Warbird Information Exchange

Ryan, last two from my slides. L-1A, 41-18915, now registered as NL1ZS. Both photos at
Oshkosh, 1997. Note name now in Yellow. John R. Kerr

I still kick myself in the butt evertime I think about the time that I could have bought the L-1 when the ALG sold it. It was for almost walking around money and I had it my pocket. Thought I wanted to go for bigger and faster planes. Somebody shoot me and put me out of my misery.

I found two pictures of Kermits L-1 being restored in 2005.





Mark Fidler

I recognize our old bird in those pictures, but I think y'all have more photos of her than I've seen previously.
Keep 'em coming! I'd also really like to see more wartime photos.
I'll be pulling some of mine out later.

Ryan

_________________
Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

Wartime photos seem pretty rare...


First picture is from the CBI.


This picture is from Tunisia.

Ryan

_________________
Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

Speaking of the L-1, American Aero Services has been involved in the restoration of a Vigilant, which will be fitted with floats, as seen in an original wartime photo provided on the aircraft's restoration page: http://americanaeroservices.com/cgi-bin ... &type=5087

Anchorage 1977, now in the museum there:

One of the wartime users of the L-1 series of aircraft was the 1st Air Commando Group operating in the CBI. I've attached a file that has a few fuzzy phtotos of both the L-1 and L-1E aircraft (pgs 3 and 4). http://members.cox.net/dale_robinson/ai ... OCHRAN.pdf Also you may wish to contact the 1st SOW currently based at Hurlburt Field (Eglin AFB) as they are the surviving organization of the WWII 1st Air Commando Group. Perhaps they have a historical photo file...?

If you have access to the book titled "Lend-Lease Aircraft in World War II" by Arthur Pearcy there is a photo of a RAF Vigilant on pg. 159 s/n HL430. According to the text the RAF was to have received 104 aircraft but in reality only a handful were actually delivered (possibly 12 or less). Another book "Aircraft of the RAAF 1921-71" by Geoffrey Pentland has a photo of the SOLE Vigilant operaterd by the RAAF during WWII (A64-1). The photo is a bit fuzzy too and appears to be in standard RAF camoflauge markings with a RAF roundel.

Oops! It seems that the link I posted above is too long for this site. It seems to go crazy after the expression "robinson" so I will provide the last half of the link name and you'll have to splice them together.

The last portion is: robinson/air_commandos/COCHRAN.pdf

jdvoss,

Thanks. I think I have HQ versions of each of those pictures. Will have to see if the 1st AC guys have more good pictures.

Ryan

_________________
Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

Just ran across another wartime photo of a L-1. It's pictured in the AAHS Journal, Fall 2009 Issue, pg. 202 in an article entitled "Sentimental Journey: The Air Fields of the Sixth Air Force, HOWARD FIELD" . The aircraft ( 40-3137) is painted in alumium color (or is it light grey?) and is assigned to the 23rd Tow Target Squadron at Howard Field. Also, now that I think about it the AAHS has quite a photo collection and you might wish to contact them for L-1 photos. http://www.aahs-online.org

Thanks for the lead!

Ryan

_________________
Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.