Among the many thousands of feet of motion picture film shot by U.S. Navy photographers over the decades, one preserved batch of color footage shows the U.S. Navy Blue Angels putting on a classic show with Grumman F9F-5 Panthers, both in the air and in choreographed taxiing on the ramp.
This was a reconstituted Blue Angels team after the men had served in the Korean War. The cockpit shot of Lieutenant Commander Ray Hawkins puts the date of this film somewhere in 1952 or 53, when he served as Blue Angels flight leader, since captions identify the Panthers in the film as Dash-5 models, which the Blue Angels received in May 1952.
Earlier the Blues had flown F9F-Dash-2s before the Korean War.
Operationally, the F9F-5 Panther cruised just over 480 miles per hour, topping out just under 580. Its climb rate exceeded that of the piston-engine F8F Bearcats the group had flown in the late 1940s.
As you watch these rare color scenes, think back to an air show where you may have seen the Blue Angels fly any of their aircraft. The planes and pilots have changed over the decades, but the mission and the meaning remain the same.
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27 авг 2024
