Airshow photos

[Zardoz]

I went to a little WWII aircraft fly-in today at West Houston Airpark. No kilts in the photos, but I know we have some plane fans, so here you go;



Faichild PT19 from 1940. The inline 6 on this plane was the coolest sound of the day.



Boeing built Stearman from 1941


Piper L4 'Grasshopper' Observation plane


Piper J3 'Cub'


Vultee Valiant on the taxi-way



B25J Mitchell, 'Yellow Rose' one of 25 flying B25s in the US.


Stinson S108 in Civil Air Patrol colors

[BoldHighlander]

Wonderful photos Zardoz, thank you for posting them

[Jock Scot]

Great pictures and thank you so much for showing them. Out of interest, are those RAF markings on the tail fins of the Mitchell?

[BoldHighlander]

Out of interest, are those RAF markings on the tail fins of the Mitchell?

Hi Jock,
they are a RAF-type red, white, and blue fin flash recognition marking:



If you go back to May 1917, the rudder on American aircraft was to be marked with three vertical stripes of red, white, and blue (with the blue stripe forward). In February of 1918, the sequence of rudder stripe colors was altered with the blue placed at the rear and red at the rudder post.

As a side note, a yellow border surrounding the national insignia (as seen on the fuselage of this bomber below) was used briefly beginning in late 1942 on some US aircraft based in England and North Africa.



The Yellow Rose

[Zardoz]

Great pictures and thank you so much for showing them. Out of interest, are those RAF markings on the tail fins of the Mitchell?

They are, I'm not sure of the reason. ?
The plane is painted in North Africa Invasion colors, the national insignia on US and British aircraft was outlined in yellow for Operation Torch in North Africa, Nov.1942, to help gunners distinguish it from the Vinchy French roundel. The 13 horizontal red and white rudder stripes (as on the PT19) that US planes had sported since the 30's were eliminated in 1942 as well. It may a unit mark, or just be to help identify with the allies.

[Santa Wally]

What a beautiful blue-sky day to make perfect photos. Looks like you had a fun filled day. I enjoyed the pics, thanks for posting them

[BoldHighlander]

They are, I'm not sure of the reason. ?
The plane is painted in North Africa Invasion colors, the national insignia on US and British aircraft was outlined in yellow for Operation Torch in North Africa, Nov.1942, to help gunners distinguish it from the Vinchy French roundel.....

It may a unit mark, or just be to help identify with the allies.

As mentioned in my above posting, it was a recognition marking

The yellow outline on the nat'l insignia was also briefly used by some England based US aircraft during the same period.

Aircraft Insignia

[Kilted Magyar]

Great photos. I owned a Vultee "vibrator" back in the 60's. It was great fun to fly. When I flew in for an AF reserve duty weekend I was mobbed by old time pilots before the prop stopped. Picture an Airman 3rd giving a full bird Col. a ride.

[cessna152towser]

Fabulous pics, thanks for sharing.

[Riverkilt]

Thanks for the pics. My father learned to fly in Stearmans and after being a fighter pilot in England and North Africa he was a B-25 instructor.