How about a little color

collier0176 · **Joined:** Wed May 16, 2012 9:43 am **Posts:** 3

The aircraft shown on the deck of an aircraft carrier is a USN R4D-5L. The L stood for an aircraft modified for cold weather operations. The aircraft carrier is the USS Philippine Sea which launched 5 R4Ds between January 25th and January 30, 1947.
The flights were part of Operation Highjump and all aircraft landed sucessfully at the US base in the Antarctic. The last flight of these aircraft was on February 22, 1947 and they were all abandoned when the base was shutdown with the approach of Winter.

maxum96 · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 2:13 pm

airnutz wrote:

maxum96 wrote:

Awesome photo of German 104's.

Ummm...errr, didya mean Dutch ?

Dutch, German, somewhere from Europe! LOL Thanks for the correction. I didn't look at the insignia very closely and just assumed they were German.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 3:41 pm

Anyone know who the three fugitives from Shakespeare's Mac BETH standing on the carrier flight deck are? They all need to sneak up on a glass of water.

muddyboots · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 5:41 pm

collier0176 wrote:

The aircraft shown on the deck of an aircraft carrier is a USN R4D-5L. The L stood for an aircraft modified for cold weather operations. The aircraft carrier is the USS Philippine Sea which launched 5 R4Ds between January 25th and January 30, 1947.
The flights were part of Operation Highjump and all aircraft landed sucessfully at the US base in the Antarctic. The last flight of these aircraft was on February 22, 1947 and they were all abandoned when the base was shutdown with the approach of Winter.

So they're still there? geek

The Inspector · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 6:19 pm

muddyboots wrote:

collier0176 wrote:

The aircraft shown on the deck of an aircraft carrier is a USN R4D-5L. The L stood for an aircraft modified for cold weather operations. The aircraft carrier is the USS Philippine Sea which launched 5 R4Ds between January 25th and January 30, 1947.
The flights were part of Operation Highjump and all aircraft landed sucessfully at the US base in the Antarctic. The last flight of these aircraft was on February 22, 1947 and they were all abandoned when the base was shutdown with the approach of Winter.

So they're still there? geek

HMMMMM, 64 year old cold storage C-47's eh? Wasn't there a picture years ago of a C-47 in the Antarctic perched on a wind sculpted pylon of ice and snow?

ALOHADAVE · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 9:11 pm

Is it this one?
The wreck of 43-16062 C-47

http://www.oldwings.nl/content/c47_yic/c47b2006.jpg
http://www.oldwings.nl/content/c47_yic/c47c2006.jpg

for more info

http://www.oldwings.nl/content/c47_yic/c47.htm

The Inspector · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 9:20 pm

Yep! Until I read the accident account I had no idea that an arrogant 'I know it all' pilot caused the accident and not what I'd read earlier that a surprise cross wind caused the accident.

Russ Blow · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 9:50 pm

Found this comment on a site about Operation Highjump

Quote:

With the flying season completed, the command didn't know what to do with the six R4D-5's, unable to land them back on the carrier. The oil was drained out along with the removal of any clasified instruments, then they were tied down on the Ross Sea ice. The following year the US Icebreakers 'Edisto" and Burton Island, spotted the goonies while visiting the Bay of Whales in early February 1948. Snow was cleared away from one of the Douglas Aircraft and its engine started up , but no attempt was made to try and fly it.

It appeared that A gigantic section of the Ross Sea Ice Shelf had broken away, taking with it 2/3's of Little America IV, and the stored R4D-5's drifted away toward their watery grave at the bottom of the Ross Sea.

http://antarctic.homestead.com/jump.html

JohnB · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 11:35 pm

Love the C-133 and HUP-2
Anyone know why the Panther was unpainted?

gregv · **Posted:** Wed May 23, 2012 4:08 am

JohnB wrote:

Anyone know why the Panther was unpainted?

From what I can recall, the Navy experimented with Panthers in an overall silver finish for some reason; I'm not sure whether they were painted silver, clearcoated over bare aluminum, or just left in the anodized silver finish that I assume Panthers were built in (same as Wildcats and Hellcats??). The famous "Blue tail Fly" being one of them (well at least a half of one)... some profiles here of silver Panthers:

http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/f9 ... iles.shtml

what's the story on the markings on this Mustang? They look like they're from an aircraft in Korea? Or an ANG outfit? Whichever it ism this is one great looking scheme!!

Me 163 werke no. 191316 shows as being at the Science Museum in London, so seems like this might be a shot of some RAF types working on it in the 60's sometime?

great shots!

greg v.

JDK · **Posted:** Wed May 23, 2012 4:27 am

Already covered Greg, in posts five:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45693&start=05
And seven, where there's another pic from the same occasion. FWIW, I don't think there's any reason to see the shot here as colourised (or colorized, if you prefer).

That's the problem with these mixed bag picture threads. Fun as they are, some stuff gets lost, some gets buried, and there ends up a lot of repeating and 'correcting' the same questions and answers. I'm not criticising Mark's posting the pics, I certainly don't know what the answer is to the issue.

Regards,

[Edited to correct 'Matk' to 'Mark'!]

gregv · **Posted:** Wed May 23, 2012 4:33 am

Thanks JDK, I skimmed over some of the earlier posts and missed that info; very atmospheric shots of the lads working on the Me 163, seems like a great way to spend a few summer afternoons.

Is it just me or is the wing on the Mustang above bare metal, as opposed to filled and painted?

cheers

greg v.

Craig59 · **Posted:** Wed May 23, 2012 7:36 am

I'll play with a few favorites from my site:

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Wed May 23, 2012 9:03 am

Interesting picture of the Mustang with pre 1947 star and bar on the wing, and post 1947 on the fusualage.

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How about a little color

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