Pacific Theater Naval Planes

[jbwolffiv]

One part of the show was the naval planes that flew in the Pacific. ; The first is the SBD-5 Dauntless Divebomber. ; This is the plane that more or less won the Battle of Midway.


Douglass SBD-5 Dauntless by jbwolffiv, on Flickr

The TBM-3E Avenger, this is the same type of plane that George H. W. Bush was shot down in near Chichi-jima.

Grumman TBM-3E Avenger by jbwolffiv, on Flickr


Grumman TBM-3E Avenger by jbwolffiv, on Flickr

The SB2C-5 Helldiver, it replaced the Dauntless midway through the war, but was not like by pilots. ; The Avenger actually came online before it even though production of the Helldiver started 2 years prior.

Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver9518 by jbwolffiv, on Flickr


Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver by jbwolffiv, on Flickr

And the Japanese Val (a replica made from a T-6 trainer I believe)

Japanese Val replica by jbwolffiv, on Flickr

 

[ddindy]

Ah, the memories: ; I had a model Dauntless as a kid. ; I loved playing dive bomber using the working bomb cradle underneath it, just like the one in the photo. ; Nice shots, John; it's a pity that more of them didn't make photo passes.

Was the Val there as part of the old Tora Tora group, or was it just one plane? ; (The Tora Tora squadron was a group of replica Japanese fighters that were built for the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! and made appearances at many air shows.)

 

[jbwolffiv]

I do not think that the Val was part of the Tora Tora Tora show as the announcer was giving a ton of information. ; I did see the Tora Tora Tora show about 20 years ago, it was pretty cool to see all those replicas flying together.

 

[ELinder]

Man that show was a regular smorgasbord of great aircraft. Loving these pics.

Erich

 

[jbwolffiv]

Thanks Erich! ; It was totally worth the time and money (but only $25 to get in each day).