Aircraft ID, help needed.

Thanks for all the input so far.

I've gone back to basics with the photo, something I really ought to have done in the first place.
On my screen the B-17 has a 50mm wingspan. As the real span is 104' give or take a few inches, that scales out at 1mm = 2.08'.

Aircraft No.1 therefore has a wingspan of roughly 40', aircraft No.2 a 48' wingspan.

The 401st had a small number of non-combat aircraft assigned at the time, the UC-64 Norseman visible was one of them. They also had a P-47 Thunderbolt for observing and guiding formation assembly, and an A-35 Vengeance air to air target tug.

A P-47's wingspan is 40' 9", whereas the P-51's is 37'.
The A-35 had a wingspan of 48'.

Those match up pretty well to the two unidentified aircraft, which are the right size and on the right dispersal.

This would mean the identities of the three planes are:
1: P-47C 41-6187
2: A-35B 41-31383
3: UC-64A 43-35438 (gained in exchange for Oxford DF399. 20/7/44.)

All the best,
PB

Good one PB, that got my grey cells working overtime:)

Pete

This is captioned as Molesworth but looks suspiciously like your quartet.

Or did all Base Flights have the same mix of aircraft?

By the middle of 1944 most 8AF bomb groups had acquired a collection of non-combat aircraft for a variety of uses; target-tugs, liaison aircraft, formation assembly observation etc.

All the aircraft in the above photo can be identified from the 303BG's roster.

Front row, left to right:

P-47D Thunderbolt 42-75614:
Assigned 303rd Bomb Group HQ April 1945. Group formation observation aircraft.
Formerly assigned 378th Fighter Squadron, 362th Fighter Group, 9AF.
Later assigned 384BG.

P-47D Thunderbolt 42-8567:
Assigned 41st Combat Bomb Wing HQ July 1944. Wing formation observation aircraft.
Formerly OC-W "We Four" of the 359th Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Group stationed at Martlesham Heath.

UC-78 Bobcat 43-32085:
Assigned 303BG HQ September 1944. General transport and liaison aircraft.
Was assigned to the 99th Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group, in Germany by December 1945.

L-4B Grasshopper 43-702:
Assigned 303BG HQ September 1944. General liaison aircraft.

Back row:
B-17F 42-29947 "Wabash Cannonball".
Ex-91st Bomb Group at Bassingbourn, transferred to 303BG HQ July 1943 as a "war-weary" aircraft, armament and turrets removed. Used for formation assembly and observation.
Transferred to Alconbury June 1945.

All the best,
PB

P wrote:

By the middle of 1944 most 8AF bomb groups had acquired a collection of non-combat aircraft for a variety of uses; target-tugs, liaison aircraft, formation assembly observation etc.

All the aircraft in the above photo can be identified from the 303BG's roster.

Front row, left to right:

P-47D Thunderbolt 42-75614:
Assigned 303rd Bomb Group HQ April 1945. Group formation observation aircraft.
Formerly assigned 378th Fighter Squadron, 362th Fighter Group, 9AF.
Later assigned 384BG.

P-47D Thunderbolt 42-8567:
Assigned 41st Combat Bomb Wing HQ July 1944. Wing formation observation aircraft.
Formerly OC-W "We Four" of the 359th Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Group stationed at Martlesham Heath.

UC-78 Bobcat 43-32085:
Assigned 303BG HQ September 1944. General transport and liaison aircraft.
Was assigned to the 99th Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group, in Germany by December 1945.

L-4B Grasshopper 43-702:
Assigned 303BG HQ September 1944. General liaison aircraft.

Back row:
B-17F 42-29947 "Wabash Cannonball".
Ex-91st Bomb Group at Bassingbourn, transferred to 303BG HQ July 1943 as a "war-weary" aircraft, armament and turrets removed. Used for formation assembly and observation.
Transferred to Alconbury June 1945.

All the best,
PB

HI paul
is this a L-4B
Taken at Sleap 20/02/10

That's Mr Latham's Piper J3C-65 G-BSFD, formerly registered in the USA as N88419, the original pre-war J3 Cub being the civil version of the military L-4.

G-BSFD's history is a little convoluted, but she could be a very late production L-4B that was refitted to civil spec in 1946. The number 16037 seems to be her manufacturer's contract number, but I've been unable to match that to any US Army/AAF order. She may have been renumbered following the rebuild.

All the best,
PB

P wrote:

That's Mr Latham's Piper J3C-65 G-BSFD, formerly registered in the USA as N88419, the original pre-war J3 Cub being the civil version of the military L-4.

G-BSFD's history is a little convoluted, but she could be a very late production L-4B that was refitted to civil spec in 1946. The number 16037 seems to be her manufacturer's contract number, but I've been unable to match that to any US Army/AAF order. She may have been renumbered following the rebuild.

All the best,
PB

Ive also tried to cross reference the number to no joy ,i sat in the old tower with the pilot having a cup of tea before he went out with his daughter flying on a local sortie

Here's Piper L-4H G-AISX, wearing her original wartime USAAF markings 43-30372. Her contract/manufacturer number is 11663.

Note the different window arrangement around the sides and rear of the cockpit compared to G-BSFD.

All the best,
PB

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P wrote:

Here's Piper L-4H G-AISX, wearing her original wartime USAAF markings 43-30372. Her contract/manufacturer number is 11663.

Note the different window arrangement around the sides and rear of the cockpit compared to G-BSFD.

All the best,
PB

Yes your right a lot longer window arrangement