Aircraft Trivia Quiz

*buump*

skybolt2003 wrote:

Sorry for the slow uptake - I'm travelling for the holiday. Related to my previous question - this man was also a top ace in Korea, and was friends with McConnell. After the war he had a hard time in th AF due to a certain limitation and changing policies within the air force. His life took a turn, and later he was killed in a plane crash under a cloud - perhaps of disgrace, perhaps not. Who is he and what are those circumstances?   -B

Sorry for the slow uptake - I'm travelling for the holiday. Related to my previous question - this man was also a top ace in Korea, and was friends with McConnell. After the war he had a hard time in th AF due to a certain limitation and changing policies within the air force. His life took a turn, and later he was killed in a plane crash under a cloud - perhaps of disgrace, perhaps not.

Who is he and what are those circumstances?

-B 

Wee bit longer than the predicted 15 seconds- but a clean sweep of the board -all of the answers are indeed correct.

well done- you're up!

hmm, would that be the DC-7 "Super Snoopy", raced at Mohave, and the the Super Connie, "Red Baron" which didn't get to race, along with the -7 at Brown Field. And for Reno, could that be the CAF's B-29, Fifi??

-bret 

sorry guys- I was out for a bit but I'm back now.....

 not sure I got it- but was it that rather unique looking polished metal thing that was on http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=2 this website?I admire the creativity that went into the aircraft -and consider it the best use I've seen yet for an old attic fan blade(grin).

A new question....hmmm..

what is the largest aircraft to officially enter AND participate in an organized air race? This includes both pylon as well as cross country (Bendix) style events..

Bonus question: Largest aircraft legally entered by not raced

true geek question: Largest aircraft to round the pylons at Reno...

should take skybolt about 15 to 20 seconds to get this depending on typing skill....

Keith

Keith - it's on to you.

Btw, what'd you think about that racer link I sent earlier? (twin V-8 powered) 

hudskit wrote:

hey guys- I'd go with the Sidestrand/Overstrand series from Boulton Paul as a guess... Keith

hey guys-

I'd go with the Sidestrand/Overstrand series from Boulton Paul as a guess...

Keith

My first guess would be the Heinkel He-59, but that was a float plane. It did serve with Finland till 1943. The answer you are looking for is a landplane?

Mike T.

Skybolt, you got it.

Thaddeus Kosciusko as a military engineer from Poland who served for us in the Revolutionary War. He designed the fortifications that helped win the battle of Saratoga and designed the defenses of West Point and I believe later the Academy itself.

Merian Cooper of later King Kong fame helped to form the original squadron that fought in the 1920 to 1921 conflicts between Poland and her eastern neighbors. It is thought that the movie producer in the film was a little bit autobiographical.

This squadron became a regular Polish Ariforce squadron as part of the Warsaw regiment. After the fall of Poland and France, the squardon was reformed initially as the Warsaw squadron, but as many of the members were of the Kosciusko squadron it was renamed to Kosciusko (Warsaw) Squadron RAF 303. It was disbanded in 1946 I believe. One of its former members was Jan Zumbach (12.5 victories and later Wing Commander of 133 Wing) who held Polish and Swiss nationality. He was an adventurer and mercenary, known as Mr. Brown and was involved in the Katanga and Biafra separtist movements in Africa. Witold Urbanowicz (17 victories), another member, became assistant air deputy to the Polish Mission in Washington DC during the war, the fighting blood was at a boil in him and he wrangled through General Chennault a tour as an observer to the 23rd Fighter Group in China. Being a hands on person, as well as a diplomat, he flew several missions in P-40 K's and M's from the 75th FS gaining at least two confirmed kills (deemed not official as he shouldn't have been in the aircraft putting his life at risk). American pilots that flew with him in China were amazed about his situational awareness as he could remember almost every detail of the fight. This goes back to his pre-war training in aircraft without radios, he wasn't dependent on them.

The Soviet influence over the Eastern Block didn't allow for the renaming of the squadron in the Warsaw Air Regiment to their pre-war names until the last ten years. Presently, MiG-29's bears the revived emblem along side the mermaid of the Warsaw Air Regiment. It is possible that the F-16's that the Poles are receiving will have this emblem as well.

The history of the 1920-21 conflict wasn't taught in Polish schools during the Iron Curtain period.

Mike T.

Ok, let me explain this question.

This foreign squadron was founded by a group of American volunteers after WWI. One of the founding members later became a Hollywood film director and producer. The squadron was recreated twice more in its history. It has an association with West Point. edit for clarity, the man it was named after is associated with West Point.

Give me the squadron name, ie. person it was named after and country, not its squadron number (as there was at least 3 of them).

Mike T

That would be Joseph McConnell who was a navigator on B-24's duriong WWII. I remember it from the movie about him. That was the 1955 flick "The McConnell Story with Alan Ladd and June Allyson.

Mike T.

T_Terrific wrote:

skybolt2003 wrote: Oy! what a giveaway! A butcherbird is a Shrike - Curtiss Shrike A-8 Shrike A-12 Shrike and lastly the A-25 Shrike, also known as the SB2C Helldiver -bret One under restoration: http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1018&highlight=a25 Very good Bret! A giveaway only if you are not too lazy to "connect the dots" As you picked up, the key phrase was "Shrike",which if Googled reveals the Army A-25 model as the final varient with this moniker. Also, the stark resemblence of the A-8/12 Shrike and the JU-87B is too obvious to be ignored. It makes the Stuka simply look like an in-line motored A-12 with gull-wings. I mean they have both got essentially the the same style of landing gear pants, etc. Of course, this begs the obvious question, why has no one built a model of this varient? I am tempted to commit an older-release Monogram 1/48th to this idea. I remember a few years back, Hawk put their SBD kit out in it's Army uniform, the A-24 Banshee, and I have been wondering if Testors or anyone else would like to do it again. You got the next opportunity to ask the question. Tom

Tom -

I'll take a picture this weekend of it and either post it or send it to you.

There is one in an Evil Bay store, here's the link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HASEGAWA-1-48-A-24A-US-ARMY-DAUNTLESS-MODEL-KIT-BOMBER_W0QQitemZ120058816528QQihZ002QQcategoryZ63661QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Mike T.

telsono wrote:

Tom - Hasegawa also boxed one of their 1/48 Dauntless versions as the Banshee. It did include corrected parts and decals. I builf one of these about a year ago. The kit is out of production at this time. Mike T.

And I missed it

I hate it when that happens!

Can you post a picture of it?

Tom

Tom - Hasegawa also boxed one of their 1/48 Dauntless versions as the Banshee. It did include corrected parts and decals. I builf one of these about a year ago. The kit is out of production at this time.

Mike T.

skybolt2003 wrote:

Oy! what a giveaway! A butcherbird is a Shrike - Curtiss Shrike A-8 Shrike A-12 Shrike and lastly the A-25 Shrike, also known as the SB2C Helldiver -bret One under restoration: http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1018&highlight=a25

Very good Bret!

A giveaway only if you are not too lazy to "connect the dots"

As you picked up, the key phrase was "Shrike",which if Googled reveals the Army A-25 model as the final varient with this moniker.

Also, the stark resemblence of the A-8/12 Shrike and the JU-87B is too obvious to be ignored. It makes the Stuka simply look like an in-line motored A-12 with gull-wings. I mean they have both got essentially the the same style of landing gear pants, etc.

Of course, this begs the obvious question, why has no one built a model of this varient? I am tempted to commit an older-release Monogram 1/48th to this idea.

I remember a few years back, Hawk put their SBD kit out in it's Army uniform, the A-24 Banshee, and I have been wondering if Testors or anyone else would like to do it again.

You got the next opportunity to ask the question.

Tom

Pruz wrote:

Could it be the Curtiss Hawk? P-6 Hawk, P-36 Hawk and P-40 (War)Hawk? I don't know enough about the services who operated it, but it almost fits the question..... Al

No, but you got the manufacturer right, so you are on the right track.

Notice, the P-40 was never used by the U.S. Navy.

Think, what type of aircraft made by Curtiss did the USN favor over other mfr's, even throughout WWII?

To add more clues:

Once again, for the first two, there are two very nice 1/48th scale kits out there, made by the same manufacturer.

Also, the second one (it's primary distinction was it had a radial engine, vs. the in-line engine of it's immediate predecessor) was also used by the Chinese air force against the Japanese.

For the third model (which I am guessing is the hardest for you-all to identify in it's USAAF makeover ), you can easily get a USN kit of it (as made by Monogram, Accurate Minitures, Academy, Revell, etc., in both 1/72 and 1/48th scale)and convert it, mainly by leaving out the tail hook and by giving it USAAF instead of USN markings. Now, for this one, you might have to resort to some "Googling".

Interestingly enough, the FW-190's actual German moniker (often, but somewhat inaccurately called "Butcher Bird") was essentially the same bird that these were named after.

The Luftwaffe counterpart which essentially was a direct development from these aircraft was the JU-87 Stuka.

If no one get's it after all this info, I guess I can switch the question.

Tom

Could it be the Curtiss Hawk? P-6 Hawk, P-36 Hawk and P-40 (War)Hawk? I don't know enough about the services who operated it, but it almost fits the question.....

Al 

 I can always re-ask this question, changing a couple of phrases in order to seek another answer:

Which US Army aircraft name and type designation (meaning the same letter prefix denoting the role the aircraft was meant for, but three different numbered suffixes) was actually repeated for three different aircraft which flew in a time period spanning two different decades ?

Hints:

1. The final one was a WWII model, but did not actually fly in combat for the Army, but as a U.S. Navy model (their most successful, by the way).

2. They were all made by the same manufacturer.

3. Interestingly enough, the Army abandoned this type, whereas the U.S. Navy and the WWII Luftwaffe made "the most" of this type.