previous post next post  

Let's see who the geeks are.

By The Armorer on March 8, 2005 | | Comments (26)

Which aircraft cockpit is this?

Hi-res.

Really busy day today. But if you know your airplanes... there are enough clues to get this. If you don't, well, have fun anyway!

Share This Article:

Share |

Categories:

26 Comments

By Rod Thorsen on March 8, 2005 9:46 AM
P-38 Lightning?
 
By Larry on March 8, 2005 9:52 AM
Probably a P-38, but there's no gunsight, so possibly an F-5 (unarmed photo-recon variant).
 
By Mike Mariani on March 8, 2005 10:00 AM
twin throttles, wheel vs stick, poptop vs sliding canopy (look at the registration holes) - P38. Gunsight? Dunno 'bout that, I'm an old sleep-in-the-mud type.
 
By John of Arghhh! on March 8, 2005 10:04 AM
Good tries, guys. But the P-38 control column didn't rest between the pilot's legs... it comes up on the right side of the cockpit and then over. Like this. Or this.
 
By Sgt. B. on March 8, 2005 10:04 AM
Spitfire or Hurricane?
 
By John of Arghhh! on March 8, 2005 10:10 AM
Mike - it will be *much* cooler if one of us ground-pounders scores it vice the scarf-wearers.
 
By John of Arghhh! on March 8, 2005 10:11 AM
Though it would appear at this point, we're overrun with ground-pounders!
 
By mike mariani on March 8, 2005 10:37 AM
Fie and piffle. I tried. Scarf wearers? How polite. My *enlisted* AF chums refer to 'em as "stick actuators". (Hee!)
 
By Sean on March 8, 2005 10:44 AM
Douglas A-20 Havoc. The yoke/controls, throttles and no gunsights are clues.
 
By Chris Denny on March 8, 2005 10:49 AM
P-39 Aircobra, the part that gives it away is the fact that the canopy is closed when the photo was taken because you enter the Aircobra through a door on the left side of the fuselage.
 
By Larry on March 8, 2005 10:50 AM
Yeah, I'd have to go with an A-20 as my second guess. It's obviously a US plane and seems to be of that era, though the throttle handles themselves and even the panel in front of and below that seems to be more modern. It's definitely not an F-7 Tigercat or P-61 Black Widow. If it's not an A-20, I'm baffled.
 
By mike mariani on March 8, 2005 11:00 AM
Well ... my boss says "it's an A3, no doubt about it".
 
By John of Arghhh! on March 8, 2005 11:02 AM
An A3 what, Mike?
 
By mike mariani on March 8, 2005 11:09 AM
sky warrior or perhaps skywarrior
 
By Neffi on March 8, 2005 11:44 AM
Bristol Beaufighter?? Whatever, I want it...
 
By Montieth on March 8, 2005 12:06 PM
Details of note: 1. Wheel vs Stick 2. Twin engine controls/gauges 3. No Hud so not a fighter 4. Single front seat, and there's a coaming above/behind the pilot so probably not a second seat I'm leaning towards a later Douglas A-20 Havoc (perhaps the Invader?) but the A-20 had a gunsight for the forward firing MGs.
 
By cowboy blob on March 8, 2005 1:48 PM
It's definitely a Douglas A-20G "Havoc," confirmed at Google Images.
 
By John of Arghhh! on March 8, 2005 1:57 PM
Dude - you took the easy way out. I like Monteith's approach. But yeah, it's an A20G. And now that I googled it, I see my source prolly swiped these...
 
By cw4billt on March 8, 2005 2:36 PM
If it had a cyclic and collective, and if the instrument panel was different, and if it had a HUD, and if the pedals were different, and if it had a gunner's station up front, and if the seat was air-cooled, it would be a Cobra. And if a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass when he jumped.
 
By Montieth on March 8, 2005 2:50 PM
So the A20G deleted the forward firing MGs allowing the deletion of the HUD? Ahh. More googling and I see that the HUD was removed from that sample cockpit. There are some brackets to either side for the HUD glass. Sneaky....
 
By cowboy blob on March 8, 2005 3:10 PM
I only used Google to confirm my guess. My scarf-wearing Zoomie Brain did all the rest.
 
By cw4billt on March 8, 2005 5:58 PM
Technically, a HUD conveys flight information as well as target solutions. "Reflex sight" is the proper term in this instance.
 
By Casey Tompkins on March 8, 2005 6:29 PM
Blast! I came by too late today! Sean beat me to it. :( Yes, the steering-wheel style yoke is that did it for me. I knew it wasn't a P-38 'cuz it was too roomy. :) And -unlike some people, I didn't need to Google it, although I did whip out my A-20 Havoc in action reference to verify, because that photo looked darned familiar. Not the same shot that I have, although that's an A-20G cockpit as well.
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 8, 2005 7:06 PM
Yeah, next time I'll play smart and turn off the comments and make ya email answers.
 
By J.M. Heinrichs on March 8, 2005 10:05 PM
Little boy: why are there four propellers on your airplane? Herc Pilot: Well son, we need them to keep the pilot cool. LB: Huh? HP: If more than two of them stop spinning, the pilot gets really hot and sweaty. Cheers JMH
 
By cw4billt on March 9, 2005 10:55 AM
Or, in my case, if either of them stop spinning...