P-39 Airacobras in defence of Australia

[Pail]

https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/p-39-airacobras-defence-australia 

 

 

How's this for a confusing skin ?

 

"This is a rare photograph, location unknown; showing what appears to be a Royal Air Force Serial BW-114 on fuselage. British (Pacific area) blue/ white roundel, no. red, NO. 266 On fin, and an American star under wing. appendix 4, page 117 of "the golden years, official RAAF publication in 1971, indicates that 22 of these aircraft, with Serial Prefix A53- allocated, were (at least on paper) taken on RAAF charge; and that NOS. 23 and 24 Squadrons, RAAF, had some issued to them (at least on paper). Note droppable belly tank. See V-651 and V653, showing WAAAF Aircraftwomen, possibly trainee fitters, with three of these aircraft, possibly at Point Cook (VIC). Possibly downgraded for use as instructional airframes."

 

 

 

[HBPencil]

That blurb you quoted seems to be in error, there's no hint of "British (Pacific area) blue/ white roundel, no red" (the author must've also been confused between RAAF PTO and RAF CBI roundels) and the only RAF marking visible (the tail flash) clearly has its red component. ADF-serials has this aircraft on its site, scroll to the very bottom:
 

http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a53.htm

 

Based on that and what we can see in the photo it looks like an aircraft built (including factory applied markings and serial) to a British order but diverted to another military (the USAAC in this case) hence the US star applied over the roundels, something that happened a lot for a while after Japan and America entered the war.

 

Cheers,

 

HB

[Pail]

That blurb you quoted seems to be in error, there's no hint of "British (Pacific area) blue/ white roundel, no red"

 

Yeah not obvious from that photo. I could only assume it relates to other photos not included or better quality of image to examine (or mistake). You could take it up with the Australian War Memorial ? They probably aren't exactly overworked.

 

In the ADF serials site it says it  'Left USA Cont to Project "X" : 19/02/42"  I wonder what that means ?

Edited January 27, 2018 by Pail

[Pail]

Here is the Pacific Wrecks profile https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-400/BW114.html

 

Recently updated apparently. And the AWM page for it that has the same caption https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/AC0006/

 

And possibly some more about it in this book https://books.google.com.au/books?id=t_tyCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=P400+Airacobra+BW114&source=bl&ots=liEh57j8h3&sig=MljpWe0zcCaFQgB_z0fuNpqokRo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiJ4MP9pvfYAhWDfLwKHcdGChsQ6AEISDAI#v=onepage&q=P400%20Airacobra%20BW114&f=false

Edited January 27, 2018 by Pail

[Pail]

 

here is a better quality version of that picture and a different one.

 

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/Bell-P-39

  Holy crap !! This one is just down the road from me...kind of.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Pail

[pilotpierre]

I helped rebuild this one. Unfortunately it has since been sold to a Russian private buyer. It was resting next to a pristine P38 that has been sold to a US buyer I believe.

[Pail]

I helped rebuild this one.

 

Very cool. Not so cool that it is gone from here (is that right.....not that i need more to annoy me today but....?).

 

I got to sit in Langdon Badger's Spitfire Vc wen it used to be in the hangar at the back of his house.....but I was 13 or 14 then. I'm just up the road from tthe Greenock Aircraft Museum which is worth a visit if you haven't been there (lots of interesting stuff). Drop in sometime....

 

.....I'm not too hard to find.

.....And the stupid South Australians bought a horrid rotting hulk of a boat from Scotland instead of keeping them here ?........SHEEEEESH !!!!!

 

This piece of junk.

 

  https://www.cityofadelaide.org.au/

Edited February 15, 2018 by Pail

[Pail]

I guess it is a prison hulk for ex-Holden workers now.....

[xvii-Dietrich]

 

Nice photo.

 

Recently, the Devs posted up the screenshots of the P-39 liveries:

 

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/168-developer-diary/?p=566236

 

I am surprised that no-one suggested adding a RAAAF skin to the mix.

 

[Pail]

I prefer the historical theater skins and don't really care for the others that much (unless we had an appropriate map for them). An Australian one might be nice to look at though....

[Feathered_IV]

I got to sit in Langdon Badger's Spitfire Vc wen it used to be in the hangar at the back of his house.....but I was 13 or 14 then.

 

I remember that.  By coincidence, I also got to visit that Spitfire too at the same age.  There was an open day and the public was allowed to come through and view it.

[Pail]

 

 

I remember that. By coincidence, I also got to visit that Spitfire too at the same age. There was an open day and the public was allowed to come through and view it.

 

My Dad knew him through being an electrician in the building trade and possibly the Sporting Car Club of SA https://www.sportingcarclub.com.au/

 

We got a personal mano a spitty experience.

 

Incidently the Sporting Car Club used to have an amazing library and a massive collection of aircraft magazines and some aircraft related books.....and only I got given special borrowing rights.   They probably felt sorry for me because my Dad is an idiot....