From My Grandpa's service Circa 1921?

deskpro590 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:31 pm

Not sure what type of aircraft these are(anything pre-1939 I struggle with), but these were in the photo album that my Aunt has access to. His service records indicate he was in the Army Air Service from April 1919 through April 1922. And had some flying time...(96th Sqdn 2nd (can't read the writing after the 2nd) (B) Had 10 flights....Discharged at Kelly Field...
No other info on his service there.....during WW2 he went on to become a Navy SeaBee....

and on a neat bike...

warbird2 · **Joined:** Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:03 am **Posts:** 173

Martin MB-2s This probably Billy Mitchell bombing the Osfriesland or whatever it was called. Pretty historical pictures I would think.

lmritger · **Posted:** Fri Mar 25, 2011 7:23 am

Your grandfather was with the 96th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group stationed right here at Langley Field, and obviously took part in the Naval Bombing Experiments which sank the Frankfort, G-102, Ostfriesland, and USS Alabama. The photo with the phosphorous bomb exploding in the crows' nest is of the Alabama, moored near Tangier Island out in the Chesapeake Bay and used as a target on 23 September 1921, three months after the successful sinking of the Ostfriesland off the Virginia Capes.

This particular event has become something of a minor obsession with me... would it be possible to request larger scans? I've got a modeling project I've been messing with for a while now, amassing info on the units and aircraft in the First Provisional Air Brigade which took part in the Bombing Trials, and would greatly appreciate seeing these in greater detail.

Thanks for sharing them!

Cheers,

Lynn

Holedigger · **Posted:** Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:12 am

Cool old pics! Thanks for sharing

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:59 am

That first triple-tailed job looks familiar, but it's not one of Billy Mitchell's MB-2s - could we get a bigger scan please?

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:17 am

Chris Brame wrote:

That first triple-tailed job looks familiar, but it's not one of Billy Mitchell's MB-2s - could we get a bigger scan please?

That is the one-off LWF Owl. Here's the quote from Ray Wagner's American Combat Planes:

"The first of these three projects was the three-engined LWF Owl which had been built earlier as a mailplane, but was tested as a bomber at Mitchell Field in September 1922. A Caproni-like layout included a center plywood nacelle for a crew of three and the center Liberty, with booms running back from outboard engines to triple rudders. The same firm designed a smaller, metal-structured bomber with two Libertys, called the XNBS-2, but this project was cancelled."

Amazing, historic photos!!

Scott

Mgawa · **Posted:** Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:31 am

Wonderful images!

lmritger · **Posted:** Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:42 am

Second Air Force wrote:

Chris Brame wrote:

That first triple-tailed job looks familiar, but it's not one of Billy Mitchell's MB-2s - could we get a bigger scan please?

That is the one-off LWF Owl. Here's the quote from Ray Wagner's American Combat Planes:

"The first of these three projects was the three-engined LWF Owl which had been built earlier as a mailplane, but was tested as a bomber at Mitchell Field in September 1922. A Caproni-like layout included a center plywood nacelle for a crew of three and the center Liberty, with booms running back from outboard engines to triple rudders. The same firm designed a smaller, metal-structured bomber with two Libertys, called the XNBS-2, but this project was cancelled."

Amazing, historic photos!!

Scott

(shakes fist) CURSE YOU SCOTT! I just found it on my hard drive and came here to post it... too slow!

Well, here's another pic anyways.

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:59 am

Sorry, Lynn!

I keep my copy of Wagner's book (new, revised edition, circa 1968 :shock:

) right on the computer desk. There is also a grainy front view of the airplane in the article.

deskpro590 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 26, 2011 2:07 pm

The photos are with my family down south. Don't think they realize what they have. I'll have to make a trip down there to get more scans....

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Sat Mar 26, 2011 3:29 pm

Somewhere in the bottomless pit of my desk I have a couple early '20s shots from Pascagoula, MS - nothing unusual (Jennies and a DH-4) but I'll post 'em when I scrounge 'em up.

mike13 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:15 pm

Mr Paul Matt's Historical Aviation ,Volume XI, 1972, has an article on LWF aircraft and has Mr Matt's fine drawings of the OWL included plus some interesing photos of the Owl's forced landing at Langley Field Va on June 3 1921.The drawing is very detailed with a lot of dimensions given not just the normal specs.
mike13

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From My Grandpa's service Circa 1921?

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