Aircraft Trivia Quiz

Could you be referring to Douglas Bader and his stunt that cost him his legs and almost his life in the Bristol Bulldog?

Cheers, Richie

Have the book and saw the movie 'Reach for the sky'. Ok the next question is:

What aircraft was known as Heineman's 'Hot Rod'?

Cheers, Richie

Would that be the...

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk?

Wow, a softball pitch right over the plate. Kapow!

Without even Googlin' for this one, it's gotta be the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk but I was too late. Dang!

Yes it is the A-4 Skyhawk. Lucien you got in there first so you have the floor.

Cheers, Richie

jeaton01 wrote:

Bill, the cowling color was assigned based on the position of the airplane in the squadron, according to Bill Larkins.  Section leaders had cowls fully painted, others had half cowls painted, top, bottom, left, right.  Section 1 plane 1 had the full cowl painted red, plane 5 was full cowl white section 2 leader, section 3 leader was plane number 9, blue: section 4 plane number 13, black:  section 5 plane 17 was green. Some guys did nothing but paint, I guess.

Sorry about the really long delay, guys.  I had a bunch of stuff come up and wasn't able to get to a computer until know.  I had a real doozy of a question, but becuase I made you wait so long, I'll give you a more straightforward one.

Tupolev was designing a civilian version of the ANT-16 (TB-4) bomber when he was forced to abandon it to begin designing the much larger ANT-20 Maxim Gorky.  What was the designation of this civilian ANT-16?

Unfortunately, no, it wasn't!

Alright, my first clue- this is not an obscure designation.  In fact, it's already been posted in this very thread.....

You're probably thinking of the ANT-14 'Pravda' (Truth), a five engined aircraft which was built before the ANT-16. 

The civil ANT-16 in the question was never built.

Alright, my last two clues before I call this question an offical stumper.

-Tupolev at this time was known to re-use designations.

-This is a bit of a trick question.

And there you go!  A devilshly simply question which is not often seen on a typical Google search.  In fact, I haven't seen it on the internet ANYWHERE.

In any case, the floor is yours, jeaton01.

Ah taint usin' no dag-burn Google!

...and no guesses fielded either! *drat*

C'mon, Jeaton. We need QUESTION.

OMG.  I see I went over 2,000 posts this week.  What's the prize? 

Aw, c'monn, trexx, not using Google today is about the same as trying to start your Honda moving with a buggy whip!  However, a printed reference (often known as a "book") was used to
come up with my answer to Mike's question. 

New question:

This airplane was a victim of the last battle in the air of WW II.  A noted author was involved, and so was an airplane that fought the first battles of a part of WW II.  Only one part of one of the first airplane in this question is known to remain, almost all of the production went straight from the factory to the boneyard. 

Name two out of three.  Models exist of all three parts of the question, two by a major manufacturer, and all three are in my stash.  But that won't help Mike, I have them better hidden than the section he frequents. 

Just interjecting my two cents...

According to Wikipedia, the only remaining portion of a B-32 is a wing panel from a static test airframe.  It's part of a memorial near San Diego, CA.

However, a quick Googe search (yes, I am not immune to its influence) turned up this:

http://forum.armyairforces.com/Rare-B32-Dominator-Turret-Being-Restored-Looking-for-Information-m143186.aspx

(If this information is judged "correct" by Jeaton, I would be willing to let osher have the floor, as he got the original B-32 answer.  Which helped a LOT.)

But we still need to know the other airplane or the author.  Nice work on the turret, though. 

There is a book on the B-32, The Story of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator, Harding and Long, ISBN 0-933126-38-7, 1984.  It differs in the account of the last combat from Wikipedia, and gives no detail of the Japanese involvement.  According to it there is also a piece of an instrument panel left behind in private hands.

Wild guesses:

Randall White

 and... Ki-27?

By the way, I've got a copy of a photograph from a private collection of a B-32 Dominator on a runway on Tinian or Siapan. It has battle damage... a rather large hole blasted into the forward fuselage...

The information I have found says there were fourteen A6M Zeros and three N1K2-J Shiden-Kai (often mistaken for Ki-44 Tojo) aircraft involved, and that photographer Sgt. Marchione was the man who died making him the last allied combat death.

I still can't find any info about an author being aboard.

Matt, that agrees with my sources.  It would seem that you and Osher each got part of the question, so you can either fight amongst yourselves, or else the first one that says who made the propellers on the B-32 can have the honors.  Apparently something was unique for the time about the propeller blades as well.

The "author", was Saburo Sakai, who wrote Samurai, which according to the first copy I had, was co-written by Martin Caidin.  Later copies I have do not credit Caidin, was that just to get a Japanese author's book read in the 50's?  I have at least two of the Tamiya and Hasegawa 1/32 figures of him, and a third in my display case that was done by a modeler friend who I think was quite good at it.  He did two of these, and the second is with Sakai's family.  This one is metal, quite heavy.

Dooooough!

Veddy interesting!

Propellors?

Uh,...... the two inboard props were reversible if that counts!

Nice work on those figures. I have read Sakai's book and saw him at the Reno Air Races signing autographs along with 'Pappy' Boyington in the late 70's, I think.

Again, all that I can find is that the original prototypes had three bladed Hamilton Standard props with a twin tail, ala B-24. I haven't been able to find who made the four bladed props, so I'll go with Hamilton Standard.

And this is all in the lousiest day I've had in a long time. Between the local Pismo Beach Police Department's fines and impound costs, towing and registration on my old car that was already registered, I spent over $500 today. Phooey!

I'm going to have a meeting with the local PD head on Monday morning. Wish me luck!

Here's "luck". I've done the appointed public official bit for a while. Your Chief is intent on becoming the chief of SLO and then the Monterey County Sheriff, then Salinas PD etc. Why else would anyone in their sane mind do that job. I'd say to him Chief, we love you, I'm an upstanding citizen (if you are) and its too bad we all don't get more one on ones with those of you who toe the thin blue line. On account of which, have your way but bear in mind that those of us in S Beach and Groover City that go to the council meetings and speak on various issues would really like to make sure we're all in the same camp. I for one want to be protected by the likes of those who understand my problems and know that I'll be there to support yours, when the time comes.

He's more in a worry about John Publics opinion than you might think, because he has an very unrewarding job and is looking for your support.