Post amazingly cool pictures of aircraft (Volume 2)
Discussion
Ayahuasca said:
Ah, you mean the one in the foreground? Are you sure it is not a Sea Hornet PR22? or even a Hornet PR2?
Honestly? I don't know. But someone asked about which variant of the P-38 that was, and then it kinda got left behind by some unrelated posts. I just wanted to bump it back up again so we might get an answer.I suspect it may be a one-off 'special' chase plane used for filming test flying with other aircraft. Or possibly a prototype. But why would you want a prototype of a P-38 with a bomb aimer's position in the nose - the USAAF had plenty of medium tactical bombers that were already pretty effective in the role, and the P-38 was more important as a fighter.
yellowjack said:
Honestly? I don't know. But someone asked about which variant of the P-38 that was, and then it kinda got left behind by some unrelated posts. I just wanted to bump it back up again so we might get an answer.
I suspect it may be a one-off 'special' chase plane used for filming test flying with other aircraft. Or possibly a prototype. But why would you want a prototype of a P-38 with a bomb aimer's position in the nose - the USAAF had plenty of medium tactical bombers that were already pretty effective in the role, and the P-38 was more important as a fighter.
Both aircraft in the picture were in civilian use at the time for aerial survey. So it's possible the P38 was further modified even assuming it was a reconnaissance version to start with. I suspect it may be a one-off 'special' chase plane used for filming test flying with other aircraft. Or possibly a prototype. But why would you want a prototype of a P-38 with a bomb aimer's position in the nose - the USAAF had plenty of medium tactical bombers that were already pretty effective in the role, and the P-38 was more important as a fighter.
The operator was Spartan Air Services, I've just posted a video in the footage thread.
Edited by Dr Jekyll on Friday 13th October 20:33
As stated it's a Lockheed Lightning F5 ie the PR variant.
http://www.aero-relic.org/English/F-5A_42-13286_We...
http://www.aero-relic.org/English/F-5A_42-13286_We...
And it's a DH Sea Hornet F.20 - serial number TT193.
Taken on by the RCAF Winter Experimental Establishment in 1948, it was sold rather than shipped back to the UK when struck off charge in 1950.
It was the only Hornet to see civilian service, with Spartan Air Service, as registration number CF-GUO.
Their plan was to do photographic survey work with it, but then standardised their fleet to P-38s. I'd suggest that this photo was taken while it belonged to Spartan, alongside one of their survey P-38s.
An 'Aero Surveys' P-38...
'Spartan Air Service' Mosquito and Lancaster...
'TT193' while on RCAF charge, cold weather evaluation work...
'Cartwright Aerial Surveys' P-38...
Seems like I shot myself in the foot with previous comments. Likely not a P-38 but an F-5. And plenty of glazed-nose conversions of P-38J/L models with Norden bomb sights or bombing radar to guide formations of unmodified P-38s to targets and bomb en masse on cue from the converted 'pathfinder' aircraft.
Chasing around after info on the Hornet and the Lightning I've learned a whole load of new stuff. I don't know about every day, but today was certainly a "school day"...
I love how the Aerial Survey industry in post-war Canada seems to have been responsible for the survival of so many WWII aircraft way beyond the point where the military would have scrapped the lot and then wondered why there were none left.
I bloomin' love this thread!
Edit - it seems that while I've been reading interesting stuff, and savouring cool photos of Lightnings and Hornets elsewhere on the internet, some better-informed people than me have answered the question anyway. This thread is so much better than the squabbly ones elsewhere on PH.
Taken on by the RCAF Winter Experimental Establishment in 1948, it was sold rather than shipped back to the UK when struck off charge in 1950.
It was the only Hornet to see civilian service, with Spartan Air Service, as registration number CF-GUO.
Their plan was to do photographic survey work with it, but then standardised their fleet to P-38s. I'd suggest that this photo was taken while it belonged to Spartan, alongside one of their survey P-38s.
An 'Aero Surveys' P-38...
'Spartan Air Service' Mosquito and Lancaster...
'TT193' while on RCAF charge, cold weather evaluation work...
'Cartwright Aerial Surveys' P-38...
Seems like I shot myself in the foot with previous comments. Likely not a P-38 but an F-5. And plenty of glazed-nose conversions of P-38J/L models with Norden bomb sights or bombing radar to guide formations of unmodified P-38s to targets and bomb en masse on cue from the converted 'pathfinder' aircraft.
Chasing around after info on the Hornet and the Lightning I've learned a whole load of new stuff. I don't know about every day, but today was certainly a "school day"...
I love how the Aerial Survey industry in post-war Canada seems to have been responsible for the survival of so many WWII aircraft way beyond the point where the military would have scrapped the lot and then wondered why there were none left.
I bloomin' love this thread!
Edit - it seems that while I've been reading interesting stuff, and savouring cool photos of Lightnings and Hornets elsewhere on the internet, some better-informed people than me have answered the question anyway. This thread is so much better than the squabbly ones elsewhere on PH.
Edited by yellowjack on Friday 13th October 21:03
JeremyH5 said:
Eric Mc said:
This could be called a Messerlin too -
I haven't seen that before, does anyone know the story to it? Wartime test by Germany? Post war amusement?
https://defenceoftherealm.wordpress.com/2014/11/17...
Ayahuasca said:
I bet things got a little exciting if a Mossie, Hornet or P38 experienced an engine failure on takeof.
Which is why the Sea Mosquito was binned and why the Mosquito was banned from entering civil service post WWII (despite the fact that BOAC had flown Mossies during WWII).
Hornets, with their "Shag-Rats" and some "Broadsides on a stick"...in action 1958 Malaya
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/r-a-f-fighter-s...
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/r-a-f-fighter-s...
Edited by Stickyfinger on Friday 13th October 22:40
Fastdruid said:
Thanks, it confirms my first thought that it might have been a wartime German test. And I now know how to reverse lookup an image, obvious when you're shown how. Double thanks!Spotted this on twitter today (posted by the UK Defence Journal).
https://twitter.com/UKDefJournal/status/9192110322...
Israeli F-15s over Auschwitz.
https://twitter.com/UKDefJournal/status/9192110322...
Israeli F-15s over Auschwitz.
Interesting article, with some cool pics of the YF-23A
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/exclusive-yf-23a-t...
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/exclusive-yf-23a-t...
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