Plane spotting (Vintage style) ...

[Mark Allen M]

Wow!!! I'm super disappointed in either Photobucket and/or WIX. All the photos I've posted in this thread really look terrible. They DON'T look remotely close this bad in my files. Something's really wrong tonight with posting. So sorry folks. Most of them are great looking quality photos. Almost want to have the mods delete the whole thing.

[CoastieJohn]

This is a rare photo of the "lethal" black duck of Ulithi c 1945. Why lethal? because it's black of course. Truth? I haven't a clue why it would be all black on Ulithi in 1945.

Taking a stab at it.....if it was used for downed aircrew recovery, the dark color could be to blend in with the water surface to help avoid enemy detection while vulnerable picking up wet flyers.

[Mark Allen M]

I see a lone PV-1 Ventura in the second photo!

PJ
PV-2 Harpoon "Hot Stuff"
http://www.amhf.org

Take a look here as this photo is much better quality.

https://theamericanwarrior.files.wordpr ... 0445-1.jpg

https://theamericanwarrior.files.wordpr ... 2745-1.jpg

[Chris Brame]

PBMs in formation working from USS Cumberland Sound VS-17 c 1943

These are all PB2Y Coronados.

A P-47E Thunderbolt at Wright Field.

Odd canopy framing; was this a pressurized cockpit trial?

[Mark Allen M]

These are all PB2Y Coronados.

Your correct (and corrected)

Odd canopy framing; was this a pressurized cockpit trial?

Your correct (I think)

[Cubs]

Wow! Great photos. The airbase pictures, I could look at for a long time.

Some thoughts:
Why that paint scheme on the Marauders?
A formation of Coronados!
The black duck: My first thought is clandestine ops or maybe our version of "washing machine charlie". You know, nighttime harassment or inserting Navy frogmen.
One thing for certain: the metal on that plane would be too hot to touch under that tropical sun.

[DaveG]

The captured H8K2 is incredible! This gets said quite a bit around here, but I wish it was still around!

There is one at Kanoya Air Base in Japan, and according to Wikipedia (I know, I know ) it had been captured by US forces, tested, and then returned to Japan. Don't know if it is the same one in the picture Mark has posted. I snagged this off of Google Earth. Coordinates are: 31°22'53.70"N 130°50'8.40"E

[Mark Allen M]

A few 1's and 2's ... (and once again photobucket fails me with poor quality )


A squadron of PV-1 Ventura's at Amchitka in late 1943.


A VB-136 PV-1 Ventura takes off from Casco Field, Attu Island in the fall of 1944.


A VB-136 PV-1 Ventura on mission.


U.S. Navy PV-2 Harpoon Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland, September 22, 1944


U.S. Navy PV-2 Harpoon Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland, September 22, 1944

[Nathan]

Navy version of the B-26 was the JM-1P. Photo recon bird. They must of had a few in theater! New one on me!

[PropsRule]

DaveG, thanks for the H8K2 information. I didn't know about that one.

Nathan, thanks for mentioning the JM-1's photo recon role. I thought they were all used as target tugs.

[Mark Allen M]

Big batches of T-bolts ...


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 406th Fighter Group line up for take off before a mission.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 406th Fighter Group line up for take off before a mission.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 406th Fighter Group line up for take off before a mission.


P-47 Thunderbolts of the 8th and 9th Air Forces in Liverpool, awaiting shipment back to the United States.

[Mark Allen M]

If photobucket wasn't so lame you could see some neat aircraft detail hidden down there

[Mark Allen M]

These are photos of Lowry AAF c 1942 (sorry about the crappy resolution, I'm about to can photobucket right now. I really can't believe how bad these photos are looking. Anyone have an interest in any particular photo in this thread PM me and I'll send you a much better quality photo)

[Mark Allen M]

A big batch of Marauder's and Mustangs ...


December 7, 1945. Landsberg, Germany. The end of the line for 9th Air Force’s B-26’s. They were blown up here and scrapped.


I'm not sure where this is, whether still in Europe or in the US somewhere. Any ideas?

[Mark Allen M]

Another 'first' that most here already are aware of ... remembering Iwo Jima this month.


Motoyama Airfield, Iwo Jima, 1945 with the first B-29 to land there in the background.


Motoyama Airfield, Iwo Jima, 1945 with the first B-29 to land there