#Squadron 42

[viking-raider]

Interested if playing Squadron 42 when it comes out. Has a mess of DCEU actors in it. Like Henry, Gary Oldman, Mark Strong and Mark Hamil, to name a few.

(When game CGI is better than the CGI they tried doing with the Kingstache,for the 2017 Justice League xD)

[illusivesoulgaming]

"I used to do the same thing when I was first coming up. Post up to the flight deck whenever I could to watch the launches. Have you seen the F8 up close? The thing's a beast. Nimble too" "I saw you applied to the Flight Academy again. Keep your head up. Took me a couple times before I got in"

.

Gillian Anderson as Captain Rachel MacLaren in Squadron 42

[sniperct]

[littlefreya]

Seems like Squadron 42 is actually going to be released 👀

[osean-kitty]

Star Citizen's HUGE Dev Update - Citcon Summary

[paradox-gaming-network]

Twelve years ago I was in a totally different life. I had just finished all of my training and was just settling into my new career and I had a long way to go before I could spend hours on a video game. I knew I had a child on the way and I wasn’t going to be putting any money into a Kickstarter (and this was long before we’d have a series of failures in crowdfunded massive games). That doesn’t mean I wasn’t excited for Star Citizen. As an Eve Online player, when Star Citizen was presented to me by fellow Eve Players as the “next Eve Online” I was excited. Looking at the Star Citizen kickstarter it was a game that could take everything we loved about Eve and make it better.

Now, 12 years later, we look back at Star Citizen and we wonder how were we ever taken in so completely. RSI and CIG have made a literal fortune on crowdfunding a game that always seems to be almost ready, but can never quite reach the finish line. At over $671,000,000 raised from over 5.1M backers, there doesn’t seem to be any financial rush to button up either Squadron 42 or Star Citizen and bring it to launch.

Now yes, last October CIG announced that Squadron 42 was “feature complete” and entering the “polish phase” however that didn’t bring with it anything that looked like a release date. Squadron 42 was supposed to launch in 2015, and in 2016 a production schedule was made public, and now 7 years later the game is almost ready. Meanwhile the main game Star Citizen continues to suffer from sprawl (aka scope creep) and the focus now is to bring it to a 1.0 Release Product including difficult decisions on the part of new Senior Game Director Rich Tyrer deciding “all the features and content we need, and just as crucially, the ones that will come post release.” From that, it sounds like the 1.0 feature complete product will be a core viable product, but will not have all the bells and whistles that have been delaying the game for 9 years past its originally intended delivery date.

The question would be why should CIG and RSI worry about shipping a product when they have raised $671,000,000 and they often raise on average more than one million dollars a day. While not trying to be an alarmist some of the things that are said from RSI are worrisome. They lost a key staff member Todd Papy the former live game director, because he did not want to relocate from California to Texas or England. Papy was not the only individual to leave, they also lost a Lead Producer, An Assistant Design Director, A Lead Designer, a QA lead, a Senior AQ analysis, and another producer.

Also worrisome is the fact RSI/CIG seems to believe they are on the cutting edge of technology with their celebrating bringing 350 players into one shard, and having a seamless universe, when CCP and Eve Online have been able to handle 1k plus players in a system for 22 years. Yes, I know that the more people in a system in Eve, when you start to exceed the 2k threshold Time Dilation (Ti-Di) kicks in but still, it seems Star Citizen is celebrating 350 in one shard and they find this noteworthy enough to mention, but Lower Decks in Limsa Lominsa FFXIV will have more than 350 people on a busy weekend.

So the question is with the viewer, do you believe RSI/CIG will be able to bring Star Citizen to a 1.0 release build? Or do you believe they will just keep crowdfunding as long as money rolls in. Let me know.

[gremlins-hotel]

From the notes of Capt. Alfred Jones: "Davie was a bus and the 'Flying Fortress' moniker seemed to pass her by, but it was a ship with a brave crew. The trudge of getting back to England from enemy territory is a story for another day. I miss her and sometimes I miss the boys we lost that day."

-✪- -✪- -✪-

B-17F "Dear Davie": *U.S. Army Model B-17F-65-BO Air Corps Serial No. 42-29670 Delivered Cheyenne 31/1/43; Pueblo 18/2/43; Salina 15/2/43; Brookley 19/3/43; Smoky Hill 23/3/43; Dow Field 18/4/43. Assigned to the 333rd Bomb Squadron/94th Bomb Group [TS-L] "DEAR DAVIE" 22/4/43; Missing in Action near Hamburg 25/7/43 with Alfred "Comet" Jones, **Co-Pilot: Daryl "Speed" Reed, Navigator: Richard Reed, Bombardier: Charlie Marstaller; Radio Operator: Johnathan Graves, Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Clyde "Pepsi" Ray, Ball Turret Gunner: William Ortlieb, Waist Gunner: Leslie Lipsey, Waist Gunner: Paul Rapoport, Tail Gunner: Thomas Pugh (6 Killed in Action); "DEAR DAVIE" lost to flak/anti-aircraft fire, crashing near Uetersen, 15 miles NW of Hamburg, Germany.

-✪- -✪- -✪-

[nerd things & acknowledgements below cut]

Notes on the B-17F... The B-17F was an upgrade of the previous E model, with several notable changes: A one- or two-piece plexiglas nose cone, as opposed to the ten-paneled cone of previous versions. Reinforced landing gear allowed for a greater maximum payload, from 4,200 lb (1,900 kg) of ordnance to 8,000 lb (3,600 kg). Flight and combat range of the F model was improved by 900 mi (1,400 km) with the addition of nine self-sealing rubber fuel cells in the wing root, aka, "Tokyo tanks". The F model was generally characterized by being tail-heavy - which lead to part failure - and woefully undefended from the front; the early F models had no front-facing armament, leaving a 60° blind spot to the direct front of the aircraft - a flaw which was exploited by German pilots, who held air superiority. Later F models would see a list of possible available modifications (factory and field) such as inserting two .50 caliber machine guns into the nose cone to solve the blind spot. Other modifications to later F models were bulged cheek turrets, as opposed to the window-mounted guns of earlier iterations, and the available addition of the iconic "Bendix" chin turret. The chin turret is far more common on the subsequent G "gunship" variant. ("Dear Davie" is an early F model without the nose mount, bulged cheeks, or chin turret.)

*This model production block, serial no., and fate are borrowed from real-life B-17F #42-29670, "Thundermug." "Thundermug" was an aircraft that originally served in the 333rd Bomb Squadron/94th Bomb Group alongside my great-grandfather and his usual steed, "The Gremlins Hotel." It was transferred to the 544th BS/384th BG, at which point it went Missing in Action over Hamburg from flak/aa-fire; 8 of its crew became POWs while 2 were KIA. I have had the honor to speak to descendants of both of its crews and help them research "Thundermug"; I wish to voice a mere glimpse of their stories in a unique way.

**All names of Alfred's crew are either cobbled-together family names throughout our history here or entirely fictitious - though some were inspired by real people whom I grew up with stories of. All inspirations were individuals that lived good lives post-war.

[planesawesome]

A U.S. Navy McDonnell F-4J-43-MC Phantom II (BuNo 157292) from Fighter Squadron VF-84 Jolly Rogers on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42), in 1970.

image/Jim Readon YN2, USN

[alex99achapterthree]

WWII History...

"Sweet and Lovely", Boeing B-17F-115-BO Flying Fortress. Serial number 42-307215 from the 33rd Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force.

This B-17F has had a field modification to add another forward-firing machine gun to the top of the nose bubble.

The early B17 was vulnerable to head-on attacks. Late "F" models and the "G" model addressed this shortcoming with the introduction of the Bendix chin turret.

Controlled by the bombardier with a swing-away hand-grip, the chin turret increased the number of direct-forward-firing weapons to 4... two from the top turret and two from the chin turret. If the target was slightly low and within the envelope of the ball turret on the belly, 6 guns could be brought to bear on attacks from the front.

[dronescapesvideos]

Waist gunner Staff Sergeant Frank Lusic poses in front of B-17F-55-BO 42-29524 'Meathound' of 306th Bomb Group, 423rd Bomb Squadron. Thurleigh. Beds. 1943

➤➤ B-17 VIDEO: https://youtu.be/F03u5GrIuk4

#History #bomber #B17 #WW2 #Colorized #WWII #Squadron

[wickedwanchii]

Happy late birthday to the world's favorite Lieutenant Colonel, Alfred F. Jones ✨️

Here he is sporting his brand new P-47d, the Darin' Dallas, ready to take to the skies and show the world what all an Ace can really do! You can find him flying with the rest of them boys in the 317th, so be sure to give him a kiss when you see him next, for extra good luck!

Extra nerd stuffs below the cut

Alfred can be seen here standing atop a P-47d, AKA a Razorback. This is a sturdy escort fighter and a low-level bomber, notorious for being able to sustain some serious damage and remain flying. Alfred flew two P-47s during his piloting career, with this being the second known as the Darin' Dallas (fictional ID 42-25824). While this plane met a kinder fate than it's predecessor, the Desert Dandy, it saw a small but distinguished portion of its time in service under the capable hands of LTC Jones as he flew with the 317th Fighter Squadron.

Jones flew the Darin' Dallas from December 42-September 43, where it was withdrawn from service as the Squadron transitioned from using mostly P-47s to P-51s, which was when he went on to fly his finest set of wings yet- The Franklin Express. The Darin' Dallas continued in service after leaving the 317th, where it saw continued action in the Pacific Theatre until 1945, and then remained in service with Air National Guard until it was fully retired in 1948.

The Darin' Dallas is a P-47D-23-RA, a variation of the 22-RE from the Evansville Plant, and was one of 889 planes of that variant type built at that location. This is one of the last production blocks before the plants began producing the Bubbletop D-variants, which was a switch done to improve rearward visibility. One of the most common complaints from pilots flying the Razelorbacks was limited visibility towards the aft of the plane, as the design restricted the view since the entire back portion of the cockpit was constructed of metal with glass panels inlaid. When the switch to the bubbletop was made, this replaced the metal with a full glass "bubble," effectively increasing cockpit visibility to cover the entirety of the plane.

[usafphantom2]

16 May 1942. The crew of a Beaufort Mk IIA of 42 Squadron prepare to attack the German cruiser “Prinz Eugen”.

@WW2Airfields via X

[sniperct]

Squadron 42 Demonstration

[love-studying58]

happy Masters of the Air release week. In honour of the series due to release on the 26th, I wanted to list a few faces we’ll be seeing throughout the series. I want to particularly note the crewmen of the 100th in hopes this makes sense to viewers who either a) didn’t have time to read any books based on the 100th bomb group, or b) want to read Masters of the Air by Donald L. Miller during/after the tv show aires. My lovely friend on tumblr @kylaym was happy to message me on instagram regarding who’s who for most of the 100th bomb group posts. She gets that everyone in uniform looks the same; same haircut, moustaches, masks, everywhere, etc. She mentioned it is always better to remember a bunch of lads as groups and crews than as individuals!

Here we gooo..

Colonel Neil “Chick” Harding

A West Point graduate and the school’s football coach prior to the war. Harding was a seasoned aviator who truly emulated much of the 100th’s attitude. He exhibited an appreciation for his crew’s mental and emotional well-being.

Major John C. “Bucky” Egan and Major Gale “Buck” Cleven

Two of the squadron commanders, Majors John “Bucky” Egan of the 418th Bomb Squadron and Gale “Buck” Cleven of the 350th, had piloting skills which matched their personalities. (Found top row 3rd and 4th members from left to right).

Captain John D. Brady

He served as a pilot in the 418th bomb squadron and was shot down during the mission to Munster on October 10th, 1943. (Shown here on the far left). He flew overseas in A/C #42-30071 “Skipper” as 1st Lt. Pilot. 2nd Lt’s being Lt. John L. Hoerr [Co-Pilot] and Lt. Harry Crosby [Group Navigator and Captain].

M/Sgt. Kenneth A. Lemmons

He served on the 351st Bomb Squadron and was one of the first crew chiefs assigned to the 100th Bomb Group. After being a part of the U.S. Air Force's ground crew, he was subsequently promoted to the position of flight chief. (Shown above in the front).

Harry H. Crosby

Harry served as a navigator in the 418th Bomb Squadron and later became Group Navigator for the Hundredth, however, his struggle with airsickness often hindered his ability to navigate. (Found above beside Brady on the right). Harry Crosby replaced Lt. Payne on the crew of Douglass.

Payne is found above on the right, beside Harry Crosby.

Lt. Howard B. “Hambone” Hamilton

He was a bombardier mostly known for flying with Brady’s crew.

On the October 10th Munster mission, crew #32 was led by Major John C. Egan as Co-Pilot. Near the initial point “Mlle Zig Zig” was hit by Flak, resulting in the following:

- Sgt Clanton passing away

- wounding Howard Hamilton and Roland Gangwer. (Both ended up spending a long time in the hospital).

- the surviving crew members bailed out but were taken prisoner.

Hamilton is seen above on the far left. Beside him on the left is Lt. James Douglass and Captain Frank Murphy.

Captain James Douglass

Served as a bombardier in the 418th Bomb Squadron with the Everett Blakely crew. (Seen above in the first picture beside Blakely).

Major Everett E. Blakely

Was a career officer of the United States Air Force. He was a highly decorated pilot of the B-17 bomber with the Bloody Hundredth Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force. He is most commonly known for his crew’s plane “Just a Snappin”. On a mission to Bremen on October 8th, 1943, his plane was severely damaged by flak and enemy fighters. He later became the Group Training Officer (Shown above on the right and next to Major John Egan in the second picture above).

Blakely’s Crew:

Major John Kidd- Command Pilot

1st Lt. Everett Blakely- Pilot

2nd Lt. Charles Via- Formation Officer in the tail (SWA on the mission during Black Week)

1st Lt. Harry Crosby - Navigator

2nd Lt. James Douglass - Bombadier

T/Sgt. Edmund Forkner - Radio operator

S/Sgt. William McClelland - Ball Turret Gunner (WIA on the Black Week mission)

S/Sgt. Edward Yevich - Waist Gunner (WIA on the Black Week mission)

S/Sgt. Lyle Nord - Waist Gunner

S/Sgt. Lester Saunders - Tail Gunner (KIA on the Black Week mission)

Lt Roy Claytor

Roy Claytor was part of the 350th Squadron. Above, he may be flying as a command pilot in this mission or practice with the Claytor Crew.

He is seen above on the left, beside Cleven.

Major Robert 'Rosie' Rosenthal

Rosie joins the unit in late 1943. He becomes one of the 100th's most reliable pilots.

Rosenthal's Crew:

[Shown left to right; top row than bottom row]

Sgt. Loren Darling - Waist Gunner

Sgt. Michael V. Boccuzzi - Radio Operator/Gunner

Sgt. John H. Shaffer - Waist Gunner

Sgt. Clarence C. Hall - Top turret gunner/engineer

Sgt. William J. DeBlasio - Tail Gunner

Sgt. Ray H. Robinson - Ball Turret Gunner

Lt. Ronald C. Bailey - Navigator

Lt. Robert 'Rosie' Rosenthal - Pilot

Lt. Clifford J. Milburn - Bombardier

Lt. Winifred 'Pappy' Lewis - Copilot

Lt. Curtis Biddick

Lieutenant Curtis Biddick was known as a ‘hard luck’ pilot but was recognised as exceptionally expert and courageous. ‘Every time he went out something seemed to happen,’ said one of his buddies. On one raid he brought his plane back with 1,700 shell and bullet holes in it and two wounded men aboard.

He clashes due to his English colleagues embarking on night-time raids.

Richard Snyder

Biddick's co-pilot and was part of the 418th Bombardment Squadron.

Okay.... So I truly hope this helps going into Masters of the Air tomorrow. I can't wait to see all the bomber boys spread their wings and fly. This tv series is going to be an absolute wreck (in the best way possible). Thank you to everyone who enjoys my posts. Love y'all.

[captain-price-unofficially]

Northrup P-61A #42-5526 “Nightie Mission” of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron, 1944

[comicarthistory]

Black Canary pinup from All Star Squadron #42. 1984. Art by Mike Hernandez and Terry Austin.