Vietnam era aircraft

[Airframes]

Great stuff. The 'Albert Ross' is another 'warbird' type I always think would make a very usable tourer and display aircraft, if perhaps a little costly to run.
Love the description of the 'tourists wearing only a parachutist'! I did a couple of free-fall jumps from a 'Porter', and was always fascinated how the darned thing dived almost vertically, after we'd exited, in order to get down quickly and earn more from another load of parachutists. It was always on the ground before us, sometimes even almost before we'd popped our canopies!

 

[nuuumannn]

Porters are seriously cool aircraft and rugged as, this one does some extraordinary steep dives for the field. Every year the airfield holds parachuting competitions with jumpers from around the country and there's something of a competition that goes on between the jump platforms to see who can get airborne, get to height and return in the shortest time. I remember seeing it and a Cresco (NZ developed variant of the Fletcher Fu-24 top dressing aircraft with a cabin in place of the hopper) doing short take offs - the Porter, despite being bigger won by a country mile, getting off the ground in less than half the run required by the Cresco. Same when coming into land. Very impressive to watch.

Here are some images from the RNZAF Museum of Vietnam era aircraft:

RNZAF A-4s never served in Vietnam, but this comouflage scheme, which they were delivered in was commonly known as the Vietnam colour scheme.

An O-2 gifted to the RNZAF Museum in honour of Kiwis who served in the FAC role flying this type. A couple of these guys went on to fly A-4s with the RNZAF.

This particular Canberra is an Australian built example and was gifted to the RNZAF Museum in 1984. The aircraft, A84-240 actually carried out bombing sorties during Vietnam, serving with No.2 Sqn RAAF from Phan Rang in 1968.

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Cheers,

Jeff

 

[Gnomey]

Nice shots Jeff!

 

[A4K]

Great photos guys! Will try and post mine in the next few days.

 

[nuuumannn]

Great Evan, looking forward to seeing hoards of Hungarian MiGs

 

[N4521U]

I had no idea the An2 operated in Viet Nam!

 

[Violator]

 

[A4K]

Nice shot of the Skyraider!

Got a few myself... slowly post them in alphabetical order:

Agusta-Bell AB 204B, Austrian Air Force (Österreichische Luftstreitkrafte), Graz 1998

Bell UH-1H, South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF), 2nd Saigon museum, ca. 1992 (Uncle's photos)

Bell UH-1H NZ3804, Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), RNZAF base Woodbourne 1991

More to come...plus detail shots if anyone's interested.

 

[A4K]

Cessna L-19, Österreicische Luftstreitkrafte. Graz, Austria 1998

Cessna O-1 Bird dog, VNAF, 2nd Saigon ca.1992 (Uncle's pic)

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, USAF, 1st Saigon, and VNAF, 2nd Saigon (as above)

More later.

 

[Shinpachi]

The name of Saigon reminds me of the 60s.

 

[Wayne Little]

good stuff guys!

 

[nuuumannn]

Very cool Evan, I worked on '3804 once apon a time.

Here's a story about North Vietnamese Antonov An-2s.

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-...studies/vol52no2/iac/an-air-combat-first.html

 

[michaelmaltby]

Great background ... check out Sunny's recent posting of a turbo-An-2

MM

 

[nuuumannn]

Rugged aeroplane, the An-2, big inside too. A Lithuanian guy I know told me a story about a Russian bloke ground running an An-2 whilst casually smoking a cigarette. He flicked the butt out the window, which then landed on the fabric covered lower wing and set it alight!

An RAAF Caribou doing a good low and slow demo.

The RAAF flew its Caribou into Vietnam and 35 Sqn, which operated them in theatre became known as 'Wallaby Airlines'. They've been retired now.

 

[A4K]

Nice ones Grant! Taken at Omaka?

 

[nuuumannn]

Yep, the dry Wither Hills give it away. A terrific air show back drop. That was the last public display by an RAAF Caribou at an NZ air show in 2009.

 

[Gnomey]

Cool shots!

 

[N4521U]

That's a cool story about the An-2.
I had a ride in the right seat of one. If I remember the deck of the cockpit was checker plate. The brakes were differential air brakes, sorta like a tack layer tractor, very strange. Down the runway taking off Jim pulled the flap lever and the plane jumped off the runway. The plane played catch up when the controls were moved. Interesting ride.