-
There seems to be an uptick in Political comments in recent months. Those of us who are long time members of the site know that Political and Religious content has been banned for years. Nothing has changed. Please leave all political and religious comments out of the forums.
If you recently joined the forums you were not presented with this restriction in the terms of service. This was due to a conversion error when we went from vBulletin to Xenforo. We have updated our terms of service to reflect these corrections.
Please note any post refering to a politician will be considered political even if it is intended to be humor. Our experience is these topics have a way of dividing the forums and causing deep resentment among members. It is a poison to the community. We appreciate compliance with the rules.
The Staff of SOH
A Race Event: Airfields of the Southwest Pacific II.
- Thread starter PRB
- Start date
MM
Charter Member
Finally picked the Lockheed P-38L from MilViz … using Active Sky Next for weather.
This livery represents Col. Charles "Mac" MacDonald's Putt Putt Maru as it might have looked toward the war's end. (Thanks, Tom Stovall.) MacDonald was the CO of the 475th Fighter Group that was despised and feared by the Japanese. Tokyo Rose referred to the group as "the butchers of Rabaul."
Warren Lewis, a squadron commander and ace on his own right, described MacDonald: "He was a terrific leader, that was one of his attributes. He was a great planner … and he was a great fighter pilot. Some people are just natural hunters, and these were hunters of aircraft." Whenever the group took on a dangerous mission such as Wewak, Rabaul, Borneo, Leyte, or Manilla, MacDonald flew the mission and led his men in the air.
For more on MacDonald, the 475th Fighter Group, and Charles Lindbergh, see this description.
--M
Thanks Robert. I think we have a decent strike package now, with your SBD and Taco's F6F watching our "six"...
Mike's background story on his Lockheed reminded me that I intended to make a similar registration post, but in all the excitement, forgot. This paint represents the TBM flown by Gregory Fletcher, of VT-18, operating from the USS Intrepid (CV-11). On October 24, 1944, Fletcher and his squadron launched on a strike against the Japanese "Center Force" of battleships in the central Philippines, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Fletcher made a torpedo attack on the super battleship Musashi and was shot down along with his wingman. He was the only survivor among the two planes. He tells his story in his book Intrepid Aviators, The True Story of USS Intrepid's Torpedo Squadron 18 and it's Epic Clash with the Superbattleship Musashi.
spokes2112
Charter Member
To get in the spirit of the 70th anniversary of VJ day 
I switched from the civilian "PAUL I" to something more appropriate. It was difficult finding a repaint for the Wings of Power I P-51D / H series that was based in the Pacific or CBI theatre. Here's the one I will be flying. (Same P-51D, different paint) -
Piloted by 118th TR squadron commander Lt. Col. Edward O. McComas.
# 600 P-51D-5-NA s/n 44-11280 - 118TH TRS / 23RD FG / 14TH Air Force - Luliang, China 1945. ("The Black Lightnings")
Replacing P-51-C-NT s/n 42-103604 on Christmas 1944.
From - Facebook, "World War II Veterans Buried In Winfield Kansas Cemeteries"
Edward O. McComas was born in Winfield, Kansas on June 25, 1919. A graduate of Winfield High School, he attended Southwestern College and the University of Kansas before answering the call of duty in September of 1940 enlisting in the Air Force.
On December 23, 1944 Lt. Col. McComas became an “Ace in a Day” by shooting down 5 Japanese planes on the same day, becoming the 4th highest scoring Ace and the only “Ace in a Day” in the 14th Air Force in China during World War II.
For his efforts and aerial achievements on the 23 December mission, McComas was awarded a P-51D Mustang fighter plane by General Chennault on December 25, 1944. During his 7 months of tour, McComas scored a total of 14 aerial kills, 4 planes destroyed on the ground and one Japanese destroyer he and his wingman sunk in Hong Kong harbor (19 total). During his tour of duty, McComas had to bail out of his plane after taking enemy fire behind enemy lines. McComas re-injured an old back injury during the mission, an injury that would bother him the rest of his life. McComas was rescued by Chinese Nationalist guerillas and returned to active duty. Although he suffered from severe back pain, he didn’t let that get in his way of performing his duty.
Lt. Col. McComas would eventually return stateside for medical attention. In 1949 he attended the Air Command and Staff school at Maxwell Air Force base. McComas flew several missions at the start of the Korean War and in 1951 he was assigned duties at the Pentagon.
Lt. Col. Edward O. McComas died in Alexandria Virginia on June 22, 1954 and was laid to rest in Highland Cemetery, Winfield Kansas.
Other information
Other information - Bottom this page has typed, historical reports from the squadron. (PDF Files)
I switched from the civilian "PAUL I" to something more appropriate. It was difficult finding a repaint for the Wings of Power I P-51D / H series that was based in the Pacific or CBI theatre. Here's the one I will be flying. (Same P-51D, different paint) - Piloted by 118th TR squadron commander Lt. Col. Edward O. McComas.
# 600 P-51D-5-NA s/n 44-11280 - 118TH TRS / 23RD FG / 14TH Air Force - Luliang, China 1945. ("The Black Lightnings")
Replacing P-51-C-NT s/n 42-103604 on Christmas 1944.
From - Facebook, "World War II Veterans Buried In Winfield Kansas Cemeteries"
Edward O. McComas was born in Winfield, Kansas on June 25, 1919. A graduate of Winfield High School, he attended Southwestern College and the University of Kansas before answering the call of duty in September of 1940 enlisting in the Air Force.
On December 23, 1944 Lt. Col. McComas became an “Ace in a Day” by shooting down 5 Japanese planes on the same day, becoming the 4th highest scoring Ace and the only “Ace in a Day” in the 14th Air Force in China during World War II.
For his efforts and aerial achievements on the 23 December mission, McComas was awarded a P-51D Mustang fighter plane by General Chennault on December 25, 1944. During his 7 months of tour, McComas scored a total of 14 aerial kills, 4 planes destroyed on the ground and one Japanese destroyer he and his wingman sunk in Hong Kong harbor (19 total). During his tour of duty, McComas had to bail out of his plane after taking enemy fire behind enemy lines. McComas re-injured an old back injury during the mission, an injury that would bother him the rest of his life. McComas was rescued by Chinese Nationalist guerillas and returned to active duty. Although he suffered from severe back pain, he didn’t let that get in his way of performing his duty.
Lt. Col. McComas would eventually return stateside for medical attention. In 1949 he attended the Air Command and Staff school at Maxwell Air Force base. McComas flew several missions at the start of the Korean War and in 1951 he was assigned duties at the Pentagon.
Lt. Col. Edward O. McComas died in Alexandria Virginia on June 22, 1954 and was laid to rest in Highland Cemetery, Winfield Kansas.
Other information
Other information - Bottom this page has typed, historical reports from the squadron. (PDF Files)
The Harpoon paint that I'm flying doesn't represent any particular aircraft but rather is meant more towards a restored PV-2 painted to represent all that flew out of Attu on missions to the Kurile Islands and Northern Japan. The nose art is a slightly modified Fleet Air Wing 4 emblem and the name "Empire Express" refers to the missions flown. I also added the old VF-2 "Flying Chiefs" emblem to honor the Navy's WW II enlisted pilots & made the pilot a Chief Aviation Pilot
Ron Attwood
Members +
Can I clarify a navigation point please? Can I use SkyVector with a flight plan? I've tried using this and the only help it gives is a bearing and by comparing what I see out of the window to what I see on the map.
Ron
Ron
As long as it doesn't update the vector as you fly, then it's fine. I plan to have Plan-G running on the other monitor, to be used as a "virtual paper chart". It would be expected that you would plan your flight by drawing a big red line on your chart from "point A" to "point B", and keeping the chart in your lap as you fly. Or in the case of my TBM, in that nifty pull out drawer in the instrument panel...
Ron Attwood
Members +
Excellent! Oh, OpusFSI weather, forgot to add.
Craig Taylor
SOH-CM-2025
"Oh, Sylvia..."
I am flying "Sylvia" as repainted by The Outhouse's own Cazzie Dalton.
The repaint represents the aircraft of Capt Marvin G. Grant of the 342nd FS, 348th FG while serving in New Guinea in the Summer of 1944, flying out of Port Moresby. After training for eight months, the 348th FG rotated to the Pacific Theater in May, 1943, where Capt Grant attained seven victories in campaigns in the Southwest Pacific, most coming during the invasion of New Guinea in 1944. Capt Grant eventually rose to the post of Operations Officer with the 342nd FS. He completed his tour of duty in the Philippines in February, 1945 with 187 combat missions. A sixth cousin of legendary Civil War general and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, Capt Grant hailed from Racine, Wisconsin.
Note: I will not be carrying the extra hardware during the race. I just wanted to point out that with a P-47, you ARE the strike package.
I am flying "Sylvia" as repainted by The Outhouse's own Cazzie Dalton.
The repaint represents the aircraft of Capt Marvin G. Grant of the 342nd FS, 348th FG while serving in New Guinea in the Summer of 1944, flying out of Port Moresby. After training for eight months, the 348th FG rotated to the Pacific Theater in May, 1943, where Capt Grant attained seven victories in campaigns in the Southwest Pacific, most coming during the invasion of New Guinea in 1944. Capt Grant eventually rose to the post of Operations Officer with the 342nd FS. He completed his tour of duty in the Philippines in February, 1945 with 187 combat missions. A sixth cousin of legendary Civil War general and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, Capt Grant hailed from Racine, Wisconsin. Note: I will not be carrying the extra hardware during the race. I just wanted to point out that with a P-47, you ARE the strike package.
... Note: I will not be carrying the extra hardware during the race. I just wanted to point out that with a P-47, you ARE the strike package.
Ha, good point!
"Thanks Robert. I think we have a decent strike package now, with your SBD and Taco's F6F watching our "six"..."
Roger that.
The texture I am going to use is available right here at the outhouse from RobH.
From the read me.
"This texture represents SBD-4/5 White 119 'PUSH PUSH' of VMSB-144,flown by Maj Frank E Hollar, Solomon Islands, november 1943. Based at Munda in the New Georgia group, VMSB-144 supported the landings at Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville. The aircraft name 'PUSH PUSH' was unusual even by Marine Corps standards, both in respect to its existence and prominent size. Hollar led the squadron from April to late November 1943, after which -144 returned to the USA to be redesignated a torpedo bombing squadron with Avengers."
Roger that.
The texture I am going to use is available right here at the outhouse from RobH.
From the read me.
"This texture represents SBD-4/5 White 119 'PUSH PUSH' of VMSB-144,flown by Maj Frank E Hollar, Solomon Islands, november 1943. Based at Munda in the New Georgia group, VMSB-144 supported the landings at Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville. The aircraft name 'PUSH PUSH' was unusual even by Marine Corps standards, both in respect to its existence and prominent size. Hollar led the squadron from April to late November 1943, after which -144 returned to the USA to be redesignated a torpedo bombing squadron with Avengers."
salt_air
Charter Member
salt_air
Charter Member
I don't know what to think .....
Stopped at Santa Ana (AGGT) just long enough to relieve myself ... (some nuisance new fangled pill I have to take now) ... as soon as I started reading that same old article from that same old magazine that was here last year, I hear a plane land and then I hear another one start up and take off .... hmmm.
Hang on! ... there was no body else here when I landed .... that means the "other" plane must be mine ... what the?
Great .... the P-40 I flew in here is nowhere to be seen ... I can barely hear it off in the distance and the only plane here now is painted white with big red solid circles on it .... NOT good!
Guy steals my plane while I'm on the hopper and leaves me with this .... uh, I don't even know what.
Local says it's a Mitsubishi A5M "Claude" ..... Okaaaay, where's the key? .... I'm going to chase this guy all the way to Japan if I have to .....
Better submit some paperwork to Miss Nellie for approval .... this is an old bird here ... never heard of it before ... not just another port over .... see attached readme files.
View attachment Original README.TXT
View attachment readme ija.txt
Ran a series of 3 tests as per the event's supplied ruleage and found Ground Speeds of:
204kts @ 1000'
241kts @ 9800' .... (9842' is CA)
190kts @ 18000' .... loss due to pilot's inability to breathe in the open cockpit
I'll wait for a reply from Miss Nellie before I begin the hunt for my P-40
Stopped at Santa Ana (AGGT) just long enough to relieve myself ... (some nuisance new fangled pill I have to take now) ... as soon as I started reading that same old article from that same old magazine that was here last year, I hear a plane land and then I hear another one start up and take off .... hmmm.
Hang on! ... there was no body else here when I landed .... that means the "other" plane must be mine ... what the?
Great .... the P-40 I flew in here is nowhere to be seen ... I can barely hear it off in the distance and the only plane here now is painted white with big red solid circles on it .... NOT good!
Guy steals my plane while I'm on the hopper and leaves me with this .... uh, I don't even know what.
Local says it's a Mitsubishi A5M "Claude" ..... Okaaaay, where's the key? .... I'm going to chase this guy all the way to Japan if I have to .....
Better submit some paperwork to Miss Nellie for approval .... this is an old bird here ... never heard of it before ... not just another port over .... see attached readme files.
View attachment Original README.TXT
View attachment readme ija.txt
Ran a series of 3 tests as per the event's supplied ruleage and found Ground Speeds of:
204kts @ 1000'
241kts @ 9800' .... (9842' is CA)
190kts @ 18000' .... loss due to pilot's inability to breathe in the open cockpit
I'll wait for a reply from Miss Nellie before I begin the hunt for my P-40
Attachments
DarkCharizma
Charter Member
I'll be joining in with the A2A P-51D, FSX SE and Opus weather.
