Anyone seen a photo of Barracuda P9981 or other 810 sqn a/c?

[85sqn]

Hi folks I'm trying to find a photo of this aircraft. There are several colour profiles- earliest is from David Browns Barracuda profile from 1972 and Xtradecal have done a decal set in 1/72 for this aircraft. It was flown by the CO of 810 Sqn during the Sabang Ops in 1944.

 

if anyone could point me in the right direction that would be superb thanks.

[CedB]

Quick search gave me:

http://wpalette.com/en/pictures/23229

Hannants decal sheet X72267

but no specific photos I could find, sorry. There's lots of generic ones here and, of course, TheBaron's great WiP thread has lots of reference material.

HTH

[85sqn]

Thanks for the reply, yep seen all of those. I also have another lovely profile in Robert Mcandless's Barracuda from the cockpit. I have the Special Hobby 1/48 kit but I love working from photos and it's strange that many people can reproduce a colour profile of an aircraft but the actual photo (if it even exists) is so hard to find!

 

cheers

 

Nick

[Grey Beema]

Sorry I cant help with the Barracuda answer but I know what you mean about photos and art work.  Surely there must be photos to base the profiles on?

 

Ideally you need shots from top, bottom and both sides including the serial number and something to accurately date it from.  I have been asking questions about a specific Sea Gladiator, it sparked interesting debate and opinions but not the firm conclusion I was hoping for..

 

Good luck with your search, I'm out in the cave later I'll take a look...

[85sqn]

Thanks- I'm thinking that J.D Brown probably had the profile drawn from anecdotal evidence or he had access to a private photo of Lt Cdr Fordes aircraft. It's strange but based on the link above shared by cedb the artwork has been reproduced several times and featured on Frogs Barracuda from around the same time.

[85sqn]

20 hours ago, Grey Beema said:

Sorry I cant help with the Barracuda answer but I know what you mean about photos and art work.  Surely there must be photos to base the profiles on?

 

Ideally you need shots from top, bottom and both sides including the serial number and something to accurately date it from.  I have been asking questions about a specific Sea Gladiator, it sparked interesting debate and opinions but not the firm conclusion I was hoping for..

 

Good luck with your search, I'm out in the cave later I'll take a look...

Grey Beema btw I see you're supporting RB! Great stuff, will you be at any airshows this year in the UK? We have a marquee and will be at Duxford over the coming weekend.

[Grey Beema]

1 hour ago, 85sqn said:

Grey Beema btw I see you're supporting RB! Great stuff, will you be at any airshows this year in the UK? We have a marquee and will be at Duxford over the coming weekend.

 

Hi 85Sqn, Yes I've been trying to support RB396 pretty much since I first saw the project over a year ago and before it got its charitable status.  It was a choice - the people's Mosquito or the Typhoon, I couldn't do both although I keep tabs on the Mosquito.  Why the Typhoon?  Well as a kid my Dad would make up bedtime stories and tell me all about them and my first model was the Frog Typhoon.  That picture by the way is coming down off a loop in the Boultbee Spitfire T9.  It seemed appropriate somehow and I have my Typhoon Restoration patch on my flight suit opposite my Boultbee patch.

 

Unfortunately I have no plans to come over for an airshow this year due to work however I'm hoping to do at least one next year (I have a date with a Seafire III).  I do try to buy a piece of merchandising at least once a year and I will get my membership sorted hopefully later this year but getting to the events down in Goodwood will be difficult (think I'll do a lifetime membership when I get it sorted).

 

Perhaps the RB396 Project should have a fixed thread in this parish with updates as and when they become available as there are a number of members following the project..

[Seahawk]

On 02/07/2017 at 5:54 AM, 85sqn said:

Thanks- I'm thinking that J.D Brown probably had the profile drawn from anecdotal evidence or he had access to a private photo of Lt Cdr Fordes aircraft.

 

I'd like to think the latter but suspect the former, especially as Sturtivant's FAA Aircraft lists P9981 as becoming "2B" when assigned to Illustrious and 810 Sq in April 1944.  Or maybe, in those distant days when it was thought no-one was sad enough to care about such details, he went for a "representative" illustration.

Not altogether convinced by the stores load depicted either, which looks like 4 x 250lb GP where I would have expected 2 x 500lb MC and 2 x 250lb GP: see photo on p.85 of Barracuda From The cockpit clearly showing a 500 lb MC under the wing of an EIF Barracuda, prob in July 1944.  See also pp 49-50 of Hobbs' The British Pacific Fleet  which records that, on the raid on Port Blair (Op PEDAL, 21 June 1944), 13 Barracudas from Illustrious and Indomitable reached the target area with a total bombload of 26 500lb and 26 250lb bombs.

 

Edited July 3, 2017 by Seahawk

[85sqn]

20 hours ago, Seahawk said:

 

I'd like to think the latter but suspect the former, especially as Sturtivant's FAA Aircraft lists P9981 as becoming "2B" when assigned to Illustrious and 810 Sq in April 1944.  Or maybe, in those distant days when it was thought no-one was sad enough to care about such details, he went for a "representative" illustration.

Not altogether convinced by the stores load depicted either, which looks like 4 x 250lb GP where I would have expected 2 x 500lb MC and 2 x 250lb GP: see photo on p.85 of Barracuda From The cockpit clearly showing a 500 lb MC under the wing of an EIF Barracuda, prob in July 1944.  See also pp 49-50 of Hobbs' The British Pacific Fleet  which records that, on the raid on Port Blair (Op PEDAL, 21 June 1944), 13 Barracudas from Illustrious and Indomitable reached the target area with a total bombload of 26 500lb and 26 250lb bombs.

 

Agree with the bombload, I've already sourced 2x500Ib from ultracast. Just need the 250Ib. I think IanG mentioned this recently on another thread as well. Also the code markings in white? Some of the photos from that period show what looks like medium sea grey- certainly many don't stand out as strong as white.

On 2017-7-2 at 8:51 AM, Grey Beema said:

 

Hi 85Sqn, Yes I've been trying to support RB396 pretty much since I first saw the project over a year ago and before it got its charitable status.  It was a choice - the people's Mosquito or the Typhoon, I couldn't do both although I keep tabs on the Mosquito.  Why the Typhoon?  Well as a kid my Dad would make up bedtime stories and tell me all about them and my first model was the Frog Typhoon.  That picture by the way is coming down off a loop in the Boultbee Spitfire T9.  It seemed appropriate somehow and I have my Typhoon Restoration patch on my flight suit opposite my Boultbee patch.

 

Unfortunately I have no plans to come over for an airshow this year due to work however I'm hoping to do at least one next year (I have a date with a Seafire III).  I do try to buy a piece of merchandising at least once a year and I will get my membership sorted hopefully later this year but getting to the events down in Goodwood will be difficult (think I'll do a lifetime membership when I get it sorted).

 

Perhaps the RB396 Project should have a fixed thread in this parish with updates as and when they become available as there are a number of members following the project..

Totally agree, I'll get on to the chaps this weekend as I think there are many that would follow RB through Britmodeller.  One of the project team is on here as well- RMCS. 

[85sqn]

Hi everyone, I would just like to revisit this thread and expand to has anyone seen a photo of 810 Sqn Barracudas serving with the Eastern Fleet in 1944. In particular any that are able to be identified? 

[Tomas Enerdal]

Hi,

Been searching for that one as well, If nothing else out of curiousity. (But I have a vague feeling of having seen a pic somewhere, will keep looking)

Note that Sturtivant gives P9981/2X as an example of a 810 Sq Barracuda in his The Squadrons of the FAA. (not 2B as in the FAA Aircraft)

[85sqn]

That would be fantastic if you have seen a photo. X is an unusual code for the CO normally it would be A (or anything else depending on what aircraft are available and what they have been marked with). I am looking to model any 810 sqn aircraft from 1944 when they were aboard Illustrious. If you do come across any photos I would love to see them.

 

cheers

 

Nick