would be a runaway prop with loss of propellor....for some reason it "flew" to where it's at. Most likely it is prop off of a different airplane, odd that a prop would "climb" to end up on top of the wing.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on February 22, 2017, 12:54:04 PM
Found some good colour pics...
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/16/article-2294284-18B43207000005DC-956_964x750.jpg) Pep talk: Before taking off on a mission in 1944 a Flying Fortress crew in England receives a talk from 26-year-old Chaplain James O. Kincannon, a Van Bueren, Arkansas, minister affectionately known as 'Chaplain Jim'
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/16/article-2294284-18B42DD7000005DC-271_964x688.jpg) Flying machine: A B-17 bomber makes its way to England to aid the British in World War II circa 1941
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/16/article-0-18B3E189000005DC-968_964x719.jpg) Easy riders: Three American military personnel, possibly ground crewmen, sit on their bicycles in front of a B-17 bomber named 'Berlin Sleeper II'
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/16/article-0-18B3E338000005DC-774_964x708.jpg) Power of precision: The VIII Bomber Command, commonly known as the Eighth Air Force, was assembled to strategically bomb Nazi-controlled cities after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/16/article-0-18B3E240000005DC-80_964x718.jpg) An American soldier paints caricatures of Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito on the nose of a B-17 bomber named 'Flying Flit-Gun,' which originated from the 97th Bombardment Group of the 8th Bomber Command
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/16/article-0-18B3E20C000005DC-381_964x727.jpg) Members of the flight and ground crews of a B-17 bomber named 'Honey Chile II' make adjustments to their plane prior to a mission, Polebrook, Northamptonshire, England, fall 1942
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/16/article-0-18B3E2E8000005DC-313_964x1310.jpg) American photographer and journalist Margaret Bourke-White was the country's first accredited female photographer during WWII, and the first authorized to fly on a combat mission
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 24, 2017, 10:50:59 PM
I post this photo once and came across another of the same plane and more info. What I thought was a 88mm turns out it was believe that a Swedish 40mm Bofor did this.
A certain un-named aviation expert would tell you that the engine should have vibrated apart.
Well, the pilot did said that the jug vibrated a little. He had know idea that one prop had a gaping hole until he got home.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: PR3D4TOR on February 25, 2017, 08:53:23 AM
He was really lucky the shell didn't explode. It doesn't look like the penetration actually removed much material from the prop blade, just bent it aside. So prop balance wouldn't have been much affected. Some of the vibration he felt could have come from the aerodynamic effects of having a crater in a prop blade. You can see that the blade outward of the hole has ballooned a little from air pressure getting inside the structure.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 25, 2017, 11:31:23 AM
He was really lucky the shell didn't explode. It doesn't look like the penetration actually removed much material from the prop blade, just bent it aside. So prop balance wouldn't have been much affected. Some of the vibration he felt could have come from the aerodynamic effects of having a crater in a prop blade. You can see that the blade outward of the hole has ballooned a little from air pressure getting inside the structure.
That is a Curtiss 836 blade. Hollow and two ply metal which is why made a gaping hole.
As far as the 40mm Bofor, I am not sure if they have HE rounds.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: PR3D4TOR on February 25, 2017, 04:24:38 PM
They certainly do have HE.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on February 25, 2017, 04:46:56 PM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: PR3D4TOR on February 25, 2017, 06:17:45 PM
Jerry didn't have radar controled guns like these, but yeah... He was very lucky.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlfLwQEBU-I
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Zimme83 on February 26, 2017, 04:49:30 AM
And most important: no proximity fuses.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: PR3D4TOR on February 26, 2017, 08:56:41 AM
No one had that for 40mm back then. They did use timed fuzes to create a wall of flak bursts outside their otherwise direct-fire effective range. Attacking aircraft would have to fly through this wall of shrapnel and once they got through it they were in danger of direct hits. Like the lucky P-47 above, tho he was hit by a parting shot.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on May 25, 2017, 08:07:01 PM
Quite a bit. Cluster bombs were used extensively by all sides during the war as most of the major combatants had cluster bombs of some sort that were used.
There is an interesting little note in the manual for the M29 cluster bomb the US used. It states that it wasn't recommended to be used in areas that were soon to be occupied by friendly troops as they could constitute potential booby traps.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on May 26, 2017, 04:48:23 PM
PTAB (WWII Russian cluster munitions) could be dropped by both the IL-2 AND the Yak-7b.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: popeye on June 04, 2017, 07:06:20 AM
Was watching my grand daughter compete in a regatta in St. Catharines, Ontario yesterday and noticed an unusual aircraft flying overhead. Lancaster! Turned out it was one of the last two in the world still flying. Nice surprise.
Walter Nowotny climbing out of his FW 190 as commander of the training unit JG 101. This was during the eleven month gap of his combat career when Germany wanted to preserve their heroes much like they attempted to do with von Richthofen in the Great War.
Notice the Triple Chevron, 13 in the Green Heart and the tiny 8 behind the chevrons. He basically had his way and disregarded Luftwaffe regulations. Then again I suppose he could because, at the time, he was the most successful fighter pilot in world history. His next combat post would be as commander of the experimental jet fighter unit Kommando Nowotny. His job would be to develop proper jet fighter tactics to facilitate future jet pilots. Sadly, the unit was plagued with problems which can be expected considering the fledgling status of turbine engines and jets in general.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on August 13, 2017, 01:26:17 AM
What dose the 13 and 8 represent?
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on August 17, 2017, 12:24:18 PM
Pesky Germans... look like bomb canard under her belly :eek:
Just wondering about the flightline beneath the 262. Is that some sort of German PSP, or something else? Or is the plane perhaps at an allied base? Doesn't exactly look like Marston matting.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: donna43 on September 19, 2017, 08:14:50 AM
Just wondering about the flightline beneath the 262. Is that some sort of German PSP, or something else? Or is the plane perhaps at an allied base? Doesn't exactly look like Marston matting.
He looks like a german mechanic - black coveralls. And if it was at an allied field, it wouldn't have a 500kg(?) german GP bomb in the front and camo netting on it.
Regardless, Hitler's desire to ensure the 262's can also bomb delayed their entry into WWII by at least 18 months (thank god). Had those been in the air in mid 1943 and mass produced, it would of been a complete disaster for the Allied Air Force. It would of been the equivalent of bringing a Mustang GT to race against a Porsche 911 GT3. And even when the Meteor was introduced, the 262 still could out turn the Meteor (Meteor could out climb and accelerate way better plus had a higher top speed but range was 60% that of the 262 - 600 miles vs 1000 for the 262).
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on September 19, 2017, 09:58:46 AM
He looks like a german mechanic - black coveralls. And if it was at an allied field, it wouldn't have a 500kg(?) german GP bomb in the front and camo netting on it.
Regardless, Hitler's desire to ensure the 262's can also bomb delayed their entry into WWII by at least 18 months (thank god). Had those been in the air in mid 1943 and mass produced, it would of been a complete disaster for the Allied Air Force. It would of been the equivalent of bringing a Mustang GT to race against a Porsche 911 GT3. And even when the Meteor was introduced, the 262 still could out turn the Meteor (Meteor could out climb and accelerate way better plus had a higher top speed but range was 60% that of the 262 - 600 miles vs 1000 for the 262).
MTT was already working on fitting bombs to the Me262 and had no influence on the time the Me262 was introduced.
The Me262 in the photo is V7 WNr 170303. Photo taken Dec 1944 at Lechfeld. The bomb is a dummy practice concrete bomb.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: 38ruk on September 20, 2017, 12:12:56 PM
Was it just standard development issues that caused the delay? The bomb delay is a popular reason for the delay.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on September 20, 2017, 12:43:44 PM
Was it just standard development issues that caused the delay? The bomb delay is a popular reason for the delay.
It was - engine design delays as they had to switch out the types of components they were using with more common metals. Ludwig Bölkow initially designed it as an interceptor - and Albert Speer claims that the bossman wanted them to bomb as well which caused design delays to add bombing capabilities. The engine issues also caused delays - but it was generally accepted that had Speer been given his wish for a mass produced 262 interceptor, it would of meant it more focus on resolving the quality issues for the engines and increased production.
Regardless, the 262 would of just punched up the 8th for a while and they would of resorted to night time bombing raids until the could get the Meteor up to snuff. It might of delayed ending WWII by a few months or a few days? Who knows? With the USA and Canada in early 1945 pumping out a couple thousand aircraft, thousands of tanks, and tens of thousands of troops ever month, it would not have changed the course of the war at all. With the sleeping giant awake and their resource rich cousin north providing the good to make stuff, German's days were numbered post BoB. Heck, Hitler's clock started counting down the day he was elected.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on September 26, 2017, 01:55:31 PM
That last photo "3", is that from "Harry Stewart"? I can't read it...
It is the man (https://www.barnstormers.com/eFLYER/2009/071-eFLYER-FA02-Legends-Stewart.html) indeed.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Wmaker on September 30, 2017, 07:53:08 AM
(http://ww2live.com/sites/default/files/imegenes/Kuhlmey%27s%20detachment%20at%20Immola%20airfield%2C%20Finland%20%2C%20june%20or%20july%201944..jpg) Detachment Kuhlmey at Immola Finland during the summer of 1944.
Hinged hatch in vertical stabilizer was ingenious!
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on November 10, 2017, 01:14:32 PM
I think it's important to recognize that a lot of the bombers, fighters, weapons, and tanks were made by primarily a woman workforce. Everyone sacrificed their lives, families, and careers during WWI and WWII.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on November 10, 2017, 01:16:18 PM
Lucky bomber pilots and crews Wally Boblitt in Little Sherry, Corsica, 1944 (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y187/anj4de/B-26-24.jpg)
Charles O'Mahony in Miss Manchester, Corsica, 1944 - Charles went on later after WWII to write the famous book - The Widow Maker (https://www.amazon.com/Widow-Maker-Charles-OMahony/dp/1432754556/) - and the troubling history of the B-26 Marauder and his experiences during WWII flying it. (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y187/anj4de/B-26-23.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on November 10, 2017, 01:20:06 PM
Hinged hatch in vertical stabilizer was ingenious!
I know! And in the 190, auto pitch control and fuel mixture, with a simple engine start process (compared to any Allied aircraft or the Bf-109), the 190 was a tech marvel.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: perdue3 on November 10, 2017, 01:36:20 PM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on November 10, 2017, 03:07:32 PM
Soviet's had a lot of really good combat pilots. This is Marina Raskova - 125th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment commander. She flew the Pe-2 - died in a crash landing in 1943.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on November 22, 2017, 01:25:59 PM
The RAF’s top-scoring fighter pilot, Wing Commander James ‘Johnnie’ Johnson, with his Spitfire and pet Labrador ‘Sally’ at Bazenville landing ground, Normandy, July 1944. Photo courtesy IWM. (https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2017/04/12-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on November 22, 2017, 01:28:33 PM
307th FS, 31st FG in England equipped with Spit 5. Moved to North Africa and equipped with Spit 5, 8 and 9. Eventually switched to the P-51, leading group in the Med.
The ditched Spit was on the beach near Anzio IIRC.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on November 22, 2017, 04:48:13 PM
307th FS, 31st FG in England equipped with Spit 5. Moved to North Africa and equipped with Spit 5, 8 and 9. Eventually switched to the P-51, leading group in the Med.
The ditched Spit was on the beach near Anzio IIRC.
Ahh.... the Battle of Anzio wasn't until Jan 1944. When did the 31st get their Stangs? Were they flying them (Spits) in Italy until then?
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: MiloMorai on November 23, 2017, 06:14:38 AM
31 FG history Mister Fork http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/31st/31st.html
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: oakranger on November 27, 2017, 10:16:35 PM
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on February 08, 2018, 01:30:51 PM
(https://www.asisbiz.com/pilots/images/Jan-Zumbach-04.jpg) Photo Flt Lt Jan Zumbach (303 'Polish' Sqn) with his Mk V, BM144, (r) Wg Cdr Stefan Witorzenc (OC 1st Polish Fighter Wing) - not sure who the guy far right or in the plane is.
Title: Re: Post your RL WWII Aircraft!
Post by: Mister Fork on February 08, 2018, 01:37:27 PM
What I do find interesting is that it's fascinating to see old B&W pictures colourized quite well and the old colour photo's look quite crappy in comparison.
For example, in the last set, some were originally B&W photos with digital processing that does colour and cleanup against the original negative/photo - can anyone guess? The rest are all 'au-naturale'...