Both “The Cutlass could be made into a pretty good flying machine with a few modifications,” wrote F7U-3 pilot John Moore in The Wrong Stuff, about his Navy flying days. “Like a conventional tail, tripling the thrust, cutting the nosewheel strut in half, completely redoing the flight control system, and getting someone else to fly it.”
No doubt one of Mississippi's/Scouting 3's planes, but the ship in the background is either California or Tennessee
"(WW2) Bristol Beaufighters from 455 RAAF Squadron and 489 RNZAF Squadron attacking German ships. 13 aircraft can be counted in the photo. A barrage balloon can also be seen trailing from the attacked ship. The photo was taken by a turret gunner of a Beaufighter that had just completed an attack run."
can you imagine the fear onboard these ships...not a case of dropping a couple of sticks and heading off...and you also imagine the coordination needed to do this without incident...
I have a big soft spot for the beaufighter...with its under cockpit cannons it was a great design for ground attack, especially if you include bombs and rockets...and some were even equipped with Merlins...kick arse. I think the Russians could have done some damage with this...
Another favourite the Westland Whirlwind...RR Peregrine engines. Interesting "what if" Whirlwinds...Jet powered by the Germans. Even the Aussies get a guernsey...
"Life was in color too back then. RAF Flying Officer JB Burnside, flight engineer on board an Avro Lancaster B Mk III of No. 619 Squadron RAF based at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, checks settings on the control panel from his seat in the cockpit. February 1944. Color by Doug."
"Egypt. 27 September 1941. Tired but relieved Australian soldiers of the 24th Infantry Brigade, 9th Division, disembark at Alexandria, happy to have survived the Siege of Tobruk. Their war was far from over however, they would go onto fight at El Alamein, New Guinea and Borneo. (640 x 494)"