DokGonzo: P-40E Flying tigers

[Citabria]

should be finished with this tomorrow or so so if skuzzy can get to it it will be able to be used in rangoon

This P-40E was flown by Ed Rector in the AVG and then the 23rd FG. (23rd removed chinese stars and left the rest as it was)

[Citabria]

Flying Tiger ace Edward Franklin Rector was born on 28 September 1916 in Marshall, North Carolina. He grew up there and subsequently entered Catawba College, where he graduated in 1938. joined the Navy in 1939, was accepted for flight training, and graduated at Pensacola with a reserve commission as an ensign in June 1940.

Flying SB2U-2s off the USS Ranger with VB-4 in June 1941, Rector and two other VB-4 pilots were recruited for an "American Volunteer Group" to protect the Chinese "Burma Road" from Japanese attack and were soon on a ship headed for the Far East Assigned to the AVG's second squadron, he participated in the Flying Tigers' first combat on 20 December 1941 and was credited with the AVG's first victory, a Lily bomber downed near Kunming.

Over the next six months, Rector shot down another bomber and two fighters, shared in the destruction of a bomber and observation aircraft, and was credited with a "probable" fighter. When the Flying Tigers were disbanded on 4 July 1942, Vice Squadron Leader Ed Rector was one of five AVG pilots to stay on with the newly-formed 23rd Fighter Group. Promoted to major, he was given command of the 76th Fighter Squadron. He shot down two more fighters while with the 76th, on 25 September 1942, before returning to the United States. He returned to China in 1945, was promoted to colonel and given command of the 23rd Fighter Group. His last aerial victory came on 2 April 1945.

[TheFox]

Nice work Cit !!

There is a restored aircraft of the same period flying here in the UK - see links for pictures - it might make a nice alternative ?





Details are:-

This very rare aircraft was initially built in Buffalo, USA during 1941 for the Royal Air Force. With Japans attack on Pearl Harbour however the P40 was reclaimed by the US Army Air Corps and flew with the 68th Fighter Group in the Southwest Pacific. It was then handed over to number 14 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force with whom it served throughout World War II.

During this time it was flown by several famous Aces including Geoff Fisken the top scoring Commonwealth Ace (against the Japanese) during WWII.

After the war it became part of the famous Rukullia scrap yard, an area of more than 500 WWII RNZAF aircraft. These were slowly broken up until the 1960’s. This P40 was saved by a group of teenagers who scraped the money together to buy it. It was selected and therefore survived by dint of the fact that it was closer to the gate than the others! Thereafter it was in a museum in Auckland prior to being purchased and restored by Ray Hanna in 1992.

In December 1997, after a six year rebuild the P40 has flown again for the first time since 1945.

Our Kittyhawk represents the scheme of the famous American Volunteer Group, formed in 1941 under the leadership of General Chennault, popularly known as the “Flying Tigers”. Flying various marks of the P-40, the AVG wrote a chapter in aerial warfare that has yet to be surpassed. These P-40’s were lend leased to China in 1941 and were flown by experienced American pilots, flying for the Chinese Air Force. In the slightly more than nine months of its existence the AVG amassed a total of 286 confirmed kills of Japanese aircraft against only four losses. In July, 1942, the AVG was absorbed into the USAAF and renamed the 23rd Fighter Group. It remained in China throughout the war, eventually becoming part of the 1st Chinese-American Composite wing.

Registration: NZ3009

[Dux]

Nice job, Cit!

[Mitsu]

Cit, excellent!

[DoKGonZo]

Coolness! I added a preview on my site.