Anyone have photos of USAF F-24s

[JohnB]

No, not some follow-on to the F-22, rather the old Douglas SBD Daultless.
In reading Francillion's excellent Douglas Aircraft the other day, it said some A-24s (the USAAF designation for the type for those of you who haven't been paying attention ) were kept after the USAF was formed in 1947 and since the "A"-Attack designation was done away with, the A-24s were redesignated as fighters.

It said some were kept by the USAF until the early 1950s.

Anyone know more or have photos?

[Lon Moer]

From Wikipedia;

A handful of A-24s survived in the inventory of the USAAF long enough to be taken over by the Air Force when that service became independent of the Army in September 1947. The USAF established a new designation system for its aircraft, eliminating the "A-for-Attack" category, through 1962.

The twin-engined "A" versions were redesignated as bombers, with another Douglas Aircraft design, the A-26 Invader becoming the B-26 Invader. Most of the single-engined "A" aircraft were either classified as fighters, or scrapped. As a result, the Banshee was called the F-24 Banshee, although this aircraft was scrapped in 1950.

[Dan K]

Corrective vision version:

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcomi ... 2000571269

[JohnB]

That's the only one I've seen...any other F-24 photos out there?

Last edited by JohnB on Sat Nov 05, 2016 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[marine air]

It's interesting how many WWI and pre-WWII designs made it into the new USAF. and post war Navy. The PT-19 made it and the Waco CG-4 glider althought it was redisignated CG-15.

[John Dupre]

The Waco CG-15 was a separate though similar design. It was not a re-designated CG-4

[aerovin]

A single Douglas A-20 made it to the USAF: its record card shows a redesignation as TB-20H s/n 44-466, which was in USAF service until August 1948, then dropped from the inventory and scrapped.

[JohnB]

I started a similar thread awhile back asking for postwar shots of wartime aircraft that few made it to USAF days.

The CG-15 shots are rare, though there are some nice color photos in an old David Menard book, other than that, few.
I can't say I've seen the USAF A-20 (I guess since there was just one in service they didn't bother to redesignate it...I suspect it would have been F-20).
Also, shots of Army (or any USAF) L-4 shots seem to be rare, likewise P-61 and it seems like we keep seeing the same EZB-24 aircraft (the same one that's at the AAM at Duxford) with post 1947 markings.

and the Waco CG-4 glider although it was redesignated CG-15.

As John said, that's not accurate.
If they would have change anything post -1947, it would have been the type symbol, not the model number.
And in fact the CG designation did go away in 1947, all gliders became simply "G"...and they remain so to this day.

[Chris Brame]

Re the A(F)-24: Anybody notice this listing from Baugher? (spelling corrected)

6793 surveyed Jul 30, 1943, San Bernardino AF. Another report has this plane being converted to ZDF-24B drone and scrapped Nov 1951 at Wright Field

I'm guessing someone saw the photo and mistook the 8 for a 9 since the crew step cut through the number.

A single Douglas A-20 made it to the USAF: its record card shows a redesignation as TB-20H s/n 44-466, which was in USAF service until August 1948, then dropped from the inventory and scrapped.

Scott, did any A-20s land in Japan at the end of hostilities? My dad says he saw some there in '47 (and he knows the difference between an A-20 and an A-26).

[JohnB]

I've seen photos of an Air Transport Command CA-20J...(to transport ferry crews perhaps?), so one could have been in Japan...but probably not in 1947.
Maybe an RAAF or Dutch example?

[aerovin]

Scott, did any A-20s land in Japan at the end of hostilities? My dad says he saw some there in '47 (and he knows the difference between an A-20 and an A-26).

The 417th BG equipped with A-20s was moved from bases in Okinawa to the Itami Air Base in November 1945 as part of the occupation forces. The group was de-activatated shortly afterwards but it is quite probable the aircraft were left there and eventually scrapped on site. The 3rd BG with its A-26s were also part of the occupation forces and were still there in 1950 when the North Koreans invaded South Korea.

[Dan K]

Anyone know more or have photos?

LOL...nobody outdoes WIxers at post digression!


NOW...about that extra pic of F-24A (RF-24A? QF-24A?) 42-6783:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--qgGXtUI9AM/V ... 2%2529.jpg


And for a little more info about her you can try scrolling here:

http://replicainscale.blogspot.com/2015 ... s.html?m=1

[jdvoss]

Looking close at the enlarged photo of the F-24 could not help but note the stenciled notation "Flight Test Division, Wright Field".

JDV

[JohnB]

So we have photos of 783...was it the only one?
Perhaps the authors have it wrong, instead of suggesting that multiple A-24s survived to serve in the USAF that one survived.
Wonder what it did at Wright Field...photography, dive tests?

[Dan K]

So we have photos of 783...was it the only one?
Perhaps the authors have it wrong, instead of suggesting that multiple A-24s survived to serve in the USAF that one survived.
Wonder what it did at Wright Field...photography, dive tests?

I'm guessing Wright Field had at least two in the late 1940s.

One source (albeit online) I've seen indicates that 42-6783 was rebuilt as a QF-24A--a radio-controlled drone--and assigned the new s/n of 48-044.

Another aircraft was rebuilt as a DF-24B--a drone control aircraft--and assigned a new s/n of 48-045. Baugher does not list a previous ID for this airframe.