Well I ain't no Jack Cook, but I always try to do some for the Holiday's! Mark has covered some good one's lately, some are new to us, & some of them, you have seen from me before, so if you have already seen it, then your eye's ain't failing, & your memory is still good, here ya go:
(All Photos Unless Otherwise Noted Are From The United States Federal Govt.) And Yes I Am All Over The Place With This One, No Theme!
Two Martin AM-1 Mauler attack planes in the late 1940s. The plane in the foreground is armed with bombs and three topedoes, the plan in the background is carrying twelve 12.7 cm (5 in) HVAR-rockets under the wings, two Tiny Tim rockets, and a bomb on the centerline station. Besides these impressive loads the Mauler had inferior handling characteristics and could not compete with the Douglas AD Skyraider.
View out of the door gunner's position from a U.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky UH-34D Seahorse helicopter over Vietnam, ca. 1965. The gunner's M-60 machine gun is in the foreground, another UH-34D in the background.
A U.S. Army Sikorsky YCH-54A Tarhe (s/n 64-14202) helicopter in the 1960s. This helicopter was the first of six pre-production aircraft and was written off in Vietnam on 9 August 1966.
A formation of Vought F-8J Crusader fighters of fighter squadron VF-194 Red Lightnings (BuNos 149175, 149177, 149182, 150340, 150347, and 150868). VF-194 was assigned to Attack Carrier Air Wing Nineteen (CVW-19) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA-34) in 1971. Aircraft BuNo. 150868 crashed on 21 June 1971.
Crewmen arm U.S. Marine Corps Vought F4U-4B Corsair fighters with 12.7 cm (5 in) rockets and napalm canisters aboard the escort carrier USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116), during operations off the Korean coast on 1 December 1950. The aircraft were assigned to Marine fighter squadron VMF-323 Death Rattlers.
A Vought F4U-4B Corsair of U.S. Marine Corps fighter squadron VMF-214 Blacksheep being readied for takeoff between August and November 1950 on the escort carrier USS Sicily (CVE-118) for a strike in Korea. * Receives final checks to its armament of bombs and 5-inch rockets, just prior to being catapulted from USS Sicily (CVE-118) for a strike on enemy forces in Korea. The original photograph is dated 16 November 1950, but was probably taken in August-October 1950. Note battered paint on this aircraft.
U.S. Navy Douglas A-4C Skyhawk (BuNo 149603) of attack squadron VA-34 Blue Blasters, Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3), taxies into position for launching aboard USS Saratoga (CVA-60), 1963-1966. From May to December 1967 VA-34 was assigned to CVW-10 aboard the USS Intrepid (CVS-11) for a deployment to Vietnam. This A-4C 149603 (side number AK 312) was shot down on 9 July 1967 by a North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile. The pilot, Lieutenant Commander E. A. Martin, successfully ejected and became Prisoner of War.
Seven U.S. Army Air Force North American B-25C Mitchell bombers of the 82nd Bomb Squadron, 12th Bomb Group, and seven Martin Baltimore bombers of No. 21 Squadron, South African Air Force, during a sortie against German forces in North Africa in 1943. The B-25C in the foreground, s/n 41-12863, was written off on 19 April 1943. A single escorting Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter is visible in the left background. Original caption: "Operations in North Africa by Allied air forces. Mitchell B026 bombers of the United States Army Air Forces and Baltimore bombers of the South African air forces flying together in formation on their way to attack Rommel's position in North Africa."
Four U.S. Air Force Air National Guard fighters in flight, circa 1970: (clockwise from the left):
a Convair F-102A-75-CO Delta Dagger (s/n 56-1323) from the 179th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 148th Fighter Interceptor Group, Minnesota Air National Guard;
a Republic (General Motors built) F-84F-40-GK Thunderstreak (51-9524) from the 170th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 183d Tactical Fighter Group, Illinois Air National Guard;
a McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo from the 178th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 119th Fighter Wing, North Dakota Air National Guard;
and a North American F-100D-50-NH Super Sabre (s/n 55-2870) from an unknown unit.
Douglas AC-47D (S/N 45-0927) of the 4th Air Commando Squadron in February 1968. Reassigned to South Vietnam AF after USAF pullout in 1971 (U.S. Air Force photo) Date 1968.
A North American PBJ-1D Mitchell of U.S. Marine Corps bombing squadron VMB-611 in flight. Established at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina (USA), in November 1943, VMB-611 trained on the U.S. East and West Coasts before aircraft and personnel boarded ships for transport to the Pacific theater. During 1945, the squadron operated from Emerau Island and Moret Field at Zamboanga, Mindanao, Philippine Islands, flying PBJ Mitchell medium bombers, one of seven Marine Corps squadrons to operate the type. The squadron was disestablished in November 1945.
Two North American A-27s of the 17th Pursuit Squadron at Nichols Field, Philippines, in 1941. USAF description: "The United States impressed 10 North American NA-69 attack aircraft ordered by Thailand when it became apparent the aircraft would fall into Japanese hands in the early 1940s. The United States was not yet at war with Japan at this point. The NA-69 was basically an attack version of the AT-6 trainer aircraft intended for export. The aircraft were re-designated A-27s and given 1941 serial numbers. The A-27s were assigned to the U.S. Army Air Corps' 17th Pursuit Squadron at Nichols Field in the Philippines. When the Japanese attacked the Philippine Islands in the first days of the Pacific War, all A-27s were destroyed."
12 Curtiss P-40F Warhawk fighters on 9 January 1943 in Casablanca during a ceremony which officially transferred these former USAAF 33rd Fighter Group P-40s to the French in North Africa. In reality, these aircraft had been handed over to the Armee de l'Air on 25 November 1942. The recceiving French unit was Groupe de Chasse GC II/5, better known as the Lafayette Escadrille. Note the Curtiss Hawk 75 and at least two Dewoitine D.520s inside the hangar, still wearing Vichy-French identification stripes. A Douglas C-47 Skytrain is visible in the background.
USAAF pilots with an RAF Supermarine Spitfire at Gibraltar in 1942. Original caption: "United States Army Air Force men in a Spitfire observing the performance of another one in flight. Left to right: they are Colonel Harold B. Willis, Boston, Massachusetts, Major Marvin L. McNickle, Doland, South Dakota, and Captain A. E. Vinson of Monticello, Mississippi."
A U.S. Navy Boeing Stearman N2S Kaydet used at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas (USA), as an ambulance for rescue work as a result of crashes in inaccessible regions of Texas adjacent to the training station, 1942.
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.
A U.S. Air Force Republic F-105D-6-RE Thunderchief (s/n 59-1762) refueling probe detail. The F-105D/F/G models had two types of in-flight refueling equipment: a probe (for the drogue) and a receptacle (for the boom). The F-105D 59-1762 was lost over Southeast Asia on 12 September 1968 while in service with the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. On 12 September 1968, Major Samuel C. Maxwell was the pilot of the lead aircraft (F-105D 59-1762), call sign "Wolf 03", in a flight of 4 that was conducting a late afternoon/early evening strike mission in the region of North Vietnam that bordered on the south by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), on the north by an imaginary line 30 miles north of the DMZ, on the east by the coastline and on the west by Laotian border. At 1731 hours, Wolf flight was directed to attack a line of small boats sailing on the Song Ron River 15 miles south of Mui Ron Ma. Major Maxwell initiated his strafing run on the boats and was seen firing at the target when his aircraft was hit by intense and accurate ground fire. Other flight members also saw the Thunderchief hit the ground and explode on impact (location 17 52 N 106 23 E), Major Maxwell was killed.
A Grumman S-2A Tracker (BuNo 136658) of anti-submarine squadron VS-29 Tromboners. VS-29 was assigned to Anti-Submarine Carrier Air Group 53 (CVSG-53) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge (CVS-33) and flew the S-2A from 1960 to 1963. Note that both the MAD-boom and the radar are extended. This plane was later sold and converted to a fire-fighting plane.
U.S. Air Force North American T-6s are parked in a revetment area at an advanced airstrip in Korea, on 9 March 1953. The Texans were used in Korea by forward air controller.
Members of Marine Aircraft Group 32 (MAG-32) service a McDonnell Douglas OA-4M Skyhawk aircraft (BuNo 154306) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (North Carolina, USA) on 24 May 1990. 154306 had been built as a TA-4F trainer and been converted to a forward observation aircraft in 1979. 23 TA-4Fs were converted. The modifications included a ground control bombing system, a KY-28 secure voice system, a canted midair refuelling probe, extra cockpit side armor plating, an APN-194 altimeter, and ARC-159 radio and ARC-114 VHF radio. Perhaps the most visible change was the fitting of the dorsal electronics hump. Correctly the aircraft should have been designated OA-4F, as they were converted from TA-4F aircraft and not from A-4M aircraft. Aircraft BuNo 154306 was retired to the AMARC as 3A0600 on 24 April 1991.
A U.S. Navy Grumman S-2E Tracker of antisubmarine squadron VS-33 Screwbirds, Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 59 (CVSG-59), passes by a Landing Signal Officer (LSO) on its way to trapping on board the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CVS-12), in 1970.
P-47 fighter-bomber pilots at a rough airstrip near St. Mere Eglise on June 15, 1944. By the end of August, all 18 of the 9th Air Force’s fighter-bomber and four of its medium bomber groups were based on the continent.
A U.S. Army Air Force Curtiss P-40 Warhawk of the 11th Fighter Squadron, 343rd Fighter Group in Alaska (USA), ca. 1943. The 11th FS moved to Elmendorf Field, Alaska, on 29 December 1941 (with detachments at Fort Randall 25 May to 1 September 1942, and at Ft. Glenn, 26 May to June 1942); in June 1942 the whole squadron moved to Ft. Glenn; on 20 February 1943 it moved to Adak (with detachments at Amchitka, 27 March to 17 May 1943, and 23 March 1944 to 20 July 1945).
Ensign George H. Gay, sole survivor of V-8 attack; battle of Midway, June 1942.
Two U.S. Air National Guard Vought A-7D Corsair II aircraft taking off during exercise Sentry Castle '81 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA). The Corsair in front is carrying an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile. Both of the aircraft were assigned to the 112th Tactical Fighter Group, Pennsylvania Air National Guard.
A Missouri Air National Guard Boeing KC-97L Stratofreighter of the 180th Aerial Refueling Squadron, 139th Aerial Refueling Group, refueling two U.S. Air Force Vought A-7D Corsair IIs of the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, based at England Air Force Base, Louisiana (USA). The 23rd TFW flew the A-7D from 1972 to 1981, the 139th ARG retired its KC-97Ls in 1976. The Stratofreighter 53-0283 (Boeing c/n 17065) was loaned to Japan on 4 May 1965. It was returned to the USAF on 23 April 1970 and converted to a KC-97L. Later it was put on display at NAS JRB Forth Worth (Texas). Bought by a private party in December 2001, it was trucked to Colorado Springs (Colorado) and used for a restaurant.
Group photograph of U.S. Air Force Fast Forward Air Controllers ("Wolf FACs") of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Royal Thai AB in June 1968. Drawn from the four squadrons assigned to the wing, these pilots volunteered for the Fast FAC missions. The McDonnell F-4D Phantom II is from the 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and the squadron’s "Night Owl" symbol is just behind the air inlet.
A U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas EF-4C Phantom II aircraft (s/n 63-7474) of the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 18th Tactical Fighter Wing over North Vietnam in December 1972. It is armed with AGM-45 Shrike and AIM-7 Sparrow missiles and carries an AN/ALQ-72 ECM pod. The EF-4C "Wild Weasel IV" was a parallel development with the F-105G "Wild Weasel III" program. 36 aircraft F-4Cs were modified and fitted with AN/APR-25 Radar Homing and Warning System (RHAWS), AN/APR-26 SAM launch warning system, and ER-142 electronic countermeasures receiver. After the F-4G became available in the late 1970s these aircraft were flown als regular F-4Cs.
A McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II of fighter squadron VF-111 Sundowners, Attack Carrier Air Wing Fifeteen (CVW-15), being launched from the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) on Christmas 1971 by a catapult officer dressed up as "Santa Claus". The Coral Sea was on a deployment to Vietnam from 12 Nov 1971 to 17 Jul 1972. The F-4B is armed with AIM-9D Sidewinder and AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air-missiles.
I hope you are well, & God Bless Liberty!
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
