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  1. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    The Draken had two fairly prominent air intakes, I don't see them here.
  2. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    Unfortunately some escort carriers were not very well produced, HMS Dasher is a case in point, an Avenger class Escort Carrier, one book I have mentions that the carrier had damage on her first atlantic crossing exposing parts of the superstructure to the elements. She was one of the earliest...
  3. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    Well the Albacore had a heavy framed cockpit as well as other 'enhancements' that didn't seem to serve as well. I think the FAA pilots favoured the open cockpit design for visibility, at least in certain circumstances.
  4. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    The Defiant was successful at first when enemy fighters jumped it from behind mistaking it for a Hurricane at distance. It's when they learned that there was no fixed forward firing armament and the turret couldn't cover the frontal field of fire that things changed. The Defiant served...
  5. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    Even in dogfights, against US and British fighters it didn't stand much chance, some aircraft like the Buffalo for instance it could outturn, but two rifle calibre MG's wont do much, ditto with Hurricanes and P40's. I don't know if the Oscar ever had an armaments upgrade though. According to...
  6. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    The Ki43 though in many versions was only armed with a pair of rifle calibre machine guns.
  7. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    While not a 'warbird', this is related. We all know there are height requirements for fighter aircraft crew, but it seems obvious that the requirements were not as strict for Bomber crewmen. Nonetheless piloting a Heinkel 111, Ju 88 or Do-17 while being this height for long periods of time...
  8. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    Another design I liked, the A-3 Skywarrior. The pilot of this one proving the old maxim that any landing you can walk away from is a good one. An article on that incident https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-behind-this-a-3-skywarrior-crash-landing-aboard-uss-coral-sea
  9. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    The beautiful and underappreciated A-5 Vigilante. One of the largest aircraft to operate regularly off a carrier.
  10. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    If we're talking Mirages, I've always like the look of the Mirage IV for some reason. And for another French cold war bomber, the Sud Aviation Vatour
  11. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    I remember seeing a picture of the Mirage 4000 flying in formation with two Mirage 2000 which showed the relative size difference, lets see if I can find it. Ah, here it is...
  12. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    This isn't a warbird, but it IS aviation related. An Austro-Hungarian Empire aircraft aircraft defence mount. Imagine trying to reload ten C96 Broomhandle Mausers, (by stripper clip no less) in the air.
  13. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    Hence why I said it was only a part, and if anything it was probably an excuse. Mountbatten should not have had the influence he did.
  14. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    The one major thing I have against the F-111 is that it played a part (not the sole part by any means) of getting the TSR 2 cancelled. I believe Lord Louis Mountbatten was against the TSR 2 and lobbied to have it cancelled in favour of a variant of the F-111 that never appeared.
  15. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    Also, how can we have a Warbirds thread and not have one of the most underappreciated but most beautiful aircraft ever, the Saab Draken. I saw a pair of these in Austrian markings while on ATC Camp at RAF Wildenrath in the 80s
  16. Vargas Fan

    Warbirds Thread

    There aren't that many pictures of this but before the war the heavy fighter was a bit of a craze. We had examples like the Bf-110, the Bell Airacuda. Later it seemed to catch on again with the Mosquito and the Black Widow among other designs. However, this aircraft seemed all but forgotten...
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