P-63 PinBall

[Miles Linnabery]

Dear Friends:
This just came up on a Face book Group about Niagara Falls. Wonderful Picture from 1945, I am going to see if I can find out who the pilots are from the local Air Museum, I feel that the Plane would make a great Diorama as the base color was orange. there is info on Wickki peda about the variant of the plane. First Photo from 1945 in Black and White second photo from Air Force Museum in color of different plane. Got to love the nose art.
Enjoy,
Miles

[Butelczynski]

Murph did one of those.Yellow,not orange one but both color and side number are easy to change.

https://murphs-models.webs.com/bell-p-63-kingcobra

[Don Boose]

Great images of Pinball aircraft, Miles!

I agree that it would make a good diorama, and the concept of using an actual manned airplane as a live target for gunners using frangible bullets is fascinating.

Don

[MichaelS]

And don't forget the racers.

[John Dell]

Here is brief write up on Operation Pinball.

http://p63kingcobra.com/p63_operation_pinball.html

There is also an excellent book available on the subject.

https://www.amazon.com/Operation-Pinball-USAAFs-Gunnery-Program/dp/0879384727

YB-40s were also used during this program. The instructor would be in the front top turret and the gunner/student in the rear turret.

Here is a photo of a YB-40 named “PeaShooter” along with some P-63 “Pinballs”.

[John Dell]

I just found another nice photo of Pinball and PeaShooter on the ground.

[Don Boose]

Now there's a potential diorama!

Don

[Miles Linnabery]

Dear Friends:
Love historical research, what one can learn, I got out a Bell photo of the X-1 shot in black and White witch was orange and the P-63 is three shades of lighter gray in the photo. This makes it Murphs PinBall in yellow correct for this bird wonder if there was just one with the nose art or multiple ones painted. Next week hope to see if can ID pilots.
Enjoy
Miles

[zot]

They were first painted in Day-glo orange which became sun bleached to yellow very quickly. The multiple gray visible is probably evidence of varying degrees of sun faded Day-Glo paint.

[will44]

Originally Posted by Miles Linnabery

Dear Friends:
Love historical research, what one can learn, I got out a Bell photo of the X-1 shot in black and White witch was orange and the P-63 is three shades of lighter gray in the photo. This makes it Murphs PinBall in yellow correct for this bird wonder if there was just one with the nose art or multiple ones painted. Next week hope to see if can ID pilots.
Enjoy
Miles

The "pin-ball" P-63's were only in orange, possible the same orange as used on high visibility panels on aircraft in Alaska and other sow covered areas. I think the image of the aircraft and two officers is the first "pin-ball". Orange in color. A tricky thing those B&W photos. Yellow was considered a color for high visibility or Training in all services.....wouldn't want to be shooting at Navy "Yellow Perils".