WWII Fighter Planes

[wildbears]

[955i]

Nice line-up there, Bears. I was set to ride in a MK VIII Spitrire about 20 years ago. A Royal Air Force heritage flight pilot FORGOT TO LOWER THE UNDERCARRIAGE on landing 2 weeks before my flight. It took about 5 years to get it back together. The prop was a HUGE deal, in that it was made of wood and recreating that was not easy. Bummer.

[wildbears]

There was a WWII plane air show at the Rickenbacker airfield about 10 years ago. I was riding my K12RS on the way there on a country road and a squadron of Mustangs flew overhead at low altitude. Very impressive. Visually and sound wise.

[955i]

In WWII my dad was the head Engineering Officer for the 1st Squadron, 2nd Air Commando Group. They operated P-51 B's, C;s, and D's in India and Burma. He told me every day was like an airshow with those guys. It just wasn't a proper landing if the pilot didn't buzz the ramp first.

[wildbears]

My dad flew C-47s over the hump in WWII along the silver trail. He told a story about buzzing the poles/towers of the Taj Mahal in a P-51. And as I recall, got reprimanded for it. Second from left, first row. Our dads probably knew each other.

[Susan]

Great pic! They were the Greatest Generation. My dad didn't fly a plane but he was in the Pacific Theater from 1942 - 1945.

[wildbears]

My father and mother got married in Lubbock TX after he graduated from flight school. The pic is of his graduating class. No wedding ring yet.

[wildbears]

"The Silver Trail"

This refers to the aircraft carcasses left along the route over the Himalayas from India to China during WWII.

Some 600 American transport planes are estimated to have crashed in the remote region, killing at least 1,500 airmen and passengers during a remarkable and often-forgotten 42-month-long World War Two military operation in India. Among the casualties were American and Chinese pilots, radio operators and soldiers.

Also see: https://lyonairmuseum.org/blog/flyin...ns%20in%20July.

[955i]

Bears, the Air Commandos were a specialized force that was meant to follow closely upon the advances of the infantry. By being very close to the front lines, the theory was that airsupport would be immediately available, air superiority of the battlefield could be establiished, and long raids into enemy territory could develop any time, Thus the air Commandos were completely air mobile with their own transports, both C-47's and C-46's. They had a few AT-6s and and quite a few L-5's(?) for low level recon and photo work. (I'm unsure off hand if they were L-5's or 4's or some other designation - whatever, they were slow and low Piper Cub looking things). I think they also had a couple of B-25's that were not part of their offical group, but was with them at various times.

They started in 1943 in India and fought up north for a while (around Imphal?), but ended up working their way down the coast to Burma and Rangoon. They completely dominated Japanese air assets early on and did mainly ground support. My dad was not a pilot then, but was the engineering officer. At the conclusion of every mission, he, the flight surgeon, the recon officer, and another officer interviewed and debrief every pilot on the mission. The debriefers ended up knowing much more about what happened on the mission than any single pilot. They'd splice all the gun camera film together and have movie night with the pilots in the officers club.

Interestingly, the mechanics, who were great, did only routine maintenance on the P-51's and repaired battle damage to the airframe. If an engine was even a bit questionable, they pulled it and replaced it. They had crates and crates of brand new Packard Merlins on hand. Plus, they had a Packard rep and a Rolls-Royce rep on site all the time.

[wildbears]

The ATC did not have any fighter planes. So to get access to a Mustang P51, my father or someone had to work with the Air Commandos.

The operations in India grew to be quite large. By the end of the war the ATC Division had increased from 369 to 722 aircraft and personnel numbers from 26,000 to more than 84,000, including 4,400 pilots. Didn't realize how many personnel were there just for the ATC operation.

I believe I read somewhere that the Air Commandos provided escort defense for the ATC transport planes at least some of the time.

[wildbears]

Jay Leno's repurposed Merlin aircraft engine....

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9mRDMP1c4fQ