Picture of the day

[fingers284]

I had a neighbor for a # of years that, I found out several days after he had had a debilitating stroke was a Mosquito pilot. He never mentioned it to me in conversation but I sure wish I had've known I sure would have liked to have listened to his story.
I found out, He did tell another buddy of mine that the "best thing about the Mosquito is that it was 40 mph faster going home than it was going over loaded". He further claimed that "going over" they were on a par with the heavy bombers as far as risk went but coming home the heavies were slower & easier targets to catch for German fighters....so much safer being in a piece of plywood.

 

[Ganderite]

I wonder why all the props have been positioned? Some kind of inspection?

 

[old303]

I wonder why all the props have been positioned? Some kind of inspection?

Almost certainly. Barracks inspections have included having to set all the washing machine knobs to the same setting!

 

[HuskyDude]

Would agree, or just for a photo op???
Notice the mossies in the back ground are random...

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Not the best day at work.

 

[farshot]

Lucky 13

 

[HuskyDude]

Kinda looks like a Seafire that caught the drop tank and maybe landing gear.
But where's the arrester hook????

Maybe this is the hook which is a bit out of focus??

 

[x westie]

Not the best day at work.

Seafire was very prone to landing gear failure , landing on a carrier deck, very narrow and fragile landing gear , the Sea Hurricane with its wide track landing gear was much better to land , but inferior in performance in the air

 

[XRCD011]

Kinda looks like a Seafire that caught the drop tank and maybe landing gear.
But where's the arrester hook????

Maybe this is the hook which is a bit out of focus??

Nope, it is extended under the up turned tail on a Mk.XV Seafire.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

I'm reading "Winkle" Brown's autobiography (Wings on my Sleeve) right now. Most carrier landings of anyone, anywhere, any time. FIRST jet-powered carrier landing and takeoff. Most types flown etc. Brown was incredible, and flew Seafires extensively. More on him here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_(pilot).

Of all the piston types he flew, he loved the DH Hornet best. Not hard to see why. Look at the thing:

Movie-star looks and performance to match.

Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, Hon FRAeS, RN died at 97 in bed, which is one more remarkable thing for a test pilot to do.

 

[HuskyDude]

Brown was incredible, and flew Seafires extensively.

Yes he was...one of the best!!!

Did you get to March 1944 yet?

 

[john@]

tail hook is dark, obscured by the waves in the background, you can see it in top left

Not the best day at work.

 

[Ganderite]

Is that aircraft insignia desinged to make the roundel look less like a rising sun and more like an American?

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

I imagine so. It was the standard marking for the Pacific FAA aircraft.

 

[CV32]

Is that aircraft insignia desinged to make the roundel look less like a rising sun and more like an American?

Colour accounts for a great deal in distinguishing the FAA roundels from the Japanese Hinomaru. The red center was removed, similar to that done for the USAAF red dot inside a white star.

 

[ipscgraz]

Austrian Skoda 30.5cm mortar in the Dolomites on the Italian front, WWI

 

[diopter]

USN anti aircraft gunners were trigger happy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_blindness

 

[Ed Smurf]

Many American pilots were forced to land in Switzerland when they mistakenly flew over Swiss territory. There are accounts of American crews confusing the Swiss white cross on the Swiss Me-109s with the universal symbol of the Red Cross....so they were comfortable with landing their aircraft only to find out that the AC were then impounded..

 

[diopter]

Norfolk Naval Shipyard VA. June 1943.
Sailors on wooden scaffolds apply paint below the waterline of USS Yorktown (CV 10) during dry docking.

In 1943 it was called Norfolk Navy Yard, did not change to Norfolk Naval Shipyard until Dec 1945.
You're looking at DryDock 4, north side of the dock. Power plant in the distance. She was commissioned there on 15 April of that year.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Many American pilots were forced to land in Switzerland when they mistakenly flew over Swiss territory. There are accounts of American crews confusing the Swiss white cross on the Swiss Me-109s with the universal symbol of the Red Cross....so they were comfortable with landing their aircraft only to find out that the AC were then impounded..

Both sides were pretty nonchalant about respecting Swiss neutrality when it came to air space, the Allies more so later in the war. The Swiss actually shot down planes from both sides.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_incidents_in_Switzerland_in_World_War_II

Grizz