Combat Veterans by velocicrapper

Photography • Aviation • posted on Jan 04, 2006

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Description

Taken at the Planes of Fame Museum (Chino Airport, California) December 3rd, 2005. For more, see http://www.warbird-photos.com A sight you don't see often in these days, a formation flight of three combat veterans. All three aircraft served in World War 2. The closest aircraft is a Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless. She served in the 25 Sqn, Royal New Zealand Air Force in March - May 1944 and flew 32 combat missions and then served in the USN after May for the remainder of the war in a fast carrier group. The middle aircraft, a Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero, probably the most famous in the Planes of Fame collection as it's the only ALL original Zero in the world that flies and is the only authentic flying axis aircraft left in the world. The A6M5 still carries the same Sakae 13 engine, and aside from the removal of weapons and some minor faa required equipment changes, it's all original Zero. The Zero was the 2,357th Zero to be produced by the Nakajima production line and was sent to serve with the 261st Japanese Naval Air Corps and was eventually stationed at Asilito Airfield on Saipan as air defense for many islands. After the US Marines overran Saipan on June 15, 1944, they captured the airfield and a dozen intact Zeros. They were sent to San Diego, CA and 4 of them, including ours, was rebuilt from the trip back to flying status and split between the Army Air Force and Navy. Our Zero was given to the Navy and the 190 hours it sent in US Navy hands it was flown by test pilots, fighter pilots, and civilian pilots including Charles A. Lindbergh. It was then set as surplus and originally going to be a gate guard at an air force museum, but was instead sold for scrap. The founder of the museum bought the Zero and stored it in his backyard, since at the time he had not started the museum! It was restored back to flying status 1978 and immediately did a 6 month tour in Japan. The furthest back is the Curtiss P-40N Warhawk. It went straight to the Royal Canadian Air Force for home defense during WW2. It was assigned to the 133 Sqn, and on March 10, 1945, it is credited for shooting down a Japanese incendiary balloon at an altitude of 13,500 feet. Camera is a Canon Rebel XT EOS 350D DSLR (8mp) with a Canon 28-105mm USM lens. Image was reduced in size.

Comments (19)

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-GaWa-

12:36AM | Thu, 05 January 2006

Superb image!

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zulaan

12:43AM | Thu, 05 January 2006

Wow ! Beautiful !!!!! ;)

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fabriced

2:40AM | Thu, 05 January 2006

WOW!!!!! fantastic! (v)

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Dann-O

4:51AM | Thu, 05 January 2006

I am surprized that the zero is the only original axis aircraft flying. Great pic.

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jcv2

10:00AM | Thu, 05 January 2006

Oh wow, hopefully they're all friendly, being gunned down by your neighbor would spoil the fun LOL! Impressive capture! :)

PreyingJaws

11:09AM | Thu, 05 January 2006

thanks for sharing the flying history with us.

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wastl001

1:15PM | Thu, 05 January 2006

Excellent sharpness, colour and clarity: superb image!!!

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weesel

5:53PM | Thu, 05 January 2006

Really impressive image!

vkoontz

11:09PM | Thu, 05 January 2006

Nice shot!

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Buffalo1

1:46AM | Sun, 08 January 2006

This is a calendar shot for sure! What were you flying in when you took the pic? If you say the backseat of another warbird, I'll just die! You're a lucky guy to be associated with Planes of Fame.

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velocicrapper

4:11AM | Sun, 08 January 2006

I was in a Cessna 182 at the time. Not quite a warbird, but sometimes I think I'd rather be shooting them air-to-air than in one! Of course, being in a P-51D while shooting a P-51D can't be beat :-D

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