Recent content by MikeMeech

  1. M

    The airplane that did the most to turn the tide of the war.

    Hi During June 1942 five Lancasters of No.44 Squadron were detached to CC at Nutts Corner to undertake mainly convoy escort. Two additional aircrew from No.220 Sqn. (Fortress I) were added to their crews. On 14 June R5858 KM-G ditched near an outbound convoy, the crew being picked up by the...
  2. M

    How good a plane was the P-40, really?

    Hi I don't think Caldwell was a "drop out" he decided not to take the 'final exams', I suspect that unless you wanted to go to university there was not much point in that era? However, it appears he worked as a 'commissioning agent', whatever that is, but he must have had enough money coming in...
  3. M

    How good a plane was the P-40, really?

    Hi Can you define what you mean by British pilots being "mostly more aristocratic leaning" as any casual glace at the bios in books like 'Aces High' by Shores and Williams does not indicate that many aristocrats "leaning" or otherwise? Presumably you have looked at various sources to make this...
  4. M

    Can anyone identify this plane from this June 1918 German footage?

    Hi I agree that the image appears to be of a Halberstadt CL.II. With its white fin and rudder it is in the markings that came into use for Schlasta 2 after April/May 1918 (source page 213, of 'Schlachtflieger!' by Rick Duiven & Dan-San Abbott). If it is Magneux I am not sure, according to page...
  5. M

    The Hs 129 idea done 'right', and for everyone

    Hi The Junkers J.I was not a ground attack aircraft, it undertook 'contact patrols' to locate friendly troops and to report on location of enemy troops (called 'counter attack patrol' by the British but could be a combined role by an individual aircraft). It was mainly equipped with a single...
  6. M

    Trying to find the origin of an early British tail marking design

    Hi Bruce Robertson's book 'Bombing Colours' of 1972 has information on the origin and use of these standard frame crest markings in Chapter 17, the chapter is about the Hawker Hind but the information applies to other aircraft as well. Information relevant for you starts at the last paragraph...
  7. M

    Aircraft made in steel?

    Hi Following the last post, some more detailed specification information for the steels in use for aircraft construction, for those interested, from the same source: Mike
  8. M

    Aircraft made in steel?

    Hi For the 1937 view on this subject we have 'Metal Aircraft Construction' by M Langley, on use of duralumin sheet for monocoque fuselages instead of steel it states the following (under 'The Material of the Monocoque'): Some examples of 'steel' framework: A list of steels and alloy steels in...
  9. M

    The 'ramp head debacle' makes RR to cancel the Merlin. What now?

    Hi I take it you mean the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) which was previously the Royal Aircraft Factory (RAF) until the Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 and it changed the name and therefore initials for obvious reasons. Mike
  10. M

    Instances of pilots omitting tracer ammunition?

    Hi Tracer or Incendiary? 'British Aircraft Armament Volume 2' page 70, by R Wallace Clarke lists the following under Projectile Identification: On page 68 of the same source it mentions that from mid-1942 the "belts being made up equally of HE/I and SAP/I". Mike
  11. M

    The real combat history of the Ki-43

    Hi 'Air War for Burma' (the title of the third volume in the 'Bloody Shambles' series) by Christopher Shores mentions on page 239 that in June 1944 the US "80th Fighter Group begin supplementing its P-40Ns with some P-47D Thunderbolts." A quick look through has not turned up any losses, but I...
  12. M

    Instances of pilots omitting tracer ammunition?

    Hi Dowding's BoB Despatch has the following on ammo used: Mike
  13. M

    The real combat history of the Ki-43

    Hi Reference the Beaufighter loss during this period. It appears to be EL286, 'U' of 27 Squadron on Friday, 26 March 1943 (page 73 of 'Air War for Burma' by Christopher Shores). it was one of four making a low level attack on Toungoo airfield, where at least one Ki 48 light bomber of the 64th...
  14. M

    Anglo-US Reciprocal lend-Lease

    Hi The book 'Air Arsenal North America' by Butler and Hagedorn, has a brief section on 'Reverse Lend-Lease' in Chapter Thirteen. It appears this was about one third of the costs of US LL to UK. Mike
  15. M

    Better German naval strategy 1930-1945?

    Hi There were various RN ships in different locations that were trying to block the Bismarck's exit into the Atlantic (indeed there were also about 5 British convoys in the sea area covered by the chase), just south of Hood/PoW was the King George V/Revenge/Victorious and other ships, including...
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