another unidentified aircraft & details request!
Any other details?
Pilot nationality??
Approx dates??
Service? (Luftwaffe, USAAF, FAA....................)
Pilot nationality??
Approx dates??
Service? (Luftwaffe, USAAF, FAA....................)
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no other details unfortunately other than circumstantial & potentially flawed oral history.
probably a very close friend of my Gfathers brother who flew Beaufighters and later on Mosquitoes. He (my G/Uncle) trained at Luton pre war and then after WW2 started trained on Blenheims and other things.
so it's probably early 1940's.
G/Uncles letters came from Hullavington, Prestwich, Northern Ireland, East Fortune, amongst many other places.
I dont see any military bits & bobs on the aircraft or uniform so could be prewar, but I dont really know what Im looking at there. does it look RAF? certainly G/U Bob was in RAF (248 sqdn) in UK, then Egypt and latterly Coastal Command.
probably a very close friend of my Gfathers brother who flew Beaufighters and later on Mosquitoes. He (my G/Uncle) trained at Luton pre war and then after WW2 started trained on Blenheims and other things.
so it's probably early 1940's.
G/Uncles letters came from Hullavington, Prestwich, Northern Ireland, East Fortune, amongst many other places.
I dont see any military bits & bobs on the aircraft or uniform so could be prewar, but I dont really know what Im looking at there. does it look RAF? certainly G/U Bob was in RAF (248 sqdn) in UK, then Egypt and latterly Coastal Command.
I think the aircraft is military, though the sharp demarcation between top and bottom colours looks perhaps more post-war than wartime. I also wondered whether the mage is "leaning" a bit to the left and if it would look different if rotated a bit to remedy this. I'm not sure that this helps but I attach the revised version (also rendered in plain black and white) in case it's useful.
Doesn't look like a Beaufighter to me - the observation canopy was directly above the wing trailing edge. In the picture the canopy appears to be mid wing at least
QRB is british as is leather helmet and oxy mask; parachute appears to be seat type rather than backpack; angle of fuselage to the ground suggests tricycle undercarriage so maybe a P39/63 or even a Meteor (not a Vampire as this had a wooden fuselage and the aircraft shown is metal)? Collar of shirt has what appears to be a button on the 'point of the collar but weren't RAF crew issued with separate collars with collar studs rather than button down collars?
doubt its a Meteor - same issue of the canopy in relation to the trailing wing edge
might be a late model Spitfire
might be a late model Spitfire
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Looks like a harness shoulder strap hanging over the side of a cockpit, maybe under a canopy rail?
Intertidal,have you considered getting your g-fthrs brothers Service record ,which should give more information.There is `a gOV.UK` ,Application Forms..
The second picture is `cropped a bit ,from showing the `vertical piece extreme right and the bottom piece,level with his knees,roughly,as it looks like the pic is taken out of an office,or a vehicle..The `bit above his head` is/looks like a cowling fastener undone.
Is that a tailwheel,lower,far left,or a mainwheel...?
Is that a `door` for the tailwheel behind him,bottom right,or an open cowling,or exhaust/radiator outlet?
A lot depends on which way the aircraft is facing,and whether it has a tailwheel ,or a nosewheel,piston,or early jet...?
No visible camouflage,so ,is it grey,or possibly yellow?
No visible `oxygen tube`,and `casual` dress, so maybe `along for a ride...?
The first picture had more visible panels,and one just above his right elbow ,which might be useful clues...
So many questions,but no more answers....
The second picture is `cropped a bit ,from showing the `vertical piece extreme right and the bottom piece,level with his knees,roughly,as it looks like the pic is taken out of an office,or a vehicle..The `bit above his head` is/looks like a cowling fastener undone.
Is that a tailwheel,lower,far left,or a mainwheel...?
Is that a `door` for the tailwheel behind him,bottom right,or an open cowling,or exhaust/radiator outlet?
A lot depends on which way the aircraft is facing,and whether it has a tailwheel ,or a nosewheel,piston,or early jet...?
No visible camouflage,so ,is it grey,or possibly yellow?
No visible `oxygen tube`,and `casual` dress, so maybe `along for a ride...?
The first picture had more visible panels,and one just above his right elbow ,which might be useful clues...
So many questions,but no more answers....
Some of the features at the edges of the original image appear to me to be the normal white photo edging, but it might be helpful to see the full image to clarify this, at least!
QRB is british as is leather helmet and oxy mask; parachute appears to be seat type rather than backpack; angle of fuselage to the ground suggests tricycle undercarriage so maybe a P39/63 or even a Meteor (not a Vampire as this had a wooden fuselage and the aircraft shown is metal)? Collar of shirt has what appears to be a button on the 'point of the collar but weren't RAF crew issued with separate collars with collar studs rather than button down collars?
I agree it seems to be a Meteor,but I think the photo is taken from and over the back of the port engine.The top panel with the open fastener is the panel to access the main fuel tank,and the angled `strut` to the right of his right leg is the port u/c `mudguard`,similar to the nosewheel...