About This File
FSX Grumman F6F5 VF27 Paul Drury. This texture represents the F6F-5 Hellcat white 10, 'PAOLI LOCAL' of Ens Paul E Drury, VF-27, USS Princeton, 24 October 1944. This machine was not flown by its regular pilot, 6.5-kill ace Paul Drury, on 24 October. Such was the hurry to scramble VF-27's fighters, pilots strapped into whatever aircraft they could find serviceable-not that an unfamiliar cockpit put Drury off for he downed three fighters in the bloody clash. Named after a Philadelphia commuter train that he used to catch near his home, Drury's PAOLI LOCAL was flown into combat on this fateful day by recently-arrived replacement pilot Ens O L Scott, who was subsequently shot down and killed-VF-27's only aerial loss on this day. By Brian Hill.