Best Pacific Fighter?

evangilder · Jan 27, 2005

He is really a funny guy, great sense of humor. He has flown more airplane types than most people I know. He had a tremendous amount of knowledge about all of them as well. He teaches the ground school for the C-46 and checks people out on different aircraft as well. He has a callection of his stories in a book called "Full Throttle". I need to pick that up soon.

Anonymous · Jan 27, 2005

evangilder said:
It could carry 2 x 1000 lbs. bombs, but how far? It was either the bombs or drop tanks. WIth the minimal fuel load onboard, it would have been okay for short range attack, but that's about it. It's original design called for a fighter with excellent climb and speed. The reasons for this is it was designed to counter the kamikaze threat, get off the deck fast, get to the planes, get them before they get to the carrier and then get back.

If you guys want a fun article on the F8F, one of our members at the museum is John Deakin. He has a regular column on AVWeb called Pelican's Perch. Here is his article on the F8F, the one at our museum!

http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/182122-1.html

I actually exchanged emails with John Deakin a few years ago. At that time he had told me he had the Bearcat Pilot Handbook in .pdf format, and was willing to send it to me, but we could not find a way to do so (it's over 10 mb so email or my personal web space would not work, and he does no do MSN or other msgr's for direct file transfer). Maybe you could talk to him and see if he can post it here? Seemed like a very nice guy.

Two points to be made about the article - the original F8F-1 had 4 x .50's (in universal bays which could also take 20mm), but these were M3's, not M2's, and had an RoF of 1200 rpm - so four of them gave the same firepower as 6 x M2's. Also, in 1945 in WWII 150 Av-Gas was available giving even more HP than that listed.

I agree range would be short. But only short range is needed if you're supporting an invasion such as Okinawa. And with 1 x 150 gallon drop tank on the belly and 2 x 100 gallon drop tanks on the wings, patrol range is not really that short. It was well suited to its primary mission, which was to provide CAP for carrier fleets. With a good 4+ hours on drop tanks it had pleanty of flight time for this mission.

=S=

Lunatic

evangilder · Jan 27, 2005

I will see if I can find him next time I am out at the museum. He is a very busy guy these days and doesn't come around as much. He is a great guy, and very knowledgable. He was our wing safety officer for awhile as well. He taught us how to put out aircraft fires. Fortunately, we have never had to do that!

Lightning Guy · Jan 27, 2005

I would love to see that info on the Bearcar if someone could get it.

Lightning Guy · Jan 27, 2005

Make that the Bearcat.

MP-Willow · Jan 29, 2005

Evenglider, that artical is nice. I have read some of his others and for got how I liked them.

Also thanks for clearing up my por info on the F8F.

evangilder · Jan 30, 2005

No problem. I don't like to knit-pick, but I think we all are here to learn more. I know I have been corrected as well, and it's all good. I like having the right information. Nothing is more of a crime to history than to perpetuate a wrong fact. I like your siggy pic, BTW.

Quick trivia...What's a quick and easy visual way to see the difference between the B-24 and the LB-30?

cheddar cheese · Jan 30, 2005

If I knew what the LB-30 was, I could tell you!

mosquitoman · Jan 30, 2005

No top turret on the LB-30?
BTW CC, an LB-30 was the version of the B-24 used for pilot ferrying over the Atlantic

cheddar cheese · Jan 30, 2005

Ah thanks, Ill google it and see what I can find

evangilder · Jan 30, 2005

ACtually the LB-30 literally meant Liberator, British. The pic in Willow's siggy is really an LB-30. I guess that was not really a clear question, there are a number of differences. The main one is the export versions of the Liberator typically had round nacelles, the non-export ones had oval nacelles. There are a number of exceptions, but the real LB-30s had round nacelles. The turrets did change a bit through the models.

Lightning Guy · Jan 30, 2005

The PB4Y2 also had oval nacelles. They were oriented the other way however with the oil cooler scoops above and below the engine instead of to either side.

evangilder · Jan 30, 2005

Yep, it's hard to keep track of all the mods sometimes.

Nonskimmer · Jan 30, 2005

Nice Liberator pics, evan. (Thanks for the RCAF pic. )
The markings on the RCAF example are definitely post war. They're of the 1965-67 variety.

cheddar cheese · Jan 30, 2005

Yeah that RCAF One is a good pic. I think ill save that to my computer. 8)

evangilder · Jan 30, 2005

Glad you guys liked the shots. I liked the RCAF shot because I hadn't seen anything like that one. Plus it's nice to recognize our neighbors to the North! 8)

plan_D · Jan 31, 2005

Who? Scotland?

Nonskimmer · Jan 31, 2005

Yes. Scotland. Well, for us I guess it'd be Russia. Then again, for them I guess it'd be Canada. Alaska too, so the States would be included there.

I need a rest!

the lancaster kicks ass · Jan 31, 2005

what, to much thinking again?? you've been warned about that before..........

Nonskimmer · Jan 31, 2005

Yes sir.

Best Pacific Fighter?

Best Pacific Fighter?

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Chance-Vought F4U Corsair

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