NAAS Corry Field 1950s

[tgycgijoes]

Interesting photo

While I was looking for more sectionals of the area for OLF's I found this photo over at the abandoned airfields site for Pensacola...check out the tower in the background. I never saw this before only the familiar checkerboards even in the 50's: Also check out the T2V formation. I did a quick check online and was able to find it for FSX as a T1A which is what it was redesignated. Will try it out later in Carrier Convoy Planner and VLSO for fun.

 

[Mike71]

--- Also check out the T2V formation. I did a quick check online and was able to find it for FSX as a T1A which is what it was redesignated. Will try it out later in Carrier Convoy Planner and VLSO for fun.--

The Seastar was much different from the Navy T-33 originally called a TO-1. The only one I found was really a repainted T-33.

The T2V-1 entered service at NAS Pensacola late in 1957. It performed well as a deck landing trainer, but the boundary layer control system proved to be problematic. It was soon joined in service by the lower powered North American T2J-1 (T-2A) which was used for initial training, with the T2V-1 used for advanced training. It was phased out after the entry into service of the Grumman F9F-8T (TF-9J), which could be used for both deck landing and armaments training.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Beggars can't be choosers LOL

The Seastar was much different from the Navy T-33 originally called a TO-1. The only one I found was really a repainted T-33.

The T2V-1 entered service at NAS Pensacola late in 1957. It performed well as a deck landing trainer, but the boundary layer control system proved to be problematic. It was soon joined in service by the lower powered North American T2J-1 (T-2A) which was used for initial training, with the T2V-1 used for advanced training. It was phased out after the entry into service of the Grumman F9F-8T (TF-9J), which could be used for both deck landing and armaments training.

It looks close I thought. I just got Ginter's book on the Seastar so in a week or so I'll have something to compare it with and can add to it or something. Thank you again for insight.

PS I have a 1958 issue Sectional of the area around Corpus Christi that I found really inexpensive on ebay so that I can check out the legend. I trust that it will be close enough to intrepret the Florida ones on the abandoned sites.

 

[Mike71]

Agreed


"--something's better than nothing, no nothing at all --" Doobie Brothers -What a Fool Believes

 

[tgycgijoes]

Runway Markings

Here are two aerial photos of Corry Field in 1958. I am curious/perplexed about the runway markings and wonder if they are FCLP markings. Any ideas?

There are also just visible and more clear on another photo HOLD SHORT lines though I can't tell if they are exactly like they are now.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Runway Markings

I don't believe that ADEx will be able to mark these like they show in the photo so I am going to create jpgs like I have done for the painted red/white runway markings that are prominent at many airports and I have marked. Interesting markings. I also have 2 more buildings to create this coming week and I will "beta" this out before final and uploading it to the Warbirds Library.

Then I have a couple of the NOLF's from the sectionals/abandoned airfield sites that I think I am going to do because they are so interesting and did "hang around" through the 50's at least though most of them were abandoned and shut down after WWII in 1946. The first one is going to be "the last grass airfield used for Navy fixed wing aircraft". Used by the Navy into the 1960's. Any guesses??? "It was my favorite field for touch & go's in the T-34B when I was in primary training at NAAS Saufley quoted by a Navy Pilot."

 

[Mike71]

--- wonder if they are FCLP markings. Any ideas?----

I kinda doubt it, though not sure. Bouncing would likely be at an outlying field to avoid the heavily congested traffic. Weird - maybe heavily worn pavement, etc

 

[tgycgijoes]

Worn Pavement

What about those wide lines at the beginnings? Takeoff Starts? Couldn't find any information because the UFC 2-000-05N the 100 Series Airfield Specifications I downloaded are from 2012. There is nothing online that is any earlier so no help there. Anyone else wanna jump in here or provide any doc's from the 1950s or even 1960s, c'mon.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Its Almost Done

All of the buildings that I believe were on Corry Field when it was an NAAS in the 50's have been constructed either from photos or from similar period buildings (like the barber shop) that no one had any photos of for me to use and were placed according to the 1969 map and the 1950 and the 1960 aerial bw photos (not very clear) so as my friend at church is fond of saying: "it's as good as its gonna git". I am now going to walk around with BOB and check out each one for any glitches and then I'll post it.

 

[tgycgijoes]

A Break From Buildings Today

I took a break from Sketchup and scenery today and instead made the first of 10 SNJ textures for NAAS Corry Field for the ai. This was created in Adobe Photoshop for the FSDS SNJ (AT-6) from a photo that I found online with a really interesting article. The pilot who flew it and got his Gold Wings was a USCG Ensign named Arthur H. Wagner. I found the photo attached to a newspaper clipping from his hometown when he was selected as "Student Of The Week" by BTG-2 at NAAS Corry Field. He began training at NAAS Saufley in the T34B he says and then graduated to the SNJ at NAAS Corry. The next post here will have 9 other SNJ's and 10 T-28 Trojans on the flightline waiting to begin training flights.

 

[Mike71]

Interesting - I thought that by the time the T-34B was in use the SNJs had all been replaced by the T-28, but who knows. I am sure the transition to a smaller, more integrated and common training command was full of weird situations. Keep up the great work!

 

[tgycgijoes]

So Many Times Before

Since this information came straight from an article in 1956 and a quote from the actual pilot, I would say that this was a fact. I had more trouble trying to figure out and finally consulted my library which references the directives to CNATRA about the colors and marking of the SNJ's T34's and T28s which are as follows:

MIL-C-18263A(Aer), dated July 16, 1956, specified that primary
jets, primary single reciprocating engine aircraft, primary
seaplanes, and helicopters used in training were directed
to be painted overall glossy Orange Yellow, except antiglare
areas which were to be nonspecular Black. Multi-engine
reciprocating aircraft used in training and all other jet aircraft
models assigned exclusively to training were to be painted in
the International Orange and White "split": scheme. All SNJ,
T-28, T-34, and HTL were to remain painted glossy Orange
Yellow, while all of the following were to be painted in the
"split" scheme; AF-2W, AF-3, AD-3, AD-4, F2H-2, FJ-2,
F9F-2, F9F-5, F9F-6, F9F-8T, JRB, SNB, S2F-1, TV, T2J-1,
MdTIV '

In the National Museum Of Aviation, there is an SNJ-5 that has an olive green anti-glare panel which I can't find where that was specified though I have seen it on P51-D Mustangs in WWII 8th AF photos. An interesting note in my references after the directives give Commanding Officers some discretion for economy and material availability as seems to be the case.

Since I am primarily working in this period with NAAS Corry as an active training facility along with the OLF's and other NAAS in the area, I am using the above information and whatever I can find at the Abandoned Airfield websites. The Freeman's have done a bang-up job.

 

[Mike71]

Good info rundown for the period.

Sometimes you see a rather poor paint job on what was apparently a fleet aircraft hastily relegated to the training command (especially the AD series and some other). I believe these were repainted by the training squadron airframes shop rather than a NARF overhaul facility. This likely had some influence from the fact that there were a lot of accidents in those days -not necessarily fatal - and replacement planes certainly were not all coming off the production line.

Another example is the F9F-8 / AF-9J - you see many in overall grey/orange rather than white / orange. They had come out of the Reserves and straight to a training squadron, who put the orange paint and markings on them. Same with a few F11Fs

 

[tgycgijoes]

Fine Tooth Comb

I discovered that I have to read every word of the directives and study photos together to figure out what and how for repainting. Check out the new thread I just started with a really cool repaint.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Thank you

Thank you to all the veterans on here from one of you on Veterans Day! May God bless you and your families and keep you in His tender care!

Richard

 

[tgycgijoes]

Update To Runways

When researching additional fields I came across two things: one is an article all about NAVCAD training during and just after WWII and then this aerial photo of Holley NOLF which shows the FCLP diagrams on the runways which I believe are on Corry Field and which I am going to apply before I release its final version here. The runways had rectangular markings (about 100 ft long) representing the landing area on the ramp of an aircraft carrier where the arresting wires were positioned to trap the plane.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Another Field

Here is a photo of NAAS Fleming Island's FCLP showing it was not identical at every NOLF. This was used for touch and go's only I am guessing because there are no cross lines (wires) like above.

 

[Mike71]

I would say you are correct for the period. The fact is, they are probably more for LSO use in grading rather than for the pilot "spotting the deck".

In my day using the old mirror and later FLOLS system, you flew the ball all the way to touchdown, never looked at the landing spot - the LSO knew if you landed long or short. I don't recall any special touchdown markings

 

[tgycgijoes]

vLSO and FCLPs

I would say you are correct for the period. The fact is, they are probably more for LSO use in grading rather than for the pilot "spotting the deck".

In my day using the old mirror and later FLOLS system, you flew the ball all the way to touchdown, never looked at the landing spot - the LSO knew if you landed long or short. I don't recall any special touchdown markings

I never did CARQUALS except in FSX with VLSO who shows 7 fields that I guess are current day that have addons for FCLP and FLOLS and Goshawk45 had me do one for NAS Chase Field for him which I did in Sketchup you can see on his Chase Field download here but that field closed in 1993.

 

[tgycgijoes]

And I Found This

Here is my re-creation of the taxi trainer that was used at NAAS Corry Field in the 1950's made from an SNJ. The special nose gear was created in Sketchup; the model created and then joined to the Texan in Model Converter X. I thought that it was really interesting and had never seen one before.