Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winnah! I was just getting ready to ask why there was no love out there for the Invader and Black Widow. Two very cool and powerful planes.
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winnah! I was just getting ready to ask why there was no love out there for the Invader and Black Widow. Two very cool and powerful planes.
I agree that the P-61 Black Widow was a great looking airplane.
My dad was a flight instructor before and during the war. This photo is of him next to a Seversky P-35. It was the first single seat fighter in the U. S. Army Air Corps to feature all metal construction, retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit. As you can see, it was plug ugly and did not see much action during the war because it was quickly outdated, since it was first built in the mid 1930's.
My dad was a flight instructor before and during the war. This photo is of him next to a Seversky P-35. It was the first single seat fighter in the U. S. Army Air Corps to feature all metal construction, retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit. As you can see, it was plug ugly and did not see much action during the war because it was quickly outdated, since it was first built in the mid 1930's.
Attachments
Some of my favorite Mustang profiles:
P-51D 44-72308 WDA "Ridge Runner III" was flown by Major Pierce McKennon of the 335th Fighter Squadron based in Debden.
P-51B-15-NA Mustang 42-106942 E2-C 'Lou III', flown by the CO of the 361st FG, Col. Thomas Christian.
1st Lt. Alden Rigby flew the P-51D Mustang “Eleen and Jerry”, HO-R (44-15629), when he was assigned to the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, 8th USAAF, based at Bodney, England, in the European Theatre of Operations. He named his P-51D “Eleen and Jerry” after his wife and baby daughter. On November 27, 1944, while flying with his friend Lt. Robert Draftz, they got separated after strafing a train. Soon thereafter, he shot down his first enemy fighter, a Bf-109. On January 1, 1945, he was one of twelve pilots who flew combat during the famous “Legend of Y-29 Mission”, in which he shot down two Bf-109s and two FW-190s, becoming an Ace.
Maj. Richard A Hewitt. Lewiston NY. 82nd Fighter Squadron. P-51D 44-64147 MX-U "Big Dick". (Big Dick is the craps call for double five).
In November 1944, the 15th FG began receiving their new P-51D-20/25 Mustangs. One of three squadrons within the 15th FG was the 78th FS who were called the "Bushmasters" after a very poisonous snake from Central America. On April 7, 1944 Maj. James Tapp flying his P-51D "Margaret IV" (named after his wife), had 3 confirmed kills and on April 12, 1944 he scored again. This made Tapp the first USAAF pilot to become an ace while flying over Japan. Major Tapp's final tally was 8 confirmed and 2 damaged. Six of his victories came while flying "Margaret IV".
Famed 4th Fighter group ace Lt Johnny Godfrey scored kills in both P-47s and P-51s. He scored 18 victories with the famed 4th Fighter Group. December 1, 1943 - John Godfrey got his first kill, a Bf-109, in a fairly uneventful bomber escort mission to Solingen, Germany. March 8, 1944 - The Group was again back to Berlin. They found the B-17s near Gardelegen, Germany and relieved the escorting P-47s. The first German attack was by Bf-109s and was intercepted with 3 enemy aircraft destroyed. Then 60 plus approached and attacked in pairs and groups of four. Combat raged all over. Several B-17s went down and parachutes dotted the sky. Most of the Group got trapped east of Berlin and forced the pilots to fly onto Russia. This was the first time that Don Gentile and John Godfrey teamed up. They knocked down six between them, making Godfrey an ace. This also tied Gentile with Duane Beeson at 14 and began their famous scoring race. Godfrey died of Lou Gehrig's disease in 1958.
The P-51B of Maj. Duane "Bee" Beason, 334th FS, 4th FG.
This P-51 is not the famous "Old Crow" flown by ace Bud Anderson. This profile is of the very first "Old Crow" which was lost on a combat mission with Alfred Boyle at the controls.
The P-51B "Short Fuse Sallee" of Capt. Richard Turner, 356th FS, 354th FG, 9th AF.
P-51D 44-72308 WDA "Ridge Runner III" was flown by Major Pierce McKennon of the 335th Fighter Squadron based in Debden.
P-51B-15-NA Mustang 42-106942 E2-C 'Lou III', flown by the CO of the 361st FG, Col. Thomas Christian.
1st Lt. Alden Rigby flew the P-51D Mustang “Eleen and Jerry”, HO-R (44-15629), when he was assigned to the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, 8th USAAF, based at Bodney, England, in the European Theatre of Operations. He named his P-51D “Eleen and Jerry” after his wife and baby daughter. On November 27, 1944, while flying with his friend Lt. Robert Draftz, they got separated after strafing a train. Soon thereafter, he shot down his first enemy fighter, a Bf-109. On January 1, 1945, he was one of twelve pilots who flew combat during the famous “Legend of Y-29 Mission”, in which he shot down two Bf-109s and two FW-190s, becoming an Ace.
Maj. Richard A Hewitt. Lewiston NY. 82nd Fighter Squadron. P-51D 44-64147 MX-U "Big Dick". (Big Dick is the craps call for double five).
In November 1944, the 15th FG began receiving their new P-51D-20/25 Mustangs. One of three squadrons within the 15th FG was the 78th FS who were called the "Bushmasters" after a very poisonous snake from Central America. On April 7, 1944 Maj. James Tapp flying his P-51D "Margaret IV" (named after his wife), had 3 confirmed kills and on April 12, 1944 he scored again. This made Tapp the first USAAF pilot to become an ace while flying over Japan. Major Tapp's final tally was 8 confirmed and 2 damaged. Six of his victories came while flying "Margaret IV".
Famed 4th Fighter group ace Lt Johnny Godfrey scored kills in both P-47s and P-51s. He scored 18 victories with the famed 4th Fighter Group. December 1, 1943 - John Godfrey got his first kill, a Bf-109, in a fairly uneventful bomber escort mission to Solingen, Germany. March 8, 1944 - The Group was again back to Berlin. They found the B-17s near Gardelegen, Germany and relieved the escorting P-47s. The first German attack was by Bf-109s and was intercepted with 3 enemy aircraft destroyed. Then 60 plus approached and attacked in pairs and groups of four. Combat raged all over. Several B-17s went down and parachutes dotted the sky. Most of the Group got trapped east of Berlin and forced the pilots to fly onto Russia. This was the first time that Don Gentile and John Godfrey teamed up. They knocked down six between them, making Godfrey an ace. This also tied Gentile with Duane Beeson at 14 and began their famous scoring race. Godfrey died of Lou Gehrig's disease in 1958.
The P-51B of Maj. Duane "Bee" Beason, 334th FS, 4th FG.
This P-51 is not the famous "Old Crow" flown by ace Bud Anderson. This profile is of the very first "Old Crow" which was lost on a combat mission with Alfred Boyle at the controls.
The P-51B "Short Fuse Sallee" of Capt. Richard Turner, 356th FS, 354th FG, 9th AF.
P-51 and then the F8F Bearcat for me, but i'd buy a Bearcat before a P-51 if given the shot. All of them are pretty fantastic for their time though and even better today
try to Spend some time at the EAA or WWII events, those gents and ladies are passing away or getting the evil Di/Ahlz word.......history that is critical to learn from and honor.
Having had the greatest honor of private conversations with a P-51 triple ace, simply incredible stories and something I regret not videotaping....
try to Spend some time at the EAA or WWII events, those gents and ladies are passing away or getting the evil Di/Ahlz word.......history that is critical to learn from and honor.
Having had the greatest honor of private conversations with a P-51 triple ace, simply incredible stories and something I regret not videotaping....
