Page 65 - Aviation News - September 2017

Above: A 67th FBS F-51 Mustang carrying
formidable ghters and had given the ordnance to attack tank columns and truck on the control column, which stalled the
Germans “all they could handle” on the convoys. The weapons would knock out ghter. As the Yak-9 spun down from 6,000ft
Eastern Front during World War Two. It had any T-34 tanks being used by the North (1.828m), Thresher rolled back into a turn,
a 7,000lb (3,175kg) maximum gross weight, Koreans. The red/white blinker-nose was hoping to come out behind.
could out-turn and out-climb the Mustang, from the aircraft’s time with the 40th FS. The KPAF pilot was, however, spinning
now referred to as the F-51 after redesignation Warren Bodie via Warren Thompson down the axis of the circle the Mustang was
in 1947 when the US Air Force formed as a Bottom: Some pilots of the 67th FBS posing making. The enemy pilot recovered and,
separate branch of the military. for photographs after a dog ght during as he was just coming out of the spin, the
“The only things we had going for us was the Korean War. Pictured (from right) Lt American tried to tighten his turn and come
that North American Aviation had produced Andridge, Lt Harold Ausman, Captain Ross around behind him. The Yak countered with
one hell of a tough ghter, and the pilots that Flake and Captain Robert Thresher. Robert a fast, steep climb.
ew the F-51 were far better trained than their Thresher via Warren Thompson “While at the top of his second loop, the
KPAF [Korean People’s Air Force] opponents. enemy pilot slackened off gently and began
If you sighted one of the Yak planes, you had DOGFIGHTING SKILLS the dive downward,” said Thresher. “The
better believe that there was another one Thresher said that at this point in any dog ght, manoeuvre set a pattern for the ght. I was
around as they always worked in pairs. the experience and skill of the pilot played ying a tight circle on the horizontal and my
“As my Mustang accelerated, my FAC called a critical role in the outcome: “You can have opponent decided to y a sparring circle on
out: ‘Watch out for Number 4, he is right on the faster ghter, but when it gets close and the vertical, snapping at me as we passed
your tail.’ I turned my head round and saw the personal you’d better hope your opponent each other.
yellow winking lights of the Yak’s two 12.7mm hadn’t a lot of combat experience.” “We held our turns and I looked for a
machine guns and its 20mm cannon. This opponent was in trouble after break as he picked up speed – and noticed
“He’d been in position all this time and now I keeping his eyes glued on the Mustang we were getting closer each time we closed
was in his sights. I broke so hard that I greyed for too long and then making a severe pull on the south side of my circle. We were
out [a transient loss of rapidly getting out of
vision], and I knew the phase and I was able
Yak could turn inside me. to snap a shot at him
In my panic, I held the each time now.
turn, hoping he would not “The enemy pilot
be able to follow after his was good, but he
ring pass. realised that after
“Fortunately, he’d one more pass I’d
gone across the top be coming in behind
and, with his advantage him as he began his
of speed [because of climb. This seemed to
the manoeuvres they unnerve him, because
were undertaking], he he wobbled at the
pulled up into a tight top of his next loop.
loop. That was all I After the Yak faltered
needed, because when I added throttle and
he came out of the loop waited him out. He fell
he’d be perched right unevenly this time and
back there on my tail I cut wide, brie y.
again, only this time he “At the bottom,
had speed to burn.” he recovered and

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