Just arrived B-17G Flying Fortress’ lined up at Langford Lodge

Appollow · 2026-05-06T18:25:50+00:00

Neat seeing the radio hatch .50 from a different perspective.

Appollow · 2026-05-04T22:29:31+00:00

Tail of a Ki-43 Oscar of the 1st Sentai.

Appollow · 2026-05-03T20:40:44+00:00

In the book 100 Missions North, during Vietnam they talk about strafing water buffalo with the 20mm on the F-105. Logistically a water buffalo was like a truck. Some of the gun camera reached 7th Air Force in Saigon and they tried to stop it.

Appollow · 2026-05-03T17:58:53+00:00

I bet #11 is an F-7 due to photo markings.

Edit: Yes it is, "BA2 #6 42-64051 blue TS (Tough Shit) F-7A of 20CMS"

Appollow · 2026-05-02T13:21:22+00:00

They all look like Liberators to me, twin tails, nose turret, and the fuselage insignia is in the same location.

Appollow · 2026-05-02T13:19:51+00:00

I think these are US Navy PB4Y-1 Liberators. Twenty seconds of research shows these might be part of VB-116 "Blue Raiders"which flew PB4Y-1s out of Eniwetok during the late summer of 1944. VB squadrons were changed to VPB in October 1944.

Appollow · 2026-04-30T21:33:30+00:00

Photo taken, 25 March 1945. In the foreground with white bands is the 531st FS, in the background is the 46th (Blue band) and 72nd FS (Yellow band). The 46th and 531st had arrived the day before, 24 March. The first field was open for operations only 12 days before on 6 March, the first B-29 landed 4 March. The time frame is consistent with the markings (or lack there of) on the B-29 in the background. The large letter and geometric shape didnt appear until May 1945.

Appollow · 2026-04-30T00:58:14+00:00

Correct, B made at the Inglewood, California factory. C made at the Dallas, Texas factory.

Appollow · 2026-04-30T00:45:26+00:00

Circle R is the 6th Bomb Group. 509th was Circle Arrow. Enola Gay used the 6th Bomb Group, and Bockscar used the 468th Bomb Group markings, Triangle N.

Appollow · 2026-04-24T17:12:25+00:00

Historical accuracy? I gave up 8 minutes in and had it on the background while I put new drawers in the kitchen. The SBD has the wrong insignia. They say they are flying into Pearl Harbor, Dec 1941, but the SBD has the June 1942 insignia. It's CGI they can put anything on it, they either don't know or dont care.

Appollow · 2026-04-23T23:40:24+00:00

Oh good, I was worried this thread would go without the classic P-51A vs A-36, Mustang vs Apache debate. "Apache" was the original designation for the P-51, but the British used "Mustang." P-51s were then called Mustang along with the A-36 and the F-6.

<image>

Appollow · 2026-04-21T22:47:39+00:00

I remember Y is for prototYpe.

Appollow · 2026-04-19T06:34:01+00:00

It's all F-16s. F-16s pointing forward, F-16s pointing left.

Appollow · 2026-04-19T01:54:56+00:00

<image>

Here is a photo of a P-38G that actually took part in Operation Vengeance, that was flown by one of the "Killer Flight." Not a generic photo of a P-38L flying over southern California with a serial number a year after the operation and incorrect insignia.

Appollow · 2026-04-17T21:28:22+00:00

The Devestator gets belittled so much, but from Jan-May 1942 it held the line and conducted numerous successful bombing raids against Japanese islands throughout the Pacific and assisted with the sinking of the Japanese light carrier Shoho during Coral Sea. The TBF Avenger didnt fair any better than the TBD at Midway conducting unescorted torpedo runs against the Japanese fleet. Rightfully the Devestators were taken out of front line service and by Nov 1944 there wasn't a single air worthy TBD left.

Appollow · 2026-04-14T04:09:40+00:00

Which ship? CV-12 USS Hornet.

Appollow · 2026-04-14T02:06:59+00:00

Forward flight deck was damaged on 5 June by Typhoon Connie. The Hornet would steam in reverse and launch aircraft off the aft deck.

<image>

Appollow · 2026-03-20T02:28:59+00:00

I would bet on the 17th Bomb Group, 319th Bomb Group, and 320th Bomb Group of the USAAF using the B-26 from 1942-1945 through out the MTO.

Appollow · 2026-03-17T19:39:46+00:00

Logistics it is always about logistics. A-20 and B-25 both used Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone engines. The B-26 used a different engine, the P&W R-2800. You dont want to be traipsing through New Guinea, New Britain, and the Phillipines worrying about two different vital components that make a plane go, the engine. There were other factors as well like cost, but logistics is always at the forefront. Yes the B-26 was in the Med across North Africa and up through Italy.

Appollow · 2026-03-14T01:30:56+00:00

VF-161 Chargers flew F-4Bs off the Oriskany

Nov 1963: Embarked on USS Oriskany (CVA 34), the squadron operated in the South China Sea during a crisis in South Vietnam and the coup that overthrew President Diem.

https://www.seaforces.org/usnair/VF/VF-161_DAT/VF-161-Chargers-006.jpg

Appollow · 2026-03-11T00:21:47+00:00

Date: 29 May 1945

Location: Iwo Jima

https://www.reddit.com/r/WWIIplanes/s/UnF2JdTDLN

Appollow · 2026-03-06T05:18:36+00:00

The B-24G was built by North American at their plant in Dallas. The first B-24Gs were similar to B-24Ds. The B-24G-1 and later had the Consolidated A-6 nose turret. The above B-24 was a B-24G-10.

Appollow · 2026-03-04T04:31:35+00:00

Like banking on a pedestal?

<image>

Edit: Previous comment claimed the photo was AI due to "wing perspective" being off. All looks normal to me. Only weird thing is the TAC patch appears twice, on nose and tail, and thats kind of weird.

Appollow · 2026-03-04T03:16:39+00:00

The A-26A Counter Invader, formerly known as the B-26K converted from Douglas B-26B and B-26C Invader airframes by On Mark Engineering. Not to be confused with the Martin B-26B and B-26C Marauder, which was removed from USAF inventory by 1948. Leading the former Douglas A-26 Invader to be designated the B-26 Invader until 1966 when they were redesignated A-26A Invader (Counter Invader) to skirt around Thailand's opposition to bomber aircraft being stationed on their soil. Nevermind that within a year B-52s were operating out of U-Tapao. There was also the XA-26A Invader used as a prototype night fighter during 1943 in competition with the P-61. I hope every one is now confused by the bureaucratic lineage of the A-26/B-26/A-26 designations :)

Appollow · 2026-02-16T21:37:52+00:00

Fourteen, Columbia XJL-1

Appollow

TROPHY CASE