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History

The SR-71(Bx), a Blackbird supercruising strike aircraft equipped with AGM-69A SRAM missiles

by Till Daisd March 11, 2024

Ben Rich of Lockheed Skunk Works presented a paper in 1976 that provided a brief overview of the “Bx,” a straightforward modification of the SR-71 Blackbird into a supercruising strike aircraft

The Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft served as the basis for the development of the SR-71, also referred to as the “Blackbird,” or long-range, advanced strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, received the first SR-71 to begin service in January 1966. The first SR-71 flight took place on December 22, 1964. On January 26, 1990, the US Air Force (USAF) retired its fleet of SR-71 aircraft.

For almost 24 years, the SR-71 held the record for being the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft in the world. It could cover 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from 80,000 feet.

According to Scott Lowther’s narrative in the book Origins and Evolution Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, Ben Rich of Lockheed Skunk Works presented a paper in 1976 that provided a brief overview of the ‘Bx,’ a straightforward modification of the SR-71 into a supercruising strike aircraft. This would be achieved by installing AGM-69A SRAM missiles in the Chinese equipment bays, which are slightly different from the current ones, in longer bays that are roughly in the same locations.

The SR-71(Bx) diagram that is currently available has very poor resolution and contains a few internal contradictions, but it looks like the aircraft’s forward fuselage would be “bent” upwards in addition to having rounded undersides and blunter chines to give the missiles enough room. The aircraft would have been fitted with a dedicated radar, though it’s difficult to make out the details; the nose would be recontoured and slightly lengthened to accommodate.

There is limited information available on the SR-71(Bx). It is not clear how much effort was put into its design. However, launching at Mach 3.2 and an altitude of 80,000ft could increase the range of the SRAM to approximately 500 nautical miles. The SRAM was not a guided missile, so its accuracy was not spectacular. At a distance of 300 nautical miles, the Circular Error Probability (CEP) was 3600ft. Rich proposed that CEP could be reduced by half with terminal guidance, but the specifics of this were not provided.

Origins and Evolution Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Scott Lowther via Mortons Books

March 11, 2024 0 comment

History

The F-4 Phantom II variant had to be designated the F-110 Spectre

by Till Daisd March 10, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The USAF F-4 Phantom II version was authorized to be designated the F-110 Spectre in 1962

McDonnell Aircraft Company delivered the F4H (later dubbed F-4) Phantom II in answer to Navy requests for a high-altitude interceptor to defend carriers with long-range air-to-air missiles against attack aircraft. The aircraft’s maiden flight occurred in 1958, with deliveries to Navy and Marine Corps squadrons beginning in 1960. The US Air Force (USAF) eventually became interested in it due to its performance and versatility.

A small number of the first F-4Bs to join Navy service contributed to the introduction of the Phantom to the USAF, as told by Peter E. Davies in his book Gray Ghosts, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F-4 Phantoms. Confronted with the undeniable fact that it outperformed all Air Force fighters, TAC borrowed two F4H-1s (BuNos 149405 and 149406) in 1962 for a seventeen-week evaluation. In 1962, they visited several USAF bases, such as Bentwaters in the UK (BuNo 149406), to give the troops a preview of their new fighter.The F-4B had already made an impressive debut in the previous year’s Paris Salon. Both were officially assigned new serial numbers (JF-4B 62-12169 instead of 149406) and transferred to the Air Force.

A further 27 F-4Bs were “bought” from the Navy order for S 147.8 m on the understanding that the Navy would have them back once the USAF’s Phantom variant, the F-4C, began to roll off the line. Initially, the USAF F-4 model had to be designated the F-110 Spectre under the pre-McNamara designations. Later, both designs (Navy/USMC and USAF) were renamed Phantom II to eliminate confusion regarding the different designations.

There were inevitable changes to the design for the production F-4C, but they were comparatively minor. Structurally, the wing root of the F-4B was thickened to accept wider (11.5 inch) wheels with anti-skid brakes on the main gear in place of the 7.7 “skinny” F-4B tires. Navy Phantoms did not come equipped with anti-skid brakes until F-4J BuNo 157242 and higher. Cartridge-starting J79-15 engines were employed, and the AJB-7 bombing system improved ground assault capability. Given that both crew members were considered pilots, a control column emerged in the rear cockpit. A control column appeared in the back cockpit, as both crewmen were regarded as pilots. The in-flight refueling system was converted to the standard Air Force flying boom system.

The 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at MacDill AFB, Florida, was equipped with “borrowed” F4H-1s under the command of record-breaking test pilot Colonel Pete “Speedy” Everest on January 1, 1963. These aircraft trained crews for the 12th TFW until November, when “real” F-4Cs started to arrive. The removable control column in the rear cockpit was perceived by RIOs, who were formerly known as Pilot Systems Operators (PSOs) in the Air Force and later as Weapons Systems Operators (WSOs), as an uncertain advantage. Unlike the F-4C’s stick, it had to be unplugged and stowed before the radar controls could be slid out for use.

It’s interesting to note that “front seaters” had to study the radar interception assignment while spending a period of time in the back. The backseater was able to take control of the aircraft with this twin-stick approach, but he was unable to control the landing gear or brakes. Even with the F-4C’s rudimentary throttle controls, the backseater was still unable to land the aircraft alone.

The Air Force experienced some initial difficulties adjusting to the more complicated Martin-Baker H5 ejection seats on the F-4B. The failure to recognize that the “banana-link” mechanism on top of the seat might begin ejection if moved or compressed while the seat was armed resulted in two fatalities and serious injuries to MacDill personnel. Once, during a negative g maneuver, an F-4B’s seat that wasn’t properly secured slid up the rail, fired the canopy jettison device, left the cockpit, and then slid back along the fuselage. Fortunately, the pilot’s parachute was also deployed, and he survived.

The USAF F-4 crews were not on alert throughout the Cuban crisis, in contrast to their counterparts in the Navy and Marines. But much farther away in Southeast Asia, Phantom crews from all three services were soon to find plenty of action. You may see a preview of the F-110A’s TAC evaluation in the video that follows.

Gray Ghosts: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F-4 Phantoms is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

March 10, 2024 0 comment

History

How Apollo astronauts dumped on their way to the Moon and how they tried to stay clean without shower

by Till Daisd March 9, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The Apollo astronauts had to change many of their daily routines, including what they ate, drank, dressed, and even how they used the restroom

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy, carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin into an initial Earth orbit of 114 by 116 miles.

The primary objective of Apollo 11 was to complete a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961: perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth.

On July 20, 1969, Armstrong’s televised image and voice described the moment as “…one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” to an estimated 650 million viewers.

The life of the Apollo astronauts on board the command and service module, or CSM, was not simple. Living in space was considerably different from Earthly life because of the restricted space and lack of gravity. The website of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum states that astronauts had to modify many everyday routines, including how they ate, drank, dressed, and even used the restroom.

Andy Burns, a student of Space history and Flight Officer / Aviator at the United States Navy (USN), explains this on Quora.

‘There were no showering/bathing facilities aboard any of the Apollo spacecraft. What washing the astronauts were able to do was via wet washcloths every now and then. The environmental control system circulated air and helped somewhat, but mostly it was just a matter of the whole crew stinking equally and eventually going nose-deaf.’

How did Apollo astronauts poop during their journey to the moon?

Extremely cautiously.

They stripped down entirely—there was no way to take a shower or change their clothes—and moved as far away from the rest of the crew members as they could. (Nowhere near far enough). Then they did what had to be done, sticking a bag with a glue-coated ring on their butts. Then, if it was firm, they would have to break it off by inserting their finger into a covered hole. (It couldn’t fall because of the absence of gravity.)

Then, to make things worse, they had to add a specific fluid that killed the bacteria in the excrement, close the bag, and thoroughly mix the contents to incorporate the chemical.

Julie Ritt, an expert in NASA history, explains on Quora;

‘That’s assuming that they managed to get the bag attached to their bootie before anything exited the premises.’

According to Popular Science, random feces were floating around in the cabin of Apollo 10 (crewed by John Young, Thomas Stafford, and Gene Cernan), and nobody acknowledged who was responsible for them.

“Oh — Who did it?” Tom Stafford asks at one point. Confused, Young and Cernan reply, “Who did what?”
Cernan: “Where did that come from?”
Stafford: “Get me a napkin quick. There’s a turd floating through the air.”
Young: “I didn’t do it. It ain’t one of mine.”
Cernan: “I don’t think it’s one of mine.”
Stafford: “Mine was a little more sticky than that. Throw that away.”
Young: “God Almighty”
(laughter)

According to HuffPost, later on, they were interrupted again:

Cernan: “Here’s another goddam turd. What’s the matter with you guys? Here, give me a —“
(laughter from Young and Stafford)
Stafford: “It was just floating around?”
Cernan: “Yes.”
Stafford (laughing): “Mine was stickier than that.”
Young: “Mine was too. It hit that bag —“
Cernan: “I don’t know whose that is. I can neither claim it nor disclaim it (laughter).”
Young: “What the hell is going on here?”

Burns goes on to explain;

‘According to the reports of the Navy rescue swimmers, who were responsible for opening the spacecraft hatch after splashdown, the sheer stink of an Apollo cabin after two weeks was awe-inspiring.’

The facilities are far better, so that any prospective astronauts who may be rethinking their career decision can rest easy. They now have a proper restroom. It’s equipped with a camera so you can perfect your aim!

Apollo-12-crew — US Navy swimmers assist NASA astronauts into a life raft and out of the Command Module from their journey to the moon on Apollo 12. This picture was taken about 45 minutes after splashdown in the south Pacific. The USS Hornet provided rescue operations.

Photo by NASA

March 9, 2024 0 comment

History

An RAF Phantom Pilot remembers shadowing two Soviet Bears over France with his navigator and wingman when French fighters were grounded for Bastille Day celebrations

by Till Daisd March 6, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘The VC10 captain announced that as it was Bastille Day he had been told that we would have to look after the ‘trade’ alone and that, consequently, we could not anticipate any form of relief from Mirage units,’ Alan Winkles, former RAF Phantom pilot

For more than two decades, the Phantom was an essential part of the Royal Air Force’s combat aircraft arsenal, providing the service with one of the most capable strike fighters in the world. The Royal Air Force began using two models of the Rolls-Royce Spey-powered Phantom. Germany deployed the FGR2 for ground assault and tactical reconnaissance, and the FG1, which was also used by the Royal Navy, for interceptor roles.

From 1977, all Royal Air Force Phantoms were almost entirely used as interceptor fighters over UK airspace.

That time a RAF Phantom crew jokingly requested fuel from an Argentine Air Force KC-130 flying over the Falklands

“The French, without doubt, are proud of their way of life, and French folk will usually be eager to claim the virtues of their je sais quoi factor. Sometimes, however, the quoi in question can cause a problem or two for everyone else. I discovered myself in July 1987, on a day known as Bastille Day, or La Fête Nationale. The day when the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789, is remembered as a symbol of the modern nation and thus a cause of considerable celebration all over the place,” says Alan “Al” Winkles, a former RAF Phantom pilot, in Robert Pike’s book Phantom Boys.

“The day for me and for my navigator started well enough. It was an unexceptional Tuesday with the two of us on duty with another pilot/navigator crew. We were supported by a team of squadron engineers in the quick reaction alert (QRA) set-up at RAF Leuchars. Two Phantoms kept at readiness to be airborne in a matter of minutes when ordered by the ground radar controller at RAF Buchan, were in a special hangar next to a couple of crewrooms, one for the aircrew and one for the engineers. As the commanding officer of 43(F) Squadron at the time, I was not often on QRA duty, although I liked to ensure I was rostered for the occasional stint. If, as the saying goes, all was quiet on the western front, it was, for one thing, an opportunity for me to catch up on irksome paperwork from HQ,” Winkles continues.

However, on Bastille Day 1987, Al Winkles was scrambled to patrol east of the Faeroes to await the expected transit of two Bear Deltas to Cuba—a routine event.

“Sure enough, my trusty navigator made radar contact with them at an astounding range, and we motored in behind them. First, we closed in on the rear Bear to read its door number, before edging forward to the leader to read its number. Fully satisfied, we then stayed with the Bears for the next 30 minutes or so, seeing them safely off on their westerly heading over the Atlantic. Turning away to the southeast, we headed for home—or so we thought.”

Benbecula radar guided Al and his backseater to a rendezvous with a VC10 tanker as they coasted in over Scotland’s northwest coast. However, as Jimmy Bedle noted in The Fighting Cocks, more trade was undoubtedly expected. Having tanked to full, they were unexpectedly vectored southward down the Irish Sea, arriving at a location 100 miles southwest of Cornwall.

Then Portreath radar reported that, strangely, their earlier trade had veered south down the west coast of Ireland and seemed to be going for the Bay of Biscay, rather than continuing towards Cuba. They had dispatched another VC10 tanker to their area in order to shadow and intercept the Bears. The targets did indeed emerge to the west, and the Phantom executed a 120° maneuver to intercept.

Al Winkles resumes narrating the story.

“We were joined by a VC10, pulled off its training sortie over the North Sea. The tanker fell into line astern as we stationed ourselves on the Bear’s port side. By this time, the two Russian aircraft had joined together in loose formation. About 150 miles south of Cornwall, my navigator announced in a small voice that we had fallen off his map. However, as we entered the Bay of Biscay, we were certain that we would soon be relieved by the French Air Force, and we therefore kept a sharp lookout for Mirage fighters.

“By now, we had lost contact with Portreath radar and had just the VC10 for company. The tanker captain then announced that, as it was Bastille Day, he had been told that we would have to look after the ‘trade’ alone and that, consequently, we could not anticipate any form of relief from Mirage units. Far be it for me, I reasoned, to deny French their day of Bastille celebrations, but surely there were other considerations too. I could not avoid a feeling of irritation when I pictured our Mirage colleagues as they attended their Bastille barbecues on this mid-summer’s day.

“The VC-10 captain said he was trying to find a selection of French airfields that might be open for any possible diversion if we got into difficulties. However, thus far, the airfields he had tried had not even replied to his radio calls! Having given us this good news, he then said he was getting short of fuel, that he would give us what he could spare, and then he would leave us as there was another VC10 due to pitch up in around 30 minutes or so. We took on a few thousand pounds of fuel, and he left us, having given us a selection of vectors towards the nearest airfields in the St. Nazaire/La Rochelle areas—all probably closed.

At this point, we felt very vulnerable. We had no maps of France, no specific diversions, no weather information, and no radio contact with anyone except for the departing tanker. At this point the Bears seemed quite friendly and, possibly having been monitoring our situation over the radio, they turned towards the northwest. At least now we felt we were heading home. A very long 30 minutes passed, and then very faintly, we heard what appeared to be a distant conversation between our departing VC10 and the one arriving. Sure enough, the new tanker soon appeared and carried out an immaculate join-up using our air-to-air Tacan. The return route was flown in reverse by the Bears and ourselves, and we finally handed the Soviets over to Norwegian fighters who escorted them on their way back to Murmansk.”

Following his amazing five-hour sortie, Al gave the order to equip all 43 Squadron QRA aircraft with maps of Northern France in the future. It’s better late than never!

Photo by Crown Copyright and U.S. Air Force

March 6, 2024 0 comment

History

Specks of insects hoisted from atomic tests in Russia and China found on an A-12 windshield

by Till Daisd March 5, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘We had the specks lab tested, and they turned out to be organic material—insects that had been injected into the stratosphere,’ Norman Nelson CIA’s engineer inside the Skunk Works

In order to satisfy the nation’s demand for an extremely fast and high-flying reconnaissance aircraft capable of evading Soviet air defenses, the CIA created the highly classified A-12 OXCART as a successor to the U-2 espionage plane. The CIA awarded the OXCART contract to Lockheed (the builder of the U-2) in 1959.

Under the direction of renowned engineer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, Lockheed overcame many technical obstacles to meet the A-12’s extreme speed and altitude requirements. These included innovations in titanium fabrication, lubricants, jet engines, fuel, navigation, flight control, electronic countermeasures, radar stealthiness, and pilot life-support systems.

The A-12 was deemed fully operational in 1965 following hundreds of hours of flight at high risk by an elite team of CIA and Lockheed test pilots. The aircraft had achieved the design goal of maintaining a sustained speed of Mach 3.2 at an altitude of 90,000 feet.

Following an A-12 flight, they discovered insect specks on the windshield. According to Ben Rich’s book “Skunk Works,” Norman Nelson recalls,

‘I was the CIA’s engineer inside the Skunk Works, the only government guy there, and Kelly gave me the run of the place. Kelly ran the Skunk Works as if it was his own aircraft company.

‘A weird thing was that after an (A-12) flight, the windshields often were pitted with tiny black dots, like burn specks. We couldn’t figure out what it was.

‘We had the specks lab tested, and they turned out to be organic material—insects that had been injected into the stratosphere and were circling in orbit around the earth with dust and debris at seventy-five thousand feet in the jet stream. How in hell did they get lifted up there?

‘We finally figured it out: they were hoisted aloft from the atomic test explosions in Russia and China.’

Check out the Habubrats SR-71 and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook pages for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Dru Blair via www.drublair.com

March 5, 2024 0 comment

History

When a Phantom II pilot belly landed his stricken F-4D without his backseater

by Till Daisd March 4, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘In retrospect, my ordering WSO to eject was a mistake which I have always regretted. I felt at the time I was saving his life and I intended to eject after he did,’ Major Ben “Ray” Battle, F-4D Phantom II pilot

The Phantom II, which had its maiden flight in May 1958, was initially created for US Navy fleet defense and went into service in 1961. After evaluating it for counterair, interdiction, and close air support, the USAF authorized a variant in 1962. On May 27, 1963, the USAF’s Phantom II, known as the F-4C, completed its maiden flight. Delivery of production started in November 1963. Although the F-4D has better avionics and other technologies, it is still remarkably similar to the F-4C.

On November 18, 1968, a 37mm anti-aircraft fire struck an F-4D #66-0249 from 433rd TFS, Ubon RTAB, Thailand, rendering the aircraft unstable. 1Lt Robert “Kenny” Boone, the weapons system officer (WSO), was given the order to eject by Pilot Major Ben “Ray” Battle.

Following the ejection, Major Boone performed a gear-up landing at Ubon as the aircraft regained control. Boone was recovered from the Laotian jungle unharmed, and Battle survived the landing.

Ray Battle recalls;

“Kenny Boone and I were flying a fast-mover FAC mission along the Ho Chi Min trail in Laos. It was an orientation ride for Kenny, as he was newly assigned to my unit. We were at 4000 feet, and Kenny was flying the airplane when I heard an explosion, the aircraft shuddered, and the front windscreen was covered in what turned out to be hydraulic fluid. My sensation was that the aircraft as out of control, and I ordered Kenny to eject, which he did. Instinctively, I took the stick and throttles in hand, and to my amazement, the aircraft was flyable. I called for help for Kenny and headed back to Thailand where we were stationed. I was given the option of ejecting or landing gear up as the landing gear would not come down. I elected to land gear up and catch the runway wire with my tailhook… I have 150 aircraft carrier landings and thought I could easily make an arrested landing on the runway. I pulled the power off just as I touched down, and the aircraft settled onto the wire, cutting it. The aircraft slid down the runway and veered off to the right before fish-hooking to the right and stopping. It caught on fire and I jumped out safely. As you know, Kenny was recovered after spending a nervous night hanging in a tree in Laos. In retrospect, my ordering Kenny to eject was a mistake which I have always regretted. I felt at the time I was saving his life, and I intended to eject after he did. We both survived the incident for which I am grateful.”

As reported by Sierra Hotel Aeronautics, F-4D #66-0249 was eventually repaired, needing a new nose cone, some paint, and a new seat for the guy in the back. She was returned to service two years later, in February of 1970, and went on to enjoy a long career. Sadly Ol’ #249 saw her end with a plunge in the Florida Gulf, flying out of Tyndall AFB in 1985.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

March 4, 2024 0 comment

History

Mossad female agents faked being Iraqi MiG-21 pilots’ girlfriends and murdered all of them

by Till Daisd March 2, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Mossad deployed a team of female agents to recruit several Iraqi pilots who had been sent to Randolph Air Force Base in the United States for a staff course, but they were unsuccessful

The MiG-21 is among the most well-known jet fighters in the world. After it made its maiden flight in 1955, Western forces dubbed this Soviet-built aircraft the MiG-21 “Fishbed”. Some of these aircraft have continued to fly well into the twenty-first century.

More than 10,000 MiG-21s were produced by the USSR before manufacturing was stopped in 1985. The Fishbed has been utilized in various forms by more than 50 air forces. Among them was the Iraqi Air Force (IrAF).

If any story from the 1960s has ever made the Israel Air Force (IrAF) “famous” in the West and tarnished its reputation ever since, it is the one about the alleged “defection” of one of its MiG-21 pilots to Israel on August 12, 1966. The Israeli version of the story, which has been widely reported ever since, centers on a “mistreated Christian pilot,” who was “ignored by superiors and never promoted,” who was “disgruntled with his participation in the bombing of the Kurds,” who made his own decision to flee, and who later donated his aircraft to the US for study at a time when the US Air Force (USAF) most needed it—during the height of the Vietnam War. It would be an understatement to describe all of these reports as anything else than propaganda.

Since the late 1950s, the Israeli foreign intelligence service, Mossad, sometimes known as “the Institute,” has failed to persuade any of the Egyptian pilots to defect to Israel with one of their “MiGs.” A new chance presented itself in 1965 when a group of Iraqi pilots was sent to Randolph Air Force Base (AFB) in the United States for a staff course, as reported by Milos Sipos and Tom Cooper in their book Wings of Iraq Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970.

Mossad deployed a group of female agents and made unsuccessful attempts to recruit many of them: It was Lieutenant Hamid Dhahee who declined the Israeli offer first. On June 15, 1965, he was killed at a bar in Lackland, Texas. Then, IrAF Commander Brigadier-General Arif Abd ar-Razzaq called his students back to Iraq out of real worry for their safety while they were in the US.

IDF MiG-21 — MiG-21 F-13 serial number 534, flown by Munir Redfa to Israel on August 12, 1966, and put on display a few weeks later. (IDF)

Nevertheless, a number of the Iraqi pilots returned home, followed by alluring “lovers” who were Mossad agents. The “girlfriend” of Captain Shaker Mahmoud Yusuf met him in Baghdad in July 1965; he was also killed when he turned down the Israeli invitation to defect. Captain Mohammad Raglob didn’t live for very long after he “fell out” of a high-speed trail on February 11, 1966, while traveling to Germany.

After a while, the Israelis got in touch with Captain Munir Habib Jamil Redfa, also known as “Ruefa,” who was reassigned as the deputy commander of the No. 11 Squadron. Redfa chose survival when presented with the same “silver or lead” option as his colleagues before him. On August 12, 1966, he took off from Taqqaddum AB and flew a MiG-21F-13 to Israel after the Mossad transported 17 of his family members to Iran.

A few years later, Israel donated that MiG to the United States, although this had very little effect on American knowledge of the aircraft. Ultimately, on their 1965 trip to Randolph AFB, the Iraqis also brought all of the technical and training manuals for the type; before the end of the year, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) translated them into English.

Wings of Iraq Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970 is published by Helion & Publishing and is available to order here.

The story of Mossad female agents who pretended to be Iraqi MiG-21 pilots’ girlfriends and murdered all of them until they convinced one to fly a Fishbed to Israel — This is a still from a film showing the ex-Iraqi MiG-211-13 that became the source of much confusion in the West over the past 50 years. For training purposes. the Israelis applied quasi-Syrian markings to it, supposedly consisting of green, white, and black, with three red stars on the whitefield. Syrian MIG-21s never wore roundels on their fuselages. From the time that Syria joined the UAR in 1958, Syrian national markings always consisted of red, white, and black fields, initially with three green stars and later with none. (IDF)

Photo by Oren Rozen, Own work, via Wikipedia

March 2, 2024 0 comment

History

How the U-2 got its name

by Till Daisd February 29, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘Tony LeVier [the test pilot who flew the first flight of the U-2] was sitting at Bob Gilliland’s bar when we arrived. The story of how the U-2 was named came up,’ Colonel Richard “Butch” Sheffield, SR-71 Blackbird RSO

From the beginning, the US Air Force (USAF) and the CIA co-managed U-2 development, testing, and missions. Nonetheless, the CIA employed civilians working for the agency as pilots for overflights over the USSR. Fighter pilots in the USAF Reserve voluntarily left the service to work for the CIA because President Dwight D. Eisenhower thought that sending military pilots over the USSR would be interpreted as an act of war. They were Lockheed test pilots, officially speaking.

On July 4, 1956, the first U-2 mission over the USSR took place, and the aircraft returned with pictures of the shipyards in Leningrad. The US concluded that there was no “missile gap” or “bomber gap” favoring the Soviets, as many had feared, after several additional flights and the pictures they produced. In the end, the CIA conducted 24 U-2 flights over the USSR and many more over other communist nations.

Its employment remained a secret until May 1, 1960, when Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile while it was conducting a reconnaissance flight over Soviet territory.

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

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

‘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 the 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” [I.E. you too].

‘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 SR-71 and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook pages for further Blackbird photos and stories.

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

February 29, 2024 0 comment

History

The Navy chose the YF-17 over the YF-16 due to the number of engines

by Till Daisd February 27, 2024

written by Till Daisd

‘We used to have a joke in flight training: “What happens to a prop aircraft when it loses its engine? It becomes a glider. What happens to a jet when it loses its engine? It becomes a rock.”’ Josh Bennet, US Navy Naval Flight Officer

The Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program of the US Air Force (USAF) aimed to create a day fighter with air superiority that was compact, lightweight, low-cost, and easy to maintain.

The Northrop YF-17 and the General Dynamics YF-16 competed one versus the other in the LWF program. Many in the fighter community felt that aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle were too large and expensive for many combat tasks, which led to the creation of the LWF.

Secretary of the Air Force John L. McLucas said at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) on January 13, 1975, that the YF-16 had defeated the YF-17 in the competition for full-scale development as the USAF’s next Air Combat Fighter. Notably, in October 1980, the F-16 Fighting Falcon was declared combat-ready. Since then, the F-16 has been acquired by other foreign countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel.

The YF-17, also known as “Cobra,” was the last in a long line of Northrop designs that started with the N-102 Fang in 1956 and went through the F-5 family. Despite losing the LWF competition to the F-16, it was chosen for the new Naval Fighter Attack Experimental (VFAX) program and eventually became the F/A-18. In enlarged form, the F/A-18 Hornet was adopted by the US Navy and US Marine Corps to replace the A-7 Corsair II and F-4 Phantom II, complementing the more expensive F-14 Tomcat. Originally intended to be a small, lightweight fighter, this design was scaled up to become the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which shares a size similarity with the original F-15.

Why did the Navy choose the YF-17 over the YF-16?

‘I won’t dwell on this question for too long, but much of the reason why the navy chose [the YF-17 over the YF-16 for the VFAX program that evolved into the F/A-18] is that the [YF-17 and the subsequent] F/A-18 have 2 engines,’ Josh Bennet, US Navy Naval Flight Officer, says on Quora.

‘We used to have a joke in flight training:

‘“What happens to a prop aircraft when it loses its engine? It becomes a glider. What happens to a jet when it loses its engine? It becomes a rock.”

‘Without getting too deep into engines and aero, the aspect ratio (wing) of a Jet is much much smaller compared to that of larger commercial aircraft. Why? Because jets need to pull more Gs and they can’t do that with a wing that has good glide performance. The shorter, stubbier wing handles the force of the G’s much better ensuring that they don’t fall off in flight.
‘Without letting myself get too far off track, because of the lack of glide capability, if a jet loses an engine, it loses power needed to sustain lift. If this were to happen on a jet approaching a carrier on final approach, the pilot could very well not have time to eject before hitting the water. The F/A-18 has two engines, so if it loses one, it still has another working engine to get it home.

‘Other factors for why the F/A-18 was chosen over the F-16 include the size of the landing gear (landing gear is designed to fit the aircraft itself and the smaller gear on the F-16 wouldn’t be able to support the weight of the jet on a carrier landing), as well as how they conduct A2A refueling (drogue v boom).’

The YF-17 relied on the boom system for aerial refueling and lacked landing gear intended for aircraft carriers; nevertheless, after the Navy chose the Cobra, its design was modified for naval use. The F/A-18 Hornet is equipped with a drogue system for aerial refueling and landing gear made to operate on service flattops.

Bennet concludes;

‘For more information, google has hundreds of articles about 18 v 16, funding, joint aircraft, etc that delve into the details about how, when and why the Navy chose the F/A-18 and the Air Force chose the F-16, but personally, the number of engines is the determining factor.’

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

February 27, 2024 0 comment

History

F-16 Viper on celluloid — The Iron Eagle series

by Till Daisd February 26, 2024

written by Till Daisd

While the F-14 Tomcat was shown off in Top Gun, the F-16 Fighting Falcon used the questionable Iron Eagle series to demonstrate the machine’s agility to cinemagoers

While the F-14 Tomcat was shown off in Top Gun, the F-16 Fighting Falcon’s agility was showcased to cinemagoers in the questionable Iron Eagle series.

According to Bertie Simmonds’ story in his book F-16 Fighting Falcon, when Masters Senior was shot down, Doug Masters (Jason Gedrick) saved his father, Colonel Ted Masters (Tim Thomerson), from the clutches of a despicable, clichéd Middle Eastern regime in the first movie released in 1986. The plot that unfolds is ridiculous: Doug and his teenage friends obtain information about the prison in which his father is being held in the made-up Arab state of Bilya, and they use that information to prepare two F-16s that are fueled-up and bombed-up so that Doug and Colonel Charles “Chappy” Sinclair (Louis Gossett Junior) can stage a rescue attempt.

British actor David Suchet plays the film’s snarling bad guy Colonel Akir Nakesh. Suchet also plays the major opponent in the dogfight at the end, where Masters destroys his “MiG-23” and all ends well.

The kiln has its moments, even though it’s a bandwagon exercise after the far more polished Top Gun. When the USAF declined to assist with the film’s production, writer/director Sidney J. Fury was compelled to turn to the Israeli Air Force. This indicates that the action sequences include some amazing aerial footage of Vipers tangling with “MiG-23s,” played by IAI Kfirs, shot by Jim Gavin (of Blue Thunder fame).

Doug Masters is shot down by Russian “MiG-29s” in the opening scene of the second movie, which is imaginatively titled “Iron Eagle II,” as he strays into forbidden airspace. The scenario that develops is an American-Russian combined ground and air force action targeting a nuclear site owned by a rogue state.

Traditionally, toward the end of the movie, we witness both sides cooperating to complete the task, transforming what at first seems like a mission that could never succeed due to the warring, excessively competitive character of the pilots and soldiers of the two nations. In the second 1988 film, the MiGs were portrayed by the IAF’s F-4E Phantom II Kurnass aircraft from 69 Squadron (complete with blacked-out rear cockpits). Again, there is some excellent air-to-air footage showing these two fantastic aircraft in action together and in combat with the ‘bad guys’ played once more by IAI Kfirs.

Similar to the original movie, Iron Eagle II was shot on site in Israel at a number of different places, such as the Israeli Air Force base close to Haifa and numerous mountainous and desert areas, where a large portion of the exciting air-to-air scenes were filmed. IAF pilots were used throughout the whole filming process, and they were constantly on guard for potential threats from their Arab neighbors.

Aces: Iron Eagle III came next, and it was, to put it mildly, a terrible spectacle featuring `Chappie’ James in a moving mock air-combat warbird show. With the last episode, Iron Eagle IV: On the Attack, the formula became even more absurd. Doug Masters, who had apparently been lazing in a Soviet prison camp, returns and is recruited to assist Chappie in turning a group of idle kids into pilots when they come across a chemical warfare plant. Even if F-16s are employed once more (in combat against T-6 Harvards flown by teens, of all things), the series by this point lost much of the charm that made the first one a moderate success.

F-16 Fighting Falcon is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Screenshot from the movies

February 26, 2024 0 comment

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