On Patrol

Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:10 pm

Three patrol aircraft over Manila bay during a SEATO exercise in 1963. Depicted are: A Lockheed SP-2H Neptune of No. 10 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, a U.S. Navy Martin P-5B Marlin of patrol squadron VP-40, and a Short Sunderland MR.5 of No. 5 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force. Corregidor island is visible in the background. Date 1963(1963) Source US Navy sailor or employee [1], also gives permission to publish when cited (courtesy requirement only, see copyright). Author T. L. Bigley, CDR USNR-TAR (Retired) Permission (Reusing this image) See below. [edit] Licensing Public domain This image is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made during the course of the person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain. United States Department of the Navy.
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Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:44 pm

Hey, awesome! VP-40 Fighting Marlins....my old Squadron. I think Jack Cook did a little time in the Marlin pen too.

Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:39 pm

The people who designed the Marlin, had they ever seen an aeroplane before????

It must be one of the ugliest aircraft ever.

Rgds Cking

Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:49 pm

Cking wrote:The people who designed the Marlin, had they ever seen an aeroplane before????
It must be one of the ugliest aircraft ever.

Rgds Cking

Don't the Japanese use them? :?:

The Marlin I mean.

Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:29 pm

Nathan wrote:
Cking wrote:The people who designed the Marlin, had they ever seen an aeroplane before????
It must be one of the ugliest aircraft ever.

Rgds Cking

Don't the Japanese use them? The Marlin I mean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShinMaywa_US-1A

Perhaps you're thinking of this? I believe it's an original design...but an idea borrowed heavily from the Marlin.

The Japanese MSDF uses them as search and rescue aircraft. When I was flying out of Iwakuni they had several of them based there. Ugly, but very intriguing at the same time. Very functional. Sounded very strange whlie flying too.

Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:37 pm

Cking wrote:The people who designed the Marlin, had they ever seen an aeroplane before????
It must be one of the ugliest aircraft ever.

Rgds Cking

Function over form, my friend....function over form.

Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:03 am

Great pic! I had no idea Sunderlands were still in service that late.

SN

Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:02 pm

Cking wrote:The people who designed the Marlin, had they ever seen an aeroplane before????
It must be one of the ugliest aircraft ever.

Rgds Cking

Yes- actually they had seen several, and took parts from each for it. Un fortunately, they also took parts form a car parked in the lot for the cockpit design, and a basketball for the nose. Apparently, one of the builders had picked up his 3 year old sons drawings of an "airpwane" by mistake, and it got mixed into the official plans, and the rest is design history.

Next week, why the C-17 is patterned after a bloated bumble bee crossbred with a Spanish Galleon, and how the empennage was almost forgotten- until they tacked one on with no flair at all...

Robbie
who rates WWII aircraft designers among the gods...