Inside the Air Force Museum

[FastEd]

Navigate the entire WWII section

http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/full/z-034.html

 

[WendyZXZ]

As always that is another great tour!

 

[SPBhawk]

That's great, a P-51 in there as it should be.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

That's great, a P-51 in there as it should be.

Also an A-36 Apache which you very seldom see.

 

[Jeepnik]

Don't think they made all that many A-36's. Turned out a standard P-51 could do a credible job or close air support and ground attack. If I recall they had one on display at Lackland when I was there. Thought it was a P-51 till I read the name plate in front of it.

Yep, learn something every day. I was learning a bunch of stuff daily back then. Some of which I still remember.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Don't think they made all that many A-36's. Turned out a standard P-51 could do a credible job or close air support and ground attack. If I recall they had one on display at Lackland when I was there. Thought it was a P-51 till I read the name plate in front of it.

Yep, learn something every day. I was learning a bunch of stuff daily back then. Some of which I still remember.

Well The problem begins when you CAN NOT dive at a 70-90 angle. That is how you put bombs on target. Glide bombing doesn't hack it. So you need dive brakes to do that Think SBDs, Stuka, VALS.
P-51s were horrible at ground attack with the complex cooling system. Yes they did it and lost a lot of pilots. A lot of our Aces were killed doing itThe P-47 and all the other radial engine plans were great at ground attack. Think Corsair F4U

That is why they quit using the A-36 for dive bombing. The glycol cooling system just isn't made for that roll. A radial can have cylinders blown off and still get you home. The Navy did not use glycol cooled engines for a reason. :wink:

 

[Snake45]

If I recall they had one on display at Lackland when I was there. Thought it was a P-51 till I read the name plate in front of it.

About when was this? Must have been before 1972 when I was there. They did have a VERY rare P-51H on display, though (and AFAIK, still do).

I've never heard of an A-36 or P-51A at Lackland. I just did a search at WarbirdRegistry and they didn't have any of the six or seven such survivors listed as ever having been on display at Lackland.

An airplane mystery! :shock:

 

[eric conrad]

This is great. Thanks Ed.
Eric

 

[RSIno1]

We were in Tucson this weekend and I saw an A-10 on final into Davis–Monthan.

 

[Jeepnik]

If I recall they had one on display at Lackland when I was there. Thought it was a P-51 till I read the name plate in front of it.

About when was this? Must have been before 1972 when I was there. They did have a VERY rare P-51H on display, though (and AFAIK, still do).

I've never heard of an A-36 or P-51A at Lackland. I just did a search at WarbirdRegistry and they didn't have any of the six or seven such survivors listed as ever having been on display at Lackland.

An airplane mystery! :shock:

1971. I have some old photos taken when I was there. I'll try to dig them out and scan them. I should do it anyway.

 

[Snake45]

If I recall they had one on display at Lackland when I was there. Thought it was a P-51 till I read the name plate in front of it.

About when was this? Must have been before 1972 when I was there. They did have a VERY rare P-51H on display, though (and AFAIK, still do).

I've never heard of an A-36 or P-51A at Lackland. I just did a search at WarbirdRegistry and they didn't have any of the six or seven such survivors listed as ever having been on display at Lackland.

An airplane mystery! :shock:

1971. I have some old photos taken when I was there. I'll try to dig them out and scan them. I should do it anyway.

Please do! I'd love to see them!

 

[FastEd]