Warbird Information Exchange

Today I was doing some research for an author who has written a book about the 479th FG, I ran across a couple curious photos that I wanted to share and hope somebody might be able to shed some light on.

The first is a cool looking WW P-51B. I've never seen the *double* Malcom Hood conversion before, so I thought this was unique.



I was able to pull this from a Google of the serial #:
P-51B-5-NA 43-6865

486 FS
PZ-X Gerst Lt. Joseph L Smoky Joe Became PZ-M - Lt. Mundell
PZ-M Mundell Lt. Earl L Jr. From Gerst then to Stover
PZ-M Stover Lt. Merton J "Smoky" From Mundell

55 FS
KI-Q w/w OTU a/c

435 FS, 479FG WATTISHAM, UK
22 Sept 1945 (J2-Q) Accident


Our second WW is a Jug. This airplane is one I'm really curious about, since the 435th never officially flew P-47s as far as I know. The photo I have is a photocopy, hence the low quality here.



I can barely make out the serial, but this is what I got from Google:
P-47D 42-22476

82nd FS
3 August 1943 Crashed Belly Landing at Bury St Edmonds/Sta 468, UK. Pilot: Anderson, Bryant Y
MX-S "Fortune's Fool" Reassigned as MX-J
MX-J Crash landed 4 Jan 44 - Lt. Joseph A Scheibler

5th Emergency Rescue Squadron (Air Sea Rescue Squadron)
5F-V

435FS, 479th FG WATTISHAM, UK
12 July 1945 Accident. (J2-R) Pilot: PARK, DAVID C.

So, can anyone shed any light on, or provide further photos of, these hack airplanes?

Randy,

Look at the back bubble- that has some type of jump seat in it. Very interesting. I will have the other stuff back you in the next few days.

Mark

_________________
Mark Clark
Courtesy Aircraft Sales
Rockford IL
www.courtesyaircraft.com

Randy

the yellow P-51B hack (great shot BTW !) is one of the many two seat conversions done at group-level using WW airframes. The 479th FG example indeed is unique in using two malcolm hoods, whereas other groups (like the 4th and 78th fore example who also had colorful two-seaters) usually used birdcage canopies.

The P-47 hack has another background: Post-VE-day. the 479th FG was scheduled to deploy to the PTO to fight against Japan, flying P-47N's - in order to familiarize pilots with the new type, they received a number of hand-me-down WW-P-47's.

VJ-day rendered the deployment of the 479th (plus other groups from the ETO) no longer necessary.

HTH
Regards
Martin

Can't speak for the P-47 but I'm sure It's the same deal. After or near the end of the war a number of groups modified P-51Bs with a second seat and put malcolm hoods. The 20FG had one called Bond Bady and used it to give rides to the ground crew. The 4th FG had a nice one also. The very first 2 seat B was Stars Look Down of the 354th FG used to flying Eisenhower over the post DDay beachhead.

look at that a marauder tail in the background of the mustang pic...

soft spot for the marauder

jcw

From Ron MacKay's book "20th Fighter Group" Published by Squadron Signal Publications Copyright 1995. ISBN 0-89747-368-X

Bond Baby with two Malcom hoods.

Dan

From Jack H. Smith's book "Mustangs & Unicorns-A History of the 359th FG" Pictoral Histories Publishing Company Copyright 1997. ISBN 1-57510-029-0

A different variation on the 2 seat 51B/C

Dan

Dan,
I'd watch taking from copywritten sources and posting. Some of those
publishing types can get pretty nasty about that sort of thing. Just looking out for a fellow wixer.....JACK

In the January "Air Classics", there is a photospread on a beautifully restored P-51B/C two-seat conversion.

Even if they are credited as I did when I posted them?

Hmmmm. Thanks for the heads up

Dan

Hello Dan et all

further to the posting of photographs from publications, I can give you some information re the copyright issue.

In forums, it generally is regarded okay to post photographs* from publications for illustrating purposes. It has to be made sure, however, that the full title, author, publisher and ISBN number are quoted.

*Using extracts from publications in a posting / thread is limited to one or two photos or short text passages. Scanning entire pages, chapters, color profiles, etc. is a big No-No.

Jim: can you please edit/add the required info ? (I would have done it straight away, but am sitting at my workplace and the books are at home)

Cordially
Martin / Swiss Mustangs

Edited the two images to include the info you mentioned. Guess I'll give that practice a rest. Too much work

Dan

This pic came from the internet years ago, don't know its origin but thought it might be of interest.

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Anyone know why the WW airplanes were given such whacked-out paintjobs?

War weary B-24s & B-17s were not for the most part used has hacks Rob. But actually used has formation assembly ships. If you've got Roger Freeman's original "Mighty Eight" there are some good photos and painting of the some of the more colorful examples. In the case of the 79th FS's Bond Baby it's intended purpose was to give well deserved rides to the hard working ground crews. Bond Baby's usual pilot Was Lt Wallace Lucky Lowman who later commanded a A-! squadron in viet Nam. One of his pilots was 1Lt Rick Drury (My Secret War) owner/pilot of Sea Fury "Nuthin Special" and later a T-28B.