WWII US Navy Vought OS2U Kingfisher Floatplane Photos 4.75x3 Tail Code ME 632
Rare Post-War 1945-48 Tail Code Era, Matched Pair, Kodak Velox Paper ConfirmedDESCRIPTIONA matched pair of original vintage photographs capturing a US Navy Vought OS2U Kingfisher, the Navy's primary shipboard observation and gunfire-spotting floatplane of World War II. The Kingfisher is instantly recognizable by its single central float, twin wing-mounted stabilizing floats, and two-man open canopy (pilot forward, radioman/gunner aft). This rugged little scout flew off battleships and cruisers across the Pacific and Atlantic and became famous for daring open-sea rescues, including plucking WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker from the water in 1942.This particular aircraft carries fuselage number 632 and tail code ME. The star-and-bar national insignia places the paint scheme after mid-1943, and the two-letter tail code style wasn't introduced by the Navy until July 1945, putting these photos in the transitional post-war window of roughly 1945-1948, a less commonly seen era for surviving Kingfisher photography compared to the flood of mid-war combat shots.The first print is a tight, striking side profile with the antenna mast, framed double canopy, and tail lettering all crisp and legible. The second is a wider anchorage scene with a second Kingfisher visible in the background and a figure wading in the shallows near the plane, giving genuine atmosphere and context to the seaplane's operating base. Both are printed on Kodak VELOX photographic paper, confirming these as authentic period prints, not later reproductions.Sold as a pair. Ships in a rigid photo mailer with archival sleeve.CONDITIONTwo original gelatin silver prints on Kodak VELOX paper stock, with period deckle (scalloped) edges intact on both. Light, even age toning consistent with genuine 80-year-old photographs. The profile print has a gently rounded upper-right corner with a faint crease near the tip, cosmetic only and not affecting the image area. No tears on either print. A small period reference number, 342P, is stamped on the back of one print. The profile print measures approximately 4.75 x 3 in.
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