WWII War Birds - pics and video

[Sharps '63]

P-39 would have been great if it had a Merlin in it. The naturally aspirated Allison was a dog, especially at altitude. Made them sitting ducks.

Which is why they were employed by the Russians in the ground attack role. Even with a Merlin engine installed, the CoG would still have affected the handling characteristics.

 

[scott585]

Which is why they were employed by the Russians in the ground attack role. Even with a Merlin engine installed, the CoG would still have affected the handling characteristics.

One of the enduring myths regarding the P-39/P-63 in Soviet use is that because of its armament, in particular the 37mm nose cannon, it excelled as a ground-attack aircraft, even a 'tank buster.' In translating and preparing this manuscript for publication, I have had the opportunity to peruse several Russian-language sources. Mentions of the employment of this aircraft in the ground-attack role are so rare in these sources as to be exceptional ... The 'tank buster' myth has its roots in the misunderstanding of the general wartime role of the Red Air Force and in the imprecise translation of specific Russian-language terms that describe this role. The specific Russian-Language term most often used to describe the mission and role of the Airacobra-equipped Red Air Force fighter units, in this manuscript and other Russian-language sources , as prikrytiye sukhoputnykh voysk [coverage of ground forces]... Frequent misunderstanding in this country as to the combat role of the P-39 in Soviet use is based in part on imprecise translation of the term prikrytiye sukhoputnykh voysk to 'ground support'. The latter term as it is understood by many Western military historians and readers, suggests the attacking of ground targets in support of ground troops, also called "close air support." [Did a] Soviet Airacobra pilot ever strafe a German tank? Undoubtedly. But this was never a primary mission or strong suit for this aircraft.

—Soviet Army Colonel Dmitriy Loza, Loza and Gebhardt 2002, pp. 15–16

 

[Sharps '63]

Ground attack in support of infantry would most likely be it's forte as opposed to "Tank Buster" with a 37mm cannon that would bounce of most armoured vehicles.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

The pointy end of the Westland Whirlwind:

Quite a pretty design, with the most streamlined cowlings I've seen:

Some period footage: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/whirlwind-fighter-squadron

And this lot hope to build one from scratch: http://www.whirlwindfighterproject.org/

 

[antiqueguy]

Ground attack in support of infantry would most likely be it's forte as opposed to "Tank Buster" with a 37mm cannon that would bounce of most armoured vehicles.

the top plates on the chassis and turret are generally thinner then the rest of the tank remember we are talking about a aircraft attacking from the air

 

[t-star]

after the war ended one chap did stick a merlin in a p-39 and used it for air races- however, it' wasn't a simple drop in, but required an almost complete rework of the aircraft- the nose gear and 2- 30 cals were removed , and the plane was re-balanced as a tail-dragger- I also remember something about the control surfaces were enlarged- in those races, it typically came in 3rd after the bearcats and mustangs- oh yea, and the nose gear doors were welded shut- lot of work for a consistent 3rd place aircraft- and of course, the transmission and driveshaft were removed as they were no longer needed-

 

[t-star]

remember, the hurricane mk2 d had 2 Vickers guns ( 40mm) that made quite a mess of mk 4 panzers in north Africa

 

[Sharps '63]

the top plates on the chassis and turret are generally thinner then the rest of the tank remember we are talking about a aircraft attacking from the air

Roger, that. That makes any radiator vents vulnerable as well as the joint between the hull and the turret. Bogey wheels are also vulnerable.

 

[Cdn303]

I have also watch and read of accounts of pilots, mostly in P-47's shooting up German armour on the roads trying to ricochet the shells off the road up into the thin belly armour.

Not sure if it actually worked or not. Even if it didn't knock out the armoured vehicle, I am sure being strafed by an aircraft shooting any caliber would cause some stuff to be broken, plus the fact that the vehicle would probably have to stop and button up, slowing the progress of them. Then we also have any infantry that might be traveling alongside, on top of. or in (halftrack, trucks) the convoy.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Neat story:

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_28172819/minnesotan-les-schrenk-survived-wwii-now-he-knows

Also, a pic:

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

One of 12:

 

[Ganderite]

Hurricane? Looks like the gear collapsed after the landing. Top blade not bent.

 

[Ganderite]

Hurricane?

From a "neutral" country?

Looks like the gear collapsed after the landing. Top blade not bent.

 

[scott585]

or engine quit. can you lower the gear in a hurricane without engine power?

romanian markings i think

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Both right.

Apparently, Romania received 12 Hurricanes before the war interfered with further deliveries. They were gradually reduced in numbers due to attrition and lack of spares. None remain, naturally.

 

[Ganderite]

Formation flying. i have only done a little bit, using identical aircraft. Flying aerobatics with dissimilar a/c must be a challenge.

 

[Ganderite]

The first plastic model plane I made as a kid was of a Stuka. I assumed it was fighter plane sized.

Many years later, I saw a real one parked in front of the museum at Hendon. it is quite large, as you can see in this picture:

 

[Ganderite]

[video]http://www.flixxy.com/dornier-do-x-1929-jumbo-airplane.htm?utm_source=nl[/video]

Conceived by Dr. Claudius Dornier, the design took seven years to complete and two years to build. On October 21st, the plane took off carrying 169 people consisting of 150 passengers, 10 crew and 9 stowaways, easily breaking the world record for the number of people aboard a flight - a record that would not be tested for 15 years. The luxurious accommodations and service on the Do X were in keeping with the standards of transatlantic liners. Several cabins on the main deck held passengers comfortably on 32 double seats and two single seats, while the cockpit, captain's cabin, navigational office, engine control room and radio office could be found on the upper deck along with quarters for the 14 man crew. The lower deck held fuel and stores.

The Do X took off from Friedrichshafen, Germany on Nov 3, 1930 commencing its trans-Atlantic proving flight. The route took the Do X to Lisbon, down the Western African coast, across the Atlantic to South America, and north to the United States finally reaching New York on Aug 27, 1931. While the Do X was not a commercial success, it was an important experiment in early aviation. It remains one of the most extraordinary seaplanes in history.

 

[Sharps '63]

It had diesel engines, did it not?

That was one of the first model aircraft I built as a kid. I wonder if that was the inspiration for the Boeing Flying Boats of the 1930's.

 

[midnightpossum]