B-45 identity

MalcolmClarke

I have a 50 year old image (B & W of course) of a B-45 taken at RAF Brize Norton.

The tail markings are 89 with 7089 below and the marking on the rear of the fuselage is BE-089.

Any idea as to the identity please?

Malcolm.

FBE

http://cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-bin/gzUsafSearch.pl?target=089&content=B-45A

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/1946.html

try these sides

Greetings Fritz

MalcolmClarke

Many thanks Fritz.

I have obtained ....

North American B-45A-5-NA Tornado

reg 47-02389

cn 147-43489

Sadly a no longer extant airframe but I now have some more useful bookmarks!

Malcolm.

GlennE.Chatfield

Actually, you have the c/n correct but the Air Force serial number would be 47-089

MalcolmClarke

My bad, Glenn and many thanks for the correction.

I erroneously assumed that the US military serials had a minimum of 4 numerals so I have learnt something here.

I should have 'Googled as a cross check and having now done so, I see an image of the airframe on The National Museum of the US Air Force website showing 089 and the entire 47th LBW prior to relocation to Sculthorpe, UK in July 1952.

The lack of EXIF data from father's Kodak folding bellows camera doesn't help me to date the photo but am guessing at 1955. RAF Brize Norton was a short hop on my Francis Barnett from the family home in Oxford - girl friend on the back - married 50 years this year!

My image is nothing to get excited about but will upload it despite it's obvious poor quality and amateurish framing!

Malcolm.

GlennE.Chatfield

I'll be looking forward to the photo. I have some old shots that are the greatest, as do others on the site, but they are unique and often the only shots of a particular bird on the 'net.

As for minimum of 4 numerals, I'm not certain, but it appears that the military did later go to a minimum of four numerals, and there are lots of references to older aircraft were extra zeros are added in front of the numbers to total at least four. For both B-45's I have posted, 45-010 and 45-017, I have placed the extra zero in the profile as I have seen in later references, so mine are posted as 45-0010 and 45-0017.

Congrats on the 50th! You're 17 ahead of me.

FBE

I guess no one expect digital image quality from a 50 years old picture, please load it up

MalcolmClarke

It's there now as 47-089.

Glenn - I think you mean't 48-0010 & 48-0017!

Should my serial be amended to 47-0089?

Malcolm.

FBE

very nice Malcolm!!

Have you ever tried NeatImage to reduce noise?

http://www.neatimage.com/download.html

A testversion with limited functions is for free!

ItÂ´s very useful especially when pictures are scanned. I also use it in the aftermath of every slide scan process!

Greetings Fritz

MalcolmClarke

Hello Fritz.

I use NeatImage quite frequently but I held back on this one as I am unsure whether to smooth out an old image or to leave it with the grain as maybe would be expected.

Is there some way of pasting an image into a forum message and then you may judge for yourself?

Malcolm.

FBE

as I wrote, very nice picture! Thank you for it. At the time these acÂ´s have flown, none even had a thought on me. I can remember Danish F-100 flying over me when I was a child ...

GlennE.Chatfield

Malcolm,

You're right - I had a brain lapse when I put 45-0010/0017. I was thinking B-45! They are both 48-XXXX

As for adding the extra zero, I would just leave it as you have it. I used the extra one to keep all my photos consistent.

Nice photo!