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Considered by many as one of the worst aircraft designs of all time, the “strut-less, wings like a bird” Christmas Bullet had (surprise!) an annoying habit of shedding those unsupported wings immediately after takeoff. Two were built, both lost their visible means of support. Note: Dr. William Christmas designed the aircraft with an idea in mind that it could be used to fly over to Germany and kidnap Kaiser Wilhelm II during WW1. No, I did not make that up.
The artist might have sketched a hard-working engineer that did not look like a mad scientist in his laboratory.
11th Fighter Squadron, Adak, Alaska
A 4th of July salute to a great American – General Curtis E. LeMay
On Independence day, it is well to remember those who have ensured that such liberty endures. One such man is the immortal General Curtis E. LeMay. General LeMay will be long remembered for his revolutionary concepts on airpower strategy and doctrine. As the absolute boss of Strategic Air Command, he put those theories to the test. He was always willing to find out what worked, or did not. Furthermore, from the B-29 to the SR-71, LeMay always knew a good aircraft when he saw one.
In his day, LeMay’s personality and strong beliefs caused him to be a terror in the minds of many. While he was incredibly firm, he was also incredibly fair. He knew what he wanted, and in case one did not know what that was, he would tell you in no uncertain terms. Intimidating though he was to those in the 1950s & 60s, in today’s juvenile-minded political & societal environment he would cause many of his fellow Americans to wet their pants. That being their sole means of expressing their inability to argue with the man.
USS Los Angeles in Puerto Rico
In May of 1925, the mighty airship USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) paid a call to the steamy waters of Puerto Rico where, as it swung lazily from its tender, USS Patoka, it attracted quite a crowd. Judging by the number of rowboats, I would guess a tidy business was underway where, for the right price, one could get a closer look at the giant airship.
B-36, 92nd Bomb Wing
44-92060 had, by today’s standards, a brief life. Delivered in 1949, and assigned to the 92nd Bomb Wing at Fairchild AFB in 1951, it did its part for five years until it was scrapped in 1956. Made for a lot of pots and pans.
The patch of the 92nd during the B-36 days at Fairchild. B-52s arrived in 1957, and, alas, this patch design was done away with.
In search of Pancho Villa: On the Border with the 1st Aero Squadron, 1916
This Curtiss JN-2, Signal Corps No. 43, was the first aircraft assembled and flown after the 1st Aero Squadron arrived in Columbus, New Mexico, in March, 1916.
The man astride the Harley Davidson (one of six brought on the expedition) carries a dispatch bag bearing the markings of the 1st Aero Squadron.
The 1916 mission to bring Pancho Villa and his desperadoes to justice was the first military operation for the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps. Despite the primitive conditions and seemingly frail aircraft, the 1st Aero Squadron proved invaluable for the Army’s operations.
Beginning in mid-March, 1916, the aircraft seen here, Signal Corps No. 43, flew many of the 1st’s early missions. Usually piloted by Lt. Herbert A. Dargue, No. 43 was considered one of the more reliable machines. However, aircraft reliability in 1916 was measured in weeks: No. 43 developed engine trouble on April 19, 1916, was forced to land in hostile territory, and was subsequently destroyed to prevent its capture. Hiking through the badlands of Mexico without food or water for two days and nights, Lt. Dargue and fellow pilot Robert H. Willis managed to avoid capture.
Shooting Stars
48-905 and 48-900 of Air Materiel Command.
This P-80A (44-85031) was, in all probability, the first jet aircraft that many in this crowd had ever seen.
85031 was assigned to the 71st Fighter Squadron when it crashed in 1947.
44-85044 of Wright Field’s Test Division.
44-85123 of the Test Division, Wright Field, won the Thompson Trophy in 1947. This aircraft is now stored at Edwards AFB.
44-85247 was another P-80A assigned to Wright Field’s Test Division.
45-8320 of the 61st Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled.
44-85460, Wright Field Test Division.
49-477 , Air Proving Ground, Eglin AFB.
44-85257 of the 56th Fighter Group
45-8310 of the 161st Reconnaissance Squadron, Jet Propelled.
45-8568 of the Indiana Air National Guard.
8568 was assigned to the 163rd Fighter Bomber Squadron.
44-85401 was another P-80 belonging to the 61st Fighter Squadron.
TV-1 (3841) of NAS Seattle. This aircraft is now on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight.
RB-66, Spangdahlem Air Base, 1961
The patches worn on the hats of these maintenance men tells us they are members of the 30th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. Looks like a typical rainy day for Germany, and especially for Spangdahlem.
84th Bomb Squadron (Tactical)
With its tail number of 47-084, this B-45A was a natural choice for assignment to Langley AFB’s 47th Bomb Group, 84th Bomb Squadron. The unit later moved to RAF Sculthorpe in the UK.
The B-45 was, of course, America’s first jet bomber, and like many of those early jets it had a checkered career (of the 143 B-45s built, almost one-third of them were destroyed in crashes and other mishaps). There are very few survivors, and 47-084 is not one of them: it ended its days in 1958 at Ramstein Air Base as an instructional airframe for training firemen. In other words, a charred and smashed wreck.
Insignia of the 84th
France, 1918
Caproni Ca.5 at a French airfield.
Caudron G.3 at Châteauroux-La Martinerie, 1918.
From the shade of the hangar, French pilots take a look at an RFC Handley Page 0/400.
DH.4 of the US Air Service.
Last of the Shark Tails…for now
Still more early B-17s…
More B-17 Shark Tails
Another look at the pre-war B-17
Note that the aircraft is labeled the YB-18 – oops.
Shark Fin B-17s
Let’s take a look at the early birds of the B-17 world…
Boeing Model 299
A salute to the forerunner of the world’s most famous bomber. Most of the photos taken of the 299 are well known, but here at Jivebomber’s you not only get to see them again, but in many cases, they are original 1935 photographs from long-discarded Boeing archives. Enjoy.
The Seattle Star of July 17, 1935, tells us that Boeing’s “Mystery Bomber” had rolled out the factory door only the day before.
The 299 being ogled by appreciative onlookers at Boeing Field. Another famous product of that company can be seen in the hangar – the P-26.
The 299 takes to the skies.
Artist’s conception of the Model 299 over Wright Field, Ohio.
Stinson Vigilant
The Stinson L-1 Vigilant seen here has had a long and interesting life. Delivered to the Air Corps in 1941, 40-3012 served all over the United States before being purchased at the war’s end by legendary Hollywood pilot, Paul Mantz. After decades of work as a camera plane, this airworthy craft now resides in the Fantasy of Flight museum in Florida. This photo shows the plane shortly after its sale to Mantz. The aircraft had last been assigned to the Air Transport Command (ATC) division in Alaska (that is the difficult to see totem pole insignia below the cockpit).
This L-1 was a rare bird. Built as 41-18912 for the Army Air Force, it was equipped with floats and redesignated the L-1F. Only a handful were so converted.
Boeing XPB-1
First flown in 1925, the XPB-1 with its all-metal hull seemed promising enough, but was plagued by difficulties with its liquid-cooled engines.
Despite the engine problems, the rugged XPB-1 was retained for testing purposes by the navy who eventually replaced the original motors with radials. Still, there was only one built.
The 94th Pursuit Squadron
The 94th Pursuit Squadron of Selfridge Field out for a drive in the mid-1930s. Great photo – you can practically hear the engines roaring. The aircraft are, of course, P-26s.
Albatross D.III of the Polish Air Force
Poland’s fledgling air force began with top of the line machines such as the German-built Albatross. When war came with the Soviet Union in 1919, the untried Polish air force gave a good account of themselves and were instrumental in the victory over the USSR.
Curtiss P-36 Hawk, 1940-41
We see a rather rare photo here: a pre-war P-36 sporting a bare metal finish with national insignia on its fuselage. Perhaps this can be explained by the fact that in late 1940, the Air Corps was conducting experiments with camouflage as well as the placement of the national insignia. This P-36 is assigned to Maxwell Field’s 23rd Composite Group – the unit that carried out such testing.
Junior Birdmen of 1959
T-34
When this photo was taken, T-37 58-1896 was fresh off the assembly line
A photo to show to the folks back home.
T-37A 56-3563 has a long life ahead of it. Today, it is on display in the appropriately named town of Jet, Oklahoma.
The number of pilots who trained in the “Tweet” is beyond counting.
Rainy (and humid) afternoon at Graham Air Base.
By the book, or “Buy the Farm”.
With bulging briefcases, students of the 3300th Pilot Training Group prepare to march.
He is about to be trusted with a multi-million dollar aircraft.
These shots were taken at Graham Air Base, Florida, in the latter half of 1959. The aircraft are the T-34 and, of course, the then new T-37 “Tweet”. Graham was an air force training base, but was operated primarily by civilian contractors and not air force personnel. As such, it did not carry the title “Air Force Base”. By 1959, the era of civilian operated training schools was coming to a close, and Graham Air Base closed the following year.
The Vickers Valiant
The third Valiant built, WP201 was used for training missions and testing with No. 1321 Bomber (Defence) Training Flight at RAF Wittering.
On the ground, the Valiant could be an ungainly-looking beast. Looks are deceiving things though – the Valiant was a highly respected aircraft and marked the RAF’s commitment to nuclear defense.
The VC-137A & B
- 58-6960 sports the VC-137’s original markings on an early test flight prior to its delivery to the USAF.
“Regular Army Officers”
The aircraft is, of course, a DH-4. The place is somewhere hot (note the sun’s x-ray effect on the wings). The date is sometime in the 1920s.
The man in the center is Hap Arnold who wears his Military Aviator badge beneath his wings.
