Anything that flew with Invasion Stripes in 1944 ...

[Mark Allen M]

deserves respect and remembering ... right!!?

Well if that's the case why don't I know anything about the aircraft in this first photo?
What is it and what could have been it's missions?
I leave it to you smarter historians to educate me.

[Mark Allen M]

And I also have a few additional "somewhat oddities" wearing invasion stripes. Here's the first.


Cessna AT-17 Bobcat with invasion stripes

[Chris Brame]

Handley Page H.P. 54 Harrow transport conversion (unofficially nicknamed "Sparrow"), probably with 271 Squadron RAF.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_P ... .54_Harrow

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205127051

(I'm no genius but the looks of the thing just made me think "'30s Handley Page" and it was process of elimination after that )

[Joe Scheil]

The Harrow is an interesting aircraft in its own right, having been used for aerial mine dropping and flown alone on these night missions. Quite a good read. There were a number destroyed during operation Bodenplatte and of the 100 made I believe 5 made it to VE Day.

Several modelers have made night “fighter” examples with shark mouths on them, however I have not seen a picture of one so marked. Perhaps that will come up someday.

[Randy Haskin]

What about the invasion-striped warbird RV-8s?

[Snake45]

What about the invasion-striped warbird RV-8s?

Well, I suppose that somewhere, somebody has a Prinus painted up like a nitro-fuel funny car.

[Mark Allen M]

What about the invasion-striped warbird RV-8s?

Other than it looks dopey? Nothing really!

[RyanShort1]

What about the invasion-striped warbird RV-8s?

Well, I suppose that somewhere, somebody has a Prinus painted up like a nitro-fuel funny car.

Don't tempt me with ideas for my Pious...

[Forgotten Field]

The Cessna is probably a C-78. I don't know about other Liaison Squadrons in WWII, but the 14th Liaison Squadron received two C-78's when they arrived in England. Their purpose was VIP transport, and the 14th was attached to the 3rd US Army and transported Patton in one of the Cessna's on a few occasions. I have evidence of one C-78 which was wrecked by the 14th in France just after their initial deployment, so I know at least one made it to the continent and did not stay in England.

[Lon Moer]

Well, I suppose that somewhere, somebody has a Prinus painted up like a nitro-fuel funny car.

A little off topic, but........the Hellcat Prius.

[A68-1001]

Not such a well known one

Attachments

[Firebird]

Not such a well known one

On the contrary, I'd say very well known, even to the point of current airworthy Widlcat's in similar schemes.

This is TFC's example

[LysanderUK]

Great thread!

Just to clarify, the TFC Wildcat is a GM-built FM-2 (Wildcat Mk.VI) with a Wright Cyclone and the tall tail, not the original JV579 which was a P&W-powered FM-1 (Wildcat Mk.V). IIRC, it's been in these markings since the D-Day 50th anniversary in 1994.

Royal Navy use of the Martlet/Wildcat does tend to go a little under-appreciated, even in the UK. Here's hoping for plenty more RN Wildcat schemes in the future...

[Mark Allen M]

9th AF C-47

[Warbird Kid]

Surprised. And here I thought that the French based DC-3 F-AZOX had an inaccurate paint scheme.