color film of XP-59 Airacomet

[Troy Smith]

Looking for something else (XP-80 pics) I saw this on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mhF49AJrVg

Looks to me be genuine color, rather than colorised?

I did find a clip of the XP-80, but not from first flight, but later on after addition of extended fin and wing tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jStgZhUbrrE

No seen either of these posted here before, so hopefully of interest.

[noelh]

Thanks both very interesting. I happen to be reading Bob Hoover's biography. I actually saw the him last week at Oshkhosh. He's looking very frail. He first met Chuck Yeager in the P-59 while he was flying a P-38 in an inconclusive dogfight. The P-59 became a favourite of his.

Comments in the video about the relative primitiveness of test flying at the time is borne out in the book. Even after the war there were basic facilities and a lot of 'seat of the pants' test flying.

Also I never realised they added an open cockpit to the P-59!

[gingerbob]

XP-80, eh? What are you up to, Troy?

Bob Hoover just had a close call from anemia (?) which may be one reason he's looking frail. But he is getting pretty darn old, too.

[stevehnz]

I'd reckon that footage provides a very good indication of just how dark fresh neutral grey is, likewise the OD.

Steve.

[Lars Befring]

Ohh!! that second cockpit (seen from ~4:25 to 4:43) is there any more info on that???

[Troy Smith]

Ohh!! that second cockpit (seen from ~4:25 to 4:43) is there any more info on that???

there are still at 5.42-6.00 there are stills, also note at 6.12 'Superman' painted on the nose, bear in mind there were multiple test planes.

a quick google of '2 seat P-59 Airacomet'

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=344195

"America's first XP-59A, AAF serial number 42-108784, is preserved at the National Air and Space Museum. Shortly the jet's first flight, the Army recognized the need to have an observer on board to record flight test data. They converted the gun bays forward of the pilot to accommodate the observer, cutting a 20-inch hole in the upper skin and mounting a seat, small windscreen, and instrument panel in this rather cramped, open cavity. Flight tests resumed on October 30, 1942, and for the remainder of its AAF career, the aircraft flew in that configuration.

In February 1944, an AAF engineer assigned to the Airacomet project originated the idea of saving America's first jet aircraft for museum display. In August, the Army Air Forces notified Bell that they planned to store the airframe at Muroc and the original engines at Wright Field, Ohio, until they could determine final disposition. The airplane had amassed only 59 hours and 55 minutes of flying time. On April 18, 1945, the Smithsonian asked for the aircraft. Before opening the new National Air and Space Museum in 1976, the staff restored the plane to its original configuration and removed the observer's open cockpit. Befitting its history, the first Airacomet now hangs in the Milestones of Flight gallery."

this is another airframe, also modified

I didn't now the XP-59 was modified though.

Edit PS Cutting Edge did decal sheets for the 1/48 Hobbycraft kit with a load of interesting options

http://decals.kitreview.com/decals/ced48248_54_review_1.htm

[Troy Smith]

XP-80, eh? What are you up to, Troy?

Bob Hoover just had a close call from anemia (?) which may be one reason he's looking frail. But he is getting pretty darn old, too.

Just following your lead bob...research...

been squinting at a Monogram F-80 and looking at Tommy Thomason's blog, but away from my Smithsonian XP-80 book and an unbagged Mono F-80...

Actually, I picked up a Hobbycrap F-94 A, and then realised it has the wrong tip tanks for Korea, and have been looking up stuff related, and in this found Tommy Thomason's blog posts on the P-80 A

http://tailhooktopics.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=p-80a

and XP-80..

http://tailhooktopics.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/lockheed-xp-80.html

and XP-80..http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234974683-lockheed-xp-80-the-green-hornet-just-a-placeholder-at-present-but-watch-this-space/

which got me pondering on how to do the XP-80 intakes....

as well as your stalled build of a T-33

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234974215-uruguay-lockheed-t-33-148-conversion-from-monogram-f-80/

Did rather take the wind out of my sails to see how poor the HC T-33 is, I assume the same problems affect the F-94?

Did you, in the name of 'research', ever get a Hobby Boob F-80 kit? I know you like doing this kind of 'research'

cheers

T

[sloegin57]

It may or may not be on any use but there was a conversion article in the January 1989 issue of FSM converting Monograms F-80C to a Grey YP-80A.

Dennis

[Eric Mc]

Looking for something else (XP-80 pics) I saw this on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mhF49AJrVg

Looks to me be genuine color, rather than colorised?

I did find a clip of the XP-80, but not from first flight, but later on after addition of extended fin and wing tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jStgZhUbrrE

No seen either of these posted here before, so hopefully of interest.

It's genuine colour. Quite a lot of colour film was shot by US film makers in World War 2. I hate colourised black and white stuff but I love genuine original colour material.