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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

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

Cold War

A USAF F-4 WSO remembers attempting to steal a Phantom II fighter jet during a drill with his pilot

by Till Daisd April 26, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Can a fighter jet be stolen?

Theft of aircraft is a crime that is becoming more and more common, and it is frequently committed in conjunction with drug smuggling. Owners should take more preventative action, and investigation units must better equip themselves to handle cases of aircraft theft.

As long as the thief is skilled in flying and is familiar with airport procedures, stealing an airplane is not too difficult, according to the US Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs. The aircraft may be hotwired if the owner does not leave the keys inside. The thief just needs to start the aircraft and call the airport control tower to get takeoff instructions.

Considering how easy it is to steal an aircraft, one may ask if it is also feasible to steal a fighter jet.

Tasked to steal a USAF F-4 Phantom II

Joe Montana, former US Air Force (USAF) F-4 Phantom II Weapon Systems Officer (WSO), answered this question on Quora;

‘Yes, as a test of flightline security a pilot and I were tasked to steal an F-4. A few people in maintenance and security were advised but were only to take action to prevent damage to the aircraft or use of deadly force. We convinced a crew chief that his plane was the spare aircraft and we were taking it. Tower did not notice we started engines. By the time tower realized we were taxing, we were on the parallel taxi way. The pilot gave tower some bogus information that confused them momentarily but gave use a few more seconds of taxi time. By then we could have taxied onto the active runway. We would have less than the length of the runway and takeoff would have been with a tail wind but it was possible. We called the exercise off and stopped taxing.’

The only way to steal a USAF fighter jet

Montana concludes;

‘This was possible only because of the aircraft’s parking spot on the ramp and that the parallel taxi way used part of the parking ramp. Also, the layout of the base put us at the most distant location for security to respond. Additionally, we knew the aircraft was fueled and that there were no maintenance holds.

‘Things were a lot more relaxed than today.’

Photo by Senior Airman Jesse Shipps / U.S. Air Force

April 26, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The pilot of an SR-71 with his RSO remembers performing a Blackbird super low pass at 152 knots

by Till Daisd April 25, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The SR-71 Blackbird

One of the most sophisticated Blackbirds, the SR-71 (along with the A-12 and YF-12) was created by a group of Lockheed personnel under the direction of Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who was vice president of Lockheed’s Advanced Development Company Projects at the time. Known as the “Skunk Works,” this unit is now called Lockheed Martin.

Beginning in the late 1950s, the A-12 reconnaissance aircraft—which made its first flight in April 1962 and remained classified until 1976—served as the model for the Blackbird. The YF-12A interceptor variant was first made public by President Lyndon Johnson on February 29, 1964, which was more than six months after it made its first flight. On December 22, 1964, the SR-71’s maiden flight was completed.

The Blackbird was built to reach altitudes of up to 85,000 feet and cruise at “Mach 3+,” which is more than three times the speed of sound, or more than 2,200 miles per hour.

The SR-71 Blackbird’s slowest speed

‘How high and how fast does it really fly?’ is arguably the most commonly asked question regarding the “Blackbird family”.

What about the slowest speed a Blackbird has ever been known to fly at? The following anecdote from SR-71 pilot Brian Shul’s book Sled Driver may help to clarify this question.

‘I was flying the SR-71 out of RAF Mildenhall, England, with my back-seater, Walt Watson; we were returning from a mission over Europe and the Iron Curtain when we received a radio transmission from home base. As we scooted across Denmark in three minutes, we learned that a small RAF base in the English countryside had requested an SR-71 fly-past. The air cadet commander there was a former Blackbird pilot, and thought it would be a motivating moment for the young lads to see the mighty SR-71 perform a low approach. No problem, we were happy to do it. After a quick aerial refueling over the North Sea, we proceeded to find the small airfield.

Uncomfortable speed

‘Walter had a myriad of sophisticated navigation equipment in the back seat and began to vector me toward the field. Descending to subsonic speeds, we found ourselves over a densely wooded area in a slight haze. Like most former WWII British airfields, the one we were looking for had a small tower and little surrounding infrastructure. Walter told me we were close and that I should be able to see the field, but I saw nothing. Nothing but trees, as far as I could see in the haze. We got a little lower, and I pulled the throttles back from 325 knots we were at. With the gear up, anything under 275 was just uncomfortable. Walt said we were practically over the field-yet; there was nothing in my windscreen. I banked the jet and started a gentle circling maneuver in hopes of picking up anything that looked like a field.’

Airspeed indicator sliding below 160 knots

Shul continues;

‘Meanwhile, below, the cadet commander had taken the cadets up on the catwalk of the tower in order to get a prime view of the fly-past. It was a quiet, still day with no wind and partial gray overcast. Walter continued to give me indications that the field should be below us but in the overcast and haze, I couldn’t see it. The longer we continued to peer out the window and circle, the slower we got. With our power back, the awaiting cadets heard nothing. I must have had good instructors in my flying career, as something told me I better cross-check the gauges. As I noticed the airspeed indicator slide below 160 knots, my heart stopped and my adrenalin-filled left hand pushed two throttles full forward.

‘At this point, we weren’t really flying but were falling in a slight bank. Just at the moment that both afterburners lit with a thunderous roar of flame (and what a joyous feeling that was) the aircraft fell into full view of the shocked observers on the tower. Shattering the still quiet of that morning, they now had 107 feet of fire-breathing titanium in their face as the plane leveled and accelerated, in full burner, on the tower side of the infield, closer than expected, maintaining what could only be described as some sort of ultimate knife-edge pass.

The greatest SR-71 Blackbird fly-past

‘Quickly reaching the field boundary, we proceeded back to Mildenhall without incident. We didn’t say a word for those next 14 minutes. After landing, our commander greeted us, and we were both certain he was reaching for our wings. Instead, he heartily shook our hands and said the commander had told him it was the greatest SR-71 fly-past he had ever seen, especially how we had surprised them with such a precise maneuver that could only be described as breathtaking. He said that some of the cadet’s hats were blown off and the sight of the plan form of the plane in full afterburner dropping right in front of them was unbelievable. Walt and I both understood the concept of “breathtaking” very well that morning and sheepishly replied that they were just excited to see our low approach.

‘As we retired to the equipment room to change from space suits to flight suits, we just sat there-we hadn’t spoken a word since “the pass.” Finally, Walter looked at me and said, “One hundred fifty-six knots. What did you see?” Trying to find my voice, I stammered, “One hundred fifty-two.” We sat in silence for a moment. Then Walt said, “Don’t ever do that to me again!” And I never did.

Just a routine low approach

Shul concludes;

‘A year later, Walter and I were having lunch in the Mildenhall Officer’s club and overheard an officer talking to some cadets about an SR-71 fly-past that he had seen one day. Of course, by now the story included kids falling off the tower and screaming as the heat of the jet singed their eyebrows. Noticing our HABU patches, as we stood there with lunch trays in our hands, he asked us to verify to the cadets that such a thing had occurred. Walt just shook his head and said, “It was probably just a routine low approach; they’re pretty impressive in that plane.”’

Check out Habubrats SR-71’s Twitter profile and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder’s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Top image: courtesy of Robin Harbour

April 25, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

RAF Lightning pilot set an (unofficial) world altitude record by reaching 87,800 feet at Mach 2.2

by Till Daisd April 24, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The RAF Lighting Interceptor

Designed as a Mach 2 interceptor with an unrivaled rate of climb, the English Electric Lightning was frequently referred to as “a pilot sitting on two rockets” and was intended to defend the V-Force airfields during the Cold War.

According to Lightning pilot David Roome’s story in the book Lightning Boys, the official ceiling of the Lightning was reportedly over 60,000 feet, but he was able to achieve higher limits.

He recalls;

‘The RB-57F’s primary task on that visit Involved high altitude turbulence trials. However, the United States Air Force had consented to an additional mission (to use favored American terminology), which would exercise Singapore’s new, computerized air defense radar system. That was where I came in. The RB-57F would conduct a series of high-altitude target runs while two Lightnings, one of which would be flown by me, attempted to intercept it. By that stage, all of those concerned understood only too well that this would be no easy matter.

‘Further briefings took place before, at length, the time of trial arrived.

Intercepting a USAF RB-57F flying at 80,000 feet

‘The RB-57F took off just ahead of the Lightnings and set up for its first run at 50,000 feet. I carried out a successful intercept, then overtook the target from above; I just wanted to make the point that we Lightning pilots could operate in the upper atmosphere without difficulty. The target now turned through 180 degrees to set up for a second run. During this short turn, the pilot climbed up to 65,000 feet. This caused us some consternation when we realized that the RB-57F could climb to such an altitude in such a brief period of time.

However, determined not to be daunted, the other Lightning carried out a further successful interception then, as before, overtook the target from above. The target now announced that he would perform one orbit before he commenced his subsequent run. This time, he would be at 80,000 feet. It was my turn to carry out the interception.

RAF Lightning pilot recalls when he accelerated to the fighter max speed of Mach 2.2 and zoomed to 87,800 feet establishing the (unofficial) world altitude record of the Lightning

Handling the Lightning with finesse

‘At these high altitudes, I had to handle my aircraft with particular finesse. The requisite technique was to accelerate the Lightning to supersonic air speeds at tropopause altitude (the boundary between troposphere and stratosphere, and the most efficient altitude for the Lightning’s Rolls-Royce Avon 302 engines), then zoom up to the target’s height for the interception. The tropopause, typically around 36,000 feet at European latitudes, was at its highest near the equator – regularly 55,000 feet or so. I would employ this to my advantage.

‘The use of supersonic flight meant, in turn, the use of reheat. However, with the aircraft’s attendant high fuel consumption in reheat, I had to use the facility as sparingly and as effectively as possible. When in supersonic flight, delicate use of the flight controls was essential; the temptation to overcontrol could lead to wildly inaccurate flying. Beyond Mach 1 (the speed of the sound barrier), the aerodynamic effect of supersonic flight masked the airframe buffet, but when at subsonic speeds, the least bit of rough handling at high altitudes would induce airframe buffet and loss of performance.

The highest possible altitude attainable by the Lightning

‘Despite these hazards, I accomplished a successful intercept of the target at 80,000 feet and I just managed to fly past the RB-57F at this altitude. Now came the final test… the big one.

‘The RB-57F crew stated that they would need a little more time to prepare for their last run which would beat an unstated (i.e. confidential) altitude in excess of 100.000 feet. This was well beyond our capability and we had to admit defeat. Nonetheless, I had an urge to find the highest possible altitude attainable by the Lightning Mark 6. For this, I would have to accelerate the Lightning to its maximum airspeed of Mach 2.2 before commencing the zoom climb. To achieve that would require full fuel tanks and mine were far from full after the earlier supersonic runs.

‘It was at this point that Lady Luck played a crucial to card. A Victor in-flight refueling tanker en route from Hong Kong to Singapore suddenly piped-up on the radio. “I’ve got some spare fuel,” announced the captain of the Victor. “Any takers?”

‘”Sure,” I replied at once. This was an incredible break; I wanted to stake my claim before anyone else got in ahead of me.

Lightning accelerating to Mach 2.2

‘The rendezvous with the tanker worked out well and, as arranged, I refueled my Lighting to full tanks. When I broke away from the Victor tanker, I selected the throttles to the full cold-power position and initiated a climb to 50,000 feet – the Lightning’s subsonic service ceiling. At that height, I rocked the twin throttles outboard and pushed them fully forward to select maximum reheat on both engines. As the Lightning accelerated through the sound barrier, I had to watch the Machmeter carefully: at these heights, there was nothing outside the cockpit to offer an impression of relative speed. Mach 1.1…, Mach 1.2…, Mach 1.3…, before long the indicator was edging up towards Mach 2.0.

‘Now I smoothly, and rather gingerly, pulled back the stick. My eyes narrowed with anxiety as I monitored the attitude indicator: I aimed for a nose-up attitude of exactly sixteen degrees, the best climb angle (so we had been told) for that height and speed. By 65,000 feet I was beginning to lose performance. I therefore levelled off to allow the aircraft to accelerate once more. Amazed by the rapidity at which this occurred, I decided to let the Lightning have its head. The aircraft accelerated to its maximum permitted speed of Mach 2.2 at which I eased back the stick again. At 70,000 feet, with no loss of airspeed, I pulled back the stick to resume a sixteen-degree angle of climb.

200 feet shy of 88,000 feet

‘Now I was entering new territory — for me, at least. As the Lightning climbed up, unfamiliar symptoms, some of them subtle, some not so subtle, began to make me feel a little ill at ease. For one thing, in order to hold sixteen degrees of climb, I had to bring the stick further and further back. I put this down to a lack of downwash over the tailplane at such exceptional altitudes. Gradually, as the Lightning, at last, appeared to run out of steam, the nose began to drop, and I was forced to level off. A quick s-check of my altimeter showed that I was just 200 feet shy of 88,000 feet.

‘I glanced outside the cockpit. The scene before me seemed surreal. Above, the sky was pitch black. To either side, the earth’s curvature was clearly perceptible. This was an uncommon sight in those days (Neil Armstrong’s moon landing was still a year or so away) and I felt awed, even humbled, by such solitary opportunity.

One fearful moment

‘I took stock of my situation. The stick was now firmly on the backstops. I had no further elevator control other than to lower the nose. The ailerons, interestingly, were still very responsive. Both reheats had remained alight until I touched the throttles. When I rolled the aircraft and looked down vertically, I suffered a strange, disconcerting sensation – a bit like being balanced on the ferrule of an infinitely long umbrella. Suddenly, I had the feeling that I did not belong up there. Musicians sometimes talk of how the music plays through them – is somehow separate from them, like an out-of-body experience.

‘That day, up there, I could empathize. I wanted to get down, I needed to initiate a descent. I therefore eased the Lightning’s throttles back to the idle/idle position. This, however, triggered the warning bell in my headset, which, in turn, gave me the one really fearful moment of the whole episode. The cockpit pressurization warning had been set off.

Ill-equipped for safe flight at extreme altitudes

‘Quickly, I tried to work out what was happening. I figured that a reduction in air output from the engine bleed had occurred when I closed the throttles. This had affected the cockpit pressurization, which, consequently, had placed the aircraft outside limits. With my pressure jerkin and anti-G suit, I had some protection, but the Taylor helmet initially issued to the Lightning force for high-level work had been taken out of service. There was some oxygen overpressure fed to my face mask, though not very much.

‘I realized that I was ill-equipped for safe flight at these extreme altitudes. Nonetheless, when I had worked out the cause of the cockpit warning, I began to reason with myself that the situation was not as serious as first assumed. I decided, therefore, to adopt a very long, slow glide back to Tengah. As a secondary benefit, this would allow me to continue to enjoy the remarkable view.

World altitude record of the Lightning

‘A last bit of fun came when I spoke with Singapore Radar, a unit manned by RAF personnel. I was asked my height, to which I replied ‘above flight level 450’ (which meant above 45,000 feet). In those days, almost all controlled airspace ended above that height and I was not required, therefore, to divulge my actual altitude. The controller, however, became persistent as I was approaching an airway. Eventually, when I revealed that I was passing flight level 720, his reaction caused me considerable amusement. On reflection, I realized that that call provided the only independent evidence of my claim to fame.

‘Despite this, I now officially lay claim to the world altitude record of the Lightning—87,800 feet. If anyone wishes to challenge this, let them speak now or forever hold their peace. As a serving member of 74(F) Squadron, I listened to a number of tiger tales (the squadron emblem was a tiger)—some of them authentic enough, some less so. My tiger tale may not be verifiable, and may not appear in the Guinness Book of World Records, nonetheless, this claim, to the best of my belief, is no mere paper tiger.’

Lightning Boys is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by Crown Copyright, Steve Fitzgerald, Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK and Mark Harkin via Wikipedia

April 24, 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

Cold War

How to light the Blackbird’s afterburners when TEB (Triethylborane) wasn’t available

by Till Daisd April 22, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The SR-71 Blackbird

The US Air Force (USAF) created the SR-71 Blackbird in the 1960s; it was a plane that could move at a speed that was more than three times the sound of its own engines.

The SR-71 spy plane held the record for being the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft in the world for about 24 years. At a speed of Mach 3+, it could cover 80,000 square miles of Earth’s surface per hour while flying above 80,000 feet. Furthermore, on the off chance, an enemy tried to shoot it down with a missile, all the Blackbird had to do was speed up and outrun it.

JP-7

The engineering of the SR-71 was so advanced that new tools had to be created in order to build it.

In fact, standard jet fuel could not be employed in the Blackbird because of its Mach 3.2 cruise speed, which caused it to get extremely hot. According to former SR-71 pilot Richard H. Graham’s story in his book SR-71 Revealed: The Inside Story, Shell created a unique fuel blend known as JP-7. This fuel used an additive that raised its flash point, preventing the fuel from breaking down at extremely high temperatures.

SR-71 Blackbird needed TEB (Triethylborane) to light its engines and afterburners

Graham explains;

‘The high flashpoint brings up another problem. Most jet engines use igniter plugs—nothing more than a very hot spark plug if you will. Using these igniter plugs they used with the JP-7 and just drowns it out, it won’t ignite. Kelly [Johnson] put his engineers to work, and he said, ‘OK, gentlemen, how are we going to start this?’ They came up with a very unique way. Triethylborane (TEB for short).

Impressive video shows SR-71 Blackbird J58 Engine tested at Max Afterburner Power — TEB (Triethylborane) was needed to light both the J58 and the engine’s afterburners. The J58 powered the SR-71 Blackbird.

‘Each engine has a one-and-a-quarter pint. If I had it in a squirt gun and I squirted it into the atmosphere, it would go Kaboom!—it explodes with contact with the atmosphere. And that’s how we started the engines. As the engines rotate, at the right time, it sprays this amount of TEB into the turbine section, which goes kaboom, which in turn lights the engine. When you take the throttles up into the afterburner, it puts this metered amount of TEB in that lights up the JP-7. You get 16 shots for each engine.’

TEB was the most dangerous material after fissionable nuclear material

A sealed tank that had been inerted with nitrogen gas and filled with 600cc of TEB by maintenance before each flight was mounted on each engine.

Former SR-71 Blackbird pilot David Peters adds: ‘An interesting note to this is the transport of it. If we landed away, servicing had to be hauled to our location. The NTSB lists TEB as the following most dangerous material, one step below fissionable nuclear material. The folks that handled this stuff were highly trained and good.’

How to light SR-71 Blackbird afterburners without Triethylborane

If TEB wasn’t available, one may now wonder if there was a way to light the Blackbird’s afterburners. Although Peters claims that during the 24 years the SR 71 was in flight, its TEB never ran out—there was a backup plan, just in case. John Olp, an SR-71 mechanic at Beale AFB from 1975 to 1985, explains;

‘The J58 engine had a unique way of lighting the afterburners if TEB wasn’t available for whatever reason.

‘Inserted into three rings of the flame holders were six catalytic ignitors. If TEB wasn’t available, the engines could be manually over-trimmed to increase the exhaust temperature and superheat the ignitors. When the throttles were advanced into afterburner, the glowing catalytic ignitors would light off the fuel, albeit somewhat harshly!

SR-71 Mechanic explains how you could light the Blackbird’s afterburners if TEB (Triethylborane) wasn’t available

‘The catalytic ignitors were in place as a backup if TEB wasn’t available. There was a manual up-trim switch in the cockpit to control engine EGT. It was a hard light off if used, but was an option!’

Olp concludes;

‘Overtemping the engine would only be momentary to allow the afterburner light, probably not enough to cause any damage to the engines. That’s why the manual up-trim switches were available.’

Check out Habubrats SR-71’s Twitter profile and the Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by TSgt. Jose Lopez / U.S. Air Force

April 22, 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

Cold War

The pilot and bombardier of the B-47 remembers carrying the biggest nuclear bomb ever manufactured toward Spain

by Till Daisd April 20, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The B-47 that flew the largest Nuclear Bomb ever built to Spain

The first XB-47 prototype, built to fulfill a 1944 need, flew in December 1947 and outperformed its competitors. It had swept wings, jet engines in underwing pods, main landing gear located on the fuselage, and automated systems that lowered the crew number to three, among many other innovative features for the period.

In May 1951, the B-47 began replacing the propeller-driven B-29s and B-50s in the US Air Force’s Strategic Air Command (SAC) medium bomber units. While it could carry about the same bomb tonnage as the aircraft it replaced, the B-47’s top speed was more than 200 mph faster.

The US Air Force’s Strategic Air Command (SAC) medium bomber units started using B-47s in May 1951 in place of their propeller-driven B-29s and B-50s. The B-47 had a top speed of over 200 mph, but it could carry roughly the same number of bombs as the aircraft it replaced.

B-47 Stratojet nuclear bomber

Due to its capabilities, the B-47 Stratojet—a nuclear bomber and reconnaissance aircraft—became an essential component of the SAC in the 1950s and early 1960s.

As Richard “Butch” Sheffield (former B-47 navigator/bombardier, former B-58 navigator/bombardier, and former SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO)) recalls in his unpublished book “The Very First,” Stratojet units regularly deployed to forward air bases around the world on temporary duty because the B-47 did not have the range of SAC’s heavy bombers (the B-36 and later the B-52).

B-47 navigator/bombardier recalls when his Stratojet flew the largest Nuclear Bomb ever built to Spain — Richard “Butch” Sheffield is on the far right in the photo. His crew was named Best B-47 crew in 1960

Flying to Spain with Mark 36

‘In the summer of 1959, our Wing moved its overseas operating location from Fairford, Royal Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom (UK) to a Spanish Air Force Base at Moron, Spain, near Seville.

‘In order to get our nuclear weapons to Spain, we just flew them in our B-47’s. This way, we did not have to down load them from our alert status in the UK. Our primary weapon was the Mark 36. It weighed twenty thousand pounds, completely filled the B-47 bomb bay, and had a seven-megaton yield. This was the largest nuclear bomb ever produced.

‘The normal way of moving nuclear weapons was by Military Air Lift. The weapons were safe, offloaded from the bombers, place into heavy lift aircraft like C-130, C-97, or later, C-5s.

Carrying the largest Nuclear Bomb ever produced

‘So, flying them in the bomber was very unusual. Also, when the B-47 was full of fuel, with tip tanks fully loaded and the Mark 36 loaded, our center of gravity (CG) was far aft of normal. We could not land with the bomb onboard and fuel in the tip tanks. We have to burn the fuel out of the tip tanks or drop the bomb to get the CG forward to land.

‘The route to Moron took us right over the Capital City of Spain, Madrid. As I flew over Madrid with this very large Hydrogen bomb, I couldn’t help but think, what do those people on the ground think is flying over them today? We even made a simulated bomb run on them.’

Flying home over the Bermuda Triangle

When Richard “Butch” Sheffield would discuss flying over the Bermuda Triangle and claim that there was indeed something strange about it, he would have a perplexed expression on his face.

‘When it came time to rotate back home to Little Rock, my CO-pilot, Jim McCracken, and I came up with a way to get home sooner than normal. We would land at the Azores; refuel then were going to fly all the way home on one tank of gas going over Bermuda.

‘Everything was going well, right on fuel plans until we passed Bermuda, then we ran into the jet stream, two hundred-knot headwinds, that were not forecast. We were lucky to make it to the East Coast. I have never seen, before, or sense, headwinds like that. The jet stream never goes that far South.

‘We landed at Hunter, AFB, SC. on the East Coast. Flew home to Little Rock the next day.’

Check out Habubrats SR-71’s Twitter profile and the Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Linda Sheffield Miller

April 20, 2024 0 comment

History

Avro Vulcan pilot recalls being ‘zapped’ with kiwis on his bomber’s roundels during New Zealand Ranger

by Till Daisd April 19, 2024

written by Till Daisd

RAF Akrotiri

RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, began on Jul. 1, 1955, when the first 30 personnel posted to the ‘Unit’ established themselves in the flat, dry, rocky scrubland on the windswept Akrotiri Peninsula.

Due to terrorist activity, Nicosia Airport was temporarily closed. As a result, Akrotiri was designated as the new location to handle civil aviation on the island, along with a temporary “civil airport reception center.” They also brought in an RAF Regiment Light Anti-Aircraft Wing.

The station’s strength increased dramatically in just 12 months, reaching 260 officers and 2864 other ranks by the end of August 1956. Construction trailed behind the unexpected demand for accommodations, which resulted in overcrowding and unhygienic conditions that sent 1430 people on a daily sick-out.

From the Station’s rudimentary beginnings with caravans and mud tracks, roads were developed, hangars were built, and some permanent buildings were constructed.

The Station reached its height in the 1960s and 1970s after the departure from east of Suez; Lightning, Canberra, Hercules, Argosy, and Vulcan aircraft were all permanently based squadrons operated from RAF Akrotiri.

The Avro Vulcan goes to New Zealand

In Tony Blackman’s book Vulcan Boys True Tales of the Iconic Delta V Bomber, Adrian Summer, a former Vulcan pilot who was the pilot in charge at the time of this story, remembers;

‘My greatest memory from Cyprus days was our New Zealand Ranger in February 1972. Ron had received a letter from the widow of an ex-squadron commander who had sadly died; he had had a silver bat, the IX Squadron emblem, as a mascot on their car and she wished to present it to the squadron. The only problem was that she lived in Christchurch, South Island, NZ.

‘Unfortunately, this was not sufficient justification for a trip ‘down under’ so a further reason had to be found. I am not sure how it happened, but Ron [Wg Cdr Ron Dick, Summer’s Vulcan captain) managed to get an invite to take part in the Hamilton Air Show, south of Auckland, North Island. Our base throughout our stay was the RNZAF airbase at Ohakea, just outside Palmerston North.’

Kiwis within the roundels

Summer continues;

‘As it happened, we were the first Vulcan to return to New Zealand since 1959 when a Vulcan B1 XH498 undershot the runway at Wellington damaging the port undercarriage, and crash-landed back at Ohakea. I understand the crew chief remained with the aircraft in NZ for a number of months! Our ranger was not without incident, but of a different kind.

‘During the first evening of our arrival, our aircraft was ‘zapped’ having kiwis painted within the roundels on either side of the nose. Then, during our flight down and back to Christchurch to pick up the silver bat, we came across an old steam train known as the “Kingston Flier’ which we managed to capture on F95 film. On returning to Ohakea, Ron was handed a telegram which was from the engine driver, a Mr Glendenning, which read-+++GREAT FLYBY STOP DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAD AN OIL LEAK UNDER YOUR LEFT WING STOP+++.

‘Apparently, several years later Ron Dick re-visited NZ and found out where Mr Glendenning was living. He knocked at his door and said to him “We have never met, but I have been close to you,” to which Mr Glendenning replied, “you’re that bloody Vulcan pilot.”

Vulcan flying up and down in New Zealand

‘Another occurrence was as a result of flying up and down the fantastically beautiful Milford Sound in New Zealand again during our flight back from Christchurch. Months after our return to Cyprus, I was back in the UK on my intermediate co-pilot’s course for conversion to the left-hand seat. I was browsing through the flying magazines in Smiths and came across a Vulcan filling the whole of the centerfold picture; on closer inspection, I realized it was our aircraft in New Zealand. The picture had been taken by an Australian professional photographer who was on his honeymoon and who happened to be fishing in Milford Sound at the time.

‘Flying back to Cyprus from New Zealand, whilst crossing the Inter-Tropical Front and endeavoring to climb out of severe icing, we had the outer lamination of two of our front windscreens crack. We subsequently landed safely at Tengah in Singapore, and the aircraft remained there for a double windscreen change whilst our crew flew back to Akrotiri by VC10.’

Kiwis within roundels again!

Summers concludes;

‘Some days later the aircraft was recovered back to base by Flight Lieutenant Jon Tye and his crew. Within minutes of it landing at Akrotiri, Ron was summoned to the station commander’s office to explain to John Stacey [RAF Akrotiri commander] why one of his aircraft had been seconded to the New Zealand Air Force. Ron had forgotten about the kiwis in the roundels!’

Vulcan Boys True Tales of the Iconic Delta V Bomber is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by Crown Copyright

April 19, 2024 0 comment

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