the new Google hosted LIFE magazine online photo archive. link to image in LIFE archive http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?q=la+guardia+airport+source:life&imgurl=7bbcc05ff5db8b78 or search in Google Images ‘searchword source:life’ for any topic in LIFE mag

Thanks for the link Longshot. It’s a great collection of images. Sadly the tags of the photos are very general so the ‘search’ facility is not a great deal of use. Just browsing through I saw an overhead photo of a complete Corsair fully dismantled and laid out on the factory floor (not to be confused with another of a drawing of a dismantled Corsair). Another was a close-up of the front of BAC Drone G-ADSB(?) and it’s pilot “a British flying enthusiast”

Roger Smith.

The second aircraft is 12870.

The third aircraft appears to have the same type serial as the first, while number four have the US type serial again.

Here is a link to a full size image:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=b-17+source:life&imgurl=4691d30b9a378c7a

The marking on the rudder of the second aircraft – could it be a lion rampant East European/Russia style – although if you squint it could be a scrubbed-out swastika!!

Roger Smith.

Something I’ve noticed on the photograph captioned “B-17’s practicing flying tactics at the AAF School of Applied Tactics.” is that at least the nearest of the Boston III’s pictured is bearing an RAF serial which identifies it as one of a batch of lend-lease aircraft for the RAF. The nearest aircraft is one of a batch of 240 lend-lease aircraft, 40 of which were supplied to Russia. My eyesight is not good enough to tell whether the other aircraft are similarly marked.

Regards,

kev35

My eyesight’s not good either but notice that the serial is repeated high up on the fin/rudder. The next aircraft in line has it’s serial lower down in a more ‘normal’ USAAF position (and appears to have some form of badge on the rudder) but can’t make out those beyond that one.

Roger Smith.

I’m not so sure it is a Gemini. It’s definately not a Messenger as there is no central fin/rudder. However for the tailwheeled Gemini that rear end looks to be to far off the ground – and the surfaces look very shiny, sort of metallic, sort of Ercoupe?

Roger Smith.

Edit – the more I look at it the more I think the open canopy and that twin tail are on two seperate aeroplanes – they are too far apart?

Yep, sorry, I’d fall into the “it’s a Dragonfly” camp too. Agree with John the rear cabin window extends far beyond the trailing edge and look at the difference in gap between the cockpit and forward cabin windows.

Roger Smith.