P-38s were nice planes, but My favorites were the Spitfires, and the P-40s, and the P-51s. Bombers were the De Havilland Mosquito, the B-17G and the B-24 and B-25. And of course, for all around Badassery, the Skyraider.
I met the pilot that shot down a mig with a A1 Skyraider in Nam. Not sure what year. I think his name was Greathouse, at the time he was a commander when I met him. I think it was the only time a Skyraider shot down a mig. I met him some time in 1972, I believe. He was commanding VA-25, The Fist of the Fleet. It was on the USS CVA-61 Ranger. My first cruse. It was an adventure for sure.
Everybody tried to design and build twin-engined long-range “heavy fighters” in the years leading up to WW2. The most obvious example being the German Messerschmitt Bf-110.
As it turned out, there were only three really successful ones, the American Lockheed P-38, the British Bristol Beaufighter, and the British DeHavilland Mosquito. The Beaufighter began as an up-powered Beaufort torpedo bomber, and the “Mossie” was of course designed as a bomber. Only the Lightning was designed from a “clean sheet of paper” as a fighter, and it was intended as a “bomber interceptor”.
The Germans ended up using their Ju88 medium bomber because the Bf110 was pretty much a failure at everything but being a night fighter. During the Battle of Britain, 110s ended up needing escorts to protect them from RAF fighters. After that, they were only used where they could expect little or no effective fighter opposition, rather like the Ju87 Stuka dive bombers.
After 1943, the USAAF had what was probably the ultimate “heavy fighter” of its day, the Northrop P-61 “Black Widow”. And it ended up being used mainly for night “interdiction” (bombing) because by that point the various enemies were largely out of comparable aircraft.
You might say, the P-38 was the winner and still champion in that category.
I do like the P-38 but the Mossie was a lot more versatile and could fill many roles including a more than decent light bomber, reconaissance, interceptor and night fighter. There’s a lot to be said for centreline guns not needing to be set for convergence at a particular range, which is why the A-10 and F-18 are pretty good strafers. Sam should feel lucky that her ‘target zone’ is only getting pummeled from one direction 😉
As I recall from when I was in Zed’s shoes, “unloading” was quite frequent, particularly when the bomb bay was almost full. She used to say, “The kid’s sitting on my bladder.”
I remember when my wife was pregnant with our son, she threw up so hard she got a blood blister on her tongue. I didn’t even know that was possible. He was three weeks early and still weighed almost 9 pounds. He was a breech, and they had to do a c-section. He was as tall as me by the time he was 15. Fun times.
The A1E Douglas Skyraider was what
we gave the Vietnamese pilots to fly;
The sound of one of those idling down
the PSP would just about equal the
sound of a Blown Fuel Funnycar.
The P-38 excelled at diving. It was the only WW II fighter that could approach the sound barrier. Back in the 1980’s I met a guy who had flown them in the war. When I exclaimed about his role, he was matter-of-fact. Like most guys, he hung up his flying spurs after the war and never flew again. He almost shrugged. It was “just what he did.”
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P-38s were nice planes, but My favorites were the Spitfires, and the P-40s, and the P-51s. Bombers were the De Havilland Mosquito, the B-17G and the B-24 and B-25. And of course, for all around Badassery, the Skyraider.
I met the pilot that shot down a mig with a A1 Skyraider in Nam. Not sure what year. I think his name was Greathouse, at the time he was a commander when I met him. I think it was the only time a Skyraider shot down a mig. I met him some time in 1972, I believe. He was commanding VA-25, The Fist of the Fleet. It was on the USS CVA-61 Ranger. My first cruse. It was an adventure for sure.
Everybody tried to design and build twin-engined long-range “heavy fighters” in the years leading up to WW2. The most obvious example being the German Messerschmitt Bf-110.
As it turned out, there were only three really successful ones, the American Lockheed P-38, the British Bristol Beaufighter, and the British DeHavilland Mosquito. The Beaufighter began as an up-powered Beaufort torpedo bomber, and the “Mossie” was of course designed as a bomber. Only the Lightning was designed from a “clean sheet of paper” as a fighter, and it was intended as a “bomber interceptor”.
The Germans ended up using their Ju88 medium bomber because the Bf110 was pretty much a failure at everything but being a night fighter. During the Battle of Britain, 110s ended up needing escorts to protect them from RAF fighters. After that, they were only used where they could expect little or no effective fighter opposition, rather like the Ju87 Stuka dive bombers.
After 1943, the USAAF had what was probably the ultimate “heavy fighter” of its day, the Northrop P-61 “Black Widow”. And it ended up being used mainly for night “interdiction” (bombing) because by that point the various enemies were largely out of comparable aircraft.
You might say, the P-38 was the winner and still champion in that category.
cheers
eon
I do like the P-38 but the Mossie was a lot more versatile and could fill many roles including a more than decent light bomber, reconaissance, interceptor and night fighter. There’s a lot to be said for centreline guns not needing to be set for convergence at a particular range, which is why the A-10 and F-18 are pretty good strafers. Sam should feel lucky that her ‘target zone’ is only getting pummeled from one direction 😉
Twin-tailed Devils comin’ hot.
As I recall from when I was in Zed’s shoes, “unloading” was quite frequent, particularly when the bomb bay was almost full. She used to say, “The kid’s sitting on my bladder.”
And Sam would be flying a P-.357 Lightning.
I remember when my wife was pregnant with our son, she threw up so hard she got a blood blister on her tongue. I didn’t even know that was possible. He was three weeks early and still weighed almost 9 pounds. He was a breech, and they had to do a c-section. He was as tall as me by the time he was 15. Fun times.
The A1E Douglas Skyraider was what
we gave the Vietnamese pilots to fly;
The sound of one of those idling down
the PSP would just about equal the
sound of a Blown Fuel Funnycar.
LOL. Indeed, that’s a good analogy.
Love the nose art!
The P-38 excelled at diving. It was the only WW II fighter that could approach the sound barrier. Back in the 1980’s I met a guy who had flown them in the war. When I exclaimed about his role, he was matter-of-fact. Like most guys, he hung up his flying spurs after the war and never flew again. He almost shrugged. It was “just what he did.”
My dream? Dropping a load from a Lightnin’.
Also, wtf is Z doing to that poor guitar? Does he play ‘n sing? That would be a new one!
Looks like he’s restringing the guitar, or else trying to strangle it by the neck…
El Guitaro? Does this mean El Kabongo is returning?