72modeler Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Wow- here's one I have never seen before...how about it, @tonyot, still got some Tamiya aluminum left? Mike https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/a-26/invader-i-kl692-43-22604/ 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edge Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 https://claybornglobal.com/IHF/index.php/British_RAF Bit of Googling turned up this. Edge 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 (edited) 50 minutes ago, 72modeler said: Wow- here's one I have never seen before...how about it, @tonyot, still got some Tamiya aluminum left? Mike https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/a-26/invader-i-kl692-43-22604/ I have a copy of that from the Douglas archives (before the Boeing take over) and another of the port side. That one only flew in the States before the British cancelled their order. https://napoleon130.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/faf26.jpg They went to the US Navy as JD-1s instead, and some were initially flown in their RAF markings and serials (e.g. KL702 was photographed over LA in May 1946) None of the ones flown to the UK had RAF markings applied, although they did get UK serials. Edited January 12, 2022 by Dave Fleming 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 (edited) 56 minutes ago, 72modeler said: Wow- here's one I have never seen before...how about it, @tonyot, still got some Tamiya aluminum left? Mike https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/a-26/invader-i-kl692-43-22604/ Good isn`t it Mike,...... I thought about doing this as a whiffer some time ago,....... where would they have gone? Probably Italy to replace the Boston`s serving over there, as the 2 Group Boston units converted to Mitchell`s? As Dave said,... most went to the US Navy in the end. . Edited January 12, 2022 by tonyot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfires Forever Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 I was going to enter a query regarding this aircraft in RAF use but somebody beat me to it. I guess the RAF tried just about every aircraft the US produced at one time or another. What about the SBD and Sb2c Helldiver? That would be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 (edited) Both were used by the RN. The Dauntless was only tested, but the Helldiver served with a squadron. 52 minutes ago, Spitfires Forever said: I was going to enter a query regarding this aircraft in RAF use but somebody beat me to it. I guess the RAF tried just about every aircraft the US produced at one time or another. What about the SBD and Sb2c Helldiver? That would be interesting. Edited January 13, 2022 by Dave Fleming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 (edited) 55 minutes ago, Spitfires Forever said: I was going to enter a query regarding this aircraft in RAF use but somebody beat me to it. I guess the RAF tried just about every aircraft the US produced at one time or another. What about the SBD and Sb2c Helldiver? That would be interesting. Yes the British used both mate. The Dauntless was trialled by the Royal Navy,....... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SBD-5_Royal_Navy_JS997.jpg and the Helldiver equipped a Royal Navy squadron, but they ran out of aircraft becaus the US Navy refused to provide any replacements or spares. They were going to raid the Tirpitz with the small number remaining but the old carrier HMS Furious broke down! I wrote an article about the unit in an old modelling magazine http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/SQUADRONS/1820_Squadron.htm#.Yd9w8dXP3IU Edited January 13, 2022 by tonyot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 (edited) 1820 Squadron used the Helldiver Edited January 13, 2022 by Dave Fleming 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 2 minutes ago, Dave Fleming said: 1820 Squadron used the Helldiver LOL,... Hiya Dave,.... looks like we both jumped in here at the same time!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 There were relatively few US aircraft that didn’t get at least tested by the UK - the RAF even had an early Black Widow, albeit it retained it’s US markings 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 2 hours ago, tonyot said: Good isn`t it Mike,...... I thought about doing this as a whiffer some time ago,....... where would they have gone? Probably Italy to replace the Boston`s serving over there, as the 2 Group Boston units converted to Mitchell`s? I always saw them in SEAC instead of the Mosquito 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfires Forever Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 It would have been interesting to see how the Helldiver performed during offensive operations against German shipping. I don't think the FAA had a 100% dedicated dive bomber unless the Skua or Chesapeake counts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Sinclair Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 4 hours ago, tonyot said: and the Helldiver equipped a Royal Navy squadron, but they ran out of aircraft becaus the US Navy refused to provide any replacements or spares. Nice article. Any more details on the USN decision? The early SB2C Helldiver orders from Curtiss are interesting to sort out. But first a word from our Canadian sponsor, Air Arsenal North America states Britain made an order for 450 SBW from Canadian Car and Foundry, but after 26 had been delivered the rest of the order was cancelled, meant to be Bureau Numbers 60010 to 60035, but 60011 and 60012 crashed and were replaced by 21201 and 21202 from the USN order. According to the USN 550+450 = 1,000 SBW-1 were ordered, BuNo 21192 to 21741 (550) and 60010 to 600459 (450) with 21198 and 60023 crashing. I would assume the second batch of numbers can be considered the British order. Production started in September 1943. Next comes the "cancellation" of 934 SBW-1 leaving 40 US and 26 British, actually the aircraft were reordered as 414 SBW-3 (but 1 of these, #21232, cancelled and reordered as an SBW-5), 270 SBW-4 and 4E, 250+1 SBW-5. The SBW-1 finished production in February 1944, the SBW-3 used most of the remaining USN BuNos (to 21741), the -4/4E the final USN numbers and then the British ones assuming built in serial order, the -5 #21232 and the remaining British numbers. Not sure when the British order was officially cancelled. (USN NOa(S)-1733, NXs-LL-139A) Two dates mentioned are 23 May 1942 and 17 September 1943. If the above seems confusing take your time over what comes next. Curtiss. Remembering cancelled effectively means reordered. As of end 1942, only SB2C-1 on order, BUNos 00001 to 00370, 01008 to 01208, 18192 to 20124, total 2,505. Initial order 370 but 270 of these cancelled, 478 added but 7 of these cancelled, 294 added, 3,000 added but 1,067 of these cancelled, so 370 initially ordered, 3,772 added, 1,638 cancelled, leaving 2,504. Move to 1943, BUNos 00001 to 00370, 01008 to 01208, 18192 to 21191, total 3,571. Initial order 370 but 270 of these cancelled, 478 added, 287 added, 294 cancelled, 407 added, all -1 models, 1,112 -3 models added, 414 -4/4E added, 1,067 4/4E added, so 370 initially ordered, 3,765 added, 564 cancelled, leaving 3,571, 978 -1, 1,112 -3 and 1,481 -4/4E. Note how the USN SBW numbers start after the initial Curtiss allocation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydhuey Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 14 hours ago, tonyot said: Good isn`t it Mike,...... I thought about doing this as a whiffer some time ago,....... where would they have gone? Probably Italy to replace the Boston`s serving over there, as the 2 Group Boston units converted to Mitchell`s? As Dave said,... most went to the US Navy in the end. . Hey Tony the A-26's were going to the Med , Boston (13,18, 55), and Baltimore (15 SAAF, 454 and 459 RAAF) units were all to convert to the A-26 in 1946 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 6 hours ago, Sydhuey said: Hey Tony the A-26's were going to the Med , Boston (13,18, 55), and Baltimore (15 SAAF, 454 and 459 RAAF) units were all to convert to the A-26 in 1946 Thought so mate,..... cheers for confirming it. A nice whiffer with a yellow or white outlined code on the fin maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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