Classic Airplanes

[Flewis]

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Fat, ugly, and slow, but the P-47 was the airplane you wanted to see overhead if you were a ground pounder in late 1944.
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Rockets, bombs, and 8 .50 caliber machine guns. This airplane was a BRUTE of a Fighter Bomber.
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..and an engine and airframe that could take an unbelievable amount of damage and still stay in the air.

Reread the specs as one version, the M I think went 504 mph.

 

[cajunchefray]

Can't bear the sound of the Battle of Britain Memorial flight going over....spitfire..hurricane and Lancaster.....and couple others....

https://www.raf.mod.uk/display-teams/battle-of-britain-memorial-flight/

The sound of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, even when built by the yanks at Packard in Michigan in a P-51 is unique, the sound of freedom.
As a kid in high school working at the local airport, the sound of an approaching P-51 was special.
Just want to hear that sound from Supermarine Spitfires in the UK.

An FG-1D Corsair (Goodyear) is special too, many pictures taken in Lafayette La in the early 1980s at CAF airshows.
The sound of the Pratt Whitney R-2800 radial engine denotes American military might.

 

[Ryeboy86]

I'm gonna bring up one that is often forgotten.. The Bristol Beaufighter!! A GREAT ground attack aircraft and night fighter. If i recall correctly.. It had 6x .303 Machine guns and 4x 20mm Hispano Canons. Also had the Bristol Hercules engines!

 

[Ryeboy86]

Nothing like a P51 Mustang. I got some time in one of the few with duel controls, Crazy Hourse in Kissimmee Fl. One of the high lights of my long flying career. Also love the Corsair and the P38!
The B17 and the A26 are my favorite bombers

The P-51 is an amazing aircraft! But to me the sound of a radial is so dang sexy..

 

[Ryeboy86]

My buddy’s father in law was a B-58 Hustler pilot during the Cold War. Lots of crazy stories he has…

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Super sonic, long range nuclear bomber.

Ed Z

That aircraft set so many records that still haven't been broken..

 

[skydiver386]

Reread the specs as one version, the M I think went 504 mph.

True, but in the ground attack role loaded with bombs, rockets and the whole 9 yards of .50 caliber ammo, it was lucky to do 400. All up weight in that configuration was over 8 tons.

 

[BryceM]

There were a ton of gorgeous and outstanding planes in WWII, but for me the pinnacle will always be the P-51. I had the opportunity many years ago to take a ride in Bob Hoover's old plane, Old Yeller. It lives in Idaho now. I got maybe a 30 minute ride from the new owner. We did Cuban 8's. Immelmans, barrel rolls, everything. Everything. Pulled 4gs. Did some high-speed passes at low altitude. I can still remember almost every detail. It's still painted as he had it, from its Reno Air Race glory days.

I still remember the way the entire airframe torqued a bit when we hit the power for takeoff. The Packard V-1650 Merlin engine with 1,400 hp is a beast. Once airborne, it was smooooooth as silk. Easily one of my top 5 memories.

 

[Doug3006]

Even though it’s still in service, the F-15 is a classic. Originally designed in 1968, it has a perfect 104-0 record. The newest variant, the F-15 EX Eagle II, is just now entering production. It is not stealthy, but it is a missile truck with no equals.

 

[Flewis]

True, but in the ground attack role loaded with bombs, rockets and the whole 9 yards of .50 caliber ammo, it was lucky to do 400. All up weight in that configuration was over 8 tons.

Yes, up high P51 down low P47.

 

[IdaRam]

So many great aircraft, so hard to choose just one as a favorite. I’m biased toward the P-38, but I love them all.
A few vintage photos from dad’s photo album. He flew P-38’s out of Foggia Italy in WWII.
96th FS, 82nd FG

 

[Tex .416]

Not mentioned so far, the DC-3 merits a mention of iconic planes of the WW2 era.

 

[skydiver386]

Not mentioned so far, the DC-3 merits a mention of iconic planes of the WW2 era.

A superb aircraft for it's day. Most of us love the fighters, but the transport's like the DC-3 were the reason others could do what they did.

 

[Ryeboy86]

Not mentioned so far, the DC-3 merits a mention of iconic planes of the WW2 era.

Also its counterpart.. The Curtis C-46 Commando! Extensively used to cross the "Hump" in the Asian theater

 

[Franco]

@Red Leg, etc. we touched on the ships with the Allison V12

When or if anyone can, I'm looking for the finest classic planes of WWII era. there was a personal favorite I can't recall. I'm networking with an enthusiast I'd like to share ..

Thank you & to all that served this country.

Dan,
Are you thinking of the P-38? This is a picture of me in Putt-Putt Maru, taken over Galveston in the 90's. The photographer, Bill Crump, was in the tail of a B-25 flown by my good friend Mike Burke. I was joining up on him for a photo shoot.

The P-38 and the P-40 were the most famous of the Allison powered fighters. I believe A model Mustangs had the Allison, I never flew one - I did fly the D model which was powered by Rolls Royce.

 

[Daniel Cary]

Dan,
Are you thinking of the P-38? This is a picture of me in Putt-Putt Maru, taken over Galveston in the 90's. The photographer, Bill Crump, was in the tail of a B-25 flown by my good friend Mike Burke. I was joining up on him for a photo shoot.
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The P-38 and the P-40 were the most famous of the Allison powered fighters. I believe A model Mustangs had the Allison, I never flew one - I did fly the D model which was powered by Rolls Royce.

That's it! It's a personal fav.
Converse with a woman, who's father served & loves his ships. I immediately came here.

I sent this. She quoted, I believe it was built in honor of a veteran who sadly passed away before it was delivered. I look forward to sharing your story & photo with him, respectively.

 

[BFaucett]

Lockheed C-69 Constellation - "California to Washington D.C." - 1944


Lockheed C-69 Constellation

Lockheed C-69 Constellation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Lockheed C-121 Constellation

Lockheed C-121 Constellation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Lockheed Constellation

Lockheed Constellation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

A Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation ("Super G") from the 1950s

TWA Lockheed L-1049 Constellation - "Sally Flies to New York!" - 1956

Cheers! Bob F.

 

[BFaucett]

North American B-25J "Old Glory"

Little ol' me


The view from the tail gunner's position while in flight:

Model: B-25J-15-NC
Serial Number: 44-28938
FAA Registration: N7946C
Mfg. Plant: Fairfax - Kansas City, Kansas
Completion Date: August 9, 1944
Delivery Date: August 11, 1944

North American B-25 Mitchell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_B-25_Mitchell

The photos are from 2002. (Where has the time gone?)

Cheers! Bob F.

 

[Sideshow]

Lancaster bomber. Such a great plane. If you ever come to England try this.

The only place in the UK where you can ride in a Lancaster Bomber - Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre -Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre

Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Museum is based on a 1940's RAF Lancaster Bomber Airfield. The only place in the UK you can enjoy a taxy ride experience in an RAF Avro Lancaster bomber

www.lincsaviation.co.uk

The humble hawker hurricane great plane!

“For every two Luftwaffe aircraft shot down by a Spitfire, the Hurricane accounted for three – in fact, during the Battle of Britain, more German aircraft were shot down by Hurricanes than by all of Britain’s other defences combined.“
Have a read of this! CAM ships. Those were some very brave pilots!

CAM ship - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

When living in Earl’s Court London in the mid 2000s it was always nice to see this coming into Heathrow Concorde

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

The last of the Spitfires, the Mk22/24. Pure perfection. The Southern Rhodesian airforce had the 22 squadron equipped with these and there is a survivor in the Gweru war museum. I also saw one at the war museum in Perth, Australia.

 

[spike.t]

P-51, P-38, and F4U Corsair or great American fighters. The Spitfire and Hurricane along with the mighty Lancaster were British Icons - and let’s also give credit that the Roles Royce engine made the P-51 a war winner when it replaced the Allison.

So how about the classics on the other side.

The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" came as a nasty and humbling surprise when it rammed its way into allied consciousness on December 7, 1941. For the next year and a half it largely ruled the Pacific skies until the arrival of the F6F Hellcat, Corsair, and P-38. It was flown by all of Japan's leading aces.
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The Messerschmidt BF-109 (called ME-109 by the allies) was the quintessential Luftwaffe fighter of the war. It was Eric Hartmann's aircraft in which he became the highest scoring ace of World War II with 352 kills. The aircraft ironically soldiered on after the war in a not entirely satisfactory re-engined version serving in the new Israeli Air Force. Total production surpassed 34,000 aircraft in all variants.
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When Israel flew Nazi Planes

Just how did the post-war Israeli air force end up equipping its first fighter squadrons with the famous Nazi warplane the Me-109s? - HeritageDaily - Archaeology News

www.heritagedaily.com

Also were this variant they used in the film battle of Britain.....

THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN - The making of the movie - BF-109s