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Stolen from CFS2

Definately a Star Fighter !!!!!

Bravo/4 said:

Any chance of this particular aircraft being added in to the expansions as a tribute to this pilot and the Buffalo Aircraft.

Yes Bill, I'll make sure it's done, actually working on the RAF/RAAF/ RNZAF textures at the moment, I'll post some shots when it looks decent!

Thanks for the link.

John
Click to expand...


WOW !!!! just seen your Pics. John. The Aircraft looks great.( I'll get fireStorm to look in here too.) Many thanks indeed. Once we can get our hands on her and fly her on-line, I'll post back here. what she handles like against others. :medals::salute::guinness:

Bill T. (WINCO41)
 
...beautiful skin, John (as always):medals::medals:.

Is this an example of a Brewster that would've been keeping company with Blenhiems and Hurry's whilst fighting Oscars in the PTO? :mixedsmi:
 
Thanks for the comments guys, appreciated!

Got to get on with the pit now, so it might be a while before I post again, I'll post some pit shots then!
 
I need to check...

FlyingFinn said:
It indeed looks like Brewster Buffalo. I think that that little plane had combat success only in Finland :icon_lol:
Click to expand...

Obviously, it cannot be called a success story.... but in the defense of Midway Island, United States Marine Corps fighter group VMF-221 operated a mixed group of 20 Brewster F2A-3 Buffalos and six Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats. The squadron first saw action on 10 March 1942 when a Kawanishi H6K "Mavis" flying boat was shot down by Captain James L. Neefus near Midway, the Buffalo's first kill in US service.
 
gaucho_59 said:
Obviously, it cannot be called a success story.... but in the defense of Midway Island, United States Marine Corps fighter group VMF-221 operated a mixed group of 20 Brewster F2A-3 Buffalos and six Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats. The squadron first saw action on 10 March 1942 when a Kawanishi H6K "Mavis" flying boat was shot down by Captain James L. Neefus near Midway, the Buffalo's first kill in US service.
Click to expand...

Hi Guys,

and before Midway the RAF and RAAF had some good work done by Buffalo's. below are several of the description files used in the upcoming Rising Sun release planes.

John and Steve have done some amazing work with this little plane.

Brewster B339E Buffalo MkI.
=====================================
Unit: 243 RAF
Pilot: Sgt,Pilot: Geoffrey Fisken.
Code: WP-O
Serial: W8147
Kallang, Malaya.
January 1942.
Malaya / Burma / Singapore February 1941 - February 1942
In February 1941 Geoffrey Fisken was posted to Singapore, where he was attached to the RAAF at Sembawang for a conversion course on to Wirraways, and then on to Buffalos.
Two RAF squadrons, 67 and 243, were in the process of being formed at Kallang, and Fisken was posted there. These embryo squadrons had only a few pilots (mostly New Zealanders, with RAF Commanders) and did not form into separate units until more personnel had arrived from New Zealand where they were in training.
In October 1941, Fisken was moved to Mingaladon, in Burma, with 67 Squadron but returned a few days later to Kallang to serve with 243.
After the Japanese invaded Malaya on December 8th, 1941, the squadron was quickly into action. Fiskens' aircraft was a Brewster B339E Buffalo serialed W8147 and coded WP- O .
One Ki-27 claimed on January 12th, 1942.

One 'Zero' claimed on January 14th, but aircraft damaged when the Japanese plane exploded underneath. W8147 apparently was not badly damaged, as Fisken flew it again on January 17th when he claimed a G3M, and shared in the destruction of a further two G3M's.
On January 21st, again flying W8147, he claimed another 'Zero'.
(W8147 was shot down later on the same day when being flown by another pilot, Sgt. Victor Arthur).
By the end of January, 243 Squadron had virtually ceased to exist as a unit due to severe losses, and the surviving pilots, Fisken amongst them, took their aircraft and attached themselves to 453 (RAAF) Squadron.
On February 1st he claimed a 'Zero' while flying W8237.
On February 6th, he claimed a further 'Zero' while flying W8143, but was wounded in the arm and leg during this action, and soon after was evacuated from Singapore.
Note: In this theatre, almost all aircraft claimed as 'Zeros' were in fact Imperial Japanese Army Ki43 'Oscars'.
453 Squadron retired to Batavia in Java, in February 1942, and the remaining personnel eventually reached Australia, disbanding on arrival at Adelaide on March 15.


Brewster B339E Buffalo MkI.
=====================================
Unit: 453 RAAF
Pilot: Sgt,Pilot: M.N. Read.
Code: TD-E
Serial: W8209
Sembawang, Singapore.
December 1941.
Malaya / Burma / Singapore February 1941 - February 1942.
453 squadron had 18 Buffaloes and 1 Tiger Moth at Kallang, Singapore at the time of the Pearl Habour Attack. As a result of the rapid Japanese advance, and in an attempt to slow down the advance 16 of the squadrons Buffalo's were sent north to Ipoh on 13 December 1941. The squadron earned the first solid air-to-air claim for a Buffalo that day, when Sgt M. N. Read RAAF claimed a Ki-51 shot down. Although it wasnt all good news, the station commander and another pilot were killed when they crashed out of fuel, and Read himself was later to be shot down and killed on the 22nd of December 1941.
The newly appointed station commander, Wing Cdr L J Neale RAF, also crashed on the 13th of December and was injured. The squadron recieved new aircraft and withdrew to Kuala Lumpur, southern Malaya, on the 19th of December.
The First major air-to-air combat was with the 64th Sentai which took place on the on 22nd of December 1941, 12 Buffalo's vs 18 Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusas.
With only 3 aircraft remaining, the squadron withdrew to Singapore island on Christmas day 1941 and recieved more aircraft, when it merged with 243 Squadron RAF which had 16 Buffalo's.
The Japanese by this time were flying from British airfields in Northern Malaya. Another month of intense airial combat was to follow and by the end of January 1942 With 4 Buffalo's remaining and being the last Buffalo squadron still functioning 453 Squadron retired to Batavia in Java, in February 1942.

At least 7 453 squadron Buffalo's were flown out to Dutch Indies in the first week of February, and another (evidently the last) on 11 February.



And we have the Midway squadron in there as well.


F2A-3 Brewster Buffalo.
=====================================
Unit: VMF-221 (Fighting Falcons)
Marine Fighter Squadron.
Pilot: Capt. William C. Humbert.
Serial: MF-15
Midway Island.
June 1942.
VMF-221 was formed in July 1941 in San Diego, California. In December of that year, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, they moved to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa in Hawaii. On December 25th, 1941, fourteen F2A-3 Brewster Buffalos landed on Midway Island after launching from the USS Saratoga. On March 1st, 1942, VMF-221, VMSB-241 and their headquarters units formed Marine Aircraft Group 22 commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Ira B. Kimes.
The squadrons first taste of combat came on March 10th, 1942, when four of its pilots recorded the first kills in a Brewster Buffalo, downing a Japanese H8K Patrol Boat.
By late May, the squadron had been augmented with the arrival of additional aircraft. VMF-221 had 21 F2A-3's and 7 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats. On June 4, 1942, during the Battle of Midway, the pilots of VMF-221 were alerted to intercept the incoming formation of Japanese bombers and the 36 escorting Zeros fighters that were headed towards the island. The Marine's and their Brewster Buffalos were no match for the faster and more agile Zeros, flown by more experienced aviators. The squadron accounted for 17 aircraft shot down, but at the catastrophic cost of thirteen F2A-3's and two F4F-3's shot down and 15 pilots killed in action, including the commanding officer, Major Floyd B. Parks. Only two of VMF-221's remaining 13 aircraft were flyable, effectively destroying the squadron. Four of the squadrons ordnancemen were also killed when a Japanese bomb stuck the ammunition area near the airstrip at Midway. For their actions during the Battle, VMF-221 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. After the battle, one of the surviving members of the squadron noted, It is my belief that any commander who orders pilots out for combat in an F2A should consider the pilot as lost before leaving the ground.


regards Rob.
 
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