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.

Cold War

Pilot of a F-104G Starfighter describes a mission simulating a nuclear strike

by Till Daisd January 30, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘I identify the target on the radar for a LADD attack [‘toss bombing’] and actuate the Run-in Timer according to my radar display,’ Lt A. Hartl, Luftwaffe F-104G Starfighter pilot

Throughout the 1960s, the Luftwaffe grew in strength and importance. It was the largest operator of the F-104G Starfighter, with seven wings of the type based at Nörvenich, Lechfeld, Büchel, Memmingen, Hopsten, Neuburg, and Wittmund.

Two of these, JG 71 and JG 74, flew the F-104G as an all-weather fighter until they were re-equipped with the F-4F Phantom II in 1973. Five wings were ground-attack units, which also had a nuclear role. Lt. A. Hartl, from Luftwaffe’s JaBoG 33, recalls an F-104G simulated nuclear strike in Michael Napier’s book In Cold War Skies:

‘A single ship, four-[auxiliary] tank mission, and hitting my designated target within +/-5 seconds was basically my daily practice mission when training for the nuclear role.

‘Airborne from Büchel, gear up, I cancel the afterburner and retract the flaps at 350kt. I then take the shortest distance to the entry point of our low-level route. I fly the route (both in and out of LFAs) at 500ft and 450kt.

‘With the four-tank configuration, I have enough fuel for up to 2hrs.

‘The F-104 is very stable at low level – the high wing loading assures a very comfortable ride, especially at over 400kt. On reaching the target, I begin the run in and at the same time accelerate to 540kt; for the last miles, I drop to 250ft.

‘I identify the target on the radar for a LADD attack [‘toss bombing’] and actuate the Run-in Timer according to my radar display. When the timer ends, I pull up at 3.5G and the timer automatically releases the bomb. After climbing at 45°, I roll the F-104 inverted and dive back to low-level, roll the aircraft upright then reduce speed back to 450kt to perform a safe egress from the target area.

‘Returning to Büchel, I route to point ‘Kilo’, a prominent road bridge over the Mosel, which is also the initial point for runway 21, and enter the VFR landing pattern at 1,500ft and 320kt.’

The F-104 was finally phased out of service in northern Europe in 1987, when the last F-104G unit in the Luftwaffe, JaBoG 34 at Memmingen, re-equipped with the Tornado IDS, to become the fourth Tornado wing of the Luftwaffe.

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

Photo by Pajx, Own work, via Wikipedia

January 30, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

An ex-Blue Angels CO explains the decision to replace the F-4 Phantom II with the A-7 Corsair II and the choice of the A-4 Skyhawk rather than the F-14 Tomcat

by Till Daisd January 29, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘While we were doing this search for airplanes, a couple of squadrons were coming back from Vietnam and were being decommissioned. They had the A-4F, which was the latest model at that time,’ Ken Wallace former Blue Angels CO

The lightweight, high-speed A-4 Skyhawk gave the US Navy, Marines, and friendly nations a maneuverable yet powerful attack bomber with great altitude and range capabilities and unusual flexibility in armament capacity. It was built small to be cost-effective and to fit more of them on a carrier.

Between 1956 and 1979, around 3,000 A-4s were built; they were used as aggressor aircraft, as front-line squadrons, and as advanced trainers (the latter being called TA-4s and having two-seat cockpits). The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron’s Blue Angels were also equipped with A-4s.

Following a series of accidents and maintenance issues with their McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom IIs during the 1973 air show season, the Blue Angels stood down to allow Secretary of the Navy John Warner—who would go on to serve six terms in the US Senate as a representative of the state of Virginia—to give a program overview. Six senior flag officers were assigned by Warner to examine the Blue Angels program, and they all agreed that it should be continued as a “prime recruiting asset.”

According to Nicholas A. Veronico’s narrative in The Blue Angels a Fly-By History, Ken Wallace, a team leader in 1961–1963 and slot pilot in 1954–1955, was asked to lead the team through challenging times. Wallace was the tactical air plan officer in the chief of naval operations’ office. “Because of my past association with the Blue Angels, whenever anything that concerned them came up, I was rung in on it in some way,’ he said.

According to Wallace, “the Secretary of the Navy was not fully supportive of keeping the team. Admiral Zumwalt, who was chief of naval operations and not an aviator, was very much insistent on keeping the team in business. So he and I went to chat with the Secretary of the Navy. The Secretary agreed to keep it in business, but we had to change airplanes. He would not let us continue with the F-4s, partially due to the crashes, and at this point, we were in the fuel crunch of the mid-1970s. The F-4 is not an economical airplane on fuel, and it is a heavy-maintenance airplane. It was just a little bit too visible for the times.”

Given the job of program manager for the Blue Angels, Wallace had his work cut out for him. Drawing on his previous experience with the team, he would implement many far-reaching changes. “I started casting about for a different airplane. The airplane that I really wanted was the F-14,’ he said. “I did not want an F-14 with all the weapons control systems in it; that was wasteful.” After proposing his idea to Grumman, they decided that it would cost more to make an airplane without the systems than it would to make one with them. Cost became the determining factor, and the F-14 idea went by the wayside.

For Wallace, the A-7 was the next logical choice. He said, “There simply were not enough airplanes in the pipeline to let us have them. The fleet needed the A-7 desperately and could not divert seven aircraft for our use. I went down to Chance Vought and flew the airplane, and it certainly would have been quite suitable.”

Although it had been looked at by many team leaders in the past, Wallace once again considered McDonnell Douglas’ A-4 Skyhawk. “The A-4 was about the only fleet airplane left that was anywhere near usable by the team,” he said. “It just so happened that while we were doing this search for airplanes, a couple of squadrons were coming back from Vietnam and were being decommissioned. They had the A-4F, which was the latest model at that time. They also had the latest engine, the P-408. It had more thrust than any of the previous engines the A-4 had used.

“We got together with the engineers at McDonnell Douglas and with some of the people at Naval Air Systems Command. We needed some changes to the control system. We needed more nose-down force. Traditionally, the Blue Angels fly the airplane, regardless of the model, with a full-down nose trim. It gives us, in some cases, 40 pounds of nose-down stick force. We want that nose-down force, so we’ve got something we are putting pressure against all the time. Plus, in rough air, it tends to make you bounce away from the formation rather than up into the airplanes ahead of you. By bracing our right forearm on our leg or knee, it provides a very stable or firm base to control the airplane with the stick. By just flexing your wrist a little bit, rather than having large-magnitude arm movements, you get your control that way. The engineers at McDonnell Douglas came up with a bungee cord arrangement that modified the bell crank assemblies in the airplane, thus providing the nose down force.

“We also bolted up the leading-edge slats. The A-4 in its normal configuration has aerodynamic slats on the leading edges of the wings. They are actuated by aerodynamic force and are used in heavy g-loads or accelerations. They increase the camber of the wing so that you get more lift. The problem with those aerodynamic slats is that depending on the condition of flight, if you’re not exactly in balanced flight or if you are in a turn, one slat may not come out and the other may fully deploy. It really depends on the air loads. If they come out asymmetrically, they can pop you right on your back faster than you can think about it. We determined that by bolting them up we would not add to the landing speed of the airplane by any significant amount.

“We took the guns out, some armor plating, added a drag chute for operations from shorter airports, and added weight to the nose for balance. The overall weight reduction was significant. We ended up with an airplane that weighed 11,300 pounds [dry] and we had an engine that produced 11,400 pounds of thrust. When you got down to a light fuel load, you could do some pretty cute tricks with that little airplane. The roll rate would certainly not spin your head, but it was more than enough for what we wanted to do in the air show.’

The ultimate modification saw the Blue Angels elevated to the rank of a full U.S. Navy squadron, endowing the team commander with the same power and position as a squadron CO. This meant that the flight surgeon, supply and administrative officers, and the public affairs and maintenance teams were no longer loaned to the team.

The Skyhawk made its show season debut in 1974 and flew with the Blue Angels until 1986, when the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet took its place.

Photo by U.S. Navy

January 29, 2024 0 comment

History

An ex-USAF master sergeant reveals the fastest speed a Blackbird has ever recorded

by Till Daisd January 28, 2024

written by Till Daisd

A-12 pilot Jim Eastham dropped the nose down a bit to see if he could at least reach Mach 3.0. Out of nowhere, Jim hit good air and in the dive with good air, he red-lined everything

The distinctive features and architecture of the A-12 Oxcart Mach 3 spy plane served as the model for three other Lockheed supersonic aircraft that were produced for the CIA and USAF: the YF-12A, the M-21, and the SR-71.

To replace the F-108A Rapier, which was canceled, the USAF ordered in October 1962 that a specific model of the Oxcart be developed. The AF-12 and YF-12A were the initial designations for the upgraded A-12. Between 1963 and 1964, only three YF-12As were built and delivered.

The SR-71 Blackbird website states that the CIA permitted Skunk Works to investigate the viability of converting the A-12 to carry and launch a reconnaissance drone for unmanned overflight of denied areas in the same month and year. TAGBOARD was the codename for the project. To distinguish it from the A-12, the mother ship—renamed the M-21—was equipped with a second seat intended for the launch control officer (LCO) of the drone, known as the D-21. However, Kelly Johnson terminated the program because on July 30, 1966, during the fourth TAGBOARD test, a launch mishap resulted in the mother ship crashing, killing LCO Ray Torick.

The most well-known A-12 (right) variant, though, is the SR 71 Blackbird (left), whose moniker has become synonymous with the entire line of Oxcart variations. The aircraft carried more fuel and had a longer range than the A-12 or YF-12A, but it flew slower and lower due to its additional weight.

When talking about the Lockheed Blackbird family, probably the most frequently asked Blackbird question is: How fast does it fly?

“I’ve answered this question before, but here goes,” says Jim Goodall, former Master Sergeant at U.S. Air Force and author of the book Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated History of America’s Legendary Mach 3 Spy Plane. “The fastest an SR-71A has ever gone is Mach 3.43 in 974 [Blackbird #61-17974, better known as “Ichi-Ban”], at the time, a Site II bird. It blew out both inlets as it had a dual unstart.”

Goodall continues.

“Ben Rich told me that the inlets were designed to fly at its “Sweet Spot” of Mach 3.24. All manned Blackbirds from the A-12 through to the last SR-71 built were designed to all fly at the same top speed.

“But during early flight testing at Area 51 with the A-12s, Jim Eastham told me that A-12 #128 flew as fast as any A-12 during testing. On the particular day that the A-12 red-lined everything.

“During a routine top-speed envelope expansion flight, A-12 #128 was having a hard time getting past Mach 2.7 as the outside air was too warm. The reason for the flight test card that day was to validate a new inlet bypass door schedule.

“Jim said he dropped the nose down a bit to see if he could at least reach Mach 3.0. Out of nowhere, Jim hit good air and in the dive with good air, he red-lined everything. He went into his descent profile and headed back to the test site.”

Goodall concludes:

“When all was said and done; and for a very brief 15 seconds, Jim hit Mach 3.56, or just under 2,400 mph. Mind you, this was a one-time event and was never duplicated.”

Check out the Habubrats and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook pages for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Dru Blair via www.drublair.com

January 28, 2024 0 comment

Humor

F-117 pilot on Nighthawk’s nicknames when it was a highly classified program and when its existence became public knowledge

by Till Daisd January 27, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘Black humor and a lack of restraint are common in the community when it comes to airplane nicknames, so I reckon the F-117 didn’t come off too badly overall,’ John Keese, former Nighthawk pilot

The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk was developed in response to a US Air Force (USAF) request for an aircraft capable of attacking high-value targets without being detected by enemy radar. By the 1970s, new materials and techniques allowed engineers to design an aircraft with radar-evading or “stealth” qualities.

The result was the F-117A, the world’s first operational stealth aircraft.

The first F-117A flew on June 18, 1981, and the first F-117A unit, the 4450th Tactical Group (renamed the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing in October 1989), achieved initial operating capability in October 1983.

Nevertheless, the Nighthawk was kept under the strictest of secrecy for many years. It wasn’t until 1988 that the program was publicly acknowledged, and it wasn’t until 1990 that it made its first formal public appearance. By this time, the aircraft had been operational for seven years.

Like most airplanes, the F-117 had several nicknames.

John Keese, former F-117 pilot, recalls on Quora;

‘During the years I flew the F-117, it was a highly classified, close-hold program. We were all qualified and current in at least one other aircraft, the A-7D Corsair II, in addition to the F-117. This served several purposes: it provided a believable cover for our true purpose, it provided night training in a high-task cockpit in a somewhat similar airplane (that is, single pilot, similar thrust-to-weight ratio and non-after burning), and it provided us sufficient flying hours to remain proficient before there were enough F-117 flying hours to go around. We always referred to the F-117 as “the asset” or “the black jet” in those days. Any pilots who were not briefed into the program either didn’t know about the F-117 or wouldn’t admit it if they did out of fear for their own careers as well as the realization that national security was at stake. I always thought the airplane looked a lot like an old-fashioned, antique iron, the kind that was heated on a wood-fired stove but without a handle. However, the moniker “flatiron” never caught on.

‘After the F-117’s existence became public knowledge, the pilot fraternity weighed in on the matter, and the Nighthawk was and most commonly is referred to as “the Cockroach”. You must remember, this is the same fraternity that called the A-10 Thunderbolt II the “Warthog” (as in, as ugly as…), the F-105 Thunderchief the “Thud” (as in, the sound they would make when they hit the ground as often occurred in Southeast Asia), the F-16 Fighting Falcon the “Lawn Dart” (because during its early years it had a propensity for the flight control computers to “go stupid” and push over uncontrollably until ground impact occurred), the F-4 Phantom “Double Ugly” and “Rhino” and so on.’

Keese concludes;

‘Black humor and a lack of restraint are common in the community when it comes to airplane nicknames, so I reckon the F-117 didn’t come off too badly overall.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force

January 27, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

F-4 Phantom II: J79 Noise, Sonic Booms and Extremely Low Flying

by Till Daisd January 27, 2024

written by Till Daisd

This post’s video from the Sierra Hotel may be the best F-4 Phantom II footage ever filmed

The Noise You Hear is the Sound of Freedom!

The s**t hot video in this post, which was posted on the f4flys YouTube channel, is possibly the coolest F-4 Phantom footage ever filmed. There is no background music, and the video shows USAF F-4 and RF-4 Phantom IIs flying very low while producing J79 noise and some amazing sonic booms.

The mighty Phantom could travel faster than Mach 2 because of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine, which produced up to 17,000 pounds of thrust when the afterburner was engaged.

The Phantom II was initially created for US Navy fleet defense, and it made its maiden flight in May 1958. The F-4C, the first version used by the US Air Force, flew for the first time in May 1963, and six months later, production deliveries started. Over 5,000 Phantom IIs were produced before manufacturing stopped in 1979; over 2,600 were for the USAF, roughly 1,200 were for the US Navy and Marine Corps, and the remaining aircraft were for friendly foreign nations.

The Air Force sent its first F-4Cs to Southeast Asia in 1965, where they conducted air-to-air missions against North Vietnamese fighters and attacked ground targets. In Vietnam, the many incarnations of the F-4 achieved over 100 MiG kills.

The F-4 Phantom II could carry twice the typical load of a B-17 bomber from World War II when it was used for air-to-ground missions. Nine external store stations are equipped to carry weapons and/or external tanks. In 1967, eight 750-pound Mk 117 bombs, four AIM-7E, and four AIM-9B air-to-air missiles were the standard setup for an F-4C. Additionally, the aircraft was equipped with one ALQ-87 electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod on the right inboard pylon and two external fuel tanks on the outboard pylons. An enhanced fire-control system complemented an inbuilt 20mm multi-barrel gun on the F-4E.

Air-to-air missiles were typically carried by the aircraft for self-defense when they were performing close air support or attack missions. The Phantom was the first multiservice aircraft, flying concurrently with the US Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. It was also the only aircraft that the Air Force and Navy flight demonstration teams, the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels, had ever flown simultaneously.

Up until its retirement in 1996, the aircraft was still in use by the Air Force, having played an essential role in Desert Storm. After being retired, the F-4 was converted into the high-performing, unmanned QF-4 Aerial Target, which was used for air-to-air and surface-to-air missile testing.

Photo by the U.S. Air Force

Video credit: F4Flys F4Flys@gmail.com

January 27, 2024 0 comment

Carriers

4 Things that differentiate Gerald R. Ford-class carriers from Nimitz-class carriers

by Till Daisd January 26, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The Gerald R. Ford-class is the replacement for Enterprise and Nimitz-class aircraft carriers

Aircraft carriers continue to be the centerpiece of America’s Naval forces necessary for operating forward. In times of crisis, the first question leaders ask is: “Where are the carriers?”

Often the presence of an aircraft carrier has deterred potential adversaries from striking against US interests. Aircraft carriers support and operate aircraft that engage in attacks on airborne, afloat and ashore targets that threaten free use of the sea and engage in sustained power projection operations in support of US and coalition forces.

The Nimitz and Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers are the largest warships in the world, each designed for an approximately 50-year service life with just a single mid-life refueling.

The Gerald R. Ford-class is the replacement for Enterprise and Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), was commissioned in 2017. The Gerald R. Ford-class will be the premier forward asset for crisis response and early decisive striking power in a major combat operation.

How do Gerald R. Ford-class carriers differ from Nimitz-class carriers?

According to an interesting post available to read here, the 4 biggies are:

Two reactors that generate 600MW of electrical power vs 200MW in Nimitz class.
An electromagnetic catapult that can generate 25% more sorties than the Nimitz’s steam system as well as a dozen electromagnetic weapons elevators.
An AEGIS-style X-Band AN/SPY-3 Aegis radar and the S-Band Volume Surveillance Radar capable of search, track and multiple missile illumination, detecting enemy aircraft and missiles.
Two Mk. 29 missile launchers with eight ESSM each, and two Rolling Airframe Missile launcher and four Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems for point defense against aircraft, missiles and small ships.

While the EMALS cats have had some issues during testing, and received some bad press from former elected leaders, experienced Naval aviators and profession squadron maintenance officers have commented that the EMALS will “dramatically reduce stress on existing and future airframes, allowing for longer service lives, lighter weights, and require less fuselage and empennage maintenance” on Naval aircraft.

Improvements aboard CVN 78 will be carried forward to the next carriers of the class: John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), Enterprise (CVN 80) and Doris Miller (CVN 81). Each ship in the class will save nearly $4 billion in total ownership costs during its 50-year service life, compared to the Nimitz-class.

Photo by U.S. Navy

January 26, 2024 0 comment

History

Ford UK refused to build Rolls-Royce Merlin engines due to differences in allowed tolerances

by Till Daisd January 26, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Ford re-drew the blue-prints for the Merlin, making it more suitable for mass production, and by 1944, over 400 engines a week were flowing out of the plants

The Rolls Royce Merlin is a direct descendant of the Kestrel engine, the power unit from the Hawker Hart and its many variants, an enlarged version of which powered the Supermarine S6, which won the Schneider Trophy for Britain in 1929. This led directly to the Spitfire aircraft powered by the new engine, now called the Merlin.

According to ShortFinals.org, in 1941, in Trafford Park, Manchester, Ford UK had two assembly plants where they were told to build Rolls-Royce Merlins—lots of them! At the time, this engine was in the vast majority of British fighters and bombers, including the two that had just won the Battle of Britain, the Supermarine Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane.

In his book Not Much Of An Engineer, Rolls Royce supercharger designer Stanley Hooker states that Ford UK looked at the Merlin engine drawings and said, “We can’t build an engine to those tolerances.” Hooker said loftily (his words), “I suppose the tolerances are too tight for you?” “No, they are much too loose; we use much tighter tolerances for car engines, so all the parts are truly interchangeable without any hand adjustment needed.”

Ford re-drew the blueprints for the Merlin, making it more suitable for mass production, and by 1944, over 400 engines a week were flowing out of the plants.

“And they were very good engines too,” said Hooker.

The final total came to 30,428. This was only 2,000 less than the main Rolls-Royce plant at Nightingale Road, Derby (although several other plants were producing Merlins in the UK).

The first Merlin engine developed 880 hp, but by the time the last mark of Merlin was produced, the power output was 2030 hp.

The Merlin engine was then enlarged even further and named the Griffon. Aircraft that were powered by the Merlin engine include the Lancaster, Spitfire, Halifax, Hurricane, Battle, Defiant, Whitley, Mosquito, Hornet, York, Lincoln, and North American Mustang.

Hooker’s book is an excellent read about the development of the Merlin engine and then the early jet engines. Hooker eventually saved Rolls Royce after it went broke developing the RB211 three-shaft jet engine, which became today’s very powerful and very fuel-efficient Trent engine.

Photo by Crown Copyright

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January 26, 2024 0 comment

Humor

When a USMC F-9 Cougar pilot buzzed the tower of a USAF base

by Till Daisd January 25, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘He told me he’d debated doing it for about 10 seconds, but being a Marine meant you were compelled to do stuff like that,’ Tim Hibbetts, former Naval Aviator

Maverick: “We weren’t below the hard deck for more than a few seconds. I had the shot. There was no danger. So, I took it.”

***

Maverick: Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby.

Air Boss Johnson: That’s a negative Ghost Rider; the pattern is full.

These are memorable quotes from Top Gun.

But what would happen to a Naval aviator who buzzed the tower like Maverick did in Top Gun?

Tim Hibbetts, former Naval Aviator, explains on Quora;

‘In the ’80s (when it was filmed), he’d have been put in hack for a couple of weeks to a month (no flying, likely being the squadron duty officer every day).

‘Starting from around 1991, he’d have lost his wings and probably his commission (meaning he’d be booted out of the service).

‘These days, he’d likely also undergo charges under the UCMJ.’

He continues;

‘I had a simulator instructor who was a retired Marine Grumman F-9 Cougar pilot who was based in Japan in the late ’60s. He was visiting the local USAF base for a gas-and-go and asked for a low fly-by of 1000 kts and 300’. They gave him clearance, and he read it back. A few minutes later, he came zorching in on the deck at the speed of heat, everything shaking in the roar of the little jet. Once he’d landed, he was met by the base CO and several other very angry Air Force fellows, demanding to know what he thought he was doing. He said he’d been cleared for a low, high-speed pass of 300′ and 1000 kts. They checked the tapes and sure enough, the Air Force controller had cleared him for it. He apologized that while the altitude was rock solid, he’d been unable to make the speed.’

Hibbetts concludes;

‘He told me he’d debated doing it for about 10 seconds, but being a Marine meant you were compelled to do stuff like that. The Air Force advised him not to return to their base.’

Photo by U.S. Navy

January 25, 2024 0 comment

History

The first dual-control Panavia Tornado GR1T in its original color scheme

by Till Daisd January 25, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The sunset/night photoshoot featured not only the Panavia Tornado GR1T ZA319 but also the Hawk T1 XX154 and the English Electric P.1 WG763

The Panavia Tornado GR1T, ZA319, Hawk XX154, and a rare English Electric P.1 are interesting photographs, which were taken on March 18, 2023, at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at the Old Sarum Airfield, Salisbury, UK, by Andrew Timmerman from Finn Aviation Photography.

Timmerman explained:

‘On the 18th of March, Threshold.aero organized a sunset/night shoot at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at the Old Sarum Airfield, Salisbury, UK. After loads of rain showers in the morning, it cleared up and the sun was out, giving us good opportunities for some great photos of the main attraction of the photo shoot, the Panavia Tornado GR1T, ZA319, the day after having been unveiled in its original color scheme. Also standing outside for us there was the first prototype of the Hawk T1, XX154. There was also a very rare English Electric P.1 (WG763, the second of only two P.1s built) that was the prototype of the amazing English Electric Lightning that became the backbone of the RAF fighter force.’

The first GR1T (dual-control) in production is the Panavia Tornado ZA319. Before its relocation to the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment (TTTE) at RAF Cottesmore, it spent a brief period at Boscombe Down for the final release to service. On March 17, ZA319 was officially unveiled in its initial color scheme.

The Hawk T1 XX154 was the first prototype of the renowned Royal Air Force trainer aircraft.

The Hawk XX154 aircraft was airlifted from MOD Boscombe Down, where it was in active service with the Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) until December 2018, to its new home in the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at Old Sarum Airfield on August 21, 2019, the 45th anniversary of its first flight.

The English Electric P.1 WG763, as previously mentioned, was the second of only two P.1s built. The English Electric (later BAC) Lightning, the RAF’s front-line fighter, was developed from the experimental P.1.

The first of the two prototypes, WG760, achieved Mach 1.22 in level flight, exceeding the speed of sound. P1A WG763, the second prototype, peaked at Mach 1.53.

Later aircraft achieved speeds more than Mach 2.0 thanks to additional fuselage modifications and the installation of powerful engines. The Lightning was operational for almost thirty years.

Aviation enthusiasts frequently visit the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, also called the Old Sarum Airfield Museum. It is the home of a sizable collection of Cold War-era military aircraft, several of which have accessible cockpits where guests can climb in and play with the controls.

In July 2012, the museum moved from its old location at the Boscombe Down airfield to Old Sarum. Despite the closure of the Old Sarum airfield at the end of October 2019, the aviation collection is still in business.

January 25, 2024 0 comment

Civil

The day Tom Cruise saved his co-star Elisabeth Shue from being killed by spinning helicopter blades

by Till Daisd January 24, 2024

written by Till Daisd

In 1987 Tom Cruise saved his co-star Elisabeth Shue’s life by stopping her from walking into a spinning helicopter blade on the set of the comedy-drama movie Cocktail.

In 1987 Tom Cruise saved his co-star Elisabeth Shue’s life by stopping her from walking into a spinning helicopter blade on the set of the comedy-drama movie Cocktail, an aerial camera operator on the set of the film, Bill Bennett, recalled last April in a Facebook group called Crew Stories, The Sun newspaper reported.

Bennett explained that the crew was shooting an aerial scene from a helicopter. They would briefly land the helicopter after each take and Cruise and Shue would approach to watch playback recordings and receive notes from the director.

Bennett said that the pilot would keep the tail rotor at the back of the helicopter running as the helicopter would only be grounded for a few moments. the back of the helicopter was a no-go area because the blades appear invisible as they spin but “if you walk into it,” he said, “it will kill you instantly.” But one time after Cruise and Shue watched playback footage of a scene, Shue “took off suddenly, running towards the back of the helicopter.”

Cruise, who in 1987 was already a fully trained chopper and jet pilot, averted the danger by rugby tackling her to the floor, avoiding certain instant death for Shue.

“Tom is a pilot, rated in both airplanes and helicopters and instantly saw the danger. He lunged after her, but only was able to grab her legs, tackling her to the ground,” Bennett said. “He rolled her over, dragging her at the same time, and you could see the momentary anger on her face while she was yelling ‘Why did you do that?’

Bennett continued: “But by that time he is pointing at the tail rotor which is now a couple of feet away, screaming at her that she almost died. At that point, she turned white, and he pulled her back towards the front of the helicopter and they walked away. All of us in the helicopter were quite shaken up by the close call, but there was nothing to be said. Tom had, in that instant, truly saved her life.”

In 1987 when the incident took place, “mandatory safety meetings were not commonly done,” Bennett recalled.

“If it were the current day, there would’ve been a very formal safety meeting that would take place before the helicopter ever arrived, discussing all the dangers of working around helicopters,” he said.

The day Tom Cruise saved his co-star Elisabeth Shue from being killed by spinning helicopter blades — Tom Cruise and Elisabeth Shue in “Cocktail.”

This story was spotted by writer Mike Timm, who sent it to “Mission Impossible” director Christopher McQuarrie who confirmed the story with Cruise, The Sun also reported.

According to Insider, this isn’t the first time reports of Cruise saving a life on a film set have been made public. In April in fact, it was reported that a cameraman who slipped from the carriage of a moving train while filming “Mission: Impossible 7” in the UK was saved by the “Top Gun” actor.

Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the 1986 action drama that sees Tom Cruise reprising his role as Pete Mitchell, is slated to hit the theaters on Nov. 19, 2021.

As already reported, Paramount Studios delayed “Top Gun: Maverick” from 2020 to this year in a dramatic shift in film release dates amid the surging coronavirus pandemic.

Top Gun 2 which Paramount had already delayed because of the COVID-19 crisis from Jun. 24 to Dec. 23, 2020, had been delayed again from Jul. 2 to Nov. 19, 2021.

The internet was set ablaze on Dec. 16, 2019, when the latest trailer of Top Gun: Maverick debuted (the first one was released on Jul. 18, 2019).

The two-minute trailer boasts blockbuster scenes with Maverick taking to the skies in F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft, and an ‘Area 51’-type jet.

Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

Photo by Paramount and Buena Vista Pictures

January 24, 2024 0 comment

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