78th FG at Duxford

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2011 6:28 pm

P-47D

Capt Quince Brown, Lt Orr, Lt Russell & Lt Smith

Maj Jack Price's P-47C

Capt Julian Reems

Col Caviness's P-51D

Col Jack Landers

War Eagle soon to return to the air over Duxford

Oops!

Maj Wilkinson's widow receives his awards.

Snafu aka War Eagle

Maj Quince Brown

Lt Spauliding and crew

sdennison · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2011 7:02 pm

Great stuff Jack! More P-47's. He11hawks?

Baldeagle · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2011 7:45 pm

What happened to Maj. Wilkinson?

-

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2011 7:59 pm

Wilkinson was flying to another base to give another group to share his experience and knowledge on straffing
but went down in bad weather in his P-47.

http://www.ulongbeach.com/Wilkinson.html

lmritger · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:49 pm

I have it on good authority that this was staged as part of a movie shoot.

:finga:

Lynn

lmritger · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:53 pm

Note for other USAAF re-enactors (i.e. Mudge, etc)... take a good look at this pic.

Note that Brown and Orr are wearing "pinks", while Russell and Smith are wearing OD/"chocolate" trousers... and all of the pilots are wearing "chocolate" officer shirts with tan ties. The OD shirt and trouser combo is pretty unusual to see, albeit perfectly legitimate for service wear.

Great shots as always, Jack!

Lynn

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2011 11:48 pm

Nice Jugs! (c'mon..somebody had to say it!)

Quote:

I have it on good authority that this was staged as part of a movie shoot.

Naw..it's one of those newfangled high-efficiency "scimiatar blade" props.

SN

Boghopper · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:53 am

Recently uploaded on Curts web-site is this pic of Lt Hubert Davis's P-51 Twilight Tear, showing the location and style of art.

CraigQ · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:06 am

Jack Cook wrote:

Col Caviness's P-51D

The kill marks on the canopy frame of this one is a post war publicity addition. The P-51 came with Caviness from the 361st when Caviness & Landers were transferred commands around June of 45.
Caviness, although with the 361st as either a squadron CO, group XO and finally group CO only had 1 dmg (air) and 3 dest (grnd) credits.

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:52 am

[quote="lmritger"]

I have it on good authority that this was staged as part of a movie shoot.

:finga:

Lynn

And it will be at the Lancaster Air Races next weekend...... :wink:

The other Lynn

Mudge · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:41 am

OK...educate me. When a prop gets bent like the one(s) we see here, is there damage to the engine as well? I would think that when the engine is stopped, abruptly, as it would be, they'd want to inspect the engine to locate possible damage to the crank, cams, etc. Of course they could just fire it up to see and hear it run.

Mudge the curious

shrike · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:31 pm

Current practice (per Lycoming and TCM at least) would be a complete dis-assembly of the engine, magnaflux of all steel bits, LPI of all the non-steel bits, teardown of the magnetos and replacement of all the bearings and seals. Depending on the engine there are also certain mandatory replacement parts once you have it opened up. Engine shop bread and butter.
On a geared engine like a Merlin the that would include all of the gearbox parts and supercharger as well.
I vote for staged photo as a hit hard enough to pretzel the prop like that would have broken a lot more than shown.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 3:08 pm

I recall Tom Wood's gear up oops with the P-51.
They got it on it's gear, straightened the prop tips and he flew it home :shock:

Then they went through it :shock:

b29flteng · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 3:19 pm

I've always loved the photo of "Contrary Mary" with the disinterested woman leaning on the LH horizontal stab.

Mudge, The Brits with the wooden/composite propellers usually didn't have to tear the engine down because the blades shattered and did no damage to the engine.

CraigQ · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 3:43 pm

375th/361st squadron CO George Merritt bent the blades on his B model back like that on a strafing run and flew it back to base at Bottisham. His former crew chief related to me that they noticed Merritt coming in last and a lot slower than the rest of the squadron and with the aircraft making a rather strange sound.
Merritt was well known for getting down low on his runs, he said he didn't notice a slight rise in the ground. He was killed a short time later on another strafing run.

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78th FG at Duxford

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