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84th Fighter Squadron Founded :
Part of 78th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force. Sqn Code WZ
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84th Fighter Squadron
Aircraft for : 84th Fighter Squadron | |||
A list of all aircraft known to have been flown by 84th Fighter Squadron. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | |||
Squadron | Info | ||
Manufacturer : North American | Mustang The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. |
Signatures for : 84th Fighter Squadron | |||
A list of all signatures from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | |||
Name | Info | ||
Lt Colonel Clark W Clemons Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Lt Colonel Clark W Clemons
| Lt Colonel Clark W Clemons Clark Clemons joined the service on December 15th 1942 and after training was posted to the Eight Air Force in England, joining the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group at Duxford. Flying the P-51D, Clark flew 19 combat missions, including a brush with a Me163 rocket plane. His last mission was escorting RAF Lancasters down over southern Europe on a near 7 hour trip. His Mustang was named Frances Dell WZ - W # 4-47297. After the war Lt Colonel Clark W Clemons was a Senior Flight Instructor for United Airlines for many years. Sadly we believe he passed away in 2005. |
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