USN 1946 Open House - Inc Zero

[JDK]

Quite the line up...

NAS Santa Ana, open house, 1946 a by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives, on Flickr

In the larger version, you can see a trainer biplane's top wing, a couple more Hellcats, and (I think) a Tigercat. Just hope the safety's in on that launch ramp!

The San Diego Air Museum's flickr stream is certainly worth a look.

[Mike]

The San Diego Air Museum's flickr stream is certainly worth a look.

Absolutely. Some great shots of Boeing FB-5s at NAS North Island, and some lovely Ryan ST images.

[The Inspector]

The F6F is a red painted target drone.

[Cubs]

What is the dark image on the side of the drone Hellcat?

[airnutz]

What is the dark image on the side of the drone Hellcat?

A swabby and his shadow?

[P51Mstg]

I know its not 1946.... Legend has it the ZERO was run over by a Helldiver in Feb 1945 and destroyed.........

Mark H

[The Inspector]

Some of the F6F's earned extra pay as target tugs I believe, at least one was used as a remote firing point for developing the SPARROW air to air missile when they had a habit of blowing up upon launch

[Mark Allen M]

.

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Sun Sep 09, 2012 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[P51Mstg]

Interesting since I never thought that the Zero got away from Southern California..... They test flew it there. Literally millions of coastwatchers looking for enemy aircraft and nobody reported a ZERO flying over LA on a regular basis......

Mark H

[jdvoss]

Having lived in Orange County from the late 50's thru the mid-60's I have to say that the distant farmland certainly is indicitive of the Santa Ana area...not Pensacola. Also,VJ-8 and later VJ-11 operated out of NAS Santa Ana with the mission of operating drone aircraft which included the F6F, TD2C and SO3C drone aircraft...like those on display. So my vote is Santa Ana and the year is 1945 or later. Nearby OLF Palisades was used as the launch point for the drone controlled aircraft. See the write up for NAS Santa Ana (aka MCAS Tustin) at: http://members.tripod.com/airfields_fre ... htm#tustin

[JDK]

It's all just Americaland to me! More seriously, it's from a set, the collection of Robert Pavey, who was a USN photographer, 'who did much of his work at NAS Pensacola'; however I think the SDASM staff seem to be working off details with each photo, and there's other Santa Ana pics. Looks like the jury's out, still?

Interesting collection too, by the way:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchi ... 096603661/

[Matt Gunsch]

I know its not 1946.... Legend has it the ZERO was run over by a Helldiver in Feb 1945 and destroyed.........

Mark H

That is not Koga's Zero, that Zero had a shortened antenna mast,

[Lynn Allen]

What is the dark image on the side of the drone Hellcat?

Kinda looks like Dibert....