Chimu fighter strip was on the portion of Okinawa closest to Japan. My squadron, VMF-224, had been sent to Chimu from Yontan Airfield for the purpose of early interception of aircraft in the event of enemy attack and for mounting fighter sweeps over Japan itself. On July 2, 1945, we flew our Corsairs equipped with auxiliary belly fuel tanks from Chimu on a sweep to Kyushu. Our goal was to draw the Japanese fighters into the air and engage them in a dogfight. I led one division of four planes from 224 and Major Mike Yunck of VMF- 311 led a division of four from his squadron. The other three pilots in my division were Second Lieutenants Lowell Truex, Denver Smiddy, and Schleicher.
It was a beautiful, bright-blue-sky kind of a day, and our flight up was uneventful. When we were well over the landmass of Kyushu, we began flying back and forth, generally on a north-south axis at 20,000 to 21,000 feet altitude. On one of our southern legs, shortly after we arrived on station and with Mike’s flight off to my right, I was searching the sky in all directions. Suddenly, I saw a tremendous group of Japanese fighters about 3,000 feet below. They were streaming from dead ahead and back toward my seven or eight o’clock position. I had never seen so many Japanese fighters in one group since my days on Guadalcanal, and it was the first time that I ever had altitude advantage in the entire war. I identified those planes as Zeros as soon as I spotted them.
This story is from the November - December 2020 edition of Flight Journal.
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This story is from the November - December 2020 edition of Flight Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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Keeping 'em Flying!- The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics
The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics. Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, the fighters, bombers, and trainers that defended freedom continue to enthrall and inspire audiences at airshows, thanks to generations of warbird pilots, maintainers, restoration specialists and collectors. In our September, 2022 issue we introduced you to the young warbird pilots, maintainers and restorers who are already beginning to displace more "experienced" warbird fliers and fixers.
The Corsair Maker- Bringing the Vought Corsair to the fleet was a daunting challenge that spanned nearly three years.
When the first production Corsairs exited the Stratford factory in June 1942, Guyton, as seen here, was tapped to manage the flight and production test program. Armament was improved to six wing-mounted .50s, displacing the wing fuel tanks now placed forward of the cockpit which necessarily was moved rearward by 32 inches. Overall length was increased, armor plate added, landing, arresting and tail gear improved, aileron control enhanced, and a new version of the R2800 engine was incorporated. But those significant improvements unearthed numerous idiosyncrasies that would take an extended period to make the Corsair acceptable for carrier operations
STARFIRES Over Korea
F-94 pilots tangle with MiGs
Training Mission
BY THE TIME THIS TRAINING SCENE WAS RECORDED in Canne, Italy, in July 1944, Allied Yugoslavian airmen had several years of experience working side by side with the RAF.
KC-46A PEGASUS
Next generation aerial refueler
"SATAN'S ANGELS" ACE - Tales from a P-38 pilot in the South Pacific
\"AS A KID GROWING UP on the bow of my father's tugboat, hauling oil from Seattle to Alaska, I had a lot of time on my hands.
WACO YKC - Stunning and Ultra Rare Golden Age Cabin Flier
BETWEEN THE IMPLEMENTATION of the Air Commerce Act of 1926 and December 31, 1948, all U.S. registered flying machines sported an N-number, much as they do today, the \"N\" being an internationally recognized identifier for the United States. During that period, however, an additional letter-identifier followed the \"N.\" Depending on their category, they were registered in the NC (Commercial), NG (Glider), NL (Limited), NR (Restricted, usually meaning race airplanes), NS (State government), and, finally, NX (experimental).
BADER'S HURRICANES
Double amputee fighter ace Douglas Bader and his Battle of Britain Hurricanes
Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
ZERO MYTH, MYSTERY, AND FACT
A test pilot compares the A6M5 Zero to U.S. fighters
