Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: oboe on September 22, 2017, 10:07:30 AM

Title: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: oboe on September 22, 2017, 10:07:30 AM
This is just not right:

(https://i.imgur.com/Hli9qHp.jpg)

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.     
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Guppy35 on September 22, 2017, 11:30:23 AM
They were few and far between but they existed.  Not a factory mod but done overseas.
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Vraciu on September 22, 2017, 02:28:38 PM
Yuck!
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: MiloMorai on September 22, 2017, 08:07:09 PM
(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/e1/66/2f/e1662fd6cdebc6f5673976c453b4109a--hoods-search.jpg)

F6F also

(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii120/Duggy009/Hellcat-FAA.jpg)
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: colmbo on September 23, 2017, 12:46:24 AM
unregard

Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: BuckShot on September 23, 2017, 08:21:45 AM
It looks nice on the Hellcat.
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: streakeagle on September 28, 2017, 07:26:28 PM
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.
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: DaveBB on September 28, 2017, 08:33:15 PM
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.
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Guppy35 on September 28, 2017, 11:51:16 PM
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....
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Guppy35 on September 29, 2017, 12:16:24 AM
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.

(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/1%20Type%20C%20Helmets/MalcomJug_zpsvhm7xtp4.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/1%20Type%20C%20Helmets/MalcomJug_zpsvhm7xtp4.jpg.html)
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: oboe on September 29, 2017, 07:32:32 AM
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?
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: MiloMorai on September 29, 2017, 01:32:13 PM
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.
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Vraciu on September 29, 2017, 01:49:31 PM
Part of the reason for cable temple Aviator-style sunglasses is putting things on over them--helmets, headsets, goggles.

Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: colmbo on September 29, 2017, 05:44:26 PM
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. :)
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Vraciu on September 29, 2017, 08:37:11 PM
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. 
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Vraciu on September 30, 2017, 10:29:56 AM
Speaking of Malcolm Hoods.....   Oops. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=48&v=Usew0JK7PwA&ebc=ANyPxKoDRhQtpJX6k_TMga_k0luTgRSdVZ102Yq4dVxJmkg3WFfkC1T5EgtEUfgSgCGdZ6IoHDveupYdo5waYvFP3TAjK1Szhw
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Guppy35 on September 30, 2017, 03:26:16 PM
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?

I have an image of a 51 pilot high over German with his goggles up and sunglasses on.  It may be that the goggles had the orange lenses and the sunglasses the dark green.  They had three different options for their goggles, clear, dark green and the orange tinted.  Might have been the way to have two out of three available without having to changed them out in the goggles.
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Guppy35 on October 01, 2017, 11:09:50 PM
Here ya go Oboe.  High over Germany, this 479th Mustang driver looks the part.

(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/602%20Squadron/479thpair_zpsxk3bvvub.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/602%20Squadron/479thpair_zpsxk3bvvub.jpg.html)
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Guppy35 on October 01, 2017, 11:13:41 PM
My pilot in one of the corners of my history room has the orange tinted B-8 goggles and the green tinted glasses. 

(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/602%20Squadron/BooksMTO_zpsas6enoz6.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/602%20Squadron/BooksMTO_zpsas6enoz6.jpg.html)
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: oboe on October 02, 2017, 07:32:04 AM
Thanks Dan,

Just noticed the inverted triangular shoulder patch - is that just an AAF patch or is for a particular air force?  I thought 8th and 9th AF patches were circular...
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Guppy35 on October 02, 2017, 06:47:32 PM
Thanks Dan,

Just noticed the inverted triangular shoulder patch - is that just an AAF patch or is for a particular air force?  I thought 8th and 9th AF patches were circular...

12th Air Force.  The jacket belonged to a 340th BG B-25 bombardier.  Replica patch to replace the shredded one I'm trying to preserve.  The jacket was a bit of a wreck but its had some restoration now :)
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: colmbo on October 02, 2017, 08:03:43 PM
Is that a B-10 jacket?

When I was flying the B-24 I got to fly a wartime B-24 pilot and his family.  He came to the airplane wearing the B-10 jacket that he was wearing when he bailed out of his B-24 over Europe and it had the tear in the back where it snagged going out the hatch.  He also had the wooden utensils he carved to eat with while a POW.
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: bozon on October 03, 2017, 08:58:38 AM
Is Malcolm Hood a relative of Robin & Little Red Riding Hood?  :headscratch:
Title: Re: P-47D with Malcolm hood
Post by: Guppy35 on October 03, 2017, 07:09:13 PM
Is that a B-10 jacket?

When I was flying the B-24 I got to fly a wartime B-24 pilot and his family.  He came to the airplane wearing the B-10 jacket that he was wearing when he bailed out of his B-24 over Europe and it had the tear in the back where it snagged going out the hatch.  He also had the wooden utensils he carved to eat with while a POW.

Yep it's a B-10.  Love those jackets.  I have one from a 370th FG P38/51 pilot, and two other not named ones to go with the B-25 guys B-10