BCATP on U-tube, Harvards, Ansons, Battles & Yales

Jerry, the general pointyness and lack of a radial engine at the front of the “Battles” suggests that they are indeed “Battles” and not A-17s.

Hi
It was the general roundness of a radial engine at the front of the aircraft and the mention of a radial engine battle….
That lead me to believe that it was the A-17’s Nomads, mistaken for battles, that were being discussed in the post.
An excellent bit of film tho’
Cheers
jerry

If any of you get to see the whole film, look out at the end for the Hurricane, painted black and pretending to be a 109, it must have had a good fuel capacity to find those bombers.

Robbo,

The aircraft under “dispute” are the yellow and black target tow aircraft taking off at 1.00 minutes into the clip and then in formation with “peel offs” through to 1.15 minutes into the clip, they are definately radial engined, and with the obvious “pointy nosed” Battles elsewhere in the clip I assumed these were Taurus engined examples, however they could well be A-17’s as well.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Jerry

Good pickup, I think you are right, the “radial” engined Battles look like A-17’s, I wasnt aware of the A-17 being in both RAF and RCAF service, however there is plenty of close up shots of Merlin engined Battles still in the clip, as well as the Hudsons at the end.

The A-17 was based on the Gamma 2F, a private venture attack bomber. After suggesting several modifications, the U.S. Army Air Corps purchased 110 aircraft in 1934. Armed with four wing-mounted .30 caliber machine guns, it was more powerfully armed that contemporary pursuit (fighter) aircraft. An additional 129 improved A-17As with retractable landing gear were purchased starting in 1936.
In 1940, 93 A-17As were sold to Great Britain and Canada. Named “Nomad” most of these aircraft served in South Africa. Douglas also built this aircraft under the designation Model 8A selling them to Argentina, Iraq, the Netherlands, Norway and Peru. Several were commandeered by the U.S. Army and designated the A-33.

Darell,

the U-tube Bolingbroke is well worth watching as well,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYLFzlPUgo&mode=related&search=

I guess without U-tube we would be watching John Wayne movie re-runs on the idiot box – smiles

Regards

Mark Pilkington

battles

Hi
Not sure the ‘battles’ are actually battles.
To me they look like an a-17 Nomads
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/I_NORTHROP_A-17.HTM
Cheers
Jerry

Yes Mark, Fleet Finches as well as Hudsons. The movies flying was done at Trenton and Uplands (Ottawa). I like the Battles shooting up their targets in Lake Ontario, by the way the Battles were converted to tugs at Fleet aircraft in Fort Erie, roughly 700 of them, methinks us folk pranged a few of them. The wings parade in the movie was an actual class of trainees. Their is another good BCATP youtube, search for “Bristol Bolingbroke” done on the west coast, I think video from a “Lassie” movie, what did we do before youtube?? cheers Darrell