More on Flt Lt Roy French
Roy's son sent me these photos he's found. The airplane is Roy's F-86E. The picture of the Sabre is interesting because it's one of the few color photos I have seen of the enlarged "Misawa tanks", which were painted yellow to remind the pilot they couldn't just be punched off like the standard tanks. The helmet is the one Roy painted, which Joe McConnell was wearing and lost on April 12, 1953, when he shot down his eighth MiG-15, but was then shot down himself moments later by Captain Semen Alexeievich Fedorets of the 913rd IAP, 32nd IAD. Fedorets had just scored his fifth victory against another Sabre when he spotted McConnell, who was chasing another MiG. Fedorets gained position just below and behind McConnell. When McConnell's wingman (French) told him to break, he couldn't see Fedorets, who opened fire. The lethal burst of heavy cannon shells smashed the Sabre, nearly taking the wing off at the root and leaving a big hole where the main gear had been. Fedorets was sure of his victory when McConnell fell away. Despite the near-fatal damage, McConnell managed to force the F-86 into a high-G barrel roll that put him behind Fedorets. With the tables turned, McConnell shot up Fedorets’ MiG-15 so badly the Russian was forced to eject. Both had shot each other down.
By this point, McConnell’s Sabre had lost half its power as well as the radio. Smoking, but not burning, he headed south, toward the China Sea. His element leader, 1st Lt. Harold Chitwood called the helicopter base on Cho-Do Island for air-sea rescue. Once over the water, McConnell ejected and was picked up by the waiting helicopter after only a few minutes in the water, but unfortunately. Roy's helmet was lost.
When you say the external fuel tanks couldn't be jettisoned "like standard tanks", do you mean they couldn't be dropped AT ALL or was there some other way of gettin' rid of 'em?
It would seem to me that luggin' 'em around during air combat would be counter-productive and a hindrance to the aircraft's mobility. Jus' wonderin'.
I think what he was saying is that you had to do a + G turn manouvre to free the tanks, but ask a pilot.
Simon is right, and you had to stay level or they would come over the wing, not a good thing. No dives while popping them off.
Yeah they are big tanks. Just looking at them there's a lot of surface area ahead of the pyon, in the wing upwash area, so I can imagine those picking up and going over the wing if released in level flight or a dive. The SAAF was conducting flutter tests of a new weapon pylon on the Mirage F1. Apparently in a steep dive release, the test pilot was 'interested" to see two 250 Kg bombs fly with him in formation for a moment, then go back over the top of the wing, before falling away. Not the first time that has happened as far as I know.
They had shot each other down! Stunning
Hey...just noticed your avatar. When did YOU do the T-6 thing in Kissimmee?
As if you didn't know Craig! after I have been to your home in Port Orange in my red Mustang
Yeah, but I don't remember you telling me you were gonna do that!