"Why aren't you up there helping!??" ...

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7822

... "hey! I don't fix em, I just fly em!" ... "care for some wine and cheese!?" ...

Per request,
Part one

RCAF Mosquito of one of Greenwood Squadrons. 413, 415, 405, 404.

Men of an RAF Repair and Salvage Unit working on a damaged Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX of No 403 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, at a forward airstrip in Normandy.

Maintenance men overhaul the Marine B-26 'Sun Down' at the 13th Air Depot Group, Tontouta Air Base in Noumea, New Caledonia. 20 July 1943.

An F4U-1C Corsair figter aircraft undergoes maintenance on an Okinawa based US airfield near the end of World War Two.

A Martin B-26 Marauder at a post-World War II Air France mechanics' training school.

Supermarine Spitfire receiving an engine change in the field.

303rd Bomb Group B-17 engine maintenance 1943.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7822

Part 2

P-38 guns reloading

13th AF P-38 'Pluto'

Hawker Hurricane Mk I of No. 601 Squadron RAF being serviced at dispersal at Exeter, November 1940.

F6F-5 'Minsi II' belonging to the CAG Essex Air Group Commander, CDR. David McCampbelll, USN

5th Air Force Crews Work on P-39 Airacobra Garbutt Field, Australia 1943 II

Combatmech · **Joined:** Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:09 pm **Posts:** 116

Awesome as always Mark!!! Great stuff!! :drink3:

Snake45 · **Joined:** Sat Apr 05, 2014 5:49 pm **Posts:** 864

I thought this was going to be a thread about a commonly seen model diorama: An airplane with one or more panels off, perhaps partially disassembled in some way, and in the scene, a pilot figure, complete with helmet and strapped-on parachute, ready to go!

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Sun Oct 27, 2019 5:46 pm

How do you tell the difference between a Pilot and a Jet ?

The jet quits whining when it gets to the airport ....

myteaquinn · **Joined:** Tue May 24, 2011 6:46 pm **Posts:** 112

It is really hard to imagine the difficulty of trying to maintain aircraft under those conditions. A job well done to all.

lucky52 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 27, 2019 8:52 pm

Did the Brits use wooden props on all the spitfires?

airnutz · **Posted:** Sun Oct 27, 2019 8:59 pm

Matt Gunsch wrote:

How do you tell the difference between a Pilot and a Jet ?

The jet quits whining when it gets to the airport ....

"Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be a pilot!", "Don't be silly Son, you can't do both!"

mastaphixa · **Joined:** Tue Nov 13, 2012 7:38 pm **Posts:** 35

Great stuff Mark. These are a plastic modelers dream. In the image of CDR. David McCampbelll's Hellcat, what is the device hung between the prop hub and the engine? I'm guessing it has something to do with the gun sight, but I may be wrong.

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Mon Oct 28, 2019 8:06 am

mastaphixa wrote:

Great stuff Mark. These are a plastic modelers dream. In the image of CDR. David McCampbelll's Hellcat, what is the device hung between the prop hub and the engine? I'm guessing it has something to do with the gun sight, but I may be wrong.

It is for bore sighting the guns

Combatmech · **Joined:** Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:09 pm **Posts:** 116

mastaphixa wrote:

Great stuff Mark. These are a plastic modelers dream. In the image of CDR. David McCampbelll's Hellcat, what is the device hung between the prop hub and the engine? I'm guessing it has something to do with the gun sight, but I may be wrong.

Typical Navy mech.....the bucket for a maintenance stand. Love it!!

Firebird · **Posted:** Mon Oct 28, 2019 10:20 am

myteaquinn wrote:

It is really hard to imagine the difficulty of trying to maintain aircraft under those conditions. A job well done to all.

Indeed.

That last but one of the P-39 with just about everything stripped off of it with that pilot standing near the fitter with what looks like a giant steam cleaner nozzle in his hand is astonishing, especially being done outside as well. Unless its one deemed as a non-flyer and has been cherry-picked for spares?

airnutz · **Posted:** Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:17 pm

Firebird wrote:

myteaquinn wrote:

It is really hard to imagine the difficulty of trying to maintain aircraft under those conditions. A job well done to all.

Indeed.

That last but one of the P-39 with just about everything stripped off of it with that pilot standing near the fitter with what looks like a giant steam cleaner nozzle in his hand is astonishing, especially being done outside as well. Unless its one deemed as a non-flyer and has been cherry-picked for spares?

Yes Firebird, it looks like he's steaming the goo out of the engine bay. Note the lines coming out of the wing root and the nose gun/gearbox bay appear to have the ends taped off or bagged. Pretty anal retento for something just being stripped down to become a parts hulk. All being performed out in the open. Looks like it may fly again. What a job!

4RG.I.'S · **Posted:** Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:21 pm

It is interesting to see the Spitfire getting the engine change. It being coded Y2*K, of which there is a current Spitfire painted.

Aeronut · **Posted:** Mon Oct 28, 2019 4:04 pm

The Mosquito in the first photo looks like its new. Its remarkably clean and there are no Squadron codes on the fuselage. Is it undergoing a Squadron acceptance inspection?

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