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Masters of their Machines

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  • Masters of their Machines

    After finishing the FW-190 I thought it would be cool to do planes of the top aces. But then I realized that I would have a bunch of Spitfires, P-38s and BF-109s.

    So I decided to do top aces of the different fighters flown during WW2 instead.

    The plan is to post a picture of the model/plane and trying to get some participation in the modelers corner have one of you identify the plane and the pilot.

    If after a day no one gets it Ill fill in the blanks. On a few pilots I'll also throw in some info that I thought was unique while I was researching this stuff

    Lets see how this works out

  • #2

    Easy one to kick this off Click image for larger version

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    • #3
      Oh that's Johnnie Johnson's Spit. I can still remember reading his Wing Leader when I was in 8th Grade.

      Impressive pilot!
      “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
      Mark Twain

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      • #4
        Correct. Johnnie Johnson who was rejected on "Social" grounds when he first tried to join the RAF. War changes many things

        Missed out on the Battle of Britain and the Battle of France due to surgery But

        Was the top Spitfire Ace of WW2, Was the top RAF ace, and the highest scoring Western Allied against the Luftwaffe. With 34 Kills

        Retired from the RAF as a Air Vice Marshal. (2 Star General)

        This is one of the Spitfire Mk IXc that he flew while Wing Commander of the 127th Wing RCAF

        His Wiki page

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnni...n_(RAF_officer)

        The model is an Eduard 1/72 scale from "The Longest Day" boxing. These markings are not included but there is one of the plane he made a Beer run on.
        Last edited by Gun Grape; 02 Apr 21,, 02:15.

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        • #5
          Second plane. Click image for larger version

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          • #6
            Oh that's an easy one!

            LTC Francis "Gabby" Gabreski's P-47. A beast of an aircraft as well as combat leader.

            An ace in 2 wars...World War 2 & Korea.

            He did an exchange tour with a Polish Squadron in the RAF as he was fluent in Polish...he was from Oil City, PA...a town I know well...my 1st wife's family was from there and spent my honeymoon there!

            He was the top 8th Air Force Ace with 28 conformed shoot downs while flying with the legendary 56th Fighter Group.

            He went down in July 1944 on a strafing run at a Luftwaffe airfield and spent the rest of the war as a POW.

            He shot down 6 North Korean/ChiCom jets in the Korean War flying F-86s.

            Another great autobiography.
            “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
            Mark Twain

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            • #7
              Yep, Top 8th Af Ace and top P-47 ace.

              On his final mission, he wasn't shot down while doing a strafing run. He was flying so low that his prop blades hit the runway.

              The model is the 1/72 scale Academy kit from the Gabreski boxing. Also includes a model of his f-86. Instructions are for the razorback kit. But not hard to figure out what parts need to go where
              Last edited by Gun Grape; 02 Apr 21,, 14:11.

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              • #8
                A little harder Click image for larger version

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Gun Grape View Post
                  A little harder Click image for larger version

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                  Yes, tricky. Top Marine ace was Joe Foss but he flew Wildcats before the Corsair and most of his kills were in Wildcats. Boyington has 25 confirmed kills I believe which is just one behind Foss. He only flew Corsairs but it would have been any Corsair since the Marines followed the same system Navy pilots did which was fly any available plane that day. Especially the Marines being at the end of the supply line. So his kills could have been in half a dozen different planes. Photos show him in #86 but those are photo ops as he never flew that plane in combat from what I have learned.

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                  • #10
                    2 of Boyingtons kills were from his China days flying a P-40.

                    This plane was flown by neither of the mentioned pilots.

                    We know the top Corsair Ace flew this plane because its the one he was killed in.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Gun Grape View Post
                      2 of Boyingtons kills were from his China days flying a P-40.

                      This plane was flown by neither of the mentioned pilots.

                      We know the top Corsair Ace flew this plane because its the one he was killed in.
                      Then I'll go with Robert Hanson with 25 kills and died when his Corsair crashed in the ocean.
                      Last edited by tbm3fan; 03 Apr 21,, 06:35. Reason: correct spelling

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by tbm3fan View Post

                        Then I'll go with Robert Hansen with 25 kills and died when his Corsair crashed in the ocean.
                        Robert Hansen was a serial killer. Know you didn't mean him. So Ill assume you meant Robert Hanson

                        And you are correct.

                        From his Wiki:

                        Robert M. Hanson was the son of Methodist missionaries who served for several decades in India. In Lucknow, India, his playmates were Hindu children. He attended an American-run missionary school, Woodstock School, in Mussoorie in the Western Indian Himalayas, along with his siblings, Mark, Stanley, Earl Hanson, and Edith Hanson. After attending junior high school in the United States, he returned to India to become light-heavyweight and heavy-weight wrestling champion of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, at the time a large province in northern India. In his honor, the sports field at his alma mater Woodstock School in the Indian Himalayas is still named Hanson Field.

                        First Lieutenant Hanson arrived in the South Pacific in June 1943 and his daring tactics and total disregard for death soon became well known. A master of individual air combat, he downed 20 enemy planes in six consecutive flying days. He was commended in the citation accompanying the Medal of Honor for his bold attack against six enemy torpedo bombers, November 1, 1943, over Bougainville Island, and for bringing down four Zeros, the premier Japanese fighter, while fighting them alone over New Britain, January 24, 1944.

                        His second and fatal crash occurred one day before his twenty-fourth birthday. He was last seen on February 3, 1944, when his plane crashed into the sea after a cancelled (due to overcast) fighter sweep mission over Rabaul, New Britain. He was attempting to destroy a lighthouse on Cape St. George, Southern New Ireland, that often gave the fighter group trouble by firing flak at the fighter group as they passed the lighthouse. His squadron leader Capt. Harold L. Spears watched as he attempted to land his damaged plane in the water during rough seas. His plane cart wheeled when one of the wings grabbed a wave and the plane disintegrated. He had no time to escape the cockpit, thus sank with his plane. He was subsequently declared killed in action.[2] He has cenotaph memorials at Manila, Philippines and Newton, Massachusetts.[3]

                        His Medal of Honor citation


                        The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
                        FIRST LIEUTENANT ROBERT M. HANSON
                        UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

                        for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
                        For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a fighter pilot attached to Marine Fighting Squadron TWO FIFTEEN in action against Japanese forces at Bougainville Islands, November 1, 1943, and New Britain Island, January 24, 1944. Undeterred by fierce opposition and fearless in the face of overwhelming odds, First Lieutenant Hanson fought the Japanese boldly and with daring aggressiveness. On November 1, while flying cover for our landing operations at Empress Augusta Bay, he dauntlessly attacked six enemy torpedo bombers, forcing them to jettison their bombs and destroying one Japanese plane during the action. Cut off from his division while deep in enemy territory during a high cover flight over Simpson Harbor on January 24, First Lieutenant Hanson waged a lone and gallant battle against hostile interceptors as they were orbiting to attack our bombers and, striking with devastating fury, brought down four Zeros and probably a fifth. Handling his plane superbly in both pursuit and attack measures, he was a master of individual air combat, accounting for a total of 25 Japanese aircraft in this theater of war. His great personal valor and invincible fighting spirit were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[4]
                        /S/ FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT

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                        • #13
                          Since we are in the Pacific, How about this one

                          Click image for larger version

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                          • #14
                            The only guy I can think of, and the reason he is easy to come up with is because a classmate between 1978-1981 had the same last name, Sakai. Also a very common last name much like Smith.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Gun Grape View Post

                              Robert Hansen was a serial killer. Know you didn't mean him. So Ill assume you meant Robert Hanson
                              Are you sure he wasn't a serial killer since his nickname was Butcher Bob? Now if he was Buffalo Bob that would be a different kind of killer.

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