you can tell which way the wind blows since the front is sand blasted clean but there's still paint as you go towards the back
Posted on 05/12/2012 1:01:58 PM PDT by Doogle
He was hundreds of miles from civilisation, lost in the burning heat of the desert.
Second World War Flight Sergeant Dennis Copping took what little he could from the RAF Kittyhawk he had just crash-landed, then wandered into the emptiness.
From that day in June 1942 the mystery of what happened to the dentist’s son from Southend was lost, in every sense, in the sands of time.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Pilot would not get very far without water, unfortunately.
Just found this while reading something else.
The plane was flown by the Canadian Ace of Aces with 19 kills. He is still alive. The pilot who crashed was ferrying the plane for repairs.
Fascinating
They actually bought them from Curtiss at the start of the war and once we got in the war it was then lend-lease.
They actually bought them from Curtiss at the start of the war and once we got in the war it was then lend-lease.
Lend Lease started in early 1941...almost a full year before we were in the war.
This aircraft will end up at the RAF Hendon museum.The Brit govt is in talks already with said govt.
Thanks for the link to the additional article on the Sahara P40 link at post 22
Among the group’s treasures is its “Stocky Edwards Kittyhawk P-40,” which was acquired from New Zealand but restored and painted to match the markings of Edwards’ principal aircraft during the Desert War: a fighter plane identified as RAF 260 Squadron’s HS-B.
Re : Earlier thread.
This photo indicates this craft had a radial engine. P-40 Warhawks were in line water cooled .There is an intake scoop on the top of the round fuselage. P-40’s had an intake scoop on the bottom, Also behind the plane there is what looks like the remnants of a radial engine. It’s too bad the report did not identify what this plane was. But it might be a forerunner of the Thunderbolt. The AAF at the time also had another radial engine pursuit but most were inline water cooled engines hence the fuselage would be oval not round.
you can tell which way the wind blows since the front is sand blasted clean but there's still paint as you go towards the back
Good catch. I thought it was because the propeller was behind the plane.
hummmm... i never thought of that
Thanks for the ping. I hope the Brits get it before the locals strip it.
Good point. This doesn’t look at all like a P-40. I wonder what it was.
Took another look. What I thought was a radial engine is actually the spinner base and prop.
So, yes, it is a P-40.
On a re-examination of the “head on” photo, I can see you you thought it was a radial engined P-36 “Mohawk.” The right and left cylinder banks of the liquid cooled Allison engine are seen and give the illusion of being radial cylinders. and the chin radiator is totally gone, giving the nose an oval appearance of a radial engined fighter. do a google search for “P-36 Hawk” and you will get dozens of pics of the P-40’s radial engine predecessor.
See also these two wikipedia articles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-36_Hawk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-40_Warhawk
I first fell in “love” with the P-40 was from watching “God is My Co-pilot” on tv, it seemed to run every few months back in the 1950s on Chicago tv stations; especially on the afternoon matinee movie from 4 to 5:30 pm
The P-40 made its claim to fame in WWII when American pilots hired by the Chinese Nationalists organized by Clair Chernault flew conbat missions against the encroaching Japanese prior to Pearl Harbor. The wing consisted of I believe of 18 planes were known as “The Flying Tigers” hence the teeth painted on the nose of the P-40. The group later was after much discussion incorporated into the USAAF.
“God Is My Co-Pilot”.. Singer comedian Dennis Morgan steped away from comic roles teamed with Frank Carson to play the lead in this story by Air Ace Robert Scott (Gen USAAF -AF retired)
One of the sequences in that film I vividly remember was Scott painting the prop spinner a different color making the Japanese claim there was another wing of the group of volunteers known as “The Flying Tigers”
To me the photo suggested a radial engine and I couldn’t think of the designation which I suspected was made by Curtis but I didn’t know the 36 was the P-40 predecessor
Thanks for the info
Thanks. I did think it was a P-36, but you’re right: it’s a P-40.
I now know they have the serial number of the plane and the name of the pilot who crashed it and the ace pilot who flew it before that.
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