P-51 Mustang

Jul 21, 2016 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Aviation, Daily Image 2016, Military Aircraft, Nikon 1 V3, P-51 Mustang

P-51 Mustang

This P-51 Mustang “Gunfighter” from the Commemorative Air Force was on tour with FiFi.  The P-51 fighter…an aircraft that changed the course of a war.  It was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War.  Although first designed as a medium-altitude fighter, the Mustang excelled in hedge-hopping strafing runs and long-range escort duty; blasting trains, ships and enemy installations.

Lightning Red & Deborah

Jul 20, 2016 | AF-S 50mm f1.4G, Daily Image 2016, Nikon D300, People

Lightning Red & Deborah

Lightning Red, a great internationally known blues artist passed earlier this month.  He performed nationally and internationally touring England, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Scandinavia, Croatia, Germany, Holland, and Australia.  He played electric guitar, was a song writer, sang, and fronted his own band for 50 years.  He recorded 8 albums of original music.  His entire life was shaped by an insatiable passion for the blues.  It’s all he ever played.  Pictured here with his artist wife, Deborah (my cousin), he leaves behind a rich legacy of blues.  Stop by his website LightningRed.com to learn more about him and hear his beloved blues music.

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

Jul 19, 2016 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, Aviation, Daily Image 2016, Military Aircraft, Nikon 1 V3, SB2C Helldiver

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

This Curtiss SB2C Helldiver is the last flying Helldiver on the planet and part of the Commemorative Air Force.  Built in 1945, this SB2C-5 makes frequent air show appearances. In 1982, it had an engine failure and a hard emergency landing that caused extensive damage.  The volunteers of the CAF worked thousands of hours to restore it to flying condition.  The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber used by the Navy during World War II.  Being much faster, it replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless.  The Curtiss SB2C was the last of a line of aircraft developed for the U.S. Navy specifically for the role of dive-bombing.

You might not have noticed a couple of details in the image.  First, the gunner is aiming those machine guns directly at me.  Second, notice the holes in the top surfaces of the flaps; yep, they are called dive brakes. The design featured “split flaps” for dive braking, with the flaps extending above and below the wing. These  “Swiss Cheese” flaps were modified with an array of holes in the flaps.

Beech C-45 Expeditor “Bucket of Bolts”

Jul 18, 2016 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, Aviation, C-45 Expeditor, Daily Image 2016, Military Aircraft, Nikon 1 V3

Beech C-45 Expeditor "Bucket of Bolts"

The Beech C-45 Expeditor “Bucket of Bolts” from the Commemorative Air Force was on tour with FiFi also part of the CAF.  The C-45 is a military transport version of the Beechcraft Model 18, which began production in 1937.  The C-45 was first ordered by the U.S. Army Air Corps for use as a staff transport and was continually modified throughout its 32 year production.  Although 9.338 were produced, only about 250 are still flying.