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American Aviation

Pilots of VF-17 Fighter run to their planes aboard USS Hornet, Feb 1945.
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I spent the night on the USS Hornet just a couple months ago! It is a "Museum Ship" now.
 
US Navy Hellcat fighter launched from the hangar deck catapult on USS Hornet. An experimental arrangement on the Essex-class carriers, the hangar catapult was dropped before war's end due to limited utility and practicality. Only USS Hornet kept hers through the end of the war.
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Lt. Edwin Wright of the 404th Fighter Group shows off the damage caused by flak to his P-47 Thunderbolt. USAAF airfield near Sint-Truiden, Belgium, Oct 1944.
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E. Wright, just over 19 yrs. old, just returned from his 39th mission- over Munster. He got hit by flak but continued on his mission dropped his bombs, did a spot of strafing and returned. When he got back he found a hole 8ins. in diameter through his 11ins. diameter prop blade, caused by a direct hit shell. If the shell had deviated an inch and a half either side, his blade would have severed and he would have been brought down. This is the 6th time that Wright has been hit by Flak and is now known as “Lucky Wright”. He has 5 and a half months of combat to his credit and 39 missions.’ -
Edwin Wright flew a total of 88 missions in P-47 Thunderbolts over Europe during WWII. He left the Army in 1946 after the war and was again called up for the Korean Conflict in 1950. He retired from the USAF as a Major. Wright passed away in 1959, from lung cancer, age 34.
 
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