Open House at Wright-Patterson, 1946...

Brother Hugh has been sending more interesting pictures. Neither of us remember seeing these particular pictures before. During the war, Dad bought a roll of 35mm Movie film, and loaded it into 35mm cans to use in still cameras. From what I was told, color film was not generally available until after W2.

He did divulge his copy method. He made a simple adapter from a cardboard tube that is about 2" focal length. Slide sits on one end, other end sits on camera, which is pointed toward the ceiling. Camera on "Macro", light bounced off ceiling...hand held floodlight, I suppose. Camera is a Canon SD-500, a tiny little pocket size thing (like my SD-450) smaller than a pack of cancer stix.

In all the pics was our oldest brother, Paul Jr, about 7 years old at the time. Paul was an EE at NASA's Ames Research, Moffit Field, CA, but quit to go back to UW for a Masters in Oceanography or something of that sort. He died at 27, of accidental drowning on the Ship Canal. He was testing underwater communications equipment of his own design. Don't mess around on docks at night, in mid-winter.

First, an ME-163 with an ME-262 parked behind, unfortunately.

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Arado "Blitz" jet bomber.
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Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate "Frank"
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Tracked emergency vehicle. I'm thinkin' Studebaker, but could easily be wrong...
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Dad was a test pilot at Wright Field before the war, and after. It's quite possible that he flew some of these. I guess that should be in some of his log books? Did test pilots keep regular log books, or would that have been too sekrit? They should be in my basement. He did tell me that he flew a Spit and a Mossie during that time. Steve


Steve Helmick
Renton, Washington
USA

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Very good Steve, keep them coming, great pictures. History in the making.

All of the pictured German and Japanese aircraft are now at the Smithsonian or the Air Force museum. I have personally seen the Arado Bomber, the Me-262 and possibly the Japanese Zeke.

...and NASM has an Me 163 - perhaps that one. I know that the tons of wartime and post war documents from Germany first went to Wright-Patterson (translation, where appropriate, and the mission in Europe stuff), then to the Library of Congress, and finally, I'm told, to the Silver-Hill facility of NASM, where they have been at least partially cataloged. I don't know that everything is in one place, but while chasing down info, I wound up there. 'lots of great "adventures of the mind" are traceable through some dusty stacks, but there must have been some pretty exciting times at WPAFB with these fascinating planes immediately post war.

SK

>All of the pictured German and Japanese aircraft are now at
>the Smithsonian or the Air Force museum. I have personally
>seen the Arado Bomber, the Me-262 and possibly the Japanese
>Zeke.

Tom;

Its hard to tell from the picture because the display sign blocks out some of the front engine cowling and the tail is clipped, but I would venture that the Japanese fighter shown by Steve is a Nakajima KI-84 "Hayate".

The KI-84 was arguably the best piston engined fighter the Japanese managed to mass produce during the war. If memory serves, they managed to make about 3450 or so of them.

V/r

Bob

Frankly, Tom, it is indeed a KI-84. Not a Zeke. Currell

Bob and Currell are correct, it's a "Frank", not an "Oscar", as I originally posted. The tipoff is the lumpy thing under the rear of the cowl. Oil cooler, I suppose. And the windshield mounted machine gun, being deleted. I changed the original caption. Thanks for the info. Anybody know when the name of Wright Field was changed to Wright-Patterson? And who was Patterson? Steve

Steve Helmick
Renton, Washington
USA

>Bob and Currell are correct, it's a "Frank", not an
>"Oscar", as I originally posted. The tipoff is the
>lumpy thing under the rear of the cowl. Oil cooler, I suppose.
>And the windshield mounted machine gun, being deleted. I
>changed the original caption. Thanks for the info. Anybody
>know when the name of Wright Field was changed to
>Wright-Patterson? And who was Patterson? Steve

Patterson was 1LT Frank Patterson. He was killed some time in 1918 while testing the synchronization gear for a plane. Apparently, it didn't work and he must have shot off his propeller. He was a son of one of the owners/founders of National Cash Register.

Wright field got its name from Wilbur Wright. Sometime in the 1930s the USAAC decided to honor the Patterson family by calling on of the two airstrips on the reservation "Patterson Field." Eventually, the names were merged in the late 1940s.

V/r

Bob

Thanks, Bob. I was skeered that Patterson was a Senator... Steve


Steve Helmick
Renton, Washington
USA

>First, an ME-163 with an ME-262 parked behind, unfortunately.

If anyone ever gets a chance, there is some absolutely awesome footage floating around showing ME-163 takeoffs. I saw it on "Wings of the Luftwaffe" (the very first thing I saw on cable TV, seconds after getting my first cable connection). Takes off down the runway, belching black smoke. takes off, drop LG carriage, then rotates 60ish degrees nose-up, and continues to accelerate out of sight. That would be impressive even today, and it looks very similar to a U-2 takeoff (which is also incredibly impressive).

Brett

>
>>First, an ME-163 with an ME-262 parked behind,
>unfortunately.
>
> If anyone ever gets a chance, there is some absolutely
>awesome footage floating around showing ME-163 takeoffs. I saw
>it on "Wings of the Luftwaffe" (the very first thing
>I saw on cable TV, seconds after getting my first cable
>connection). Takes off down the runway, belching black smoke.
>takes off, drop LG carriage, then rotates 60ish degrees
>nose-up, and continues to accelerate out of sight. That would
>be impressive even today, and it looks very similar to a U-2
>takeoff (which is also incredibly impressive).
>
> Brett

I have seen this same show 3 or 4 times. It is a great show. The 163 is fast on the climb, I mean fast!! They were innovative, nuts but very innovative.

Very cool Steve.
In the sixties, The Air Museum/Planes of Fame was based at Ontario, CA and they had a flying Hayate and Tony. They were sold off to Japanese owners and for incredibly high prices at the time. I never saw them as we moved to CA in the late sixties, too bad.
They still have a flying Zero, and a well preserved Raiden.
Their ME-262 was sold to Paul Allen a few years back. Big money, I'm sure.
In case anyone is interested, the their little Hienkel Volksjager jet is for sale! I would imagine well over a $million would take it home.
Chris...

Hi Chris,

Did you pick up Clyde's Knight Twister in Tuscon yet?
If you do, post some pictures of it please!!


Jim Pollock