50s aircraft that originated during World War II

[FLYBOYJ]

XP2V-1 May, 1945

 

[SaparotRob]

Almost unrecognizable without the MAD boom.

 

[GrauGeist]

Here's a shot of a Neptune in action on a local fire, that I took several years ago.

 

[windhund116]

C-54 Douglas Skymaster was another long life plane, with origins in WW2. I believe they flew in one form or another, until the 1990s.

 

[msxyz]

Here's a shot of a Neptune in action on a local fire, that I took several years ago.

Speaking about 'waterbombers' am I mistaken or one of those WW2 Grumman long range seaplanes got converted into a firefighting aircraft after the war (could be the Goose or the Mallard)?

 

[GrauGeist]

Speaking about 'waterbombers' am I mistaken or one of those WW2 Grumman long range seaplanes got converted into a firefighting aircraft after the war (could be the Goose or the Mallard)?

The Martin Mars (JRM-3), also recently retired.

Here she is on Lake Shasta, took the photo during our 2008 fire season.

*oops* you said Grumman, my bad.

The only Grumman fire-bombers I'm familiar with are the TBF and the (post war) S-2 Tracker.

 

[mstennes]

Great idea. I'd like to see the original version of the F-86.

I agree, the F-86, if I remember right the F-86 and MiG-15 were both based of the Messerschmitt P1101. We did get the prototype and made complete copies of the plans but under the Potsdam Agreement they went to the Russians.

 

[mstennes]

Speaking about 'waterbombers' am I mistaken or one of those WW2 Grumman long range seaplanes got converted into a firefighting aircraft after the war (could be the Goose or the Mallard)?

The Martin Mars and Catalina's were converted to water bomber use.

 

[mstennes]

The P/F-80C had a better engine and several system fixes that made a great performer and the T-33, which was spun off the P-80, was a great machine in it's own right, serving for decades after the F-80 was retired.
Boeing even has some in their inventory, serving as chase planes for their various project testing.
I read recently that Boeing was considering (or has) retiring them.

Not a bad run for a type with WWII heritage.


Going by memory, the Me163 was limited to 550-560 mph due to potential structural failure if exceeded.

However, it's rate of climb was ridiculously fast and it has the notoriety of being the only rocket powered aircraft used in combat.

I know they retired their F-86 chase planes, I'm not sure about their T-33's. I do or I've heard they are looking at T-38's as a replacement.

 

[NevadaK]

I've always thought that the period from 1944/5 to 1951 was a kind of golden age for US aviation design. A lot of very capable aircraft were developed but ultimately not making it to production. A couple of my favorites that I learned about through old Wings/Airpower magazines are the Douglas XB-42/43 Mixmaster/Jetmaster and the Martin XB-51. Not necessarily the planes I think intended for this thread, nonetheless pretty cool.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Well, here's a Navy FJ-1, which eventually led to the F-86. You can see the marked similarity to the P-51 as well as the F-86.
View attachment 656212

Reminds me of the Supermarine Attacker, with its wings being essentially taken off the Spiteful.

 

[special ed]

Douglas proposed, in advertising, that post war the B-42 would be the DC-8 passenger liner. They didn't show how the passengers would sit around the engines & driveshaft.

 

[NTGray]

I've always thought that the period from 1944/5 to 1951 was a kind of golden age for US aviation design. A lot of very capable aircraft were developed but ultimately not making it to production. A couple of my favorites that I learned about through old Wings/Airpower magazines are the Douglas XB-42/43 Mixmaster/Jetmaster and the Martin XB-51. Not necessarily the planes I think intended for this thread, nonetheless pretty cool.View attachment 656467View attachment 656468View attachment 656469

Absolutely. And both the Mixmaster and the B-51 are personal favorites of mine.
Here's the namesake, an actual Sunbeam Mixmaster from the 1940s:

 

[FLYBOYJ]

The B-51 showed a lot of promise, but didn't have long legs. One was used in the movie Toward The Unknown as an experimental fighter.

 

[buffnut453]

Can't understand why this beastie hasn't been mentioned yet. Original specification was released in 1944 as a replacement for the Mosquito, with first flight in 1949 and 3 variants are still flying under NASA markings today...not a bad innings:

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Can't understand why this beastie hasn't been mentioned yet. Original specification was released in 1944 as a replacement for the Mosquito, with first flight in 1949 and 3 variants are still flying under NASA markings today...not a bad innings:

View attachment 656480

You beat me to the punch!

 

[GregP]

Here is the XF-92 painted up as a MiG-23 (before there WAS a MiG-23) in the movie "Jet Pilot."

Horrible acting, but great flying. The planes came from the 94th Fighter Squadron. Locations included Edwards AFB and Hamilton AFB. The camera plane was a B-45 Tornado.

Chuck Yeager flew in the picture on many shots along with Charles Rayburn Cunningham and Glenn M. Johnson. The air boss was Paul Mantz. The Soviet "parasite fighter" was a Bell X-1. The Yak-12 was a black-painted T-33. The unpainted fighter Janet Leigh was suppose to fly was an F-89 Scorpion.

Worth seeing the movie for the flying, if not exactly the acting.

Here's a B-57B 3-view that I drew:

One of my favorite jets! Long or Short-wing.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I agree, the F-86, if I remember right the F-86 and MiG-15 were both based of the Messerschmitt P1101. We did get the prototype and made complete copies of the plans but under the Potsdam Agreement they went to the Russians.

Actually yes and no - the F-86 in it's original form was on the drawing board before the end of WW2. The swept wing data from Germany played into the finalization of the design. The MiG-15 was developed roughly in the same path with the exception of the airframe taking a centrifugal flow compressor. If anything, the MiG-15s engine bay looks amazingly similar to the F-80/T-33's engine bay and the tail section is removed in a similar fashion.

Now the P1101 going to the Soviets? I'd like to know where you got that from?!?!

From Wiki, references left...

"By the time an American infantry unit discovered the Oberammergau complex on 29 April 1945, the V1 prototype was approximately 80% complete.[6]​ The wings were not yet attached and appear to have never had skinning applied to their undersides. The airframe was removed from the nearby tunnel in which it was hidden and all associated documents were seized. There was some lobbying by Messerschmitt Chief Designer Woldemar Voigt and Robert J. Woods of Bell Aircraft to have the P.1101 V1 completed by June 1945, but this was precluded by the destruction of some critical documents and the refusal of the French to release the remaining majority of the design documents (microfilmed and buried by the Germans), which they had obtained prior to the arrival of American units to the area.[7]​

The airframe meanwhile became a favorite prop for GI souvenir photos. Later, the prototype was shipped first to Wright Patterson AFB, then to the Bell Aircraft Works in Buffalo, New York in 1948 where an Allison J35 engine was attached. Damage ruled out any possibility for repair although some of the Me P.1101's design features were subsequently used by Bell as the basis for the Bell X-5, which was the first aircraft capable of varying its wing geometry while in flight.[6]"​

​

 

[buffnut453]

Another design dating from December 1944, one of the prettiest of all the early fighter jets:

 

[buffnut453]

And then there's this which first flew in September 1943: