T-6 Combat Veteran ...

[Mark Allen M]

This was a 362nd Fighter Group, 378th Fighter Squadron AT-6 'hack' that 1st Lt. James Rippin used to force down a Fiesler Storch on May 4, 1945, leading to the capture of the German crew.
Seems not as well known as the Cub and shot down a Storch in April 45.
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/11-april-1945/


An old eBay auction pic.

[RyanShort1]

That's genuinely cool! Wonder what became of her.

[Stoney]

of the 9331 NA-88 built, it was #6877 and the one behind it is #6873

Last edited by Stoney on Thu Dec 26, 2024 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

[marine air]

It would be interesting to know what armament they had on the T-6 in order to force the Storch down. Did they have one or more mounted 30 caliber machine guns or a back seater with a BAR or front seater with a Colt 45? Interesting story.

[Lynn Allen]

I wonder if this is the same story of the American airmen who forced the Storch down a Colt .45?

[JohnB]

Now we'll get a bunch of Texans painted in this scheme...like the bazooka equipped and Bf-109-killing L-4s.

[Jack Cook]

AT-6D 41-64318 had no guns. 1Lt Rippen forced the Storch to land.
Tim Savage's AT-6D is now painted in these markings. I supplied him with
photos and info months ago.

[Jack Cook]

double post

[quemerford]

AT-6D 41-64318 had no guns. 1Lt Rippen forced the Storch to land.
Tim Savage's AT-6D is now painted in these markings. I supplied him with
photos and info months ago.

double post

Last edited by quemerford on Thu Dec 26, 2024 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[quemerford]

AT-6D 41-64318 had no guns. 1Lt Rippen forced the Storch to land.
Tim Savage's AT-6D is now painted in these markings. I supplied him with
photos and info months ago.

S/n must be 41-34618 surely?

[Mark Allen M]

Per Joe Baugher’s records:

34618 (MSN 88-15889) Arthur D. Medore / Banaire Enterprises, Inc., Hemet, CA 1999.
Registered as N80942 as a North American-Medore AT-6D with MSN 41-34618-2AM.
Reregistered 26Sep01 as a North American AT-6D with MSN 41-34618-2; current [Jun20

[Mark Allen M]

Is this Tim Savage’s AT-6D?
And is it the original T-6 that Rippen flew?

https://www.aircraft.com/aircraft/22601 ... ican-at-6d

[JohnB]

AT-6D 41-64318 had no guns. 1Lt Rippen forced the Storch to land.

In May, 1945, it probably wasn't hard for an unarmed trainer to "force" the Fi-156 to land. The pilot surely knew the days of the Reich were numbered and surrendering to the Americans with an honorable pretext was preferable to continuing to flight with its associated risks.

[Mark Allen M]

Tim’s Facebook page with his AT-6D
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id ... tid=wwXIfr

[Tim Savage]

Is this Tim Savage’s AT-6D?
And is it the original T-6 that Rippen flew?

https://www.aircraft.com/aircraft/22601 ... ican-at-6d

No, I just painted my T-6D in the markings. The airplane with that Serial Number is a Art Medmore/Banaire airplane that were built from either parts or from Harvards and given new identities. (Thus the -2 after the serial number). The FAA was way more lenient on that stuff 30 years ago.