OAF%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA (08/30/84)
20-year-old memories of Revell model kits: B29 superfortress B36 buffalo. [Second listing sounds questionable in my mind. I thought Soviet bombers were listed by critter names.]
Carter@RUTGERS.ARPA (08/30/84)
From: _Bob <Carter@RUTGERS.ARPA>
Date: Thursday, 30 August 1984 10:22-EDT
From: OAF%MIT-OZ at MIT-MC.ARPA
To: hplabs!hao!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin at UCB-VAX.ARPA
cc: aviation at MIT-MC.ARPA
Re: B-36 nomenclature
20-year-old memories of Revell model kits:
B29 superfortress
B36 buffalo.
[Second listing sounds questionable in my mind. I thought Soviet
bombers were listed by critter names.]
Are you thinking of the Brewster Buffalo? This was a lusing 1939-
vintage fighter that never received a U.S. type designation. I
believe it saw @i(brief) service against the Imperial Japanese
Air Forces in the Dutch East Indies.
_Bmat@hou4b.UUCP (Mark Terribile) (09/01/84)
>From: _Bob <Carter@RUTGERS.ARPA> > > Date: Thursday, 30 August 1984 10:22-EDT > From: OAF%MIT-OZ at MIT-MC.ARPA > To: hplabs!hao!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin at UCB-VAX.ARPA > cc: aviation at MIT-MC.ARPA > Re: B-36 nomenclature > > 20-year-old memories of Revell model kits: > B29 superfortress > B36 buffalo. > [Second listing sounds questionable in my mind. I thought Soviet > bombers were listed by critter names.] > >Are you thinking of the Brewster Buffalo? This was a lusing 1939- >vintage fighter that never received a U.S. type designation. I >believe it saw @i(brief) service against the Imperial Japanese >Air Forces in the Dutch East Indies. The Brewster also saw service at Midway. It was called the ``Flying Coffin'', and was hopelessly outclassed by the Zero. The Zero could fly faster level than the Buffalo could safely dive. This is not to say that they were ineffective. In ``Miracle At Midway'', the author, Prange, reports that pilots from the Japanese carrier Soryu reported 30 to 40 Wildcats (a plane far superior to the Brewster, but not a match for the Zero) when Midway had only six Wildcats altogether. Brewster pilots sustained disasterous losses, and most of the planes that made it back were shot up beyond repair, with dozens or hundreds of bullet holes. In spite of all this, they caused significant losses to the Japanese, mostly because the Zero had no armor and no protection against fuel leakage or fire. ``Fourteen out of twenty-six pilots would never answer another roll call, and a number of others were wounded. Only two of the fighter aircraft were ever to fight again ... Nagumo's offical report claimed forty-one American fighters definitely shot down ... with nine probables. Now fifty hits out of twenty-six is pretty good shooting, one must admit. If every Marine fighter in the air looked to the enemy like two, they must have given a very respectable account of themselves. Indeed, in view of the caliber of aircraft they were flying, it is little short of a miracle that any survived, let alone inflicted any damage whatsoever ...'' -- from Mole End Mark Terribile (scrape .. dig ) hou5d!mat ,.. .,, ,,, ..,***_*. (soon hou4b!mat)