Sep 13, 2020 | 1 VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Aviation, Events, Nikon 1 V1, Nikon 1 V3, Remembering Oshkosh
Remembering Oshkosh | a 7 Image Story Oshkosh Air Adventure 2020 did not happen, of course, due to the pandemic. It’s hard to grasp remembering Oshkosh in only the past tense. Although these images have been posted in the past, this week’s posts remember some of the iconic airplanes that usually show up at Air Adventure. With most airshows and/or fly-ins cancelled this year, next year’s Air Adventure 2021 will hopefully be the best ever.
B-29 “Doc” During WWII 3,970 B-29 Superfortress bombers were built. Today, only two B-29s, “FIFI” & “Doc“, are airworthy. “Doc” is maintained and operated by Doc’s Friends. In WWII, it was part of an eight plane squadron. Each plane was named for one of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range, supersonic fighter-bomber developed by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 and by the mid 1960s, became a major part of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps air wings. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds of ordnance on nine external hard points including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs, but originally without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated a M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record. During the Vietnam War, the F-4 was used extensively as the principal Air Superiority fighter. It served as a first line fighter of more Western air forces than any other jet.
The Blue Angels With their F/A-18 Hornets, the Blue Angels, of course, are the main attraction to any airshow even Air Adventure. They have been performing since 1946 making them the oldest formal flying aerobatics team in the USA. Notice the “F/A” in the F/A-18 Hornet designation since it’s both a fighter and an attack aircraft. Even with these bald skies, the vapor trail provides some contrast. They fly in formation only an amazing 18 inches apart.
Aerobatics @ Oshkosh Air Adventure always has great airshows. It’s amazing what the airshow pilots can make an airplane do. The smoke provides nice contrast against those bald skies.
A-1 Skyraider “Bad News” Landing The A-1 Skyraider entered service in December 1946 as the next generation of WWII dive bombers and torpedo bombers. It saw extensive action in the Korean War by the U.S. Navy and USMC. In the Vietnam War, it again saw action as primary ground support attack aircraft. The Skyraider’s most famous roles was the “Sandy” helicopter escort on search and rescue operations. The Skyraider was retired by the U.S. military in the 1970’s after a total of 3,180 planes were built.
Piper J-3 Cub This Piper J-3 Cub on floats image was captured at Oshkosh Air Adventure’s seaplane base. The iconic Piper J-3 Cub is a high-wing, strut-braced monoplane built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. It’s powered by an air-cooled engine and a fixed pitch propeller. Its fuselage is a welded steel frame covered in fabric with seating for two in tandem. It has a simple, lightweight design giving it good low speed handling properties and short field performance. The Cub’s standard chrome yellow paint known as “Cub Yellow” identifies it as one of the best known aircraft of all time. It’s simplicity, affordability, popularity, and performance make it a prized bush plane whether on wheels or floats.
F-22 Raptor Taxiing How often do you see an F-22 taxiing on grass? Well, it’s not. This image was captured at Oshkosh while laying on my stomach. The 70-300mm zoom lens makes it easy to adjust focal length as the Raptor taxis down the taxiway. Remember, 125mm with the 2.7 crop factor of the Nikon 1 V3 converts to 338mm. The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single seat, twin-engine, all-weather, stealth, top line fighter. It always gives an impressive performance. The F-22’s combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness gives it unprecedented air combat capabilities.
Martin JRM Mars Dropping Water The Martin JRM Mars flying boats are the world’s largest flying boats ever flown operationally. Although seven were built, only two remain flying, the Hawaii Mars JRM-3 pictured here and the Philippine Mars. They have been refitted as firefighting water bombers carrying 7,200 gallons of water.
This Martin JRM Mars is dropping 7,200 gallons of water on runway 18/36 at AirVenture. You might ask: how do they get the water? Well, the Captain lands on the water normally, but keeps the the aircraft “on the step” at 60-70 knots. The Flight Engineer controls the power to keep the aircraft “on the step” and selects the scoops to the “down” position to inject the water into the tanks at the rate of about a ton per second. The 7200 gallon pickup time averages 25 seconds. When the tanks are full, the scoops are raised, takeoff power is applied by the Flight Engineer and the Captain makes a normal loaded takeoff. Pretty slick!
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Remembering Oshkosh.
Click any image below for a slide show.
Aug 9, 2020 | 1 VR 10-30mm f/3.4-5.6 PD-Zoom, 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II, AF-S TC 2.0 E III Tele-converter, Aviation, B-25 Mitchell, F/A-18 Super Hornet, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon D300, Nikon D3x, Piper J-3 Cub, Piper PA-18 Super Cub, Spartan 7W Executive, The Moments During the Clicks, Waco YKC
The Moments During the Clicks | a 7 Image Story Many great aviation images come from fast action. Obviously air to air or ground to air images require panning skills no matter what type of aircraft. Propeller planes require really good panning skills to keep the plane in focus while blurring the prop. Even prop planes taxiing require some panning. Jets tend to be a bit easier since there’s no prop. Many images are required to insure a decent photo. Clicks! Clicks! Clicks! There’s really no calm in the moments during the clicks. Things are moving fast. Generally, I don’t even look at many images in camera. I wait until the end of the day when processing them in post. Each of these images has its own back story on my journey. This post will be updated each day after the post of each image.
The Moments During the Clicks | F/A 18 Super Hornet Capturing just the right image of a fast mover like the Super Hornet requires good panning skills and dozens of images from burst mode shooting. It’s all about keeping the plane in the frame whiling panning and clicking as the plane zooms past. Clicks! Clicks! Clicks! It’s an exciting day with few calm moments. Calm comes during post processing when reviewing your great images. The Chicago Air & Water Show is a really nice venue for capturing aircraft images along the beach, particularly if you like jets. You can’t always pick the background, but even with these bald skies, the vapor trail provides some contrast. Notice the “F/A” in the F/A-18 designation since it’s both a fighter and an attack aircraft. The Super Hornet is a twin-engine, carrier-capable, multi-role fighter and attack aircraft. It has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon and can also carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Turn & burn!
Super Cub on Floats The Piper Super Cub, Alaska’s favorite bush plane, makes for great fun. This Piper Super Cub is taking off by lifting one float up first then the other. Although the waves are small, it’s excellent training. Capturing this image on Floatplane Weekend took some planning, good technique, and more than a little luck. The problem, of course, is getting a clear image while blurring the prop. The plane is moving forward, the waves are moving it up and down. The boat I’m riding is moving forward as well as up and down. Yet, the shutter speed must be low enough to make the prop blur. Needless to say, it’s all about keeping the plane in the frame whiling panning and clicking with the hammer down. Clicks! Clicks! Clicks! Calm comes back at the dock.
Cub & Super Cub Two iconic airplanes flying in nice snow make for memorable images. The Cub and Super Cub are having fun on Skiplane Weekend. Getting just the right spacing with just the right blowing snow while the camera and I were freezing meant several hundred burst mode images. Clicks! Clicks! Clicks! Of course, the difficulty to capturing good airplane images in the winter with snow, is to keep the shutter speed low enough to blur the prop and pan well enough to keep the wings and fuselage in sharp focus while dealing with bright, hard mid-day light. A 1/125s shutter speed is about as high as I like for a click like this one. Luckily this day had bright overcast in between snow showers.
B-25 Miss Mitchell This image was captured right after a heavy rain shower at the 70th Doolittle Raiders Reunion. While walking near the hanger door immediately after the rain shower, I noticed Miss Mitchell’s crew looking over the plane to make sure everything was OK. A simple click captured the moment. During WWII, the B-25J “Miss Mitchell” completed more than 130 combat missions over North Africa and Italy without any crew fatalities. After a 12 year restoration by the Minnesota Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, “Miss Mitchell” continues to fly. Of course, the B-25 became famous when Lieutenant Colonel “Jimmy” Doolittle took off from the aircraft carrier Hornet in April of 1942 to bomb Tokyo. Those 16 B-25s became the first U.S. aircraft to bomb the Japanese mainland.
Spartan Executive My second year at the Blakesburg AAA Fly-in ended with a few long exposure images. This image was captured just before the last rays of sunset light faded on the first day of the fly-in. Notice the line of sunset light reflection cutting through the fuselage. No, it’s not a wrinkle in the aluminum; it’s light reflection on the polished aluminum plane. For a still shot in fading light, this image required numerous clicks for getting the nice combination of light, exposure, and angle. Click! Click! Click! They were captured without a tripod, but with steady hands and the patience to capture numerous images. Then, a slow walk along the flight line followed admiring more beautiful old flying machines.
B-25 Champaign Gal The B-25 Champaign Gal, along with another B-25, was taxiing for takeoff at Grimes Field in Urbana, OH before the 70th Doolittle Raider Reunion. Twenty B-25 aircraft attended the reunion the next day on 17 Apr 2013. Luckily, I was able to get a media pass so I could get out to the end of the runway for possibly a better shot. Champaign Gal is based at Grimes Field as part of the Champaign Air Museum. Similar images could have easily been taken at numerous airfields around the world in 1942.
Waco This beautiful Waco made several takeoffs and landings on Antique Field the day I was able to attend the Blakesburg AAA Fly-in. Notice the grass runway and nice the backgrounds on images captured at Antique Field. It’s like going back to the golden age of aviation! The soft sepia finish adds to the old image look. Like all propeller plane shots, the shutter speed must be low enough to make the prop blur. Needless to say, it’s all about keeping the plane in the frame whiling panning and clicking with the hammer down. Clicks! Clicks! Clicks! Calm comes back at the end of the day.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category The Moments During the Clicks.
Click any image below for a slide show.
Jun 7, 2020 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, AF-S TC 2.0 E III Tele-converter, Aviation, Aviation, B-25 Mitchell, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, F-4 Phantom II, F/A-18 Super Hornet, Martin JRM Mars, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon D300, Nikon D3x, Perth Amboy Bird CK, Piper J-3 Cub, Piper PA-18 Super Cub
Aviation | a 7 Image Story Picking seven aviation images from the thousands in my database was difficult. These images were primarily chosen because they represent some of my best compositions. Like these images, many of my favorite aviation images come from airshows and fly-ins. My favorite events include Oshkosh, Chicago Air & Water, the AAA fly-in, and the Lake City fly-in. See more wildlife images in my Aviation Portfolio.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner This image, captured several years ago at Oshkosh before the 787 had entered service, shows the Dreamliner on its takeoff roll. The Dreamliner can carry around 300+/- passengers 6,000 to 7,500 nm. To help passengers on those long hauls, the cabin pressure and the humidity are higher than most airliners. Passengers feel like they are at an altitude of 6,000 feet instead of the industry standard of around 8,000 feet, which may help passenger fatigue.
B-25 Champaign Gal In this image, Champaign Gal is taking off at Grimes Field in Urbana, OH before the 70th Reunion of the Doolittle Raiders at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH in April 2012. Twenty B-25 aircraft attended the reunion with the five remaining crew members from the raid. Similar images could have easily been taken at numerous airfields around the world in 1942. Champaign Gal is based at Grimes Field as part of the Champaign Air Museum.
F/A 18 Super Hornet This image was captured at the Chicago Air & Water Show. If you have never gone to it; it’s a really nice venue for capturing aircraft images along the beach, particularly if you like jets. You can’t always pick the background, but even with these bald skies, the vapor trail provides some contrast. Notice the “F/A” in the F/A-18 designation since it’s both a fighter and an attack aircraft. The Super Hornet is a twin-engine, carrier-capable, multi-role fighter and attack aircraft. It has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon and can also carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Turn & burn!
Cub & Super Cub Two iconic airplanes flying in nice snow make for memorable images. Of course, the difficulty to capturing good airplane images in the winter with snow, is to keep the shutter speed low enough to blur the prop and pan well enough to keep the wings and fuselage in sharp focus while dealing with bright, hard mid-day light. A 1/125s shutter speed is about as high as I like for a click like this one.
F-4 Phantom This F-4 Phantom II image was captured during the Oshkosh fly-in several years ago. The F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range, supersonic fighter-bomber. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2.
Perth Amboy Bird CK This Perth Amboy Bird CK image was captured a few years ago at the Annual Antique Airplane Association Fly-in in Blakesburg, IA. Only 50 Perth Amboy Bird CK aircraft were built in the 1930s and only four are registered in the USA today. It’s powered by the five cylinder Kinner B-5 radial engine.
Martin JRM Mars This Martin JRM Mars is dropping 7,200 gallons of water on runway 18/36 at AirVenture 2016. The Martin JRM Mars flying boats are the world’s largest flying boats ever flown operationally. Although seven were built, only two remain flying, the Hawaii Mars JRM-3 pictured here and the Philippine Mars. They have been refitted as firefighting water bombers carrying 7,200 gallons of water.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Aviation.
Click any image below for a slide show.
May 24, 2020 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Story Posts, AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Aviation, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, B-29 Superfortress, C-47 Skytrain, More WWII Nose Art, Nikon 1 V1, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon D300, Nikon D3x
More WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story During WWII, nose art could be found on many fighters, bombers, and sometimes on other planes like transport and observation planes. The most popular were the bombers since they had more space around the nose to paint. This post only contains images of the B-24 Liberator, the B-25 Mitchell, B-29 Superfortress, and the C-47 Skytrain. More planes with nose art are posted in my portfolios. Also, see WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story for history and more information on the practice of painting art work on the noses of WWII aircraft. For more nose art see B-25 WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story and More B-25 WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story.
B-25 Miss Hap Miss Hap, a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber, is the oldest B-25 still in existence. It was one of the first B-25s delivered to the USAAF in February of 1941, where it was assigned to the 17th Bomb Group, 34th Bomb Squadron. Throughout WWII it served as an administrative and training aircraft as well as a VIP transport including the personal transport for General Henry “Hap” Arnold, Commander of the USAAF during WWII. Since 1989 the American Airpower Museum has been flying it to air shows throughout the country.
B-29 FiFi During WWII, 3,970 Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers were built. The B-29 began active service in 1944. It was needed in the World War II Pacific theater due to its long range and large bomb loads. Later, it was also used in the Korean War and remained in service until the late 1950s. Today, only two B-29s, “FIFI” & “Doc“, are airworthy. “FiFi” is maintained and operated by the Commemorative Air Force.
B-25 Barbie III Barbie III is a B-25H Mitchell bomber operated by History Flight. It’s one of the rarest B-25s still flying. The B-25H was designed mainly for strafing with a 75 mm cannon in the nose, four .50-caliber guns in the nose, four .50-caliber blister guns on the forward fuselage, two .50-caliber guns in the top turret, two .50-caliber guns at the waist stations, and two .50-caliber guns in the tail turret.
C-47 “That’s All Brother” On 6th of June 1944, “That’s All Brother”, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, led the airborne invasion of Normandy. It led over 800 C-47s that dropped over 13,000 paratroopers into Normandy the night before the D-Day invasion. The Commemorative Air Force restored “That’s All Brother” to its 1944 flying condition both inside and out.
B-25 Lady Luck This B-25J Mitchell was built by North American at Kansas City, Kansas, USA in 1945. It was immediately declared surplus and changed hands many times. After finding its way to C and P Aviation at Anoka County Airport, it was renamed Lady Luck, polished, and restored to military standards.
B-24 Diamond Lil This B-24 Liberator was the 25th plane out of almost 20,000 built. After a long and varied history, it found it way to the Commemorative Air Force in 1968. In 1972, the CAF painted the Liberator the colors of the 98th BG and renamed it Diamond Lil.
B-25 Berlin Express This B-25H Mitchell bomber was completed in late December of 1943. It was flown mostly in training and administrative roles during and after WWII. Finally in 1972, after changing hands many times and after being used in filming the movie “Catch 22”, it was donated to the EAA Air Museum Foundation. After a full restoration in 1975, it flew as “The City of Burlington” with a B-25J nose, but was put on display after a landing gear collapse. Then, after another complete restoration by the EAA, it was renamed Berlin Express. Its first flight as Berlin Express was on April 20, 2019.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category More WWII Nose Art.
Click any image below for a slide show.
Apr 12, 2020 | 1 VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Aviation, Cessna 195, Cessna 195 Businessliner, Cessna 208 Caravan, Floatplane, Floatplanes & Amphibians, Grumman G-21 Goose, Howard DGA-15 Floatplane, Martin JRM Mars, Nikon 1 V1, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon D200, Piper J-3 Cub, Piper PA-18 Super Cub
Floatplanes & Amphibians | a 7 Image Story Two main types of seaplanes are floatplnes and flying boats. Floatplanes are aircraft fitted with floats instead of wheels. Flying boats are aircraft where the fuselage is partially submerged in water providing most of the buoyancy and space for crew and payload. Floatplanes and flying boats can be amphibians. Amphibians have landing gear built into their floats or fuselage so they can land on water or runways. Sure the terminology can get a little confusing. Still, all seaplanes have unique attributes making them fun to fly.
Martin JRM Mars The Martin JRM Mars flying boats are the world’s largest flying boats ever flown operationally. Although seven were built, only two remain flying, the Hawaii Mars JRM-3 pictured here and the Philippine Mars. They have been refitted as firefighting water bombers carrying 7,200 gallons of water. They can be refilled on the water. The pilot and crew land on the water normally, but keep the the aircraft “on the step” while scooping up another 7200 gallons in just 25 seconds. Then, they takeoff for another firefighting mission.
Cessna 208 Caravan The Caravan is a rugged airplane ready to accomplish multiple missions whether on wheels or floats. This amphibian Caravan was landing on a grass runway using its retractable gear. It came to the fly-in from its home on the water of a nearby lake. Its powerful turboprop engine delivers the high performance and low operating costs.
Piper PA-18 Super Cub Super Cubs make great floatplanes at a reasonable cost. This one fitted, with retractable gear in the floats, makes a smooth landing at a grassroots fly-in.
Howard DGA-15 The Howard DGA-15 is a single-engine aircraft produced by the Howard Aircraft Corporation from 1939 to 1944. The DGA-15 is a high-winged monoplane with a wooden wing and a steel-tube-truss fuselage wide enough to sit five people comfortably.
Cessna 195 Businessliner Ever get a hankering to fly an airplane with a bit of nostalgia? A plane equipped with a radial engine, cowling bumps, small tires with big spats, etc. The Cessna 195 Businessliner embodies the look of yesterday with better creature comforts than modern planes. Developed in 1947, it was Cessna’s first all-aluminum aircraft with rounded cantilever wings, a radial engine, and a cabin seating five. It quickly became a great utility plane on wheels or floats.
Piper J-3 Cub The Piper J-3 Cub is a high-wing, strut-braced monoplane built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. It’s powered by an air-cooled engine and a fixed pitch propeller. Its fuselage is a welded steel frame covered in fabric with seating for two in tandem. It has a simple, lightweight design giving it good low speed handling properties and short field performance. The Cub’s standard chrome yellow paint known as “Cub Yellow” identifies it as one of the best known aircraft of all time. It’s simplicity, affordability, popularity, and performance make it a prized bush plane whether on wheels or floats.
Grumman G-21 Goose The Grumman G-21 Goose is an amphibious aircraft designed as an eight-seat commuter plane. The Goose was Grumman’s first monoplane, first twin-engine aircraft, and first aircraft for commercial service. During WWII the Goose was used as a military transport. The G-21 Goose is an all-metal, high-winged monoplane powered by two 450 HP nine-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp radial engines. The deep fuselage hull has a hand-cranked retractable landing gear and ample interior space to be a small airliner.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Floatplanes & Amphibians.
Click any image below for a slide show.
Apr 5, 2020 | 1 VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Airports, Aviation, Aviation, Events, Nikon 1 V1, Nikon 1 V3, Oshkosh Seaplane Base, Places
Oshkosh Seaplane Base | a 7 Image Story The Seaplane Base at the Oshkosh AirAdventure provides seaplanes calm waters to dock. It’s nestled in a picturesque cove of Lake Winnebago. Pilots and passenger can stay the day or pitch a tent and spend the night in quiet place far away from the hustle and bustle of the airshow. People often sit along the shore to watch the seaplanes land and takeoff. Sure, there are forums, workshops, and exhibitors related to seaplanes and amphibians. It’s just very low key and a great place to kick back after an afternoon on the Oshkosh flight line. A bus transports visitors between the AirVenture and the seaplane base.
Republic RC-3 Seabee Arrives This Republic RC-3 Seabee water taxis to a dock at the seaplane base. The soft evening light really makes the image. Seebees are not be the fastest planes in the sky. However, they make up for it in utility and beauty. Interesting seaplane if you don’t mind a 100 mph cruise!
Arrival Gets Tow For a float plane pilot, getting a tow to the dock must be the lap of luxury. Pilots land and takeoff outside the seaplane base cove, but still in protected water leading into Lake Winnebago.
Dehavilland Beaver The De Havilland Beaver may be the best bush plane ever to put on a pair of floats. It certainly captures the attention and the imagination of many pilots. This pilot can imagine flying along an Alaskan river or road in a valley between 14 thousand foot glacier mountains in a Beaver. The Beaver has become the gold standard for the bush flying with several hundred planes still in service across Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest.
Cessna 195 with Barn What a background for a Cessna 195 on floats! The family that owns the barn also allows the Oshkosh Seaplane Base to use their land and water for the seaplane base for the Air Adventure week.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Oshkosh Seaplane Base.
Click any image below for a slide show.
Feb 23, 2020 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, Aviation, B-25 Mitchell, More B-25 WWII Nose Art, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon D300
More B-25 WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story This seven image story post is a continuation of B-25 WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story and continues to focus on the B-25 Mitchell bomber. The most popular WWII planes for nose art were the bombers since they had more space around the nose to paint. More planes with nose art are posted in my portfolios. Also, see WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story for history and more information on the practice of painting art work on the noses of WWII aircraft.
B-25 Doolittle Raiders Special Delivery Special Delivery is the official B-25 of the Doolittle Raiders Association. It has been restored and is now owned by the Lone Star Flight Museum. It’s painted in the colors of a Doolittle Raider’s B-25 Mitchell bomber that flew the Doolittle Raid bombing mission over Tokyo on 18 Apr 1942.
B-25 Old Glory The B-25 Mitchell bomber, now named Old Glory, was built 1944 and served with the 12th Air Force in Italy. After being stored from 1945 to1947, it was was put back into service in an administrative role at McClellan Field. After a decade of service, it was declared surplus and sold into private ownership. It passed through several owners and spent time as a fire bomber. Eventually, it was restored to its military configuration and went through a couple of names until being renamed “Old Glory” in 1995.
B-25 My Buck On the opposite side of this B-25 Mitchell bomber’s nose is painted “Executive Sweet”, its actual name. The “My Buck” nose art was painted as a memorial to Link Piazzo and his late wife Helen, the lovely lady in the painting. My Buck was Link’s nickname for Helen. Built late in the war, Executive Sweet saw stateside service during the remainder of WWII as a crew trainer. Then, in 1948, it became a VIP transport. After several years in military service at the School of Aviation Medicine, it was sold as surplus. It changed hands several times while appearing in films and TV shows. Eventually, it was sold to a private owner who restored it back to a wartime B-25 J model appearance. Finally, it made its way to the American Aeronautical Foundation, who operates it today.
B-25 Yankee Warrior The B-25 Mitchell bomber, named Yankee Warrior, is the only B-25D still flying today. Built in 1943, it served in North Africa and Sicily in WWII, then served in the Royal Canadian Air Force for a while. Finally The Yankee Air Museum purchased it in 1987.
B-25 Betty’s Dream This B-25 Mitchell bomber is outfitted for attack and strafing missions. Betty’s Dream has 8 additional .50 caliber machine guns mounted in the nose and controlled by the pilot. Betty’s Dream was one of two B-25 Mitchell’s that intercepted and escorted an official Japanese surrender delegation flying in two Japanese ‘Betty’ bombers to the a US airfield at Le Shima, an island off Okinawa. From Le Shima, the Japanese officials were transferred to a C-54 transport and flown to Manila, where they met with representatives of the Allied nations to formalize the terms of the Japanese surrender. Today, Betty’s Dream is owned by the Texas Flying Legends Museum in Houston, TX.
B-25 Panchito The B-25 Mitchell named Panchito seems to make many air shows and fly-ins each year. It’s been to Oshkosh for the past several years. The original Panchito served in the Pacific Theater in the 41st BG, 396th BS were it was named after a Mexican rooster of the 1943 animated musical “The Three Cabarellos”. The 41st BG was the only B-25 medium bomber unit in the Seventh Air Force. The 41st BG operated in the Central Pacific where it flew over 240 combat missions in single squadron strength. Visit the Delaware Aviation Museum to learn more about Panchito.
B-25 Georgie’s Gal Nose Art Georgie’s Gal, a B-25J Mitchell, went into service in June 1944; toward the ebd of WWII. Georgie’s Gal was purchased from the military and operated out of Phoenix, AZ in the 60’s. It flew as “The Devil Made Me Do It” in the 1970’s. Pseudo armament was added in 1992. It flew as “Man Of War” then as “Martha Jean” in 1999. Finally, it was purchased by Liberty Aviation Museum in 2011 and refurbished as “Georgie’s Gal”. So, what about the nose art; Angela or Helena? Perhaps, Georgie’s Gal was an angel to fly, yet hell to the enemy!
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category More B-25 WWII Nose Art.
Click any image below for a slide show.
Feb 9, 2020 | 1 VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Aviation, Nikon 1 V1, Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman
Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman | a 7 Image Story My original post about the Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman was published over 6 years ago and has become one of the most popular posts on my blog. This post includes more images of the VJ-22 along with updated narrative.
So, what is it? That was my question to the owner after the VJ-22 stopped in front of its hangar. Well, it’s a 1950’s vintage, experimental, high wing monoplane, Volmer VJ-22 Amphibian flying boat nicknamed “Sportsman.” This seaplane features a 235hp Franklin engine, hydraulic brakes, and a two place, size by side, closed cabin. The JV-22s rigid, corrosion proof hull is made of 1/16 inch and 3/32 inch aircraft mahogany plywood with 1/4 inch plywood at the step for maximum strength. It’s covered with fiberglass for added protection. The fin is built integral with the hull. (The Sportsman can use fabric-covered Aeronca Chief or Champion wings.) The main undercarriage retracts by swinging forward 90° and utilizes rubber bungee cords for shock absorption. The tailwheel incorporates a water rudder, and retracts upwards. The original Sportsman was completed December 1958 with a Continental C-85 engine. Apparently, only about 100 JV-22s have been built so far. This particular airplane was built in 1994 hence the upgraded engine. For more specific information on the JV-22, see the Volmer Club of America site.
Builders of homebuilt airplanes can sometimes customize certain parts of the plane. The cockpit panel tends to be a favorite place to get creative. In this VJ-22, the glass display is an iPad, which adorns a modern cockpit for a classy vintage plane. And, look at the wood floor; beautiful workmanship. The seats with shoulder harnesses and seat belts seem a bit narrow in the photo. Still, when looking inside the cockpit and capturing this image, I did not notice them being narrow.
This plane is not hangared at the local airport any longer. Hopefully, I’ll get another opportunity to capture more images of this gorgeous airplane again someday. See my Aviation Portfolio for beautiful aircraft images.
Once again, the easy to carry, Nikon 1 V1 comes through, since it was in my vehicle as I was leaving the airport. Now, I’ve upgraded to the V3 which is even better for aviation photography. Check out Nikon 1 V3 for Aviation | a 7 Image Story for more depth information on using the V3 for Aviation photography.
Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman
- Height: 8 ft
- Length: 24 ft
- Wingspan: 36.5 ft
- Empty weight: 1,000 lbs
- Useful load: 500 lbs
- Gross weight: 1,500 lbs
- Fuel consumption 5.0 gals per hour with a Continental C-85 engine
- Cruise: 85 mph
- Stall: 45 mph
- Climb: 600 ft/min
- Ceiling: 13,000 ft
- Wood hull aircraft mahogany plywood and spruce, fiber-glass covered
- Wings: wood spar, ribs, fabric covered Also, Aeronca Chief or Champion wings
- Landing gear-Main gear, swiveling tail wheel and water rudder manually retractable
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman.
Click any image below for a slide show.
