Warbird Information Exchange

source: San Diego Air and Space Museum archives.














unknown

More P-39's and other good stuff found in these flickr links ...

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=49487266@N07&q=P-39

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23057174@N02/3423270777/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peaceloves ... 633542133/

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Zero Surprise!!...

The P-39s in the first group of pics were probably en route to North Africa late 1942. The airfield is definately not New Guinea. The last pic shows P-400s of the 8th FG, summer of 1942, Port Moresby.

Duane

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Zero Surprise!!...

I'll add a few here as well, Mark. I'm not a P-39 guru, so please correct me as necessary folks.

I'll start with some from the collections of a couple good friends...


Not sure if this is the re-built XP-39, a YP-39 or what. P-39C maybe?


Project 914 Archives (M.Butry collection)


It says P-39D, but I *think* it's a P-39F.


Project 914 Archives (M.Butry collection)


P-39C


Project 914 Archives (M.Butry collection)


Just above the pinup in this next shot are what look to be the letters: AAFETTC...
Army Air Force Eastern Technical Training Command maybe?


Project 914 Archives (B.McFee collection)




Not sure of these two...


Project 914 Archives (B.McFee collection)


...although this shot looks to show ground crew in training, with an instructional airframe maybe?


Project 914 Archives (B.McFee collection)


Thomasville AAF, Georgia


Project 914 Archives (B.McFee collection)


And a few from my collection...


This 82nd RS P-39N had an oopsie... info about this incident HERE...


Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)


All I know about this P-39Q is that the photo was taken in Italy, although someone recently
suggested that it could be a 350th FG bird.


Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)


My favorite P-39 photo... I think it's a YP-39, but am not entirely sure.


Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)


Line-up of P-39Fs and Ds from the 40th PS, 31st Pursuit Group.


Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)


Fade to Black...

Great pictures. Think of those guys still flying P-39s in New Guinea in 1944!

Let's see here.
"The Iron Dog"
"The Allison Time Bomb with the Curtiss Electric Fuse"

My own,
"America's Answer to the Boulton-Paul Defiant"
Why did most P-63s go to Lend Lease?
They looked too much like a P-39.

Seriously,

The aircraft did well when used for its intended purpose,
ground attack (and in the cold Russian climate where they didn't boil so quickly).
It is also hard not to remember the P-39 when you see an A-10 Warthog.

And, in the back of your mind is that nagging little question.........what would have happened if the Army had left the turbo supercharger on the airplane and not loaded it up with so many other weight adders?
The Russians applied the airplane in the scenario where it fit best, the P-63 was an improvement to that application and until the very end of the European war straffing was done almost as 'Oh, by the way, I've got bullets left' application for the USAAF and the P-47/P-51 were the weapons of choice in that.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Strafing in the ETO may have been something of an afterthought in the Eighth Air Force, but certainly not in the Ninth...


Here's some more Airacobras... this first one is a heavily retouched photo, and normally I don't share stuff
like that. But I'd like to know what field this ship flew out of. I've seen that style of numbering on a few
different types but have conflicting info as to which field it's associated with... one in Florida maybe?


Project 914 Archives


This is another for which I have conflicting info... I'm pretty sure this P-39D was from a field in Florida,
but am not certain which one.


Project 914 Archives


Another for which I'm lacking info... can anyone tell me which outfit the emblem on this P-39F represents?


Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)


Here's a companion shot to the line-up of 40th PS, 31st PG P-39Fs and Ds that I posted earlier...


Project 914 Archives (M.Butry collection)


February 27th, 1944... a P-39Q bound for the Soviet Union... Bruce B. Mackenzie of the 19th Ferrying
Squadron, 3rd Ferrying Group has a bit of trouble on takeoff from Bismarck, North Dakota.


Project 914 Archives (B.McFee collection)


And here's one which is kinda near and dear to my heart, as well as to the two friends whose photos
I've been sharing here...

The P-39 'Galloping Gertie' used to be on loan to the Niagara Aerospace Museum from the NASM. While
'Gertie' was here, I was able to get up close and personal... one of my aforementioned pals was a
volunteer at the museum, and you know what they say about what you know versus who you know!

Somewhere I've got a walkaround that I shot of this ship, including some cockpit shots... lemmee tell ya,
it's all sortsa fun getting in and out of a P-39. I dunno how anyone who ever had to bail outta one was
ever able to do it, especially if it was spinning or whatnot...

Anyhoo, here's a groovy shot of 'Gertie's last private owner, Elizabeth Haas Pfister, providing a little
TLC to the 'ole gal back when she was a racer in the late 1940s. Unfortunately, I forget where I
found this image. However, I recently got a line on an original print and hope to own it before too long.




Fade to Black...

Now that is a really cool shot.Pretty lady to boot.

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Hang The Expense

Thirsty:


Naked:


Pregnant:


Big Brother


Identity crisis:

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Thank you, gents. I do love an oddball! That Airabonita was a most peculiar looking machine!

Cheers,
Matt

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Matt Austin - playing with warbirds since the early 80s.

See my Lee-Enfield videos at - http://www.youtube.com/user/Jollygreenslugg

Do you have any pics of P-63 paint jobs with nose art. The Dixie Wing is looking for a paint scheme.

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Philip Beegle
Dixie Wing CAF

And, in keeping with the Navy's dedication to carefully preserving significant and historic airframes, the AIRABONITA is currently hard at work as part of a breakwater levee along with an ARADO 234 @ NAS Pax River.

Anyone have an answer as to why the P-39's all had a keyed door lock installed in the cockpit doors?

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

I heard a rumor a while back that the Navy finally decided maybe they should have kept it and were going to recover the wreckage. Anybody know if that was true?

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"Soes if you flies one to Detroit, it'll still be there in the morning!"

Ha-Cha-Cha-Chaaa!!

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Interesting to see the prop marks on the deck here - looks like the prop was stopped, and the run-out had a 'rocking horse' phugoid motion.

Bit of reverse engineering there, no? The P-39 was designed to be a high altitude heavilly armed interceptor, in response to a high altitude interceptor requirement, certainly - then a lower altitude interceptor when they decided to delete the turbo; at no stage of the development was there a suggestion that it was to be used for ground attack (if it were, surely it would have been an 'A-xx') - unless there's evidence that says otherwise?

Regards,

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com