Hi,
Looks good, might give it a try one day, always wanted to try it out, to see what P6994 supposedly looked like, apparently it was repainted in late 42, in the USA, not being an expert on US navy colours, but it was ‘light grey’ lower, ‘blue grey’ top colour, with a wavy demarcation line between the two ( supposedly like some bomber command wellingtons but a lot lower down near to the raf demarcation line ) , RAF type ‘C’ fin flash , sky spinners and the US star, ( but only blue circle with white star ).
Of course this is purely from a mix of research from recollections / memories told to me and sadly no photos exist, or none that I have been able to find yet, so far only traced witnesses to it being in the US,( i.e. groundcrew / pilots ).
I haven’t been able to piece together wether it was repainted for the US air force, when they took it over in ’44.
P6994 was reported to be overall grey at one time, but not sure if it was this period (’44) , or when it was being repainted for the US Navy.
P.S. thanks for the replies.
Cheers
Jerry

[QUOTE=Papa Lima]It would be nice if you had the time and inclination to write a similar but fully correct article for Flypast magazine . . .
I for one would greatly appreciate it!

Hi
It has crossed my mind a few times…
Cheers
Jerry

cockpit

”and the drawings on page 61 look a bit suspect.

side profile C , the cockpit side walls curve to the top of the joint with the wings, but to be fair most i have seen do this,
but from wartime drawings AP , and stuff at the NA,& photos, it seems to be straight down, bit hard to explain , but if anyone wants the drawings ( AP & NA ) mail me and i will send them, it is easier to see, ( but i can’t mail until about tue/wed )”

Jerry, is this what you mean…

Hi,
Yes it is, very well explained, glad someone could do it.
Most plans don’t show this as a sort of vertical side to the cockpit, most show it as a curve, but photos, AP and P7103’s crash investigation farnborough report seem to make it like this, vertical and the farnborough sketches makes it widen after the second frame behind the control panel frame , frames three and four slightly wider, until the next main frame/ bulkhead joint, where it transitions to the fuselage rear section [ fuselage to cockpit joint ].
The actual joint of the bottom of cockpit section along this stretch is two right angle forms , ( bit like a letter ‘T’ on it’s side with the flat top of the T facing outboard ) { I am terrible at describing this } this is actually the joint where it all failed and caused the crash of P7103.
Wish I new more on doing profile and drawings on the computer, I would make the time to do some.
Must go I could go on forever otherwise…….
Cheers
Jerry

comments

Hi All,
As said I was venting steam, having just read the articles, correct perhaps a bit more information was due.

tackle some first items

printing errors (?) are pg 71 P/O Traham, ……. was killed ,
should be P/O Graham,

Pg 70 P6984 was Flt Lt H S J Coglans mount ……. the old error again ……
this has been around for years,

the photo is of P6984, ( not K6984 printing error (?) )
facts are :-
1) P/O H st J Coghlan posted to 263 Sq from 600Sq to 263 Sq on 15-03-1941,

2) P6984 arrived 22-12-40 at 263Sq , crashed 29-01-41,

the a/c and Coghlan were never on the squadron at the same time,

for those interested the details on the crash, from the crash report basically the pilot carried out ‘aerobatics ‘ and lowered the undercarriage out of a ‘roll’ which unfortunately due to the design, the automatic fire extinguisher switch contacts were made , this completed the electrical circuit the extingushers fired and the engines cut out, whilst on approach to exeter airfield .
( bad luck )

Pg 72 & 73 on 27th may 42 a JU-88 became 263Sq’s first victory when P/O Mclure & WO smith shot it down …………( what ???? )

It is very well known the first aerial victory for 263 SQ was an Ar-196, 6W+ON, Wn0129 , Oberlt Berger & LT.Z.S. Hirtz , ( both died ) , and shot down of Dodman Point cornwall on 08-02-41 , after the intercept, P/O Grahams ( died ) a/c was seen to crash into the sea, and he was credited with the ‘kill’

pg 73 P6994 which had previously flown with 25Sq …..

P6994 never went to 25Sq, 25 squadron only had whirlwinds in may/june 40,
P6994 was delivered to 51MU on 24-11-41, and only served with 263sq before being shipped to the USA .

and the drawings on page 61 look a bit suspect.

side profile C , the cockpit side walls curve to the top of the joint with the wings, but to be fair most i have seen do this,
but from wartime drawings AP , and stuff at the NA,& photos, it seems to be straight down, bit hard to explain , but if anyone wants the drawings ( AP & NA ) mail me and i will send them, it is easier to see, ( but i can’t mail until about tue/wed )

pg 71
colour schemes
mentions the operation starkey stripes ( ’43) as being dieppe ( operation jubilee ) stripes (’42) , but to be fair most do,the operation rutter markings were different.

could go on , but won’t, I think enough said …

I feel like writing a letter to the editor….

I will be doing this , once all the facts are together, just needed to vent steam fast as said ……

trust all is explained now, just annoyed about another missed chance for a great article.

it is nice to have another article, but to be mis – informed in an article, isn’t correct, people use the facts in future articles , ( as seen ) , I think that the extra mile should have been run.

always willing to elaborate more, but then easy for someone who has been researching the a/c since the 70’s, my mate used to sit in the cockpit of one in the sixties and I had the chance in the early 70’s, just wish as kids we had cameras ….. and that at least one whirlwind was still around ….
Hope you all had a happy easter
Cheers
Jerry

[email]jezbrew@yahoo.com[/email]