Douglas A-20 Havoc "Fancy Pants" makes a successful wheels-up landing in Italy in late 1944

[@user-qt3si2wo7y]

Those guys acting like just another flight no big deal, what a special breed those men were...

[@williamturner1517]

Given a chance to fly a WW2 aircraft, it would be the A-20. Great looking twin. Single pilot.

[@fasold2164]

Fortunately for all of us, they will never give you the chance to fly a WW II aircraft...

[@bradster1708]

@@fasold2164 That's a harsh comment mate! For all you know he may be a veteran pilot and if he isn't, well a man can dream can't he?

[@pizzafrenzyman]

The B-25 has more firepower, heavier bombload, greater range, more robust against damage, and the top speed is comparable.

[@telesniper2]

@@pizzafrenzyman no, the A-20 is about 20% faster. Not even close.

[@Mrfrenchdeux]

Nice britches, they stayed on in the breeze.

[@enedenedubedene4811]

Das nenn ich eine gelungene Notlandung.😍😍😍😍😍👍👍👍👍 Viele Grüße aus Germany

[@biddyboy1570]

That looked like a good landing in the circumstances.

[@bradster1708]

It was probably the smoothest landing of his career.

[@Einwetok]

That was an awesome landing.

[@BigSkyCurmudgeon]

to think these were 21-24 yrs old at most. Salute!

[@bigblue6917]

Interestingly one of the things common to the British, American and German armed forces that any commander who was in his mid twenties was often referred to as 'the old man.'

[@pak3ton]

im not sure but maybe in the late stages of the war at the very beginning were veterans the one who fled planes

[@LoftusRoadLad]

Very nice landing. Tricky plane to fly so I believe.

[@bigblue6917]

I think that reputation came from those who lacked experience in flying and as so often happens with such things the notion spread. I seem to remember an experienced pilot would put on quite and exhibition of flying which showed what it could do. which restored confidence in the aircraft.

[@teddychalgren]

Monday night 17 January 2022. Awesome, thanks.

[@hunter111uk]

Nicely Done! 👏

[@bigblue6917]

Skipper. I have this feeling we forgot something.

[@dickdastardly635]

Good one , though it did happen .

[@PenDragonsPig]

I love the A20- it’s a sexy beast. And apparently perfect for belly landings- who needs wheels anyway?

[@one0nine]

My dude had that hatch open and was standing up in the seat before the damn thing stopped sliding!

[@JackFlemingFan1]

Thanks for posting this video! I wonder if "Fancy Pants" was repaired or was she used for parts to keep other A-20 Havoc's flying?

[@hw97karbine]

Some WWII aircraft have well cataloged histories by serial number, alas the A-20 is not one of them.

[@johnsanabria3279]

If that is the case,do we know that "Fancy Pants" made this wheels up landing in Italy? I ask because the star and blue roundel was used in 1942 and the early part of 1943 until the red border of the star/bar was created and started in August 1943.

[@johnsanabria3279]

I should add that the number 32 large enough on the tailplane would indicate it to be a training aircraft.

[@hw97karbine]

@john sanabria the large tail number was typical of A-20s in combat in Italy, see kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYCspmSQiqx7nJo and kzbin.info/www/bejne/amPRfmxjpZdrj8U

[@francescoguzzetta]

It looks like Puglia region, by the landscape

[@dickdastardly635]

What's that old expression . " Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing ".

[@kevinkent6184]

Hw 97 karbine very good airgun I have one in .22 very accurate rifle

[@telesniper2]

I like the British copy (Tx200) better. Pegged an obnoxious starling at 75 yards that was way up in a Sycamore tree (high angle shot). Trying to keep them away from where my buddy details cars, heh

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@telesniper210-22 with CCI Quiets works for me

[@allgood6760]

Good landing one you can walk away from.

[@aaaht3810]

The crew certainly got the hell out of there.

[@pizzafrenzyman]

I've watched this video 5 times and I've determined that if the aircraft had landed wheels down it would have been saved from the scrap heap.

[@whydoyouactlikethat]

I liked those American Spitfires in the beginning. Also, was dude smoking a cig next to the crashed plane when the crew was posing?

[@hw97karbine]

It was a different time.

[@61diemai]

Back in the day the media had never scared the shit out of people. They also rode their bikes without wearing helmets back then or they did not panic, when a few inches of snow were forecast.

[@82ghall]

the guy in the nose i saw him run away but couldn't where he got out

[@Jim5988]

he popped out of the rear gunners hatch, you can just about see it at around 0:44

[@yes_head]

With that nose art I'm guessing this didn't make the weekly newsreels back home.

[@OakInch]

I think you assuming the gender on the picture. It could be a dude, or anything else "on the spectrum". Also, those pilots were probably all fruits, according to modern rewrites of history. If it wasn't for all the lesbians at Iwo Jima, we'd have lost the war, entirely. You should be more careful with your micro aggression.

[@davidb6576]

@@OakInch Calm down, the world's not as frightening as you think.

[@OakInch]

@@davidb6576 Thanks for talking me down.

[@boxhawk5070]

@@davidb6576 Um, sarcasm....

[@boxhawk5070]

1:44 very brief close up.

[@johnshallman508]

great skill - looking at the insignia. that is probably in late 42 or early 43

[@michaelplanchunas3693]

My guess is this was filmed at a California airbase due to desert, line of homes on far side of field. Perhaps March AFB or Indio AFB, Indio, CA.

[@guaporeturns9472]

Nah , probably the Mediterranean.. Italy or somewhere similar.

[@Jackdaw5]

Yes, that must be right. The Italian Campaign of 1944, fought in California, USA. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Madey289]

Cool

[@hoodoo2001]

Note the reverse lend-lease Spitfire V in the video.

[@paoloviti6156]

Any idea were this place is, possibly in Latina about 50 km south of Rome?

[@hw97karbine]

I'm afraid it wasn't specified in the source footage.

[@Jackdaw5]

Foggia?

[@JGCR59]

I guess it's pants were to fancy to drop ;) Seriously a fine belly landing, I wonder what became of crew and plane

[@pietroseven8228]

And without flaps! Maybe he wants avoid to have bigger AOA on final!

[@SanoyNimbus]

Good that model of aircraft didn't have a belly gunner ... what I heard in some aircraft the belly gunners couldn't climb up in the fuselage and hardly get out during emergency at all ...

[@hoodoo2001]

You need to do more research and stop throwing out words like "some" and "hardly". They are nonsensical words. And look at the actual stats, not the stats thrown out by people on the internet with nothing to back them up.

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@hoodoo2001Why so angry , fighting with your boyfriend? That’s no excuse to come on here and be confrontational to a complete stranger… maybe you should make your boyfriend a nice steak dinner tonight and try to make up with him.

[@azonicrider32]

Adjust playback speed to 1.25 for realism.

[@standupstraight9691]

would they repair this aircraft or write it off?

[@andersforsbergmalmsten6290]

Hard to tell. Depends a lot on stuff like the level of structural damage and so forth. But planes having been through belly landings could absolutely have damaged parts (like the props in this case) swapped out and be put back into service if they weren't too beat up otherwise.

[@bradster1708]

@@andersforsbergmalmsten6290 A bent propeller is much more serious than it may seem. It usually means the engine will have to be inspected at best for a possible damaged crank shaft and possibly junked if damage is too great.

[@andersforsbergmalmsten6290]

@@bradster1708 thanks for the info :-) I suppose they could swap out the entire engines, provided they had spares. And I also forgot to mention: how far they'd go to fix and put an aircraft back into service depended on how badly they needed it at the given time and place. In theaters where they where, for example, in short supply they'd try their best to get it back into service, or otherwise strip it for every usable spare part they could get. If every single aircraft weren't as critical, or worn out or more easily replaced I think they're more likely to simply write it off.

[@bradster1708]

@@andersforsbergmalmsten6290 I agree with you 100%, everything you say is true. They would do everything they could to keep aircraft in service if they are needed and engines can be swapped and removed engines can be rebuilt and reused. Sunken warships were often refloated, repaired and put back into service. In the same way, captured equipment was usually always used again . At absolute worst if an aircraft or other vehicle is too badly damaged to repair it will be saved so that parts can be used to repair other aircraft. Cheers mate!

[@jfalck1972]

rear gunner wasnt even seat belted in, he almost fell out.

[@Mangoshake2021]

@@ericprothero6080A little uptight? just relax

[@effoednagy1]

@@ericprothero6080 I think he's confusing the hatch/door with the gunner flailing out of the plane

[@AML2000]

@@ericprothero6080 Between around the 33 and 36 second mark you can see him open the rear hatch, and try to get out before the plane stopped. It looks like he fell back in, or got back in voluntarily before finally getting out when the plane stopped.

[@onequestiononly]

@@AML2000 You seem to be correct. He may have just belted-off as it hit the ground and then tried to prepare to exit as soon as the plane stopped, but indeed he seems to get knocked over, hit the plane roof and slide back into his seat, until the plane stops. Good spot. I am 99% sure the only thing these guys were thinking once that plane hits the deck is to get the hell outta there ASAP before the fuel goes up with them onboard.

[@Flying2ZC]

I'd have been running as soon as she touched :-). great hold off and landing with no flare. which is why he didnt use flaps, Im guessing to keep his attitude level and prevent floating on further and hitting something worse

[@hoodoo2001]

Fancy pants is going to need some new engines, props, underwear....

[@n176ldesperanza7]

Landing gear up is easy. Taxiing is harder.

[@user-ht5bs2pz8z]

韓国軍のF-35の胴体着陸かと思ったよ。

[@peatmoss4415]

Those should have wheels underneath.

[@barrygrant2907]

Textbook belly landing. The only thing better would have been to cut the engines a bit sooner to avoid the props striking the ground.

[@LoftusRoadLad]

The props were always going to strike the deck.

[@Flying2ZC]

I'll forgive and I bet his crew did too. Crew Chief- nah not so much! PIlot probably didn't trust both props or engines cooperating and asymmetric feathering or shutting down would cause yaw on landing ending in a ground loop possibly. Im also betting he was battle damaged in other areas too.

[@alexandertach8076]

А в союзе бы за такое сразу в штрафбат