Author

Till Daisd

Till is an aviation enthusiast blogger who has been writing since 2013. He started out writing about personal readings since expanded his blog to include information and stories about all aspects of aviation. Till's blog is a go-to source for anyone interested in learning more about aviation, whether you're a pilot or just a curious onlooker.

Helicopters

Due to tail cracks, 19 of the 23 CH-148 Cyclones were forced to land

by Till Daisd June 22, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Most of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Maritime fleet of CH-148 Cyclone helicopters is undergoing repairs after cracks were found in the tails of the aircraft

Most of the Royal Canadian Air Force‘s Maritime fleet of CH-148 Cyclone helicopters is undergoing repairs after cracks were found in the tails of the aircraft.

“12 Wing Shearwater, which encompasses the entire fleet, is prioritizing the order of repair to maximize return to serviceability for each aircraft,” according to a Department of National Defense statement to CBC News on Dec. 4, 2021.

Cracks were found in three more CH-148s after they were found on one of the Sikorsky-made helicopters during routine maintenance on Nov. 26, 2021.

After CBC News requested clarification on the number of helicopters affected and where they were based, the RCAF replied that 19 out of the 23 CH-148 aircraft were found to have a cracking problem. Two were found to have no cracking and the remaining two are in long-term maintenance and have not yet been inspected.

For “reasons of operational security,” the department declined to say how recently two unaffected aircraft entered service or where they are located.

While 17 of the aircraft are based in Nova Scotia and six in Pat Bay, B.C., to support the Royal Canadian Navy’s Pacific fleet, the entire fleet is encompassed within 12 Wing Shearwater.

Sikorsky is working with the RCAF to make repairs, according to the department. Experts belonging to the service estimate that the repairs to some of the aircraft will be completed in “the next few days.”

The issue with the Cyclones has had some impact on flood-relief operations in B.C., where helicopters from 443 Squadron, operating from their base at Patricia Bay, were supposed to provide support, the statement said. It said other air assets have been able to fill the gap instead.

Sikorsky and Canada’s Department of National Defence, lead a team that has designed, built, and configured the CH-148 Cyclone for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), maritime search and rescue (SAR), overland operations, and utility missions.

Based on the Sikorsky S-92, as Canada’s first true intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) helicopter, the fly-by-wire Cyclone is equipped with a fully integrated mission system, modern sensors, and a multi-mission cabin — providing a quantum leap in maritime helicopter capability.

Entry into service with the Royal Canadian Air Force occurred in mid-2018 aboard one of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates.

The full operational capability of the fleet is scheduled for 2022.

Photo by Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada via Wikipedia

June 22, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

A-7 Corsair II pilot once used a $40K AGM-62 Walleye to destroy a $2K broken-down pickup truck blocking a road intersection during the Vietnam War

by Till Daisd June 22, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The AGM-62 Walleye

The Martin Marietta AGM-62 Walleye, although designated as an air-to-ground missile (AGM), was actually an unpowered glide bomb guided to its target by a television camera attached to its nose.

The pilot’s television screen received a picture of the target from the Walleye’s camera. The pilot fired the weapon after he “locked” onto the target. The Walleye’s onboard guidance system adjusted its direction by independently comparing the locked image with the current image. The Walleye was dubbed a “fire and forget” weapon since the pilot did not have to control the bomb to the intended target.

When a target was well-contrasted with its surroundings, walleyes had no issue hitting it; they struggled when the contrast was not enough. In addition, the weapon’s light weight rendered it useless against structures like bridges.

Using a $40K precision weapon to take out a $2K broken-down pickup truck

The AGM-62 worked well against pickup trucks, as David Tussey, former US Navy A-7E Corsair II, explains on Quora;

‘When I first joined Naval Aviation, a number of senior pilots had flown in Vietnam. They flew A-7s, A-4s, and A-1s(!) on ground attack missions.

‘One A-7 guy told me this story of being diverted from his primary mission (due to weather) and was handed off to a Forward Air Controller (FAC). He was instructed to destroy a broken-down pickup truck that was blocking a road intersection.

‘The only weapon he had was a TV-guided precision weapon, the AGM-62 Walleye.

‘And so, it went…he targeted the broken-down pickup truck with the Walleye, and destroyed it.’

Tussey Concludes;

‘So…we took a precision weapon costing about $40K and in short supply, and took out a $2K broken-down pickup truck. Good grief!

‘But it was a good example of pretty specific targeting — a single truck.’

US Navy A-7 pilot recalls when a Corsair II driver used a $40K AGM-62 Walleye to destroy a $2K broken-down pickup truck blocking a road intersection during the Vietnam War — An AGM-62 Walleye glide bomb mounted on the wing pylon of a US Navy Ling-Temco-Vought A-7C Corsair II

Photo by U.S. Navy

June 22, 2024 0 comment

History

40 years ago, NATO aircraft operated on German autobahn: the story of the biggest exercise to date to use a highway as improvised airfield

by Till Daisd June 21, 2024

written by Till Daisd

NATO aircraft land on German autobahn

In 1984, forty years ago, an exercise involving many nations was carried out by NATO aircraft to evaluate the alliance’s ability to use specific prepared sections of the German autobahn as emergency airstrips.

According to the US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Facebook page, the West German government developed 23 distinct autobahn sections that could be transformed into airstrips in less than twenty-four hours, employing concepts similar to today’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE). This included building guardrails that were simple to remove, burying phone and electrical lines close to the strips, and designating areas where NATO forces could establish command and support capabilities required to run an airfield.

40 years ago, NATO aircraft operated on German autobahn: the story of the biggest exercise to date to use a highway as improvised airfield

There could be two uses for these airstrips. First, the autobahn airstrips could be used as a backup in case the Warsaw Pact destroyed NATO airbases in West Germany. Secondly, in the case of a war with the Warsaw Pact, the airstrips may provide NATO with the airfield capacity to handle additional aircraft in West Germany.

HIGHWAY 84 Exercise

The HIGHWAY 84 Exercise tested one of these strips. A section of the A29 near Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony (in northwestern Germany, near the former RAF Ahlhorn) had just been completed and had not been opened to traffic. This was the ideal chance to test a section of the autobahn without too much inconvenience to West Germans.

Over several days, West German, American, British, French, Dutch, Belgian, Norwegian, and Danish aircraft took turns landing, refueling, and rearming on the prepared airstrip. The exercise demonstrated the airstrip’s capability to handle a range of aircraft, including F-15s, F-16s, F-104s, A-10s, C-130s, French Mirages, and British Tornados, while also providing NATO members with an opportunity to practice using the airstrip. For the exercise, specialists in airfield operations erected temporary lighting, communications, and other systems for the exercise.

The ACE concept

Since 1984 and ever since, the idea of using highways as emergency airstrips has persisted. Since then, USAF A-10s have practiced highway landings as part of the ACE concept in both Estonia and the US.

A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, a MQ-9 Reaper, MC-130J Commando II, and MH-6 Little Bird helicopters landed and took off on Wyoming’s Highways 287 and 789 in April and May of 2023. On June 29, 2022, M-28, one of Michigan’s longest, flattest, straightest highways, saw the landing of C-146 Wolfhound, U-28A Draco, and A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft instead.

The exercise featured several firsts, including the first time a US Air Force aircraft had weapons (in the form of AIM-9 Sidewinders, JDAM bombs, AGM-65 Mavericks, rockets, and targeting pods) loaded on a public highway. The weapons used in the exercise were inert. A-10s performed a similar training exercise in August 2021 on highway M-32 near Alpena. Moreover, A-10 aircraft from the Michigan National Guard previously landed on highways in Haapsalu, Estonia, during Exercise Saber Strike 18.

Furthermore, the air forces of Sweden and Finland frequently practice landings on sections of their respective highways. However, HIGHWAY 84 was a successful proof of concept and NATO’s biggest exercise to date to test the idea.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and NATO

June 21, 2024 0 comment

History

The real secret behind P-51B/C/D Mustang range

by Till Daisd June 20, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The P-51 Mustang

The secret to controlling the ground turned out to be controlling the air. The Allied success relied heavily on the long-range P-51 Mustang fighter, enabling the resumption of strategic bombing after heavy losses suffered by unescorted bombers in 1943. American warplanes of the highest caliber throughout the conflict were those built for export to Britain and then converted by the British to employ the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.

The first P-51B/C Mustangs with Merlin engines saw action in Europe in December 1943. The US bombing campaign against Germany greatly benefited from the long-range, high-altitude escort these P-51s provided. The P-51D became the main long-range escort fighter for the USAAF when it began to arrive in large quantities in Europe in the spring of 1944.

Owing to its exceptional performance in long-range escort duties, the Mustang became the pioneer single-engine aircraft stationed in Britain to breach Germany’s defenses, reach Berlin, and go with heavy bombers over Romania’s Ploiesti oil fields. How did the legendary Mustang manage to carry out these kinds of lengthy escort missions? Not because of its drop tanks.

The secret behind P-51B/C/D Mustang range

‘Lots of planes could carry drop tanks: P-47, P-40, P-38, etc.,’ says James Gibson, former MP&P Engineer at Boeing, on Quora.

‘The real secret to the Mustang’s range was not the laminar flow control wing, or the Merlin engine. It was the addition of a fuselage tank behind the cockpit halfway through production of the P-51B. This additional internal tank increased fuel capacity by 85 gallons; the original P-51Bs only had 184 gallons in the wings. The addition increased total fuel to 269 gallons, or some 30%. Further adding two 75-gallon drop tanks, you reached 419 gallons. The later D&H models carried 110 gal drop tanks for 489 gallons.

‘But when you carried so much fuel, you had to be aware of which tanks you were using at which point in the flight. On take-off, you used the rear fuselage tank. This tank effected the center of gravity of the plane. You didn’t want to tangle with a 109 or a Focke Wulf when carrying fuel in the rear tank. So you burned it first and then switched to the drop tanks about halfway to Berlin.’

Gibson concludes;

‘You would then burn off the drop tanks, hopefully before engaging enemy fighters. But if they struck early you could drop those tanks and thus be clean and maneuverable. This was the fight profile that allowed the Mustangs maximum range and best performance when over target.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force

June 20, 2024 0 comment

History

The U-2/SR-71 “yellow” pressure suits were borrowed by NASA for the first space shuttle mission

by Till Daisd June 19, 2024

written by Till Daisd

David Clark Company

American’s David Clark Company (DCC) is a manufacturer and designer of a broad range of industrial and aerospace protective equipment such as headsets, anti-G suits, pressure-space suit systems, and many medical and safety items. Starting with the design and development of the first standard anti-G suits and valves used by allied fighter pilots during World War II, DCC has been involved in the design and manufacture of air-space personnel protection equipment since 1941.

A new generation of pressure suits, the S1031C, was introduced in the early 1980s as a result of DCC’s ongoing research and development activities since 1946. These efforts were primarily sponsored by the Department of Defense to support USAF high-altitude aircraft programs (Lockheed U-2 and SR-71).

NASA borrows U-2/SR-71 “yellow” Pressure Suits

‘NASA had to borrow some space suits from the U-2 program for the first shuttle mission,’ says Damien Leimbach, former Avionics Technician at the U.S. Air Force (2001–2007), on Quora.

‘The David Clark company builds space suits for NASA, but they also build the iconic yellow pressure suits that the U-2 and SR-71 program uses.

Did you know that U-2 decompression sickness cases increased after the end of the Cold War? Here’s why the iconic U-2 is the world’s hardest plane to fly

‘The program calls them “pressure suits” since they don’t actually fly to space, but they are essentially the same suits that the David Clark company made for NASA.

‘Prior to the first shuttle mission (STS-1), the launch of Columbia, there was a defect detected in the batch of suits NASA was making for the pilots to use. Since the maiden flight of the shuttle mission was also its first real test flight, there were only two crew members, a pair of pilots, for that mission.

Why NASA borrowed U-2/SR-71 pressure suits

‘However, the suits were not going to be fixed in time, so NASA called up Beale AFB and said, “Hey, we need to borrow a pair of space suits.”

‘And that’s why the crew pictures from the first shuttle mission show the pilots wearing yellow suits (high visibility to easily see downed pilots) instead of the iconic NASA white.

Did you know NASA had to borrow U-2/SR-71 “yellow” Pressure Suits for first space shuttle mission?

‘I mean, without the NASA patches, you wouldn’t know these guys weren’t SR-71 or U-2 pilots.’

Leimbach concludes;

You can even see the green velcro patches on the thighs where U-2 pilots put their note pads and map boards.’

In 1996, the David Clark Company Model S1034 Pilots Protective Assembly (PPA) started replacing the S1031 predecessor in the U-2R. This model is still in use today. Additionally, it has been adopted into the NASA ER-2 and WB-57F platforms.

Photo by NASA and U.S. Air Force

June 19, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The F-15N Sea Eagle, the navalized version of the F-15 Eagle that never was

by Till Daisd June 18, 2024

written by Till Daisd

US Navy’s search for an advanced carrier-based air superiority fighter

In an effort to support the Department of Defense’s goal of commonality with the Air Force and its F-111A, General Dynamics’ F-111B was evaluated as part of the US Navy’s search for an advanced carrier-based air superiority fighter. After being modified to fulfill Navy mission requirements, the F-111B was found to be too heavy for carrier operations, and the contract was canceled in April 1968.

The Navy then launched a new design contest for the so-called VFX program, with McDonnell Douglas and Grumman as the main competitors.

The F-15N Sea Eagle

Grumman suggested the Model 303, a two-seat, twin-engine, variable-geometry aircraft based on the Hughes AWG-9 weapons system (which eventually led to the development of the F-14 Tomcat). Meanwhile, McDonnell Douglas presented the F-15N Sea Eagle, a “navalized” variant of its then-new F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter.

The F-15N Sea Eagle was developed by the US Navy as a lighter, faster, and less expensive alternative to the F-14.

Among the changes for the F-15N were strengthened landing gear, an appropriate arresting hook, and a wing hinge. DriveTribe claims that the F-15N was predicted to outmaneuver the F-14 despite the weight imposed by these modifications. But neither the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles nor the AN/AWG-9 radar required to target and fire them were part of the original proposal. The US Navy studied the possibility of adding the radar and AIM-54s, but doing so would have made the aircraft 10,000 pounds heavier than an F-15A, erasing any potential advantage the Sea Eagle may have had. A plan to adapt the F-15’s AN/APG-63 radar to interface with the AIM-54 was developed by McDonnell Douglas and Hughes Aircraft, the manufacturer of the radar and AIM-54.

The fly-off between the F-14A Tomcat and F-15N Sea Eagle that never was

The idea was first studied by a Senate subcommittee in 1973, and it was later expanded to include an updated F-4 and a stripped-down F-14 variant. Although discussed, the F-14A and F-15N were never involved in a fly-off.

In the end, the Navy stuck with the F-14 since it was a very capable aircraft. The new “Tomcat,” named for Grumman’s tradition of naming its aircraft after cats, flew for the first time in December 1970. The first F-14As were delivered to the Navy in June 1972 after a series of modifications during flight testing, with Fighter Squadron (VF) 124 designated for crew training. The new aircraft was first flown by operational squadrons VF-1 and VF-2 on the West Coast and by Atlantic Fleet Tomcat squadrons VF-14 and VF-32 on the East Coast.

Photo by Combat Ace and McDonnell Douglas/Boeing via DriveTribe

June 18, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

SR-71 pilot set 13 acres of Maryland on fire by dumping fuel after one engine exploded during his last flight

by Till Daisd June 17, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The SR-71 Blackbird

The US Air Force (USAF) created the SR-71 Blackbird in the 1960s. It was a plane that could move at a speed that was more than three times the sound made by its own engines.

The SR-71 spy plane held the record for being the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft in the world for about 24 years. At a speed of Mach 3+, it could cover 100,000 square miles of Earth’s surface per hour while flying at 80,000 feet. Additionally, the Blackbird only needed to accelerate and outrun any missiles in the unlikely event that an enemy attempted to shoot it down.

The SR-71’s engineering was so advanced that new tools had to be created in order to build it.

What it’s like to fly the world’s fastest plane

Spencer Hall spoke with former SR-71 Blackbird pilot Rick McCrary for SBNation to find out what it’s like to pilot the fastest plane in the world.

McCrary explained;

‘You waddle out there in your spacesuit, carrying your little cooler, because it gets quite hot in that spacesuit. You go out to a van with some La-Z-Boys in it, these big recliners, and they drive you out to the airplane. It’s sitting there with all the cables hooked up to it, just like a space launch. It’s outgassing stuff, people are checking it, and then people start unhooking it and leaving and then it’s just you and the crew chief. You get into the seat, close the hatch, and you’re in your cocoon.

‘Startup was also a unique thing. It had this special fuel, because the temperatures during flight got up to over 600 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re at speed. The worry is that with normal fuel, which you want to explode quickly during flight and have a low flashpoint, well… you wanted the exact opposite with the Blackbird. You’re carrying so much fuel that the last thing you want to worry about is self-igniting.

Join this SR-71 Blackbird driver for a top secret recoinnassance mission over North Korea — A Boeing KC-135Q Stratotanker refueling an SR-71

‘You’d burn 80,000 pounds of fuel in about an hour and twenty minutes. That’s a lot of gas. You’re on the boom a lot, and that was why in-flight refueling experience was such a critical part of the screening process. You didn’t have a lot of time to do it, and you had to get it right the first time. Three refuelings were common, but on longer missions, you’d refuel six or eight times. Those were long days.

Last flight on the SR-71 Blackbird

‘You’d light up the afterburner right after that first refueling, and take it to full power for the next hour. That’s pretty amazing, because no other plane can fly in full afterburner continuously. All other planes have either a three-minute limit, or five minute limit on that, but you’d be going at full afterburner for an hour, hour and a half.’

When Hall asked McCrary if he remembered when his last SR-71 Blackbird flight took place, he answered;

‘The answer is kind of an interesting yes and no. There came the time to move on, and we had a good deal. We got to take it to the National Air Show in Washington, DC, and put it on display there. That was going to be our last flight.

Setting 13 acres of Maryland on fire during last flight on the SR-71 Blackbird

‘As we took off from there and came back around for a pass, the right engine exploded. We had to dump gas and set about thirteen acres of Maryland on fire as we did that. That was kind of interesting, just spewing flaming fuel and titanium pieces around.’

McCrary explained that this wasn’t rural Maryland;

‘Actually, we were pointed at the White House out of Andrews Air Force Base. It was funny listening back to the voice tape because I start by saying “Well, we’ll go out over the bay here and dump this fuel.” About thirty seconds later, I say “Screw it” and just dump it. We defoliated southern Maryland, but we got it back on the ground, which was great. After all that happened, I absolutely remember shutting it down. My legs started shaking uncontrollably with the adrenaline from it all when I knew it was over with. My co-pilot never flew again, either.’

Check out Habubrats SR-71’s Twitter profile and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder’s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force

June 17, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

A Tu-16 bomber crew member recalls a training mission where the aircraft dropped a real nuclear bomb

by Till Daisd June 16, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Nuclear testing

At the height of the Cold War, in the early 1960s, nuclear testing was resumed by both the US and USSR.

The largest thermonuclear bomb ever dropped was launched over Cape Sukhoy Nos on the island of Novaya Zemlaya in the Arctic Ocean by the Soviets in September 1961 and again on October 30, in an incredible demonstration of force. Captained by Podpolkovnik (Lt Colonel) A.E. Durnovtsev, the 50-megaton RDS-220 device, known as Vanya, was transported aboard a specially modified Tu-95V. A Tu-16A airborne laboratory “chase aircraft” piloted by Mayor (Major) V.F. Martynenko accompanied the aircraft.

Before the device exploded at an altitude of 13,000 feet, Durnostev was able to escape to a distance of 25 miles after dropping the weapon from a height of 35,000 feet. Four strong shock waves and intense heat wave exposure caused the Tu-95’s four engines to flame out. The aircraft only had three engines when it arrived at Olenya Airfield; two more were relit at 16,000 feet and one did not restart until the aircraft had glided to 22,000 feet.

On Sep. 15 and 16, 1962, two DA (Dal’naya Aviatsiya—Soviet long-range strategic aviation) Tu-16 regiments carried out two Letno-Takticheskogo Ucheniya (LTU—flight tactical exercises), involving live drops of nuclear weapons in a regimental combat formation of 24 aircraft. The units involved were, the 132 TBAP from Tartu and the 185 TBAP from Poltava, both deployed to Olenya for the exercises.

Generál-Leytenánt (Lieutenant-General) V. V. Reshetnikov, commander of the 2nd Otdel’nyy Tyazhelyy Bombardirovshchik Aviatsionnyy Korpus (OTBAK – independent heavy bomber corps), flew as a member of one crew and eloquently described the experience in Michael Napier’s book In Cold War Skies:

Tupolev Tu-16 Bomber Dropping a Live Nuclear Bomb

‘Suddenly, the brightest glow burst into the heavens, gilding the clouds. It illuminated all the space around us with intense light, which penetrated into the cockpit, scattering the shadows and illuminating the instruments.

‘It lasted a second.

‘The light had a kick like a mule, for a few moments after it appeared, we were shaken again and again, as if we were crossing a railway at high speed along a broken road. Dull blows shook the entire airframe, rattling our spines. The wings rocked, the nose twitched. On the instrument dials, the needles spun. We stroked the controls, comforting the aircraft, and once again she sailed obediently through the air.

‘To the left of the smooth surface of the clouds, a huge white dome suddenly began to heave and grow rapidly. As soon as it formed into a hemisphere, it rose through the cloud layer, dragging behind it a wide smoke column, climbing rapidly to a huge height, already well above our own. And the top of it, a colossal turban of the gentlest tones of all the colors of the rainbow bathed in shimmering sunlight, hovering at an altitude of 20–30km. The entire regiment cruised around that turban as if in a circle of honor…

‘I was happy with the successful delivery of the bomb, its successful detonation, the return of the regiment in without loss.’

In Cold War Skies is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Tupolev Tu-16 Bomber Crew Member recalls the Training Mission where his Aircraft Dropped a Live Nuclear Bomb

Photo by U.S. Air Force and National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office

June 16, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

How, during the few times the sound barrier in the F-102 was broken, the cockpit noise level never changed

by Till Daisd June 15, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-102 Delta Dagger

The United States Air Force’s first operational supersonic, all-weather interceptor with Mach 1 capability was the F-102 Delta Dagger. Its signature wasp-waisted delta-wing design, manufactured by General Dynamics’ Convair division in San Diego, California, was inspired by technologies developed by German scientists during World War II.

The F-102, known as “Deuce” by her aircrew, had an internal weapons bay that could hold up to six AIM-4 rockets and infrared or radar-guided missiles.

Over 1,000 F-102s were accepted into the US inventory, and they flew for 20 years before the Mach 2 capable F-106 Delta Dart gradually replaced them.

The F-102’s slowness was by far its greatest flaw. By a narrow margin, the aircraft was indeed supersonic. That was just Mach .95 with external tanks connected.

Deuce limited to less than Mach 1.0

Roger Daisley, former F-102 pilot, recalls on Quora;

‘I was an F-102 pilot for several years. Virtually all of our aircraft were fitted with under-wing aux. fuel tanks. They were limited to less than Mach 1.0.

‘I was also selected to be a “Functional Test Pilot.” What this means is that after an aircraft undergoes certain repairs, it must be test flown to verify airworthiness. One of the test points is supersonic flight. To accomplish this, the aux. fuel tanks are removed.

‘These were always “fun” flights because we could really wring the aircraft out: High roll rates, high G turns, at both high and slow speeds, minimum control speed limits, stability checks at both high and slow speeds… and going supersonic.

‘When “going super” the only indication was the rapid altimeter and vertical speed fluctuation. The “ride” did seem to smooth out. The flight controls were also a little stiffer.’

Daisley concludes;

‘The cockpit noise level never changed because the only real “noise” in the cockpit was that of the air conditioning system … and it didn’t care what speed we were flying.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force

June 15, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The VF-142 F-4B that was able to make an emergency landing aboard USS Ranger after her radome was destroyed by Vietnamese AAA

by Till Daisd June 14, 2024

written by Till Daisd

VF-142 F-4B emergency landing

A U.S. Navy McDonnell F-4B Phantom II (BuNo 150643) belonging to Fighter Squadron VF-142 Ghostriders appears in the article’s featured photograph. VF-142 served with the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CVA-64) from May 5, 1964, to February 1, 1965, as part of Attack Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW-14).

The first strikes of the Vietnam War were launched by CVW-14. A 57 mm round struck the F-4B 150643 of the fighter cover (call sign “Dakota 207,” pilot Fred Ferrazzano) at 150 meters when it was on a photo reconnaissance mission to the Thanh Hoa Bridge. The main spar had been twisted by the impact, which also shattered the nose cone and caused portions of it to be ingested by both J-79 engines.

It was aboard the USS Ranger (CVA-61) that the pilot was allowed to recover. The aircraft was later disassembled in Subic Bay, Philippines, for spare parts because of the damage. Consider that an AIM-9B Sidewinder missile is being carried by the aircraft.

VF-142 transition from the F-4B to the F-4J

Home of M.A.T.S. states that the Ghostriders conducted four WestPac deployments between May 1964 and May 1968, with one deployment on the USS Ranger (CV-61) and the remaining deployments aboard the USS Constellation (CV-64). Two MiG-21s, one MiG-17, and an An-2 Colt aircraft were shot down by VF-142 crew members during these cruises. Additionally, the squadron received three COMNAVAIRPAC Battle Efficiency “E” Award.

On August 11, 1969, the Ghostriders, converted from F-4B to the more modern F-4J aircraft, made another deployment for WestPAC aboard USS Constellation. The squadron received the Naval Aviation Safety Award in 1969–1970 and the Battle E Award in 1968–1969. For their sixth combat deployment to Vietnam, VF-142 and USS Enterprise (CVN-65) deployed in June 1971.

VF-142 F-14B emergency landing

That time a VF-142 F-14 Tomcat with missing radome made an emergency landing aboard USS Eisenhower

Remarkably, another VF-142 aircraft, this time a Grumman F-14B Tomcat (BuNo 161433) on board the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), had to make an emergency landing when the nose cone came off due to a latching mechanism failure at a height of 8,200 m over the Persian Gulf, 26 years after the incident depicted in the post’s featured image.

The radome struck the canopy during departure, shattering the windshield and breaking out the front glass. Despite suffering a fractured right collarbone and glass in both eyes, the pilot successfully returned the jet to the ship for a flawless two-wire landing.

With all the forward glass so badly damaged, the only way to see forward was through a three-inch hole in the left windscreen. LCDR Joe Edwards flew as the pilot, and LCDR Scott Grundmeier served as the RIO. LCDR Edwards was medevac’d to Bahrain for eye surgery, then home to the US.

For their outstanding accomplishments, both crew members were awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses.

Photo by Commander Fred Ferrazzano / U.S. Navy and U.S. Navy via HOME OF M.A.T.S.

June 14, 2024 0 comment

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