I really think the 30s era of seaplanes is the height of romantic aviation. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
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That was an awesome airplane with the package guns added to the turrets and nose gun. A lot like the B-25, great stafers. The Martin B-26 pilots were frustrated fighter pilots that some times let things get it away from them. They had a thunderous sound to them.
Assembly ships from WW2. It's sort of a shame that none of the survivors are painted like these. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The last photo was a Sunderland but the previous shots of the twin engine flying boat with all the struts was an old P2Y that I used to see flying down the beach at 500 feet in 1937. I seem to have an old black and white movie that plays all the time with old airplanes flying by. That kind of changed when WW2 came along and the actors were O.D. and grey and a lot louder.
I think to be more precise, Bob, it's the Commodore, which was essentially the civilian version of the P2Y, not quite identical. The other boats in the spread were by Dornier and Latecoere. And that Sunderland is positively filthy!
I knew it was a Commodore, Jim. I just wanted to see if you remembered it. I always have bright memories of them flying over the shoreline of Chesapeake Beach. I also remember the excitement of the Dornier DOX when I was little but never saw it or the Latacoere .
Of course, Bob, you're way ahead of my time. The earliest flying boat/amphibian I ever saw was the Grumman Albatross!
Grumman XF5F-1 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Predecessor to the F7F. I saw this flying out of Bolling Field in the early 40's. Loud as all heck. Saw the F7F at Langley in 1945.
Jim- When I lived in Oslo, Norway, USAF had C-47s for the pilots to keep current flying, kept at Fornebu Airport in Oslo. The NATO contingent of American aircraft also included an Albatros for the Navy pilots to fly. My USAF pilot father would never let me fly with them, though.
Just before the mid-air collision that destroyed the Valkyrie and killed 2 Image Unavailable, Please Login
