EwenS

I see the Feb 2020 edition of Scale Aircraft Modelling has an “Aircraft in Profile” article on the Israeli Beaufighters.

Phil Butler & Dan Hagedorn's "Air Arsenal North America" (AANA) published in 2004 refers to 80 RAF Kittyhawks transferred to the French in North Afica in March 1945 for use as fighter trainers but only lists 78 individual serials. They are noted as being "properly recorded by MAC(Air) as a formal transfer, but do not appear in the formal summary accounts". It may be that some information you have supercedes what follows. These airframes were 23 P-40F short fuselage Kittyhawk II - FL255 (see below), FL228,260,263,270,276,280,282,292,294,305,307,311,313,316,319,324,343,347,348,353,354, & 361. 1 P-40K Kittyhawk III - FR120 (42-9857). Joe Baugher also records this as passing from the RAF to the French in 1945. This transfer seems bizarre as all the other deliveries to the French were Merlin engined P-40F or L. 54 P-40L long fuselage Kittyhawk II - FS400,402,406,408,409,410,411,412,413,416,417,420,424,432,436,437,441,444,445,448,449,450,454,459,460,461,462,464,465,466,468,469,470,471,472,473,474,475,477,478,479,480,483,484,485,487,489,491,492,494,496,497,498 & 499. These would be a mix of L-5 & L-10 but I've made no attempt to tie US numbers to RAF serials in my previous research. The reference to FL255 is, I believe, a typo. All the serials are in numerical order except this one. I suspect this should read FL225. FL255 was lost at sea en route to the Middle East per Joe Baugher. In relation to USAAF deliveries to the French in North Africa, AANA notes that an "unknown" quantity of P-40F were transferred to equip Escadrille Lafayette in 1943. It then continues "These did not appear in the final lend-lease accounts because the surviving P-40F and P-40L aircraft were returned to US control when the unit re-equipped with later types of aircraft". They then list 4 P-40F serials and 21 P-40L serials. But 11 of the P-40L serials relate to RAF aircraft I've referred to above. So that leaves 10 of which 8 appear on the French site listing. The other 2 are 42-10489 & 42-10490 which again Joe Baugher has going to the French in April 1943. The serials of the P-40F were 41-14503, 14506,14514, & 14530. Joe Baugher confirms the last 3 but has the first as "condemned MIA Feb 2 1943". AANA also lists 4 USAAF P-40 "...recovered from crash sites and repaired by the same RAF Maintenance Units..." (i.e. the same MUs that handed over the RAF aircraft) 41-13858 (P-40F), 14530 (P-40F-10), 20023 (P-40F-20) & 42-10970 (P-40L-20). All except the F-20 are confirmed by Joe Baugher. I'm not sure how the last 3 paras fit into your summary but now my head hurts with all these numbers! Hope it helps you sort it out. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html

I’ve been into my library and found my copy of “Ocean Sentinel” about the Sunderland and its derivatives. The history of the airframes I believe helps explain whether the engines are toed in or not, and confirms the last post by CarLos above. It describes the S.45 Seaford as having a redesigned tail unit, the fuselage forward of the wing extended by “about three feet”, a new planing bottom and Bristol Hercules 130 engines. No mention of a change to the toeing out of the engines as on the Sunderland. 2 prototypes and 8 production aircraft were built. 7 of the production aircraft, NJ201-207, later became Solents, see below. Other than the 2 prototypes none were taken on charge by the RAF. The 12 Solent 2 aircraft were originally “laid down as Seafords NJ208 to 219” but had been cancelled by the RAF in October 1945. The Solent 3 were a mix of conversions of Seaford Mk.I NJ202-207 plus conversions of NJ201 (variously described as a Seaford I / Solent I) and 7 Solent Mk.2 aircraft. These had Hercules 637 engines, being the a civil version of the military Hercules 100 series. These were all registered to the MoS / MCA in 1946/47. The Hercules 100/600 series engines had a power rating of between 1600hp and 1700hp depending on the exact model. There were then 4 new build Solent 4 airframes in 1949 for TEAL. On p193 of “Ocean Sentinel” there is a picture of G-ANYI “Awatere” with a caption that specifically notes that the engines on this aircraft were aligned parallel to the fuselage. The engines in the Solent 4 however were the more powerful Hercules 733. This was rated at 2040hp. So I would surmise that, in the Solent 4, the fitting of engines with 25% more power led to the need to eliminate the toe out of the engines possibly to make handling with an engine out a bit easier.

AIUI policy was that new schemes would be applied to new aircraft leaving the factory. Existing aircraft would retain the paint scheme and markings they left the factory in until such time as they required major maintenance. At that point they would be repainted in the then current scheme and markings. At the end of WW2 there were large numbers of aircraft in MUs so “old” paint schemes lasted for a while as aircraft were brought into operational units. It also accounts for a mix of schemes on the same unit at times.

Might have fitted the lifts of the cancelled CVA-01 of the 1960s. Her lifts were to be 70ft long and 35ft wide forward and 70x32ft aft (deck edge so it might have been able to be a bit wider) both rated at 75,000lb.

Contender (but only a contender) for a Darwin Award?

And now you have to decide whether to have it with or without the name in place. See the last photo on the b24 site.

P-47Ds of the 318th FG USAAF were successfully catapulted off the Casablanca class CVEs Manila Bay and Natoma Bay in June 1944 to land on the island of Saipan in the Marianas. I don’t think any were ever “hooked” to allow them to land on a carrier.

Removal of the deck gun predates the installation of the snorkel. AIUI it was removed in 1943 when the AA armamant was upgraded and before the snorkel began to be fitted. The snorkel stowed into the submarine deck casing in front of the conning tower port side. So there would not have been room for the gun crew to operate it without falling into the "hole". Here is a list of German snorkel subs. If you can trace photos you might find an exception. https://uboat.net/technical/schnorchel_fitted.htm

Remember the USS Vincennes in 1988? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655

The wavy camouflage line suggests a North American built B-24G from somewhere in the Block 1/5/early -10 range according to Consolidated Mess (no bombadier scanning windows). Narrows it down to a couple of hundered airframes from the 18000+ B-24s produced! Simples! Its been 8 years since I dashed out and bought Consolidated Mess when it was ffirst published. Alan, I need my next fix!!

As a follow up to my post #3 above the articles were in SAM Dec 2016/Jan 2017 BUT related to the 1945-55 period and were by Paul Lucas. By 1956 however everything was supposed to be “anti-flash white”. Around 1953 Paul had documentation identifying SIX “whites” for use on FAA aircraft. That is not to say they were used it seems, but there is evidence of their existence. Some had blue tints but one seemed to be an off white cream / yellow tint. I’m not going to try to explain it as it is complicated. If anyone wants to pursue it then I recommend you order back copies and a large bottle of your favourite alcoholic beverage before reading!

It is worth noting that 298 used the Mark III until it left for India in July 1945. But it began to receive Mark VII in May 1945. So there is an overlap period. So maybe the photo is of the former. Do you have a serial no for it? 1341 Fight was the RCM unit sent to the Far East.

So a B.III

It is a late model so possibly India. 298 Squadron took Mk. A.VII to India in July 1945. There was also a Halifax equipped flight there in an electronic warfare role. Can’t remember which version they had other than it was radial engined.