Kowabunga

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was designed for the U.S. Army Air Corps as a high altitude interceptor. Heavily armed for its day, the P-38 sported a 20-mm cannon and four .50 caliber machine guns. Its speed and climb rate made up for its lower maneuverability when compared to the enemy fighters that it often flew against.

It was used in all theaters of operation during World War 2, but truly excelled in the Pacific war where it seemed to be most suited due to the warmer climate. The P-38 is credited with destroying more Japanese aircraft than any other aircraft during the war.

One specific mission for the P-38 was the interception of Yamamoto while he traveled in a "Betty" bomber, with a light fighter escort.

During the early part of the war, a group of P-38s, escorting a pair of B-17s, were on a ferry mission, traveling from the u.S. to the U.K. Foul weather forced the flight to turn back before reaching Iceland, and the whole group was forced to land, wheels up, on the Greenland ice sheet. In 1992, a recovery operation took place, drilling through 268 feet of ice to reach the aircraft. The end result of this operation was the restored P-38 now called "Glacier Girl."

Putt-{utt Maru in the Pacific	P-38 at sunset in Chico, California, December 1944.
Group of P-38s in formation.	Group of P-38s in formation.
With Normandy Invasion stripes.	Glacier Girl in flight.

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P-38 Lightning

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In honor of Bruce Crandall receiving the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam, flying the Bell UH-1 Huey, we have the military aircraft of the week (a bit late, sorry).

The Huey was introduced in 1959 as a small unit transport aircraft, used to deliver and retrieve troops in the field. It saw extensive use throughout the Vietnam War with the Army, Marines, Navy, and even the USAF.

Prior to escalation under Johnson in 1965, the Huey was used in a variety of support roles for Green Berets and other military advisors operating in Vietnam. In addition to delivering troops to combat zones, there were models that were armed with a variety of weaponry, including rockets for close support of ground forces.

The USAF used the Huey to support its Special Operations Forces, and then later to assist CIA and commando operations against the communist sanctuaries in Cambodia and Laos. The USAF Huey's were nicknamed "Green Hornets."

The Huey frequently made night operations during the Vietnam era without night vision and/or radar equipment, making these missions all the more dangerous.

Although the U.S. Army phased out the UH-1 with the introduction of the Blackhawk, the Huey continues to see service with the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as numerous other countries around the globe.

Huey on the ground.	A Huey dropping off troops during the Ia Drang battle.
Another Vietnam era picture of the Huey.	Navy Huey, with man hanging from aircraft.
Marine Huey taking off, Iraq, 2003.	Firing 2.75 inch rockets during testing

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Huey Helicoptor Vietnam Ia-Drang

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This week we're doing the A-10 Thunderbolt II. This heavily armed, but not very elegant, aircraft proved itself to be an excellent tactical ground support aircraft in the Gulf War in 1991, having destroyed over a thousand Iraqi tanks and over 2,000 other vehicles.

It was involved in Kosovo, the Afghanistan campaign as well as Gulf War II (the Liberation of Iraq).

Designed to fly with one engine, one tail, and half a wing, it can go into battle, take heavy damage, and still return home safely. It is one tough bird, and can sustain hits from armor-piercing and high explosive projectiles up to 23mm.

Photos courtesy of the USAF.

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A-10 Thunderbolt Warthog USAF

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The P-47 Thunderbolt, produced by Republic Aviation Company was another mainstay fighter aircraft of the USAAF during WW2. It entered combat operations in Europe in 1943. Initial B-17 escort missions were limited by the Thunderbolt's fuel capacity, and only able to provide cover for the first part of bmbing missions.

By 1944, the P-47 design had been refined to the point where it was capable of escorting bombers on raids into Germany, and then attacking ground targets on the return home. It is in the role of ground support at which the P-47 excelled the most. In this capacity, the Thunderbolt racked up an incredible record for destroying tanks, locomotives, parked aircraft and trucks. By this point, the P-47 was often loaded with 500 pound bombs for fighter-bomber service, or rockets for ground attack operations.

P-47s of the 350th, 352nd and 353rd Fighter Groups over Europe.

P-47 escorting the B-17 Sally B at an air show in 2006.

Chief Wahoo.

P-47 attacking ground targets with rockets.

P-47 in flight.

Four P-47s in flight. These Thunderbolts have the bubble canopy developed during the war to provide improved rear visibility.

P-47 with rocket tubes mounted.

P-47N with rocket tubes mounted.

Most of these images are from the National Museum of the USAF.

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P-47 Thunderbolt Air Force

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The P-51 Mustang is, without any doubt, my favorite fighter aircraft of all time. It is a sleek aircraft, and powerful. One of the major roles it played in WW2 was as an escort for bombers on long range missions into Germany, ensuring Allied air superiority over the enemy.

The P-51A and B models were armed with four .50 machine guns in the wings, while later models were armed with six .50 machine guns in the wings. With a speed of 390 mph for early models and 437 for the P-51d model, it was a formidable aircraft, and capable of knocking down the Me-262 jet fighters that Germany put into action late in the war.

Its internal fuel capacity, combined with external fuel tanks, gave the P-51 the range needed to escort bombers all the way to Germany and back.

The P-51 also became the signature aircraft of the Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black fighter squadron that earned the reputation of never having lost a bomber that they escorted. They were commonly known as "Redtails" due to the red paint on the vertical stabilizers on their aircraft.

P-51 "Miss Pea Ridge" in the air.

P-51 in flight with invasion stripes.

P-51 in flight with invasion stripes on fuselage belly.

P-51 in th air, from directly above.

P-51 "Peg O' My Heart."

Some of the Tusgekee Airmen with P-51.

Chuck Yeager's P-51, "Glamorous Glen III" with external fuel tanks mounted and sporting 12 kill flags.

Photo sources: Warbirds Resource Group and Air Force Histoical Research Agency

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P-51 Mustang Air Force Tuskegee Airmen

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The AC-130 gunship series is the most heavily armed close-air support combat aircraft currently in use. The models currently active ar ethe AC-130H Spectre Gunship (deployed 1972) and the AC-130U Spooky Gunship (deployed 1995).

These gunships have seen active service recently in Somalia, laying down ordnance on al-Qaeda encampments in that country.

Both are armed with a 105mm cannon, as well as a 40mm grenade launcher and twin 20mmVulcans (Spectre) or a 25mm gatling gun (Spooky).

Front view of the Spectre Gunship

A Spooky Gunship laying down fire.

Another shot os a Spooky Gunship.

For more on the AC-130, check out the FAS site.

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I’ve been entertaining the idea of featuring Military Aircraft photo of the week for a while now, just to kind of commemorate my time in the Air Force, as well as show some images of the Military Aircraft past and present. I don’t know where this feature will go. The goal will be to post something on a weekly basis, most likely on Saturdays. It may drift from strictly Air Force to include Military Aviation History.

The photo above is that of an SR-71 Blackbird encased in ice after a freezing rain hit the base. Taken at Lackland Airforce Base, Texas, Jan 16, 2007. (U.S. Air Force Photo, Lance Cheung.) The ice cycles hanging from the front of the aircraft makes for a very interesting image. In a way, I think it is stunningly beautiful.

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Air Force Military SR-71

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