Warbird Information Exchange

Sitting here watching the 2010 Daytona 500, "The Great American Race". Thought I might share a few "Great American Aircraft" (PROPELLER A/C) with ya.




USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Air Force North American F-51D-25-NT Mustang fighter (s/n 44-84602) of the 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 18th Fighter-Bomber Group, nicknamed "Little Beast IV" (?), about to take off from Chinhae, Korea, sometime between 9 December 1950 and 2 June 1952.


USFG PHOTO
Lieutanant Everett A. Thies (right) and his crew chied T/Sgt Daniel Nobel stand beside Thies' reconnaissance plane [Dot-dash F-5C-1-LO (P-38J), 42-67128] in which he brings pictures of German targets to U.S. bases in the USSR for AAF strategic bombers to hit on "shuttle" runs to the other side of Europe.


USFG PHOTO
U.S. Navy U.S. Navy General Motors FM-2 "Wildcat" fighters from the escort carrier USS White Plains (CVE-66) fly an escort mission, probably during air strikes on Japanese facilities on Rota Island, Marianas, 24 June 1944.

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A U.S. Marine Corps Vought F4U-5N Corsair night fighter of Marine night fighter squadron VMF(N)-513 Flying Nightmares on the flight line at Wonsan, Korea, on 2 November 1950.



Nose detail of Boeing B-17E "Typhoon McGoon II" (S/N 41-9211) of the 11th Bomb Group, 98th Bomb Squadron, taken in January 1943 in New Caledonia. Note the antennas mounted above the nose plexiglass used for radar tracking of surface vessels.


USFG PHOTO
The last flight crew and ground support personel for the F-82 Twin Mustang, Ladd AFB, 1953 Date 1953.


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Seven Grumman TBM-3D Avenger bombers of night torpedo squadron VT(N)-90 flying in formation in January 1945. The squadron was part of Night Air Group 90 on the carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6). Note radar pods in right-side wings, and the distinctive tail insignia.


USFG PHOTO
North American's B-25G Mitchell from the AAF TAC Center, Orlando Florida. April 17, 1944. The crew of the B-25G was five--pilot, copilot, navigator/cannoneer, upper turret gunner, and radio operator. Since there was no bombardier, the pilot fired the nose armament and released the bombs. The radio operator also doubled as the ventral turret gunner when this turret was fitted. Additional armor was fitted forward of the instrument panel, forward of the loader's station, around the 75-mm ammunition racT.k, and below the windshield. An external flak plate was fitted below the cockpit on the left hand side of the aircraft.


USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Air Force Douglas AC-47D (S/N 45-0927) in September 1968 after the 4th Air Commando Squadron became the 4th Special Operations Squadron of the 14th Special Operations Wing, probably at Nha Trang, South Vietnam.


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Bell-Atlanta B-29B Bomber


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A U.S. Marine Corps North American OV-10A Bronco aircraft (BuNo 155443) from Marine observation squadron VMO-1 near Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina (USA), in 1982.

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I know there are a lot more that should be here, but as I said, I am trying to watch the Daytona 500.

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

Great pics! Was "Pucasan Dreamboat" the only B-29 to be modified with the "Andy Gump" cowls?

SN

Wiki lists 6 B-29s converted to the YB-29J version, featuring R-3350-79 engines, 'Andy Gump' cowlings and improved Aeroproducts props. This particular airframe: 'Pacusan Dreamboat', was a long distance record setter.
(Wiki also notes that the P-61C had similar configured 'Andy Gump' cowlings.)
VL

Steve,

The number of Gump-equipped airplanes is not fully documented (or at least I've not found the documents). I've seen a number of around fourteen airplanes including at least a couple of KB-29s. We talked about the Andy Gump cowlings on another thread a while back. The info Vlado found is the service test equipment and I believe two of those airframes became KBs.

My favorite shot of the Dreamboat is when she had those wide chord three-bladed props. The Dreamboat doesn't appear to have been the only B-29B to get the Gump mod. Three airplanes were modified for record setting attempts but the other two seem to have faded into obscurity. I found a Cruise Control training guide for the extreme range flights and it mentioned three serial numbers and the individual characteristics of each airplane.

Scott