Picture of the Day - Miscellaneous

[johnbr]

The XB-30 was the design submitted by Lockheed to a 1939 request from the US Army Air Forces for a very heavy bomber. Competing against Boeing, Douglas, and Consolidated, the XB-30 (Lockheed Model 51) concept was based on the L-49 Constellation airliner then on the drawing boards. The XB-30 was designed for a crew of twelve and could carry eight 2,000 pound bombs nearly 2,700 miles. This detail drawing from 1940 shows the two .50 caliber machine guns and two 20mm cannon in the XB-30's tail gunner position. Nearly 4,000 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses and 114 Consolidated B-32 Dominators were eventually built. Rather than build the XB-30, the AAF directed Lockheed to complete development of the Constellation as the C-69 transport.

 

[johnbr]

Sneaky Pete Spotlighted Photos | Code One Magazine

The US Air Force performed mission analyses on four generic fighter designs for an advanced tactical fighter (what became the F-22) in the 1970s. The designs spanned the variety of aircraft investigated by the companies. The aircraft were labeled N, SDM, SLO, and HI. N (numbers) was a small, cheap concept that could be bought in quantity. SDM (supersonic dash and maneuver) emphasized speed and maneuverability. SLO (subsonic low observables) was based on a flying wing design. HI (high-Mach/high-altitude) represented a large missileer. The results, which were presented to all participants, favored the flying wing (shown here). The more conventional SDM fighter placed second in effectiveness. The missileer and inexpensive minifighter did not rate well in the analyses.

 

[MiTasol]

bv-155 from CIA

That CIOS report is most interesting. Pressure proof cabin presumably means pressurized, much use of steel in primary structure, etc

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[Wurger]

 

[johnbr]

https://i.redd.it/z17gbsf3c1v11.png Orenda Iroquois fly test

 

[Shinpachi]

A former N1K2-J pilot, Ryo Okada 92, inspects the replica.
"As a teenager pilot, I used to pat this boy's outer skin murmuring ' I trust you, my friend ' before riding the cockpit. This reminds me of my old days well."

Source: Youtube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvJ6ZnLVybM)

 

[Wayne Little]

Excellent pics and video Shinpachi, hope you are well.

 

[michaelmaltby]

... I can remember as a boy driving with my dad past Malton AP - now Pearson IAP - and seeing that Borrowed B-47 parked up against the fence .

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff guys!

 

[Shinpachi]

The last meeting of Zero Fighter Pilots' Association on September 13, 2002.

Recollection

Visiting Mitsubishi. This zero is now displayed at Aichi Museum of Flight in Nagoya.

Source: 零戦の会公式HP

Aichi Museum of Flight.

Source: https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1758/41628300045_db4332fdc7_b.jpg

 

[Shinpachi]

Reunion of G4M Airmen (中攻の会 = Chuko-no-kai).
The date of last meeting which can be confirmed in the internet is December 10, 2011.

Source: 中攻の会

 

[johnbr]

heres prints for most beautifull battleship ever built, actually three of then were built, Yamato, Musashi and Shinano.
also japanese were building 3 more of these ships but all project got cancelled and existing parts were scrapped
after all Yamato was best known of those three ships, and eventually americans started calling them as "Yamato" class superbattleships

below: prints for three versions of Yamato (41, 44 & 45)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Musashi
Builder: Mitsubishi, Nagasaki
Laid down: 29.3.1938
Launched: 1.11.1940
Commissioned: 5.8.1942
Fates:
Sunk in the Sibuyan Sea, S of Luzon, 24 October 1944 by 10 to 19 torpedoes and
17 bombs from planes of Cabot, Enterprise, Essex, Franklin, Intrepid.

Operation history: Imperial Battleships
Yamato
Builder: Kure NY
Laid down: 4.11.1937
Launched: 8.8.1940
Commissioned: 16.12.1941
Fates:
Sunk 7 April 1945 SW of Kiusiu en route to Okinawa after being hit by 9 to 13 torpedoes,
6 bombs and internal explosion from planes of TF 58: Belleau Wood, Bennington, Bunker Hill,
Cabot, Cowpens, Essex, Hancock, Hornet, Intrepid, Langley, San Jacinto, Wasp, Yorktown.
Operation history: Imperial Battleships
Shinano
Builder: Yokosuka NY
Laid down: 4.5.1940
Launched: 8.10.1944
Commissioned: 19.11.1944

Suspended in December 1940, cancelled in 1942 when 50% complete. Would have carried 20-24 x 100 mm AA
instead of 5" and 6.1". Converted to a carrier.
Fates:
Torpedoed and sunk by US submarine Archerfish S of Honsiu 29 November 1944 while moving to Kure for fitting out.
Operation history: none.
cancelled Yamato class ships
No 111
Builder: Kure NY
Laid down: 7.11.1940
Launched: no record
Commissioned: no record
Fates:
Suspended in December 1940, cancelled 1942 when 30% complete and scrapped
No 797, 798 and 799
Builder: no record
Laid down: no record
Launched: no record
Commissioned: no record
Fates:
Three more ships were cancelled and never ordered.
japanese superbattleship (Yamato, Musashi, Shinano)

 

[johnbr]

https://www.quora.com/What-was-the-most-unusual-military-unit-in-history

 

[Shinpachi]

Talking of Yamato, new Yamato movie is coming up this month.
Fictional story of a young mathematician who has been ordered to demolish the battleship Yamato under construction logically by Admiral Yamamoto who wants more aircraft carriers than battleships.

Source: The Great War of Archimedes (www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMRek191k18)

 

[vikingBerserker]

I do have to agree, they were the most beautiful ever built.

Shinpachi, that's awesome about the Zero and G4M meetings, I would love to listen to them talk!

 

[Tieleader]

Would have loved to have sat in on those meetings... and understand the Japanese language

 

[Shinpachi]

In my impression, there are still hundreds of testimonies by Japanese veterans in the internet beside published books.

Masayoshi Nemoto (1920-2002) tells his experience as a G4M pilot in the reunion.

"On February 24, 1945, I was ordered to bomb the US troops on Iwo-jima in the evening. In the darkness, target was invisible but I bombed on the right side of the line between two searchlights as instructed. Mission was confirmed successful by the garrison later. In 1958, I had a chance to introduce this experience on the radio and added 'I'd like to thank the garrison for the searchlights'. A few days later, I had a contact from a garrison survivor. He told me 'I set the searchlights as I was told our planes would drop food and ammunition for us.....'"

Masayoshi Nemoto in 1944.

Source: Untitled Page

 

[Wurger]

 

[Tieleader]

A former N1K2-J pilot, Ryo Okada 92, inspects the replica.
"As a teenager pilot, I used to pat this boy's outer skin murmuring ' I trust you, my friend ' before riding the cockpit. This reminds me of my old days well."

View attachment 544337View attachment 544338View attachment 544339
Source: Youtube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvJ6ZnLVybM)

Love the look on this guy's face. It's like seeing an old Calvary vet meeting up with his trusted warhorse one last time.