Photo of the week
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This weekends photo.
Naval Air Station (NAS) Seattle, Washington, a view taken 18 May 1939 showing planes from the USS SARATOGA (CV-3) air group in the hangar at the station--the first carrier group to arrive at the NAS. Planes in the foreground are Vought SB2U-2 "Vindicators" from VB-4; in background are Grumman F2F-1s from VF-2 and Douglas TBD-1 "Devastators" from VT-2. In foreground are SB2U-2s BuNos 1338 (4-B-9), 1336 (4-B-7), 1341 (4-B-12); 1329 (4-B-8); identifiable F2F BuNos are: 9638 (2-F-11), 9653 (2-F-11), 9659 (2-F-18).
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This weekends extra.
F4U-4 Corsairs of VF-24 "Corsairs", Carrier Air Group 2, on the flight deck of USS Philippine Sea CV-47, April–June 1951 Korea.
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This midweeks photos.
A Douglas R4D-5 Bu-17201, of the Naval Air transport Service, arrives at a Naval Air Station with high priority cargo for local Naval establishments, circa 1944
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This weekends photo.
A F6F-5 Hellcat of VF-28 launches as part of USS Monterey's strikes on Okinawa on 10 October 1944
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This weekends extra.
USS Saipan Carrier Qualifications with SNJ Texans, circa 1955.
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This weekends photo.
School of Aerial Photography. Curtiss JN-4 taking off, at Langley Field, Virginia 4-1-1919.
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This weekends extra.
SPAD VII French fighter plane belonging to Escadrille SPA 31 which was forced down behind enemy lines and carries the legend: Acquired by Jasta 38, 6 April 1917 (in German).
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This weekends photo.
Dubbed unofficially the Streamline Gunbus, the F.B.9, which emerged towards the end of 1915, introduced numerous refinements over its predecessor, the F.B.5. The fuselage nacelle was of improved aerodynamic form; the wings and tailplane sported rounded tips; streamlined Rafwires replaced stranded steel cables and turnbuckles for interplane bracing, and a plain, Vee-type undercarriage supplanted the twin skids previously used. The standard power plant remained the 100hp Gnome Monosoupape rotary. Vickers built a total of 95 F.B.9s, and a further 20-30 were built by Darracq in France, some of which were issued to the RFC (No 11 Sqn) and were used during the Battle of the Somme which began on 1 July 1916. The manufacture of the F.B.9 in Italy by Vickers-Terni fell through owing to political reasons. A version designated F.B.10 powered by an Isotta-Fraschini engine was proposed but not built. Outclassed by more advanced fighting aeroplanes, the F.B.9s saw only brief first-line service, the great majority being assigned tuitional tasks on delivery to the RFC, for which some were retrofitted with dual controls. For gunnery training, some F.B.9s were fitted with a Scarff ring on the front cockpit, but none remained on charge at the time of the Armistice.
