WWII War Birds - pics and video

antiqueguy said:
if I remember right it was one of the first aircraft to drop supplies into the Netherlands and the pilot Robert Upcott was from Windsor
Click to expand...
Correct, it was the first and lone Lancaster (RCAF) to "prove" the route in was safe, and the Germans manning Flak guns "got the word" not to shoot at allied AC dropping food to the Dutch after their Hunger Winter. Named Bad Penny from the expression "A Bad Penny always returns".
 
XRCD011 said:
Correct, it was the first and lone Lancaster (RCAF) to "prove" the route in was safe, and the Germans manning Flak guns "got the word" not to shoot at allied AC dropping food to the Dutch after their Hunger Winter. Named Bad Penny from the expression "A Bad Penny always returns".
Click to expand...

from what I have seen fm212 is being restored into flying condition they are rebuilding a lot of the inner structure sad to see that so many Lancaster's were scrapped
 
22187543.jpg
here's Lancaster fm212 "bad penny" sitting in Jackson park it was painted in several different paint schemes over the years and the landscape around it changed quite often

DSC01655-600x400.jpg
fiberglass spitfire and hurricane now sit in its place
 
antiqueguy said:
from what I have seen fm212 is being restored into flying condition they are rebuilding a lot of the inner structure sad to see that so many Lancaster's were scrapped
Click to expand...

Sad. Not too many uses for them after the war, except to turn them into aluminium pots. They converted some into the lancastarian for cargo and passenger, but it couldn't compete with the other cheaper options
 
Was wondering how long it would take for someone to catch on.
Yes, Canadian pilot. Believe it was the one he was flying when he won the Victoria Cross for attacking the Japanese destroyers in the last moments of the war.
 
Is it true that it was the Fleet Air Arm of the RN that tamed the Corsair into a carrier friendly aircraft by lopping off a couple of feet from the wing span?
 
Not exactly a WWII war bird, but is painted to commemorate them.

The 2015 RCAF CF-18 Demonstration Aircraft. Painted to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Brittan. (Picture from the CF-18 Demo Team Facebook page)
11082615_793030850789897_7039557960857069530_n.jpg
 
Nice colour shot of a Henschel HS 129:

Mllujqm.jpg


Cockpits can be tight, but this aircraft really pushed how "tailored" one wanted to make a cockpit. Note the location of the gunsight/bombsight:

Hs129-pilot.jpg~original


Precursor to Detroit's fascination with the hood-mounted tach, perhaps?

[youtube]FaBh-whYStI[/youtube]
 
Sharps '63 said:
Is it true that it was the Fleet Air Arm of the RN that tamed the Corsair into a carrier friendly aircraft by lopping off a couple of feet from the wing span?
Click to expand...

I don't think so. The Corsair had too much bounce in the landing gear (design flaw) and would often bounce over the arresting wires and into the barrier on carrier landing, unless the pilot was extremely skilled. The Fleet Air Arm DID fix the problem, but how I'm not sure.
 
shredder said:
I don't think so. The Corsair had too much bounce in the landing gear (design flaw) and would often bounce over the arresting wires and into the barrier on carrier landing, unless the pilot was extremely skilled. The Fleet Air Arm DID fix the problem, but how I'm not sure.
Click to expand...

I googled it. The RN lopped 8" from each wing tip which made it better to store onboard Brit carriers and improved the roll rate. The 'bouncing' oleo struts were a problem along with a host of other deficiencies, all eventually solved by both the USN and the Royal Navy.

The Brits also devised the best carrier approach for carrier landing (a wide sweeping left turn later adopted by the USN) which along with a modified canopy similar to the Malcom hood gave better pilot visibility.
 
Sharps '63 said:
I googled it. The RN lopped 8" from each wing tip which made it better to store onboard Brit carriers and improved the roll rate. The 'bouncing' oleo struts were a problem along with a host of other deficiencies, all eventually solved by both the USN and the Royal Navy.

The Brits also devised the best carrier approach for carrier landing (a wide sweeping left turn later adopted by the USN) which along with a modified canopy similar to the Malcom hood gave better pilot visibility.
Click to expand...

British carriers were smaller than the American Yorktown, Enterprise, and Essex-class carriers - wouldn't surprise me to learn that the Corsair wingspan was too big for the elevators on the Brit carriers. The Corsair wasn't a small strike fighter. I guess we're both right. ;)

As far as carrier aviation inventions, the Brits invented a)arresting gear, angled decks, and the mirror landing (better known as the Fresnel) system. The RN knew what it was doing when it came to carrier aviation.
 
shredder said:
British carriers were smaller than the American Yorktown, Enterprise, and Essex-class carriers - wouldn't surprise me to learn that the Corsair wingspan was too big for the elevators on the Brit carriers. The Corsair wasn't a small strike fighter. I guess we're both right. ;).
Click to expand...

It was never a question of who was right - you or me - it was a matter of what was historically correct. The RNAS and the Fleet Air Arm knew their business very well. They just had trouble designing aircraft that (a) weren't butt ugly and (b) weren't badly behind the times.

Hence their joy at receiving the Grumman Wildcat (RN Martlet) and the Corsair at a time when they were badly needed. Fulmars and Skuas were simply not up to par when up against the Luftwaffe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom