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aircraft

The YB-35 and YB-49 flying wings, the forgotten ancestors of the B-2 Spirit

by Till Daisd August 8, 2021

The innovative and potentially very effective flying wing design, in which the tail section and fuselage are deleted and all payload is carried in a thick wing, was employed by the YB-35 and YB-49

The Northrop XB-35 and YB-35 were experimental aircraft created by the Northrop Corporation for the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) during and immediately after World War II. They were designed by Jack Northrop as a huge wing-only, long-range heavy bomber. The flying wing design, which removes the tail and fuselage and carries all payload in a thick wing, is revolutionary and has the potential to be extremely efficient for this type of aircraft. Only prototype and pre-production aircraft were produced, but there was still enough demand for the design to be developed into a jet bomber under the name YB-49.

Eight Allison TG-180 (J35) turbojet engines were installed in two YB-35s in place of the four Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines that were formerly powering its dual contra-rotating propellers. The USAAF gave its approval to the conversion program’s modification order in June 1945. Four new vertical stabilizers were also added, in addition to the installation of jet engines (two on each wing installed on both sides of the jet engine exhausts). To minimize airflow down the sweeping wing (lowering lift) rather than over the wing, four air dams were installed on the wings, extending forward from the vertical stabilizer.

The new aircraft was YB-49.

The first aircraft conversion project took over two years to complete, and the YB-49 No. 1 (S/N 42-102367) made its first flight on October 21, 1947, when it was ready for flight testing. The results of flight testing revealed generally good performance; nonetheless, the flying wing was doomed by stability during simulated bomb runs and political issues.

Testing with both aircraft continued until the second YB-49 crashed on June 5, 1948. The second aircraft was prepared for its first flight on January 13, 1948. When YB-49 No. 2 lost control and crashed about 10 miles northwest of Muroc Air Force Base (AFB), the aircraft was doing its 25th test flight. The aircraft experienced a catastrophic structural failure with the outer wing panels tearing off while being tested for stall recovery ability.

Maj. Daniel H. Forbes Jr., the pilot, Capt. Glen W. Edwards, the copilot, Lt. Edward L. Swindell, the flight engineer, Clare E. Lesser, and C.C. La Fountain made up the crew on the tragic mission.

Later, two Air Force facilities were given new names in remembrance of the pilots who died in the crash. Both Edwards AFB in California and Forbes AFB in Kansas bear the names of their respective recipients: Capt. Edwards and Maj. Forbes.

Following the second YB-49 prototype’s crash, the remaining aircraft underwent modifications to include more flight performance monitoring equipment before testing could restart. On March 15, 1950, a high-speed taxi run was being used by an Air Force crew to test the aircraft stabilizer reaction when the nose wheel started to violently wobble. The No. 1 YB-49 broke in two and was utterly destroyed as a result of the nose landing gear collapsing before the aircraft could be brought under control.

Northrop also created the YRB-49A, a reconnaissance variant of the YB-49, whose only prototype flew for the first time on May 4, 1950, from Hawthorne, California, to Edwards. After just 13 flights and over a year of testing, this aircraft’s testing came to an end.

The flying wing bomber concept was abandoned when the YRB-49A was destroyed in late 1953, and it would not be revived until the Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber appeared nearly 40 years after the YB-49’s final flight.

Photo by Edwards History Office file photo / U.S. Air Force and Northrop Corporation via Wikipedia

Source: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

August 8, 2021 0 comment

History

When the SR-71 Blackbird set four speed records on its last flight

by Till Daisd August 6, 2021

written by Till Daisd

The Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird, USAF serial number 61-7972, set four National Aeronautic Association and three Fédération Aéronautique Internationale speed records on its final flight on March 6, 1990

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft maintained its position as the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft for approximately 24 years. It could survey 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from an altitude of 80,000 feet.

It is therefore not surprising that the aircraft has consistently broken records for both speed and altitude due to its astounding flight qualities.

The Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird, USAF serial number 61-7972, flew from Air Force Plant 42 (PMD) in Palmdale, California to Washington Dulles International Airport where it was handed over to the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum on March 6, 1990, setting four National Aeronautic Association and three Fédération Aéronautique Internationale speed records, according to This Day in Aviation.

The missions began with the SR-71 being launched from Air Force Plant 42 (PMD) in Palmdale by Lieutenant Colonels Raymond E. (“Ed”) Yeilding and Joseph T. (“J.T.”) Vida. Before starting their speed run, the Blackbird refueled from a Boeing KC-135Q Stratotanker so that its fuel tanks would be full.

The plane flew past Oxnard on the southern California coast as it approached the so-called “west gate,” a radar reference point, and then turned east to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Washington, D.C.

The transcontinental flight took 1 hour, 7 minutes, 53.69 seconds, or an average speed of 2,124.51 miles per hour, to cover the distance of 2,404.05 statute miles (3,868.94 kilometers) (3,419.07 kilometers per hour).

The following intermediate closed-course records were also set: Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., 2,299.67 miles (3,700.96 kilometers), 1:04:19.89, averaging 2,144.83 m.p.h (3,451.77 km/h); Kansas City to Washington, D.C., 942.08 miles (1,516.13 kilometers), 25:58.53, 2,176.08 m.p.h (3,502.06 km/h); and St. Louis to Cincinnati, 311.44 miles (501.21 km), 8:31.97, 2,189.94 m.p.h. (3,524.37 km/h).

The SR-71 61-7972 did not only set these records, though. According to This Day In Aviation, this Blackbird had already set a record for the fastest time between New York and London (1:54:56.4), averaging 1,806.957 m.p.h. (2,908.015 km/h). But it had to slow down to refuel in flight. The airplane then broke a record by traveling 5,446.87 miles (8765.89 kilometers) from London to Los Angeles in 3 hours, 47 minutes, and 39 seconds, while averaging 1,435.49 m.p.h. (2,310.19 km/h). It also set an 85,069-foot altitude record (25,929 meters).

This was 61-7972’s last flight. 2,801.1 hours were spent on its airframe in total. The Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum’s Steven V. Udvar-Hazy Center currently has this Blackbird on exhibit.

As we’ve already mentioned, the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft served as the basis for the long-range, sophisticated, strategic reconnaissance aircraft known as the SR-71 Blackbird. The first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base (AFB), California, in January 1966. The SR-71’s first flight took place on December 22, 1964. On January 26, 1990, the U.S. Air Force deactivated its fleet of SR-71 aircraft due to a shrinking defense budget and high operating expenses.

Photo by Edwards History Office file photo and U.S. Air Force

Additional source: U.S. Air Force

August 6, 2021 0 comment

History

An RF-101C voodoo mission known as “Operation Sun Run” broke 3 transcontinental speed records

by Till Daisd August 6, 2021

written by Till Daisd

Two Voodoos had to fly the one-way trip from Los Angeles to New York, while two RF-101s had to make the roundtrip journey from Los Angeles to New York and back

Operation Sun Run was conducted on November 27, 1957, by four U.S. Air Force (USAF) pilots flying a McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo aircraft and setting three new transcontinental speed records. The RF-101C, an upgraded version of the RF-101A, the first supersonic photo-reconnaissance aircraft, demonstrated its speed and range during the record-breaking flight.

Six RF-101C planes were ready to participate in Operation Sun Run: two for the round-trip flight from Los Angeles to New York and back, two for the one-way trip from Los Angeles to New York, and two as backups in case the four major planes encountered issues.

It is noteworthy that the operation needed extensive coordination of aircraft crews, radar, and weather stations from coast to coast, as described in the article Operation Sun Run.

A giclee of “Schrek’s CIN MIN on the SUN-RUN” by aviation artist William S. Phillips in the Southeast Asia War Gallery at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

For Operation Sun Run, six pilots from the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing’s 17th and 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons were chosen. Each pilot got ready for the round-trip flight even though they wouldn’t know to which flight they were allocated until a few days before the operation. All six of the RF-101’s six pilots had a lot of experience flying photo-reconnaissance aircraft, even though Tactical Air Command (T)AC had just recently acquired the aircraft.

However, the performance of the USAF’s first jet tanker, the recently released KC-135 Stratotanker, also played a role in Operation Sun Run’s success. The RF-101s were able to refuel at an altitude of 35,000 feet and a speed of Mach 0.8 thanks to the KC-135’s speed. Air Force Research and Development Command and Strategic Air Command (SAC) crews planned for the 26 refuelings that the Operation Sun Run RF-101Cs would need.

On the first RF-101C round-trip flight of Operation Sun Run, Capt. Ray Schrecengost departed from Ontario International Airport near Los Angeles at 6:59 a.m. on November 27, 1957.

Capt. Donald Hawkins, flying back up, and Capt. Robert Kilpatrick, flying a one-way flight, followed him. Following until the initial refueling was finished, Capt. Hawkins took off for March Air Force Base (AFB), in California. Capt. Robert Sweet departed on the second round-trip flight at 7:50 a.m. Lt. Gustav Klatt started his one-way journey after him. After the initial successful refueling, they also flew to March AFB with their backup, Capt. Robert Burkhart.

This trophy was presented by the McDonnell Aircraft Corp. to the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in recognition of establishing three new transcontinental speed records flying RF-101C aircraft on Nov. 27, 1957. It was donated to the museum by the RF-101 Pilots’ Reunion Group in 1998.

The previous speed records were easily surpassed by all four RF-101C pilots, who also set new ones. Lt. Klatt set a new record for the distance from Los Angeles to New York, clocking in at 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 43.63 seconds. Capt. Sweet set records for both the New York to Los Angeles flight and the round-trip flight, with times of 6 hours, 46 minutes, and 36.21 seconds and 3 hours, 36 minutes, and 32.33 seconds, respectively.

These pictures show an RF-101C that was a part of Operation Sun Run and is now on exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, this Voodoo also performed crucial low-altitude surveillance flights, confirming that the offensive missile installations in Cuba were being decommissioned. Along with the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, it served in Southeast Asia. On October 27, 1978, it was flown to the museum from Key Field, Miss., by the 153rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the Mississippi Air National Guard.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

Source: National Museum Of The U.S. Air Force

August 6, 2021 0 comment

History

B-29 Doc flown by the grandson of Enola Gay commander

by Till Daisd July 24, 2021

written by Till Daisd

Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets Jr., who led the B-29 Enola Gay on its mission to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, is the grandson of Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets IV.

According to The Wichita Eagle, the repaired B-29 bomber Doc—one of only two flying B-29s in the world—flew to Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB) for the Wings Over Whiteman Airshow on June 9, 2017, with Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets IV at the controls.

Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets Jr., who led the B-29 Enola Gay on its mission to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in August 1945, is the grandfather of Tibbets IV. Tibbets IV is a B-2 stealth bomber pilot and the commander of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman.

The first nuclear weapon ever deployed in combat, the Mk I bomb (also known as “Little Boy”), was delivered by the B-29 Enola Gay, which is currently on display at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. On August 6, 1945, the bomb exploded above Hiroshima at a height of 1,800 feet. “Little Boy” was a gun-like weapon that was the outcome of the Manhattan Project, which started in June 1942. It detonated by discharging one mass of uranium down a cylinder into another mass to produce a self-sustaining nuclear reaction. It produced an explosive force equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT while only weighing roughly 9,000 pounds.

Photo by Erin McClellan [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

July 24, 2021 0 comment

History

Old pics show B-52 Stratofortress’s earliest prototypes

by Till Daisd July 23, 2021

written by Till Daisd

According to recent engineering studies, the B-52 will continue to operate after 2040

The stunning old pictures in this post highlight several significant achievements made by the original B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber prototypes.

Noteworthy, the YB-52 (the second XB-52 equipped with greater operational equipment) is taking off from the Rogers Dry Lake bed for an 11-hour basic radius test mission in the picture at the top of the article. The flight, which actually took place on July 7, 1953, proved that the bomber was capable of taking off with a large fuel load, traveling more than 2,700 miles at combat altitude, performing simulated combat maneuvers, and then landing.

The authenticity of the second photograph, which was also used to commemorate the radius test mission, is unknown.

The third image, on the other hand, was made on November 21, 1952, and it depicts the first arrival of the Boeing XB-52 Stratofortress at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), for engine calibration and thrust measurement before Phase II evaluation. On April 15, 1952, the brand-new intercontinental bomber took to the skies over Seattle. As you can see from the photo’s caption.

“The XB-52 ‘Stratofortress’ was powered by eight Pratt & Whitney YJ57-P-3 axial-flow turbojet engines. The speed, range, altitude, and bombload of the big bomber were all satisfactory.”

The B-52 Stratofortress has been the cornerstone of the American-manned strategic bomber force for more than 40 years. The B-52 is known as the “Big Ugly Fat Fucker” (or “BUFF” by its aircrews), and it is equipped with the largest arsenal of weaponry available to the United States. This includes joint direct attack munitions, precision-guided missiles, cluster bombs, gravity bombs, and such (JDAMs). The B-52 will continue to play a significant role in our country’s defenses well into the 21st century after being updated with contemporary technology and being able to deliver the complete complement of jointly designed weaponry. According to recent engineering studies, the B-52 will continue to operate past the year 2040.

Photo by Edwards History Office / U.S. Air Force

Source: U.S. Air Force

July 23, 2021 0 comment

History

The Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II, the super fighter rejected by USAF for the YF-22

by Till Daisd July 22, 2021

written by Till Daisd

There are still rumors that a clandestine strike version of the YF-23 was created to perform a function comparable to the F-111

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) was prompted to look for a replacement for the F-15 Eagle air dominance fighter in the late 1970s as a result of a new generation of Soviet fighters and Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs).

Due to this, the USAF awarded demonstration contracts to two rival industry teams in 1986: Lockheed-Boeing-General Dynamics (whose proposal was the YF-22A) and Northrop-McDonnell Douglas (whose proposal was the YF-23A), who would have competed for one against the other in the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program.

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The Northrop YF-23A was created to satisfy the USAF’s requirements for supercruise, survivability, and ease of maintenance. The Pratt & Whitney YF119-PW-100L and the General Electric YF120 engines were vying against one another to meet the latter criterion. These new engines, known as Augmented Turbofans, would have allowed the YF-22 and YF-23 to fly supersonic without utilizing the afterburner, conserving fuel and enhancing their combat effectiveness and range.

The first YF-23 (series number 87-0800), Prototype Air Vehicle 1 (PAV-1), was unveiled on June 22, 1990, and Alfred “Paul” Metz piloted it for its 50-minute maiden flight on August 27. The second YF-23 (serial number 87-0801, PAV-2) had its first flight on October 26, piloted by Jim Sandberg. The first plane had a charcoal gray paint job and the unofficial names “Spider” and “Black Widow II,” the latter after the Northrop P-61 Black Widow from World War II because it had a red hourglass marking similar to the one on the underside of the black widow spider before Northrop management ordered it removed. The second prototype, known as “Gray Ghost,” had General Electric YF120 engines and was painted in two different tones of gray.

The YF-23 placed a strong emphasis on stealth features; Northrop decided against adopting thrust vectoring for aerodynamic control, as was done on the Lockheed YF-22A, in order to save weight and boost stealth.

On September 18, 1990, the Pratt & Whitney-powered first YF-23 supercruised at Mach 1.43, and on November 29, 1990, the General Electric-powered second YF-23 reached Mach 1.6. In contrast, the YF-22’s supercruise speed was Mach 1.58. With afterburners, the YF-23 was tested to a top speed of Mach 1.8 and a maximum angle of attack of 25°. Although reports claim a top speed greater than Mach 2 at altitude and a supercruise speed greater than Mach 1.6, the top speed is classified.

The weapons bay of the aircraft was set up for weapon launch and used to test the acoustics of the weapons bay, but no missiles were actually launched; instead, Lockheed successfully launched AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles from its YF-22 demonstration aircraft.

On November 30, 1990, PAV-1 carried out a quick-fire combat exercise with six flights spread over ten hours. The two YF-23s flew 50 times for a total of 65.2 hours of flight testing as of December. The tests confirmed Northrop’s predictions for the YF-23’s performance values: the YF-23 was faster and more stealthy, but the YF-22 was more agile.

The two contractor teams presented evaluation findings along with their proposals in December 1990, and Secretary of the Air Force Donald Rice declared on April 23, 1991, that the YF-22 was the victor and that the YF119 would be used as the F-22’s engine instead of the YF120. The designs from Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney received higher marks for their technical merits, were judged to have fewer risks, and had better program management.

After the competition, both YF-23s were sent to NASA’s Dryden Flying Research Center at Edwards AFB in California without their engines. NASA had intended to utilize one of the aircraft to explore methods for calibrating expected loads to evaluate flight results, but this did not happen.

Up until mid-1996, both YF-23 airframes were in storage before being moved to museums.

In 2004, Northrop Grumman made a noteworthy proposal for a bomber based on the YF-23 to satisfy a USAF requirement for an interim bomber, for which the FB-22 and B-1R were also in the running. When the Quadrennial Defense Review preferred a long-range bomber with a far larger range, which developed into the Next-Generation Bomber program and then became the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) heavy bomber program, the opportunity for the YF-23 to serve in this role was lost in 2006. Northrop-Grumman ultimately prevailed in the LRS-B competition with its B-21 Raider.

While the YF-23A PAV-2, AF ser. no. 87-0801, is on display at the Western Museum of Flight at Torrance Airport in Torrance, California, the YF-23A PAV-1, Air Force serial number 87-0800, is currently on display in the Research and Development hangar of the National Museum of the United States Air Force close to Dayton, Ohio.

However, as stated by Air Forces Monthly Publication Stealth Operation Declassified, there are still suspicions that a classified strike variant of the YF-23 was created to perform a duty comparable to that of the F-111 despite the fact that the two prototypes were decommissioned.

Source: U.S. Air Force

Photo by U.S. Air Force

July 22, 2021 0 comment

History

A-10C Warthogs at Moody AFB honor the original Flying Tiger

by Till Daisd July 21, 2021

written by Till Daisd

23d FG A-10C Warthogs are tasked with maintaining the legacy of the Flying Tigers

Four U.S. Air Force (USAF) A-10C Warthog aircraft and crew members visited Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base in Martinsburg, West Virginia, on April 5–20 to pay tribute to the late Peter Atkinson, a pilot for the illustrious American Volunteer Group (AVG), popularly known as the Flying Tigers.

Atkinson’s re-interment ceremony took place on April 8 at noon, and the A-10s from the 23d Fighter Group (FG) flew a missing man formation over Rosedale Cemetery in Martinsburg.

Atkinson, the oldest of seven children, passed away on October 25, 1941, while flight testing a Curtiss P-40 aircraft for the AVG, according to Senior Master Sgt. Emily Beightol-Deyerle of the 167th Airlift Wing, whose account was included in the article A-10s memorializes the original Flying Tiger. He was 25 at the time.

The 23d FG stationed at Moody AFB in Georgia was chosen to preserve the legacy of the Flying Tigers.

For several weeks prior to the ceremony, Maj. Lindsay Fletcher, Executive Staff Officer for the 167th Airlift Wing, collaborated with the 23d FG and the Atkinson family. The day before the burial, she planned a trip for Atkinson’s family members to see the A-10s and get to know the crew.

Fletcher added that the family had a special bond with the 23d FG because Peter Atkinson’s younger brother Edward served as a Flying Tigers pilot. He also passed away during World War II.

Peter Atkinson served in the Army Air Corps from 1939 to 1941 before accepting a job offer from the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation, a Chinese defense contractor. The AVG, then the Flying Tigers, were the name given to him and the other airmen with whom he worked.

The Flying Tigers were tasked with protecting China from the Japanese and are credited for maintaining the Burma Road and the port of Rangoon, Burma, during a crucial period prior to the war.

Because of the shark face on the front of the fuselage and the winged tiger on the side of their P-40s (P for pursuit), the squad earned the moniker “Flying Tigers.”

The AVG’s aircraft were transported in crates on freightliners to Burma, they were assembled and test flown at Rangoon and then delivered to the AVG’s training unit at Toungoo.

Just before reaching the airfield, the aircraft Atkinson was testing broke apart in flight. Atkinson was laid to rest in the Airmen’s Cemetery at Toungoo’s St. Luke’s Anglican Church.

A Curtiss P-40E Warhawk painted to represent the aircraft flown by then-Col. Bruce Holloway, a pilot in both the Flying Tigers and its successor Army Air Forces unit, the 23rd Fighter Group.

Given that the cemetery headstones were destroyed by the Japanese during WWII, Atkinson and the bodies of two other AVG pilots were moved to a cemetery in India following the war. When that cemetery closed the remains were moved to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as Punchbowl Cemetery, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Since Atkinson’s and the other pilot’s identities had been lost through the movement, their plot at Punchbowl was marked “unknown.”

In 2013, an employee at Punchbowl Cemetery, began to identify missing AVG pilots: after significant research and DNA analysis, Atkinson’s remains were identified and plans were made to bring him back to Martinsburg to be re-interred.

Atkinson’s body was flown from Hawaii to Dulles International Airport, on Apr. 3.

“Capt Atkinson wasn’t married and didn’t have any children, but his legacy has been carried down from generation to generation,” said Fletcher, who attended the plane-side transfer at the airport and the re-interment ceremony. “Watching all the family members from little kids to his adult nieces and nephews come together to celebrate his return home was a bittersweet moment.”

First Lt Andrew Paterson, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 23dFG, speaks with relatives of the late Peter Atkinson the day prior to Atkinson’s re-interment ceremony in Martinsburg, W.Va. The 23d FG is charged with carrying on the heritage of the Flying Tigers, the unit Atkinson was assigned to when he died while flight testing a P-40 aircraft. Atkinson had been in an unmarked grave in Hawaii for more than 70 years and was laid to rest at his family plot on April 8. Four A-10s from the 23d FG flew a missing man formation over the ceremony to honor Atkinson.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Senior Master Sgt. Emily Beightol-Deyerle / U.S. Air National Guard

July 21, 2021 0 comment

History

The KC-135 crew chief who logged 10,000 flying hours in the Stratotanker

by Till Daisd July 21, 2021

written by Till Daisd

Retired Former KC-135 crew chief Sgt. Bobby McCasland was impressed by how simple the Stratotanker was to maintain in comparison to the B-52 Stratofortress

The first KC-135 Stratotanker was delivered to the American Air Force (USAF) on June 28, 1957.

A former crew chief and retired Chief Master Sgt. Bobby McCasland was a member of the team that flew the first aircraft, tail number 55-3127, from Larson Air Force Base (AFB), Washington, to Castle Air Force Base AFB, California, where it was given to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron.

In the article Retired crew chief reminisces about 60 years of KC-135 airpower written by Airman Erin McClellan, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs, McCasland, who served in the Air Force for 30 years, shared his memories of the first KC-135 being delivered and his time working with the aircraft.

“Three airplanes came in that day, [tail numbers] 55-3127, 55-3128, and 55-3129,” said McCasland. “We were the first ones to land at Castle, and it was just a great time.”

When the first Stratotanker arrived, McCasland, who had received training on a variety of various aircraft, said he was struck by how simple the KC-135 was to repair in comparison to the B-52 Stratofortress.

When the USAF needed soldiers to fulfill the recently improved air refueling task, McCasland volunteered and thus began his life’s journey.

“I just stayed with the [KC-135],” said McCasland. I probably had close to 10,000 [flying] hours my whole career.”

McCasland accrued the majority of those flight hours while serving on the crew of the KC-135 that Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, then the vice chief of staff of the air force, had dispatched to what is now Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. The aircraft was primarily employed for testing, as well as for transporting notable civilian and military leaders.

The City of Moses Lake Stratotanker, tail number 55-3126, carried out the first flight of Project Speckled Trout, the chief of staff of the Air Force’s major transport program ever since. It was the final KC-135 test, and it delivered exactly like the first one.

As part of Operation Long Legs, this aircraft flew under LeMay and set two records. The first record was achieved on November 11–12, 1957, for a nonstop, unrefueled flight from Westover AFB in Massachusetts to Buenos Aires, Argentina, while the second record was set the following day for a trip from Buenos Aires to Washington, D.C.

“Gen. LeMay wanted us to try it out and see if we did better than the [Air Research and Development Command] did,” said McCasland. “We were on a 90-day test program, and he was happy with what we did, so we just stayed with him until he retired in 1965.”

McCasland had previously served at Castle AFB for a brief period of time before moving on to Andrews AFB and finally the 2762nd Materiel Squadron at Detachment 2 at Majors Army Airfield in Greenville, Texas, where he retired. KC-135 aircraft were modified and tested there.

However, even after leaving the USAF, McCasland continued to play a significant role in the KC-135 industry. He really held two different civilian jobs at Det. 2 from 1987 to 1996, one in quality assurance and the other in the U.S. Customs Service.

He was chosen in 2003 to work as a project engineer to construct a KC-135 modification. When it was finished in 2007, this aircraft took over Project Speckled Trout’s utilization of the C-135 with tail number 61-2669.

“I worked on the KC-135 and flew in it from the time it was built until I got out in 1980,” said McCasland. “My service time was very enjoyable. The KC-135 was and still is an awesome airplane.”

THE STORY OF THE KC-135 CREW CHIEF WHO LOGGED 10,000 FLYING HOURS IN THE STRATOTANKER — Retired Chief Master Sgt. Bobby McCasland, bottom right, a former crew chief, talks with crewmembers of the C-135 Stratolifter, tail number 55-3126, that was used to transport dignitaries under the command of then-Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Curtis E. LeMay from 1957-1965. McCasland was part of the crew that delivered the Air Force’s first KC-135 Stratotanker in June 1957

Photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Thornbury / U.S. Air Force

July 21, 2021 0 comment

History

An ordinary dogfight over Hanoi

by Till Daisd July 20, 2021

written by Till Daisd

Latham found that two further MiG-21s were redirected while en route to the dogfight after the mission

On November 5, 1966, two F-4 Phantom IIs (Opal flight) were escorting a Douglas EB-66 Destroyer in a slow-moving light bomber on a mission to jam radar. They were flying in a triangle formation behind the destroyer.

The F-4 pilots anxiously surveyed the skies ahead of them a mile apart, even though throughout the operation the skies were clear with only a few scattered clouds 35 miles north of Hanoi, Vietnam, and they were equipped with Sidewinder missiles and were aware that MiG-21s were in the region.

Two MiG-21s were first spotted on radar at a distance of 18 miles, according to Donald J. McCarthy, Jr. in his book MiG Killers: A Chronology of U.S. Air Victories in Vietnam, 1965-1973. The EB-66 was hit by an air-to-air missile fired by one of the advancing Fishbeds just as the aircraft began to spiral downward.

“We got attacked from 6 o’clock, and instead of trying to take us out first, they went right for the B-66,” said, then 1st Lt., Joe Latham, an F-4 Phantom pilot from the 366th Wing, deployed from Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), N.M. to Master Sgt. Matthew McGovern, 49th Wing Public Affairs in his article MiG-21 Destroyer visits Holloman, tells the story. “They launched a missile, which missed, and the B-66 broke off and spiraled down from 30,000 feet to 10,000, and ducked into a little cloud.”

Latham was at the back of the two-seater while Klaus Klause, who was then a 1st Lt., was in the front row. The flight leader and the other F-4 were being flown by Capt. Jim Tuck and 1st Lt. John Rabeni, both of the 366th Wing.

“As the MiGs tried to re-attack, we became daisy-chained; it was the B-66 with the MiG-21 behind it,” explained Latham.

It’s significant that the MiG pilots would have scored a great victory if they had shot down the EB-66.

“Jim Tuck was chasing that MiG, on his tail was the second MiG, and right behind him was me,” pointed out Latham.

A MiG-21 was too near and out of missile range behind Tuck. The adversary pilot had to move in order to gain some gap.

Flying the F-4C 63-7535 (Opal 02), Latham and Klause maneuvered into position to fire. When Latham used an AIM-9 to lock on to the MiG and got a good tone, he fired the missile, which burst close to the MiG’s tailpipe and forced the pilot to eject, as he explains “As the MiG started rolling into getting some space, I was able to get a lock on him and fire a Sidewinder that blew off part of his tail, and he immediately ejected.”

Col. (Ret.) Joe Latham, previously an F-4 Phantom pilot from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., poses for a picture with an old photo as a first lieutenant in 1966, next to an F-4 adorned with his name Sept. 13, 2016, at Heritage Park, Holloman AFB.

Instead, the lead F-4C 63-7541 (Opal 01), piloted by Maj. Tuck and 1st Lt. John J. Rabeni, fired a total of three Sparrow missiles at the advancing MiG, as Latham describes “Tuck chased the lead MiG-21 and fired three Sparrow Missiles that didn’t hit him. But, at the very last moment, the lead MiG pilot ejected. It was later surmised that he had a compressor stall or something like that.”

After the operation, Latham learned that two additional MiG-21s had been misdirected while en route to the dogfight.

“The scary part for me was if the other two MiGs found us five minutes later, we would’ve been shot down, run out of fuel, and either captured or killed,” concludes Latham.

Photo by Master Sgt. Matthew McGovern / U.S. Air Force

July 20, 2021 0 comment

History

Photo showing the legendary Hughes XF-11’s second prototype shortly before its first flight

by Till Daisd July 19, 2021

written by Till Daisd

On July 7, 1946, on its initial flight, the prototype of the aircraft, tail number 44-70155, flown by Hughes, crashed

Howard Hughes piloted the second prototype of the Hughes XF-11 twin-boom aircraft on April 5, 1947, for its first successful flight, which included takeoff and a safe landing.

The Hughes XF-11 was a prototype military reconnaissance aircraft that Hughes Aircraft created for the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF).

It is noteworthy that on July 7, 1946, the prototype of the aircraft, tail number 44-70155, piloted by Hughes, crashed while taking off from the Hughes Aircraft Co. factory airfield in Culver City, California.

Because Hughes did not adhere to the testing plan and communication protocol, he stayed in the air for approximately two times as long as expected. The right-hand propeller controls started to fail an hour into the flight (after the onboard video recorders had run out of film), and as a result, the rear propeller’s pitch reversed, interfering with that engine’s thrust.

The airplane yawed sharply to the right as a result.

The USAAF account said that “It appeared that loss of hydraulic fluid caused the failure of the pitch change mechanism of the right rear propeller. Mr. Hughes maintained full power of the right engine and reduced that of the left engine instead of trying to fly with the right propeller windmilling without power. It was Wright Field’s understanding that the crash was attributed to pilot error.”

Hughes attempted improvised troubleshooting (including raising and lowering the gear) instead of feathering the propeller, flying away from his manufacturing runway in the process. He finally made an attempt to fly to the Los Angeles Country Club’s golf hole, but the aircraft abruptly lost altitude approximately 300 yards short of the fairway and clipped three homes. Hughes came dangerously close to losing his life when the third house caught fire.

In the 2004 film The Aviator, the crash is shown.

Photo by Edwards History Office file photo / U.S. Air Force

July 19, 2021 0 comment

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