Flying Heritage Collection - Flying Tigers Day - P-40C - A6M3
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- fight2fly
flyingheritagecollection
FHC's first free fly day of the season, "Flying Tigers Day" was held on June 8th, 2013 featuring their beautifully restored Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk and Mitsubishi A6M3-22 Reisen "Zero." The Tomahawk was flown by Bud Granley and the Zero was flown by Jason Muszala.
Tomahawk: While this fighter was manufactured in the United States, it never flew for American forces. It was purchased by the British and then given to the Soviet Union in September, 1941, under the Lend-Lease (armament-sharing) program. For nine months this airplane spent its combat career in the skies over the Karelian battle front in Russia, defending Murmansk against invading German forces. On September 27, 1942, the craft's oil tank was punctured by enemy fire. Its pilot managed to glide the aircraft to a belly-landing near Murmansk, where it was abandoned. It is the world's only remaining P-40C in flying condition.
Some wag in the Flying Tigers envisioned the logo for the 1st Pursuit Squadron as less symbolic and more literal. The emblem shows a fictional "first pursuit;" Eve (of Biblical fame), following an American Volunteer Group (AVG) pilot. The chase takes place in the middle of an apple (from the Tree of Knowledge) as the evil Serpent flashes his mini-sharkmouth grin in the background. Artist Mick Flynn has dutifully reproduced the image on the sides of the FHC's P-40.
A bullet punched through the oil tank is most likely brought down the FHC's Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk in 1942. But that certainly wasn't the only lead thrown at this veteran fighter during its combat career. Like a CSI investigator, if one looks closely, evidence of violence becomes visible. Nearly perfect round patches dotting the fuselage and ugly rectangular areas on the wings disclose many repairs. The plane took its worst beating from an assailant flying above, behind, and to the left-spattering our victim with small caliber bullets. Nearly all the wounds have been covered over, save one. Pierced through the forward former near the access door in the fuselage, one small bullet hole remains.
ZERO: This Zero was one of many Japanese combat planes destroyed by American bombing on Babo Airfield in New Guinea during World War II. In the early 1990s this Zero wreck was discovered and acquired by Bruce Fenstermaker and the Santa Monica Museum of Flying.
Around 1994, three recovered Zeros, including this one, were sent to Russian for restoration. The fighter's salvageable parts were retained, while missing or heavily-damaged components were created by Russian craftsmen in order to make the planes flyable again. By the late 1990s, the trio of aircraft was back in the United States. In order to operate dependably, each aircraft was fitted with a specially-modified Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial engine. The engines contained a mixture of components in order to be as compact as possible and fit in a standard A6M cowling.
The FHC Zero has two paint schemes in one. The plane came from the Mitsubishi factory overall "olive green." Near Rabaul, the 251st Kokutai added the plane to its roster. But times were rough in the Pacific for a vulnerable Zero ... American fighters and bombers were blasting them, often simply parked on the ground, as fast as they could find them. The Japanese fighter planes were easy to spot covered in that light green color-they stuck out amid the darker green island vegetation.
Orders came down to paint the upper surfaces of the planes a darker green, to make them blend in. Ground crews got to interpret the order any way they saw fit. Some planes received overall sloppy coats of green, streaks, spots, dots, etc. One strain of 251st planes were covered with a striking series of tiger stripes. Ours paint scheme was part of that batch.
A wonderful video. I was present for the flight. This was the first extensive flight I've seen of a P40.
I unofficially represent a special group of American Chinese. My father was one of 9 Chinese Americans recruited into the AVG, the 23rd Fighter Group and the US Army Fourteenth Air Force. There were 2 other Chinese Americans who were recruited, 11 total.
I have the complete story of the Chinese in the American Volunteer Group (the CAVG) in photos and a bio.
+Keith Lee: Wow, that is really neat. I spent the 5th and 6th grades in Taiwan when my father was assigned to MAAG from the summer of '59 to the summer of '61. The exploits of the AVG and their menacing-looking long nose P-40s were the stuff of legends back then, and I hope their legacy lives forever. Nothing like it ever was, nor will it ever be again. Those two years in Taiwan gave me great respect and admiration for the Chinese people, who are the product of the oldest continuous civilization on earth. We Westerners could learn a lot from them if we opened our minds.
NICE VIDEO ! ! ! What a professional job !!! Keep up the FANTASTIC work. Other UA-camrs should take note.. I really enjoy ALL your work. THANKS
How many P-40B and P-40C models are still in existence? I think that they are the most beautiful versions of the P-40 series.
Idk not many. Anyway completely agreed. The B and C were by far the best looking (and also had the best turn rate performance). I also like the E model which is the more iconic. The ones I don't really like as much are the K and G.
Very cool stuff here. The P-40 was a work horse and very capable of handling just about any enemy fighter up there providing the pilot had the training. As with all fighters, you had to know how to attack. Both aircraft here are really cool and put on a great show. Outstanding work by all.
3:04 pilot on the Zero had trouble trying to close the canopy on the plane itself but thankfully he fixed it up
It sends chills through my body to watch this. Magnificent machines!
Thank you for posting!
I think now there's like 3 P40 B models flying amazing
absolutely beautiful
Great videography, thank you for posting. Magnificent aircraft! Pistons and prop aircraft in my book are better than jets.
The Zero and Oscar were almost identical in performance except the Oscar was land based and the Zero was a carrier aircraft. The P-40 was faster under 20,000 feet, and the other two could turn better. The P-40N was much faster, but most of those were sent to Africa and Europe. The P-40 was ridiculed by the unknowing, but without it we would not have had decent aircraft when the war began in 1940.
I need to take a vacation there one year.
I've always wondered how a p40 compares to a hawker hurricane ?
It depends on the version, since both planes underwent many modifications resulting in varios versions.
Generally speaking the P40 was the superior machine.
It had better top speed both horizontally and in a dive. Better energy performance overall. It was also more reliable.
The hurricane on the other hand had an arguably better armament (especially the latter versions were equipped with 20mm cannons or 12 light mgs) and the Hurricane mk1 was definitely more maneuverable than all P40 variants.
Yeah, definitely a rare engine, but they're out there. One of the Chino birds has one and there's an A6M3-32 being restored to flying condition which will be powered by a newly restored Sakae.
Looking at them fly at you they look like the wings are angled the same However the Zero has thinner wings .. which would make for better turns and movements ...I'm guessing like the Spitfire the reason why it had lower Cal, guns ..Yes i know spits had later 20mm cannons but they also make room with pods installed into the wing ..great video !
Yup.
very nice video, I love the Allison sound.. does this A6M has the original Sakae radial engine?
That A6M looks to have a larger than normal canopy. Is this another fighter butchered to include a rear seat?
Yes and no. Three Zeros were recovered, the first two got the majority of the original parts and this one was kind of the leftover. They decided to make it a two-seater as was down (rarely) during WWII, so it does represent historical accuracy.
Good video but the zero would have looked better in silver finish
I bet it would probably be very difficult to find a Sakae engine much less parts to repair one.
as in a DC-3 engine?
Nope, it's powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830.
POF Chino has the only one with original engine
When was this A6M3 restored to flying condition and from where does it come?
What was the difference between the B/C of the p40
The C could carry a centerline drop tank for longer range and had self-sealing internal tanks. That's just about the only difference between the B and C versions.
ah.. similar to a PBY or F4F... sounds then to a Type 41.. ich can hea the sound of an exhaust turbo charger