Album: Keep 'em flying

Air Classics, Mar 2003 by O'Leary, Michael

FURTHER SELECTION Of AERONAUTICAL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE EDITOR'S FILES

Truly one of the less known US Air Force aircraft of the 1950s was the Fairchild C-82 Packet. Strictly a utilitarian transport, the prototype Packet flew during the war but production aircraft were not delivered until the end of 1945. The C-82 could carry 42 paratroops or 34 stretchers. The transport could also tow Waco CG-4A gliders and was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radials. C-82A-10-FA USAAF s/n 44-22991 was photographed at Mitchel AFB, New York, during the 1950s. (Norm Taylor)

The North American B-45 Tornado was the US Air Force's first production jet bomber. Conservative in design, the prototype first flew from Muroc Dry Lake on 17 March 1947 and the Air Force placed a contract for 96 B-45As which were fitted with four J47-GE-9 turbojets of 4000-lb-- st each. B-45A-5-NA USAF sIn 47-0053 was assigned to the 84th Bomb Squadron, 47th Bomb Wing, based at RAF Sculthorp, England, where it was photographed during May 1953. (Norm Taylor)

Grumman built 26 OA-9 amphibians during 1938 for the US Army Air Corps. The aircraft was basically the civilian G-21 Goose with a few minor modifications for military use. Serials were 38-556 through 38-581. This example was photographed at Moffett Field, California, on 6 December 1941. (Peter M. Bowers)

Post-war, the US Navy retained numerous Avengers for a variety of tasks but not for the plane's original torpedo bomber mission. General Motors-built TBM-3E BuNo 53882 was photographed at the Grumman factory at Bethpage, New York, during 1950.

The US Air Force operated over 200 de Havilland U-6 Beavers in the utility role. These two U-6As on floats (stn 52-61 OS and 52-6095) were assigned to the 21 st Operations Squadron, Alaskan Air Command. They were photographed on Six Mile Lake, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, on 22 September 1968. On 3 September 1970, both aircraft were transferred to the Alaskan Civil Air Patrol at Merrill Field, Anchorage. (Norm Taylor) AC

Boeing KB-50J-105-BO USAF s/n 48-0114 was assigned to the 421 st Air Refueling Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, when it was photographed over northern Japan in 1957. The modified bomber was refueling a Super Sabre and Voodoo and it is interesting to note the differing flight attitudes of the three aircraft.

Originally built as PBY-SA BuNo 464S7, this craft had a long career with the Forca Aerea Brasileria. Obtained in 1983 by David Tallichet, the aircraft was registered N4582U and flown back to the United States where it was painted as an OA10A and placed on display at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Paul C. Quappe)