WWII AIRCRAFT RECOGNITION PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION FILM C-47 SKYTRAIN, ME-110, AICHI D3A XD47484

Well, I simultaneously flunked and managed to get myself killed.

Save time. No answers.

To the amazing team of Periscope Films, thank you for sharing another historic gem!

Saw a couple 190s

This was not easy. A demonstration of how to get strafed trying to see if something is friendly or not. My dad was in Korea (1950's war) and he said the jets were so fast that by the time the air raid siren would go off there was no time to i.d.

"Item 1. The Larch! the Larch!"

NOTE: There is an ANSWER KEY at End of the film. It is only a few seconds (~10), so get ready on the pause button. If anyone feels like going through it, and posting the answer key, go for it.

I was a US Navy Naval Aircrewman and flew on the P-3 starting in the very early 80’s. We had almost weekly recognition training, we had to learn all about any Soviet ships/subs/aircraft that Ivan operated in the West Pacific. It was the Cold War and we flew a lot and observe many Soviet Warcraft. Fun times and great flying! I got over 3,000 hours flight time.

The only one I positively identified was the Concord.

ANSWER KEY
1- P-47 Thunderbolt
2- C-47 Skytrain
3- Mosquito
4- P-38 Lightning
5- JU-87 "Stuka"
6- P-39 Aircobra
7- B-17 Fortress
8- TBF Avenger
9- Spitfire
10- Mitsubishi KI-21 "Sally"
11- F4U Corsair
12- B-25 Mitchell
13- P-39 Aircobra
14- ME-11O
15- B-26 Marauder
16- Beaufighter
17- B-25 Mitchell
18- P-51 Mustang
19- A-20 Havoc or Boston
20- Wellington
21- P-40 Warhawk
22- Aichi D3A "Val"
23- B-24 Liberator
24- Halifax
25- B-34 Ventura
26- HE-111
27- C-54 Skymaster
28- Mitsubishi A6M "Zero/Zeke"
29- P-38 Lightning
30- C-46 Commando
31- JU-88
32- Hurricane
33- B-26 Marauder
34- FW-190
35- C-47 Skytrain
36- Mosquito
37- B-24 Liberator
38- Mitsubishi KI-21 "Sally"
39- B-34 Ventura
40- ME-110
41- A-20 Havoc - Boston
42- B-24 Liberator
43- Beaufighter
44- Lancaster
45- FW-190
46- C-46 Commando
47- Hurricane
48- Mitsubishi A6M "Zero/Zeke"
49- B-26 Marauder
50- JU-88
51- TBF Avenger
52- Halifax
53- HE-111
54- B-34 Ventura
55- C-54 Skymaster
56- Wellington
57- Mitsubishi A6M "Zero/Zeke"
58- B-25 Mitchell
59- P-51 Mustang
60- C-47 Skytrain
61- ME-109
62- TBF Avenger
63- Typhoon
64- P-38 Lightning
65- P-47 Thunderbolt
66- Mitsubishi KI-21 "Sally"
67- P-40 Warhawk
68- Mosquito
69- JU-87 "Stuka"
70- Mitsubishi A6M3 "Hamp"
71- Beaufighter
72- B-17 Fortress
73- Spitfire
74- JU-88
75- P-51 Mustang
76- Halifax
77- P-47 Thunderbolt
78- FW-190
79- Mitsubishi A6M "Zero/Zeke"
80- Lancaster
81- P-40 Warhawk
82- JU-88
83- Typhoon
84- A-20 Havoc - Boston
85- ME-110
86- Hurricane
87- FW-190
88- Typhoon
89- Mitsubishi A6M "Zero/Zeke"
90- ME-110
91- P-39 Aircobra
92- Wellington
93- Mitsubishi A6M3 "Hamp"
94- JU-88
95- P-40 Warhawk
96- Spitfire
97- ME-109
98- P-51 Mustang
99- Lancaster
100- P-47 Thunderbolt

Looks like I need to re-do basic training, with eye glasses, and never look up. This made me feel like a Project 1000 reject.

That was fun and difficult.

Used to "fly" in the combat flight sim IL2 Sturmovik on multiplayer servers. Flying in a P38 was like a death sentence because there was no mistaking what you were. I used to like catching the attention of a solo Fw190 and drag them off to the side of the fur balls for a little 1 v 1. If you knew what you were doing in the Lightning, you could turn the tables on them and shoot them down.

One other tidbit from the game, it could be difficult sometimes to tell a Bf109 from a Mustang. If you saw them in plan view from the wrong angle the wing shapes could fool you. I only mention these flight sim experiences in relation to real combat because ID'ing your bogeys quick was often the difference between victory or bailing out.

I might have added a secondary answer opportunity here. Even if you weren't sure which kind of an e.g. Japanese fighter it was, the real question is shoot/don't shoot. or enemy/friendly. A quick 'circle one' after the blank line could be offered for partial credit.

Some of those were tough to see with my tired old eyes.

Seventeen was an airplane...

I see where the Flying Pencil get's its name

savage how this was a thing to expect to know. people has rhwir lives at stake, seeing this and needing to know was integral. I have a set if playing cards from back when: they have shilouettes of the undersides of planes used to identify them. Each one different, with names and Army designations. It was that serious.

Pretty unfair with footage taken on a potato! Would be trained a lot better using high definition photos.

I was a helo crewman in the Navy in the 1980s. Our aircraft/surface ship/submarine reco tests were done with slide shows.

#6 was a plane...or something on the camera lens.

Is the first trail example a B-24 or an LB-30? The nose looks a bit short for a B-24 and I can't see intercooler inlets on the engine nacelles.

Got 90 of them. But I've been a WWII airplane geek for sixty years. Other than Zekes they skimped on the Japanese aircraft. One Val, a Sally and another bomber that I couldn't remember.

Did pretty well on the American and Brit stuff. Less so on the axis a/c. Good way to evaluate your geekiness though. Thumbs up!