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CONSOLIDATED AIRCRAFT & VULTEE GROUPING


rustywings
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Hi Rusty... Here's my variant of the Consolidated patch. Just who would have been entitled to wear these patches? Any Consolidated employee or selected personnel such as test pilots and technicians etc?

 

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Sabrejet

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Out of interest, here are some equivalents from Vega and Martin. It'd be great to build similar groupings around these manufacturers too!

 

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Some may remember my many posts showing the letters and related WWII military items I have from Raymond D. Samuelson. From his letters, which date back to mid 1941, I learned he was employed at the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in San Diego long before his enlistment in the Army. In fact, he was working there when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and several of his letters describe the panic on the West Coast in the days and weeks that followed.

 

I received from Mr. Samuelson's estate some additional items from his time at Consolidated Aircraft. I now have his original job application dated September 1941; his copy of an employee's suggestion proposal for better identifying the aircraft while on the assembly line; the certificate he received for this accepted suggestion; a letter and certificate acknowledging completion of the "B-24 Airplane Familiarization Course for Supervisors"; two certificates for perfect attendance; and a Consolidated Aircraft patch.

 

These wonderful items help tell the story of a "hero" who served his county both as a war worker and as a soldier. This history could have just as easily ended up in the trash and been lost forever. Here are a few of the items listed above...

 

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Here is the application to Consolidated. Since Mr. Samuelson has recently passed, I thought it okay to post. Included is a letter written to his girlfriend (later wife) telling of going down to Consolidated and applying. Note that he could not be hired at the time because he did not have his classification card. His mother had to mail it to him. He finally received the card October 9th and was hired October 10th. There is an example of a letter written using Consolidated stationary and a Consolidated newsletter he mailed home.

 

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Some great stuff there Rusty, this is an area that many collectors don't recognize and there is still some bargains out there when you search them out. The hub sure looks like the two pictured.

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B-24 hub with period Ford Aircraft shoulder patch depicting a B-24 as well.

 

I love the Ford B-24 stuff, and uncle of mine was a flight engineer on them in WW2 and helped ferry them from the Ford plant to places around the USA.

 

Also, I wonder how many of those yoke emblems lasted more than a week or two out of the factory before they disappeared into A2 jacket pockets as souvenirs?? :lol:

 

GREAT collection - nice to see something different like that!

 

MW

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Gents,

I greatly appreciate your rapid response and favorable comments. Please feel free to post any other similar or related collectibles.

 

Sabrejet,

Your Vega patch is a tough one to find. Thank you for posting your examples for comparison.

 

Siege1863,

You have some terrific items included in your Raymond Samuelson grouping! I especially like the Consolidated issued certificates. Thank you for taking the time to post these great tid-bits of US aviation

history.

 

Russ

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  • 1 month later...

Here's a neat WWII era propaganda clip promoting Ford's ability to produce one B-24 Bomber every 55 minutes off the Willow Run assembly line. If you're a B-24 fan, this is classic footage.

 

bomber_plantwmv

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RUSS, great stuff. But you can't talk about CONVAIR unless you mention Consolidated Airways Corporation, commonly called CONSAIRWAY. A short history of the corporation follows. CONSAIRWAY operated the major air transport routes in the Pacific under contract to ATC, AAF. Will be posting some of thier insignia and information in subsequent posts. First posting is CONSAIRWAY's flight jacket insignia. This may be a patch produced for a CONSAIRWAY reunion, don't believe it is WW2 vintage.

 

23 APR 1942: Established at Lindberg Field, San Diego, California, as a subsidiary of Consolidated Aircraft Corporation

under contract to Air Transport Command (AAF)

 

17 MAR 1943: CONSAIRWAY’s parent company, Consolidated Aircraft, merged with Vultee Aircraft to become Consolidated-

Vultee Aircraft Corporation, commonly known as CONVAIR

 

15 DEC 1943: CONSAIRWAY Headquarters moved to Fairfield-Suisun AAB, Fairfield, California

 

01 JAN 1946: CONSAIRWAY contract with Air Transport Command terminated

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Nest two pictures are:

 

Senior Navigator Wing (Russ, I have always thought this is a navigator wings because of the globe in the center. This makes it similar to the AAF navigator wing. You have any data/;info that positively IDs this a a pilot wing?)

 

War Savings Bond Drive Pin

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Last but not least is a CONSAIRWAY Flight Officer's Military ID Card. This guy is either a navigator, radio operator or flight engineer, as he is wearing a single ATC Civilian Rank Pin on his right collar. Also notice the ATC Civilian DI on the left collar.

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Hello Cookieman,

Thank you for the additional postings and information on Consairway. Regarding your Consolidated Vultee wing with attached star, like you, I was of the opinion it represented a Senior Navigator badge. But a few years ago, I showed my wing with the spherical design to a curator at the the San Diego Air & Space Museum and he told me the wing represented Pilot status, not Navigator. I know that's not the documentation either of us is looking for, but that's all I have at this point. I hope someone here on the Forum will come forward with a photograph, illustration, or additional information to help clear up the identity of these wings.

 

Russ

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  • 8 months later...

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