March Field Airshow
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In 1937, my father, Richard Lockett, was fifteen years old and attended Santa Ana High School. In September 1937 he attended an airshow at March Army Air Field. It featured fighters, bombers, attack planes, and transports. It was a world in which Martin B-10s were old type bombers and Douglas B-18 Bolos were new type bombers. The transport had retractable landing gear and the fighter had fixed wheels. It was notable if an airplane was "all metal".
Boeing P-26A Peashooter. The badge on the side of the fuselage reads, "Victory by Valor". Dad labeled his print "low wing pursuit plane".
Douglas C-33 is a military transport version of the DC-2. Dad labeled his print "army transport plane".
Martin B-10B bomber 35-241. The wings and fuselage appear to be painted the same color. Dad labeled his print "old type of bomber".
Martin B-10B bomber 35-241. Note that B-18 36-288 in the background appears to be painted a dark shade, perhaps olive green.
Douglas Dolphin amphibian served ithe US Army Air Corps under the designations C-21, C-26, and C-29. This one has the number 142 on its rear fuselage. Dad labeled his print "army amphibian".
Mass airpower circa 1937: a flight of six Douglas B-18 Bolos.
The Norman Rockwellesque crowd gazes aloft at the flight of six Douglas B-18 Bolo bombers.
Douglas B-18 Bolo #211. Dad labeled his print "new type of bomber".
Martin B-10 or B-12 bomber with a dark fuselage and light wings may be painted blue and yellow. Dad labeled his print "old type of bomber".
Douglas B-18 Bolo #211 has its not particularly aerodynamic dorsal turret extended.
Northrop A-17 Nomad is painted and equipped with wheel pants on its fixed landing gear. Dad labeled his print "older type attack plane".
Northrop A-17A Nomad is bare metal and has retractable landing gear. Dad labeled his print "attack plane (all metal)".
Gunner's station in a Northrop A-17A Nomad.
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