Recent content by claidemore

Just to clear up any possible confusion. First pic is a Malcolm hood, second pic is a bubble canopy. :) Photos are from IPMSStockholm.org - Webzine about plastic scale models, model building, modelling news, techniques and reference maintained by IPMS Stockholm of Sweden and Jerry...

American pilots flying P39s vs lightly armored Japanese planes were notoriously unsuccessful. P38 pilots vs Japanese were successful. About the only thing those two planes had in common was centerline guns (twin vs single engine comes to mind), yet they had totally different success stories...

There is a simple experiment that allows you to experience both Bernoullis equation and angle of attack in a dramatic fashion. Do as follows: 1: come to my store and plunk down $1000 bucks for a nice mattress. 2: place it in the back of your pickup. (box spring on bottom, mattress sitting...

Polikarpov PO2/U2.

Avro Lancaster - paddle steamer Fairey Swordfish - stringbag Supermarine Stranraer - whistling shithouse Supermarine Walrus - shagbat Yak 1 etc, - Yastrebok (Little Hawk), Ostronosyi (Sharp Nose) Petlyakov Pe 2 - peshka (pawn) Hawker Typhoon - tiffie deHavilland Mosquito - mossie, balsa bomber...

I've got three shovels and a pick....someone buys me a ticket over there, i'll bring the tools, and add to the local economy by hiring workers to operate them. :) (It's not that I'm lazy....I just don't like to do anything).

Hartmann had the choice of any Luftwaffe plane, and he chose to stick with the 109, though I'm sure other factors influenced that decision. As far as beauty, I've always considered the Spitfire to be the best looking WWII fighter. But I'd say a 109 K-4 is just as attractive as a 109 F-4...

Hate to play the devils advocate, but if Soren were here he would jump all over the statement about the K4 being a beast to fly! :) His argument would be that the K4 had a more powerful engine, was lighter, more aerodynamic, and handled more like a G2 or F4 than a G6 or the other itermediary...

Talked to a ex malta Beaufighter pilot (Dallas Schmidt) a few years ago, he mentioned anti-shipping strikes with Beaus, but no mention of interceptor missions. Course that doesn't mean they didn't do them, he just didn't mention them. Malta based Mosquitos performed those kind of missions...

Edgar, read page 16 and 17 of the Mk IX pilots notes (1565J). You may have other sources that indicate differently, but from what that manual says, the rear tanks do feed directly to the engine, the pilot just had to make sure not to let them drain into the drop tanks since the lines to both...

Seems we need a definition of 'stop gap'. a: A temporary substitute for something else b: An improvised substitute for something lacking; a temporary expedient Temporary expedient would seem to me to be the crucial defining element. A conversion or adaptation may or may not be a stop gap...

The problem with listing the LaGG 3 as a 'worst' fighter, is that it evolved into the La5, La5FN, La7 (basically with just an engine change) , which were arguably the Soviet Unions 'best' fighters. The potential inherant in Lavochkins design would preclude it from the 'worst' category despite...

The wreck has the old style roundel, with the large yellow circle, whereas all the wartime photos I have seen of HSB have the later version of the roundel. Note that the exhaust stubs are different as well. Squadron codes like HSB would not be relegated to only one aircraft, after this E model...

I think I can see the S, and kinda sorta can see the H in front of it, (very faint), but....the letter behind the roundel looks an awful lot like a B, to me. There was an HSB coded P40 that was flown by James "Stocky" Edwards. Not saying this one was his, or flown by him, but it might be...

I-28 with M-88 engine. 2 x 12.7 BS and 1 x 20mm ShVak, wood construction. Used an engine which was pretty much wasted on ineffective bombers (R10 and Su2). edit: not the Yakovlev I-28/Yak 5, the Yatsenko I-28.