“Converted Bomber” would seem to allude to the Mosquitoes used by BOAC during the war for journeys into neutral Sweden (the ‘ball bearing’ run), but this is the first time I’ve heard of them being used for flights into Switzerland.

Given her status (and the near-certainty of aids/staff/servants accompanying her), and the cramped & uncomfortable accommodations of the Mossie conversions, I would expect something along the lines of one of the many 4-engined converted bomber transports.

Examples would be the Liberator transports (LB-30/C.IX) or one of the Halifax transports (C.III/C.VI/C.VII, all converted bomber variants or the purpose-built C.VIII).

Specifically, BOAC received Liberator IIs (re-designated LB-30) from 1942 on, and operated them past the end of the war.

Wake me up when they have some aircraft to carry. :rolleyes:

They do… Mitsubishi-built SH-60/UH-60s and AgustaWestland MCH-101/CH-101s.

11 per ship, to be precise.

By September 1944, the Allied forces had taken all of southern and western France, to a line running from the Swiss border ~125 north of Geneva up through Verdun west to just east of Reims then up into Belgium.

Thus, there was a clear straight-line flight-path through Allied-controlled airspace between southern England and Geneva.

VC-9C – 3 executive transport aircraft for the United States Air Force.

Three aircraft (73-1681, 73-1682, 73-1683) were delivered to the US Air Force in late 1976.

I also found this (from 2004):
http://www.amarcexperience.com/AMARCArticleC9Retirement.asp

The 89th Airlift Wing operates these aircraft from Andrews AFB, but they themselves are due to be replaced in the near future by the Boeing C-40B, a military version of the Boeing 737-700 commercial airliner.

932nd Airlift Wing – 73rd Airlift Squadron – Based at Scott AFB, IL.
Still operating 3 C-9A Nightingales for AFRES. Transitioning to VC-9C in FY 2006.

Then back to Wiki:

The squadron augmented the active duty 375th Airlift Wing in operating the aeromedical airlift system from, 1969-2005. Since 2005 the 73d has conducted executive airlift.

The 89th Airlift Wing no longer operates VC-9C aircraft.
http://www.andrews.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4748

It appears that the VC-9Cs are now operated by the USAF Reserve, but they are still used for the “VIP” mission.

Kinda feel sorry for Italy and Spain. Their carriers can’t really be modified to operate F-35C. Not big enough.

Spain hasn’t ordered a new ship yet.

No, they haven’t ordered a replacement for Principe de Asturias yet… But Juan Carlos I, which has recently entered service, IS designed for the F-35B!

Elevator size/weight capability, flight deck strength, and the strength/take-off weight-stress rating of the ski-jump were specifically spec’ed for the F-35B*, not the AV-8B+!

* In addition to the helicopters Spain uses/plans to use aboard.

And the pic clearly shows the civilian markings, which is what makes it a Lodestar… and one not in service with the USAAF, USN, USMC, or RCAF.

I was just noting how, just as the Model 14 was developed into the Hudson, so was the Model 18 developed into a patrol bomber.

At the risk of being pedantic, photo 4 is not a Lockheed Hudson…it’s a Lockheed 18 Lodestar..probably within the NC33663 to NC33668 range.

Hudson refers to the RAF/Commonwealth armed aircraft based on the Lockheed 14 Super Electra.

The Lodestar was developed into the Ventura (originally for Britain), which was used as a bomber and patrol aircraft from mid-1942 on (USN PV-1 & USAAF B-34), then developed into the PV-2 Harpoon.

Both types operated extensively in the Alaskan theatre.

Those wishing more info on the Alaskan theatre of operations should get The Thousand Mile War by Brian Garfield.

It covers the area from the assignment of Colonel (soon General) Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr in mid-1940 as commander of the newly created 11th Air Force (its first plane was an old Martin B-10 light bomber which arrived 12 August 1940) to the end of the war.