SBD-5 Dauntless NZ5062

[Antonio]

As a survivor, she deserves her own thread that charts her career.

NZ5062.  BuNo28536.  c/n3883.  N670AM.

Aerial Visuals:  www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=73725 

From adfserials:
1943:  June.  Built at the Douglas El Segundo plant and handed over to the US Navy.
1944:  1st April.  BoC with No.25 Servicing Unit.
1944:  24th March.  Ferried to Bougainville for use with No.25 Squadron, arriving at Piva on this date.
Named "FRANCOIS" and "DUNKA".
1944:  20th May.  Returned to US Marine Corps at Russell.
1959:  The fuselage of the aircraft was acquired by Planes of Fame Museum after laying derelict in a San Fernando field since the war.
1965:  December.  Stored at Claremont, California before restoration began and it went on display at the Museum without wings.
1976:  Used in the filming of the movie "Midway" with Charlton Heston being filmed sitting in the cockpit of the then wingless bomber.
1982:  Restoration to airworthy condition of this aircraft commenced.
1987:  2nd July.  Flown with the registration NX670AM.
1987:  Used in the movies again in 1987 for the mini-series "War and Remembrance".
1987:  8th September.  During the filming of "War and Remembrance", The Air Museum's own John Maloney had the distinction of flying the SBD off the aircraft carrier AVT16 USS Lexington with Blue Angels team leader (1964-1966), Bob Aumack in the gunners position.
This was the first SBD launch from an aircraft carrier in 42 years.
Currently registered to the Chino Air Museum (Planes of Fame), California as N670AM.


NZ5062:  Hobbyvista


AFNoNZ:  PR3442
"No. 25 Squadron crew, Flight Sergeant NL Kelly and Flight Sergeant BE Cullen, on a Dauntless. Unknown location.
Believed to be on Dauntless NZ5062.
Nose art is a parrot riding a bomb."


Rarity Colourised version.


Nose Art close-up.


Close-up of the names Francois and Dunka
Note the roundel does not have the US star showing through.



Planes of Fame:  Aerial Visuals.  Photo: Gary Maisack


N670AM:  2012

[johnnyfalcon]

Good move, Antonio!

[hardyakka]

Does anyone have an idea of the full name of ?unka ??

You can almost read it on the photo below of NZ5062 outside the hangar. It looks like a single letter, possibly a lower case "s" for "sunka" as in "I sunk a ship"?

Putting a magnifying glass over the original print would probably be better than trying to zoom a digital scan.

[Dave Homewood]

This just in from Paul Harrison:

Hi Dave,
in response to the questions on NZ5062 markings on the website, attached are two pics
of the aircraft that I took at Chino on 30 Jul 1980.
One shows the markings in question, the other fain outlines of more markings on the forward
port side of the fuselage, just behind the engine cowl

cheers

Paul

The names seem to be Francois and Dunka.

Is the other one 'Shirley's Shonk'?

[Antonio]

BRILLIANT.  
Thanks all