vultee35,

Just two nit-picking observations on your beautiful model. The “knuckles” over the undercarriage bevels hardly projected at all forward of the leading edge (as appears – unless they are something in that position entirely new to me). And all VVs, AFAIK, had retracting tailwheels. The colours look about right for Burma, although we would never have had yellow engine cowlings like that !

I never even saw a TT Vengeance: I assume that the bomb doors open meant that the cable drum was in there and towing was taking place. In that case, would not the windmill turret (on stbd. side) project far enough to be visible at that angle ?

The RAAF did not operate VVs in Burma, although we had plenty of RAAF pilots among the crews of the four RAF Sqdns (45, 82, 84 and 110) and the two IAF (7 and 8) which did.

12 Sqdn RAAF (and others ?) operated from Queensland and attacked targets in New Guinea, I believe.

Danny

hawker1966,

The Vultee Vengance was an American built dive bomber supplied to the RAF in India in’42, and used in the Burma campaigns of ’43 and ’44. I Post about them on “PPRuNe > Military Aircrew > Gaining a RAF Pilots Brevet in WW2” They never were anywhere near Malta. 046S13 is not an airman’s number (possibly “046” is his “last three” and
“S13” means something else).

I would think there must have been a RN ship of that name. The Draft code would be on all kitbags going overseas – to ensure that kitbag and owner finished up on the same continent ! (When I went out to the States, it was “ATTS TRAILL” – what does that mean ? Lord knows !)

Danny.

ChernKStewfan,

As I remember, most of them were so muddy (for they were never washed – except by the monsoon), that it was hard to see what colours they had originally been !

Danny42C

Cotteswold, re your #23:

Tim,

These are Spitfire VIIIs, the svelte lines spoiled by the tropical filters. I left 8 Sqdn about that time, but always thought that they went onto the Spitfire XIV. (The VIIIs had been out in India from (IIRC) the end of ’43).

Danny42C

diamant,

Nothing turned up on a PM on PPRuNe yet, I’m afraid. Have another go !

The aircraft letter would have been on both sides (for your ground crew would want to spot it ASAP as it was coming in). I have only one other photo (‘A’ Flight 110 Sqn ’43 picture, but have not the skill to put it up on Post). But it is just a head-on from some way away, would be no use to a modeller in any case.

Myself, I’m not a modeller, but remember my chaps making an Airfix 1/72 model for me at Leeming around ’70. Long gone now.

Cheers, Danny

I would agree the information supplied by Lynx815. My log shows that I first flew a Mk.III VV on 10.7.44. (FB956) in Burma, as a pilot on No.8 (Indian Air Force) Sqn. This was non-operational: I think that operations had ceased by that time (onset of ’44 monsoon). All Vengeances ended operations at that point, as it was expected that the Mosquito would re-equip the four RAF Sqns, (45,82,84 & 110), The two IAF Sqns which had operated the aircraft (7 & 8) went over to Spitfire XIVs (certainly 8, not sure about 7).

AFAIK, all VV ops (certainly all mine on 110 & 8 Sqdns.) were flown on Mks. I & 2 (AN, AP and EZ series). If you visit a website called PPRuNe > Military Aircraft> Gaining an RAF Pilots Brevet in WWII>p.128 #2548, you can read my tale of the VV.

As for FB 918, I can only add remarks: the roundel and markings are those of S.E.A.A.C. The additional “FB 918” on the fin, and the white bar above it, and the white ring round the cowling front are foreign to me (I believe the cowling white ring signified “experimental aircraft” in the U.S.A.A.C, in which I trained.

Note that the guns and the last (curved segment) of the canopy have been removed. Guns because it is a “hack” (probably post-VJ Day) a/c on odd jobs. Canopy is more interesting: in operational service it was always flown canopies wide open front and back, the folded-forward curvedend section was a nuisance to the gunners: they chucked them out.

Bomb doors were always opened after switch-off to relieve hydraulic pressure. The curious stripes up the hand/foot holds to the rear cockpit puzzle me. Note that, once you’ve taken out the guns (and last bit of canopy which goes with them), there is no easy way of telling the Marks apart by sight, although if you look very carefully you can just see that a Mk.IV wing is at 4 deg incidence, but all others Nil. (With guns in, it’s easy, in the back the IV has 1x.50 cal, all the rest 2x.30 (British mod: 2x.303, as the .300s didn’t work) – see Dick Simpson’s pic below – Mk.IV !!!!

Hope to see you one day on PPRuNe – but don’t wait too long; as I’m a very old man. Off to “diamant” (a bit further down).