Stearman in Tora Tora Tora

Hi Guys,

Yup, definately a Continental powered Stearman in the movie, and a great piece of snap roll footage too! The airplane that this incident really happened to was an early Aeronca Chief, and the airplane still survives - last I heard it was still in Hawaii. If I remember correctly, the Japanese shot it down that morning but the pilot managed to crash land it in a cane field. Aeronca's advertising people used the tale and wrote an advert around the incident. I have a copy of it that I still have to get framed but they turn up on ebay fairly often.

Good flick!

Dan

[PeterA]

I am amazed that no enterprising American or Museum has not made a bid for the genuine 'Kate' cockpit and centre section recovered recently to the UK from the Kurile Islands.

I believe this to be the only significant section of 'Kate' in the world above sea level.

PeterA

[Nathan Milarta]

Hi All,

That stunt with the Stearman was actually part true. That scene represented several acounts of civil aircraft being shot down by Japanese during the attack. I think out of 7 civil aircraft airborn, 4 were shot down. I got this info from David Ankin. He is the true man for the aircombat on Dec 7th. He will blow yor mind.

BTW, wasn't the lady instructor in that stearman play on "I Love Lucy" show?

Tally ho,
Nathan

[RyanShort1]

I am amazed that no enterprising American or Museum has not made a bid for the genuine 'Kate' cockpit and centre section recovered recently to the UK from the Kurile Islands.

I believe this to be the only significant section of 'Kate' in the world above sea level.

PeterA

I guess the questions would be:

1. How much do they want for it?
2. What condition is it in?
3. What would the shipping look like, and the insurance on such?

Any other things that one would need to think about?

Ryan

[PeterA]

Ryan,

I don't have the facility to post photgraphs on this site but if you 'pm' me an email address I will send you some images of the 'Kate'.

PeterA

[Scott Rose]

Peter Arnolds Kate Pictures

[paulmcmillan]

" was training a student in an Aeronca I believe and was rattled by the waves of Japanese aircraft flying past."

All the references I can find state it that she was flying an Interstate Cadet and she was an Instructor with Andrew Flying Service at John Rodgers Airport

In October 1942 she joined the WAFS (Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron) but sadly lost her life on March 21, 1943 in BT-13A (42-42432) when another BT-13 flown by Frank E. Stamme, collided with her plane near Abilene, Texas

She was the first American woman pilot killed in line of duty.

[Canamryder]

I think I have the Cadet she was flying. I checked my logs and found that mine was in Pearl Harbor on the 7th and did fly on that day.

Think anybody might be interested in a historical aircraft?

[C170BDan]

As in.... you own it now and it is for sale?

[JBoyle]

"

All the references I can find state it that she was flying an Interstate Cadet and she was an Instructor with Andrew Flying Service at John Rodgers Airport
In October 1942 she joined the WAFS (Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron) but sadly lost her life on March 21, 1943 in BT-13A (42-42432) when another BT-13 flown by Frank E. Stamme, collided with her plane near Abilene, Texas

She was the first American woman pilot killed in line of duty.

According to her excellent biography "Daughter of the Air" by Rob Simbeck, she was flying an Interstate Cadet. Her student's last name was Suomala.
The book says the plane was damaged in the attack?

To the owner of the Cadet: Are there any records of repair in it's logbook following Dec 7?

Perhaps Suomala or his family might still be in Hawaii and have information to confirm the AC number?

I believe author Simbeck lives in the Nashville area. You might contact him for more information. I met him at the dedication ceremong at Fort's crash site and he's a very knowledgeable man and dedicated to preserving Fort's memory.

In his sources, he lists Fort's logbook as being at the Nashville Room of the Ben West Public Library, Nashville. It should be easy to contact the Library and see if they have the logbook. If so, it would be possible to get proof of the NC number of the plane she was flying that morning.

If the plane still exisits, it would be quite a piece of history...how many Dec 7 veteran AC are still around? Not many.

BTW: The crash site of Fort's BT-13 is in remote scrub-filled canyon southwest of Dyess AFB. In late 2000, the state placed a historical marker near the spot. Simbeck and a number of WASPS were there and at the conclusion of the ceremony, a Dyess B-1B...with a female crew...performed a flyby.

[JBoyle]

Following my earlier post I asked my sister, who lives in Nashville, to check out the library collection and see if the airport is still there...
Here's her reply...
I talked to Debbie May at the Nashville Room today. She said they do not have any log books for Cornelia. They have a file regarding articles about her, but she could not find anything that referenced the N number of the plane. She had heard the story about Dec 7th. She said that the family home burned down, sounds like in the 40's. The airport named for her is still in existence, for private aviation. It is somewhere around Opryland, which is now a mall. There was no street address listed for the airport, and it is not showing on the Nashville city map. There is a person named Trish Fort, who may be related. and who does commercials on TV for a local retirement home, she did not know if she lives here full time. She was wondering if the log books might still be in Hawaii. Sorry, not more information.

If I were Canamryder I'd try to contact the author of her biography....he'll know where her logbooks are..if they exist (since the family home burned...they may have been lost).
Getting a positive ID might make his plane very valuable...I could see several museums being after it.

[Canamryder]

Thanks for all of your work.
I'm going to head to the library here to see what I can dig up. If that doesn't work I could try a title search.

C170BDan, I bought the projects off of craigslist.com from an estate. Both have been disassembled since the 70's. One of them is almost ready to go back together. The one that was in hawaii, the fuselage has to be covered and needs to be reassembled. I'll the link to my photo album sometime this weekend.

[Canamryder]

Here is a link to the pictures I promised before:

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/vie ... id=3207521

[ThinkingManNeil]

" was training a student in an Aeronca I believe and was rattled by the waves of Japanese aircraft flying past."

All the references I can find state it that she was flying an Interstate Cadet and she was an Instructor with Andrew Flying Service at John Rodgers Airport

Just to throw more debate on the fire, I remember reading about the Pearl Harbour Japanese/Civi encounter in an issue of Aviation History magazine a few years ago and I believe the airplane mentioned was a Porterfield Collegiate (I could be wrong though, naturally).

The airplane in Tora definitely isn't an OTW; an OTW is much more spindly looking.

N.