February 1942. While the Japanese army closed in on Singapore, the Allied Forces had their backs against the wall. They tried desperately to slow the Japanese advance. If they could be stalled even for a short time, the Allies would be able to "advance to the rear" and fight another day. Coordinated attacks by Japanese air and ground forces with superior and more modern equipment gave the retreating Allies little reason to hope. A decimated RAF tried in vain to halt the aerial onslaught. Outnumbered and outgunned by 16 to one, Royal New Zealand Air Force pilots slugged it out against the enemy's Zeros.
But the Zeros did most of the "slugging." The outdated and under-powered F2A Brewster Buffalos were no match for the tightly turning, agile Zeros. Whether flying a Buffalo or a Kittyhawk, though, one Allied pilot exploited a weakness in Japan's aerial tactics. The account that follows is from 11-kill-ace Flight Officer Geoffrey Fisken RNZAF, who fought during the early days of WW II in the South Pacific.
To be successful against the Japanese, especially the Zero, you had to have an altitude and attitude advantage. I thought the Buffalo was a delight to fly-a beautiful airplane but a bit under-powered. The Zeros were too fast, and they could turn inside of us. If you got into a dogfight with them, you were committing suicide.
Being young I still had aspirations of growing old back in New Zealand, but being somewhat foolhardy, when we saw a flight of Japanese fighters coming in, we climbed to attack-as high as we could get above them. As they drew closer, we pushed the old Buffalos over-throttles to the stops-and went screaming down, firing through them. We were always outnumbered, but to me, this was an advantage, as it gave me more targets to pick from!
This story is from the September - October 2023 edition of Flight Journal.
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This story is from the September - October 2023 edition of Flight Journal.
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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
