My dad flew this plane in the mid 1940's for the Navy. Pretty tricky to land in the open ocean. If you lose one of the small wing floats, the plane would often capsize and sink. Primary mission was scouting and sea rescues. Plane was eventually replaced by the helicopter.
They used to turn over when rescuing downed flyers from the extra weight. I believe they couldn't takeoff and had to taxi in the water if they had more than one rescued passenger. Usually to a waiting sub or Cat.
Miatacrosser doesn’t quite make sense.... the OS2U could carry 2 100lb bombs, a gun in the wing fully loaded, a gun in the tail fully loaded, and the operator of the tail gun.
My Uncle was a 17 year old plank owner of the Astoria and he called this plane a Gooneybird. I dont know if it was just his jargon or they Navy used that term . He told me that the cl90 USS Astoria' s two Gooneybirds were badly damaged in Halseys Typhoon in Dec 1944. This plane must be the repaired or replaced Kingfisher
Rick, yes, the Kingfishers were commonly called Gooneybirds. You are correct about Astoria's two floatplanes being damaged beyond repair in the typhoon. Check out my recently published book "Days of Steel Rain" covering Astoria CL-90s wartime cruise, compiled from years of interviews, secret diaries, and memoirs. I think you will enjoy the read.
PS USS Astoria had lost three by the time this film was shot--two in the typhoon and a third in a rescue mission that went awry in the South China Sea in Jan 1945.
@@brentjones7279 Brent thank you for the fyi. I will seek out your book. Recently I found my Uncle's Mighty 90 WW2 cruise book and his 1943 edition of the Bluejackets manual. My Uncle passed in 2006. I miss him so much. Thank you again.
@@brentjones7279 whoa, I just read the review of your book and watched a youtube regarding the book. Seems I have heard some of the things you have said exactly from a boy who was on CL90. I say boy because James E Berry of Harrison NJ was 17 years old when he boarded USS Astoria via Sampson NY. I already ordered it and cant wait to read it. Uncle James passsed away in 2006.
Don't bother with the first minute. Nothing happens. Is that a rope ladder they are using to climb out of the plane in the shots? Almost looks like it. I know some float planes like the Ar 96 had built in ladders and other had retractable ladders, but I don't see anything like that here, and they needed some way to get onboard.
i think they are none unfortunately. most of them were with floats but some were with fixed undercarriage. there's one in the air museum of Cuba but not airworthy.
Being a Kingfisher pilot on a cruiser must have been quite a trip and so different from a regular Navy or Army pilot.
They had these on the CL-65. So cool to see it in action!
My dad flew this plane in the mid 1940's for the Navy. Pretty tricky to land in the open ocean. If you lose one of the small wing floats, the plane would often capsize and sink. Primary mission was scouting and sea rescues. Plane was eventually replaced by the helicopter.
I always wondered who the poor guys were that had to fly these things. The whole thing just looks preposterously precarious.
They used to turn over when rescuing downed flyers from the extra weight. I believe they couldn't takeoff and had to taxi in the water if they had more than one rescued passenger. Usually to a waiting sub or Cat.
Miatacrosser doesn’t quite make sense.... the OS2U could carry 2 100lb bombs, a gun in the wing fully loaded, a gun in the tail fully loaded, and the operator of the tail gun.
This little plane, and the Vought XF5U-1, are the inspirations for my newer and more capable Manta floatplane designs...
Does anybody know if there is any of these still flying?
Hathcock.300 kemit Weeks is rebuilding one presently.
My Uncle was a 17 year old plank owner of the Astoria and he called this plane a Gooneybird.
I dont know if it was just his jargon or they Navy used that term .
He told me that the cl90 USS Astoria' s two Gooneybirds were badly damaged in Halseys Typhoon in Dec 1944.
This plane must be the repaired or replaced Kingfisher
Rick, yes, the Kingfishers were commonly called Gooneybirds. You are correct about Astoria's two floatplanes being damaged beyond repair in the typhoon. Check out my recently published book "Days of Steel Rain" covering Astoria CL-90s wartime cruise, compiled from years of interviews, secret diaries, and memoirs. I think you will enjoy the read.
PS USS Astoria had lost three by the time this film was shot--two in the typhoon and a third in a rescue mission that went awry in the South China Sea in Jan 1945.
@@brentjones7279 Brent thank you for the fyi.
I will seek out your book.
Recently I found my Uncle's Mighty 90 WW2 cruise book and his 1943 edition of the Bluejackets manual.
My Uncle passed in 2006. I miss him so much.
Thank you again.
@@brentjones7279 whoa, I just read the review of your book and watched a youtube regarding the book.
Seems I have heard some of the things you have said exactly from a boy who was on CL90. I say boy because James E Berry of Harrison NJ was 17 years old when he boarded USS Astoria via Sampson NY.
I already ordered it and cant wait to read it.
Uncle James passsed away in 2006.
One of those was stationed at Little Goat Island Jamaica for use for the commanding officer of the that U S naval air station W W 2 .
1:23 Wait for meeeeeeeeeeee !
Don't bother with the first minute. Nothing happens.
Is that a rope ladder they are using to climb out of the plane in the shots? Almost looks like it. I know some float planes like the Ar 96 had built in ladders and other had retractable ladders, but I don't see anything like that here, and they needed some way to get onboard.
i think they are none unfortunately. most of them were with floats but some were with fixed undercarriage. there's one in the air museum of Cuba but not airworthy.