A little something for the recce crowd out there:
1. What is it?
2. What is it used for?
3. What platform is it a part of?
Hint: You’ve read about it here before…look in here.
Update: What Am I? — dive brakes on the martin AM-1 Mauler:
As a squadron of U.S. Navy dive bombers, flying at 12,000 feet, closed in on a Japanese target the sky ahead would fill up with bursting anti-aircraft shells as the Japanese defenders ranged in their guns. A high speed run in to 10,000 feet placed the squadron almost two miles high over the target in…
Martin XPB2M-1 & JRM Mars August 2004. While conducting a survey in Hawaiian waters of a Japanese mini-sub site, a NOAA minisub crew stumbled upon a large debris field, consisting of what appeared to be a seaplane keel and wings. Maneuvering the sub around the crew was able to clearly read the word “< ?xml:namespace...
Ryan FR Fireball In 1942 the Navy was less than impressed with the state of jet-powered development. Hedging its bets, it comissioned construction of two “composite-powered” aircraft — the Grumman XTB3F-1 (last week’s Flightdeck Friday subject) and a fighter from a little known company, Ryan, who had not previously built an aircraft for the Navy….
In every battle there is a moment when the combatants, and the world, seem to catch their breath. It is a fleeting moment, lost in the blink of an eye. But in that same blink, everything changes. Such moments are borne of desperation, of courage, of plain dumb luck. But they are pivotal — for…
Traveling again for the next few days so posting will, perforce, be light. Stay tuned, couple of major announcements when we return that will have some influence around these parts in the coming year. In the meantime, a couple of golden oldies for your consideration over the weekend: Phantom Records – 5 Dec 1961: Commander…
Light posting for a bit over the next few days as we shift our pennant from the two bedroom apartment we have shared with SWMBO and two college-age kids to the new digs. In between, it’s another DITY move. Provided fortune smiles upon us (read: the internet provider doesn’t goober up the connection), we should…
