Warbird Information Exchange

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are the responsibility of the poster and do not reflect the views of the management.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 11:13 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 60 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4
Author Message
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 3:40 pm 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:27 am
Posts: 5228
Location: Eastern Washington
I appreciate your considerable efforts.

If nothing else, it may impress in younger enthusiasts the fact that the "golden age" of flying wasn't all daring stunts by guys in leather jackets in biplanes.

There was quite a bit of science and research in the subject.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2022 12:35 am 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Going back to technical publications this time, a bunch of Technical Air Intelligence Center documents are available from various places online:

TAIC Confidential Briefs
  • No. 3 - Japanese Window Dispenser[1]

TAIC Handbooks

TAIC Manuals

TAIC Reports
  • No. 1 - Design Features of Japanese HA 112. Model 2 Direct Fuel Injection Radial Engine[2]
  • No. 2 - Analysis of Japanese Aviation 'Green' Fuel[3]
  • No. 3 - Work Factor and Corrosion Tests of Japanese Aviation Oil[4]
  • No. 5 - Metallurgical Examination and Performance of a Japanese Type 14, CF, 2L Magneto[5]
  • No. 6 - Metallurgical Examination of Japanese Sakae '12' Engine and Engine Mount[6]
  • No. 7 - Metallurgical Examinations of Landing Gear Parts from Japanese Aircraft 'Betty'[7]
  • No. 8 - Examination of Japanese Aircraft Spark Plugs[8]
  • No. 9 - Design and Performance of Japanese Automatic Pilot, Mark I[9]
  • No. 10 - Examination and Test of Japanese Aviation Compasses[10]
  • No. 11 - Luminescence of Enemy Aircraft Instrument Dials[11]
  • No. 12 - Experimental and Operational Engine Development of the J.A.F.[2]
  • No. 14 - Metallurgical Examination of a Japanese Sakae 21 Aircraft Engine[12]
  • No. 15 - Examination of Japanese Airframes from Jill 11, Zeke 11, Val 11, Dinah 2, and Lily 2[13]
  • No. 16 - Examination of Japanese Meteorological Equipment[14]
  • No. 17 - Combat Evaluation of Zeke 52 with F4U-1D, F6F-5, and FM-2
  • No. 18 - Corrosion Resistance of a Japanese Oleo Strut[15]
  • No. 19 - Examination of Japanese Aircraft Tires[16]
  • No. 20 - Examination of Japanese Navigational Computer and Bubble Sextant[17]
  • No. 22 - Examination and Comparison: Japanese Aerial Camera[18]
  • No. 23 - Metallurgical Examination of Aichi V-12 Japanese Aircraft Engine[19]
  • No. 24 - Spectro Analysis of Japanese Aircraft Radio Tubes[20]
  • No. 25 - Metallurgical Examination of Japanese Kinsei 43 Aircraft Engine[21]
  • No. 26 - Analysis of Captured Japanese Gasoline; Analysis of Captured Japanese and German Hydraulic Fluids[22]
  • No. 27 - Metallurgical Examination of Japanese Airframe Sections[23]
  • No. 28 - Metallurgical Examination of Japanese Aircraft Landing Hooks[24]
  • No. 30 - Metallurgical Examination of a Landing Gear and Wheel from Japanese Aircraft Zeke[25]
  • No. 31 - Homare 11 and 21 Engines: Principal Characteristics and Performance[26]
  • No. 32 - Examination and Comparison of Japanese F-8 Aerial Camera with U.S. Navy F-8 Aerial Camera[27]
  • No. 33 - Preliminary Report on Japanese Frequency Modulated Altimeter Ta Ki 13[28]
  • No. 34 - Metallurgical Examination of Oscar and Lily Armor Plate[29]
  • No. 35 - Firing Test of Armor from "Lily" and "Oscar"
  • No. 37 - Analysis of Gasoline from Tess; Analysis of Two Japanese Greases[30]
  • No. 38 - Comparative Performance Between Zeke-52 and the P-38, P-51 and P-47
  • No. 40 - Altitude Limitations Imposed by Japanese Oxygen Equipment[31]
  • No. 41 - Japanese Balloon and Attached Devices
  • No. 42 - Metallurgical Examination of Components from Frances and Irving[32]
  • No. 43 - Firing Test and Metallurgical Examination of Frank Back Plate Armor[33]
  • No. 44 - Japanese Airborne Radio/Radar[34]
  • No. 45 - Japanese MAD Equipment[35]
  • No. 46 - Metallurgical Examination of Japanese Homare-11 Aircraft Engine No. 11515[36]

TAIC Summaries

TAIC Unknown Documents

Assorted Similar Documents

Credit goes to a War Thunder thread and an Il-2 Sturmovik thread for bringing many of these documents to my attention.

EDIT (22-05-27): Add confidential briefs section with 1 entry with reference, 33 report entries with references, 13 summary entries with references. Move 4 entries from summaries to reports section.
EDIT (22-06-20): A BritModeller.com thread and a WW2Aircraft.net thread have links and information on how to access a number of other non-TAIC Japanese aircraft manuals and technical documents - mostly from the same source used for the majority of the entries above.
EDIT (23-11-12): Another group, the Far East Air Force Air Technical Intelligence Group also produced what appears to be a separate series of reports:

FEAF ATIG Reports
  • No. 36 - Aero Medical Survey Report, Part I[58]
  • No. 41 - Japanese Rocket Devices for Assisted Takeoff for Aircraft[58]
  • No. 52 - Turbojets and Rocket Engines (JAF)[58]
  • No. 53 - Research on High Altitude Oxygen Requirements and Equipment by Tokyo Imperial University[58]
  • No. 67 - Propeller Section, Aeronautical Research Institute, Tokyo Imperial University[58]
  • No. 72 - Development of Gas Turbine Propulsion in Japan[58]
  • No. 75 - High Temperature Alloys Used in Rocket, Jet and Gas Turbine Applications[58]
  • No. 79 - Brief History of Jet, Turbine and Rocket Development in Japan[58]
  • No. 87 - Boundary Layer Control Work in Japan[58]
  • No. 96 - Glider Research Institute, Kyushu Imperial University[58]
  • No. 101 - Japanese Radar Deception Buoys[58]
  • No. 105 - Engine Development Projects at Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal[58]
  • No. 108 - The Institute for High Speed Mechanics at the Tohoku Imperial University, Sendai[58]
  • No. 111 - Aero Medical Research, Part II, Basic Studies on Vibration[58]
  • No. 112 - Fundamental Research on High Speed Airfoils in "Supersonic" Wind Tunnel, Tachikawa[58]
  • No. 113 - Solid Propellants for Rocket Motors, Imperial Japanese Navy[58]
  • No. 114 - Japanese Radio Controlled Flying Bomb "I-Go"[58]
  • No. 115 - A Short Survey of Japanese Radar[58]
  • No. 125 - Interrogation of Professor Sanji Kawada on High Speed Flow Research at the Aeronautical Research Institute, Tokyo Imperial University[58]
  • No. 131 - Magnetron Research in the Japanese Navy[58]
  • No. 132 - Japanese Organization for Scientific Research[58]
  • No. 138 - Japanese Balloon Bombs[58]
  • No. 140 - Boundary Layer Investigations, 1st Naval Technical Laboratory, Yokosuka[58]
  • No. 145 - Liquid Fuel Rockets[58]
  • No. 146 - Japanese Heat Homing Bombs[58]
  • No. 148 - Some Experiments on Aerofoils, by Professor Ryozo Fukatsu, Tokyo Imperial University[58]
  • No. 149 - Japanese Air Force Glider Program[58]
  • No. 158 - Research and Experiments with Shaped Charge Explosives[58]
  • No. 167 - Aero Medical Research, Part I, Pathology of Rapid Decompression, Anoxia and Oxygen Intoxication in Animals[58]
  • No. 171 - Japanese Work on Axial Flow Fans[58]
  • No. 176 - Use of Aviation Psychology, Japanese Army Air Force[58]
  • No. 192 - Description of Experimental Aircraft and Experimental Engines Under Development by the Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy[58]
  • No. 201 - High Altitude Chambers, Altitude Training in the JAAF[58]
  • No. 244 - Long Range Forecast of Ionospheric Data as Applied to Propagation of Radio Waves[58]
  • No. 252 - Research on Basic Combustion Problems[58]
  • No. 285 - Smooth Bore Weapons[58]
  • No. 286 - Summary Report On Power Plants, Jets, Rockets, Turbosuperchargers, Fuels and Propellers (JAF)[58]
  • No. 290 - Research on the Japanese Balloon Bomb Conducted by the Ninth Military Laboratory[58]

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Last edited by Noha307 on Sun Nov 12, 2023 4:27 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:41 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Due to the rolling date that material enters the public domain and the way they were found, most of the following materials date to the 1910s and 1920s:

Assorted Books

Finally, a collection of reports from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics - including many from World War II - is available on the Internet Archive courtesy of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida.

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:49 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Similar to the aerospace manufacturer logos thread, I recently came across a publication called Japanese Aircraft Manual that motivated me to try to find 3-view drawings of aircraft to add to Wikipedia articles that are missing them. (The images I have uploaded so far are available on a section of my Wikimedia Commons userpage.) Unfortunately, that publication seems to be nearly unique, as almost all of the other ones are understandably black silhouettes - not white outlines that can be cleaned up easily with an image editing program. Partially to help eliminate redundancy, I decided to make a list of as many sources of wartime aircraft recognition materials as possible:

Military Manuals

Public Documents

Posters

Slides

Training Films

World War I

Foreign

Finally, even though they're not printed documents, it's worth mentioning Cruver aircraft recognition models. For more information, there are a number of good articles including ones from: 99% Invisible, Airplanes and Rockets, Collectair, The Joystick Club. There's also a Facebook group for collectors. There were also black cardboard style sheet models that were produced during the war. As mentioned in a blog post, they are profiled in the book Building Model War Planes for the Army and Navy.

EDIT (22-07-10): Add entry and link 1 military manual and 8 posters. Add link to additional example of Recognition Pictorial Manual. Add note to Recognition Pictorial Manual about Aircraft Supplements.

EDIT (22-07-12): After finishing this post, I remembered that there is a collection of aircraft recognition posters at our museum. I took the opportunity to inventory them today for the dual purpose of good collections management and as a reference for this post. For the sake of simplicity, I elected to include them below rather than try to integrate them into the list above:

Posters (Upper Left Text - Top Center Text - Date)
  • Germany (x25)
    • Army - Arado "Ar 196" - February 1943
    • Army - Blohm und Voss "B.V.-141" - February 1944
    • Army - Dornier "217E" - November 1942
    • Army - Focke-Wulf "Fw 190" - November 1942
    • Army - Glider Research "D.F.S. 230" - February 1944
    • Army - Gotha "Go 242" - December 1942
    • Army - Heinkel "He 111K" - November 1942
    • Army - Heinkel "He 177" - December 1942
    • Army - Henschel "Hs-126" - February 1944
    • Army - Henschel "Hs-129" - February 1944
    • Army - Junkers "Ju 52" - November 1942
    • Army - Junkers "Ju 88 A6" - January 1943
    • Army - Junkers "Ju 90" New Type - March 1943
    • Army - Junkers "Ju. 90" Old Type - November 1942
    • Army - Messerschmitt "Me 109F" - November 1942
    • Army - Messerschmitt "Me 110" - November 1942
    • Army - Messerschmitt "Me-210" - February 1943
    • Army - Messerschmitt "Me-323" - February 1944
    • Army Fi-156 - Fieseler "Storch" - February 1944
    • Army Fw 189 - Focke-Wulf "Flying Eye" - November 1942
    • Army Fw 200K - Focke-Wulf "Kurier" - November 1942
    • Army Ju 87B Italy, Breda-201 - Junkers "Stuka" - November 1942
    • Navy - Blohm und Voss "B.V.-222" - February 1944
    • Navy - Blohm und Voss "Ha. 138B" - January 1943
    • Navy - Heinkel "Heinkel 115K2" - November 1942
  • Italy (x5)
    • Army - Cantiere "Z-1007 bis" - March 1943
    • Army - Fiat "G-50" - March 1943
    • Army - Macchi "MC-202" - March 1943
    • Army - Reggiane "Re-2001" - February 1943
    • Army - Savoia-Marchetti "SM-79" - February 1943
  • Japan (x20)
    • Army & Navy MacArthur Name "Nate" - Nakajima "Type 97" (also Mitsubishi) - February 1943
    • Army MacArthur Name "Dinah" - Mitsubishi "Type 100 Mk-1" - February 1944
    • Army MacArthur Name "Lily" - Mitsubishi "Type 99" Kawasaki - February 1944
    • Army MacArthur Name "Oscar" - Nakajima "Type 01 Mk-1" - February 1944
    • Army MacArthur Name "Sally" - Mitsubishi "Type 97" - February 1943
    • Army MacArthur Name "Topsy" - Mitsubishi "MC 20" - January 1943
    • MacArthur Name "Jake" - Watanabe "Type 0 Mk-1" - February 1944
    • MacArthur Name "Tony" - Kawasaki "Type 3" - February 1944
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Betty" - Mitsubishi "Type 01" - January 1943
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Dave" - Nakajima "Type 95" - February 1943
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Emily" - "Type 2" - February 1944
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Hamp" - Mitsubishi "Type 00 Mk-2" (Square Wing Tips) - March 1943
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Kate" - Nakajima "Type 97" (also Mitsubishi) - February 1943
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Mavis" - Kawanishi "Type 97" - January 1943
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Nell" - Mitsubishi "Type 96" - February 1943
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Pete" - Sasebo "Type 00" - March 1943
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Rufe" - Mitsubishi "Type 00" - February 1944
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Val II" - Aichi "Type 99 Mk-2" - February 1944
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Val" - Aichi "Type 99" - March 1943
    • Navy MacArthur Name "Zeke" - Mitsubishi "Type 00" - February 1943
  • Soviet Union (x12)
    • Army - "DB-3" - February 1944
    • Army - "DB-3F" - February 1944
    • Army - "MiG-3" (I-18) - February 1944
    • Army - "Pe-2" - February 1944
    • Army - "SB-3" - February 1944
    • Army - "Su-2" - February 1944
    • Army - "TB-7" - February 1944
    • Army - "Yak-1" (I-26) - February 1944
    • Army - "Yak-4" - February 1944
    • Army - Super-Rata "I-16C" - February 1944
    • Army Germany B-71 - "SB-2" - February 1944
    • Army Il-2, Il-3 - "Stormovik" - February 1944
  • United Kingdom (x20)
    • Army - Handley-Page "Halifax" - December 1942
    • Fleet Air Arm - Fairey "Fulmar" - February 1944
    • Fleet Air Arm - Fairey "Swordfish" - February 1944
    • R.A.F. - Air Speed [sic] "Horsa" - February 1944
    • R.A.F. - Avro "Lancaster" - December 1942
    • R.A.F. - Bristol "Beaufort" - November 1942
    • R.A.F. - de Havilland "Mosquito" - February 1943
    • R.A.F. - General "Hamilcar" - February 1944
    • R.A.F. - General "Hotspur II" - February 1944
    • R.A.F. - Handley Page "Hampden" - April 1943
    • R.A.F. - Hawker "Typhoon" - March 1943
    • R.A.F. - Short "Sunderland" - February 1943
    • R.A.F. - U.K. "Blenheim Mk IV" - April 1943
    • R.A.F. "Beaufighter I" - Bristol "Beaufighter" - November 1942
    • R.A.F. "Mk IIC" - Hawker "Hurricane - November 1942
    • R.A.F. "Spirfire V" - Supermarine "Spitfire" - November 1942
    • R.A.F. "Wellington" IV, V - Vickers "Wellington" - December 1942
    • R.A.F. Fleet Air Arm - Fairey "Albacore" - December 1942
    • R.A.F. Stirling Mk1 & 2 - Short "Stirling" - November 1942
    • R.A.F. U.K. "Whitley V" - Armstrong-Whitworth "Whitley" - April 1943
    United States (x38)
    • Army A-20 A, B, Navy BD-1, 2, U.K. "Boston" I, II, III, "Havoc" I, II, French DB-7B - Douglas "A-20" - November 1942
    • Army A-30 U.K. "Baltimore" "Baltimore" I, II (Without Turret) - Martin "Baltimore" - November 1942
    • Army A-31 U.K. "Vengeance" - Vultee "Vengeance" - November 1942
    • Army B-17E U.K. "Fortress II" - Boeing "Super Flying Fortress" - November 1942
    • Army B-26-B U.K. "Marauder" - Martin "Marauder" - March 1943
    • Army L4-A [sic] Navy NE-1 - Piper "Grasshopper" - February 1944
    • Army L-5 - Stinson "Sentinel" - February 1944
    • Army P-38E U.K. "Lightning" - Lockheed "Lightning" - November 1942
    • Army P-39E U.K. "Airacobra" - Bell "Airacobra" - December 1942
    • Army P-40F U.K. "Warhawk" - Curtiss "Warhawk" - November 1942
    • Army P-47 - Republic "Thunderbolt" - January 1943
    • Army P-51 U.K. "Mustang" - North American "Mustang" - November 1942
    • Army R.A.F. "Hadrian I" - Waco "CG-4A" - February 1944
    • Navy - Curtiss "SOC" - February 1944
    • Navy F4F-4 (Martin-FM-1) [sic] U.K. "Martlet" I, II - Grumman "Wildcat" - October 1942
    • Navy F4U-1 (F3A-1, FG-1) - Vought Sikorsky "Corsair" - October 1942
    • Navy F6F - Grumman "Hellcat" - February 1943
    • Navy J2F Army OA-12 - Grumman "Duck" - February 1944
    • Navy OS2U U.K. "Kingfisher" - Vought Sikorsky "Kingfisher" - February 1944
    • Navy OS2U-3 U.K. "Kingfisher I" - Vought Sikorsky "Kingfisher" (Landplane) - October 1942
    • Navy PB2Y-3 - Consolidated "Coronado" - November 1942
    • Navy PB4Y-1 Army B-24E U.K. "Liberator II" - Consolidated "B-24E" - November 1942
    • Navy PBJ-1 Army B-25C U.K. "Mitchell" - North American "Mitchell" - November 1942
    • Navy PBM-3 U.K. "Mariner" - Martin "Mariner" - February 1943
    • Navy PBO-1 Army A-29 AT-18, C-63 U.K. "Hudson III" - Lockheed "Hudson" - November 1942
    • Navy PBY-5 (and PBN-1) Army OA-10 U.K. "Catalina" I, III Russian, GST-1 - Consolidated "Catalina" - October 1942
    • Navy PV-3 Army B-34 U.K. "Ventura" - Vega "Ventura" - February 1943
    • Navy R4D Army C-47 to 53 U.K. Dakota - Douglas "Skytrain" - January 1943
    • Navy R-50 [sic] Army C-59, C-60 - Lockheed "Lodestar" - February 1943
    • Navy R5C-1 Army C-46 - Curtiss "Commando" - February 1943
    • Navy R5D-1 Army C-54A - Douglas "Skymaster" - March 1943
    • Navy SB2C-1 SBW Army A-25 - Curtiss "Helldiver" - November 1942
    • Navy SB2C-2 - Curtiss "Helldiver" - January 1943
    • Navy SBD-3, 4, 5 Army A-24 U.K. A-24 - Douglas "Dauntless" - October 1942
    • Navy SNJ-3 Army AT-6A U.K. "Harvard II" - North American "Texan" - February 1943
    • Navy SO3C-1 (Ryan SOR-1) - Curtiss "Seagull" - October 1942
    • Navy SO3C-2 U.K. "Seamew" - Curtiss "Seagull" - January 1943
    • Navy TBF-1 (TBM-1) - Grumman "Avenger" - October 1942

Finally, a few observations:
  • Most, but not all, posters printed in 1944 have "U.S. Government Printing Office : 1944 -O-572602" at the bottom. The examples from 1942-1943 are generally credited to the "U.S. Naval Aviation Training Division" and the examples from 1944 are generally credited to the "U.S. Navy, Bureau of Aeronautics".
  • As a whole, the posters display a distinct lack of consistency. Examples include:
    • Designations featuring differences in capitalization of manufacturer prefixes and punctuation of the separator (e.g. hyphens, periods, and spaces).
    • Nicknames are generally used in place of designations when they exist and/or are known.
    • The character used for the number one ("1") is replaced by the ninth letter of the alphabet ("I") in 1944. Similarly, the number zero ("0") is replaced by the fifteenth letter of the alphabet ("O") in some cases by 1943. This results in certain designations appearing to be incorrect (e.g. "NE-1" is rendered as "NE-I").
    • A limited, but surprising number of errors are also present (e.g. "R-50" instead of "R5O", "L4-A" instead of "L-4A").
  • All of the above serves to cause a considerable amount of confusion in a series of documents whose entire raison d'être is to reduce it. Furthermore, these issues are all self-imposed. Problems of inaccuracy due to poor intelligence of the enemy is entirely separate.

EDIT (22-07-18): Add entry and link to Building Model War Planes. It was mentioned in a previous post, but has been added here for the sake of completeness.

EDIT (22-11-13): The National Air and Space Museum has a collection of U.S. Navy World War II Aircraft Recognition Model Plans and the order form includes a list of the drawings organized by code. It has been reproduced below:

Plans (Code - Aircraft)
  • Set A
    • A-1 - Brewster F2A-3
    • A-2 - Grumman F4F-4
    • A-3 - Douglas SBD-3
    • A-4 - Vought OS2U-1
    • A-5 - Douglas TBD-1
    • A-6 - Consolidated PBY-5
    • A-7 - Consolidated PB2Y-3
    • A-8 - Bell P-39D
    • A-9 - Curtiss P-40E
    • A-10 - Northrop A-17A
    • A-11 - Douglas A-20A
    • A-12 - Boeing B-17E
    • A-13 - Douglas DC-3
    • A-14 - Messerschmitt Me 109 [Bf 109]
    • A-15 - Heinkel He 111
    • A-16 - Sento Ki-001
    • A-17 - Baku Ki-99
    • A-18 - Mitsubishi Type 96 Bomber [G3M1-3 Nell]
    • A-19 - Supermarine Spitfire
    • A-20 - Vickers Armstrong Wellington
  • Set B
    • B-1 - Curtiss SBC-4
    • B-2 - Martin PBM-1
    • B-3 - Brewster SB2A-1
    • B-4 - Grumman JRF-4
    • B-5 - Lockheed P-38E
    • B-6 - Martin B-26C
    • B-7 - Republic P-43
    • B-8 - Consolidated B-24D
    • B-9 - Lockheed Lodestar
    • B-10 - Messerschmitt Me 110 [Bf 110]
    • B-11 - Junkers Ju 87B
    • B-12 - Junkers Ju 88A-1
    • B-13 - Dornier Do 18K
    • B-14 - Mitsubishi Type 96 Fighter [A5M1-4 Claude]
    • B-15 - Nakajima Type 97 Torpedo Bomber [B5N1 Kate]
    • B-16 - Nakajima Type 95 Observation Seaplane [E8N1]
    • B-17 - Hawker Hurricane
    • B-18 - Bristol Blenheim
    • B-19 - Ilyushin I-16 [Polykarpov I-16]
    • B-20 - Savoia Marchetti SM.82
  • Set C
    • C-1 - Grumman F3F-2
    • C-2 - Vought SB2U-3
    • C-3 - Stinson L-1A
    • C-4 - Boeing Clipper [Model 314]
    • C-5 - Heinkel He 113
    • C-6 - Saro Lerwick
    • C-7 - Blackburn Skua
    • C-8 - Boulton Paul Defiant
    • C-9 - Handley Page Hampden
    • C-10 - Fokker T-8-W
  • Set D
    • D-1 - Curtiss SO3C-1
    • D-2 - Curtiss SOC-3
    • D-3 - Vultee A-31
    • D-4 - Focke-Wulf Fw 190
    • D-5 - Dornier Do 26
    • D-6 - Mitsubishi Type 97 Light Bomber [Ki-30 Ann]
    • D-7 - Mitsubishi Type 98 Light Bomber [Tachikawa Ki-36 Ida?]
    • D-8 - Mitsubishi Type 98 Light Bomber
    • D-9 - Short Stirling
    • D-10 - Handley Page Halifax
  • Set E
    • E-1 - Vought F4U-1
    • E-2 - Grumman TBF-1
    • E-3 - North American B-25B
    • E-4 - Martin A-30
    • E-5 - Bristol Beaufort
    • E-6 - Bristol Beaufighter
    • E-7 - Short Sunderland
    • E-8 - Heinkel He 115K-2
    • E-9 - Mikado Type 98 (FIAT BR-20)
    • E-10 - Kawanishi Type 97 [H6K5 Mavis]
  • Set F
    • F-1 - Bristol Aeronautical LRQ-1
    • F-2 - North American SNJ-3
    • F-3 - North American P-51
    • F-4 - Curtiss C-46
    • F-5 - Focke-Wulf Fw 189
    • F-6 - Focke-Wulf Fw 200K
    • F-7 - Mitsubishi Type 0 Fighter [A6M5 Zeke]
    • F-8 - Mitsubishi Type 1 Medium Bomber [G4M2 Betty]
    • F-9 - DeHavilland Mosquito [D.H.98]
    • F-10 - Avro Lancaster
  • Set G
    • G-1 - Curtiss SB2C-1
    • G-2 - Republic P-47D
    • G-3 - Lockheed B-34
    • G-4 - Messerschmitt Me 210
    • G-5 - Junkers Ju 52
    • G-6 - Nakajima Type 2 Fighter Floatplane [A6M2-N Rufe]
    • G-7 - Aichi Type 99 Bomber [D3A1-2 Val]
    • G-8 - Mitsubishi Type 0 Fighter [A6M1-8 Hamp]
    • G-9 - Yakovlev YAK-4
    • G-10 - Petlyakov PE-2
(Source: National Air and Space Museum)

EDIT (22-12-15): In addition to the posters and plans, the Naval Aviation Training Division also produced a few sets of View-Master reels:

Reels (Number - Aircraft)
  • Study Set
    • S1 - Lockheed P-38E Lightning[35]
    • S2 - Republic P-47B Thunderbolt[36]
    • S3 - North American P-51 Mustang[37]
    • S4 - Lockheed Hudson[38]
    • S5 - Martin A-30 Baltimore[39]
    • S6 - Vultee A-31 Vengeance[40]
    • S7 - North American B-25B Mitchell[41]
    • S8 - Martin B-26B-1 Marauder[42]
    • S9 - Consolidated B-24 Liberator[43]
    • S10 - Curtiss O-52[44]
    • S11 - Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat[45]
    • S12 - Vought-Sikorsky F4U-1 Corsair[46]
    • S13 - Curtiss SB2C-1 Helldiver[47]
    • S14 - Douglas SBD-3, -4 Dauntless[48]
    • S15 - Vought-Sikorsky SB2U-3 Vindicator[49]
    • S16 - Grumman TBF-1 Avenger[50]
    • S17 - Curtiss SO3C-1 Seagull[51]
    • S18 - Vought-Sikorsky OS2U-1 Kingfisher[52]
    • S19 - ?
    • S20 - Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina[53]
    • S21 - Consolidated PB2Y-3 Coronado[54]
    • S22 - Martin PBM-3 Mariner[55]
    • S23 - Hawker Hurricane I, II[56]
    • S24 - Vickers-Armstrong Spitfire V[57]
    • S25 - ?
    • S26 - Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Zerstorer[58]
    • S27 - Henkel He 113[59]
    • S28 - Messerschmitt Me 109 F[60]
    • S29 - Messerschmitt Me 110[61]
    • S30 - Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Flying Eye[62]
    • S31 - Junkers Ju 87 B Stuka[63]
    • S32 - Heinkel He 111K[64]
    • S33 - Junkers Ju 88 A-1[65]
    • S34 - ?
    • S35 - Mitsubishi Type 00 Zero-Zeke[66]
    • S36 - Nakajima (Mitsubishi) Type 97 Abdul[67]
    • S37 - Aichi Type 99 Val[68]
    • S38 - Kawasaki Type 97 Mary[69]
    • S39 - Mitsubishi Type 97 Babs[70]
    • S40 - Mitsubishi Type 98 Ida[71]
    • S41 - Mitsubishi Type 98 Sonia[72]
    • S42 - Nakajima (Mitsubishi) Type 97 Kate[73]
    • S43 - Nakajima Type 97 Adam[74]
    • S44 - Kawasaki Type 98 Dick[75]
    • S45 - Mitsubishi Type 98 Ruth[76]
    • S46 - Mitsubishi Type 96 Nell[77]
    • S47 - Mitsubishi (Nakajima) Type 97 Sally[78]
    • S48 - I-16[79]
    • S49 - Pe-2[80]
    • S50 - Il-2 Stormovik[81]
    • S51 - ?
    • S52 - ?
    • S53 - ?
    • S54 - ?
    • S55 - ?
    • S56 - ?
    • S57 - ?
    • S58 - ?
    • S59 - ?
    • S60 - ?
    • S61 - ?
    • S62 - ?
    • S63 - ?
    • S64 - ?
    • S65 - ?
    • S66 - ?
    • S67 - Bristol Beaufighter II[82]
    • S68 - ?
    • S69 - ?
    • S70 - ?
    • S71 - Fiat CR.42[82]
    • S72 - ?
    • S73 - ?
    • S74 - Fairey Barracuda[82]
  • Test Set
    • T1 - Sonia, Kate, Zero-Zeke, Abdul, Ida, Sally, Val[83]
    • T2 - Val, Kate, Abdul, Sally, Sonia, Zero-Zeke, Ida[84]
    • T3 - ?
    • T4 - Ida, Kate, Sally, Zero-Zeke, Val, Abdul, Sonia[85]
    • T5 - ?
    • T6 - Zero-Zeke, Sonia, Sally, Abdul, Kate, Val, Ida[86]
    • T7 - Kate, Sonia, Val, Sally, Ida, Abdul, Zero-Zeke[87]
    • T8 - Ruth, Mary, Flying Eye, Nell, Il-2, Babs, Hudson[88]
    • T9 - Hudson, Mary, Nell, Babs, Ruth, Flying Eye, Il-2[89]
    • T10 - Babs, Mary, Il-2, Ruth, Nell, Hudson, Flying Eye[90]
    • T11 - ?
    • T12 - Nell, Mary, Hudson, Il-2, Flying Eye, Ruth, Babs[91]
    • T13 - Flying Eye, Ruth, Babs, Nell, Mary, Hudson, Il-2[92]
    • T14 - Mary, Ruth, Hudson, Babs, Il-2, Nell, Flying Eye[93]
    • T15 - Coronado, Corsair, He 113, Liberator, Me 110, Mustang, Zerstorer[94]
    • T16 - Corsair, Coronado, Zerstorer, Mustang, Me 110, Liberator, He 113[95]
    • T17 - He 113, Coronado, Mustang, Liberator, Corsair, Zerstorer, Me 110[96]
    • T18 - Liberator, Coronado, Me 110, Corsair, Mustang, He 113, Zerstorer[97]
    • T19 - Me 110, Coronado, Liberator, Zerstorer, He 113, Mustang, Corsair[98]
    • T20 - Zerstorer, Corsair, Liberator, Mustang, Coronado, He 113, Me 110[99]
    • T21 - ?
    • T22 - ?
    • T23 - ?
    • T24 - Dauntless, Vengeance, Helldiver, Marauder, Avenger, Baltimore, Texan[100]
    • T25 - Baltimore, Vengeance, Avenger, Dauntless, Marauder, Texan, Helldiver[101]
    • T26 - Marauder, Texan, Helldiver, Baltimore, Vengeance, Avenger, Dauntless[102]
    • T27 - ?
    • T28 - Texan, Vengeance, Marauder, Baltimore, Dauntless, Helldiver, Avenger[103]
    • T29 - O-52, I-16, Seagull, Dick, Vindicator, Stirling, Me 109 F[104]
    • T30 - Me 109 F, I-16, Dick, Stirling, O-52, Seagull, Vindicator[105]
    • T31 - Stirling, I-16, Vindicator, O-52, Dick, Me 109 F, Seagull[106]
    • T32 - Vindicator, I-16, Stirling, Seagull, Me 109 F, Dick, O-52[107]
    • T33 - Dick, I-16, Me 109 F, Vindicator, Seagull, O-52, Stirling[108]
    • T34 - Seagull, I-16, O-52, Me 109F, Stirling, Vindicator, Dick[82]
    • T35 - I-16, Me 109 F, Stirling, Vindicator, Dick, Seagull, O-52[109]
    • T36 - Hurricane, Claude, Mariner, Stuka, Pe-2, Wildcat, Adam[110]
    • T37 - Adam, Claude, Stuka, Wildcat, Hurricane, Mariner, Pe-2[111]
    • T38 - Wildcat, Claude, Pe-2, Hurricane, Stuka, Adam, Mariner[112]
    • T39 - Pe-2, Claude, Wildcat, Mariner, Adam, Stuka, Hurricane[113]
    • T40 - Stuka, Claude, Adam, Pe-2, Mariner, Hurricane, Wildcat[114]
    • T41 - ?
    • T42 - Claude, Hurricane, Adam, Wildcat, Pe-2, Stuka, Mariner[115]
    • T43 - Kingfisher, Mitchell, He 111K, Catalina, Ju 88, Thunderbolt, Lightning[116]
    • T44 - ?
    • T45 - Lightning, Mitchell, Ju 88, Kingfisher, Catalina, Spitfire, He 111K[117]
    • T46 - Thunderbolt, Mitchell, Lightning, He 111K, Spitfire, Catalina, Kingfisher[118]
    • T47 - ?
    • T48 - Catalina, Kingfisher, Lightning, Ju 88, Mitchell, Spitfire, Thunderbolt[119]
    • T49 - He 111K, Kingfisher, Spitfire, Lightning, Thunderbolt, Ju 88, Catalina[120]
    • T50 - Mitchell, Thunderbolt, He 111K, Lightning, Catalina, Spitfire, Ju 88[121]
    • T51 - ?
    • T52 - ?
    • T53 - ?
    • T54 - ?
    • T55 - ?
    • T56 - ?
    • T57 - ?
    • T58 - ?
    • T59 - ?
    • T60 - ?
    • T61 - ?
    • T62 - ?
    • T63 - ?
    • T64 - ?
    • T65 - SM.79, Flying Fortress, Albacore, Wellington II, Do 217E, Blenheim IV, Sunderland[82]
    • T66 - ?
    • T67 - ?
    • T68 - ?
    • T69 - ?
    • T70 - Halifax, SM.82, Lancaster I, MiG-3 (I-18), Fiat CR.42, Barracuda, Cant Z.506B[82]
    • T71 - Cant Z.506B, MiG-3 (I-18), Lancaster I, Havoc or Boston, Halifax, Fiat CR.42, Barracuda[82]
  • Unknown
    • No. 3 - P-51[122]
    • No. 6 - A-24[122]
    • No. 9 - A-29[122]
    • No. 10 - B-25[122]
    • No. 20 - Cantiere Z.506B[122]
    • No. 21 - Piaggio P.32[122]
    • No. 22 - Savoia Marchetti SM.79[122]
    • No. 23 - Caproni Ca.133[122]
    • No. 24 - Savoia Marchetti SM.81[122]
    • No. 57 - Mitsubishi 98[122]
    • No. 76 - Focke-Wulf Fw 200K[122]

There were also sets of study and test reels of aircraft (AA-S, AA-T) and ships (STS-S, STS-t) for gunners.[123]

EDIT (22-12-18): Given the importance placed on the skill, it shouldn't be surprising that there were a few more recognition materials in addition to the above. For instance, packs of Aircraft Silhouette Recognition Cards was produced by the Naval Aviation Training Division. However, while these were playing cards, they were not exactly the same as the traditional French style as although they had suits - in the form of which view of the aircraft was portrayed - they lacked numbers. This version was originally created by the Royal Air Force, as noted on the manual in a copy in the collection of the National Air and Space Museum. It appears this served as the basis of a later set marketed by Parker Brothers as "Navy WEFTUP".[124] A similar Squadron Scramble game was published by Whitman Publishing (and "approved by the National Aeronautic Association"), but the relationship between the two is unclear. A detailed summary of the set - including variations and scans of the cards - is available on a page on the website Skytamer Images. It is likely that all of these games were influenced by the tobacco cards of the 1930s and earlier. The trend would continue after World War II, with the subject matter switching to Soviet aircraft in later packs, and eventually led to the most-wanted Iraqi playing cards used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Other staples of the entertainment industry also became involved in the recognition teaching effort. Disney produced a series of training films for use in the WEFT system.[125] A Wikipedia page has a partially uncited list of potential entries in the series.

Lastly, entries and links have been added for Recognition of Aircraft by the WEFT System and List of War Department Films, Film Strips, and Recognition Film Slides.

EDIT (23-06-03): Apparently, there was another set of large aircraft recognition posters in addition to the ones listed in a previous edit. This second set used the older style black silhouettes similar to those seen in T.O. 00-40-1 mentioned above, instead of the later grayscale versions. According to a WIX post, the aircraft depicted include:
  • Beech C-45
  • Boeing PT-17 Stearman
  • Brewster F2A Buffalo
  • Catalina PBY-5
  • Corsair F4U
  • Curtiss AT-10
  • Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
  • Dornier DO-215
  • Douglas TBD
  • Focke-Wulf Kurier
  • Grumman F4F Wildcat
  • Grumman TBF Avenger
  • Heinkel HE-111
  • JU-87B
  • Junkers JU-52
  • Macchi C200
  • Martin PBM Mariner
  • Messerschmidt ME-109E
  • Messerschmitt ME-110
  • Mitsubishi Type 96 Bomber
  • Savoia Marchetti SM.79
  • Vought SB2U Vindicator

In addition, 4 training film entries with links and 5 military manual entries have been added to the lists above.

EDIT (23-09-12): Somehow I missed the fact that AirCorps Library had copies of T.O. 00-40-3, 00-40-4 and 00-40-6 as well as 00-40-5. Links have been added to the list of manuals above, but, seeing as the contents of the kits do not really qualify as documents and this post is already long enough, I have elected to not transcribe the list – at least for the time being. In addition, for anyone who wants to see what the plastic models look like, there is a sales listing with a complete set of the model planes from "Series 1" on the International Military Antiques website. Note that in both cases these are the 1:432 scale models and not the larger ones that most people are familiar with.

EDIT (23-09-22): Yet more aircraft recognition materials have come to my attention. Thanks to a display at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, I learned that there was a volvelle, or wheel chart, that was produced as well, 1942-O-457035. An eBay listing has pictures of an example. As shown in an auction listing, a similar Know Your Planes/Plane-o-Graph device was published by Plane Facts, Inc.

The National Museum of the Pacific War also sells three aircraft recognition posters, but although the text at the bottom identifies them as coming from FM 30-30, I can't tell if they actually existed in this format during World War II or they are modern recreations.

Two additional entries have also been added to the public documents section and three to the foreign section.

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Last edited by Noha307 on Sun Sep 24, 2023 9:37 pm, edited 14 times in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2022 7:27 pm 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:27 am
Posts: 5228
Location: Eastern Washington
Here's an obscure recognition publication, albeit post war, from an almost forgotten American organization....

Aircraft Recognition for the Ground Observer, Department of the Air Force, AF Manual 355-10. April 1955.

It is a softbound 172 page book was intended to be issued to members of the now pretty much forgotten Ground Observer Corps.
The first 46 pages outline the GOC and tell volunteers how to submit reports through the established regional reporting system which was in place to fill gaps in radar coverage in the 1950s.
It was abolished by ADC in 1959.

"Operation SKYWATCH," was initiated on July 14, 1952. Eventually over 800,000 volunteers stood alternating shifts at 16,000 observation posts and seventy-three filter centers."...https://www.radomes.org

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_ ... ganization

This group is not to be confused with the RCAF Ground Observer Corps (which it was based on) or the UK Royal Oberver Corps which existed until the '90s.

The rest of the book is devoted to aircraft, major types have one page with three photos and a three-view, minor, new or obsolecent types get one photo.
0f interest is the new Boeing 367-80, C-130 (with the original "Roman nose"), and an early drawing of the T-37.

Also, North American airline deliveries are shown in the only color section of the book. Most are identical drawings of DC-3s, Convairs and Stratocruisers, also one S-55.

I had a copy of this as a kid, my family copy was pretty much worn out, however, my late uncle left me a copy which has been in my library forever.

Any WIXers have a copy, or do I have a unicorn?
Given the fact most enthusiasts have never heard of the GOC, I suspect it is rare.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.


Last edited by JohnB on Mon Jul 11, 2022 1:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2022 7:48 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
JohnB wrote:
Any WIXers have a copy, or do I have a unicorn?

For those who don't and would like to read it, there's a digitized copy on HathiTrust.

EDIT (22-07-10): Happened across a collection of the Ground Observer Corps' magazine, The Aircraft Flash, the other day as well.

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 5:05 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
One of the interesting aspects of this next list is how many of the books are not specifically written for aviation, which demonstrates how new the subject was. In addition, the word "aeroplane" is used far more extensively than "airplane". Finally, note that a number of the entries are repeated in different sections:

Books for Sale by Flying (1919)

Assorted Books

JohnB wrote:
I appreciate your considerable efforts.

By the way, if anyone is interested in the amount of time it takes to compile these posts, according to my browser history this one took about 7 hours over two days. For what it's worth, the majority of the effort is finding the books online, entering the bibliographic data in Zotero, and then adding the BBCode formatting.

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 7:35 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
As another follow up on a previous post, the cover of the January-June 1943 semi-annual index of the Technical Data Digest includes a selection of journals relevant to aviation. They are:

  • Aero Digest
  • Aircraft Engineering
  • Aircraft Production
  • American Machinst
  • Army Ordnance
  • Automotive and Aviation Industries
  • Aviation
  • Dyestuff Reporter
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electronics
  • Engineering News-Record
  • Flight
  • India Rubber World
  • Instruments
  • Journal of Applied Physics
  • Journal of Aviation Medicine
  • Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences
  • Machine Design
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Metal Treatment
  • Modern Plastics
  • Paint Oil and Chemical Review
  • Product Engineering
  • SAE Journal
  • Textile Monthly
  • Textile Research
  • The Aeroplane
  • The Engineer
  • The Iron Age
  • The Metal Industry
  • Welding
  • Wireless Engineer
(Source: Technical Data Digest Index, vol. 9 (Dayton, Ohio: Technical Data Library, Engineering Division, Materiel Command, Wright Field, 1943), front cover.)

In addition, a few other previously unmentioned periodicals:
  • Aerosphere[1]
  • Western Industry[2]

Also, I came across a NACA document titled "List of Reports with Prices" that motivated me to collate all of the various aviation bibliographies from previous posts (1, 2, 3) into a single "bibliography of bibliographies":

Bibliographies

A couple observations:
  • The name of the last entry reminds me of an article I read about a woman named Sarah B. Clark who was responsible for the creation of a collection of files from Wright Field that bears her name.
  • As to why there were so many government produced bibliographies during World War II, it is worth remembering that, as mentioned in a previous post, nearly every base and company maintained libraries.
  • Quite ironically, I have never had so many questions on how to format of bibliographic information than when I was working on these entries.
  • One final list of documents is the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, which went by the title United States Government Publications Monthly Catalog during World War II.

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:24 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
While skimming through the aviation magazines that AirCorps Library recently uploaded, I came across a few previously-unbeknownst-to-me periodicals.

First, while Aviation Week has come to be the dominant aviation periodical everyone knows today, back during World War II it appears Aero Digest was working on it's own family of publications. In addition to the fact that its full title was Aero Digest including Aviation Engineering for a while, according to an advertisement on page 102 of the October 1943 issue the Aeronautical Digest Publishing Corporation was also behind Air Pilot and Technician and Revista Aérea. Both offer interesting historical insights. The former is described in another advertisement on page 199 of the November 1943 issue as "dedicated to the development of [the] post-war market". With the benefit of hindsight it seems the magazine was just one more casualty of the overly rosy view that would lead to the late 1940s aircraft market crash. Revista Aérea, on the other hand was a Latin American magazine that was founded in 1937 and still exists today. (Meanwhile, it's technical reference files are in the National Air and Space Museum.) What makes it intriguing, however, is when it's existence is noted alongside other Spanish language publications of the time mentioned in previous posts (1, 2). It points to an emerging aviation market in the southwestern hemisphere that grew up with organizations like the Aztec Eagles and would eventually lead to warbird recoveries of the type profiled in books like So I Bought an Air Force. (For more information on this subject, check out the Latin American Aviation Historical Society or works Dan Hagedorn.)

Another periodical with a collection on AirCorps Library - albeit very limited - is American Aviation. It was mentioned only briefly in a previous post, but the available entries reveal a bit more information. The magazine billed itself as "The Independent Voice of American Aeronautics" - which I take to be a reference to dominating position of Aero Digest and Aviation at the time. It was published bimonthly and counted the publications American Aviation Daily (published six days a week), American Aviation Directory (biannual), and Universal Airline Schedules (monthly) under its umbrella.

Finally, although not in AirCorps Library's collection, is Air Transportation. Called by this name from its founding in 1942 to 1968, it would also be known as Air Cargo in 1969, Cargo Airlift from 1969 to 1976, Air Cargo again until 1982, and finally its present name: Air Cargo World. The driving force behind the magazine was apparently a man named Richard Malkin, who was with the periodical for 60 or more years from its start until at least 2002.[1]

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:58 pm 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:27 am
Posts: 5228
Location: Eastern Washington
As a kid, my dad would bring home Aviation Week for me, I really enjoyed it and when I was active duty, and for awhile after that, I subscribed (they have a lower rate for military officers).

He also brought home a couple of issues of American Aviation in the late '60s. I liked those but rarely saw them.
I figured they were an alternative to AV Week.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 11:48 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Unfortunately, the database update struck again. It deleted one of the previous posts - something I discovered when I went to go add to it. Again, not only was it was archived, but I kept a copy, so I was able to restore it:
Noha307 wrote:
Assen Jordanoff has been mentioned a few times in previous posts (1, 2, 3), but this was only piecemeal. A biographical paper I recently came across with a bibliography of his books at the end provided the motivation to list them all in one place:

Books by Assen Jordanoff
  • Jordanoff, Assen. Through the Overcast: The Weather and the Art of Instrument Flying. Revised. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1943.
  • ———. Your Wings. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1936.
  • Dials and Flight
  • Flying and How to Do It!
  • Jordanoff's Illustrated Aviation Dictionary
  • Men and Wings
  • Power and Flight
  • Safety in Flight
  • The Man Behind Flight: A Ground Course for Aviation Mechanics and Airmen

(Source: Paperzz)
This is similar to what was done with books by P. V. H. Weems, Charles A. Zweng, E. Molloy, Bert A. Shields, Burr W. Leyson, Hap Arnold and Claude Grahame-White.

One of the original motivations for this thread was to help understand the popular consciousness of the times by discovering what the public was reading at the time. Therefore, although many of them appear to not be aviation related, a series of images of the Grumman company library was particularly interesting. The creation of this library was almost certainly influenced by the 1940 "Victory Book Campaign" (which would later go on to inspire the very popular Armed Services Editions). For example, a picture taken in 1941 at the Service Club Library in Camp Wheeler, Georgia shows a nearly identical scene - right down to the style of the wooden bookshelves! The images themselves (3001, 3062, 3304, 3348) are spread out over multiple posts (1, 2) in the Grumman aircraft thread. (There's also a picture of the Plant 25 engineering library in another post.)

EDIT (22-10-24): Two quick notes on the subject of base libraries. First, as wendovertom mentioned in a post in the Aviation Museum Libraries thread, the Historic Wendover Airfield has a very small portion of it's original collection. (How neat is that?) Second, there was a specific material class for library resources. According to page 9 of Section 0002 of the Classification Index of Naval Aeronautical Materials, books, maps, periodicals and similar documents are Class 35 materials.

EDIT (22-12-09): I recently came across this picture in a book entitled ABC of the RAF on AirCorps Library:
Attachment:
RAF Reading Room.png
RAF Reading Room.png [ 658.82 KiB | Viewed 3032 times ]

ABC of the RAF wrote:
A satisfying and progressive career is assured to these lucky youngsters serving an
apprenticeship in the Royal Air Force. Should they desire to study any appropriate
subject they can do so in the reading room of this well-stocked library.

(Source: AirCorps Library)

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Dec 25, 2022 11:09 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Aero Digest Books (August 1943)
(Source: Aero Digest)

Aero Digest Books (September 1943)
(Source: Aero Digest)

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2023 5:33 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
While working on a post in another thread, I came across something that eventually led me to discover of selection of vintage aviation books digitized by the Library of Congress. (Note that a number of these books have already been included in previous posts.) Given that the library will only digitize public domain books and presumably don't have the time to research the copyright status of more recent publications, they all date from no later than the early 1920s. Also, it is worth noting that a surprising portion of the books are compilations of letters from pilots who did not survive. So, far from being a recent invention, this type of "memoir" was being practiced as early as World War I:

Aviation Books from the Library of Congress

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 2:25 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Similar to the Instrument Flying Manuals mentioned in a previous post, the military published a series of Pilot Training Manuals:

Pilot Training Manuals

A few notes:
  • They tend to be distinctive as a result of their black + single color covers.
  • They apparently went through a few revisions. The earliest editions, from 1944, lack an AAF Manual number. In January 1945, they had received numbers in the "50" set and by August/September 1945 they were in the "51" range.
  • Also similar to the Instrument Flying Manuals, there were Instructors' Supplements. They seem to be rather rare - so far the only one that has turned up is for the B-17.
  • Except for the B-32, all of the titles use the backwards format of nickname first and designation second.
  • There are a few unique cases in names:
    • Aside from the CG-4A, the B-25 manual is the only one to name its role ("bomber").
    • The P-40 manual is the only one to lack a nickname (presumably because of the multiple nicknames for non-American versions).
    • The B-32 manual is for the "airplane commander" instead of the pilot. The later B-29 manual does the same, except instead it adds the flight engineer.
    • The P-47N manual is the only one to list a variant. This matches with the later P-51 manuals as the first version describes both the razorback and bubble canopy versions, but the later one only covers the "D" and K" variants.
    • The earlier B-29 manual is wholly different in format.
  • Interestingly, one of the things that was cut when the P-51 manual was updated was a two-page fictional narrative about a Native American taming a wild Mustang horse. (The updated version retains a single paragraph mentioning the background of the nickname.) This is interesting in light of the fact that a newspaper article established North American had a special connection with the "Texan" nickname for the T-6 and heavily used the same sort of motifs for its company-published pilot's handbook. Perhaps they were a bit more connected to symbolism than other manufacturers?

There were also a series "information files" that did much the same thing, but focused on the crew role rather than the airplane:

Information Files

A note:

EDIT (24-02-19): Added Instructor's Supplement to Airplane Commander's Training Manual for the Superfortress B-29 entry.
EDIT (24-02-23): Added Pilot Training Manual for the B-26 entry with link, Pilot Training Manual for the C-47 entry with reference, AAF Manual 50-18 entry with link and link to AAF Manual 51-126-6.
EDIT (24-02-25): Apparently, a Pilot Training Manual for the BT-13 exists, as AirCorps Library has a document with a cover page for it. Unfortunately, the document in question is actually the Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions with an incorrect cover.

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Last edited by Noha307 on Sun Feb 25, 2024 2:30 pm, edited 6 times in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:24 pm 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:27 am
Posts: 5228
Location: Eastern Washington
Another point about wartime pilot handbooks, many had a brief introduction by General Arnold, complete with a flattering drawing portrait.
It is included in my original P-40 and P-47 manuals. And I have seen it in P-51 reprints.
Not surprisingly, it is not in my (joint USAF/USN) 1957 edition of the C-47 handbook.

I can't imagine a modern day Air Force Chief of Staff being that popular to warrant something like that today.

Also, the P-40 book has a brief history of the type.
While it defensively notes that while it is true that no more examples of the type are being sent for overseas combat, the aircraft is still a capable machine and is the "...most high performance ship that you've (he Warhawk student pilot) has ever flown."

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 60 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Hooligan2 and 85 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group