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.

Turks Call the F-16 Junk After Watching this Video of the Su-35 Demonstration at Technofest 2019

by Till Daisd September 14, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Turks seem to consider the Su-35 way better than the F-16 already in service with the Turkish Air Force.

Filmed on Sep. 14, 2019, the video in this post features the incredible Su-35 demonstration at Technofest 2019 techno festival in Istanbul, Turkey.

As reported the Russian Air and Space Force Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 multipurpose fighter jets were sent to Turkey to take part in the Technofest exhibition,” Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) spokesperson said.

After watching the Su-35 demonstration at Ataturk airport, Turkish people seemed quite impressed by the flight capabilities of the Russian fighter. In fact, they seem to consider the Su-35 way better than the US-built F-16 already in service with the Turkish Air Force.

Here are several comments they left on YouTube.

Metin Eksa:

“Watching the flight of this plane, I dreamed that this plane would become our fighter jet made at our plant. Today we don’t need the American devil, but the Russian bear is needed.”

Phönix – Diriliş başladı:

“It is much better than the American junk! America doesn’t take anybody except Russia seriously.”

As told by Stalker Zone, other users call the F-16 Fighting Falcon “American junk – F-16” and ask to replace it with Russian fighter jets.

TorwaK:

“At 02:34 ‘Pugachev’s cobra’: an ideal combination of aerodynamics and thrust vectoring.”

Yavuz Ortakci:

“We’d better get involved in SU-57 production.”

Galip Sayin:

“It is unknown whether the Russians will approve the transfer of technologies, but if yes, then 20-30 of such planes must be bought.”

On Aug. 10, 2019, the Turkish pro-government daily Yeni Şafak reported that the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM – Savunma Sanayii Mustesarligi) asked the Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (MSB – Turkish Ministry of Defense) to formally weigh in on the possible purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker. I will start official negotiations with Russian state agency ROSOBORONEXPORT if the military approves the proposal.

This request obviously follows the removal of Turkey from the F-35 program in July when Turkey received the first installments of the S-400 ground-based air defense missile systems from Moscow.

Photo by TASS

September 14, 2023 0 comment

HMS-Endurance-Falklands-War

The Royal Navy Ice Patrol Vessel that during the Falklands War escaped harm from Argentina’s Navy

by Till Daisd September 14, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Barker transformed HMS Endurance into a combat helicopter platform and photo-spy ship with just a pair of 20mm AA guns, small weapons, and missiles for her Wasp Helicopters

The narrative of another Endurance resonates as photographs of Shackleton’s Endurance’s wreck are sent throughout the globe, especially as the 40th anniversary of another fight draws near. Her Majesty’s station ship in the Falkland Islands in 1981 was the HMS Endurance. HMS Endurance served an incredible career during the Falklands Conflict with Argentina, and a Pebble Mill documentary produced the year before the Falklands War vividly depicted her prewar history.

The documentaries listed below demonstrate how dangerous exploring the Antarctic was even in the early 1980s. The arrival of Captain Nicholas Barker, who expertly led her in both exploration and combat, demonstrates his skill as an officer. Captain Barker successfully hid his ship from Argentine forces when the Falklands War broke out by using satellite communication to hide his bright red ship among ice floes while he waited for UK reinforcements.

Before giving up to the overwhelming force of the Argentinian amphibious assault on South Georgia, where Shackleton’s grave still lies, Endurance’s Royal Marine Detachment, left there, managed to shoot down an Argentinian Puma Assault Helicopter and damage an Argentinian Naval vessel with their anti-tank weapons.

Barker managed to convert his ship into a combat helicopter platform and photo-spy ship with only two 20mm AA guns, small arms, and missiles for her Wasp Helicopters. This while keeping his crew alive and causing no deaths. In order to maximize damage against the enemy war effort in the event of a confrontation with the Argentinian Naval Forces, his strategy was to ram whatever tankers they had nearby.

Endurance was one of the vessels that assisted in the successful recapture of South Georgia, and she was able to escape harm from Argentina’s Navy until reinforcements arrived. In South Georgia’s Grytvken Harbour, her Wasp Helicopter helped to sink the Argentinean Santa Fe submarine. In one of the last operations of the Falklands War, she was also able to help with the recapture of South Thule Island.

Aboard Endurance, the war’s ultimate surrender took place in the South Sandwich Islands.

Due to his continuing opposition to Thatcher’s prewar Defense Minister John Nott’s decision to retire Endurance as a cost-saving measure just before the War, Captain Barker was put to pasture postwar and retired as merely a Captain despite all of his accomplishments. Barker’s opposition was based on the abundant resources of the Falklands and South Georgia, as well as those islands’ respective Exclusive Economic Zones and their significance as staging areas for the British Antarctic Territory, which is home to a vast potential resource base, including the possibility of substantial petroleum reserves that could result in a sizable financial windfall for the British government and people as well as the islanders themselves.

HMS Endurance, Langley South Part 1. Ignore the messed-up beginning, that is likely bad VCR Tape. To Deception Island Prewar.

HMS Endurance, Langley South Part 2 To Sir James Ross Island, with a re-enactment by Endurance 1981’s crew of Endurance 1915’s harrowing adventure.

War Stories, Captain Barker Postwar, at his reunion party aboard Endurance, visiting the Falklands, shows the Governor General of the Falklands. The Royal Marines’ Lieutenant Keith Mills is also present to share his incredible tale. This will also provide viewers a look at the particular species of Whitehall Office Mole that made the kinds of choices that ultimately resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. Moreover, Lord Shackleton makes an appearance; he is a recently found direct descendent of Shackleton the Great of the Original Endurance.

Be sure to check out William Cobb’s Facebook Page Pensacola Aerospace Museum for awesome aviation’s photos and stories.

Photo by: ©1988 K. Krallis, SV1XV via Wikipedia

September 14, 2023 0 comment

When a Saudi Prince arrived in the US to buy F-15s pulling out a roll of $1,000 bills

by Till Daisd September 13, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘I reminded him that Saudi Arabia would be billed directly for the total cost and so he didn’t need to pay now. The roll disappeared back in the folds of his robe and he went inside to wait,’ Ron Wagner, former T-39A Sabreliner pilot with 89th AW

The 89th Airlift Wing (89th AW) is a tenant unit headquartered at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and is one of 17 Air Force active duty wings assigned to Air Mobility Command (AMC). For the president, vice president, cabinet members, combatant commanders, and other senior military and elected leaders as assigned by the White House, Air Force chief of staff, and AMC, the 89th AW provides global Special Air Mission airlift, logistics, aerial port, and communications.

According to the US Air Force (USAF), the unit’s mission is to “Advancing national interests by delivering diplomacy… safe, comfortable, reliable, connected, and protected. “Perfection is our standard!”’ At this point, one may think that the 89th AW performs its mission by flying luxury business jets…

‘The Air Force does not have luxury business jets!,’ Ron Wagner, former T-39A Sabreliner pilot with the 89th AW, recalls on Quora.

‘I was there. As a pilot in the 89th Military Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force base I flew the jets there. They are absolutely not luxury and here’s how I know that.

‘As you can imagine, most of our passengers were U.S. government people. The most famous, of course, is Air Force One. But we also flew Air Force Two and Executive One Foxtrot (first family). And then, often under the “SAM” call sign (Special Air Missions), we flew in direct support of the White House.

‘However, we were also tasked with flying foreign dignitaries within the borders of the USA. They would fly into Andrews on their own jets, but they were not allowed to fly domestically in their jets with their crews, so their jets were parked on our North Ramp and they rode with us. When they needed security details, that service was provided by the State Department, which has a branch that is a carbon copy of what you know as the Secret Service—same mission, same type of people, just for the protection of non-U.S. VIPs.

T-39

‘I first learned of how not luxury our jets were when I carried a Saudi prince and his entourage from Andrews to Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas because Saudi Arabia wanted to buy F-15s. They were going to get a very special F-15 show out there.’

Wagner continues;

‘When the prince stepped on board, I was watching from the cockpit and he landed at the top of the stairs in shocked disgust at the interior of our jet.

‘He at first refused, but the State Department “escort” reminded him that his only choice was to ride in a U.S. Air Force jet or go commercial because his plane and crew could not fly within the USA. He was insulted at the total lack of “luxury” in our jets.

‘I got more insight into his expectations when we stopped for fuel halfway there. Before he walked away he reached into his robe and pulled out a large roll of $1,000 bills and started peeling them off, asking how many I needed to pay for the fuel.

‘I reminded him that Saudi Arabia would be billed directly for the total cost, so he didn’t need to pay now. The roll disappeared back in the folds of his robe, and he went inside to wait.

‘My eyeballs were still bulging when I turned to the State Department guy and asked how much money he had. “He has 235 one-thousand-dollar bills on him.”

‘I about passed out as this was about 1977 or so and that was enough money to retire on, but then the State Department guy continued, “But that’s just his pocket money for the first time we hit the tables. The real money is in my briefcase.”

‘“How much is in the briefcase?”

‘“Ten million.”

‘“In cash?”

‘“Of course, in cash.”’

Wagner concludes;

‘NOTE ABOUT THE BILLS: I’ve received many comments saying that I’m lying about this because it was not possible to get $1,000 bills in 1977. I finally got confirmation that there were plenty of them around then, and that it was possible for the right person to get them. And a Saudi prince visiting the USA to buy 60 of the top fighter in the world was definitely “the right person” to get them.’

Photo by: U.S. Air Force and Rob Schleiffert from Holland via Wikipedia

September 13, 2023 0 comment

VF-2-F-14-1200x959-1

F-14 RIO explains why F/A-18 is better in some missions but useless against China

by Till Daisd September 12, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘As for which would have been a better air-to-air platform, it depends on what specific mission profiles you’re talking about, and which version of either jet carrying which AAMs,’ Dave Andersen, former US Navy F-14 Tomcat RIO

A fleet defense fighter that could engage high-altitude bombers from well beyond of visual range was necessary because Soviet long-range patrol and bomber aircraft during the Cold War had advanced. Grumman’s response was the famous F-14 Tomcat. With their long-range AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles, F-14s could fight numerous adversaries from a distance of nearly 90 miles. With this hefty armament, an interceptor’s fast speed was required, therefore Grumman created the F-14’s very effective variable-sweep wing, which allows it to fly at a variety of airspeeds.

Two Libyan Su-22 fighters were shot down by an F-14 in August 1981 over the Gulf of Sidra. It served for a significant amount of time in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Gulf War. As the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a development of the F/A-18C/D, took its place in 2006, the final F-14D Super Tomcat left active duty.

In air-to-air combat, wouldn’t the F-14 have been more efficient than the F/A-18?

‘The F-14 was ultimately retired for a combination of reasons, but mostly due to post-Cold War budget constraints, which forced the Navy to make hard choices,’ Dave Andersen, former F-14 Tomcat RIO at US Navy (1983–1992), explains on Quora.

‘Among them was consolidating the carrier airwings into fewer different airframe types and multi-role aircraft. The Navy had not adequately funded F-14 upgrades and modernization throughout the 1980s and early 90s, to give the jet multi-mission capability as the Cold War ended, and the F-14D program was canceled after only a few dozen airframes. Plus, given that NAVAIR in the late ’80s and 1990s was dominated by the so-called “light attack mafia” (lots of A-7 / F/A-18 drivers), the “jack of all trades” F/A-18 Hornet came out on top, at the expense of the F-14A/B/D, A-6E and (later on) EA-6B.

‘The need in the mid and late 90s, after the A-6E was retired, for long-range all-weather strike capability gave the Tomcat a temporary reprieve once it proved, with LANTIRN integration on a shoe-string budget, that it could perform well in the strike mission. But as more Tomcats were retired (and airframes, spare parts and test & calibration equipment destroyed to prevent them from ending up in Iran), and as remaining airframes aged and accumulated more flight hours, combat time and time at sea, the Navy deemed them too costly to maintain and support their shrinking numbers. So, they were retired from the fleet in 2006.’

Andersen continues;

‘As for which would have been a better air-to-air platform, it depends on what specific mission profiles you’re talking about, and which version of either jet carrying which AAMs. Broadly speaking, though, the Tomcat (A, B and D) had much better legs (range and endurance), speed and long-range AAM “stick length” than any Hornet (A, C, D, E/F). The Super Hornet with latest AESA/AIM-120D somewhat closed the long-range missile capability gap with the F-14/AIM-54C, but not completely in all scenarios.

VFA-2-Super-Hornet — 030531-N-0000X-002.Above the United States – (May 31, 2003) – An F-14D Tomcat (far aircraft) assigned to the “Bounty Hunters” of Fighter Squadron Two (VF-2), heads back to their home base of Naval Air Station Oceana after a successful seven month deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV 64) in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch. In formation with the ÒBounty HuntersÓ Tomcat is their new aircraft, the F/A-18F Super Hornet. VF-2 will be transiting to the Super Hornet when they make a homeport change to Naval Air Station Lemoore and will become Strike Fighter Squadron Two (VFA-2). U.S. Navy Photo. (RELEASED).

‘The Hornet has better cockpit automation and better overland “look down/shoot down” thanks to medium PRF radar and AIM-120, which the Tomcat never had. In a high task load environment, the two-seat Tomcat had some advantages over single-seat legacy Hornets, but with single-seat E and two-seat F Super Hornets with AESA radar and modern integrated sensors /avionics, cockpit SA is much improved, so the advantage there goes to Super Hornet. Hornets were/are also superior in the slow-speed high-AOA maneuvering arena, although experienced Tomcat pilots who knew how to use the “Big Boys” (i.e., use full flaps during ACM, which was officially verboten) in a slow-speed high-AOA fight, could outmaneuver a Hornet.’

Andersen concludes;

‘Today against China in the Westpac AOR, Super Hornets are all but worthless. Unfortunately, the Big Navy didn’t have the foresight to require long legs and speed with the F/A-18 E/F. So, we’re now without an effective long-range, high-supersonic carrier-based air-to-air capability until presumably, NGAD/F/A-XX hits the fleet, whatever and whenever that turns out to be.’

Photo by: U.S. Navy

September 12, 2023 0 comment

Antonov-Leipzig

After moving to Leipzig, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Antonov restored operations with its final five AN-124 cargo aircraft

by Till Daisd September 12, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The remaining five AN-124 cargo aircraft will continue to be flown by the Antonov team from Leipzig, where the company has been able to relocate

In a presentation given to the Worldwide Project Consortium (WWPC), which convened its 20th annual membership conference in May 2022 in Vienna, Antonov acknowledged the level of damage caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International claimed that the AN-225, AN-74, and AN-26-100 aircraft, as well as the airline’s home base at Kyiv-Antonov airport in Hostomel, were all destroyed. At the airport, two aircraft—an AN-124 and an AN-22A—were damaged.

The remaining five AN-124-100 aircraft will continue to be flown by the Antonov team out of Leipzig, Germany, where the company has been able to relocate. The airline claimed that in order to accomplish this, it must relocate a complete base to the airport, transport spare engines, parts, and other specialized equipment from Ukraine, procure Western versions of the components when possible, and relocate technical experts, flight crew, and important office personnel to Leipzig.

The possibility of managing commercial flights exists, however, the airline currently gives priority to flights for the Ukrainian government, NATO/EU under the SALIS program, and humanitarian missions. In the following 12 months, Antonov expected to fly 385 times and land 1,270 times. As previously reported, officials from Antonov evaluated the damage to one of its An-225 Mriya (Dream) aircraft.

Early in February, the largest aircraft in the world arrived at Hostomel Airport for maintenance before being damaged during the Battle of Antonov Airport, which took place as the Russian invasion of Ukraine got underway. Entry to the airport remained impossible until Ukrainian forces reclaimed the area from Russia on April 2 when Russian troops withdrew to the country’s east, according to Simple Flying.

‘It is believed that the nose and wings of the aircraft, in particular, suffered considerable damage.’

Dmytro Antonov, the main pilot of the An-225, and Antonov’s team of investigators traveled to the scene to assess the damage and perform a preliminary study of the repair expenses. They collaborated with Ukroboronprom, a Ukrainian defense company.

Simple Flying says that ‘The full findings of the damage assessment have not yet been released, although previous statements from the Ukrainian defense company Ukroboronprom put the cost of repair at $3 billion over five years. It also declared that the aircraft would be rebuilt at Russia’s expense.

‘However, if the An-225 has been as badly damaged as some pictures suggest, repairing the aircraft may not even be possible. Many of the aircraft’s parts were constructed in the 1980s and replacements may be difficult to come across today, almost 40 years later.

‘Both Antonov and aviation enthusiasts worldwide are keen to see Mriya back in the skies, and the manufacturer recently called on public donations to support the rebuild.

‘Yet perhaps a more feasible option would be to continue construction of its second An-225, which was started but never completed.’

According to reports, this partially completed aircraft appears to be unharmed despite being kept in the same hangar at Hostomel Airport at the time of the attack.

Photo by: Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon Own Work via Wikipedia

September 12, 2023 0 comment

F-106 vs F-4: 6 pilots describe how Delta Dart Squadron defeated a Phantom II unit during scramble maneuvers

by Till Daisd September 11, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘In the post-action debriefing, we found that ALL the F-106 Delta Dart aircraft got to the runway before the FIRST F-4,’ Bruce Gordon, former USAF fighter pilot

The sudden mobilization of military aircraft is known as scrambling in military aviation. In response to an immediate threat, scrambling may occur, typically to intercept hostile aircraft.

What is the time required to scramble a jet?

‘In the Air Defense Command, we had several different alert categories,’ Bruce Gordon, former F-86, F-100, F-102, F-106 at US Air Force (1958–1971), fighter pilot, explains on Quora.

‘Normal status: Off duty. I was once scrambled from the bathtub at home when Russian bombers penetrated Alaska in 1963. I got my F-102 airborne in about 45 minutes. I was also scrambled from bed in the barracks in Alaska when a Russian bomber was coming up the Aleutian Chain of Islands and the planes tracking him were running low on fuel. It took about 45 minutes

‘30-MINUTE Alert: We could go anywhere on base, but were in our flight suits and carried radios for recall. I never was scrambled from that condition.

‘15-MINUTE Alert: We were assigned aircraft and had our gear in the aircraft, but we could perform normal duties in the squadron, such as training.

‘5-MINUTE Alert: This was our normal Alert status. Our gear was in the plane, we had set up the cockpit for SCRAMBLE. We were in the Alert barn, we could sleep, play cards, watch movies, and we could get airborne in less than 5 minutes.

‘BATTLE STATIONS: Pilots in the cockpit, but don’t start the engine. We could get airborne in 2 minutes.

‘BATTLE STATIONS, ENGINES RUNNING: pilot in the cockpit, engine running, but at idle, so we weren’t using much fuel. We could get airborne in less than two minutes.

Gordon continues;

‘The aircraft had a lot to do with it. The F-102 was a little faster than the F-106, and the F-106 was faster than the F-100 or F-4.

‘In Vietnam, the F-100 had to go through end-of-runway arming of the bombs and charging the guns. I was scrambled several times in the F-100, and think it took about 10 minutes to get off the ground.

‘In Korea, we had an unusual test. A COCO SCRAMBLE, where the object was to go to the end of the runway and start your takeoff roll, pop your afterburner, but then come out of the afterburner and taxi down to the end of the runway and come back to your parking spot. I was in an F-106 squadron, and right beside us was a F-4 squadron. The COCO SCRAMBLE was a complete surprise in the early morning, as both squadrons were asleep in barracks that were right beside each other. A major difference was that the F-4 pilots were provided with four-passenger pickup trucks, while the F-106 pilots had all purchased our own motorcycles. The base golf course was between our barracks and the flight line.

Former F-106 pilot explains why the Delta Dart - although fast and agile - was never used in Vietnam

‘We were all in bed when the air raid siren blew and the loudspeakers called: “COCO SCRAMBLE! COCO SCRAMBLE!” I jumped out of bed, put on my flight suit and boots, and ran out to my motorcycle. As I started the motorcycle, I could hear the F-4 pilots climbing into their pickup trucks and calling to each other: “Where’s Joe? Tell him to GET MOVING!”

‘I started my motorcycle and ran directly across the base golf course. I went to Squadron Operations, where I got my helmet, parachute, clipboard, and the F-106 assigned to me and its location. Back on my motorcycle, I raced to the aircraft and ditched the motorcycle. The crew chief barracks were much closer to the aircraft, and my crew chief was already at the plane, with the cockpit open, and he was putting up the ladder as I arrived. He helped me strap in; I started the engine while he took down the ladder and pulled the chocks.

‘I was the second aircraft to the runway (the Squadron Commander beat me by a few seconds), started my takeoff roll, came out of the afterburner, and taxied down the length of the runway. I turned off at the end and taxied back. I stopped short of the F-4 squadron because the F-4s were starting to taxi out.’

Gordon concludes;

‘In the post-action debriefing, we found that ALL the F-106s got to the runway before the FIRST F-4. I don’t remember the time, but it seemed like about twenty minutes for me. The fact that the F-106s had motorcycles and the F-4s had pickup trucks was probably a factor, but the F-106 was quicker to start and taxi than the F-4.’

Photo by: U.S. Air Force

September 11, 2023 0 comment

USS-Lexington-CV-2-sinking-1200x960-1

Remembering the of the Battle of Coral Sea, History’s First Carrier vs Carrier Battle

by Till Daisd September 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On May 8, 1942, the first Carrier VS Carrier battle climaxed between the US Navy and Imperial Japan. For the past 4 days the two fleets had been on a collision course.

On May 8, 1942, the first Carrier VS Carrier battle climaxed between the US Navy and Imperial Japan. For the past 4 days the two fleets had been on a collision course. A lot has been written about this historic fight, and we in no way presume to rewrite all the excellent work which has been done on the battle. ù

What we will do is attempt to show how historic an engagement Coral Sea was, as two navies who both were Pioneers of Aircraft Carrier Technology met to engage in History’s First Carrier vs Carrier Battle between two Adversaries who fought OVER THE HORIZON, with neither side’s ships ever physically seeing the other. Coral Sea marks the first time such an event occurred, discounting the loss of HMS Hermes to the overwhelming force of Imperial Japan’s Kido Butai in the Indian Ocean the previous month.

Coral Sea marked the first time BOTH sides had Carriers with full Air Groups. On Imperial Japan’s side was the Shokaku and Zuikaku, newest and most powerful Carriers in the Imperial Fleet. Facing them were Lexington and Yorktown, the one America’s first real Aircraft Carrier, and the other the nameship of the best class of American Prewar Aircraft Carriers.

Shoho-torpedoed — Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho is torpedoed, during attacks by U.S. Navy carrier aircraft in the late morning of 7 May 1942. The torpedo was a Mark XIII. Photographed from a USS Lexington (CV-2) plane. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Aviators on both sides faced launching on sorties to find a moving target at sea, in the middle of a Big Ocean, fighting their way to their targets, thence returning to an unknown and variable Carrier’s Position of Intended Movement, referred to as “Point Option” at the end of their Mission. They did so using navigation aids as simple as mechanical flight computers, the plotting board on their instrument panel, and Radio Direction Finders to home in on their ship.

Both sides would blunder into an action neither side really knew how to fight. Errors would be made on both sides as each realized they were facing carriers on the opposite side. The US would launch a strike and sink the first Carrier lost by Imperial Japan, the luckless Shoho covering the Imperial Navy’s Port Moresby Landing Force.

The Imperial Japanese would batter the oiler Neosho and sink her luckless escort, the destroyer Sims. The Imperial Japanese would also launch a late day attack against the American carrier fleet which ended in the strike getting lost in the gloomy weather surrounding both Task Forces, and incredibly, several Imperial Japanese strike aircraft would actually be shot down while attempting to join the landing circuit for the AMERICAN Task Force.

Things would come to a head on May 8, when Both sides made the all important discovery of the other’s position and send strikes to neutralize the other. The result would be Shokaku receiving damage to her flight deck, Zuikaku losing most of her Air Group, and the US Navy losing Lexington. Thus two carriers were lost in the first Carrier VS Carrier Battle ever fought between two navies, one light carrier for Imperial Japan, and the pioneer of much of prewar American Naval Aviation operations on the US Side.

USS-Lexington-CV-2-sinking — The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2), burning and sinking after her crew abandoned ship during the Battle of the Coral Sea, May, 8 1942. Note the planes parked aft, where the fires have not yet reached.

As Navy Ace and future 4-Star Admiral Noel Gayler quipped in John Lundstrom’s excellent book The First Team “Twas a rugged day to be flying the Wily Wildcat.” The Lexington remains on the bottom of the Coral Sea, in waters deep enough to retain her gray paint and the markings on her aircraft. She stands as a monument to the lives lost, as Aviators sacrificed themselves to perfect a doctrine still being developed as both sides made the ultimate Test of their carrier technology.

Strategically, the Battle remains an American Victory, as Port Moresby’s seaward invasion was repulsed, and Imperial Japan had to fight across the Owen Stanley Mountains overland, rather than capture the main port in New Guinea. Both Navy’s would face again the following month, though the mauling of Shokaku and the losses to Zuikaku aircrew kept both carriers of CarDiv5 out of Midway. Meanwhile, Yorktown, damaged by a single bomb, would be repaired in time for Round 2 of the 1942 Carrier World Cup at Midway.

Be sure to check out William Cobb’s Facebook Page Pensacola Aerospace Museum for awesome aviation’s photos and stories.

Photo by: U.S. Navy and Hangar B Productions

Wildcat — Wildcat BuNo 3976. This particular F4F-3 was flown by future fighter ace and Rear Admiral Albert “Scoop Vorse” as well as Naval Aviation Legend Jimmy Thach, and Noel Gayler, both future 4-Star Admirals.
Rendering by Hangar B Productions.

September 10, 2023 0 comment

Why the RAH-66 Comanche program was canceled due to an armed drone

by Till Daisd September 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘While the RAH-66 was being perfected, the armed drone came along and did the job of the Comanche better, and cheaper,’ Damien Leimbach, former Avionics Technician at US Air Force

The Comanche was a twin-turbine, two-seat (tandem) armed reconnaissance helicopter with projected missions of armed reconnaissance, light attack, and air combat.

Boeing and Sikorsky teamed to develop and build the RAH-66 Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter in 1991.

Designed to replace the US Army’s then-current Vietnam War-vintage scout and light attack helicopter fleet, the Comanche featured an all-composite fuselage, fully integrated digital flight controls, and advanced navigation and weapons systems. It was designed to provide U.S. forces with accurate, timely tactical intelligence.

First deliveries were scheduled for 2006, with the Comanche program reaching full production by about 2010. Plans were to manufacture 1,213 RAH-66s for US Army service. The Army canceled the program in February 2004 as a part of a reorganization of Army Aviation.

By then, the Comanche program validated several aircraft systems and components and built and flew two flight-test prototype aircraft in its demonstration, validation, and prototype phase from contract award in 1991 through 2000. The engineering and manufacturing development phase began in mid-2000. During that time, the program was slated to build and deliver 13 new Comanches for additional flight tests and US Army operational tests, evaluation, and training.

So, why did the US Army abandon the RAH-66 even though it had nearly finished the research and development phase and produced two prototypes?

‘The Comanche was envisioned as being a stealth helicopter for battlefield scouting purposes, and to take shots at targets of opportunity without them even knowing it was there,’ explains Damien Leimbach, former Avionics Technician at US Air Force (2001–2007), on Quora.

‘While it had a problematic development cycle, it probably would have worked just fine.

‘However, while it was being perfected, another product came along and did the job of the Comanche better, and cheaper.

‘The Armed Drone.

Predator — An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle.

‘It goes higher, sees better, loiters FAR longer over the battlefield, can survey hundreds of times more area in one mission, is harder to spot in the air, and doesn’t risk pilots.

‘The Comanche wasn’t as good of an attack helicopter as either the Apache or Super Cobra, and wasn’t as good for low-key surveillance as the predator and other drones like it.’

Leimbach concludes;

‘Bottom line, we just didn’t need it.’

The two prototypes are now in the collection of the US Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Photo by: U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army

Comanche

September 10, 2023 0 comment

US Navy F-4 Phantom II pilot, recalls the one-on-one duel that made him America’s First Ace Pilot since Korea

by Till Daisd September 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

After having downed two MiGs with one Sidewinder apiece, Showtime 100 disengaged and approached the coast at 10,000 feet, when Randy Cunningham saw an enemy MiG-17 (NATO reporting name Fresco) closing nose-on

Lt. Randy “Duke” Cunningham was returning from a mission to suppress flak over Haiphong, North Vietnam, on May 10, 1972, while piloting an F-4J Phantom from VF-96 Fighting Falcons (callsign “Showtime 100”) from the carrier USS Constellation (CV-64). Willie Driscoll, a radar intercept officer (RIO), was seated in Cunningham’s back seat.

After the strike, an air fight broke out above the objective, separating Cunningham and Driscoll from their wingman. Duke noticed an adversary MiG-17 (NATO reporting name Fresco) closing in on them as Showtime 100 disengaged and approached the coast at 10,000 feet after downing two MiGs with one Sidewinder each.

In the book Fighter Aces of the U.S.A. by Raymond F. Toliver & Trevor J. Constable, Randy Cunningham’s own account of his fifth victory is presented from Lou Drendel’s book “…And Kill MiGs.” Cunningham wrote the following about the famous air battle that made him an ace (he and Driscoll had previously scored two confirmed MiG Kills in the preceding months):

“I bored in on the 17… head on. Suddenly his whole nose lit up like a Christmas tree! I had forgotten that the A-4s didn’t shoot at you, but this guy was really spitting out the 23mm and 37mm! I pulled hard up in the vertical, figuring that the MiG would keep right on going for home. I looked back and…there was the MiG… canopy to canopy with me! He couldn’t have been more than thirty feet away…I could see the pilot clearly…leather helmet, goggles, scarf… we were both going straight up, but I was outzooming him. He fell behind, and as I came over the top, he started shooting. I had given him a predictable flight path and lie had taken advantage of it. The tracers were missing me, but not by much! I rolled out, and he pulled in right behind me.

Leading jet ace Giora Even-Epstein on his friendship with US Navy’s ace Randy Cunningham and on a tempting offer he received from Blue Angels CO — Lts. Cunningham and Driscoll

“Now I don’t know if it’s ego…you know, you don’t like to admit that the other guy beat you…or what, but I said: ‘That SOB is really lucky!’ Anyway, I told Willie, ‘Alright, we’ll get this guy now!’ I pulled down and I was holding top rudder, trying to knuckle at the nose. As soon as I committed my nose, he pulled right into me! I thought ‘Oh-Oh, maybe this guy isn’t just lucky after all!’ I waited for his nose to commit, then I pulled up into him…that’s a rolling scissors. Well, here’s where my training came into play again. In training, I had fought against Dave Frost in the same situation, and I had learned that if he had his nose too high, I could snap down, using one G of gravity to advantage, and run out to his six o’clock. I would be a mile, a mile and a half out of range before he could get turned around. This is just what happened. We separated, turned around, and engaged again. Same thing. Up into a rolling scissors…advantage, disadvantage…advantage disadvantage… disadvantage… disadvantage… disengaged, came hack, engaged again, and went up in the vertical again. This is one of the very few MiGs that ever fought in the vertical. They like to fight in the horizontal. We kept engaging. and I never could get enough advantage on him to get a shot. Everything my airplane did, he reacted to instinctively.

“He was flying damn good airplane! Well, he kept at it with me outzooming him in the vertical, and him shooting every time I got out in front. I thought, ‘He’s going to get lucky one of these times!’

“The next time we started up in the vertical, an idea came to me…I don’t know why… your mind just works overtime in a situation like that.

F-4 Showtime 100

“Anyway, as we’re going up, I went to idle and speed brakes… and he shot out in front of me! I think it really surprised him… being out in front for the first time. Anyway, we’re both going straight up and losing speed fast. I was down to 150 knots and I knew I was going to have to go to full burner to hold it. I did, and we both pitched over the top. As he came over, I used rudder to get the airplane to turn to his belly side. He lost lift coming over the top, and, I think, departed the airplane a bit. I thought, ‘This is no place to be with a MiG-17…at 150 knots…that slow, he can take it right away from you.’ But he had stayed too long. He was low on fuel, and I think he decided to run. He pitched over the top and started straight down. I went after him and, though I didn’t think the Sidewinder would guide straight down with all the heat of the ground to look at, I squeezed one off anyway.

“The missile came oil the rail and went to his airplane. There was just a little flash, and I thought, ‘God, it missed him!’ I started to fire my last Sidewinder and suddenly…a big flash of flame and black smoke erupted from his airplane. He didn’t seem to go out of control, but he flew straight down into the ground. He didn’t get out.”

This marked the demise of Colonel Tomb, the top-scoring ace of the entire Vietnam War. Tomb had shot down thirteen American aircraft, and in an aerial battle, nobody was fooled, as Randy Cunningham’s account so graphically reveals.

Even though Tomb now appears to have been a propaganda mashup of multiple excellent North Vietnamese pilots, the Showtime 100 crew faced a great dogfighter that day.

On the way back to the carrier, America’s first ace pilot since Korea ran afoul of a SAM. He and Driscoll had to ditch in the Gulf of Tonkin. Marine helicopters plucked the triumphant pair from the sea. Their return to the “Constellation” – drenched but delighted – was an occasion of great rejoicing.

A firm believer in the team concept while still being an outstanding individual, Cunningham later became a TOPGUN instructor, as did his RIO, Willie Driscoll.

Fighter Aces of the U.S.A. is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Navy

September 10, 2023 0 comment

Boeing-727-Mushroom-Cloud

Former Boeing 727 Pilot tells the Story of when a Passenger confused a Thunderstorm Cloud for a Nuclear Mushroom Cloud, started a Ruckus aboard the Airliner and asked him to Land

by Till Daisd September 9, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘While I was flying a [Boeing] 727 over the middle of North Carolina, a passenger saw a huge thunderstorm cloud and started a ruckus in the back by telling everyone it was a nuclear bomb mushroom cloud,’ Ron Wagner, former airline pilot

‘While I was flying a [Boeing] 727 over the middle of North Carolina, a passenger saw a huge thunderstorm cloud—one of the biggest I’ve ever seen and started a ruckus in the back by telling everyone it was a nuclear bomb mushroom cloud,’ Ron Wagner, former USAF pilot in the Presidential Wing at Andrews AFB and former airline pilot, recalls on Quora.

‘It was a really big s****r! It towered up to nearly 70,000 feet.

‘This was WAY before security was an issue, so we had the flight attendant bring him to the cockpit so we could talk to him about it.

‘He claimed he was a former engineer who worked on above-ground nuclear tests and that THAT was a nuclear explosion. We said it’s a really big-ass thunderstorm. He said he knew exactly what thunderstorms looked like and THAT wasn’t one of them.

‘He insisted that we land immediately because the USA was now, officially, in a nuclear war and we needed to get on the ground.

‘He finally went back, but then everyone around him wanted to know what we said. He told them he didn’t know why we’re lying, but that as a nuclear expert, he assured them that North Carolina had now been nuked and we needed to land, but the crew was covering up something. Probably because we were all former military pilots and were now following orders.

‘The passengers started to get riled up and the flight attendant came back up to tell us what he was saying.

‘We called the guy back up and told him that if he didn’t shut up and say not one more single word, then we would, indeed, give him his wish by landing immediately, whereupon he would be removed by the FBI for interfering with an airline flight.’

Wagner concludes;

‘We told him he’d better be REALLY sure of what he was telling everyone. Of course, if he was right, then he’d be a hero. If he was wrong, he might end up with either some psychiatric care or some prison time.

‘His choice.

‘He decided that it could be a thunderstorm and went back and didn’t say another word the whole rest of the flight. He exited quietly with the rest of the passengers.’

Photo by: Felix Goetting via Wikipedia and United States Department of Energy

Boeing-727 — A single Boeing 727-30 was acquired by the US Air Force (and designated C-22A) from the Federal Aviation Administration, this aircraft was originally delivered to Lufthansa. It served mostly with US Southern Command flying from Panama City / Howard Air Force Base.

September 9, 2023 0 comment

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