Frank McClanahan

This is Frank McClanahan. He was in the Army Air Force from 1943 until about 1945. 
He was an engineer-gunner on the A-26 during this time. Here he is shown with a PT-17, a primary trainer for "hot rocks to be". He says it was much fun and a lasting experience.

 

 

 

 

The A-26 shown in these pictures was used for attack, low-level bombing and strafing, skip-bombing, dive bombing, and para-frag bombing. The airplane had two 2000hp engines, which at one time made it the fastest aircraft in the Air Force (for a bomber). In gunnery practice, the flaps had to be lowered so that fighter planes could pass it!

 

B-24s, like the one shown here, were training ships for pilots, gunners, and bombardiers.

 

A PT-17 is shown here. It was used in Primary Flight Training at Dorr Field in Florida.

 

Here Frank is shown getting Pre-Primary flight training. He received 10 hours of instruction while attending Lafayette College in Easton, PA.

 

This photograph shows gunnery training. They used 50cal machine guns on B-17s and B-24s, and shot at targets towed by A-26s.

 

This photo shows in-flight target practice by fighters loaded with cameras.