Picture of the day

[Dosing]

 

[bearhunter]

Finns

That would be a very crowded tank.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

The P-61 was modified to become the F-15 Reporter recon aircraft. 36 were built.

Postwar, several were sold to civilian operators, including Aero Enterprises, who operated N9768Z as a water bomber.

Regrettably, N9768Z was written off in an accident:

On 6 September 1968, Ralph Ponte, one of three civilian pilots to hold a rating for the F-15, was flying a series of routine Phos-Chek drops on a fire raging near Hollister, California. In an effort to reduce his return time Ponte opted to reload at a small airfield nearer the fire. The runway was shorter than the one in Fresno, and despite Ponte reducing his load, hot air from the nearby fire reduced the surrounding air pressure and rendered the aircraft overweight. Even at full power the Reporter had not rotated after clearing the 3,500 ft (1,067 m) marker, and Ponte quickly decided to abort his takeoff. He made every effort to control the hurtling craft, but the Reporter careened off the runway and through a vegetable patch, before striking an embankment which tore off the landing gear. The aircraft then slid sideways, broke up, and caught fire. Ponte scrambled through the shattered canopy unhurt, while a firefighting TBM Avenger dropped its load of Phos-Chek on the plane's two engines, possibly saving Ponte's life. The F-15 was deemed too badly damaged to rebuild, and was soon scrapped, bringing an end to the aircraft's career.

That was the last one. The species is now extinct. Damn shame. Powerful looking thing.

 

[bearhunter]

On a similar bent is the little-known Grumman F7F, twin-engine offering without a forktail

https://youtu.be/a3ASli--jgA

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

The Tigercat. Beautiful, beautiful airplane. A lot more graceful than the usual Grumman product. And neat to see a "matching pair".

Y'know how any time you have a repetitive task - crank out fifty matching brackets / twenty identical shelves sort of deal - you get really, really sharp and effective at it about the time you finish? I think the best example of that phenomenon is the design and development of late piston fighters. They got it so very right just as it didn't matter anymore. These beauties were all power and grace and obsolete about ten minutes after they entered service.

Tigercat,

Bearcat,

Sea Fury,

DH Hornet,

Spitfire Mk. 24:

Full-on Dorothy Dandridge levels of hot, and just too damn late.

 

[zuke]

. .

 

[zuke]

The P-61 was modified to become the F-15 Reporter recon aircraft. 36 were built.

Postwar, several were sold to civilian operators, including Aero Enterprises, who operated N9768Z as a water bomber.

Regrettably, N9768Z was written off in an accident:



That was the last one. The species is now extinct. Damn shame. Powerful looking thing.

B-17 back there in the bottom pic?

 

[XRCD011]

^ Oui.

 

[Dosing]

WW1 Dum Dums

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

I went to school with Dum-Dum Geschosse. He played on the football team. Never wore a helmet.

Now he owns a car dealership. Did alright, considering.

Anyhoo, a Hawker Fury in Iraqi markings:

And the navalized version (Sea Fury) in more local mufti:

Some history on VW231:

To Canadian Joint Air Training Centre, Rivers Camp, Manitoba, with VF 871, spring of 1953, coded "120". Unit was working up for detachment to Korea, but war ended before unit was sent. Also seen on HMCS Magnificent with this code, when it struck the barrier on 20 September 1953. Also with 883 and 870 Squadrons, dates not known.
1949-February-16 Taken on Strength
1956-June-15 Struck off Strength

 

[*lawrence]

 

[x westie]

Something we don’t see often, Bren with 100 round magazine

 

[oldstarfire]

Two side by side? Some kind of AA config, or.......

 

[M1-Garand]

Is that not what the SAS used in North Africa, twin Vickers on their Jeeps ??

 

[fat tony]

It seems there is a repeated insistence they used the Vickers K as the RAF had put a # of them in storage and they needed them for raiding in North Africa. Why wouldn't they use the Bren with the drums? They could get all the tracer they would ever need. Twinned Brens would logically bring up the weight of lead downrange per time interval about equal to what the Vickers K could deliver.

Although I cannot see a clear shot of the mount there is an odd hooked rod in front and what looks like maybe part of a pintle to the rear hanging diagonally to the right.

There was a series of Bren gun AA ancillary equipment called 'Motley' mounts. Difficult to find a good comprehensive article on them.

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bren_light_machine_guns_on_anti-aircraft_mounts

I also found this quite obscure information which is info on fortification mounts for pillboxes in the UK, WWII.

http://www.pillbox-study-group.org.uk/advanced-pillbox-designs/part-2-o-z/pillbox-gun-mounts/

 

[x westie]

It seems there is a repeated insistence they used the Vickers K as the RAF had put a # of them in storage and they needed them for raiding in North Africa. Why wouldn't they use the Bren with the drums? They could get all the tracer they would ever need. Twinned Brens would logically bring up the weight of lead downrange per time interval about equal to what the Vickers K could deliver.

Plus the Bren has a excellent quick barrel change , something very desirable in sustained firing

 

[XRCD011]

It seems there is a repeated insistence they used the Vickers K as the RAF had put a # of them in storage and they needed them for raiding in North Africa. Why wouldn't they use the Bren with the drums? They could get all the tracer they would ever need. Twinned Brens would logically bring up the weight of lead downrange per time interval about equal to what the Vickers K could deliver.

Although I cannot see a clear shot of the mount there is an odd hooked rod in front and what looks like maybe part of a pintle to the rear hanging diagonally to the right.

There was a series of Bren gun AA ancillary equipment called 'Motley' mounts. Difficult to find a good comprehensive article on them.

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bren_light_machine_guns_on_anti-aircraft_mounts

I also found this quite obscure information which is info on fortification mounts for pillboxes in the UK, WWII.

http://www.pillbox-study-group.org.uk/advanced-pillbox-designs/part-2-o-z/pillbox-gun-mounts/

I think it would be a nod for a Vickers gun and the higher rate of fire.

 

[bearhunter]

Is that not what the SAS used in North Africa, twin Vickers on their Jeeps ??

There is a pipe for the pedestal mount resting on the rocks underneath.

What I see as unique in that picture are the high capacity drum magazines.

 

[Old Ranger]

At one time I had a military shipping crate marked 100 rd Bren magazines If I remember correctly it would have held 10? Kind of unique?

 

[RRCo.]

It seems there is a repeated insistence they used the Vickers K as the RAF had put a # of them in storage and they needed them for raiding in North Africa. Why wouldn't they use the Bren with the drums? They could get all the tracer they would ever need. Twinned Brens would logically bring up the weight of lead downrange per time interval about equal to what the Vickers K could deliver.

Because the Vickers K guns were easier to obtain and had about twice the rate of fire.