Warbird Information Exchange

My buddy Lee Scales came across this picture while scanning through some older stuff on WIX: http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=22741&start=90 on page 7, and sent me this info about the Duck picture posted by Paul, aka Mortmer.

"I was very pleasantly surprised to find this:
Check out page 7 of the WIX posting noted below. You will see a picture (also attached) of a Grumman J2-F Duck with several photographers on the plane. The photographer on the top wing, standing by the strut and hanging by his shoes is my father James Scales age 24.

Here is the story behind the picture. Before being sent to the south pacific Navy utility squadron VJ-2 was training in Arcata Ca (see link below) it was getting close to Christmas so a group of the photographers got the idea to do the picture as a Christmas card for the families of VJ-2. To do the image of dad on the top wing he sat on the barracks dinning table, to do the image of him standing by the strut he leaned up against a ladder, and finally the image of him hanging by his shoes was done with his buddy on the barracks table and dad laying on the floor. He could not remember the name of the photographer on the bow of the J2-F but the image was taken of him sitting on a barracks chair. They used a stock Navy photo of a J2-F and with a late night darkroom session they added themselves and added the VJ-2 squadron symbol on the fuselage just in front of the pilot. The Christmas cards were made and sent to the families.

I have no idea how the gentleman that posted in WIX got this photo but I`m glad he did because after my dad passed I could not locate his original picture. I believe he may have sent it to the VJ-2 squadron commander along with other photos of the squadrons personal.

Incase your wondering about the VJ-2 squadron symbol the safety pin was referenced because it held the diaper closed because of all "crappy" assignments they got.

http://www.militarymuseum.org/NAASArcata.html

Lee"

_________________
Roger Cain
www.sfahistory.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stearman/


We must limit politicians to two terms:
one in office and one in jail.

That is a funny pic considering the times.

I'm thinking that is not a JF-2 but a J2F-1,2,3 or 4 variant. The extended fuselage fairing over the tail wheel kinda gives that away. I pulled a couple of pics off the internet.

Here's a JF-2. Note the fairing is not extended.




Here's a J2F-2 with the fairing extended.

[/quote]


Does anyone recognize the emblem on the side of this Duck? When I zoom in, my eyes make out a buffalo skull laying down. Anyone see anything different? Maybe an octopus? Thanks....

"Incase your wondering about the VJ-2 squadron symbol the safety pin was referenced because it held the diaper closed because of all "crappy" assignments they got."

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=VJ- ... tedIndex=4

Oops...duh!

Oops...duh!