Warbird Information Exchange

Dive Bomber with Errol Flynn 2:15 pm Central, 9:45 am Central They Died With their Boots On today on TCM .

Just got off the couch. What a great pre-war film especially since it was in color. Devestators, Vindicators, SNJ's, Buffloes, PBY's, a Lockheed 10 (not sure what the USN designator was), N3N's, N2S's, F3F's and in the final fly-by a Coronado high and behind the formation.
There were a few trainers that I could not ID.
Some of those buildings were still part of the landscape at NAS North Island as late as 99, hope they have been saved.
I may have to add this to my Christmas wish list.
Bob

Hardly surprising as there was only ever one in USN service -- it was designated as the XR2O-1 and was used as a transport for the Secretary of the Navy.

I suspect that the one in the movie was provided by the filmakers (as was the "trainer" that receives some hard use at the hands of a novice pilot Errol Flynn).

I have the DVD already and the transfer is really first rate.

Incidentaly, the XR20-1 still exists in the collection of the New England Air Museum.

In the film, the wing insignia were not consistent. There was a formation of SB2U's that had only one star on the upper left wing, while others had both wings with stars. Were these variations in squadrons or were they official paint schemes at various times? I understand that the movie was filmed 1938 to 1940.

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REMEMBER THE SERGEANT PILOTS!