ScanBits

     Hanger 3 at NAS Moffett Field was home to Naval Air Transport Service Douglas R5D aircraft overhauls in the mid to late 1940s. The following images come from the National Archives Record Group 80G. RG-80G-396679-R5D-3-56541-19461216      This R5D-3 (56541 above) was lost off of Naha Okinawa on September 22, 1960 the crew of three and twenty-six passengers were killed. It was reported the number three engine caught fire and was extinguished, however the fire had escaped the firewall and eventually reached a fuel tank with a resulting explosion that destroyed the aircraft. RG-80G-396687-R5D-2-50865-NAS-Moffet-Field-Hanger-3-19470415 RG-80G-396688-R5D-2-50868-19470613 R5D-2 50868 (above) later served the Blue Angels from 1957 to 1965. RG-80G-396692-R5D-3-56489-NAS-Moffet-Hanger-3-19470613

     A recent visit to the National Archives II allowed me some time to look through photographs in Record Group 72 which pertains to the Bureau of Aeronautics. In the final box of the series while looking for other information there was a folder marked Consolidated C-31. Looking inside I found a series of photographs of a large flying boat design that I had not seen before.  Model 31 in-flight carrying the civil registration of NX21731       The aircraft was the first of the Consolidated product line to use the high mounted, high aspect ratio (long, narrow) cantilever wing (Davis Wing). The C-31 would first fly two months after the contract was signed for the most famous aircraft using the Davis wing the Consolidated Model C-32 (B-24). Consolidated Photo C31-166 Complete Airplane, Floats and Flaps Down, Front View Consolidated Photo C31-167 Complete Airplane, Floats and Flaps Down, 3-4 Front View Consolidated Photo C31-168 C...

Spent a couple of hours out at Dallas Love Field and captured a few images.

Recent visit to Founders Park at DFW Airport. Thanks to the airport for providing a great space for airplane nuts!