1942 P-400 Belly Landing

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:55 pm

Lt Dave Straub of the 39th FS belly lands his P-400 at 3 mile drome, NG 1942.

jdvoss · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:57 pm

Out of curiosity was there indeed a difference between the P-400 and the P-39?? Or was it a diversion to confuse the enemy...as well as ourselves some 65 years later?

shoki · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:00 pm

The P-400 was built to a British order and specs, it also had the 37mm cannon replaced with a 20mm cannon.

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:05 pm

it also had a low pressure oxygen system vs the US high pressure system.

Nathan · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:07 pm

P-400 had 12 stacks. Compared to the P-39's six.

Mudge · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:03 pm

I particularly like the dirt "puffs" behind the plane that were kicked up by the prop. Cool shot.

Mudge the eagle-eyed :shock:

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:06 pm

i've heard of road rash.......... is there such thing as as airstrip rash???

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:29 pm

Mudge did you also notice that the door's gone??

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:30 pm

Yeah, jettison that thing before trying that landing.

Dan K · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:15 pm

And it's all good until you hit something solid and about 1400 pounds of runaway Allison tries to shove you right out the windscreen.

TonyM · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:45 pm

Jack,

I checked my microfilm accident reports for that pilot and according to the accident report, that photo was taken at Nandi Airfield, Viti Levu, Fiji, on 23 November 1943 and the airplane is P-39K 42-4388. The pilot, 2Lt. David Straub, was attached to the 68FS/347FG. The same numeral "20" can be seen on the photo on the microfilm. This can be cross referenced on the AAIR accident index for 23 November 1943.

The nose landing gear would not come down so the pilot jettisoned the door over the sea and made this successful emergency landing.

See
Army Air Forces Aircraft Accident Reports
Call # 46287; November 23, 1943; Accident # 503

TonyM.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:28 am

Very Cool!
I was just going by the caption I had.
Since I'm a 13th AF nut I'm jazzed to know that!!!
The 68th FS was the last to convert to P-38s.

lmritger · **Posted:** Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:40 am

TonyM wrote:

Jack,

I checked my microfilm accident reports for that pilot and according to the accident report, that photo was taken at Nandi Airfield, Viti Levu, Fiji, on 23 November 1943 and the airplane is P-39K 42-4388. The pilot, 2Lt. David Straub, was attached to the 68FS/347FG. The same numeral "20" can be seen on the photo on the microfilm. This can be cross referenced on the AAIR accident index for 23 November 1943.

The nose landing gear would not come down so the pilot jettisoned the door over the sea and made this successful emergency landing.

See
Army Air Forces Aircraft Accident Reports
Call # 46287; November 23, 1943; Accident # 503

TonyM.

Welcome to the "Go-To" list... if there's a question about a crashed US aircraft, you're now one of the guys to go to.

That is spectacular information, and very, very much appreciated!

Cheers,

Lynn

Pogo · **Posted:** Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:27 pm

Overheard in the O-Club sometime in '44:

"I see you were in the South Pacific; what were you flying?"

"P-400's."

"Aw c'mon, there's no such thing as a P-400."

"The h*ll there ain't . . . It's a P-40 with a Zero on its tail, and that's all I flew the whole d*mn tour!"

retroaviation · **Posted:** Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:30 pm

Good one Pogo!!! :lol:

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1942 P-400 Belly Landing

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