An AuDHDer's journey through living history, heritage, learning and expression.
BLOGMAS 2025: WWII Aircraft Rip Off Ragebait
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
I found out about this advent calendar of different vehicles through a fellow history enthusiast who told me you can buy these advent calendars off Amazon; at first I thought these were toys or miniature models, or even parts for a modelling kit. There was a choice of planes, tanks or ships, which I had chosen planes as it was the first one I saw, and perhaps it will be tanks or ships next year! It turns out that these 'figures' are actually 2D flat resin hanging decorations for the Christmas tree.
In order to ensure this is NOT a waste of creativity; I had the idea that I will learn a little about each plane from the advent calendar, and contribute it to this very blog, hence 'BLOGMAS'.
What Have We Got?
After waiting a week for this said advent calendar to be delivered, it was delivered on the 5th December, which is why I am introducing you to the first 5 types of international WWII aircraft.
While doing some research on the planes that don't look familiar to me (with one having a title that may have been smudged when printed, I could not read what it said), I discovered something rather shocking; Day 4, which not just similarly spelt, but also with inaccurate spelling was what seemed to be a single-engine fighter, or perhaps a fighter-bomber aircraft, was according to Google Visual Search, a De Havilland Mosquito.
WRONG! 👎 (Skip to Day 4 for a full explanation).
P-40B Warhawk 🇺🇸 - INACCURATE 👎
This is a meant to be a Curtiss P-40D Kittyhawk - single engine American fighter-bomber aircraft manufacturered by Curtiss-Wright. It also performed excellent service with the RAF, RAAF and the South AfricanAir force squadrons of the Desert Air Force, contributing toward the Allies' eventual victory.
F4U-1D Corsair 🇺🇸 - Only the title is inaccurate, however, this particular plane (according to the book I will credit and give the link to below), is ACCURATE 👍.
The Vought F4U Corsair - these warbirds were carrier-based (stationed on a naval aircraft carrier ship) fighter-bombers, particularly during the Pacific War and popular with the US Marine Corps. They are bigger than average fighter planes, that in order to fit many into a ship's hangar, the wings would be folded up. In flight, when coming into land on a carrier, the pilot would need to slow down the speed, in order to land on what would appear from above to be a postage stamp in the middle of the sea.
According to Google Visual Search, it states this is a Soviet (Russian) Yakovlev Yak 3; after checking in the book, the markings on this one match the Yak 1, so this Soviet plane is indeed ACCURATE 👍(although the markings aren't - mine has a white star rather than a red star). The red noses do match though!
Very reminiscent of an RAF Spitfire or Hurricane or a Luftwaffe BF 109; the Russian developed really effective monoplane fighters. The Yak aircraft had a four-piece cockpit canopy, which gave plots poor visibility. They were lightweight planes, only weighing up to 2.38 tonnes.
Mossuite FB VI (night) INACCURATE 👎- This just looks like a spitfire painted black! A De Havilland Mosquito is a twin-engine fighter-bomber aircraft made of wood, which gave it its namesake "the wooden wonder". It was introduced too late into the war in early 1945 and hardly saw any action. It had two-stage supercharged engines for improved performance at altitude, but was otherwise similar to the B.Mk.XVI, used by the RAF’s Light Night Striking Force. Its bomb load had the capacity for a 4,000lb 'Cookie' blast bomb for flying to Berlin, dropping the bomb and returning. You can see a DH Mosquito at the De Havilland Aircraft Museum in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
Ju-87B
After checking this up in the book and looking at my own one, my instant thought was... INACCURATE 👎. This is too reminiscent of a single-engine fighter; specifically a silver P.51 Mustang American aircraft.
In fact, and as stated, this is a German Junkers Ju 88; a Luftwaffe bomber that could hold up to 500kg worth of explosives.
Credit: Aircraft of WW2 by Amber Books (link here)
From this quite confusing learning curve, I left a review on Amazon challenging the inaccuracies of this advent calendar, which I am sure will send aviation and war historians raging!
Tune into my 'blogmas' on my Facebook and Instagram page: @hbtheheritagebuddy if you want see what other aircraft is hiding in my hangar of an advent calendar on my story (which will now be my ragebait for the next 19 days); there are many more coming soon... as well as introducing you to a certain character (which will be a completely different post)!
During a gym workout session when taking a brisk walk on the treadmill, I received a WhatApp message from my father saying his colleague is doing a research project on an abandoned RAF and US Army Air Force (USSAF) airfield in Essex, and is inviting me along on the project. I met with my father's colleague soon after; he explained the history of the airfield on how it was one of the airfield for the Americans during Britain's alliance during the Second World War, then the RAF came in later. Despite being operational for only two years, the airfield also played a part on D-Day with the Glider Pilot Regiment, then onto Operation Market Garden (Battle of Arnhem), followed by the Rhine Crossing (Operation Varsity). A month later after holidaying and day trips, I booked myself into Imperial War Museum's research facility and requested to look at Bruce Stait's book, Rivenhall: An Essex Airfield and some documents to see what I could learn about the airfield. I then bought ...
Happy New Year! 2025 has had its ups and downs for me, but I have made so many memories big and small. There is some separate content for some of them (with the link I will list below) and the others I haven't written about, I'll provide a small paragraph as it is about lots of little things. Rather than chronological order which is relatively easy, I am going to provide my Top 10 moments of 2025: 10 - Joining HMS Belfast Association Being an ex-activity facilitating volunteer hoping to return; I joined HMS Belfast Association as a volunteer. It is mainly for the ship’s veterans and their families, but anyone with a connection to the ship can join as an associate member. I hope to learn more about the dear queen of the town-class light cruisers, as well as her animal mascots, particularly Frankenstein, which I have big plans for a special project! Watch this space for more! 😉 9 - Nautical sing-along Not quite like Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival ...
You may have heard of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and South Park's Mr Hanky, now get ready for... Squiffy the Christmas Spitfire! I bought this spitfire plush decoration from Imperial War Museum for the Christmas tree, whilst decorating it, I flew it around and knew I had to name it. The name Squiffy came from the Monty Python RAF Pilot sketch, as this word is suited well when pronounced by a stereotypical RAF pilot! Happy Christmas! 🎄 Do you have a special character you associate with Christmas or what is your favourite holiday activity? Please share it with me! I would love to wish all my friends, family, colleagues and fellow living historians/reenactors/costumed interpreters a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2026!
Comments
Post a Comment