Freeman Field airshow, 1945

[72modeler]

Hope this has not been posted before. Found it while looking for Ju-290 stuff on the 'net. Most likely 16mm movie footage shot by one of the USAAF personnel in attendance. If only there were smart phones and video cameras back then! What a collection of rare birds! IIRC, the Ju-290 was flown back to the U.S. by Colonel Watson of Watson's Whizzers fame. Most of these aircraft were put into storage at a former C-54 plant at Walnut Ridge, IL, IIRC, for eventual display in a museum Hap Arnold planned, but the facility was needed due to the Korean War, so sadly most of the collection was scrapped. Footage via You Tube.

Mike

 

 

 

 

[Paramedic]

That is seriously cool,. thanks for sharing.. You find the most interesting stuff I must say.. If this was a pub, I would set myself down close and buy you a pint. Please keep sharing the stuff!

[SafetyDad]

Ahhh, another Ju 290 lover! 

I too am fascinated by this show, and the pictures that were taken there.

 

Here are a few of the Ju 290 for you - notice that the side info panel behind the name detailing the crew names for the fight across the Atlantic is missing

 

 

 

 

Source for pics: Unlike me I haven't kept records of specific sources for these - I just know they were from online sources.

 

Wouldn't you have loved to be there? You've got to love the inventiveness of whoever decided to use the front transparency as a mount for the show PA system ! 

 

SD

[busnproplinerfan]

To bad there was no thought to keep this and this plane. But I know no one thought of museums back then. I have this model but don't know what to do with it and paid to much for it. Seeing some pictures of it at the airshows, maybe I'll be more motivated to build it.

[Tim R-T-C]

Fascinating images - if anyone else has any photos from this event I'd love to see them - or if there are any books with shots, some very interesting diorama potential.

[SafetyDad]

9 minutes ago, Tim R-T-C said:

Fascinating images - if anyone else has any photos from this event I'd love to see them - or if there are any books with shots, some very interesting diorama potential.

 

As if by magic...

 

 

and

 

 

There's a lot of pics available online of this show - well worth searching for.

 

HTH

 

SD

[Paramedic]

Yeah, too bad those were not saved.. But there are a couple in the Bay of Biscay..

 

Pretty fascinated by those big-bottom German aircraft. Ditto for the Amerika Bombers..

[Tim R-T-C]

6 hours ago, SafetyDad said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

SD

 

I rather like this 162, hard deliniated colours, a nice bit of wearing, minimal decalling required, not even a tail cross.  The fuselage to the right, could that be one of the Japanese suicide rockets?

 

Interestingly while looking for more shots of this plane, I did find this image of presumably a different airframe, apparently on a victory parade not far from the Freeman field base

 

[FalkeEins]

10 hours ago, SafetyDad said:

10 hours ago, Tim R-T-C said:

Fascinating images - if anyone else has any photos from this event I'd love to see them - or if there are any books with shots, some very interesting diorama potential.

Source for pics: Unlike me I haven't kept records of specific sources for these - I just know they were from online sources.

 

 

 

Not from the event, but the story of the Ju 290's flight across the Atlantic has been covered on line.  It was not until the aircraft had arrived in Ohio that a so-called ‘Selbstzerstöranlage’ was located in the wing near a fuel tank – a small explosive device for destroying the aircraft to prevent it falling into the wrong hands..The Ju 290 was Werk-Nr. 0165, coded A3+HB and was surrendered to USAAF personnel by 1./ KG 200 Staffelkapitän Hptm. Heinz Braun on 8 May 1945. It had mounting points for ETC 2000 racks for the carriage of FX 1400, Hs 293, and Hs 294 guided missiles. Flown to Paris, it required an engine change prior to the transatlantic flight. A C-47 was sent to Munich to pick up a replacement BMW engine. The radial proved to be too bulky for the transport and was sent to Paris by road....shot of the engine change

 

[alt-92]

12 hours ago, SafetyDad said:

 

As if by magic...

 

 

 

and

 

 

 

Looks like they re-repainted the LW markings over the grey paint where the originals were blotted out.