WWII War Birds - pics and video

[peterrunsguns]

I bet he's got even better stories

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

F-15 Reporter, huh? Here we go:

P-61 lineage is profoundly visible. That teardop canopy is lovely.

36 built, served in the USAAF/USAF for three years.

Brief post-service career as a photo mapping aircraft, then a water bomber:

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, though intact, was deemed too badly damaged to rebuild, and was soon scrapped, bringing an end to the career of one of Northrop's most successful designs.[1]

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Junkers Ju-86:

http://www.########wars.net/weapons/pictures/air/de/photos/photo_de_ju86_1.jpg

The Swedes operated them, as well as the Romanians.

Twelve seperate militaries used them, from China to South America. Even the SAAF had eighteen of them.

They reproduced by mating. The process took days, and was initiated by the male of the species softly nuzzling the female. If she is receptive, copulation takes place with much drama, punctuated by the screams of agitated ground crew and the mournful cries of the pilots.

Whose markings are these?

http://www.########wars.net/weapons/pictures/air/de/photos/photo_de_ju86_2.jpg

A contemporary to the HE111, but inferior in most regards. Flew in the Poland campaign, thereafter mostly retired, but did see service over Britain as a reconnisance aircraft. The P model could make 41,000 ft.


One left in the world. Swedish AF museum:

 

[sail32]

Early Junkers Ju-86, were an interesting diesel engine bomber.

Top two pictures post # 823

 

[XRCD011]

^ love that drop down gondola belly turret/gun position.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

"My office is cold, drafty, and lonely, but it has an amazing view!"

 

[CV32]

Junkers Ju-86:

Whose markings are these?

http://www.########wars.net/weapons/pictures/air/de/photos/photo_de_ju86_2.jpg

South Africa.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Looks a lot like their current flag, but I believe they had the roundel for a long time, and then the Springbok, and now this:

No mention of chevrons...

 

[Dan B]

Royal Hungarian Airforce:

 

[diopter]

Speaking of Junkers,
http://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/aircraft-systems/junkers-flap/

And for the Engine fanatics,
https://oldmachinepress.com/2015/09/26/junkers-jumo-223-aircraft-engine/

 

[Sqr]

WW2 warbirds stir up the feelings of what real fighter planes are. They are equivalent to muscle cars as new fighters are to exotic super cars.

This is a fine example of the FW 190 butcher bird.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

That's a very solid metaphor. Crude, nowhere near the perfomers that their modern counterparts are, but there's something really "blood and leather" about them. Very visceral, tactile machines. If you don't have the hair stand up on your neck when you hear the old girls, there's something wrong with your understanding of the intersection of beauty, power, and history.

Dan B. - good job. Curiosity satisfied, and I thank you.

Diopter, that engine site is kind of amazing. Just looking at that split case / oppsed setup made me think of VW engines gone mad... I'm not surprised that Germans tried to push the boundaries of technology and ran into issues with reliability. It's kind of a thing with them.

Cheers, all. I like these conversations.

Dan

 

[diopter]

The brits ran into many of some of the same problems

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Eagle_(1944)

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Neat how the technology reached a practical peak with the metallurgy and science of the time jest when it was being superseded by the turbine.

We've all seen a million Lanc pics. How about a specific one. This is LM446, coded PG-H of 619 Squadron, early February, 1944:

Another, not as picturesque, but same A/C, likely same time:

LM446 failed to return from an attack on the Gnome-Rhone aero-engine factory at Gennevilliers, France, on 9/10 May 1944. It had 215 hours flying time.

Eight man crew. PO J.M. Aitken, Sgt. F.F. Dring, FltSgt. K. Goodwin, Sgt. R.E. Hickling, FltSgt. S Levy, Sgt. J.R. Presland, and Sgt. F.A. Towse were all killed. Warrant Officer L. Rhodes was taken as a PoW. Can't find anything on him after this. I hope he lived a long and happy life.

Here's a memorial placed by the locals, perhaps:

 

[CV32]

Royal Hungarian Airforce

So it is.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

The Curtis SNC-1.

Operated by several air forces, including the IJAAF via captured Dutch examples. About 450 built, three survivors.

Love that "wasp waist"... This one flew for Uruguay.

They have one in their museum.

Fell in with a bad crowd.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

P-38 purpose built for "sightseeing expeditions".

 

[donor]

Curtiss CW-21 Demon.Fighter sibling of SNC-1.According to Wiki its performance was very close to Ki-41 Oscar.Sure looks skinny enough.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Clean looking bird. I like the lines.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Stretching things a bit, but if we define "warbird" as "airborne property of a military", Flying Flossie qualifies.









Recovery.



Used by the FAA to calibrate catapults. Made from a water tank.