Warbird Information Exchange

I saw Jack has been putting up a few lately, so since he is one of my hero's, I figured I might as well put up a few, Hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day, Thank You to all that do & have served, these are for you.


USFG PHOTO
The U.S. escort carrier USS Anzio (CVE-57) rolling in heavy seas of the Pacific Ocean, probably in 1945. Note the casual attitude of the deck crew. A Grumman TBF (or TBM) Avenger is visible on the left, a Grumman F4F (or FM) Wildcat is tied to far end of the deck.

USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Army Air Force North American B-25B Mitchell bomber taking off from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) during the Doolittle Raid on 18 April 1942.

USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Air Force Douglas EB-66E Destroyer of the 42nd TEWS, 388th TFW, Korat RTAFB. This aircraft had been originally built as an RB-66B (s/n 54-533).

USFG PHOTO
Arabian Gulf (Mar. 25, 2003) - A patriotic CH-46 Sea Knight assigned to the "Gunbearers" of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron One One (HC-11) comes in for a landing aboard USS Constellation (CV 64) during Vertical Replenishment operations. HC-11 is assigned to the fast combat support ship USS Rainer (AOE 7) and is conducting a regularly scheduled deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom


Col. Robin Olds paints a victory star on his F-4C Phantom, Scat XXVII. He was the commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Air Base, Thailand, and was credited with shooting down four enemy MiG aircraft in aerial combat over North Vietnam. (U.S. Air Force photo)

USFG PHOTO
USAAF Bell P-39Q-1-BE Airacobra, probably at Marysville, California (USA), in July of 1943. The aircraft "Saga Boy II" (serial no. 42-19447) belonged to Lt.Col. Edward S. Chickering, commander of the 357th Fighter Group. When the Group moved to Great Britain in November 1943, it was reequipped with the North American P-51 Mustang.

USFG PHOTO
A USAF Douglas/On Mark A-26K Invader of the 609th Special Operations Squadron starting its engines at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, about 1969.

USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Air Force North American F-100C Super Sabre (s/n 53-1741) of the 188 Tactical Fighter Squadron, New Mexico Air National Guard, flies over Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam in 1968/69. The 188th TFS operated with the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing from 7 June 1968 to 18 May 1969. The F-100C 53-1741 was shot down by gunfire on 4 May 1969, the pilot was killed.

AND SOME DAYS REALLY SUCK
USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Navy Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver of attack squadron VA-34 Black Panthers, Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3), pictured in the midst of a spectacular barrier crash on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge (CV-33) during operations in the Atlantic Ocean, in 1948. Descended from Bombing Squadron Three (VB-3), VA-34 had been redesignated from Attack Squadron 3A (VA-3A) in September 1948, and was redesignated VA-35 on 15 February 1950.

USFG PHOTO
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) William Belden ejects from his Douglas A-4E Skyhawk attack aircraft (Bureau # 150117) as it rolls into the USS Shangri-La port catwalk after suffering a brake failure following recovery, 2 July 1970. Lt. JG Belden ejected safely and was rescued by Shangri-La's helicopter. The A-4E was assigned to attack squadron VA-152 Wild Aces, Attack Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8), tail code "AJ-505

USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Navy Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior (BuNo 138955) of heavy attack squadron VAH-9 Hoot Owls pictured after its nose wheel collapsed during recovery on board the carrier USS Saratoga (CVA-60), 1959-1960. Note the open canopy. As a high altitude strategic bomber the A3D (after 1962 A-3) was not equipped with ejection seats and the crew was expected to jump off with parachutes in case of an emergency.

====================================================================================
Robbie

_________________
Fly Fast Make Noise!

that's it?? that's all ya got???

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

OK, I have a few more----------------------How Bout Some SPADS

USFG PHOTO
An U.S. Navy Douglas AD-6 Skyraider of attack squadron VA-152 Friendlies on the portside elevator on board the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) during the ship's Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) off Hawaii, 20 December 1961. VA-152 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 15 (CVG-15) aboard the Coral Sea for a deployment to the Western Pacific from 12 December 1961 to 17 July 1962. This AD-6 (A-1H) was later passed on to the South Vietnamese Air Force. Note the landing mirror in the background. U.S. carriers originally operated two landing mirrors on both sides of the flight deck.


USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Navy Douglas A-1H Skyraider (BuNo 139768) from attack squadron VA-25 Fist Of the Fleet, Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2), on the port catapult of the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVA-41). This plane was flown by Lt. Clint Johnson on 20 June 1965, when four A-1s from VA-25 were attacked by North Vietnamese Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s. Johnson and his wingman Lt. Charlie Hartman shot down a MiG-17 which attempted a head-on pass.

USFG PHOTO
A Douglas A-1E Skyraider of the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 56th Special Operations Wing at Nakhom Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base on 29 Sept 1968. The aircraft is carrying a with BLU-72/B bomb under the right wing. The BLU-72/B was a 1130 kg (2500 lb) FAE (Fuel/Air Explosive) bomb, which was filled with 1020 kg (2245 lb) of propane. It was designed for low speed delivery and was equipped with a retarding drogue. The BLU-72/B was developed under the "Pave Pat I" programme, and combat-tested in South-East Asia in 1967/68.

USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Navy Douglas AD-4 Skyraider of attack squadron VA-195 Dambusters with a special ordnance aboard the aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CVA-37) in August 1952. VA-195 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 19 (CVG-19) for a deployment to the Korean War from 21 March to 3 November 1952. The "special weapon" was a 454 kg (1000 lb) bomb with a kitchen sink attached. The idea came up, when the squadron's executive officer LCdr. M.K. Dennis remarked during a meeting with the press: "We dropped everything on them (the North Koreans) but a kitchen sink." Royal J. Deland, ADC, and J. Burnett, ADC, then produced a bomb with a kitchen sink attached. Obviously the commanding Admiral was not pleased by this and would not allow to drop the bomb for a week. However, press coverage in the United States obviously led to the dropping of this bomb in August 1952 on Pyongyang by Lt.(jg) Carl B. Austin.[1]


USFG PHOTO
A Douglas A-1H Skyraider (s/n 52-139778) of the 602nd Special Operations Squadron over Vietnam in June 1970.

USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Air Force Douglas A-1E Skyraider (USN BuNo 132619, nicknamed "Carolyns Folly") from the 1st Air Commando Squadron (later the 1st Special Operations Squadron) escorting an HH-3C rescue helicopter as it goes to pick up a downed pilot in Vietnam in 1966.

USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Navy Douglas A-1J Skyraider (BuNo 142028) of attack squadron VA-176 Thunderbolts. VA-176 was assigned to Attack Carrier Air Wing Ten (CVW-10) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS-11) for a deployment to Vietnam from 4 April to 21 November 1966.


USFG PHOTO
Douglas AD-4 Skyraider attack planes of U.S. Marine Corps attack squadron VMA-251 Thunderbolts at Pyongtaek airfield (K-6), South Korea, in 1953/54.

USFG PHOTO
A U.S. Navy Douglas AD-5 Skyraider (BuNo 133878) of utility squadron VU-1 used for target towing on the ground at Naval Air Station (NAS) Barbers Point, Hawaii (USA), some time between 1954 and 1962. This aircraft was later passed on to the South Vietnamese Air Force.

USFG PHOTO
U.S. Air Force Majors Bernard F. Fisher and D.W. "Jump" Myers, in Vietnam, 10 March 1966. The photo was taken after Fisher's rescue of Myers from the A Shau Valley Special Forces camp airfield in front of Fisher's Douglas A-1E Skyraider (U.S. Navy BuNo 132649). Myers' aircraft had been hit over the camp and caught fire. Too low to bailout, Myers crash-landed his aircraft on the small airstrip at the Special Forces camp and ran to cover alongside the runway. Knowing that his wingman would be captured or killed before a rescue helicopter could arrive, Fisher landed his A-1E on the heavily damaged runway. As other Skyraiders provided cover, Myers jumped into Fisher's aircraft and they escaped amid heavy small arms fire. For these heroic actions, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Fisher the Medal of Honor on 19 January 1967.
============================================================================

_________________
Fly Fast Make Noise!

Thanks for posting the photos. Enjoyed them alot.

_________________
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Yeah, thanks a million for posting! That first one is an all-time favorite of mine. Also got a kick out of the Spad and Jolly Green in formation. Look at them rotor blades justa flyin', now that's some heavy duty wind whacking goin' on! For a fixed-wing guy, I sure find whirly birds fascinating, can never believe all that stuff really works.

_________________
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas

PIC, Ford 6600 pulling Rhino batwing up and down the runway

No kidding... hands in pocket... that was just too funny. Thanks for sharing!

Love the Skyraider photos. Thanks for posting!

_________________
Matt

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

The Avenger could be either a TBF-1 or TBM-1C..I think the two are externally identical (TBM-3 had a lower "chin" intake and full cowl flaps.) I'm guessing the Wildcat is an FM-2, as it looks to have a later Curtiss "paddle blade" prop, and is overall dark blue (I'm going out on a limb here, but I think Grumman had quit making Wildcats by the time the overall blue scheme was introduced.

I remember my uncle (14 year Navy vet) told me once about a destroyer he was on. in one long passageway, there were footprints painted on the floor. After a few feet, they moved up onto the bulkhead..then back to the floor..then back up onto the opposite bulkhead. At the end of the passageway was a sign reading "Who says this ship don't roll?!"

SN

there is no suitable pic of a skyraider / spad that isn't dirty!!

_________________
tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!