Recent content by drgondog

Geoffrey, Agreed, partially. This is a complicated discussion. Just before AWPD-1 delivered in Sept 1941, USAAC FM-1-15 "Tactics and Techniques of Air Fighting" led by the same key contributor Muir Fairchild. The basic tenant was that a primary mission of the Air Forces was to 'Destroy the...

I understood that, but pulling all Mustang I depends on decision date may not yield a significant fighter force due to continuing operational attrition. After October, actually after December when both Inglewood and Dallas were producing at near optimal quantities. Agreed, but beachead...

I have opinions, mostly based on fact concerning the various alarms and decisions regarding operational directives that 8thAF was laboring against. First, the strategic role of airpower in the form of heavy bombers destroying enemy industry was the 'mantra'. Not the 'bomber will always get...

Tomo - respectfully, your perspective is one of a single ombudsman view of the state of the possible. I will focus on only one example where a 'great idea' was quashed with the burden of cold reality. Early in the flight test cycle RAF/Air Ministry was excited about a proposition that NAA...

NAA in fact contacted R-R in May 1941 but were shut down on 1650-1 conversion by GMC and Allison. Had that been available, the A-36 would still have been acquired as dive bombing doctrine was alive in winter 1942, but it might have been powered by the 1650-1. Obstructing that promise however was...

JD - without cut and paste I will try to give you my opinion on several of your questions: Arnold - impatient, driver, politician, leader who oversaw the messaging, the pleading with FDR to control the distribution of aircraft to not only the RAF and VVS, but also the AAF, and led the growth of...

There would have been small chance of any unit being provided a V-1650-1 version of the P-51B until very late Summer 1943 - and not in the ETO. The first of the P-51A and last A-36 didn't arrive in CBI until fall 1943. I'm not at all sure of Mk X deliveries as the first one wasn't evaluated by...

Yes, and the Army was not paying for the R&D, nor did GE. The later development of the auxiliary second stage was self financed. That said, the added length and implementation issues killed both retrofit into P-39 and P-40 and P-51 Allison based airframes.

Tomo - there were two critical paths to the operational P-51B. The Airframe Design and Packard deliveries. The experimental design which required the lower cowl change, the drop of the wing and the change to the inlet scoop to eliminate 'rumble', was complete ~ October 1 but the first...

Eaker and Spaatz asked for P-38s and they got them for 8th AF Operation Bolero. The planned total included the 1st, 14th, 78th and 82nd FG composed of P-38F. The 1st and 14th were operational, the 82nd was near operational when Eisenhower requested all the P-38s for Operation Torch. Over Eaker...

I just got a settlement check re: Meta. Undisclosed 'reason'.

My father had about a 2 sq ft hole blown through right wing that took out all three guns - took approximately 50 small caliber holes. They were strafing marshaling yards east of Zwolle. He landed at Steeple Morden, his ship was repaired and recoded to WR-Q. Robin Olds had a huge chunk blown out...

yes

As well as P-51B-1 thru June 1943

Yes, he requested that all B-25s be Mitchell's and AT-6s be Texans - but Brits continued to use Harvard.