[Llarry]

Among the many thorny logistics problems of the Pacific theater in World War II was the problem of getting smaller combat aircraft from the USA to the fight. A frequent solution was the transport of Army Air Forces aircraft on Navy aircraft carriers to the forward areas.

Here's a deck load of P-38 Lightnings and P-47 Thunderbolts on their way to the fight on a Navy escort carrier. Note that the P-38s have had their outer wings removed for the trip.

[Llarry]

Marine Corps Fighter Attack Squadron 242 "Bats" operates from the Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan.

Modern combat aircraft tend to have very plain paint schemes; it's good to see that VMFA-242 has a large bat painted on the upper surfaces of the F-35B.

[Josh-PA]

I figured I could add some content thanks to my Dad. He flew helicopters in Vietnam and, luckily, made it home and turned it into a career w/ more than 15,000 hours of rotor wing flying time. These are some random pictures of the Cobras, Hueys, and other Helicopters he was flying over there.

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by Josh-PA

I figured I could add some content thanks to my Dad.

Great historical pictures!

[Lady Jane]

Mum arrived 17 minutes early from Montreal in a spiffy Airbus A-220, formerly Bombardier CS series. She said she had really nice breakfast in business class. She likes her comfort.

https://simpleflying.com/bombardier-...s-airbus-a220/
https://simpleflying.com/bombardier-...nsition-story/

Here's a pic of the aircraft in retro livery.

[M-technik-3]

Good to see Mum's flying in class!

[Llarry]

The Lockheed Constellation/Super Constellation was a great design but in airline use was deficient in cargo capacity. Lockheed rose to the challenge with what they called the Speedpak, a cargo pod mounted to the belly of the airplane.

[asianF22]

Meant to post this the other day, brand new 2024 Sling…

[Llarry]

A few pages ago, I posted about the Vought F4U and Grumman F7F and F8F, which were the last piston-engine U.S. Navy and Marine Corps fighters. There was a UK counterpart that also featured up-to-date technology and excellent performance: The Hawker Sea Fury.

The Hawker Fury started as a successor to the Typhoon and Tempest fighters of World War II. Development began in 1942 and the aircraft first flew in early 1945. But with the European war clearly about to end and limited funds, the Royal Air Force cancelled a buy of Furies. The Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, however, took over purchases of the airplane as the Sea Fury, which became the standard shipboard fighter of the late 1940s. The Netherlands and the Royal Australian and Canadian Navies also bought Sea Furies, as did the Iraqi Air Force.

Powered by the powerful sleeve-valve Bristol Centaurus air-cooled radial engine, the Sea Fury was among the highest-performing aircraft of the period. Like its American counterparts, the Sea Fury soon found itself outclassed by jet aircraft but remained in service as an excellent fighter-bomber.

While most Sea Furies were single-seaters, there were also a few two-seat training versions delivered.

After the RN Fleet Air Arm retired their Sea Furies, several smaller countries put them into service: Pakistan, Burma and Cuba all operated Sea Furies in later years.

Like the American aircraft, the speedy Sea Fury has found a place long after retirement in air racing. In many cases, the original Bristol engine has been replaced by an American Wright R-3350 radial, which is about the same size but easier to find parts for.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Llarry

A few pages ago, I posted about the Vought F4U and Grumman F7F and F8F, which were the last piston-engine U.S. Navy and Marine Corps fighters. There was a UK counterpart that also featured up-to-date technology and excellent performance: The Hawker Sea Fury.

Continuing my posts on ultimate piston-engine fighters, there was a Soviet counterpart as well: The Lavochkin La-9 (NATO codename Fritz). As is usually the case, there are very few decent-quality photos available of this airplane, but a single example is in the USA and so nice photos are available of "White 28" below.

The La-9 was the latest of the Lavochkin radial-engine fighters (La-5 and then La-7) and first flew in 1946. Over 1,500 were built in 1946-48. The La-9 was heavily armed with four 23mm cannon. Eventually some were provided to China and North Korea and La-9s were also flown by East Germany and Romania.

The final iteration of the Lavochkin series was the La-11 (NATO Fang) which omitted one cannon in the interest of lighter weight. Over 1,200 were delivered and La-11s served into the 1960s in China and North Korea.

These fighters were responsible for the shootdown of a number of American aircraft during the early postwar period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin_La-9

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavochkin_La-11

[Llarry]

Last but certainly not least in my series of posts on advanced piston-engine fighters come the final fighters of the type in the U.S. Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force.

In the closing days of World War II, the AAF had standardized on two main single-engine fighter types: The North American P-51D Mustang and the Republic P-47N Thunderbolt heavy fighter. Both companies had experimented with improved performance versions, but Republic had not developed an improved Thunderbolt after the N variant. North American, on the other hand, had flown experimental lightweight versions of the Mustang -- the XP-51F and XP-51G. These tests resulted in large orders for an improved Mustang, the P-51H that stressed light weight and overall improvements. The end of the war caught up to North American and the P-51 and resulted in massive contract cancellations; only 555 P-51Hs were built and none saw combat, but it can be said to be the ultimate AAF single piston-engine fighter.

The old saying has it that the military is always fighting the last war and the experience in World War II led the AAF to develop a long-range escort fighter for strategic bombing campaigns. North American responded to the challenge with an innovative approach: The XP-82 Twin Mustang. The Twin Mustang was essentially two P-51Hs with lengthened fuselages and joined together with a wing and horizontal stabilizer and elevator. Fuel capacity was increased substantially and P-82s were ordered to equip fighter escort units. The end of the war brought those plans to a halt and the number built was just 100 production P-82Es, which were redesignated F-82E in 1948 as the USAF gained its independence from the Army.

F-51Ds were used extensively in the Korean War 1950-53. It has always struck me as odd that the F-47N -- more capable in ground attack and arguably more rugged -- was not the choice.

There the Twin Mustang line would have ended but the beginning of the Cold War and the appearance in the USSR of the Tupolev Tu-4 (NATO Bull) -- a copy of the Boeing B-29 heavy bomber -- prompted concern over air defenses in the U.S. and Allied nations. The F-82 was re-purposed as a radar equipped all-weather (night) fighter and in that form served the new USAF. About 150 F-82Fs, Gs and Hs, differing in radar details, were produced and served in both the U.S. and overseas. In 1950, USAF F-82s based in Japan engaged in combat when North Korea invaded the South. While they did well, it was clear that an all-weather jet fighter was required and the F-82s did not last long.

A large number of P-51s fly today as warbirds. To my knowledge, none of the P-51Hs still fly. A few years ago, I heard of an F-82 being restored to flying status but have not seen anything come out of that project.

[Lady Jane]

Just taking the view from the back of a C-130.

[Llarry]

In an unfortunate incident, a F-18F Super Hornet of VFA-11 "Red Rippers" was shot down in the Red Sea by a U.S. missile cruiser. The aircraft was operating from the carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and the cruiser was assigned to the Truman carrier group. Luckily both crewmembers ejected and survived. I'm sure there will be an extensive investigation on how this happened.

[Llarry]

The U.S. Air Force's combat search and rescue helicopter forces are closing in on completion of replacement. The HH-60G Pave Hawk -- delivered in the 1980s-90s -- is being replacing by new HH-60W Jolly Green II aircraft. To my untutored eye, the two look alike, but the new Ws have improved performance.

The first photo is of an HH-60G and the second is of an HH-60W. In both photos, the helicopters belong to the 56th Rescue Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy.

[M-technik-3]

They have already killed off production on it and bought less than originally planned. Seems very short sighted as normal. Been a very good multirole unit the 60 has been, The reason behind it was more Osprey and we know how well that thing is doing.

[Gritty]

Walk through on the companies new Bombardier Gobal. Cheers

[vreihen16]

Still in bubble wrap! I can sniff the new plane smell from here.....

[flybigjet]

I jump seated on one a 737 DEN-SEA today since I'm going to 737 requal the day after Christmas.

LOTS of rust knocked off, but things started coming back a lot quicker (and in more depth) than I thought they would.

**REALLY** glad I got to watch a crew operate a leg before hitting the sim, though!

R.

[Llarry]

Here's an interesting recent test aircraft called the EcoPulse. The airplane is based on the Daher (formerly SOCATA) TBM single-engine turboprop but incorporates a hybrid turbine-electric propulsion/control system with six electric motors/propellors. The aircraft completed 50 test flights totaling about 100 flight hours and was completed by a Daher, Safran and Airbus consortium.

[JJ 911SC]

.

[M-technik-3]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Here's an interesting recent test aircraft called the EcoPulse. The airplane is based on the Daher (formerly SOCATA) TBM single-engine turboprop but incorporates a hybrid turbine-electric propulsion/control system with six electric motors/propellors. The aircraft completed 50 test flights totaling about 100 flight hours and was completed by a Daher, Safran and Airbus consortium.

Turbine powered for take off and landings with electric at cruise?

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Turbine powered for take off and landings with electric at cruise?

I haven't seen any info; I suspect the turbine runs for the entire flight.