88th, 89th & 90th Fighter Squadrons +...

3 Squadrons composed the 80th Fighter Group: P-40s from the 88th FS had white noses, while those from the 89th FS were painted red, and the 90th FS spinners were dark blue.

Nez blancs pour la 88ème escadrille, rouges pour la 89ème, et bleu foncé pour la 90ème. A fourth Squadron joined the Group in Nov.1943: the 459thFS flying P-38s. La 459ème escadrille rejoignit le groupe, fin 1943: les fameux "Twin Dragons" volant sur P-38.

Burma Banshees in action, part.1

Quelques images, via "Critical Past", des P-40N du 88th FS pataugeant dans la boue à Myitkyina: http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675061583_Merills-Marauders_Myitkyina-airfield_World-War-II_P-40-Warhawk-fighters

Some more screen grabs of P-40N #10:

And another image from "Fold3" website:

Number One - part2

Le #1 de McElroy semble avoir eu l'oeil repeint "en rond" à moins que ce ne ne soit un nouvel appareil.

2 screen-shots from "Critical Past" website, show that P-40N displaying a "round eye".

Another well-known pic of that second P-40N-5. Une photo bien connue montre également ce P-40N équipé d'un cadeau explosif :°)

And one last image from "Talking Proud" website showing McElroy's P-40N taking off in the distance. Au premier plan, un Piper L-4 portant un nom sur le fuselage "Seven-Eleven" !

Number One

Le P-40N-5 (s/n 42-105264) piloté par le Colonel Ivan W. McElroy portait le numéro "1" sur la dérive. Noter l'œil en amande et la bande tricolore de fuselage.

Colonel Ivan W. McElroy's P-40N-5 42-105264 displayed #1 on its tail, a tri-color fuselage band and almond-shaped eyes. Right side pic by William Vandivert/LIFE magazine.

Front view via the Adair "Burma Banshees" website.

Color pics are from the "Talking Proud" webpage, and via Randy Clower.

Col. McElroy was the 80th Fighter Group commander, from July 14, 1943 to April 13, 1944. Another pic from the Adair's website shows another P-40N #1 tail.

One last picture of Lt.Col. McElroy with Grant Mahony (76thFS 23rdFG) next to a captured A6M "Zero" !

(image via the 76thFS website)

Here is a profile by Vincent Dhorne for my article in "Le Fana de l'Aviation" magazine.

Welcome aboard !

Blog consacré au pilotes du 80th Fighter Group, et aux marquages de leurs P-40 & P-47 en Inde /Birmanie. Les P-38 des "Twin Dragons" seront aussi au menu !

This blog is a tribute to the pilots & crews from the 80thFG "Burma Banshees". We will focus mainly on the pilots' stories & markings of the P-40 & P-47 they flew, in Burma-India, but the "Twin Dragons" P-38s will also be featured. Please visit the "Adair website" about the Banshees for more info & pictures My article on the subject was published in the french mag "Fana de l'Aviation" in Dec.2013.