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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 26, 2021 19:11:04 GMT 12
Thanks to Michael Williams for the heads up on this lovely footage. There's likely some Kiwis among the trainees seen here. Lots of our Fleet Air Army chaps passed through Pensacola.Some beautiful aerial footage of Corsairs, SNJ's (Harvards), Valiants and others.
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Post by Mustang51 on Oct 27, 2021 12:53:47 GMT 12
Wow.....there must have been 70 + Valiants in there. Interesting camouflage on them as well, seems lighter blue grey uppers and wings (underside) with darker colour on the fuselage sides. One shot has a Valiant with a replacement port wing all yellow. Wing underside markings on a few have red centre but no red on fuselage. That's a great find
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 27, 2021 12:56:49 GMT 12
Yes that formation of Valiants is humongous!
I love the colour scheme on the SNJ's too, the same colours as worn by Judy Pay's lovely ex-RNZAF Harvard.
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Post by davidd on Oct 27, 2021 13:41:43 GMT 12
Although the commentator assures us the first group of Corsairs are in the original 1942-type colour scheme for the type (which is true), to me it seems more than likely that this was a 1943 (first half of year) photograph. And are those not the markings of the famous/infamous VF-17 squadron (Gregory Boyington's mob) that they are wearing? Also noticed one SNJ which seemed to have some of the markings usually associated with RAF and Commonwealth air forces (the factory scheme of bare metal overall, plus broad yellow bands around outer wing panels commencing at juncture of centre section and outer panel). Oddly this aircraft has had the under-wing parts of the bands deleted for some reason, apart from leading edge section. Needless to say it did NOT have RAF roundels or fin flash, but it is definitely quite different from most of the other SNJs which appear. And yes, that large and slightly gaggly formation of SNVs was a real monster all right, some of those US Navy and USAAF training bases were HUGE, and seems they had an appropriately huge aircraft establishment to match.
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 27, 2021 17:08:08 GMT 12
And are those not the markings of the famous/infamous VF-17 squadron (Gregory Boyington's mob) that they are wearing? Were the Black Sheep not VMA-214? I wondered if perhaps it is from one of the RAF's British Flying Training Schools in the USA that used Harvards/Texans and had American instructors. But googling shows they used US-marked Harvards. |
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Post by davidd on Oct 28, 2021 8:24:16 GMT 12
Think I have mixed up my early F4U squadrons, USMC (Boyington) versus USN (Blackburn?). I think VF-17 was the first USN squadron to participate in aerial combat in South Pacific theatre (from February 1943?, Guadalcanal) You wouldn't suspect I have a stack of books on early F4U operations, stowed away somewhere in a banana box in my garage!
I think the SNJ in partial RAF/Commonwealth markings would still be US Navy, as it is marked with white stars in dark blue circles.
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 28, 2021 9:58:44 GMT 12
What is the time code on the video where that SNJ appears please David, I missed it.
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Post by davidd on Nov 3, 2021 9:35:36 GMT 12
Dave H, the SNJ in question (your 28th Oct post) appears between 6:46 and 7:14, in shiny bare metal with dark anti-glare paint forward of windscreen, simple dark blue/white stars above/below outer wings, yellow wing bands as previously discussed, and apparently no other markings that I can see.
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 3, 2021 15:10:08 GMT 12
Oh yes, I see what you mean now. Interesting. Could it be that the SNJ's arrived that way from the factory and the US Navy later added their own colours and markings on the station?
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