Jake Peterson's Blog

Is it a Val, a T6 a Plane?

admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:57:59 +0000

It looks like so many planes but which one is it? It’s both depending on who you ask. This is an Aichi D3A “Val” Dive bomber movie conversion. It was originally a Convair BT-15 Trainer but back in the 1960′s when they started making the film Tora! Tora! Tora! there was no example of flying Japanese aircraft, so the adjusted the BT-15 to make it look like a Val. The plane went into storage after the movie and didn’t see action again until Pearl Harbor. This plane flew in the movie along with 6 other aircraft from Planes of Fame.

The original Aichi D3A Dive Bomber, called the “Val” by the allies was a carrier based dive bomber. It was the first Japanese aircraft to do damage to an Allied ship in WWII. It also sank more allied ships than any other axis aircraft. Although effective early on, by 1944 the Val was outdated and by 1945 it was used as a kamikaze plane from land based air fields.

In the Camera Bag:
Nikon D3, N200-400 VRII, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

The Mighty Jug

admin — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:00:13 +0000

The P-47 Thunderbolt, more affectionately known as the Jug by those who piloted it, was one of the heaviest, largest and toughest fighter aircraft that relied on a single radial engine. The Jug was built with heavy armor and a massive offensive capability. With four .50 Caliber machine guns in each wings and able to haul up 2,500 lbs of bombs which is over half of what a B-17 can carry. Although the P-47 was not used in long range bombing attacks, it was used for short range ground attacks. It was widely used for long range escort for the flying fortresses. It was made famous by the 56th Fighter Group, part of the Eighth Air Force, which had a number of top aces, as they flew missions further and further into Europe. When looking at this plane it’s almost like watching a flying tank.

In the Camera Bag:
Nikon D3, 200-400 VRII, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

One Big Flying Boat

admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:59 +0000

You got to love flying boats. It’s one thing for a plane to land on a piece of earth but landing on water and then taking off again is just something else. The Consolidated PBY Catalina was one of the most widely used flying boats in WWII for air sea rescue, patrols, cargo, and antisubmarine activity. It was used in the military up till the 1980′s and in some areas is still used for firefighting as a water dumper. However more are seen today in museums than they are flying about, so to have the opportunity to photograph this plane was awesome.

One of the rather unique features of this aircraft is the wing pontoons go up and down from the edge of the wings. The pontoons go down when the plane lands on the water and go back up, as seen, when the plane is flying as a way to decrease drag and increase speed. Although it may not be the fastest plane, it sure is great observation plane.

In the Camera Bag:
Nikon D3, 200-400 VRII, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Some Light Traveling Weather

admin — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:00:56 +0000

I thought I would take a little break from planes and end the week with a quick weather update. As I was driving home for the air show I got to go through some absolutely beautiful areas in Utah. This is always a good time of the year to be down that way because the thunderstorms can make for some great photographs. As I was heading north on I-15 I was going through a massive rainstorm, which turned into a hailstorm and was quite wet. Thankfully an opening was approaching to watch the storm. The front was unbelievable to watch as it moved over the basin. Couldn’t sit long before getting covered with rain. After 10 minutes it was a couple more miles up the road and then pulled over again. Not bad for a sunset.

In the Camera Bag:
Nikon D3, AF-S 24-70 f/2.8, AF-S 14-24 f/2.8, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

The Avenger

admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:07:22 +0000

Another one of my favorite planes that i never get to see enough of is the TBM Avenger. Entering service in 1942 the Avenger first saw action during the Battle of Midway where five of the six planes went down. It went on to become one of the most depended upon torpedo bombers of the war. The plane played an important role during the Solomon Campaign where it saw lots of action in Iron Bottom Sound. The plane was used by both marine and navy units both on land and in carrier operations. This plane held three people, pilot, navigator/bombardier/gunner, and a second gunner. The rear gunner was in a bubble like gun turret mounted in the otherwise tube shaped plane. On the cold Sunday morning at the Planes of Fame Airshow, two survivors of this very important and historic aircraft are on display. The clouds and cool temp add a perfect backdrop for where these planes would have been stationed and flying in.

In the Camera Bag:
Nikon D3, AF-S 24-70 f/2.8, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film