Author

Till Daisd

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.

The last man to walk on the moon

by Till Daisd August 26, 2021

written by Till Daisd

Cernan concluded his historic space exploration career as commander of Apollo 17, the last human mission to the moon in December 1972

The interesting video in this post is produced by the National Naval Aviation Museum and honors former Naval Aviator and NASA astronaut, Capt. Gene Cernan.

Cernan, a Captain in the U.S. Navy, left his mark on the history of exploration by flying three times in space, twice to the moon.

He was one of 14 astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. He piloted the Gemini 9 mission with Commander Thomas P. Stafford on a three-day flight in June 1966. During that mission, he logged more than two hours outside the orbiting capsule.

In May 1969, he was the lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, the first comprehensive lunar-orbital qualification and verification test of the lunar lander. This mission not only confirmed the performance, stability, and reliability of the Apollo command, service, and lunar modules but also included a descent to within eight nautical miles of the moon’s surface.

Cernan concluded his historic space exploration career as commander of Apollo 17, the last human mission to the moon in December 1972. En route to the moon, the crew captured an iconic photo of the home planet, with an entire hemisphere fully illuminated—a “whole Earth” view showing Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the south polar ice cap. The hugely popular photo was referred to by some as the “Blue Marble,” a title in use for an ongoing series of NASA Earth imagery.

According to NASA, Apollo 17 established several new records for human space flight, including the longest lunar landing flight (301 hours, 51 minutes); longest lunar surface extravehicular activities (22 hours, 6 minutes); largest lunar sample return (nearly 249 pounds); and longest time in lunar orbit (147 hours, 48 minutes).

Cernan and crewmate Harrison H. (Jack) Schmitt completed three highly successful excursions to the nearby craters and the Taurus-Littrow mountains, making the moon their home for more than three days. As he left the lunar surface, Cernan said, “America’s challenge of today has forged man’s destiny of tomorrow. As we leave the moon and Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.”

Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, died on Jan. 16, 2017.

Source: NASA

August 26, 2021 0 comment

F 8J VF 24 CVA 19

The last Guns-only Aerial Victory in U.S. Naval Aviation

by Till Daisd August 25, 2021

written by Till Daisd

As of right now, the F-8 has only been officially credited with one confirmed guns-only MiG kill thanks to lt. Cdr. Kirkwood’s aerial win

The U.S. Navy’s first fully operational supersonic aircraft, the F-8 Crusader built by Chance Vought, entered service in 1957. The Crusader, a powerful “MiG Killer” in Vietnam who was capable of Mach 1.8 speeds, achieved the final gun-based U.S. aerial victory in naval aviation history.

According to Peter Mersky’s account in his book F-8 Crusader Units of the Vietnam War, Lt. Cdr. Robert L. Kirkwood recorded this kill on July 21, 1967. Kirkwood really called the kill he achieved with his Colt-Browning Mk 12 20mm cannons on a North Vietnamese MiG-17 that day “a much-desired guns-only” kill.

Kirkwood, the commander of the second section and a Target Combat Air Patrol (TARCAP) pilot from VF-24, locked on to a MiG-17 with an AIM-9D and fired, but VF-24 Executive Officer (XO) Cdr. Marion Isaacks’ missile struck the Fresco first. Kirkwood positioned himself behind a second MiG and fired a third AIM-9. As the Sidewinder exploded, the enemy fighter veered to the left, and Kirkwood engaged the MiG with 20mm cannon fire at a distance of roughly 600 feet before continuing to fire at approximately 300 feet. The MiG crashed, and the pilot could be seen ejecting.

Mersky claims that Kirkwood wrote the account of his engagement as soon as he got back onboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31).

The story of the the last guns-only aerial victory in Naval aviation history

“We only saw the first four MiGs initially; the second four got behind us undetected. I lit my ‘burner, put my nose on a MiG, and selected a missile. In my excitement, I had buck fever, didn’t wait for a tone, and fired. The missile went ballistic,” Kirkwood recalls.

Kirkwood launched the third missile at a third Fresco after firing a second Sidewinder at a second MiG that had been struck by Cdr. Isaacks. “I fired a third missile. It ran hot and true, but after it detonated, the MiG was still flying. The pilot reversed to the right. I cut him off and charged my guns. I was in a good position, at his 6 o’clock, and not pulling too much G. I wanted to shoot from close in. I resisted the temptation to fire until I was at about 600 ft. I squeezed the trigger and closed it to 300 ft. I could see my shells hitting the MiG’s fuselage – patches of skin appeared to dissolve and bright, the white fire seemed to fill the fuselage and leak out through the lacy skin.”

Kirkwood swerved to the left to avoid a collision while examining the MiG. “I didn’t think there was much chance he would turn to attack me, but I couldn’t turn my back on him. The pilot ejected after I passed him.”

He linked up with the other Crusaders as they were heading back to their ship after he had taken the kill. At this time, Isaacks informed Kirkwood that the combat had resulted in the shooting away of three-quarters of Kirkwood’s starboard horizontal stabilator. Kirkwood approached his carrier as usual, but the LSO waved him away when he noticed the missing stabilator. Thus, the remainder of the returning air wing was kept from landing while the severely damaged Crusader was kept from colliding with the flight deck. Following the recovery of the carrier’s other aircraft, the LSO brought Kirkwood in for a routine landing.

The story of the the last guns-only aerial victory in Naval aviation history

As of right now, the aerial victory won by Kirkwood remains the only confirmed guns-only MiG kill credited to the F-8 (despite though previous kills recorded by Crusader drivers during the Vietnam War used a combination of 20mm fire plus a well-placed Sidewinder strike).

Photo by Pete Sakaris / U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force

August 25, 2021 0 comment

AH 1 Cell Phone 1170x390 1

A marine lands his AH-1W helicopter at a ball field to grab his forgotten cell phone from a nearby restaurant

by Till Daisd August 25, 2021

written by Till Daisd

“How far away are you from the town ball field?” the voice on the phone asked.
“Well, are you walking or driving?”
“We’re landing a helicopter at the ball field.”

Taken on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, the curious video in this post shows two helicopters (a Bell AH-1W Super Cobra and a Bell UH-1Y Venom) making a quick visit to Bar Harbor. Noteworthy the Super Cobra landed at the town athletic fields to retrieve a cell phone one of the crew had left at a local restaurant earlier in the afternoon.

On that day, six Marines had stopped for lunch at the Thirsty Whale, and one accidentally left his cell phone behind.

As reported by Mount Desert Islander a little while after they left, server Jess Witherell said, the phone rang at the restaurant. The caller ID listed the Hancock County-Bar Harbor airport in Trenton.

“How far away are you from the town ball field?” the voice on the phone asked, according to Witherell.

“Well, are you walking or driving?”

“We’re landing a helicopter at the ball field.”

Bar Harbor residents are familiar with LifeFlight, a helicopter ambulance that uses the town athletic fields as a landing zone.

“Oh. Well if you land the helicopter and walk, then it’s about ten minutes.”

The caller asked if anyone from the restaurant might be available to bring a cell phone the group had left behind down to the ball fields to meet them. Witherell replied that the restaurant was busy, but she would ask the dishwasher Bryce Lambert if he could deliver the phone.

“I got chosen to be the person to go,” Lambert said. “I hopped in the car.”

According to reports, not only does the presence of the helicopters cause some alarm in the neighborhood, but their noise also sets off at least one car alarm.

Kate Hall Jordan was at the new Park Street Playground across the street from the athletic field with her son Finn when they heard and saw the helicopters approach.

“That’s not LifeFlight,” Finn Jordan said. “That’s an attack helicopter, like an Apache.” He later identified them as a Bell AH-1W Super Cobra and a Bell UH-1Y Venom.

The Super Cobra landed while the Venom circled the area. One person came out of the landed chopper. Lambert ran to meet him and handed off the cell phone.

“He pulled the [velcro] patch off of his jacket and handed it to me” to say thanks for the help, Lambert said. Then they quickly took off again.

The Marines appear to be part of a helicopter squadron based in New Jersey.

August 25, 2021 0 comment

RAF E 3 MiG 29 1

When a RAF E-3D Sentry AWACS aircraft was almost shot down by a Serbian MiG-29

by Till Daisd August 25, 2021

written by Till Daisd

On May 4, 1999, a Serbian MiG-29 piloted by Lt. Colonel Pavlovic targeted an RAF E-3D aircraft flown by a No. 23 Squadron crew

During Operation Allied Force, the RAF E-3D AWACS aircrews faced some challenging situations.

Even though offensive weaponry was drastically reduced during the Cold War, between 1989 and 1991, new conflicts that occurred a few months after the Warsaw Pact’s breakup made Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) planes even more crucial.

When the old Yugoslavia broke up into six sovereign republics in the summer of 1991, the Balkan Peninsula actually entered a period of unrest. Yugoslavia was reduced to the state of Serbia and Montenegro after losing Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia. Slobodan Milosevic’s ethnic cleansing effort was the result of Serbian Nationalists’ eventual subjugation of the Kosovar Albanian community.

NATO was forced to employ force after Belgrade rejected the deployment of peacekeepers inside Kosovo, and a strategy was designed to strengthen the coalition that would have pushed Serbia to cede authority over Kosovo. On the evening of March 24, 1999, Operation Allied Force started.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) E-3Ds were one of the air assets stationed in Italy to coordinate the air operations over Serbia. In 1992, three E-3D aircraft from No. 8 Squadron moved to Aviano Air Base (AB), and more AWACS operators from No. 23 Squadron joined this detachment in 1999.

In the book Beyond the Horizon The History of AEW&C Aircraft, Ian Shaw, who spent 32 years in the RAF, discussed his experiences working closely with the RAF E-3D unit during Operation Allied Force, and co-wrote with Sergio Santana. Shaw claims that the AWACS aircrews’ most important lesson from this conflict was that their planes were a prime target for the enemy.

As he explains “we had been alerted as a wing at Aviano to the MANPADS threat in the area. Intel had been received that possible Yugoslav special forces had got on to mainland Italy with some shoulder-launched SAMs and were heading for Aviano.”

That time a RAF E-3D Sentry AEW&C aircraft was nearly shot down by a Serbian MiG-29

The fast aircraft altered their departure profile, lit their burners, and spiraled ascended overhead to lessen the MANPADS threat, while the E-3Ds were obviously unable to do this and could only climb straight ahead at full speed regardless of the threat. This statement was frequently repeated to E-3D pilots because the MANPADS threat was considered serious: “You’ve got four engines, you’ll only lose one!”

The most terrifying incident happened on May 4, 1999. On that day, a Serbian MiG-29 piloted by Lt. Colonel Pavlovic from the 127th Fighter Squadron, 204th Fighter Regiment of the Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro engaged an RAF E-3D being flown by a No. 23 Squadron crew (Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo Srbije I Crne Gore – RVSiCG). Without permission, Pavlovic took off from Nis and flew quite low before landing at 12:41 local time.

A female weapons controller (WC) selected and tracked Pavlovic’s Fulcrum. As a sizable NATO strike package was leaving the target area, she noticed him approaching the AWACS. Although the majority of the allied aircraft had left the region, a few USAF Wild Weasel F-16Cs remained. When the AWACS link manager reached them and handed the two F-16s to the WC, the two Vipers were out of gas and on their way to the tanker.

She was able to successfully direct them toward the MiG-29 that was destroyed at 12:46.

That time a RAF E-3D Sentry AEW&C aircraft was nearly shot down by a Serbian MiG-29

When the E-3D crew returned to Aviano and entered the operations room, according to Shaw, there was a tangible sense of relief. “Although not a ‘Top Gun’ moment the crew were congratulated on an excellent and professional job and immediately phoned the F-16 pilot who if I recall had also been flying out at Aviano that day. I must admit that episode bought it home to me how vulnerable our crews were and how this wasn’t a game or an exercise…”

Photo by Crown Copyright, Srđan Popović, and claudiu_ne2000 via Wikipedia

August 25, 2021 0 comment

The last F-14 Tomcat to ever land on an aircraft carrier

by Till Daisd August 25, 2021

written by Till Daisd

On July 28, 2006, Lieutenant Chris Rattigan and Lieutenant Paul Dort of VF-31’s “Tomcatters” flew the F-14D BuNo 164346 “Sweet Little Miss” to perform the final scheduled arrested landing of a Tomcat

The main image of this post, which was taken on July 28, 2006, in the Atlantic Ocean while aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), depicts an F-14D Tomcat, aircraft number 110, BuNo 164346 “Sweet Little Miss,” flown by Lieutenant Chris Rattigan and Lieutenant Paul Dort and assigned to the “Tomcatters” of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31), completing the final scheduled arrested landing of an F-14 fighter aircraft.

On September 22, 2006, the F-14 was formally retired after 32 years of fleet duty. The National Naval Aviation Museum offered the Museum of Flight, located in Rome, Georgia, the scarce chance to host and show Georgia’s lone Tomcat, a living relic that recounts the tale of brave people who have flown and fought in the powerful F-14.

The Museum of Flight website explains that the costs of moving the aircraft were estimated at $40,000. The museum was concerned that paying such a high fee might ruin its chance of locating such a historic aircraft.

Christine Lewis, the director, contacted the F-14 Tomcat Association to try to save Sweet Little Miss. The Association volunteered to help the Museum of Flight save this iconic aircraft from being scrapped in addition to supporting the museum’s GoFundMe campaign by publicizing it in their newsletter, website, and Facebook page.

From the end of the Vietnam War until 2006, the F-14 Tomcat served as the U.S. Navy’s primary fighter aircraft. The fighter was hailed as the best aircraft of its era by its pilots and aviation engineers, and it was idealized on the big screen in films like The Final Countdown and Top Gun. However, while the U.S. Navy Tomcats were being demilitarized and the F-14s were being removed from service, there were worries that Iran might start purchasing the spare parts on the black market.

In truth, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) continues to operate a number of the F-14s that the United States sold to Iran in the 1970s, when relations between the two nations were still cordial. As a result, the Department of Defense started destroying the aircraft and its components. Oregon senator Ron Wyden then created the Stop Arming Iran Act in 2008 to forbid the sale of any components to organizations other than museums.

The greatest sites to honor this distinctive fighter are museums, which are currently the only locations where the F-14 can be celebrated.

The Virginia Aviation Museum in Richmond featured BuNo 164346. This F-14 began its career with VF-31 before flying with the VF-101 Grim Reapers and VF-2 Bounty Hunters. It was given to the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-4) Evaluators in 1992. Operation Iraqi Freedom involved combat missions flown by BuNo 164346.

Unfortunately, the Virginia Aviation Museum shut down, thus it was unclear what would become of this famous aircraft.

Then Sweet Little Miss would be disassembled and transported from Richmond, Virginia, to Rome, Georgia. She needed to be assembled, transported, and recovered from her current state (and keep her in good condition).

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird and Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Tony Foster / U.S. Navy

August 25, 2021 0 comment

F 104 Starfighter

The reason why pilots loved flying the F-104 Starfighter

by Till Daisd August 25, 2021

written by Till Daisd

“Along with the SR-71, the F-104 is Kelly Johnson’s greatest creation,” Ed Carney, U.S. Navy A-7 Corsair II pilot who flew the Starfighter with the West German Navy from ’79-’82

The first operational aircraft able to maintain speeds exceeding Mach 2 was the Lockheed F-104.

When contrasted solely to the old subsonic and “forgiving” jets, the Starfighter represented a significant advancement. However, the F-104 was outmatched by more conventional fighters when the air-to-air battles occurred at subsonic speeds because its ability to turn in this environment was crucial. Thus, it was crucial to prevent the Starfighter from slowing down below Mach 1 so that he could utilize his unparalleled speed and vertical ascent at the time.

Additionally, the F-104’s short-range and restricted weaponry carried worked against it because it was only temporarily in use by the U.S. Air Force (USAF).

Nevertheless, despite these flaws, the F-104’s pilots grew to love it, as was evident from multiple accounts provided to Ted Spitzmiller for his book Century Series: The USAF Quest for Air Supremacy, 1950–1960. As a member of the South Carolina Air National Guard, James C. Parham, Jr., piloted the Starfighter and recalled that “Although limited in range with two Sidewinders and no drop tanks, the F-104 was the quintessential high altitude interceptor. The pilots had a love affair with the F-104. The cockpit was simple, compact, and comfortable. The canopy was straightforward, light, and manually opened and closed. At Mach 2, it was quiet-and the long flexible fuselage rippled ever so gently.”

Early in its career, the F-104 was sold to foreign governments due to its unsuitability for USAF service. The Canadian Air Force went on to become one of the primary Starfighter users, and several American pilots had the opportunity to fly it during squadron exchanges, as was the case for Dudley Larsen, who transitioned from the F-4 Phantom to the CF-104.

The “Zipper” made a favorable impression on Larsen.: “It was an easy transition because the plane was very honest to fly-it talked to you. It had a good feeling when it settled in. The engines were the same as the F-4 (J79).” Due to its speed and size, the Starfighter excelled in the visible multi-bogey ACM (Air Combat Maneuvering) arena. On the other hand, if the pilot rotated more than 30 degrees, he became a target due to the F-104’s poor turning ability caused by its high wing weight. The CF-104 held its own against the F-4, according to Larsen, and the pilot’s skill made a significant difference.

Ed Carney, a U.S. Navy A-7 Corsair II pilot who flew the Starfighter in Germany for the West German Navy for three years from 1979 to 1982, was utterly fascinated with it, “Coming from the A-7E it was like transitioning to jets all over again. Crazy fast and light, and would outrace anything out there. Flying slow (defined as less than 450 kts) could be dicey if you tried to pull any G’s.” As Carney explains, as long as the fighting never slowed down, the jet could supercruise at sea level and maintain its maneuverability.

“It demanded a skilled pilot and rewarded him with amazing performance, but was the least forgiving airplane I have ever flown. On the deck, plugging in the burner would shove you from 450 to 750 knots so fast it was almost scary. We were always pulling it back to keep from exceeding a speed or temp limit.”

Here's why, despite its many limitations, pilots loved flying the F-104 Starfighter

However, the F-104 was more than just a powerful fighter, in Carney’s opinion, since “Along with the SR-71, it is Kelly Johnson’s greatest creation.”

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Luftwaffe

August 25, 2021 0 comment

SR 71 Low Flyby

The story behind the SR-71 Blackbird Super Low Knife-edge Pass

by Till Daisd August 25, 2021

written by Till Daisd

“… The cadets now had 107 feet of fire-breathing titanium in their faces as the SR-71 leveled and accelerated, in full burner, on the tower side of the infield, closer than expected, maintaining what could only be described as some sort of ultimate knife-edge pass…”

The stunning cover photo of this article shows the well-known image of an SR-71 Blackbird making a very low flyover. Brian Shul explains the intriguing backstory behind this incident in his book Sled Driver.

“I was flying the SR-71 out of RAF Mildenhall, England, with my back-seater, Walt Watson; we were returning from a mission over Europe and the Iron Curtain when we received a radio transmission from home base. As we scooted across Denmark in three minutes, we learned that a small RAF base in the English countryside had requested an SR-71 fly-past. The air cadet commander there was a former Blackbird pilot and thought it would be a motivating moment for the young lads to see the mighty SR-71 perform a low approach. No problem, we were happy to do it. After a quick aerial refueling over the North Sea, we proceeded to find the small airfield.”

“Walter had a myriad of sophisticated navigation equipment in the back seat and began to vector me toward the field. Descending to subsonic speeds, we found ourselves over a densely wooded area in a slight haze. Like most former WWII British airfields, the one we were looking for had a small tower and little surrounding infrastructure. Walter told me we were close and that I should be able to see the field, but I saw nothing. Nothing but trees as far as I could see in the haze. We got a little lower, and I pulled the throttles back from the 325 knots we were at. With the gear up, anything under 275 was just uncomfortable. Walt said we were practically over the field yet; there was nothing in my windscreen. I banked the jet and started a gentle circling maneuver in hopes of picking up anything that looked like a field.”

“Meanwhile, below, the cadet commander had taken the cadets up on the catwalk of the tower in order to get a prime view of the fly-past. It was a quiet, still day with no wind and partial gray overcast. Walter continued to give me indications that the field should be below us but in the overcast and haze, I couldn’t see it. The longer we continued to peer out the window and circle, the slower we got. With our power back, the awaiting cadets heard nothing. I must have had good instructors in my flying career, as something told me I better cross-check the gauges. As I noticed the airspeed indicator slide below 160 knots, my heart stopped and my adrenalin-filled left hand pushed two throttles full forward. At this point, we weren’t really flying but were falling into a slight bank. Just at the moment that both afterburners were lit with a thunderous roar of flame (and what a joyous feeling that was), the aircraft fell into full view of the shocked observers on the tower. Shattering the still quiet of that morning, they now had 107 feet of fire-breathing titanium in their face as the plane leveled and accelerated, in full burner, on the tower side of the infield, closer than expected, maintaining what could only be described as some sort of ultimate knife-edge pass.”

“Quickly reaching the field boundary, we proceeded back to Mildenhall without incident. We didn’t say a word for those next 14 minutes. After landing, our commander greeted us, and we were both certain he was reaching for our wings. Instead, he heartily shook our hands and said the commander had told him it was the greatest SR-71 fly-past he had ever seen, especially how we had surprised them with such a precise maneuver that could only be described as breathtaking. He said that some of the cadet hats were blown off and the sight of the plan form of the plane in full afterburner dropping right in front of them was unbelievable. Walt and I both understood the concept of “breathtaking” very well that morning and sheepishly replied that they were just excited to see our low approach.
As we retired to the equipment room to change from space suits to flight suits, we just sat there-we hadn’t spoken a word since “the pass.” Finally, Walter looked at me and said, “One hundred fifty-six knots. What did you see?” Trying to find my voice, I stammered, “One hundred fifty-two.” We sat in silence for a moment. Then Walt said, “Don’t ever do that to me again!” And I never did.”

The story behind this famed SR-71 Blackbird's super low flyby

“A year later, Walter and I were having lunch in the Mildenhall Officer’s club and overheard an officer talking to some cadets about an SR-71 fly-past that he had seen one day. Of course, by now the story included kids falling off the tower and screaming as the heat of the jet singed their eyebrows. Noticing our HABU patches, as we stood there with lunch trays in our hands, he asked us to verify to the cadets that such a thing had occurred. Walt just shook his head and said, ‘It was probably just a routine low approach; they’re pretty impressive in that plane.'”

Top image: courtesy of Robin Harbour

Photo by U.S. Air Force

August 25, 2021 0 comment

VFA 113 FA 18E Super Hornet

U.S. NAVY HAS ONLY 170 F/A-18 SUPER HORNET STRIKE FIGHTERS THAT CAN FIGHT A WAR

by Till Daisd August 24, 2021

written by Till Daisd

In order to get its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter squadrons to carriers, the U.S. Navy is transferring hundreds of parts from its non-deployed squadrons, decreasing those aircraft’s ability to respond to the call of duty if needed

Vice Adm Mike Shoemaker, commander of Naval Air Forces, has warned Congress that he only has 170 F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighters (or 31% of the total inventory) that are fully mission capable and can fight a war.

Actually, in order to get its fighter squadrons to carriers, the U.S. Navy is transferring hundreds of parts from its non-deployed squadrons, decreasing those aircraft’s ability to respond to the call of duty if needed.

“At the beginning of October, in our Super Hornet community alone, only half of our total inventory of 542 aircraft were flyable, or mission-capable,” Shoemaker wrote in a statement.

A claim confirmed by a service spokesperson who told Flight Global that currently half of the U.S. Navy Super Hornets are mission capable, meaning that the aircraft is “not ready for full combat but could perform some missions such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Only 31% are fully missioning capable and could perform any mission, including combat. ”

Noteworthy the problem is most acute with the service’s Super Hornet and Hornet inventory. While the service’s EA-18G Growlers have the same airframe, the aircraft are newer than the F/A-18s and require fewer parts replacements at this time, the spokesman explained.

As we have recently explained Boeing is currently developing the upgraded Block III Super Hornet. Along with the new long-wave infrared search and track IRST21 system, the new Block III aircraft will feature several other improvements the will enhance the Super Hornet capabilities. In April in fact the U.S. Navy has awarded General Electric (GE)a $114.8 million contract aimed to install new, more powerful engines on its F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft.

U.S. Navy has only 170 F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighters that can fight a war

Part of the Block III package is also the already planned upgrades to the jet’s powerful Raytheon AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and AN/ALQ-214 Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) Block IV suite.

Photo by VFA-113 Facebook page and Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Ignacio D. Perez / U.S. Navy

August 24, 2021 0 comment

B 17 All American 1

“All American,” a B-17 wing-slashed by a Me 109 that managed to land at home

by Till Daisd August 24, 2021

written by Till Daisd

The tail section of the All American fuselage was saved by a few thin spars and a thin strip of metal skin after the Me 109’s wing nearly cut through it

The amazing photographs in this article, which were taken on February 1, 1943, show B-17F-5-BO, serial number 41-24406, “All American,” still flying despite being hit by a Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me 109.

On August 24, 1942, the 414th Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group, received the aircraft All American, which was assigned to Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg and the crew. Major Robert Coulter commanded the 97th BG bombers as they departed from their base in Biskra, Algeria, on February 1st, 1943, in order to target the Tunisian and Algerian ports that the Germans had taken possession of.

Prior to takeoff, one of his scheduled wingmen experienced engine issues, so All American, a “Spare,” filled in.

German Messerschmitt Me 109 fighters attacked the bombers after they had dropped their bomb load and returned to base. The lead B-17 and the All American, which were both flying in formation, were both attacked by two fighters. The first fighter was taken out by the bombers’ machine guns, but the second continued to attack the All American head-on.

Pride of Seattle, The Story of the First 300 B-17Fs by Steve Birdsall claims that what transpired next left the troops in front of the airplane with lasting recollections. “I was firing at it all the way… I figure one of us must have killed the pilot because the plane crashed right into us… When we hit, our plane almost stood up on its tail. Then we went down at a very sharp angle. I thought to myself, ‘boy, this is it’.” Bombardier Lt. Ralph Burbridge remembers.

The story of

Navigator Lt. Harry Nuessle said, “About 300 yards out [the fighter] began to roll over in order to be able to pull down and away after his attack – but somewhere about halfway around, either Burbridge’s fire or fire from the lead ship must have gotten the pilot or disabled the plane because he never completed his intended roll and rapid pass under our ship – for one horrible instant he was right there inches in front and above us – I ducked instinctively, though God knows had he hit us head-on [then] no amount of ducking would have saved any of us. But he passed over us with distinctly audible swoosh followed by a tremendous jar and whoomp! Our plane began to dive, and I reached for my ‘chute.”

Brag recalls, ” I rammed the controls forward in a violent attempt to avoid collision… I flinched as the fighter passed inches over my head and then I felt a slight thud like a coughing engine. I checked the engines and controls. The trim tabs were not working. I tried to level All American, but she insisted on climbing. It was only by the pressure from knees and hands that I was able to hold her in anything like a straight line.” As explained by Birdsall, co-pilot Lt Godfrey Engel tried his controls with the same result, but the pilots found that by throttling back the engines, they could keep her “on a fairly even keel.”

Erich Paczia of I/Jagdgeschwader 53, a 16-victory ace, was said to be the Me 109’s pilot. The Me 109’s wing nearly tore through the B-17’s fuselage, leaving the tail section hanging on by a few thin spars and a thin strip of metal skin.

However, Bragg and his team made the decision to attempt to return All American to their homeland.

“As we neared the field we fired three emergency flares, then we circled at 2000 feet while the other planes in our formation made their landings and cleared the runways… I lowered the landing gear and flaps to test the reaction of All American. They seemed to go reasonably well, considering,” Explains Bragg. “I made a long careful approach to the strip with partial power until the front wheels touched the leveled earth and I could feel the grating as she dragged without a tail wheel along the desert sands. She came to a stop and I ordered the co-pilot to cut the engines. We were home.”

The All American was fixed and sent back into service, but because of her problematic flying characteristics, she was operated as a utility aircraft until she was found in another country in March 1945.

The following video with All American story offers some interesting images of the damaged B-17 after it had safely returned to base.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

August 24, 2021 0 comment

Exclusive information about the B-52 “In Harm’s Way” incident revealed by a former buff gunner

by Till Daisd August 24, 2021

written by Till Daisd

The Weasel WSO sent the HARM into battle “in the blind” in the hopes that a threat would materialize and be neutralized. It was acknowledged by the WSO. Both aircraft were in the wrong place at the wrong moment, which is how it happened. A HARM was searching the sky for a threat when the gunner turned on his radar, and it discovered B-52 “In HARM’s Way” radar

The deactivation of the B-52 tail gun was caused by a friendly fire event that occurred during Operation Desert Storm (ODS) in addition to a cost-saving measure.

A tail gunner on a BUFF mission thought an Iraqi plane was approaching, which led to the incident. Actually, the aircraft was an Air Force F-4G Wild Weasel. The AN/ASG-15 on the B-52G was mistaken for an enemy air defense system by the Phantom jet’s crew. The BUFF was damaged by an AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) fired by the Weasel crew. The bomber made it back to base, earning the moniker “In HARM’s Way” as a result.

But that night, things took a different turn, as a veteran B-52 gunner who wishes to remain anonymously revealed, “I know the Gunner involved and was there when they landed in Jeddah that night. After an investigation, it was determined that the Gunner was operating his radar as ordered. It operated in the same frequency spectrum as a particular threat that the HARM looked for. So we would turn it on for a minute or two, scan it, and turn it back to standby. The Weasel WSO launched the HARM “in the blind” hoping a threat would come up and it would take it out. The WSO admitted to this. It was a case of both aircraft being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the Gunner turned his radar on, there was a HARM in the air looking for a threat and it found that radar. It CLEANLY sawed off everything aft of the vertical and horizontal stabilizers. The crew is lucky they survived. The pilot of the B-52 received the Silver Star for saving the aircraft and his crew.”

Exclusive: former BUFF Gunner reveals interesting details about B-52

He further clarified that the deactivation of the BUFF tail gun had nothing to do with this occurrence. “We (Gunners) were done away with for two reasons 1) Budget. It was very expensive to maintain the Fire Control System. It was the ONLY system on the jet that had never been updated. It still used vacuum tubes! If a part broke and couldn’t be located, it had to be made. This was very expensive. And 2) Missile technology had become advanced enough to shoot aircraft down from beyond visual range. The guns were obsolete unless a fighter was dumb enough to try and get close enough to use its guns on the BUFF. Those are the facts.”

General George L. Butler, who was in charge of Strategic Air Command (SAC) at the time, announced the removal of the gunner position and the deactivation of the B-52’s guns on September 16, 1991.

Since then, a generation has passed since the BUFF had a tail gunner, and the days of a fighter having to be cautious when attempting to get behind a B-52 are long gone.

Exclusive: former BUFF Gunner reveals interesting details about B-52

Photo by U.S. Air Force

August 24, 2021 0 comment

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