from the Erwin R. Steele Collection
October 31, 2009, 1:02am
x planes
experimental aircraft. exotic aeromachines. oddities. sleek silver cigars. pedal-o-trons. soviet hive-mind bombers. aerial joy. the olden days. action shots. propaganda posters. etc
[xplanes] [at] [hotmail] [dot] [co] [dot] [uk]
Designed by Redfield. Icons by Cameron Hunt.
“El Diablo, with nine missions to its credit, survived to fly back to the US in May 1944..”
October 30, 2009, 11:21pm
The View from the Tail Turret
“When Eighth Air Force gunner Art Krieger turned his camera on one of the other Consolidated B-24 Liberators in his squadron’s formation, he probably didn’t realize he was making a self-portrait. Swathed in heavy flight gear, his oxygen mask firmly in place in the thin air at an altitude of 20,000 feet, Krieger’s own face squints back at us, reflected in the shiny Plexiglas of the big bomber’s tail turret..”
October 30, 2009, 5:22pm
B-17 assembly ship of 384th Bombardment Group, Eight Air Force - referred to as the ‘Spotted Cow’, or the ‘Speckled Hen’.
October 30, 2009, 12:49am
“”First Sergeant” was a war-weary Consolidated B-24D used to assemble large formations. Once the formation was formed up, this aircraft returned to base”
(more here)
October 29, 2009, 11:39pm
A colourful B-24 assembly ship of the 458th Bombardment Group, 96th Combat Bomb Wing, Eighth Air Force, circa 1944
October 29, 2009, 11:01pm
“As part of a publicity project, the US Forces daily newspaper Stars and Stripes organized a competition to find ‘the most beautiful WAC’ serving in England. The resultant vote awarded the distinction to Pfc Ruby Newell from Long Beach, California.
To mark the event, a bomber was named in her honour and an aircraft of the 549th Bomb Squadron was selected. Cpl William Ploss was commissioned to paint a likeness of Miss Newell on the B-17 and a christening ceremony was arranged.
The fortress was lost on 24th March 1945.”
October 29, 2009, 10:12pm
“Frank, mascot to a bomb group of the Fifteenth Air Force, gazes at the nose of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator Howling Wolf, Italy, 1944”
October 29, 2009, 6:09pm
“Flight Sergeant James Hyde of San Juan, Trinidad, a Spitfire pilot who arrived in Britain in 1942 to begin his training, here pictured in 1944 with his Squadron’s mascot, a dog called ‘Dingo’
Took off at 1525hrs on 25 Sep 1944, tasked with providing aerial cover during the Battle of Arnhem. Killed in dog fight over Nijmegan..”
October 29, 2009, 12:23am
“Italy, Sicily. - Officer with fighter model with the training of pilot, demonstration of the attack on an American bomber B-24 of 12Uhr-Position; PK XI. Flier corps” (Babelfish)
October 28, 2009, 11:02pm
Hero of the Soviet Union Anatoliy Vasilevich Kislyakov
the aircraft behind him are American Bell P-39 Airacobras, obtained through the Lend-Lease program - approximately 4,600 of the 9,500 produced P-39s ended up in the Soviet Union. Although the P-39 was quickly viewed as being virtually obsolete in the west, due to its poor performance at high altitude, it was used to immense effect by The Red Air Force
October 28, 2009, 7:35pm
“Finnish Airforce identification manual for the Russian aircraft in spring 1942”
October 28, 2009, 3:20pm
