Picture of the day

[Dark Alley Dan]

Goddamned internet. Down a rabbit hole again...

The C-109 Liberator was a purpose-built conversion of the B-24 used specifically to haul large quantities of aviation fuel.

It sucked pretty hard. The "Liberator Express" people hauling version was the airplane Earnest K. Gann called "That evil bastard contraption", so the airplane started with a deficit in character it never really overcame.

This from Wikipedia:

The C-109 was a dedicated fuel transport version of the B-24 conceived as a support aircraft for Boeing B-29 Superfortress operations in central China. Unlike the C-87, the C-109 was not built on the assembly line, but rather was converted from existing B-24 bomber production; to save weight, the glass nose, armament, turret fairings and bombardment equipment were removed. Several storage tanks were added, allowing a C-109 to carry 2,900 gal (11,000 L) of fuel weighing over 22,000 pounds (10,000 kg).

Plans originally called for 2,000 C-109s to support 10 groups of B-29s (approximately 400) in China, but the capture of the Mariana Islands provided a far more easily resupplied location for raids on mainland Japan, and the plans were greatly scaled back. Only 218 C-109s were actually converted. After the transfer of the B-29s, the C-109s were reassigned to the Air Transport Command. According to the history of the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, at least one squadron was assigned to the IX Troop Carrier Command in Europe to transport gasoline to advancing ground and air forces on the Continent after the Normandy invasion.

However, whereas a combat-loaded B-24 could safely take off with room to spare from a 6,000 ft (1,800 m) runway, a loaded C-109 required every foot of such a runway to break ground, and crashes on takeoff were not uncommon. The aircraft demonstrated unstable flight characteristics with all storage tanks filled, and proved very difficult to land fully loaded at airfields above 6,000 ft (1,800 m) MSL in elevation, such as those around Chengdu. After it was discovered that these problems could be alleviated by flying with the forward storage tank empty, this practice became fairly routine, enhancing aircrew safety at the cost of some fuel-carrying capacity. Many C-109s were lost in flying the Hump airlift to China.

The Singing Cowboy Gene Autry served in the Air Transport Command (in the same squadron as Barry Goldwater), and described flying the C-109 over "The Hump" as "the thrill that lasts a lifetime".

 

[x westie]

The B 24 bomber was , from what I read, a more difficult aircraft to fly than the B 17, though the B 24 was faster and could fly higher , it could not absorb the punishment, that a B 17 could , also a very difficult aircraft to bale out of, as there was only one exit at the rear , difficult to reach from the flight deck wearing a parachute, it was plagued with fuel leaks and was prone to icing on its Davis wing

 

[Falcorn]

Unloading of the Pz.Kpfw.Maus tank second prototype from rail road transport. Böblingen, Germany March 10, 1944.

 

[purple]

The B-24 was described as the box that the B-17 came in. That aside, 18,000 of them were built.

I always liked the B-24's single tail variant, the Privateer which was used by the US Navy. There's one in the Pima Air Museum in Tucson,AZ.

As an aside, I was playing golf on the CFB Trenton golf course in 1968 when the B-24 for the Cdn Air Museum came in for a landing on returning from India. We went over afterwards and looked it over; it had been used by the Indian Air Force and was pretty much in stock condition from 1945. It sits in the Museum in Ottawa.

 

[Sharps '74]

Except that it's heating and de-icing systems had been been removed during Indian service.

 

[purple]

Except that it's heating and de-icing systems had been been removed during Indian service.

I suppose that's because it was used on low level coastal patrols. I thought the original gun turrets and other clag were pretty cool.

 

[diopter]

IJN Tone

 

[sail32]

IJN Tone's late launch of it's float plane is often given as part of the reason Japan lost at Midway, however !

From; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Tone_(1937)

At the crucial Battle of Midway, Tone and CruDiv 8 was part of Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo's Carrier Striking Force. On 4 June, Tone and Chikuma each launched two "Jakes" to search out 300 miles (480 km) for American carriers. Tone's floatplane discovered American ships, but owing to internal bureaucracy in their command structure its report was not immediately delivered to Admiral Nagumo. As a result, he had already ordered his aircraft to prepare for another attack on Midway before he received the report. Tone was attacked by enemy carrier aircraft during the battle, but sustained no damage, except the loss of a "Dave" with its crew. Chikuma and Tone were then detached to support Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya's Aleutian invasion force. However, the anticipated American counter-attack failed to materialize. CruDiv 8 cruised northern waters uneventfully.

From; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway

At 07:15, Nagumo ordered his reserve planes to be re-armed with contact-fused general-purpose bombs for use against land targets. This was a result of the attacks from Midway, as well as of the morning flight leader's recommendation of a second strike. Re-arming had been underway for about 30 minutes when, at 07:40,[72] the delayed scout plane from Tone signaled that it had sighted a sizable American naval force to the east, but neglected to describe its composition. Later evidence suggests Nagumo did not receive the sighting report until 08:00.[73]

 

[CV32]

If you want to read an excellent book on Midway, I highly recommend:

Parshall, Jonathan; Tully, Anthony (2005). Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. Dulles, VA: Potomac Books. ISBN 1-57488-923-0.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Unloading of the Pz.Kpfw.Maus tank second prototype from rail road transport. Böblingen, Germany March 10, 1944.

Jayzus, pity the poor flatcar that had to move that lump around.

Thank God for WW2 German bureaucratic ineptitude and the national tendency to dabble and not leave well enough alone. Between inefficiency and squandering resources on tech dead ends like Der Maus, the Nazis helped end the war sooner than it might have.

The Jagdtiger was an impressive beast, but slow, thirsty, and easy prey for Tiffies and T-Bolts. For the same money and effort, they probably could have had two and a half Panthers.

 

[fraserdw]

Jayzus, pity the poor flatcar that had to move that lump around.

Thank God for WW2 German bureaucratic ineptitude and the national tendency to dabble and not leave well enough alone. Between inefficiency and squandering resources on tech dead ends like Der Maus, the Nazis helped end the war sooner than it might have.

The Jagdtiger was an impressive beast, but slow, thirsty, and easy prey for Tiffies and T-Bolts. For the same money and effort, they probably could have had two and a half Panthers.

7 Stug III or 9 JP38(t) which would be more useful in the defensive war they were fighting.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

7 Stug III or 9 JP38(t) which would be more useful in the defensive war they were fighting.

Over complication of simple things is A German national fault. Reminds me of the book , Why Germans lose at War.

Grizz

 

[bearhunter]

I had my last ride in a CF Dakota in 1978, flying from Calgary to Medicine Hat and return with an inspection team. That one still had the basin-like paratrooper seats along both sides. Shades of Market-Garden.

During the mid 70s, at the Belo Horizonte' airport in Brazil there were dozens of them being used for freight and passenger runs into the smaller dirt/gravel/grass airports all over the country.

There was also a huge graveyard of stripped hulls a few miles from the airport. The planes had been stripped of every useful part, including wire/tubing/undercarriages/engines/tails/wings, windows etc. Back around 1995 they were all cleaned up and sold for scrap value. I don't know but it wouldn't surprise me if some enterprising Brazilian airline wasn't still using a few.

The origins of the graveyard planes was interesting as well. Many still had remnants of their martial markings. Some were obviously purpose built for civilian use. Now long gone to become beer cans etc.

 

[HuskyDude]

View attachment 310280

Canadian Paratrooper armed with a portable infantry anti-tank (PIAT) weapon, winter training at Camp Shilo, Manitoba, Canada, 20 March 1945.

 

[Kampfhamster]

Over complication of simple things is A German national fault. Reminds me of the book , Why Germans lose at War.

Grizz

They're still the same. Didn't change much. Just have a look at their latest projects Tiger helicopters, APC's, Eurofighter, transport plane A-400, and so on. Everything perfect and overcomplicated. At war good enough really does the job.

 

[zupermann]

They're still the same. Didn't change much. Just have a look at their latest projects Tiger helicopters, APC's, Eurofighter, transport plane A-400, and so on. Everything perfect and overcomplicated. At war good enough really does the job.

NATO should direct these tendencies into making something good for the alliance. I wonder if these tendencies would make good administrators....we could sure use some in Canada.

 

[donor]

Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet.In few publications I read this was one of the good fruits of German and French private firms working together unlike some government run programs.

 

[fat tony]

It has not happened yet, but some day god willing; air armadas of the BAE Systems Hawk will square off against vast colossal squadrons of the Alphajet in a war of attrition in the skies, the likes of which we have never seen. *joking. They are already at war with each other, but for contract $$$$$.

 

[tjsudbury]

View attachment 310280

Canadian Paratrooper armed with a portable infantry anti-tank (PIAT) weapon, winter training at Camp Shilo, Manitoba, Canada, 20 March 1945.

My dad earned his jump wings there, Nov. 1944

 

[koldt]

Canadian Paratrooper armed with a portable infantry anti-tank (PIAT) weapon, winter training at Camp Shilo, Manitoba, Canada, 20 March 1945.

Projector Infantry Anti tank