Picture of the day

Dark Alley Dan said:
Markings on that Spit are in funny locations - the wing roundels are too far inboard, and the fin flash is a wonky size.

Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1969-094-18_Dornier_Do_17_und_Supermarine_Spitfire-595x400.jpg


Bundesarchiv photo. I suppose that doesn't clear anything up - could be either staged propaganda or a legit pic, regardless of source...

Nice in-flight study of B-P Defiants on the prowl. Awful concept, reasonably pretty airplane.

Boulton_Paul_Defiant.jpg
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Waste of a good engine and pilot.
 
Rule 303 said:
This picture has been "outed" in other publications as being a fake.
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I doubt it. The focus is the same, the glare and shadows fit, etc. Taken by a crewman in a bomber probably and probably an enlarged crop of another photo as well.
 
sail32 said:
The Blackburn Roc was another design similar in concept to the Boulton Paul Defiant.

http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/aircraft/roc.htm

http://freespace.virgin.net/john.dell/blackburn_roc.htm
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The Roc's unlovely mother was the Blackburn Skua. Neither was very pretty:

blackburn_skua_II_803sqn.jpg


However, the Skua did make history, for a short while:

Skuas were credited with the first confirmed "kill" by British aircraft during the Second World War: a Dornier Do 18 flying boat was shot down over the North Sea on 26 September 1939, by three Skuas of 803 Naval Air Squadron, flying from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. An earlier victory by a Fairey Battle on 20 September 1939 over Aachen, was later confirmed by French sources.
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The Internet tells us the Skuas depicted in the photo above were from 803 N.A.S., which is kind of interesting. And in the event we haven't seen enough homely, slow, British aircraft, here's a prototype Roc on floats.

Aircraft_of_the_Fleet_Air_Arm,_1939-1945._CH563.jpg


Walking would have been faster.
 
Pretty horrid. But the Brits did learn, and gave us the spitfire, mosquito, typhoon, and other great planes. When I think of homely slow aircraft from the period, I think Italy. And they never really figured it out.
 
The English did indeed learn (that near-vertical windscreen is awful to behold) although I've always thought the Tiffie was quite a lot less graceful than most. A big, mean brawler, that one, but no ballerina.

The Italians did have their fair share of flying lumps. but a few designs stand out to my eye. The Caproni Ca.331 was quite pretty:

Caproni_Ca.331.jpg


Caproni_Ca.331_O.A.jpg


busca331a.jpg


Models, sure, but they show the thing's lines very nicely. Another winner was the FIAT G.55. Not unattractive...

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Alas, though, as with life, for every beauty queen, there are five or six bowlegged toothless milkmaids.

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Effective, if homely. The Italian fascination for three-engined aircraft is an endless curiosity of mine.
 
And for maximum slowness, Tate Ju puts on her swimwear...

ju52_3m.jpg


...and totters around at "old lady speed".

Found this just now, had to add it:

58Kg36e.jpg


Somewhere in Tunisia, I'm told. 1943.
 
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I think it must be Marvin the Martian's illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator!

Single shot on a mount. Large caliber. Rocket launcher?
 
April 9th - Vimy Ridge Day

In case anyone wonders why the flags over federal buildings were at half mast today.

Vimy1101.jpg


A machine gun emplacement on the crest of Vimy Ridge and the men who drove the Germans from it during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 1917. (Photographer: William Ivor Castle; Library and Archives Canada a1101)
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