Stearman in Tora Tora Tora

[mrhenniger]

While waiting for Scott to post the first draft (be patient, the man is converteding thousands of files for the new location of this website), I have started on a second draft. The Flypast article from a few years back indicated a Stearman was used in the filming. Now, was there a Stearman in a flying scene as it was passed by the Zeros, Kates and Vals on their way into attack Pearl?

Now is is the park you will like as it is the excuse you are looking for. What is the civil registration on the side of that Stearman?

Ok now stop laughing! I bet there is one (although I don't remember) and it would be my only clue to identifying that airframe in the list. So grab your favorite refreshment and some popcorn, kick up your feet, and watch Tora Tora Tora. If your better half asks just say Mike told you to.

Mike (sitting back and waiting for the power of the WIX to kick in)

[dj51d]

It's NC34307. Gotta love DVD, you can skip right to where you need to be.

That took too long, I couldn't find the disc right away.

[bdk]

It's NC34307. Gotta love DVD, you can skip right to where you need to be.

That would be a Meyers OTW, not a Stearman!
=================================

N34307 is Assigned

Assigned/Registered Aircraft

Aircraft Description

Serial Number 51
Manufacturer Name MEYERS Certificate Issue Date 01/08/2003
Model OTW-160 Status Valid
Type Aircraft Fixed Wing Single-Engine Type Engine Reciprocating
MFR Year 1941
Engine Manufacturer KINNER
Classification Standard
Engine Model R5 SERIES
A/W Date 04/18/1956

[mrhenniger]

A Meyers OTW eh? Well now. That is interesting. The Flypast article indicated a Stearman was used in the filming of Tora! Tora! Tora!, and I assumed that was the scene. It is quite possible the list is in error, but does anyone know if a Stearman was used elsewhere in the movie. Maybe it is in the background or something.

Dan... Could you take a look at your DVD again. Does it look like this...

http://www.warbirdalley.com/otw.htm

Mike

[Steven M. Dennis]

Mike,

I'm pretty sure it was a Stearman, it is easy to tell the differences between that and an OTW.

Now I will have to drag out my copy of Tora again and watch it tonight, but anyway, yes you are right, there is a scene where a woman is doing some flight instruction in a Stearman in civilian colors during the attack (yeah right, so "Pearl Harbor" isn't the only version to "stray from historical accuracy"), and she takes over the controls from her student, and takes "evasive action" after being overtaken by the invading forces.

If someone doesn't answer before I look at it tonight, I will let you know what, (if anything), I can add.

Have a GREAT day!

Steve

[dj51d]

It is definately a Stearman in the movie. Unfortunately, the FAA isn't kind enough to provide data on historical registrations like Transport Canada does. I checked aerofiles' US registrations from 1927-1946, but there was no entry for this particular aircraft at that time.

[mrhenniger]

Thanks Dan. I would guess they didn't try to make it historically accurate by applying a c/r from 1941 anyway. It would likely be a valid Stearman c/r from 1969.

Unfortunately WD4 doesn't cover Stearmans. I'll have to try googling to see what I can come up with for Stearman histories on the web.

Mike

[Steven M. Dennis]

Hi Dan K, (and you too Dan J.)

Yeah, I seem to remember something like that too, although whether the actual incident involved an OTW or not I couldn't tell you.

But.......as long as we're talking about Meyers OTW's, does anyone know if these were used in the military, and if so, what their designation was. As I remember it, Meyers produced it to compete in the Primary Trainer market as the OTW, which stood for "Out To Win".

Now that I have gotten this subject so far off topic, , I had better quit.

Have a GREAT day everyone!

Steve

[RyanShort1]

If you're looking to ID aircraft airborne during the attack, the man to talk to without a doubt is David Aiken. He's the best expert on it so far as I can tell. Send me an email and I'll foward it to him. Or you can email him direct through the address listed at the linked site http://www.usspennsylvania.com/DavidsCorner.htm (that page hasn't been updated in a while, but be assured he is an active historian!). Note also that that particular address is sometimes quite full (!) and you get emails kicked back. That doesn't mean he isn't there. I have access to another address that I could forward it to.

Ryan

[mrhenniger]

Hey Guys,

The Stearman used for Tora Tora Tora is still in Hawaii. I took a photo of it in 95 during the 50th Anv. of the end of WWII. It was over at Barbers next to the B-25s along with a L-13.
Cheers Col.Rohr

Col. Rohr,

Could you check your pics for markings? More specifically the civil registration? This might just be the kind of break that I was looking for.

If you don't have any markings in your pics (wings and tails can get in the way) then do you remember the owner's name?

Mike

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

Sounds good. Thanks Rob.

Mike

[Steven M. Dennis]

Hi guys,

The only thing I can add is that after watching it again last night, I can confirm Dan Johnson's observation (not that we doubted you Dan ). The Stearman was definitely marked NC34307 on the wings, and had the name "Andrew Flying School" painted on the side of the cowling/forward fuselage. It is a PT-17 (or one of the Continental powered N2S's anyway) painted yellow.

That's about it.

Steve

[paulmcmillan]

Military Aviation Movie List

http://www.coastcomp.com/av/fltline2/avmovie.htm

look up 'T' - No ID on th PT-17 though

The incident that takes place in the movie is scripted by the actual event on Dec. 7. A flight instructor, Cornelia Fort, who later went on to become a WASP, was training a student in an Aeronca I believe and was rattled by the waves of Japanese aircraft flying past. She evasivly manuvered away and landed shortly after. The registration of the Aeronca should be in Fort's logbooks. Cornelia Fort was killed in a fighter I believe during 1943/4 and has an airport in Tennessee named after her.

[Steven M. Dennis]

Wow Joe,

Thanks for sharing that very cool information!

Like Dan K. mentioned, I too thought that it was based on something that actually happened, but didn't know the details. I appreciate you posting the story.

Steve