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History

Carmine Vito, the sole U-2 pilot to fly over Moscow, nearly bit his poisonous cyanide pill

by Till Daisd October 18, 2023

‘He started to suck on it. Luckily, he realized his mistake in a split second and spit it out in horror before it could take effect. Had he bit down, he would have died instantly and crashed right into Red Square.’ Marty Knutson, the first pilot selected to fly the U-2

Even now, the U-2 is regarded as one of the most cutting-edge aircraft ever created. Since its primary function was strategic reconnaissance, its development in 1954 was shrouded in intense secrecy. It is essentially a powered glider with a sail-plane-like wing and a lightweight structure, designed to fly for extended durations at very high altitudes.

The aircraft was built with high-altitude communications intelligence, electronic intelligence, and all-weather surveillance in mind. Depending on the mission, the U-2 has been equipped with a variety of cameras, electronic intelligence systems, and radar homing and warning systems.

In the late 1950s, early flights over the Soviet Union gave the president and other US decision-makers crucial information on Soviet military capability.

Marty Knutson the first pilot chosen to fly the U-2, recalls this in Ben Rich’s book “Skunk Works.”

‘I was the first pilot selected to fly in the U-2 program and made the third flight over the Soviet Union on the morning of July 8, 1956. I was a twenty-six-year-old with a thousand hours of fighter time. Now here I was flying over Russia in a fragile little airplane with a wingspan as long as the Brooklyn Bridge—and below I could see three hundred miles in every direction. This was enemy territory, big time. In those days, especially, I had a very basic attitude about the Soviet Union—man, it was an evil empire, a forbidding, alien place, and I sure as hell didn’t want to crash-land in the middle of it. I had to pinch myself that I was actually flying over the Soviet Union.

‘I began the day by eating a high-protein breakfast, steak, and eggs, then put on the bulky pressure suit and the heavy helmet and had to lie down in a contour chair for two hours before taking off and breathe pure oxygen. The object was to purge the nitrogen out of my system to avoid getting the bends if I had to come down quick from altitude.

‘I knew from being briefed by the two other guys who flew these missions ahead of me to expect a lot of Soviet air activity. They tracked me from the minute I took off, which was an unpleasant surprise. We thought we would be invisible to their radar at such heights. No dice. Through my drift sight, I saw fifteen Russian MiGs following me from about fifteen thousand feet below.

‘The day before, Carmine Vito had followed the railroad tracks right into Moscow and actually saw two MiGs collide and crash while attempting to climb to his altitude.

‘Vito had a close call. The ground crew had put his poison cyanide pill in the wrong pocket. We were issued the pill in case of capture, torture, and all that good stuff, but given the option whether to use it or not.

‘But Carmine didn’t know the cyanide was in the right breast pocket of his coveralls when he dropped in a fistful of lemon-flavored cough drops. The cyanide pill was supposed to be in an inside pocket. Vito felt his throat go dry as he approached Moscow for the first time—who could blame him? So, he fished in his pocket for a cough drop, grabbed the cyanide pill instead, and popped it into his mouth.

‘He started to suck on it. Luckily, he realized his mistake in a split second and spit it out in horror before it could take effect. Had he bit down, he would have died instantly and crashed right into Red Square. Just imagine the international uproar!

‘I kept my cyanide pill in an inside pocket and prayed that I would not have an engine flameout.’

Check out the Habubrats Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

October 18, 2023 0 comment

History

The Gloster Meteor F8 “Prone Pilot” between gravity and flying lying down

by Till Daisd October 17, 2023

written by Till Daisd

In the fall of 1954, Meteor F8 WK935 joined the Institute of Aviation Medicine after being chosen for modification

The ‘prone position’ Meteor, which is depicted in the images in this post, is a heavily modified Meteor F8 fighter that was used to test the benefits of flying while lying down. The challenges of using the aircraft’s controls actually outweighed the benefits.

The adoption of a prone-position cockpit in upcoming combat aircraft designs was attractive in the early 1950s for two reasons. First off, such a layout made it possible to decrease the frontal area of the airframe, which decreased drag. Second, because jet combat aircraft must maneuver at ever-faster speeds, crews can withstand greater “g” forces if they are not sitting upright.

In order to take advantage of these benefits, the Bristol Aeroplane Company included a prone pilot position in its Bristol Type 178 rocket-powered fighter concept. The RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine needed a jet aircraft that could be flown by a pilot lying on his stomach to test the viability of a prone pilot cockpit. In the fall of 1954, Meteor F8 WK935 joined the Institute of Aviation Medicine after being chosen for modification.

The prone position concept was shown to be feasible after around 55 hours of flight testing, but only under the most extreme circumstances for aerodynamic reasons. The front cockpit was never used for solo flight of the aircraft. The prone posture was abandoned as a result of the creation of specialized aviation clothing, which provided a more straightforward answer to the issue of reducing “g” forces.

‘Its mission was to see if there were any benefits to the prone pilot position. It proved, conclusively, the opposite,’ David Powell, an aviation expert, explains on Quora.

‘Aside from being more difficult to fly due to the unconventional layout, the prone pilot also had limited rear vision – which in mock combat scenarios proved to be a major drawback. Also, it was unclear how the pilot could eject from such a position. The final nail in the coffin was the fact that pressurized g-suits were becoming better and better and they were a far simpler and effective solution.

‘My Grandfather Robin Peter Reginald Powell was a test pilot at the end of WWII and flew early Meteor prototypes, though not the prone version which was a one-off modification to the last production Meteor airframe.’

At the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in the UK, where the Gloster Meteor F8 Prone Pilot is preserved and still survives.

Photo by Crown Copyright and Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK via Wikipedia

October 17, 2023 0 comment

History

Bombing Japan cost the lives of 414 B-29s. About two Superfortresses were destroyed in accidents and crashes for each that the enemy destroyed

by Till Daisd October 16, 2023

written by Till Daisd

During World War II, the Pacific theater saw the bulk of the use of B-29s. Up to 1,000 Superfortresses dropped bombs on Tokyo at once, destroying major portions of the city

The B-29 Superfortress was one of the most technologically advanced aircraft of World War II and had several novel innovations, such as remote-controlled weapons. Crewmen could crawl between the two pressurized crew areas—fore and aft—that were joined by a long tube over the bomb bays. Only at altitudes where pressurization was not necessary could the tail gunner enter or exit his separate pressurized space.

Due to its increased range, bomb load, and defensive needs, the B-29 was also the heaviest production plane in the world.

During World War II, the Pacific theater saw the bulk of the use of B-29s. Up to 1,000 Superfortresses dropped bombs on Tokyo at once, destroying significant portions of the city. Ultimately, the B-29 Enola Gay delivered the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. A second B-29 named Bockscar dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki three days later. After a short while, Japan gave up.

Over Japan, how many B-29s were lost?

‘Four hundred and fourteen (414) B-29s were lost bombing Japan—147 of them to flak and Japanese fighters, 267 to engine fires, mechanical failures, takeoff crashes, and other “operational losses,”’ Pete Feigal, Former Pro Military Artist, explains on Quora.

‘Do the math and you’ll see that for every B-29 lost to the enemy, almost two were lost to accidents and crashes.

‘The grim jest among B-29 crewmen was that they were being killed more by Curtiss-Wright, the makers of the B-29’s big R3350 radial engines, than by the Japanese. Except it wasn’t a joke.

‘The B-29 had 4 × Wright R-3350-23 Duplex-Cyclone 18-cylinder air-cooled turbosupercharged radial piston engines, making 2,200 hp each, and they were terrible, and the LAST time magnesium was ever used on an engine again.

‘The light-weight crankcase of the R3350 was made out of very flammable magnesium crankcase, and when they went up like shooting stars, they could quickly burn right through a wing spar.’

Feigal concludes;

‘With the unreliability of the incredibly complex remote-aimed guns, the severe engine problems, and the many, many other issues in the very technical (and rushed, IMO) aircraft, give me a B-17 every time.’

B-29-Crash — Returning from an Empire strike where it was “badly shot up, this Boeing B-29 Superfortress made an emergency landing on Iwo Jima’s 7th Fighter Command base. Damage to hydraulic systems caused a locked brake and a crash resulting in this fire. The entire crew escaped, some with minor injuries. The huge plane plowed up some Mustangs and construction equipment

Photo by U.S. Air Force via Cool Old Photos and 7th Fighter.com

October 16, 2023 0 comment

History

The stunning photo of the Flying Fortress with one wing blown off

by Till Daisd October 15, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The B-17G Flying Fortress “Wee Willie” was destroyed after completing 128 missions

The main image in this post is “Wee Willie,” a Boeing B-17G-15-BO Flying Fortress 42-31333, going down after being struck by anti-aircraft artillery over Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on April 8, 1945. It is one of the most spectacular photographs of World War II.

This horrific image was captured by the automatic bomb strike camera of a B-17, as Dan Sharp explains in his book Spitfires over Berlin. The photo sequence captures the last 18 seconds of B-17G 42-31333 “Wee Willie” over Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, after it was struck by an 88mm flak burst. This aircraft was the 302nd Boeing B-17G to roll off the production line at Boeing Plant 2, King County Washington.

In the first image, the port wing of Willie has already sheared off, and it is spinning over its tail while engulfed in flames.

The second image, which, as we’ve already noted, is widely used to illustrate the atrocities that American aircrews had to endure during the daytime bombing campaign over Germany, captures the plane as it enters its final seconds of flight. There were still all nine crew members inside.

The story behind the horrific photo of the B-17 Flying Fortress with one wing blown off, plummeting to its doom

In the last photograph, ‘Wee Willie’ has exploded. The fuselage, wings, and tail are torn apart and fall to the ground, burning.

‘Wee Willie’ was part of a 73-bomber raid on the locomotive repair shops at Stendal and was flown by Lt. Robert E. Fuller for this sortie.

The official report from the 322nd noted that the operation was a remarkable success: “The high squadron was furnished by the 322nd, led by Lt. Johnson. Strike photographs for the high squadron’s bombs show an excellent concentration of hits covering the aiming point.

“Almost the entire concentration lies within a 1000ft circle over the MPI. Meagre to moderate tracking AA fire on the bomb run which was extremely accurate, resulted in minor damage to 13 aircraft and major damage to four in the group. The high and lead squadrons each lost one aircraft in the target area from flak damage.”

Lt. Peter Pastras was the pilot of the B-17G-50-B0 42-102504 Times A-Wastin’, which was lost from the 401st, the lead squadron. A navigator on another B-17, Lt. Mike Fodroci, saw its demise. He observed the four gun batteries on the ground following bursts of flak through the lead formation as they drew ever closer to The A-Wastin’ until the fourth one went straight into the bomb bay of the aircraft, which was still open.

In his report, he states, “The pilot must have been killed instantly, for the ship pulled up and veered to the right, climbing directly over our ship. Captain Shelby put our ship into a dive so steep that I was thrown up against the astro hatch of the ceiling in the nose — seems I hung there for a brief second or two.

“I also observed that a bad fire was burning on the aircraft’s forward bomb bay area and that the co-pilot was trying to climb out of the small window with his backpack on. Somehow, we saw three chutes emerge from #504 as she spun toward the earth.”

The B-17 exploded in midair, killing all of the crew members except for two—engineer Lyle Jones and radio operator Bob A. Smith—who were captured on the ground. Bob Morris, the co-pilot of the Times A-Wastin, was also killed. Wee Willie, 42-31333, was the high squadron’s lost aircraft.

S/Sgt. George Little, a gunner on board a 401st B-17, writes in the Missing Air Crew Report: “I observed 42-31333 receive a direct flak hit approximately between the bomb bay and the number two engine. The aircraft immediately started a vertical dive. The aircraft fuselage was on fire, and when it had dropped approximately 5000ft the left wing fell off.

“It continued down, and when the fuselage was about 3000ft from the ground, it exploded, and then exploded again when it hit the ground. I saw no crew members leave the aircraft or parachutes.”

Another witness who saw what happened at “Wee Willie’s” end was able to provide an even more precise account of what occurred. On any given mission, around a third of the B-17 aircraft were outfitted with bomb-strike cameras. These were fitted under the floor in the radio room, and the lens cone was exposed to the elements.

The cameras were set to run automatically from “bombs away” until the film ran out or until a predefined number of exposures had been made. Every six seconds, they took an exposure, and then the system wound the film onto the camera in preparation for the next picture.

In this manner, it was sometimes possible to assess the images to determine whether a mission was successful or unsuccessful. The three images above were taken during the final 18 seconds of “Wee Willie” by the automated camera on another B-17 that was flying alongside or below it.

Lt. Robert E. Fuller was blown clear out of the cockpit, and Willie was torn apart by an explosion that tore right through the fuselage just before the final of the three. He opened his parachute and made it through the descent somehow. The rest of his crew perished in the incident.

Fuller’s destiny is unknown, despite the fact that it is noted that he was taken prisoner; in some sources, he is simply listed as “killed in action” along with his crew. After completing 127 missions, “Wee Willie” was destroyed on mission 128.

Spitfires over Berlin is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force via American Air Museum in Britain

October 15, 2023 0 comment

History

F2H pilot tells the story of a memorable Banshee training mission

by Till Daisd October 13, 2023

written by Till Daisd

F2H pilot tells the story of when he flew the longest non-stop Banshee flight off of and back onto a carrier

The F2H Banshee, McDonnell’s FH-1 Phantom’s successor, was chosen to escort B-29 bombers over Korea because it was a fast and efficient high-altitude fighter. Because the aircraft’s engines “screamed like a banshee,” that phrase became its official moniker. But it was affectionately referred to as the “Banjo” by its pilots.

The US Navy also decided to deploy its first nuclear capabilities in a carrier-based tactical jet aircraft with the F2H-2. The Banshee was the ideal option given its high altitude and long-range capabilities for the new mission.

The initial capabilities placed in North American AJ Savages and Lockheed P2V-3C Neptunes did not sufficiently meet the needs of the US Navy, as detailed by Rick Burgess in his book F2H Banshee Units. As a result, the F2H-2 was chosen for further development, and the F2H-2B was produced, becoming the first carrier-based tactical jet to be used for nuclear strike missions.

Lt. Cdr. Edward L. “Whitey” Feightner, who would later become Rear Admiral, flew F2H-2Bs at NAS Atlantic City as a test pilot with VX 3 starting in September 1952. Feightner, a World War II ace, led the VF 10 “Grim Reapers” aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6) and later the second VF-8 aboard the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) to nine wins over Japanese aircraft.

‘I got tagged with “Whitey” by [US Navy ace Lt Cdr] “Butch” O’Hare’, Feightner explained during a 2009 interview.

‘Everybody had to have a nickname, of course, in those days, and “Butch” was teaching us all to be spear fishermen, and I was the only guy in the squadron that didn’t get a tan—I got red—so he called me “Whitey”. I had blond hair and couldn’t tan’.

F2H-2B-Banshee — F2H-2B with extra pylon near intake for carrying a nuclear bomb

Feightner served as the F7U solo pilot for the US Navy’s Blue Angels flying demonstration squadron as well as a project pilot for the Vought F7U Cutlass fighter. The creation of nuclear delivery strategies for the AD-4B Skyraider and F2H-2B Banshee was one of his efforts at VX-3.

‘We were the pioneers [in nuclear weapons delivery], especially in that low-level delivery business’, Feightner said. ‘It was done purely by the VX squadrons in the US Navy. Of course, that was the reason they set us up for it. It was interesting work’.

During that productive period, World War II hero Cdr. Noel Gayler oversaw VX-3. The Banshees’ qualification for their nuclear weapon role and the development of the delivery tactics were greatly aided by VX-3, which was based at NAS Atlantic City. Feightner contributed to such growth.

‘Gayler was a really capable guy. He fully understood the mission of the VX squadron. During the years he was there, we made more progress on this very kind of stuff, all of it. We had so many really good projects up there. He was a guy with great vision. He was the perfect guy to be the head of that outfit. We had the Banshee 2, which, in its day, could fly higher and further than its contemporaries. There was a tremendous range on that airplane, and it’s the airplane that gave us that true Mk 7 capability [The nuclear ‘Banjo’ was modified to carry two types of nuclear weapons, the Mk 7 and the Mk 8]. We worked out all of the delivery tactics for the [F2H-2B]: the low-level tactics, no electronics allowed, avoiding the AAA, and so forth, with a pop-up [manoeuvre] at the end.

‘That Banshee 2 was a really maneuverable airplane, but it had its limitations. McDonnell built what we ordered, but what we ordered should’ve been 100 percent stronger. The Banshee was a phenomenal airplane. I remember Noel Gayler and I took off from Atlantic City and we flew down to Jacksonville, circled Florida for something like an hour, and then went 200 miles out to sea and landed aboard and still had fuel enough to go back to Jacksonville. That’s long legs for an airplane of that size. You could get it up to altitude and, of course, it was the first airplane that would go up to about 40,000 ft and stay there. It was a phenomenal machine.’

F2H-2s-cat-launch — The US Navy aircraft carrier USS *Intrepid* (CVA-11) prepares to launch a McDonnell F2H-2 *Banshee* of Fighter Squadron VF-44 *Hornets* from the starboard catapult, June 1955.

One of Feightner’s accomplishments with the Banshee was the 3220-mile sortie that set a record for the longest non-stop round-trip flight from an aircraft carrier. He took off from Midway in an F2H-2B Banshee with Gayler and Lt(jg) Mike Ames, all carrying Mk 7 nuclear shapes.

‘We were working off of Midway, which was 100 miles east of Guantanamo, and we had [the] entire air defense [on] the entire East Coast alerted’, Feightner recalled. ‘They knew we’d be coming during daylight hours sometime, and our target was in Lake Erie. They had a target located out there.

‘We took off from the carrier east of Guantanamo and refueled from the AJ tankers before we got to the coastline down around St Augustine, in Florida. Then we dropped down to sea level and we flew at treetop level from St Augustine clear up to Lake Erie without being detected. This was a terrible thing for the air defenses in our country at that time. We flew up there, and the first time they ever saw us – it was a really clear day – they saw the bombs go off on the targets.

‘All the [Air Force] F-86s and F-89s in the world then came screaming down at us. We built up speed and stayed low and, when they got down to about 5000 ft, we pulled the nose on those Banshees up and we didn’t stop until we hit 55,000 ft. None of those other birds could get up there. We flew back in bright daylight to our carrier, with everybody in the world trying to get to us. They’d get up to maybe 38,000 40,000 ft before spinning out. They couldn’t even get within weapons range of us. We just sat there and watched the show as we went home. We topped off again [from] the tankers out over the ocean on the way back.

‘Gayler, Ames and I still hold the record for the longest non-stop Banshee flight off of and back onto a carrier. We were airborne close to eight hours.’

F2H Banshee Units is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by US Navy

McDonnell-F2H-2-Banshee — A U.S. Navy McDonnell F2H-2 *Banshee* (BuNo 123222) in flight near Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland (USA), circa in the early 1950s.

October 13, 2023 0 comment

History

The 50th birthday of the USAF’s F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter

by Till Daisd October 12, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The undefeated F-15 Eagle continues to develop and give the US Air Force (USAF) fighter fleet advanced capabilities

Irv Burrows, the chief test pilot, piloted the first flight of the Boeing F-15 on July 27, 1972. After 50 years, the undefeated F-15 is still evolving and giving the US Air Force (USAF) fighter fleet more cutting-edge capabilities.

“Boeing is proud of the F-15’s proven performance and of our shared legacy on this platform with the U.S. Air Force and operators around the world,” said Prat Kumar, vice president of F-15 Programs, in a Boeing news release. “With its unrivaled combat performance, five decades-long production run, and continuous evolution, the F-15 has a remarkable history and continues today to be a critical asset for U.S. and allied forces. And with the development of new, advanced capabilities and the evolution of the F-15EX, the best is yet to come.”

The USAF, which required a fighter jet to preserve the country’s air superiority, requested that Boeing start the F-15 development.

F-15-Prototype — McDonnell Douglas F-15A (S/N 71-0280, the first F-15A prototype). Note the square wingtips and unnotched stabilator.

Early in 1975, an F-15A known as Streak Eagle that was based at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota broke numerous time-to-climb records. Eight time-to-climb world records were broken by the Streak Eagle between January 16 and February 1, 1975. After releasing the brakes at takeoff, it climbed to 98,425 feet in just 3 minutes, 27.8 seconds, then coasted to almost 103,000 feet before descending.

Boeing claims that the Israeli Air Force’s Eagles were the first to encounter a true aerial foe. They suffered no casualties while taking down more than 50 Syrian fighters.

The F-15E Strike Eagle was created to satisfy the USAF’s requirements for air-to-ground missions. In December 1986, it took off for its inaugural flight from St. Louis. With its superior navigation and infrared targeting system, the Strike Eagle can carry 23,000 pounds of air-to-ground and air-to-air weaponry while protecting from enemy defenses. Due to this, the Strike Eagle can fly at a low altitude and a high speed regardless of the weather or time of day.

The F-15 has been manufactured in both two-seat B and single-seat A versions. A dual-role fighter with two seats, the F-15E Strike Eagle can engage both air and ground targets.

First-F-15E-1 — The first McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle which from Mar. 2, 1987, was used at Edwards Air Force Base for Developmental Test & Evaluation.

In 1991, the F-15C, -D, and -E versions took part in Operation Desert Storm. F-15s attacked Iraqi ground targets while downing 32 of 36 USAF air-to-air victories. During Operation Allied Force in 1999, F-15s downed three Serbian MiG-29 planes while serving in Bosnia in 1994. In the 1990s, they enforced no-fly zones over Iraq. In Operation Enduring Freedom, Eagles also made direct hits on Afghan targets, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the F-15E variant flew air-to-ground missions.

Through its versions, the F-15 has performed that task for a variety of international customers, including Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, and Qatar.

F-15EX-173rd-FW-1 — F-15EX Eagle II prototype

The most recent F-15, the F-15EX Eagle II, features modern sensors and avionics in addition to a cutting-edge electronic warfare system. The aircraft can transport next-generation hypersonic weaponry thanks to its unmatched payload capacity.

With digital design, automation, and tooling, the F-15’s manufacturing process has evolved over the years to incorporate cutting-edge full-size determinant assembly advanced manufacturing processes.

“Boeing’s modernized manufacturing process improves quality while decreasing time and costs,” said Kumar. “We’ve seen increased global interest in the contemporary F-15 and its next-generation capabilities.”

Around the world, more than 1,500 F-15s are in use. In March 2021, the USAF received its first F-15EX.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

October 12, 2023 0 comment

History

Boeing developed the pre-flight checklist after the crash of the prototype B-17

by Till Daisd October 11, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The B-17 prototype, known as the Model 299, crashed on October 30, 1935, at Wright Airfield in Ohio, killing two of the five crew members on board, including the pilot

A preflight checklist in aviation is a list of duties that pilots and other crew members must complete before takeoff. Its goal is to increase flight safety by making sure that no crucial activities are overlooked. A major contributing factor in aviation accidents is improper preflight inspection employing a checklist.

When did pilots start using preflight checklists?

Boeing’s website states that the turning point that resulted in the innovation of employing a formal checklist happened in 1935.

Three companies were competing for the contract to produce the Army Air Corps’ next-generation long-range bomber: Boeing with the Model 299, Glenn L. Martin Co. with the Martin 146, and Douglas Aircraft Co. with the Douglas DB-1. More payload was carried by the 299 than by either of the other two entries, and it flew faster and farther. The cutting-edge, complex Boeing four-engine aircraft was acknowledged as the winner. Once the formalities of an official flying demonstration were finished, the Army had already intended to order at least 65 of Boeing’s aircraft.

The Model 299 took off, climbed to 300 feet, stalled, and crashed on October 30, 1935, at Wright Airfield in Ohio, killing two of the five crew members on board, including the pilot. The crash was caused by a pilot error, according to an investigation. The pilot neglected to release a new locking mechanism on the elevator controls while tending to the aircraft’s numerous switches and controls. The Model 299 was deemed “too complex to fly” by critics.

Although Boeing first lost the contract, several people persisted in their belief that the aircraft could be flown safely. A team of Boeing test pilots and engineers came up with a straightforward strategy: they produced a pilot’s checklist containing important action checks for takeoff, landing, and taxi. They held the opinion that this aircraft was not too complicated to fly, but too sophisticated to be left to the pilot’s memory.

Boeing was able to build and test an additional 12 Model 299 aircraft because of a technicality in the selection procedure. Using the checklist, Boeing and Air Corps pilots flew the first 12 aircraft 1.8 million miles without having an accident. The B-17 bomber, which the Army ultimately ordered in nearly 13,000 units, gave the Allies an air advantage during World War II and helped in the operation of a devastating bombing campaign across Nazi Germany.

All Boeing fleet pilots, all military pilots, and soon commercial pilots had to use the checklist as a permanent and required tool for both military and soon after in commercial aviation.

Photo by Boeing and U.S. Air Force

October 11, 2023 0 comment

History

Bismarck was vulnerable to attack from Royal Navy Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers because its guns couldn’t target slowly moving aircraft

by Till Daisd October 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

16 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal attacked the Bismarck as it was on her way toward occupied France to carry out repairs

The first of two battleships of the Bismarck class constructed for Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine was named Bismarck. The ship, which was built at the Hamburg shipyard Blohm & Voss and was given the name Otto von Bismarck, was laid down in July 1936 and launched in February 1939. She was commissioned into the German fleet in August 1940, following the completion of construction.

Throughout the warship’s eight-month service, under the sole leadership of Captain Ernst Lindemann, Bismarck only engaged in one offensive operation, code-named Rheinübung, lasting eight days in May 1941. In order to attack Allied cargo from North America to Great Britain, the ship and the powerful cruiser Prinz Eugen were intended to enter the Atlantic Ocean. The two ships were seen off Scandinavia on numerous occasions, and British naval personnel were sent to block their route.

The battlecruiser HMS Hood accidentally engaged Prinz Eugen at the start of the Battle of the Denmark Strait as HMS Prince of Wales engaged Bismarck. The combined fire of Bismarck and Prinz Eugen in the ensuing fight wrecked Hood, damaging the Prince of Wales and forcing her to retreat. Three hits from the Prince of Wales were enough to cause enough damage to Bismarck to stop the raiding mission.

Following Hood’s destruction, the Royal Navy pursued relentlessly, sending forth scores of warships. Two days later, the battleship Bismarck was attacked by 16 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal while it was making its way to occupied France to carry out repairs. One of the bombers scored a hit that rendered the battleship’s steering gear unusable.

‘Bismarck like a lot of German vessels didn’t make it beyond its first outing before it was crippled by a torpedo launched from a Fairey Swordfish biplane. A slow plane from the early 1930s era,’ Andy Lee, an aviation expert, explains on Quora.

‘Next stop?

‘Captain: The seabed.

‘The oversight on the part of the Germans unwittingly exploited by the British?

‘The Bismarck’s gunner crews could not calibrate Bismarck’s guns to target planes moving so slowly [as the video in this post explains]. Bismarck’s timed fire basically kept exploding short of the planes due to its range finders inability to accurately marry target range and altitude with target speed. There was a target speed dial on Bismarck’s guns and it simply didn’t dial down to a speed slow enough to match the Swordfish.’

Lee concludes;

‘Once modified by a torpedo from a Swordfish, Bismarck became great moving target practice for The Royal Navy Ships that engaged [it] to the point in the fire exchange that Bismarck was eventually scuttled by her own crew rather than let the British victors board her.’

Photo by The Aviation History Online Museum

October 10, 2023 0 comment

History

How the iconic U-2 got its name

by Till Daisd October 9, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On the radio, Kelly Johnson instructed Tony LeVier on how to land the U-2 front wheel first during the maiden flight at the Ranch

In Lockheed’s “Skunk Works” in Burbank, California, a group led by Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson developed and produced the U-2 to carry out surveillance missions in perfect secrecy. The first flight of this single-engine aircraft, which had sailplane-like wings suitable for the thin atmosphere over 55,000 feet (over 70,000 feet for subsequent models), took place in August 1955. After going into service in 1956, its use was kept a secret until Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 was shot down over Soviet territory on May 1, 1960, by a surface-to-air missile.

The U-2 continues to serve US and allies’ forces by providing high-altitude, all-weather surveillance and reconnaissance, day or night. Throughout all facets of warfare, from low-intensity hostilities to large-scale conflicts, it provides decision-makers with crucial imagery and signal information.

Kelly-Johnson-U-2 — Kelly Johnson and the iconic U-2 spy plane

In his unpublished book, “The Very First,” Colonel Richard “Butch” Sheffield, the SR-71 Blackbird Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO), recalls how the U-2 received its moniker.

‘The first six SR-71 crew members (Gray Sowers, Cos Mallozzi, John Storrie, Richard Sheffield, Al Hichew, and Tom Schmittou) were invited to Bob Gilliland’s house, looking over Los Angeles.

‘Tony LeVier [the test pilot who flew the first flight of the U-2] was sitting at Bob’s bar when we arrived. The story of how the U-2 was named came up. During the first flight at the Ranch, Kelly [Johnson] was on the radio telling Tony how to land the U-2, front wheel first. Every time Tony tried landing front wheel first the aircraft would bounce up into the air. Kelly insisted, finally Tony gave Kelly the finger as he bounced by, Kelly returned giving Tony the finger, and yelled, “U-2”.

‘The staff quickly wrote down the name.’

“Butch” Sheffield continues;

‘We had been briefed not to tell anyone why we were in Southern California or that we were Air Force Officers visiting the Skunk Works (SW). We were told to stay at a hotel on Hollywood Way a few miles from the SW. After a few days, one of the people working at the hotel said, “Why are all you Air Force Officers visiting the SW?” ‘We guessed that because of our Air Force issued “hack” watches and our short haircuts that anyone could guess who we were.

Grey-Sowers-Butch-Sheffield — SR-71 pilot Grey Sowers and SR-71 RSO Richard (Butch) Sheffield

‘The first six crewmembers did not have any time in the simulator before their first flight; it wasn’t ready yet.’

Check out the Habubrats Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin, and Linda Sheffield Miller

October 9, 2023 0 comment

History

When Capt. James Jabara was nearly shot down by future ace Capt. Boris Abakumov

by Till Daisd October 8, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Jabara of the 334th FS/4th FW dived alone after his sixth MiG was downed in F 86A 5 49 1318, making him the first “ace” of the jet age. This occurred in the late afternoon of May 20, 1951.

Capt. James Jabara of the US Air Force was the first jet-versus-jet ace in history.

After taking down his sixth MiG in F 86A 5 49 1318 on May 20, 1951, Jabara of the 334th FS/4th FW dived alone because his wingman, 1Lt Salvadore “Jack” Kemp, had become separated from him early in the battle. This made him the first “ace” of the jet age. More than 50 MiG-15s were at that time dogfighting Sabres in the skies over “MiG Alley,” according to Peter E. Davies in his book F-86A Sabre Korea 1950–1951.

White smoke began to emerge from the jet pipe of Capt. V. A. Nazarkin’s 196th IAP aircraft after Jabara collided with it. The MiG-15 slowed to 195mph and went into a terminal spin. Jabara tracked it down to 6,500 feet, where he was startled to notice red tracers passing by his plane. Future five-victory ace Capt. Boris Abakumov and his unidentified wingman had made Jabara their target. The freshly crowned ace found it difficult to maneuver as his aircraft kept dipping to the right due to his right external fuel tank stubbornly remaining under the wing when he tried to discard it earlier in the battle.

Jabara was saved by squadronmates Capt. “Mo” Pitts and 2Lt. Rudy Holley after a tense pursuit in which they chased the MiGs off his tail and damaged one. At 3,500 feet, Nazarkin’s jet exploded after he ejected. According to Soviet reports, Snr. Lt. Mikhail Zykov, Jabara’s sixth victim, flew his damaged MiG back to Antung despite having sustained serious injuries during the battle.

But Jabara was then sent back to the US for special duty following his fifth and sixth victories.

In January 1953, he went back to Korea at his own request. He achieved a total of 15 air-to-air jet victories during the Korean War by the end of June after taking out nine additional MiG-15s. During World War II, Jabara was also credited with 1.5 wins over Europe. (During World War II, the German Luftwaffe claimed 22 jet pilot aces, but all of the claims used Allied prop-driven aircraft.)

Jabara, who was a colonel at the time, was killed in a car accident in November 1966 while en route to a new assignment.

F-86A Sabre Korea 1950–51 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force, Gareth Hector and Jim Laurier

James-Jabara — #K6896 Major James Jabara, 835 So Dellrose Str., Whichita, Kansas of the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing, who became the 1st jet ace of the Korean Conflict on 20 May 1951, is shown standing in the cockpit of his F-86 “Sabre” jet in full combat fluing gear. April, 1953 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

October 8, 2023 0 comment

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