"Felix Over Diamondhead, 1935"
May 1935. A flight of Boeing F4B-4 fighters from the USS Saratoga's FIGHTING 6 forms up on a Marine
Corps J2F Grumman Duck over the island of Oahu. Far below, CV-3 and her escort of flush deck
destroyers begins rounding Diamondhead en route to Pearl Harbor's main channel. They will easily
make it before the sun sets. Since joining the Fleet in 1928, Saratoga and her sister ship USS
Lexington frequently operated together in Hawaiin waters, causing confusion among some aviators
who attempted landings on the wrong ship. To set them apart, Saratoga sported a black stripe on her
stack for many of her pre-war years. By 1939, that stripe would sport a large white letter "E", with two
hash marks, signifying that her crew had been recognized three times for Excellence in Engineering.
Since the late 1920's, various airwings have used Felix the Cat as their mascot. By the early 30's, VF-6,
based on Saratoga until 1936, was the official residence of this once-famous cartoon character. Later,
during WW2, the mascot was adopted by VF-3 where he adorned the F6F Hellcats off the USS
Yorktown. Today, he rides with the F-14 Tomcats off the USS John C. Stennis. But when he flew with
FIGHTING 6 in 1935, he rode one of the most manueverable aircraft ever to see service with the US
Navy. Boeing's little biplane fighter, their last to be manufactured, was said to be so nimble that all one
had to do to execute a turn was to put an arm out of the cockpit. Note that each fighter sports a white
"E" beneath the cockpit. This denotes Excellence in Aerial Gunnery.
Corps J2F Grumman Duck over the island of Oahu. Far below, CV-3 and her escort of flush deck
destroyers begins rounding Diamondhead en route to Pearl Harbor's main channel. They will easily
make it before the sun sets. Since joining the Fleet in 1928, Saratoga and her sister ship USS
Lexington frequently operated together in Hawaiin waters, causing confusion among some aviators
who attempted landings on the wrong ship. To set them apart, Saratoga sported a black stripe on her
stack for many of her pre-war years. By 1939, that stripe would sport a large white letter "E", with two
hash marks, signifying that her crew had been recognized three times for Excellence in Engineering.
Since the late 1920's, various airwings have used Felix the Cat as their mascot. By the early 30's, VF-6,
based on Saratoga until 1936, was the official residence of this once-famous cartoon character. Later,
during WW2, the mascot was adopted by VF-3 where he adorned the F6F Hellcats off the USS
Yorktown. Today, he rides with the F-14 Tomcats off the USS John C. Stennis. But when he flew with
FIGHTING 6 in 1935, he rode one of the most manueverable aircraft ever to see service with the US
Navy. Boeing's little biplane fighter, their last to be manufactured, was said to be so nimble that all one
had to do to execute a turn was to put an arm out of the cockpit. Note that each fighter sports a white
"E" beneath the cockpit. This denotes Excellence in Aerial Gunnery.
Here at Ozark Airfield Artworks we offer a large selection art prints. These prints mainly
depict modern and historic aviation along with military, civil and space flight. We also deal
with naval subjects and military armor and infantry works. These prints are from all the top
national and international artists along with some local artists. Many of our prints are
signed by the artist and by famous pilots and veterans. If you are looking for a specific
plane, pilot, artist or subject please contact us.
depict modern and historic aviation along with military, civil and space flight. We also deal
with naval subjects and military armor and infantry works. These prints are from all the top
national and international artists along with some local artists. Many of our prints are
signed by the artist and by famous pilots and veterans. If you are looking for a specific
plane, pilot, artist or subject please contact us.
Copyright © Ozark Airfield Artworks 2005 All Rights Reserved
| All images are copyrighted by the individual artist and may not be reproduced without their consent. |
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Ozark Airfield Artworks
See our great selection of
artists like Sam Lyons,
John D Shaw, Robert
Bailey, & Thomas Smith!
artists like Sam Lyons,
John D Shaw, Robert
Bailey, & Thomas Smith!