For Red Indian: Did You Know # 2...

[Strelnikov]

We're on GMT - 5 here, so it's already Tuesday where you are. It's also the 64 th anniversary of the first flight of the Spitfire prototype: 5 March 1938. Here are some Spitfire pages from the USAF Museum website:
www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/early_years/ey24.htm
www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap17.htm
www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/engines/eng33.htm

And here's a bio of an American Spitfire ace. He had probably the most varied collection of air combat victories of any fighter pilot. He shot down Germans, Italians, and a Vichy Frenchman while flying a Reverse Lend Lease USAAF Spitfire in North Africa. He added a Japanese while flying a P-47 in the Pacific. Later, he shot down Chicoms (and very probably Russians as well) while flying F-86 jets in Korea.
www.afa.org/magazine/valor/0189valor.html

While doing research for this post, I found out that Col. Francis S. Gabreski, USAF Retired, died on 31 January 2002. He was the highest scoring USAAF ace in Europe in WWII, and became a jet ace in Korea. His first 20 combat missions were flown in Spitfires, while he was serving as a USAAF liason officer with the Free Polish Air Force.

Strelnikov

 

[red indian]

Thanks for that strell

Top piece of work old boy! although I must take issue with your dates. My records show the Vickers Supermarine Fighter prototype taxied out on to Eastleigh Airfield on the 5 march 1936 serial No K.5054. Perhaps you could look in to that, but but the other stuff is top hole old boy!!

 

[Strelnikov]

I knew that...

...and was just testing you.

Nah. Bifocals need a tune up - I misread my source. Your 1936 date is correct. Glad you enjoyed the rest of the material.

If you ever get to this side of the pond, do visit the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. Great collection of US aircraft, plus much else. WPAFB was once home to the USAAF/USAF engineering test and evaluation group. Nucleus of the foreign collection was captured enemy aircraft that had been kept for evaluation. I last saw the place 35 years ago, when the larger aircraft were displayed outdoors. They now have several stadium-sized buildings that will accomodate the whole collection, including the B-52 and B-36.

See also the Naval Aviation Museum, at NAS Pensacola in Florida.

Strelnikov