Indian Air Force B-24s

[timmy]

I am interested in aircraft, including military aircraft. I've found it interesting that 50% more B-24s were produced than the iconic B-17 during WW2, but so few B-24s remain, compared to B-17s. Here in the USA, B-24s are especially rare. Years back, I saw a B-24 at the Pima County Air Museum near Tucson, Arizona, USA. I was intrigued by the fact that the museum had acquired from the Indian Air Force.

Recently, I found the story behind this Indian Air Force B-24, and I found it fascinating. So I'd like to share it with anyone who is interested here:

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Histo ... rator.html

[MoA]

I remember seeing a B24 and a Vampire on the tarmac at Lohegaon AFB in the late 70's early 80's. I remember the B24 did have some battle damage on it. No idea where the damage came from, or if it was supposedly cosmetic.
One of the most exciting things for me was to actually be allowed to crawl through the aircraft. I remeber thought he guns were removed the belts were still there. Wish I had taken pictures.

[sudhaiob]

as a kid in bangalore HAl, where my father worked in the sixties, i remember seeing the liberators, which at that time were scarce. the standard aircraft lighting the Bangalore skies from HAL were vampires, hunters, canberras and the doughty dakotas together with gnats, hf 24 and the trainer ajits. i have visited bellandur lake often and heard stories of planes having landed there, but thought them to be tall tales happily those have benn proved to be true and the catalinas had indeed landed there. a nice write up and brings back memories of earl chlid hood in HAL colonies.
regs
sudhaiob

[penpusher]

Timmy,

Thanks for the link.Makes for interesting reading.

[lazybones]

A fine tale Timmy. Thanks for sharing it with us. If you haven't seen it already, you might like

www.warbirdsofindia.com

Ashok

[timmy]

lazybones, thanks for that War Birds of India link -- there is plenty of tasty information there!

[penpusher]

Timmy,

In the link you provided there are three other links at the bottom,including the warbirdsofindia.

[lazybones]

Good eye penpusher I missed that one. Trust Timmy's old world sense of politeness not to point it out
Timmy: Jagan (the creator of WBI) and I used to work together in the same IT salt mine. We were the only two aviation buffs in the company. Jagan always wanted to do something about the sad state of India's aviation heritage, and he did.

Ashok

[timmy]

Jagan (the creator of WBI) and I used to work together in the same IT salt mine. We were the only two aviation buffs in the company. Jagan always wanted to do something about the sad state of India's aviation heritage, and he did.

Wow! Well, I like the fact that now I've got a bit of a connection, myself! Indeed, your buddy did a fine job!

I have a couple of friends who are medical students -- We had them over this past Sunday for a movie and for something to eat. (Young men are always hungry, and my Wife likes the opportunity to "show her stuff" in the kitchen, now that the kids are long gone.) Anyhow, one of them is from Gujarat and the other's family is from Karnataka, I was telling them about this link and one of them noted how being able to build an effective bombing force out of something supposedly destroyed was very Indian.

These two are the same ones I mentioned earlier who liked my 2A Ishapore so much. I am still working on them. When they get to be Dr.s, I think we will have another pair of gun lovers, and goodness knows that we need more of them!

Even tho a B-24 might not be a modern aircraft, it certainly would be a tremendous accomplishment to put so many back in service. I even shudder to think of the pilot who ferried these things to the comprehensive rebuild depot. In a way, I saw it as sort of an inspirational story.

When you see your buddy again, please give him a well done for me.