Archive for December, 2009
Beriev Be-12 Chayka
December 31, 2009 6:00 am
The Beriev Be-12 Chayka (”Seagull”, NATO reporting name: Mail) is a Soviet twin-turboprop-powered amphibious anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft.
The Beriev Be-12 is development of the Beriev Be-6 flying boat whose primary roles were as an anti-submarine and maritime patrol bomber aircraft. Though tracing its origins to the Be-6, the Be-12 inherited little more than the concept of its gull wing and twin oval tailfins.
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USCG Aviation History
December 30, 2009 6:00 amRussian Flying Boats
December 29, 2009 6:00 am92nd BG and The Green Project
December 28, 2009 6:00 am92nd BG B-17 Flying Fortress‘ working on the Green Project at Istres, in Southern France. After the war ended, the U.S. used Istres as a staging point between occupied Germany and Morocco for air transport back to the United States.
This Week In Military/Aviation History 28 - 31 December
December 27, 2009 11:13 pmHello Folks, the magic seven have passed and like usual here I am. Christmas has passed also and a brand new year is just around the corner. I hope you Folks got what you wanted from jolly ol’ St. Nick. I got a nice WWI flight sim to spend the new year with. This time next year I hope to be an experienced pilot who can fly over “No-man’s land” without getting his butt shot out of the sky in a heartbeat. We’ll see, won’t we? On behalf of the 1941 Historical Aircraft Museum and myself, may you all have a safe and Happy New Year. In the meantime shall we delve into some serious history? Yes, I think we shall.
Tom K. 
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31 December 1908
One of the Wright brothers, Wilbur Wright, wins the Michelin prize with a flight of 124 kilometers (77 miles) at Camp d’Auvours in France. The flight lasts 2 hours 20 minutes 23 seconds.
31 December 1910
John Moisant is killed when his aeroplane crashes at New Orleans.
28 December 1913
The first flight at an altitude of over 20,000 feet is made by Georges Legagneux, flying at 6,120 meters (20,079 feet) in his Nieuport Type IIN at St Raphael in France.
29 December 1913
The first flight from France to Egypt is completed after a month by Frenchman Jules Vedrines in a Blériot monoplane.
28 December 1916
Zeppelins LZ53 (L17) and LZ69 (L24) are destroyed in a fire at their shed at Tondem. In a separate incident Schutte-Lanz SL12 (E5) is also wrecked.
29 December 1916
In Russia, Zeppelin LZ84 (L38) makes a forced landing.
A-10 Thunderbolt II… nuff said
December 26, 2009 6:00 amMERRY CHRISTMAS
December 25, 2009 7:00 amMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!
USMC PHOTO
PHOTO DESCRIPTION: A group of Ohio Marines serving with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Korea are shown in front of a U.S. Marine Corps Grumman F7F-3N Tigercat in December 1950. Left to right are: M/Sgt. Robert T. Hunt, 1st. Lt. David W. Bowman, M/Sgt. Thomas H. Allom, Lt. Arnold J. Hammons, Lt. Walter J. Waldo, Capt. Leland A. Gaug, Capt. William G. Diar, Jr., M/Sgt. William R. Goodall III, and Maj. George A. Hanna. Date December 1950(1950-12) Source U.S. http://www.defenseimagery.mil photo no. HM-SN-98-06695; NARA file no. 127-GK-4-A132638 Author Camera Operator: MSgt. Charles D. Prindle.
Christmas Eve 1944
December 24, 2009 7:00 am
The date was December 24th, 1944-Christmas Eve. The 453rd Bomb Group was playing host to more than 1,250 British children who ranged in age from four to fourteen-many orphaned by the London Blitz. Someone had the idea of making toys for the children of Paris, children who had never experienced the joy and excitement of a child’s Christmas. The idea spread very quickly between the officers and airmen; even the neighboring children began donating their own toys or made new ones. Wooden toys, rag dolls, and thousands of Christmas cards were given with cheerful abandon to the young French allies.
Three hundred children were chosen by The American Red Cross to receive gifts on Christmas Day at the ARC Club at Rainbow Corner in Paris. The Group received special permission to fly the gifts to Paris. An all French-speaking crew was chosen to ferry them over the Channel. T/Sgt Reuben Brockway was selected to portray Santa Claus, uniform and all, but without the traditional big belly!
A B-24 replaced the traditional sleigh and reindeer. Base personnel contributed PX rations for stocking stuffers for the small guests. The Aero was transformed with an eclectic array of Christmas decorations made from whatever was available.
Soon, children began to arrive in GI trucks where they were grouped according to age. Those four to seven were entertained at the Aero Club where they received their toy and candy filled stockings. Santa served them ice cream and coca-cola to their heart’s content. Those seven to eleven went to the flight line and were shown through the planes. Then came the big show.
The procession walked to an area where a huge platform had been erected alongside one of the giant airships. It was the un-named B-24H that was to carry the gifts so cheerfully donated to their little French friends. An 11 year-old orphan of the Blitz, Judith McDavid, christened the ship "Liberty Run".
The "Liberty Run" was later shot down over Germany.
Photo and Info: Jack Cook Collection
Arado Ar. 95
December 23, 2009 6:00 am
The Arado 95 was a single-engine reconnaissance and patrol biplane designed and built by the German firm Arado in the late 1930s. Ordered by Chile and Turkey, a number were taken over by the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) when World War II started.
Sources:
Photo: Unknown
Text: Wikipedia
Armstrong-Whitworth A.W. 52
December 22, 2009 7:00 am
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft proposed a jet-powered six or four-engine flying wing airliner design, utilizing a laminar flow wing, during the Second World War. This had to be a large aircraft in order to provide passenger head-room within the wing. The low-speed characteristics of the design were tested on a 53 ft 10 in (16.41 m) span wooden glider known as the A.W.52G; the glider was designed to be roughly half the size of the powered A.W.52, which in turn would be about half the size of the final airliner. The A.W52G first flew in March 1943 and flight testing, with tug releases from 20,000 ft (6,096 m) giving flights of around 30 min continued, mostly satisfactorily until 1945. In 1944, Armstrong Whitworth received a contract that would allow them to produce two A.W.52 prototypes for evaluation, nominally as mail carrying aircraft.
