Warbird Information Exchange

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxZs8rPf4Tk

At time frame 3:09 you see what looks to be previously held Japanese airfield now with USMC Corsairs operating from it. In the foreground you see a junk pile of Japanese aircraft. The 1st aircraft you see is what appears to be a Grumman Hellcat with mid-wing Hinomaru's.

Is this in fact a Hellcat? And is there any account of the Japanese capturing the type?

Shay
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Semper Fortis

I see a link to the Flight of the Pheonix movie. But wasn't there Hellcats with Japanese markings on them in Flying Leathernecks after the group transitions to Corsairs?

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

What? Seems to work fine for me.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

That is really odd, it works now... and that is from Flying Leather necks

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Yes they captured a F6F-5 that bellied in after a flak hit on a straffing run
and was made airworthy.

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Don't touch my junk!!

Maybe that is just some of the same footage from the movie, which was a standard thing to do then.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

LT Chuck August VF-44 shot down at Formosa on 1-4-1945 flying F6F-5 #29 B/N 71441. August became a POW for the 2nd time having been shot down and captured by the Vichy French during Operation Torch while flying a F4F.

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Don't touch my junk!!

Thanks guys. Abashidly I admit to not having seen Flying Leathernecks. But some of the footage did seem a little "Black Sheep Squadron"esq (1970's) to me while I watched. Another movie I'll have to add to my military collection.

Thanks Jack for the real world insight. It would have been interesting to know the Japanese engineers's thoughts on the Hellcat. If when after analyising, there were any "Oh Crap we're in big trouble"

Shay
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Semper Fortis

You might be thinking on this plane:



.... and this profile:



I am not sure about the colors but I hear that in Japan camouflage was not changed. Can not say anything about this.

Cheers

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That footage is from 'Flying Leathernecks' wherein John Wayne and Robert Ryan fly and shoot like demons, but NEVER check behind themselves for Zeros on their tails, you'll also notice in the F6F ground scenes the post war reserve markings and post war stars and bars with red stripe have all been over painted (probably with a roller) in flat dark blue.
Interestingly, the IJNAF also operate with gray colored F6F's in this epic

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-