Spinners

Farmer all at sea

Libyan Su-22 'Fitter-F'

The Kokusai Ki-59 masquerading as the Scottish Aviation Prestwick C.1...

Fall and Rise

Mitsubishi Ki-30P - Parani Army Air Force, 1940

Mitsubishi Ki-30P 'Ann' - 4th Attack Regiment, Parani Army Air Force, 1941 Skin Credit: Charles

Boeing Blackcap Mk.I - Night Fighter Flight, No.79 Squadron, RAF Fighter Command, Munich Crisis, 1938 Skin Credit: Charles

Boeing Blackcap Mk.I - No.73 Squadron, RAF Fighter Command, 1937 Skin Credit: Charles

Handley Page Hatfield B.1 - No.216 Squadron, RAF Middle East, 1940

Handley Page Hatfield B.1 - No.7 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command, 1936

Nab him, jab him, tab him, grab him - stop that pigeon now

Douglas B-24B Mixmaster - 1 Grupo de Bombardeo, Fuerza Aérea Argentina, 1955 At the end of the Korean war the United States Air Force declared the B-42 Mixmaster to be obsolete and surplus to requirements. Despite the tense relations between the USA and Argentina during WW2 and throughout the Perón years the US Department of Defence authorised the sale of 30 B-42B's to Argentina which were delivered in two batches during early 1954 where they replaced the Fuerza Aérea Argentina's remaining Avro Lancasters and supplemented the Avro Lincoln in Fuerza Aérea Argentina service. On June 16th, 1955 two B-42B aircraft from 1 Grupo de Bombardeo operated alongside a mixed force of aircraft from the Comando de la Aviación Naval Argentina in the tragic bombing of the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires where approximately 400 civilians were killed in the largest ever aerial bombing on the Argentine mainland. The type was subsequently used by both the government and rebel forces during the 'Revolución Libertadora' coup which eventually saw Juan Perón being deposed. As late as June 1966, the B-42B's remained in operational use with a force of ten B-42B's taking part in a flypast during the official inauguration of Juan Carlos Onganía as President of Argentina following the 'Revolución Argentina' coup d'état.

I never thought I'd see those two words in the same sentence

Curtiss P-36G Hawk - 126th IAP, Soviet Air Force, Winter 1941-1942

Curtiss P-36G Hawk - 126th IAP, Soviet Air Force, 1941 Skin Credit: Charles

Generally I agree but I disagree about the Vampire. Bill Gunston (RIP) considers that of 'the big three' the UK came away with the least amount of intel but at least two of the three V-Bombers were influenced by German studies.

Douglas F-91B Skyshark - 36th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter Bomber Wing, USAF, 1953 The outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 came just one month after the first flight of the Douglas A2D Skyshark. Even before the Fall of 1950, the USAF could see that it had aircraft to suit every combat role except for the crucial close air support role where it had nothing inbetween the shiny new jets that were short on range and the F-51D Mustangs of WW2 vintage that were short on payload. A USAF evaluation team quickly studied a minimum change version of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider that was by now the backbone of the United States Navy carrier-based attack squadrons having exceptional payload ability and a very long range - indeed, some combat sorties were up to 10-hours long. However, the USAF evaluation team expressed concern that combat reports of these long-range missions constantly referred to pilots literally being dragged out of their cockpits such was their fatigue. In conclusion, the USAF evaluation team considered the A-1 Skyraider to be a good interim machine but recommended a faster follow-on aircraft that still had the A-1's exceptional payload ability. Whilst the USAF were aware of the development problems of the turbo-prop powered Douglas A2D Skyshark they considered that it was a better prospect than any clean sheet of paper project and urged the Department of Defense for more funding to fix the A2D's problems. This re-ignited the United States Navy's interest in it's own program and the resultant joint campaigning effort resulted in more funding for an ambitious accelerated program. With the USAF having withdrawn the A (attack) designation in 1947 the USAF version was confusingly designated F-91* and the prototype YF-91 (converted from the third A2D-1) first flew on July 31st, 1951. Development and testing moved ahead smoothly during the remainder of 1951 and early 1952 with an initial production batch of 12 F-91A's entering service in August 1952 with a joint-service test and evaluation squadron based near the Douglas facility at El Sugundo in California. The main production version was the F-91B which entered service in February 1953 with the 36th Fighter Bomber Squadron temporarily detached to Itazuke Air Base in Japan before deploying to Suwon Air Base, South Korea to commence combat operations in March 1953. Operating in the night attack role the 36th Fighter Bomber Squadron primarily flew bombing and strafing missions against enemy air fields but in May 1953 the 36th succesfully attacked the Kuwonga, Namsi and Taechon Dams. * There's no need to point out that there was a real F-91 (the Republic Thunderceptor) there's not many spare designations in the 'F' era before the Century Series.

Winter Hawks

I think its kg but for fuel it's virtually the same as litres (a litre of water is 1kg).

Douglas Skyshark - VC-35

BAC Broadsword GR.1 - No.13 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1990

if no one else has offered I'll take a shot at it.