Flight Replicas B-24 preview

[mal998]

Hi All,
I am sure looking forward to this one. I've been watching the U.S. Army Air Corp. film "Flying the Consolidated B-24 Liberator Bomber". I hope the systems are modeled so we can mimic start up and flight ops. As far as paints are concerned I would be happy to see this one included.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Buzztail II and Flying Rumor

While I was researching Carpetbagger aircraft like my Br'er Rabbit B24D above, I came across a number of B24J's and B24H's especially Flying Rumor because not only did I have 3 different photos of the noseart from different distances but I also had a real color illustration drawn by one of the crew. Unheard of right?

Here is a short history of this pair which after I started working on Flying Rumor, I found the noseart of her before being repainted and reassigned. Here it is:

Buzz Tail II, #42-50447 - B-24H of the 837th Squadron
Destroyed in crash 10-June-44


5 April 1944 - Station 137, Lavenham, Suffolk, England


"I have traced your grandfather in 492nd BG, 858th BS, in the Station AAF 179 (Harrington, England) Operations Log
during August and September 1944. He flew B-24DSA-20 CF 42-63975, radio call letter G, named BR'ER RABBIT
on nine operations (a further five when he was scheduled to fly this plane were scrubbed or aborted), B-24DSA-95 CO
42-40776, radio call letter F, named WIDOW, on two operations and B-24HSA-30 CF 42-50428, radio call letter O,
on the last operation (September 30).
He was transferred to 859th BS and appears on Special Orders dated 17 December 1944 to move on or about that date
from Harrington to Brindisi Airfield, Italy. The aircraft in which he, his crew and several passengers were scheduled
to fly was B-24HSA-1 FO 42-7612, radio call letter Y, named NONA RHEA in its previous assignment as a daylight
bomber to 446th BG at Bungay/Flixton..
Regarding B-24HSA-30 CF 42-50447, originally named BUZZ TAIL II, whilst I did write the short history, I did not
donate the photo. Further research leads me to think now that the aircraft, as pictured in its natural metal finish, might
have been originally assigned to 487th BG, based at Lavenham. That Group "traded-in" its B-24s for B-17s towards
the end of July 1944. The plane was then modified at a Base Air Depot to Carpetbagger configuration which included
the application of gloss black paint that would have concealed the name BUZZ TAIL II and the artwork. It was given
the new name FLYING RUMOR during the period when it was at Harrington.
The same Special Orders mentioned above show that 42-50447, radio call letter G, was scheduled to be flown to Italy
by his crew with passengers."

If you read histories you will find out that although crews were assigned aircraft, for various reasons, substitute crews
flew them as well or some other crew members replaced assigned ones on a mission.

I thought the coolest part WAS that he also flew Br'er Rabbit too. Here are photos I shot today after completing the repaints:

[/URL]Buzztail II Port Side Full View

[/URL]Buzztail II Noseart

[/URL]Buzztail II Full View Stbd side

Flying Rumor stbfd side full view

Flying Rumor Stbd Side Noseart Closeup

Flying Rumor Port Side Nose