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History

Vigilante pilot recalls giving a nearly Mach 2 ride to Jackie Cochran in the A3J

by Till Daisd May 18, 2024

The Vigilante

The North American A3J Vigilante was once intended to be a Mach 2 all-weather bomber with nuclear weapons capability. However, as nuclear submarines took over the Navy’s strategic deterrence mission, the Vigilante was converted into a fast reconnaissance aircraft. The resulting RA-5C Vigilante had advanced electronic equipment installed in its bomb bay, including vertical, oblique, and split-image cameras, passive electronic countermeasures, and side-looking airborne radar.

The Navy was eager for publicity after the Vigilante’s maiden flight in August 1958 and its numerous outstanding performance milestones by June 1960. According to Mark A. Frankel’s story in his book North American Aviation Jet Age: The Columbus Years 1941-1988, the public relations department of the NAA was authorized to invite noted aviatrix Jackie Cochran to ride in the rear cockpit of a Vigilante as it exceeded Mach 2.

A nearly Mach 2 ride to Jackie Cochran

Test pilot John Moore recalls the event:

‘We checked Jackie out in the rear seat of the A3J-1 Vigi. There were no flight controls in that cockpit, but she really did not care on this mission. She just wanted to achieve Mach 2. With the wisdom of a woman who held many aviation records, she carefully reviewed and digested cockpit matters related to the ejection system, radios, and the like. But she was impatient and wanted to get on with it.

‘The day was clear and warm, which caused me some concern. At 35,000 feet the temperature norm is minus 65 degrees[,] but on this day the weatherman gave us a minus 56 degree reading, which would be marginal for attaining Mach 2. Our performance guys said it might be close, but I should make that speed okay with my precious cargo in the back seat. So off we went. Our FAA[-]assigned supersonic corridor stretched from Knoxville, Tennessee[,] to Columbus, Ohio[,] with the provision that we be subsonic over both cities.

‘About Mach 1.6 our acceleration rate became noticeably slower as the “Vigi” engines struggled with the warmer air. At Mach 1.9 we were accelerating very slowly, and I was running out of fuel and supersonic corridor at the same time. But I knew exactly what to do I pushed the intercom button and said with pride, “Jackie, here we are at Mach 2.” There was a moment’s silence, then she replied, “Buster, you may be at Mach 2 in the front cockpit, but I am only at Mach 1.96 in this cockpit.”

‘Rats! I had forgotten that she had a Mach meter on the instrument panel in her cockpit…’

At last, Jackie Cochran reaches Mach 2

Moore concludes;

‘She elected to stay another day to try again with more optimum temperatures projected along with a faster pilot. So, our boss, Jim Pearce, saved the day by taking his elegant passenger to Mach 2,01 in both cockpits of the Vigilante at the same time.’

North American Aviation Jet Age The Columbus Years 1941-1988 is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force

May 18, 2024 0 comment

History

USAF F-4 crew members ejected two times from a Phantom II, grounded, and never flew an F-4 again

by Till Daisd May 16, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-4

Constructed initially as a high-altitude interceptor, the F-4 Phantom II soon proved to be a unique aircraft, setting more than a dozen world records for speed, altitude, and climb time. It was unique because it carried no internal cannon, so the F-4 relied on radar-guided missiles for offense. An individual known as a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) was needed to use its sophisticated sensors and weaponry.

The aircraft’s first flight took place in 1958 and was first delivered to Navy and Marine Corps squadrons in 1960. It became one of the most frequently used aircraft in aviation history when its performance and versatility eventually drew the attention of not only the US Air Force but also the air forces of 10 other countries.

The F-4 flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels and was the premier air superiority fighter for the Navy and Air Force for more than 20 years. Was there anything negative about the legendary F-4 Phantom II, even though its amazing skills are undeniable?

USAF F-4 Phantom II crew members were grounded

David Ecale, who served in the US Air Force, explains on Quora;

‘For F-4 pilots who eject a second time from an F-4, there is a very special punishment:

‘THEY ARE GROUNDED AND WILL NEVER FLY AN F4 AGAIN!

‘Who gives them this punishment? Their boss? Nope! The Board of Inquiry? Nope! The Flight Surgeon? Yup!

‘You see, ejection from an F-4 permanently compresses your spine. Two times & you’re done! (Note the profile of the WSO [the photo depicts a US Navy Phantom II hence the backseater was called RIO] in this picture. That’s some serious acceleration. You can actually see the compression in action.)

Airman explains why USAF F-4 Crew Members who Ejected two times from a Phantom II were Grounded and Never Flew an F-4 Again

‘WSOs get grounded, too!

‘I was at Luke AFB when the Base Commander ejected. I watched him get wheeled into the Hospital ER on a gurney. … It was his second F-4 bailout.’

By contrast, there was not a two-ejection limit for US Navy Phantom II crews as explains John Chesire, former F-4 and F-14 Tomcat pilot;

‘While the two-ejection limit was true for the Air Force, it was not true for the US Navy. I once knew and flew with a Navy RIO who had five ejections. Only the first four were successful. (Lt. David J. “Goose” Lortscher. His callsign Goose later became the RIO character’s callsign in the movie, Top Gun.)’

Photo by U.S. Navy

May 16, 2024 0 comment

History

Red Tails receives the first three F-35A Lightning II fighter jets

by Till Daisd May 6, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The Red Tails are the third ANG unit slated to transition to the F-35A Lightning II

On December 5, 2023, three F-35A Lightning II fighter jets were delivered to the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field, Alabama.

The 187th Fighter Wing Public Affairs’ 1st Lt. Michael Luangkhot stated that the Red Tails are the third Air National Guard (ANG) unit slated to transition to fifth-generation fighter aircraft in the article F-35s arrive at Dannelly Field.

After more than ten years of planning and preparation, the 187th Fighter Wing members are proud to bring home the most recent fifth-generation capabilities, thanks to Alabama.

“It is an honor to be able to fly one of the first F-35s home,” said Lt. Col. Richard Peace, a pilot for the 187th Fighter Wing. “I have always looked up to the Tuskegee Airmen and can confidently say we will continue their legacy using the F-35s. Everyone at the wing has been hard at work preparing for this moment, and it is finally here. I am excited to see everyone and to be back after months of pilot training preparing for this special day.”

Red Tails receives the first three F-35A Lightning II fighter jets — An F-35 Lightning II parked on the flight line at Dannelly Field, on Dec. 6, 2023. The 187th Fighter Wing received their first aircrafts from Luke AFB, Ariz. and will begin transitioning to their new mission.

The awesome capabilities of the F-35A Lightning II

“The F-35 changes the role that the 187th serves in the United States’ application of airpower,” said Maj. Bart Smith, a 187th Fighter Wing weapons instructor. “I’ve had the opportunity to experience the awesome capabilities that the F-35A brings to the joint fight. What truly separates the 187th apart will never be the aircraft, but the Airmen that equip, maintain and fly it.”

In the past few years, more than 33 core cadre maintainers and other support functions have been vigorously training for the arrival of the fifth-generation aircraft at external training locations. The Airmen will bring back their knowledge and experience to train the members at home station.

“They are highly skilled, highly trained maintainers that dedicated years of their lives and moved from Alabama to embed with F-35 guard or active-duty units to learn best practices,” said Capt. Bryon Townsend, 187th Fighter Maintenance Group’s director of operations. “We are grateful for the work they have put into their training and expect them serve as the leaders that our maintenance members will look to for guidance, expertise and empowerment.”

Over the next five years, the unit will receive a total of 20 F-35s. Over the years to come, construction will cost about $112 million. By 2026, the wing should be completely operational.

Tuskegee Airmen legacy

To honor the legendary legacy of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen, the 100th Fighter Squadron was renumbered from the 160th Fighter Squadron in 2007.
The Red Tail Flyers, commonly known as the Tuskegee Airmen, have made an indelible mark on American aviation history.

The US Army Air Corps, which preceded the US Air Force, employed the first black military pilots, known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Pilots, navigators, maintainers, bombardiers, instructors, and support staff all trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. The Tuskegee Airmen made almost 15,000 sorties throughout World War II across Europe and North Africa.

The Tuskegee Airmen applied a red tail paint scheme to their North American P-51 Mustangs, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, and Curtiss P-40 Warhawks. It is generally known, according to official USAF documents, that our WWII bomber pilots would look out their windows and feel more confident about the Red Tail fighters that were flying next to them. They found comfort in knowing that, compared to other 12th and 15th Air Force outfits, their chances for survival were higher when escorted by a Red Tail.

Tails painted red

As a tribute to their legacy, some of the F-16s in the 100th Fighter Squadron had their tails painted red, honoring the brave men who paved the way for generations of pilots to come. The F-35 Lightning II will now take its place on the mantle, charged with continuing to accelerate the Red Tail legacy.

Photo by 1st Lt. Michael Luangkhot, 187th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / U.S. Air Force

May 6, 2024 0 comment

History

How the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor could have been prevented with just one Arleigh Burke class DDG

by Till Daisd May 5, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor

One of history’s major turning points was the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In a single, well-thought-out move, the battleship fleet of the US Navy was removed as a potential threat to the Japanese Empire’s southward expansion. Unexpectedly thrown into the Second World War as a full combatant, America was suddenly significantly weakened and unprepared.

Nevertheless, the memory of the “sneak attack” on Pearl Harbor fueled a determination to fight on. Once the Battle of Midway in early June 1942 had eliminated much of Japan’s striking power, that same memory stoked a relentless war to reverse her conquests and remove her, and her German and Italian allies, as future threats to World peace.

As already explained, the 1980 film, The Final Countdown, places the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier at Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, just before the Japanese attack. What is the smallest ship currently in the US Navy service capable of fully defending Pearl Harbor in 1941 or destroying the attacking fleet?

Arleigh Burke-class DDG

‘A single Arleigh Burke-class DDG would have stopped the attack cold,’ says Alex Jauch, author of The Kidd Incident, on Quora.

‘A single Burke has:

‘90 VLS Cells. These can be configured in different ways, but normally most of them house anti-aircraft missiles such as the SM-6. You can also “quad pack” the ESSM. Assuming that you have some of those, you probably have at least 100 SAM’s.

Here’s how a single Arleigh Burke class DDG would have stopped the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor

‘These radar-guided missiles would easily see and lock onto the Japanese aircraft, which have zero countermeasures for radar, which wasn’t really a thing back then.

‘One or two CIWS mounts. The CIWS is designed to take out small, fast-moving cruise missiles. A propeller-driven aircraft would be a cakewalk.

‘The CIWS fires depleted uranium (DU) ammunition out to 6,000 yards. They are radar-guided and would decimate any aircraft that get in close

‘SeaRAM. The SeaRAM is RAM equipped replacement for the CIWS. Some Burkes have this. We’ll assume for our example that our ship has one SeaRAM and one CIWS.

‘SeaRAM is a RIM missile launcher mounted in a CIWS mount (note the radar housing). It houses 11 missiles and is good out to six miles.

‘To be fair, over 350 aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor. If the Burke is VERY lucky, it will be able to take out about 100 of them with missiles. However, imagine the impact of 1/3 of your attacking aircraft being taken out before you can even get within attack range of your target.

‘Most likely, the attack ends right there.’

Torpedo bombers

Jauch continues;

‘However, the most damaging attacks were torpedo bombers coming in low and slow over the harbor:

‘The CIWS mount on the Burke would chew up these guys pretty badly.

‘The other thing is that the Burke has a radar guided five inch mount:

‘The Mark 45 can fire about 20 rounds a minute. It supports proximity-fueled anti-aircraft rounds and uses the ship’s radar for fire control. This weapon would also be deadly to any low-flying propeller aircraft. It has an autoloader that holds 20 rounds, but a fully manned Burke would have a crew down there reloading as necessary.

‘So, the Japanese would be faced with, guided SAM attacks, radar-guided gunnery, and a massive rate of fire that would have just stunned them. All of this is coming from just one ship?

‘Of course, a Burke is not armored. Any dive bomber or torpedo bomber that goes through would damage the Burke just as badly or worse than a contemporary ship.

‘However, I think the odds are low that any attacking aircraft would get close enough to successfully deliver their weapons.

‘All of this assumes the Burke is ready to fight. If the crew is all ashore, then the Burke would also be in trouble, just like what happened in 1941. If the weapons are not loaded, they might also get jumped before they can shoot. However, a fully armed and alert Burke would be deadly in 1941.’

The Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor would have been stopped by a single Arleigh Burke-class DDG

Jauch concludes;

‘Most likely, the Burke could take out 10 aircraft per minute with a combination of the CIWS and the five-inch. The CIWS has a limited magazine also, but crews would be reloading constantly. There are also smaller machine gun mounts, but I’m not really counting those.

‘This is a DEVASTATING rate of fire and would probably end the attack. Self-directing radar-controlled gunnery was not a thing during the actual attack on Pearl Harbor and would completely stun the attacking pilots.

‘Even proximity fuzing wasn’t a thing until later in the war and it was a HUGE advance in anti-aircraft gunnery.’

Photo by U.S. Navy, Norwegian Armed Forces, and Pearl Harbor Warbirds. Pearl Harbor Warbirds offers the best Hawai‘i flight adventure tours available. Immerse yourself in the details of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor.

May 5, 2024 0 comment

History

This aviator injured himself to show the North Vietnamese that he would rather die than surrender to their demands

by Till Daisd May 2, 2024

written by Till Daisd

James Stockdale

James Bond Stockdale, US Naval Academy Class of ’47, is the embodiment of leadership and inspiration, as well as the perfect naval aviator. Admiral Stockdale is one of the most highly decorated officers in the naval service and received the Medal of Honor for his performance of duty during his eight years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.

Prisoner of War

On September 9, 1965, he was shot down while flying a VA-163A-4E Skyhawk. He became the senior Navy prisoner of war confined in Hanoi’s infamous Hao Lo prison. Because Stockdale assumed command of the Prisoners of War (POWs) and exercised underground organizational leadership in defiance of his captors’ orders, he was subjected to 15 torture sessions throughout his two years in leg irons and four years in solitary confinement. For purposefully hurting himself almost to death to convince the North Vietnamese that he would sooner die than give in to their demands, Stockdale was granted the Medal of Honor.

Permanently disabled

During his incarceration, he was promoted to captain and got significant medical care for injuries sustained during his ejection and subsequent torture. He was released on February 12, 1973. Despite having a locked left knee joint as a result of these injuries that left him permanently disabled, then-RADM Stockdale was able to resume his naval career when he took over as commander of Antisubmarine Warfare Wing Pacific in January 1974. Prior to concluding his 37-year active service career with a 1979 return as vice admiral, he served as president of the Naval War College.

Stockdale recalls his final mission for Carrier Air Group Commanders by Robert L Lawson.

Strike against Thanh Hoa railway bridge

Stockdale led a strike against the problematic, nearly legendary Thanh Hoa railway bridge on September 9, 1965, using his A-4E. However, bad weather rendered the original plan unfeasible, so Stockdale sent the various elements in search of secondary targets.

“I had neglected to mention to Wynn Foster, XO of VA-163, who found himself on my wing, what exactly our alternate target would be. I remember we loitered offshore listening to VA-163 CO Harry Jenkins’ division comparing notes on their detections of SAM radars, on their just-acquired gear, flying in the soup, down near Vinh. That SAM was the southern-most one yet detected, I believe.

Getting rid of the bomb load

“I knew of a place where we could normally get rid of a bomb load into a worthwhile target without prior arrangements, and with surprisingly little flak: a railroad siding four or five miles west of Highway 1, about 15 miles south of Thanh Hoa. The ceiling was low up there and, since Wynn and my planes had 500-pound bombs with an option switch for snakeye or steep dive delivery, we went in under the clouds. We proceeded up the coast past our target, then swung west to a nice ‘180’ turning point, and swept in to line up on those beautiful boxcars.

“I didn’t even have my oxygen mask snapped across my face. We were coming in flat, in trail, right on the deck at about 500+ indicated, I, and undoubtedly Wynn, both totally relaxed. I had pulled this foul-weather snakeye maneuver on this same train parking area a couple of days before and got no flak.

James Stockdale ejection

“Then I heard it!! ‘Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!’ I knew right where to look—the noise came from two o’clock. And there it was, firing at me point blank, 200 yards at three o’clock. It was, I think, a 57mm mobile cannon. I watched it belching fireballs directly at me and, by the time I recognized all this, every red light in my cockpit was on and pulsating: fire! Hydraulics gone! Everything unwinding!

“I had to get that oxygen mask up to give Wynn a Mayday. That took an instant, and by that time the plane was out of control with me just along for the ride. The stick didn’t work, and I was heading for the deck. The confusion of `g’ forces interrupted my grabs for the curtain, so I went for the alternate handle between my legs. I remember craning my head back to see the chute blossom, and a strange feeling coming over me as I watched the chute unravel that `something about that ejection was just not right.’

‘American Air Pirate’

“I later figured I had ‘sensed’ something awry with my bones; I had forgotten to grab my right wrist with my left hand, and it was hours later before I realized I couldn’t raise my left arm. Instantaneous wind blast flail, of which I was never conscious, had broken bones in my left shoulder and back. But I had a lot more going through my mind than checking bone structure.

“Even when, seconds later, I touched down right on the main street of a little country town named Tin Gia (just after I floated over highway one), longing for that open ocean I could see less than a mile ahead, I could hear feet pounding down the street. Then I caught them out of the corner of my right eye at three o’clock—the town’s rough-necks, sprinting forward, just about to gang tackle this ‘American Air Pirate.’ It was maybe two minutes before the police whistle started to blow. The pummeling and gouging and twisting suddenly stopped, and I was sat up in the street and motioned to disrobe by the pith-helmeted official.

Crippled for life

“Eventually I saw my left leg—broken at the knee and sticking out at a right angle toward nine o’clock. Crippled for life! I knew it in an instant. What a letdown.

“You see, between the time I pulled the ejection handle and came to rest in that main street, I had become a man with a mission. I can’t explain this without unloading a little emotional baggage that was part of my military generation’s legacy in 1965.

Every man for himself

“In the aftermath of the Korean War, just over 10 years before, we all had memories of reading about and seeing early television news accounts of U.S. government investigations into the behavior of some American prisoners of war in North Korea and Mainland China. There was a famous series of articles in the ‘New Yorker’ magazine that later became a book entitled In Every War But One!’ The gist of it was that in the prison camps for Americans, it was every man for himself.

James Stockdale — Stockdale exiting his A-4 fighter-bomber weeks before becoming a POW

“Since those days, I’ve come to know officers who were prisoners of war there, and I now see much of that reporting as selective and a bum rap. However, there were cases of young soldiers who were confused by the times, scared to death, in cold weather, treating each other like dogs fighting over scraps, throwing each other out in the snow to die and nobody doing anything about it.

The American Fighting Man’s Code of Conduct

“This situation could not go on, and President Eisenhower commissioned the writing of the American Fighting Man’s Code of Conduct to guide future POWs.

“It is written in the form of a personal pledge. Article Four: ‘If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.’ In other words, as of the moment Eisenhower signed the document, American prisoners of war were never to escape the chain of command; the war goes on behind bars.

The only wing commander to survive an ejection

“As an insider, as CAG aboard Oriskany, I knew the whole setup—that the North Vietnamese already held about 25 prisoners, probably in Hanoi and, that as the only wing commander to survive an ejection, I would be their senior—their commanding officer—and would remain so, very likely, throughout this war that I felt sure would last at least another five years. And here I was starting off crippled and flat on my back.

“All told, the disaster of this business of my being impeded in my duty by being permanently crippled, was only a temporary set-back from things that were important to me. Being cast in the role of sovereign head of an American expatriate colony that was destined to remain autonomous, out of communication with Washington, for years on end, was very important to me. Months later, I was 42 years old, still on crutches, dragging a leg, at considerably less than my normal weight, with hair down near my shoulders, my body unbathed since before I was catapulted from Oriskany and with a beard that had not seen a razor since I arrived, when I took command (clandestinely, of course—the North Vietnamese would never acknowledge our rank) of about 50 Americans.

James Stockdale, CAG for eight years

“That expatriate colony would grow to more than 450—all officers, all pilots or NFOs. I was determined to play well the given part. And all Americans continued to refer to me as ‘CAG’ until after I got home. “I was `CAG’ from February 1965, when on the eve of our departure for WestPac, I took the job at a ceremony on the flight deck of Oriskany alongside at North Island, until February 1973, when I arrived back at North Island after an eight-year absence. CAG—the boss of American flight crews—for eight full years. Can any-body top that?”

Official Citation for Medal of Honor recipient James Bond Stockdale

‘For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while senior naval officer in the prisoner-of-war camps of North Vietnam. Recognized by his captors as the leader in the prisoners’ of war resistance to interrogation and in their refusal to participate in propaganda exploitation, Rear Adm. Stockdale was singled out for interrogation and attendant torture after he was detected in a covert communications attempt. Sensing the start of another purge, and aware that his earlier efforts at self-disfiguration to dissuade his captors from exploiting him for propaganda purposes had resulted in cruel and agonizing punishment, Rear Adm. Stockdale resolved to make himself a symbol of resistance regardless of personal sacrifice.

‘He deliberately inflicted a near-mortal wound to his person in order to convince his captors of his willingness to give up his life rather than capitulate. He was subsequently discovered and revived by the North Vietnamese who, convinced of his indomitable spirit, abated in their employment of excessive harassment and torture toward all the prisoners of war. By his heroic actions, at great peril to himself, he earned the everlasting gratitude of his fellow prisoners and of his country. Rear Adm. Stockdale’s valiant leadership and extraordinary courage in a hostile environment sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.’

Carrier Air Group Commanders is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Stockdale POW — Captain James Stockdale stepping off the plane after being released as a POW 1973

Photo by U.S. Navy

May 2, 2024 0 comment

History

Why, during the Vietnam War, UH-1 helicopters (almost) always flew with their doors open

by Till Daisd April 29, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The UH-1 Huey

The UH-1 “Iroquois” helicopter, also known as the “Huey” for the phonetic sound of its original designation, HU-1, served as the Army’s workhorse during the Vietnam War. The Army had great expectations for the helicopter’s combat effectiveness, but it took some time for the technology to reach that level of development during World War II. During the Korean War, early helicopter models—like the widely used OH-13 “Sioux” and the USAF H-19—were used for medical evacuation and resupply operations. These early craft’s combat experiences taught valuable information that helped create the UH-1.

The UH-1 Huey during the Vietnam War

The first Hueys were sent to Vietnam in 1958, when they were used in “dustoff” medical evacuation (medevac) operations by US advisors. The Army incorporated the helicopter into its wider operations during the Vietnam War, extending the platform’s role beyond medevac. Because of its reputation for “doing anything a horse could do,” the Huey went from being a tool for troops and supply transport to providing direct support for combat guns.

Many movies about the Vietnam War showed Huey helicopters flying with their doors open. Did UH-1s actually fly, as seen in the movies? Did anyone fall out?

UH-1 Huey helicopters with doors open

Patrick Holland, a former US Army officer who flew aboard UH-1 Hueys, explains on Quora:

‘They always flew with the doors open.

Huey crew members explain why UH-1 helicopters (almost) always flew with doors open during the Vietnam War

‘1. The crew chief and gunner needed to be able to operate their weapons.
‘2. Loading and unloading in enemy territory was much faster.
‘3. It was the only air conditioning we had.
‘4. I never heard of anyone ever falling out. There are some urban legends of bad guys getting tossed out but I discount these as exaggerated war stories.’

Gordon Wilson, former US Army Colonel who flew aboard UH-1 Huey helicopters in Vietnam, recalls on Quora;
‘In my experience, yes. In the RVN Republic of Vietnam], Hueys of the 101st Airborne Division virtually always flew with doors open and… their doors were installed (i.e., not removed).

‘LOH-6, Light Observation Helicopters, normally flew with doors open, as well. See below:

‘Only one time did I fly in a LOH-6 with doors installed/closed. This, because of declaring a Tactical Emergency (Tac-E) during the Northern Monsoon. The General Support Helicopter Company installed doors, put two pilots in the helicopter and they flew nap-of-the-earth at top speed. It was very exciting and stressful.

‘Some may have fallen out (of Hueys), I can’t say. Normally, they orbited tactical situations and centrifugal force kept one inside despite not wearing a seat belt. Passengers in LOH-6s normally were belted. GEW, Col, USA, (Ret).’

Doors open in the Delta

Paul DeNicola, former UH-1 Huey crew member, recalls:

‘Yes, we flew with doors open in the Delta too. Sometimes there was so much slippery mud on Huey’s floor we thought we might slide out, but no one did to my knowledge. Welcome home.’

Jethro D., another former Huey crew member, says;

‘Doors open.

‘Anyone who suggested they flew with the doors closed never experienced the oppressive heat, miserable smells. Smells? How about dried blood not washed out, the smell of unwashed bodies and underclothes, possibly vomit from the door gunner being caught unawares…

‘Yeah… no… doors open all the time.’

Doors closed at 3000ft

Ray Mason, former UH-1 crew members, recalls;

‘We always flew with Huey doors open except when we got to 3000ft then closed them because of the cold. Sometimes we door gunners flew with field jackets because of the cold. The Loaches [the LOH-6 was nicknamed “Loach” from the acronym for the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH)] flew with the doors off, not open.’

Photo by U.S. Army

April 29, 2024 0 comment

History

A pilot who test-flew captured Soviet fighter jets explains why the F-5 won against the MiG-21 and MiG-23 in every engagement

by Till Daisd April 27, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-5 shown in the photos of this article is a captured F-5E that was made up in Soviet markings for testing purposes, not a faux “MiG-28” from Top Gun

The F-5 Freedom Fighter

When a Northrop team visited Europe and Asia in 1954 to examine the defense requirements of NATO and SEATO nations, the Northrop F-5 development process got underway. a 1955 company study for a lightweight, affordable, easily maintained supersonic fighter that could be used on short runways. The plan was not initially well received by the Air Force because it did not require a lightweight fighter, according to the Pacific Coast Air Museum website. It did, however, require a replacement trainer for the Lockheed T-33, and the Air Force declared in June 1956 that it would purchase the T-38 Talon trainer version.

The aircraft was selected by the Department of Defense for its Military Assistance Program (MAP), and this announcement was made on April 25, 1962. Now, America’s allies in SEATO and NATO would be able to affordably purchase a top-notch supersonic warplane. The aircraft was officially designated as an F-5A Freedom Fighter on August 9, 1962. With its limited air-to-air capability and lack of a fire-control radar, the F-5A was primarily designed for the air-to-ground role. The F-5B was the two-seat version of the F-5A. It shared many characteristics with the F-5A single-seater, but it had two seats in tandem for dual fighter/trainer duties.

From F-5 Freedom Fighter to F-5 Tiger

The USAF “borrowed” 12 combat-ready F-5As from MAP supplies in October 1965, even though the whole F-5A production was meant for MAP, and sent them to Vietnam with the 4503rd Tactical Fighter Wing for operational service trials. The F-5 acquired its Tiger moniker during this tour of duty, and this program was given the code name “Skoshi Tiger” (Little Tiger).

The Northrop entry was proclaimed the winner of the International Fighter Aircraft (IFA) competition on November 20, 1970, and it was intended to replace the F-5A/B. The focus was on the function of air superiority for countries that had to defend themselves against opponents using late-generation MiG-21 aircraft. Three hundred and twenty-five production and five development aircraft were ordered. It was redesignated as F-5E in January 1971. The aircraft was dubbed “Tiger II” over time.

F-5s tested by Soviets

After Saigon fell, the Soviets tested a number of F-5s, as pilot and aviation expert Tyler Monson explains on Quora;

‘[The F-5 featured in the pictures of this article] is not a faux “MiG-28” from Top Gun but a captured F-5E made up in Soviet markings for testing. They were eager to get a close look at one and see how its engines, systems, and performance held up against their own frontline aircraft.

‘Their initial reaction was that the MiG-21 was a superior fighter, especially thanks to its higher thrust-to-weight ratio. They promptly tested the F-5 against the MiG-21 and found that the MiG… lost every time.

‘At high speeds and energy fighting, the two aircraft were considered to be equals. But as energy bleeds off and speeds get slower, developing into a maneuvering dogfight, the F-5 pulled the advantage and got into a position to kill the MiG-21. This shocked the Soviets and they determined that the F-5’s superior aerodynamics made up for its lesser power-to-weight ratio and gave it an edge at slower speeds.

‘If you want to know more about the tests and to see how the F-5 also held up against the MiG-23M, you can read this excerpt from the book Life-Long Runway written by Soviet Air Force test pilot Vladimir Kondaurov.’

Why the F-5 beat the MiG-21 in every engagement?

In the summer of 1976, a disassembled American F-5 fighter jet was delivered to our base at Aktubinsk. To be correct, it was F-5E – the latest variant with increased engine thrust. By size it was smaller than MiG-21, had two engines installed side-by-side in the fuselage, a sharp swept-down nose, and short tapered wings. The war in Vietnam had finished, and the United States Air Forces were leaving this long-suffering country, hastily abandoning several aircraft of this type on one of the airfields. One of them was handed over to the USSR together with its pilot manual.

There were no technical descriptions, but our engineers figured everything out, assembled it to the last bolt, and made it flyable, bringing not only the foreign hard pieces together but also tons of electric wiring. A test brigade was formed to conduct special flight tests, and a program was written, that assumed 35-40 test flights. I was one of the test pilots, our lead was Nikolay Stogov.

Soviet Pilot who test flew captured F-5 against MiG-21, MiG-23 explains why the Tiger beat the Fishbed, Flogger in every engagement

After proper training, I was trusted to perform the first speed run on the runway and then a run with a 3-6 feet jump. These precautions had their reasons in our uncertainty, that all the systems had been assembled and connected correctly.

The Foreigner

And finally, we were alone. The “Foreigner” hid within. From the manual, I knew, that it had had no problems in operation whatsoever. But I also knew that every manufacturer had their own zest in the product. Unlike our fighters in production, the “Foreigner” had brakes on pedals, which we had on heavy aircraft only. The cockpit was not cluttered by various switches and circuit breakers unneeded in flight. They were all concentrated in a single horizontal “stock” away from the working area. I understood that F-5 was a way not the most modern plane and that it was inferior even to MiG-21, but, nonetheless, I liked the cockpit layout.

I decided to make the run on the second runway, which was the longest one. “There is never too much runway ahead,” I thought, taxiing to the runway. It was the winter of 1976–77. Of course, there was no reason to hide I was proud that the only aircraft of this type available in the USSR was trusted to me.

I turned on the extension of the nose strut—the electrohydraulic retractor engaged, and the nose of the aircraft started to “crawl” up. “How about that?” I shook my head, surprised. “Couldn’t you do without it on this little one?” As for me, not a common way to reduce your takeoff roll. In the USSR, only Myasischev used this on M-3 and M-4 – the heavy long-range bombers with a tandem gear layout, thus with very short nose struts.

Unhappy with runway condition

“Alright,” I thought, “we kneeled, so let’s run. It is awkward to fool around this way.” I increased thrust and released the brakes. The aircraft started to roll. It rolled evenly, reluctantly gaining speed. Aha! That’s why they raise the nose strut! The engines are feeble, and the wing is too small. I lifted the nosewheel off the ground and held the airplane from the premature liftoff. Enough for this time.

I powered back and lowered the nose. And then… what the heck? The entire nose started to shake and vibrate, then it started to wander left and right so violently, I thought it would just fall the hell off in a moment. Something was screeching and rumbling below. My first thought was about the nosewheel shimmy, but then I realized the nosewheel had been destroyed. I pulled the drag chute handle. “Not the brakes… Main wheel damage is the last thing we need: we don’t have spares,” the thoughts were rushing in my mind.

Gradually reducing the speed, I stopped. I switched everything off, opened the canopy, and impatiently jumped down onto the tarmac. I looked and I was puzzled: the wheel was intact. “That’s strange! So what were you so unhappy with?” I looked at the “Foreigner” suspiciously. It turned out that he was unhappy with our runway condition: rough grooves and seams were so deep, and the surface of the concrete was decayed, so he just didn’t stand it. One bolt was cut off, and the strut together with the wheel was turning around.

– “Nice! Ours don’t do things like that,” I gave his nose a pat and whispered: “Don’t worry, we’ll find a new bolt for you and you’ll gallop around again!”

Not an ordinary F-5

As I got to know the “Foreigner” I grew up in my respect for him both as to the flying machine and as to the fighter jet. Unapt to aggressive maneuvering when in “cruise” configuration (flaps and slats up), he would have changed when the pilot put it into the “maneuvering” configuration (flaps and slats down). Then from a heavy clodhopper, he turned into a swallow. Checking out the capabilities of the optical sight, I enjoyed keeping the reticle on the target while attacking with a 6g pull, whereas on MiG-21 it would disappear from the view at 3g

After determining the basic specification we decided to set up for a mock air-to-air combat with MiG-21bis. I would fight on my “native” MiG-21, and Nikolay Stogov – on F-5. The close air combat started head-on in equal positions. Every flight ended with the same result: MiG-21 lost, although he had a much higher thrust-to-weight ratio. I laid myself out just to keep the initial position. I took the most out of the aircraft, took all he could give, but the targeting angle grew steadily and in a few minutes the “bandit” was on my tail. Only tactics could save me.

What I was stricken by the most is that the result of the mock fights took not only the generals by surprise (one could explain this somehow), but also the military research departments of the Air Force and even the aviation engineers. They would review the data records for thousand times, and ask the pilots, especially me. Frankly, I was somewhat confused as well, but when I tried the F-5, I realized that it was not an ordinary one.

F-5 Vs MiG-23

So, what was happening in flight? At the speeds of 800 km/h (430 kts) and above the fight was on equal terms, nobody had explicit advantages, but the fighting was not literally maneuvering because of the large radii of the maneuvers. We would both stay at the equal maximum allowable g-loads. Whilst at the speeds below 750 km/h (400 kts) one couldn’t sustain these g-loads even with the afterburner. And the lower the speed was the faster it decayed, thus lowering the maximum available g-load. It turned out that the aerodynamics was what won the day, not the thrust/weight ratio. But how was I to explain all this to the people above? They wouldn’t have patted our backs for this. Then the MiG company representatives suggested:

– “Let’s set MiG-23M against him.”

– “But they cannot be compared to one another; they are from different generations.” The chief of our research institute objected.

Why the F-5 beat the MiG-23

The chief of our institute, Colonel General I. Gaidayenko had been a fighter pilot during World War II and a wingman of the very P. Kutakov, who was the supreme commander of the Air Force at the time of our struggle with the F-5. The result of the test flights was supposed to be reported to Kutakov.

– “So what? We will kick his ass anyway!” 2nd lead engineer of MiG-23M spoke out, rubbing his hands in expectance of the revenge.

Well, the ass was kicked, for sure… but one of our own. The result was the same with the only exception that the agony lasted for 4-5 minutes. You have also to keep in mind that I had been considered a pilot capable of any stall and spin recovery and I had been permitted to break any angle of attack limitations. In the dogfight, I set the optimal wing sweep manually, but all in vain. The foreigner would slowly, but steadily, approach my tail. After these flights all calmed down for some time, all discussions ceased. The chief of the RI ordered to promptly compile a statement on the tests and directed me and Stogov to Moscow, to the Central Research Institution No. 30, which was involved in elaboration of the long-term problems of aviation advancement.

MiG-21 advantages over the F-5E

Paying a visit to one of its departments we asked, what they could tell us about the MiG-21 advantages over the F-5E.

– “Oh!” The military scientists immediately exclaimed. “With pleasure! There is a fray right now between Ethiopia and Somalia, and these very aircraft fight each other there. And we are busy preparing recommendations for the pilots on how to successfully fight the F-5 in aerial combat.”

– “And what you’ve got?” I asked with an interest.

– “Take a look at the graph of the attack success probability. See? We beat him everywhere.”

– “Indeed,” I droned, looking at the so familiar graph in front of me and feeling somewhat hurt for the “Foreigner”.

Much better thrust-to-weight ratio

– “And what’re the odds?” My friend asked, making a face of a village gull.

– “We’ve got much better thrust-to-weight ratio,” the scientist replied in a voice of a mentor, who knew his worth.

– “Alright, then could you read this Statement and give us your final conclusion, please? And…”

– “And we’ll go have a lunch,” Nikolay suggested, “You know, on an errand it’s like in defense: the meal is the ultimate thing.”

The end of the comparative evaluation

This was the end of our work on the comparative evaluation of the “Foreigner” and our Soviet fighters. I don’t know what kind of discussions were held “up there”, but I know for sure, that the recommendations for the Ethiopian pilots were changed. Our “experts” suggested not to engage in a close dogfight, but to use the “hit-and-run” tactics instead. What about MiG-23, everyone preferred to forget about it. You bet! It had been supposed to fight even more advanced aircraft! Our Statement was classified as top secret and removed somewhere away from the eyes. The “Foreigner” was given to the aviation industry specialists with a strict clause: no flying, but to disassemble and study the structural features to use the knowledge in further projects.

Some time passed, and the Su-25 close air support aircraft emerged. It had the wheel brakes on the rudder pedals, “maneuvering” wing configuration, and a different approach to the cockpit layout. In terms of the pilot workstation, our engineers went even further, and nowadays the cockpit of MiG-29 can serve as an exemplar for similar foreign combat aircraft. The same can be said about the aerodynamics. The aerodynamic capabilities of the Su-27 fighter are considered unexcelled so far. It appears that what is clear for one is a revelation for the other. I believe that similar situations arose in the USA as well, as they got our aircraft at times from MiG-21 to MiG-29. We had luck only once.

Photo by Unknown

April 27, 2024 0 comment

History

USAF Museum painted the F-15 Streak Eagle to match the record-setting time

by Till Daisd April 27, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-15 Streak Eagle

On November 9, 2023, the National Museum of the US Air Force stated on Facebook that the F-15 Streak Eagle would be painted bare metal to match the record-setting time.

Dubbed “Streak Eagle,” F-15A AF Ser. No. 72-0119, flown by Maj. W.R. Macfarlane, Maj. Roger Smith, and Maj. Dave Peterson broke eight world records for the fastest time to climb between January 16 and February 1, 1975. It broke the last eight records when it took off and reached an altitude of 98,425 feet in just 3 minutes and 27.8 seconds. After that, it “coasted” to almost 103,000 feet before starting to descend.

To save weight for flights that would establish records, it was flown in its natural metal finish. The “Streak Eagle” is an early preproduction aircraft.” Returning to operational service would have been too expensive due to differences in internal structure and system operation.

After it was no longer functional as a flight test vehicle, it was donated to the museum in December 1980. McDonnell Douglas painted it in the gray color scheme of the majority of F-15s in service to prevent corrosion.

The Streak Eagle, the Hot-Rod Stripped Down F-15 that climbed faster than the Saturn V moon rocket — F-15 Streak Eagle in a gray color scheme

The F-15 Eagle

When the company was chosen to compete in the US Air Force’s FX competition, McDonnell Aircraft formalized the concept for the F-15 in 1967. Faced with the F-4 Phantom II, which was becoming known as a formidable fighter, McDonnell applied lessons acquired from the Vietnam War to his competition against Fairchild Hiller and North American Rockwell.

Following over two years of rigorous evaluation and testing, the Air Force awarded McDonnell Douglas the contract for the F-15 Advanced Tactical Fighter on December 23, 1969. Out of the three competitors, the McDonnell Douglas team had the lowest contract price and placed first in each phase of the competition.

The first US fighter to have engine thrust greater than the normal weight of the aircraft

The USAF acquired the Eagle in November 1974, having flown it for the first time in July 1972. It was the first American fighter to accelerate during a vertical climb because the engine thrust was higher than the aircraft’s normal weight. The Eagle is incredibly agile thanks to this and its low aircraft weight to wing area. There were single-seat and two-seat models of the Eagle.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

April 27, 2024 0 comment

History

B-52 crews penetrated NORAD’s massive surveillance system at low-level without losses for three years in a row during an exercise

by Till Daisd April 23, 2024

written by Till Daisd

B-52 modified for low-level flight

America’s first heavy bomber with swept wings and a long-range was the B-52 Stratofortress. It started as a high-altitude, intercontinental nuclear bomber, and its operating capabilities were modified to satisfy evolving defense requirements.

The B-52 aircraft has undergone modifications that allow it to do low-level operations, carry out conventional bombing missions, travel longer distances, and carry more advanced defensive and offensive weapons, such as ballistic and cruise missiles that can be launched hundreds of miles from their intended target.

Known by its crews as the Big Ugly Fat F****R, or BUFF, once it entered service in 1955 the B-52 remained the primary long-range heavy bomber of the US Air Force during the Cold War.

Electronic Warfare Officer

However, how were B-52s supposed to breach Soviet air defenses and reach their targets?

Keith Parker, former B-52 Electronic Warfare Officer, recalls on Quora;

‘I was an EWO (Electronic Warfare Officer) on B-52Gs at Loring AFB at Limestone (close to Caribou), Maine, from late 1960 through early 1963 when I left for pilot training.

‘In 1961 we did an exercise/test where all commercial, private, and military flying in the United States was grounded for one day while SAC (Stra t egic Air Command) attacked the US while NORAD (North American Defense Command) did all it could to “shoot down” (simulated with real fighters, Nike-Ajax or Nike-Hercules Ground to Air Missile “lock ons”) that would score against the attacking bombers.

B-52 at low-level

‘We used the attack tactic of “low level” (500 to 1000 feet off of the ground) and our on-board jamming electronics to make all the NORAD radar scopes white with noise so that they could not see any of us. Without any radar returns NORAD was “blind” and could not launch any fighters or missiles.

‘The result was that NONE of the bombers were shot down and we all (100%) bombed every one of our targets. My crew’s target was Loring AFB.

Repeating the exercise with the same results

‘SAC and NORAD repeated the exercise/test in 1962 and again in 1963 with the same results. My guess was that the boys in the head shed found it hard to believe the totality of the first two tests so they had to try the third. There was no point in trying a fourth one. Also, the B-52s did not use the basket weave tactic to further confuse the radar. Nor did we launch any of the 4 quail we carried in the aft bomb bay that could fly at varying altitudes and varying headings while giving a radar return just like a B-52. This alone would increase the B-52s’ survival by 80%.’

Parker concludes;

‘The good news was that, in an all-out thermonuclear war, all of our bombers would reach all of the Russian and Chinese and other communist targets. The bad news was that all of their bombers would reach their targets here in the United States. It is interesting to note that our sequencing on the enemy targets was in excess of 25 nuclear weapons on each target. That would make each target nothing but melted glass.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force

April 23, 2024 0 comment

History

There was only one SR-71C produced, and it was known as “The Bastard”

by Till Daisd April 21, 2024

written by Till Daisd

SR-71C The Bastard

The amazing video included in this post was recorded in June 2016 at Hill Air Force Base (AFB) and shows “The Bastard,” SR-71C S/N 61-7981, the last SR-71 produced and the only C model Blackbird ever built. The aircraft was dubbed “The Bastard” because it was a hybrid made up of the rear fuselage of the first YF-12A (S/N 60-6934) and a functional engineering mockup of an SR-71A forward fuselage manufactured for static testing.

After the second of the two B model trainers crashed on January 11, 1968, the new aircraft was built to replace it. On March 14, 1969, the C model took off from the Lockheed plant in Palmdale, California, piloted by Lockheed test pilot Steve Belgeau in the role of reconnaissance systems officer and Blackbird Chief Project Pilot Robert J. Gilliland at the controls. On September 3, 1970, following flight testing, it was handed over to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, California.

SR-71C last flight

The aircraft, which had just 556.4 flight hours—excluding the 180.9 hours it accumulated when flying as YF-12A S/N 60-6934—made its final flight on April 11, 1976, and was taken out of service on June 24, 1976. After that, it was prepared for long-term storage at the Palmdale, California, Lockheed plant. After Senator Orrin G. Hatch of Utah intervened, the Air Force assigned the aircraft to the Hill Aerospace Museum in April 1990, and the museum promptly started arranging for its transfer from Beale AFB to Hill AFB.

In July 1990, representatives from the museum, the 405th Combat Logistics Support Squadron (CLSS), the 67th Aerial Port Squadron, and the Air Force Heritage Foundation of Utah flew to California to figure out the best approach to disassembling, packaging, and moving the aircraft.

In August 1990, a crew consisting of sixteen members from the 405th CLSS traveled to California and disassembled the aircraft into three main sections along with several smaller parts, such as a start cart and J58 engine. They then palletized all of the components for transportation on a C-5 Galaxy cargo aircraft. However, when the disassembly operation was completed, no cargo aircraft was immediately available to transport the pieces back to the base. Everything would have to wait.

Only one SR-71C was built and it was nicknamed “The Bastard.” Here’s why. — SR-71C The Bastard

SR-71C The Bastard at Hill AFB

Only the largest components that would need to be transported by cargo aircraft remained after representatives from the 405th CLSS and the 67th Aerial Port Squadron made two trips to Beale AFB in the spring of 1991 using two large flat-bed trucks. It was a C-5 aircraft from Travis AFB that was eventually scheduled for air transport in August 1991, a year after the dismantling started.

The aircraft parts were assembled in a large hangar owned by the 405th CLSS for reassembly and restoration after they all arrived at the base. The aircraft’s extensive two-month reconstruction comprised many active-duty personnel, volunteers, and Air Force Reservists. The finished aircraft was transported to the museum and put on display on October 16, 1991.

Source: U.S. Air Force

Photo by U.S. Air Force

April 21, 2024 0 comment

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