Aircraft of the Kentucky Air National Guard
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2022 8:05 am
My goal is to get (in 1/48 scale) the aircraft they flew. I have the C-130, an F-84, a C-47, an AT-6 (well, a Texan), a F-86 (on order), a P-51D (on order) and I need to get an RB-57, an RF-101, an RF-4. I cannor find the L-5 Sentinel in 1/48 or in anything but vacuform. Not going there. I am not sure if I will get the J-model C-130 to throw in the mix.
These guys are awesome. One of the most decorated units in the USAF. Their lineage can be somewhat traced back to the 1920s, sort of.
There was an article stating the KY Guard may get an aero company, but the first known aviator was Bee R. Osborne, who was licensed in 1916.
Jumping to the post-WW2 time, the Kentucky Air Guard was formed in 1947. The 359th Fighter Group and the 368th Fighter Squadron who has achieved such success in World War II were redesignated as the 123rd Fighter Group and the 165th Fighter Squadron
and allotted to Kentucky along with the previous colors and battle credits including the Presidential
Unit Citation.
As a totally irrrevalent side note, I worked with the son of one of the KY ANG commanders, Gen. Phillip Ardery. Ardery was a B-24 pilot in WW 2.
In some history notes I've found, they flew
1946 - P-51 Mustang
1952 - F-84 Thunderjet
1956 - F-86 Sabre
1958 - RB-57 Canberra
1965 - RF-101 Voodoo
1976 - RF-4C Phantom
1989 - C-130 B Hercules
1992 - C-130 H Hercules
C-130 J Hercules
Also,
they flew a C-47, AT-6 and an L-5. I'm sure there have been other support a/c along the way.
In Memoriam – Kentucky Air National Guard
There are a number of others, including at least one crew of a C-130 that crashed on landing at Owensboro KY (I think). Finding was that a squat switch failed and the props went into reverse before touch down.
This gentleman, Capt. Thomas F. Mantel, was the first airman lost by the KYANG. He was lost chasing a UFO. One of the first, if not the first, such incident.
Anyway, long winded, but heartfelt. My daughter-in-law was a photographer in the 123rd Airlift Wing. I don't know if she can help with contacts or not. Seems like we talked about this at one time. Good news is the 51,84, 86 were BMF, the 101 was, but I seem to remember it being done up in SEA schemes, too. I worked for the FAA during my summers off from college. It was so much fun to watch them operate ... they would put on quite the show leaving. The F-4s were in SEA and the C-130s the dark gray.
Any comments, advice, research help, etc. would be appreciated.
These guys are awesome. One of the most decorated units in the USAF. Their lineage can be somewhat traced back to the 1920s, sort of.
There was an article stating the KY Guard may get an aero company, but the first known aviator was Bee R. Osborne, who was licensed in 1916.
Jumping to the post-WW2 time, the Kentucky Air Guard was formed in 1947. The 359th Fighter Group and the 368th Fighter Squadron who has achieved such success in World War II were redesignated as the 123rd Fighter Group and the 165th Fighter Squadron
and allotted to Kentucky along with the previous colors and battle credits including the Presidential
Unit Citation.
As a totally irrrevalent side note, I worked with the son of one of the KY ANG commanders, Gen. Phillip Ardery. Ardery was a B-24 pilot in WW 2.
In some history notes I've found, they flew
1946 - P-51 Mustang
1952 - F-84 Thunderjet
1956 - F-86 Sabre
1958 - RB-57 Canberra
1965 - RF-101 Voodoo
1976 - RF-4C Phantom
1989 - C-130 B Hercules
1992 - C-130 H Hercules
C-130 J Hercules
Also,
they flew a C-47, AT-6 and an L-5. I'm sure there have been other support a/c along the way.
In Memoriam – Kentucky Air National Guard
There are a number of others, including at least one crew of a C-130 that crashed on landing at Owensboro KY (I think). Finding was that a squat switch failed and the props went into reverse before touch down.
This gentleman, Capt. Thomas F. Mantel, was the first airman lost by the KYANG. He was lost chasing a UFO. One of the first, if not the first, such incident.
Anyway, long winded, but heartfelt. My daughter-in-law was a photographer in the 123rd Airlift Wing. I don't know if she can help with contacts or not. Seems like we talked about this at one time. Good news is the 51,84, 86 were BMF, the 101 was, but I seem to remember it being done up in SEA schemes, too. I worked for the FAA during my summers off from college. It was so much fun to watch them operate ... they would put on quite the show leaving. The F-4s were in SEA and the C-130s the dark gray.
Any comments, advice, research help, etc. would be appreciated.
