Flight Journal - November - December 2022

In this issue

FEATURES: Ruthless Jug Jockey, Quick Draw McGraw, FM-2 Wildcat action in the battle of Leyte Gulf, Marvelous Mustangs, Pilots of the 78th FG trade in their P-47s for P-51s—and love them!, Ivans & Indians, Early Channel Battles, Samurai Survivor, Bombing the Bombers, Dark Blue, Ruff Stuff, In Theater: The Fighting 56th

RUTHLESS JUG JOCKEY Flying with the 317th Fighter Squadron BY LT. GEORGE NOVOTNY, USAAF RET.), AS TOLD TO AND WRITTEN BY JAMES P. BUSHA

I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A FIGHTER PILOT, the man in charge,” if you will. After I had earned my wings in 1943, I was given the choice of single-engine fighters or bombers. Although multi-engines may have sounded safer, I knew that the only person who would be able to put my flying abilities to the test was me! I was sent to the 54th Fighter Group in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to begin my indoctrination into becoming a fighter pilot. Most of the guys in the group had just returned from combat in the Aleutian Islands and the whole group was getting ready to go to the Southwest Pacific.

10+ mins

The U.S. Mint Just Struck Morgan Silver Dollars for the First Time in 100 Years!

Struck in 99.9% Fine Silver for the First Time EVER!

1 min

The Fighting 56th BY STAN PIET

P-47D UN-V, NAMED "PAT," from the famed 56th FG, 63rd FS, prepares for another fighter sweep in support of the D-Day invasion. The second mount of Capt. Gordon S. Stevens, it survived until early September, when it was lost with Capt. Roy Fling at the controls. Stevens himself was lost in a "Pat" replacement on September 18, a victim of flak over Belgium.

2 mins

FM-2 Wildcat action in the battle of Leyte Gulf

IN MID-1943, the Grumman Aircraft Corp. began to deliver the F6F Hellcat-its latest and greatest fighter-to the U.S. Navy. It was fast, maneuverable, heavily armed and armored. It was built "Grumman tough" and soon earned the nickname "Ace Maker." As a replacement for its little brother, the F4F Wildcat, the Hellcat was everything the F4F wasn't.

10+ mins

MARVELOUS MUSTANGS

Pilots of the 78th FG trade in their P-47s for P-51s-and love them!

10+ mins

MARVELOUS MUSTANGS Pilots of the 78th FG trade in their P-47s for P-51s-and love them!

IN EARLY DECEMBER OF 1944, most of the pilots in the 78th Fighter Group, especially those with over 25 combat missions under their belts, felt "fat and sassy" flying the reliable and hard-hitting P-47 Thunderbolt. Seasoned pilots realized early on that the "Jug" was like a flying tank: one that could deliver deadly punishment to the enemy and absorb most anything thrown at it.

10+ mins

BOMBING  THE BOMBERS

Me 262s take desperate measures against the Allies

10+ mins

DARK BLUE

Royal Navy Corsairs-the first to fly from carriers BY CLIVE ROWLEY, MBE RAF (RET.)`

10+ mins

RUFF STUFF

Memories of an early war South Pacific fighter pilot

10+ mins

IVANS & INDIANS

Fighting the Allies with a Fw 190

10+ mins

EARLY CHANNEL BATTLES Spitfires fend off Me 109s

Of all the written accounts by the fighter pilots of the RAF during 1941, two stand out, in my opinion. Both were by pilots who flew Spitfire Mk Vs with 610 Squadron, which by summer 1941 was one of the squadrons under Wing Commander Douglas Bader. "Circuses" were usually composed of six bombers, escorted by many squadrons of fighters, typically Spitfire Mk Vs; the formation was called a "Beehive."

10+ mins

Samurai SURVIVOR

Zero ace Saburo Sakai

10+ mins

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Flight Journal Magazine Description:

Flight Journal is like no other aviation magazine in the world, covering the world of flight from its simple beginnings to its high-tech, no-holds- barred future. We put readers in the cockpit and let them live the thrill and adventure of the aviation experience, narrated by those who know the technology and made the history. The spectacular photography – from air-to-air shots to rarely seen archival photos–enhances each and every story. Each issue brings the stories of flight–past, present and future – to life.