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aviation

Jet ace Giora Even-Epstein talks about his friendship with US Navy’s ace Randy Cunningham

by Till Daisd February 12, 2023

Duke took me on a visit to TOPGUN and I got to meet with the pilots there. The meeting was planned to last just 30 minutes, but I ended up sitting with them for three hours. They peppered me with questions about my dogfights…

Giora Even-Epstein, an Israeli kibbutz native who was born in 1938, had a fascination for military aircraft and the aces that flew them. He yearned to pilot the French Mirage III but was denied access to flying training due to a cardiac condition. He reapplied, was rejected once more, but was amazingly approved as a paratrooper. Following 500 jumps, he reapplied for admission to the Israel Air Force (IAF) pilot training program and was accepted. He eventually received his wings and was able to fly and battle throughout the pivotal times in the Israel Air Force’s combat history.

Epstein earned the title of highest-scoring jet-mounted ace with the most confirmed victories after more than thirty years of service to the IAF.

In his autobiography “Hawkeye,” Epstein discusses not only his involvement in the intense conflicts of 1967’s Six Day War and 1973’s Yom Kippur War, but also the legendary fighter pilots he encountered along the road, including Randy Cunningham, Pierre Clostermann, Al Deere, and Douglas Bader.

As Epstein recalls in Hawkeye, the IAF garnered a lot of interest following the latter conflict. ‘After the war, we received requests to host delegations from other air forces that wished to learn from us and our experience in the war. Each of these delegations, especially the ones from the United States, the country that had aided us so much in the war, were gladly welcomed and assigned a squadron commander or other senior officer as a guide.

One of the most intriguing delegations that I got to host after the war was made up of American media people who were visiting a number of Middle East countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. I became friendly with two of them: Dan McKinnon, owner of a small television station in San Diego, and Randy Cunningham, a big hulking guy known as ‘Duke’ who’d been a TOPGUN instructor and commander of VF-126, the Aggressor Squadron at NAS Miramar, near San Diego. Duke was the US Navy’s only pilot ace in the Vietnam War — as a Phantom pilot based on the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV 64), he shot down five enemy planes.

Leading jet ace Giora Even-Epstein on his friendship with US Navy’s ace Randy Cunningham and on a tempting offer he received from Blue Angels CO — John W. Warner, Secretary of the Navy, Lieutenant Randall H. Cunningham, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) William P. Driscoll, and Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt. Jr., Chief of Naval Operations
(listed from left to right) meet in Mr. Warner’s Pentagon Office, June 1972, in a ceremony honoring the two aviators, the Navy’s only Vietnam War air “Aces”. Lt. Cunningham piloted F-4J “Phantom” jet fighters, with LtJG Driscoll as Radar Intercept Officer, when they shot down five enemy MiGs (four MiG-17s and one MiG-21) in January and May 1972. They were members of Fighter Squadron 96 (VF-96), based aboard USS Constellation (CVA-64). In this photo, Cunningham and Driscoll are holding models of F-4 fighters.

‘He told me all about his experiences as a pilot in the US Navy. In one of our conversations, he asked me how many planes I’d shot down. “I have a few kills,” I replied.

‘As part of their visit, I took them on a tour of the Golan Heights. Lying near the road where we stopped was some debris from a Syrian MiG-17. The two ignored the signs warning of minefields and ran to grab some pieces to take home as souvenirs.

‘At the end of the visit, I took them to the airport. Duke asked me again, “Tell me the truth, how many kills do you have?”

‘”Seventeen,” I said. They were both stunned. It looked like all the air went out of them at once.

‘A year later, they both came back to Israel for another visit, this time as private citizens. By then I was commander of No. 117 Squadron at Ramat David and I took Duke up with me in a two-seater Mirage for a drill of a dogfight against a Phantom. Years later, on one of my visits to the United States, Duke, who was still an active pilot and instructor in the famous TOPGUN Fighter Weapons School, which specialized in training US Navy pilots, introduced me to the other pilots as Israel’s biggest ace and boasted to them that on his visit to Israel he had flown in a Mirage and ‘ripped’ the Israeli pilots in a dogfight…’

Epstein continues;

‘My friendship with Duke grew stronger over the years. At one point, he decided to run for Congress as a Republican from San Diego. Since running an election campaign requires a lot of money – the estimate at the time was two million dollars – Duke organized fundraising events and asked me to come to one. As I was still an active pilot then, I consulted with the air force commander, Avihu Ben-Nun, about the invitation. Ben-Nun advised me that it was better that I pass as long as I was still flying with the air force.

‘Two years later, when Duke ran for Congress a second time, I was no longer an active pilot, and I agreed to make an appearance. I gave a speech before several hundred invited guests, many of them wealthy Jews who’d paid $5,000 each to attend the event, and I explained how important it was for there to be pro-Israel representatives, like Duke, in Congress. The evening was successful, and Duke went on to be re-elected. After the event, Duke also took me on a visit to TOPGUN and I got to meet with the pilots there. The meeting was planned to last just 30 minutes, but I ended up sitting with them for three hours. They peppered me with questions about my dogfights, and I gave detailed answers to each one.

‘My other friend from that delegation, Dan McKinnon, was a former helicopter pilot who specialized in rescue missions. In one remarkably complex operation, he had rescued 40 civilians from a ship that was about to sink. He came from an affluent family, his father was a personal friend of President Ronald Reagan, and Reagan appointed him head of the Federal Aviation Administration. He went on to enter the history books of American civil aviation when he brought in military air traffic controllers to break the big strike by civilian air traffic controllers in 1981. He later founded a small airline called North American.

‘On one of my trips to the United States, together with Sara and my son Guy, Dan invited us to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, which had parts of aircraft carriers and real planes used by the US Navy. Later on, he arranged a special surprise for me: an air show by the Blue Angels acrobatic team. After they landed, the team commander told me that had he known before about my record as a pilot, he would have invited me to join them in the show.’

Epstein concludes;

‘To make up for it, he made me a very tempting offer: He’d add me to the aerobatic team and in return, I’d agree for one of my kills to be credited in his name. Of course, he was joking.’

Hawkeye is published by Grub Street Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Navy, Israel Defense Forces and Grub Street Publishing

February 12, 2023 0 comment

History

Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer who supplied cargo aircraft to Ariana Afghan Airlines

by Till Daisd February 11, 2023

written by Till Daisd

In 1998, Bout’s companies sold Taliban transport planes that, despite being operated by military pilots and owned by the Taliban air force, occasionally sported the recognizable blue and white paint scheme of Ariana Airlines and civilian registrations

Viktor Bout, a Russian entrepreneur who rose to prominence as the world’s foremost arms dealer and whose Il-76 was forced to make an embarrassing emergency landing at Kandahar in 1995 by a Taliban jet, is said to have started doing business with the Islamic movement soon after this embarrassing incident. He served everyone who was prepared to pay throughout his career in the transportation business, cultivating business in regions where others would not have dared to go. He was never driven by ideology or sympathy for a particular warring side.

According to Lukas Müller’s account in his book Wings Over the Hindu Kush Air Forces, Aircraft and Air Warfare of Afghanistan, 1989-2001, Bout had made initial contacts with the internationally recognized government of Burhanuddin Rabbani in Afghanistan. Beginning in 1994 (some sources claim as early as 1992), his transport aircraft routinely showed up at government-controlled airports, bringing in small arms and ammunition from Albania and other Eastern European countries.

Even after the fall of Najibullah and the dissolution of the USSR, many mujahideen leaders remained vehemently opposed to Russia, but the Rabbani government adopted a more pragmatic stance and even welcomed the entrepreneur who could make things happen. Bout made multiple trips to Afghanistan on his own, taking advantage of hunting excursions his hosts organized for him to foster business ties. Bout’s assistance was vital for Rabbani and Massoud because their government had little opportunity to purchase military equipment from outside sources in the early years. Later, in an interview, Bout declared: “I had a major pact with the Rabbani government. We sustained them.”

The story of Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer who supplied cargo aircraft to Ariana Afghan Airlines, the airline hijacked by Taliban and used to move drugs, terrorists and weapons — An Il 76 formerly used by Bout’s Centrafrican Airlines

It was only a matter of time before something went wrong as the Taliban put the MiGs they had taken in Kandahar to use. The crew of Bout’s Il-76, which the Taliban forced to touch down at Kandahar Airport, was said to have been aware that the Taliban’s air force patrolled the area surrounding the city and that it was crucial to maintain a safe distance during flights from the emirate of Sharjah, where Bout had established his headquarters, to Kabul and back. The crew eventually flew too near to the Taliban AF operational area during the tragic trip, or the Taliban pilots purposely pursued the Russian aircraft even though it had avoided the Kandahar area.

Although specific details are still unknown, Viktor Bout may have made his first contact with the Islamic movement soon after it was able to intercept his Ilyushin. Yet, it is undeniable that Bout’s business relations with the Taliban reached an unprecedented level in the initial months following Kabul’s fall in 1996. At about the same time, Mansour, the head of the Taliban air force, personally selected Farid Ahmed, a Taliban agent, to take over as the new station manager for Ariana Afghan Airlines in Sharjah.

The Taliban wanted to find alternative sources of weapons to lessen their dependence on Pakistan, which reportedly only permitted shipments of war material to the Taliban after a specific operation was approved by Pakistani decision-makers, despite the fact that relations between the Taliban and their Pakistani patrons were generally good.

Because of this, the Taliban sought to create its own supply lines. Bout was ready to help. His transport aircraft began routinely flying from Sharjah to airports in Afghanistan as of the end of 1996, bringing with them small arms, ammunition, satellite phones, as well as food, refrigerators, and other commercial supplies. But, this was simply the start of much more extensive activities. Bout gradually became an important partner to the Taliban because he was willing to take risks and was actually able to provide what his economic customer needed, which helped the Islamic movement overcome its increasing isolation on the international scene because of its refusal to extradite Osama bin Laden, a poor human rights record, and numerous other factors.

Documents discovered in Kabul after the Taliban regime was overthrown show that Bout’s companies began selling the Taliban transport planes in 1998. These planes were operated by military pilots and were owned by the Taliban air force, but they occasionally had the distinctive blue and white paint scheme of Ariana Airlines and civilian registrations. According to reports, Bout’s Air Cess and his Emirati business associate Flying Dolphin delivered a total of seven Antonov aircraft to the Taliban. Four of them frequently flew to Sharjah while posing as Ariana machines.

In one case, the manager of the Aerovista company that had previously held the aircraft said that the An-24 the Taliban purchased was in such bad condition that it could not be sold to anybody else.

Since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 1996, they employed Arian Airlines for military purposes. Over time, this involvement with military shipments, al-Qaeda terrorists, drugs, and other illicit cargo increased to the point where the airline practically merged with the Taliban air force, despite the fact that the majority of the staff at Ariana was still made up of civilians who were not particularly pleased with the way things were going. In addition to arranging for the aircraft’s paintwork, Bout also handled their maintenance and servicing. His ground staff in Sharjah often changed the registrations of Ariana planes to make it more difficult to track them.

Strangely, Bout continued to work for the overthrown Rabbani government even as he forged closer commercial ties with the Taliban. He stated in an interview that he flew military supplies for the United Front until they lost their final suitable airfields, and other sources support his statement. This most likely indicates that he flew shipments until Mazar-e Sharif fell in August 1998. A close Bout associate commented: “He was flying for the Taliban while flying for Massoud and the Northern Alliance. Of course, he was. He was a friend to everyone. They tolerated this because they had no alternative. No one else would deliver the packages.”‘

Up until the early 2000s, Sharjah International Airport was the Taliban’s principal entry point to the outside world. Sharjah, one of the Emirates, whose free trade zone was renowned for its lax oversight and close ties to Islamic radicals, became the Taliban’s primary shopping destination as one of the three nations that had granted the Taliban government diplomatic recognition. Depending on the time of year, the Ariana transport planes, some of which were actually Taliban air force transports, occasionally made three landings in Sharjah each day in 2000. The UN was aware that these flights were likely transporting weapons, drugs, and terrorists.

Due to the UN’s decision to sanction the Taliban government further (including by placing an arms embargo) in late 2000 in response to these concerns, Ariana was unable to travel internationally. From that point on, Bout’s aircraft, which primarily flew to Kabul and Kandahar, were responsible for ensuring a consistent flow of military supplies and Islamist extremists into Afghanistan. Viktor Bout was eventually targeted by American and international investigators because of his assistance with the Taliban. In 2008, seven years after the Taliban government was overthrown, Bout was detained in Thailand and extradited to the US, where he was given a 25-year jail sentence.

Wings Over the Hindu Kush Air Forces, Aircraft and Air Warfare of Afghanistan, 1989-2001 is published by Helion & Company and is available to order here.

Photo by Bob Adams from George, South Africa and Dmitry Avdeev via Wikipedia and Drug Enforcement Administration

February 11, 2023 0 comment

History

Chuck Yeager, first man to break the sound barrier passed away at 97

by Till Daisd February 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Yeager flew in an F-15 Eagle to mark the 50th anniversary of his historic X-1 flight in 1997 when he was 74 years old

The renowned US Air Force (USAF) officer and test pilot Chuck Yeager, also known as “The fasted man alive,” passed away at the age of 97.

Yeager tested the X-1 on October 14, 1947, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier, however, the achievement was not made public until 1948.

“An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest pilot,” his second wife, Victoria tweeted.

Other generations were also captivated by Yeager’s legacy because it was depicted in the book and the 1983 film, “The Right Stuff.”

“This is a sad day for America,” John Nicoletti, Yeager’s friend, and ground crew chief told CNN. “After he broke the sound barrier, we all now have permission to break barriers.”

Nicoletti claimed that due to Yeager’s advanced age and physical difficulties in recent years, he experienced a fall that resulted in problems. Yeager lived in Northern California, according to Nicoletti, but passed away at a hospital in Los Angeles.

“Yeager was never a quitter,” Nicoletti recalled of his friend. “He was an incredibly courageous man.”

Chuck Yeager, who was born on February 13th, 1923, in Myra, West Virginia, joined the US Army in September 1941, not long after receiving his high school diploma, and was assigned to the Army Air Corps. In 1943, he received his reserve flying officer commission and was assigned to the Eighth Air Force’s fighter command, which was based in England. During World War II, he flew 64 flights over Europe, downed 13 German aircraft, and was himself shot down over France (he escaped capture with the help of the French underground). He first worked as a test pilot after the war before receiving a regular rank as a captain in 1947.

Yeager was chosen to pilot the Bell X-1, a classified experimental aircraft designed to test the human pilot’s capabilities and the fixed-wing aircraft’s resistance to the extreme aerodynamic forces of sonic flight. He rode the X-1 while attached to a B-29 mother ship on October 14, 1947, over Rogers Dry Lake in southern California, reaching a height of 25,000 feet (7,600 meters). Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier when the X-1 launched independently to 40,000 feet (12,000 meters), which is equivalent to an altitude of about 662 miles (1,066 kilometers) per hour.

Yeager resigned from his position as assistant chief of test-flight operations at Edwards Air Force Base in California in 1954 to join the Twelfth Air Force’s staff in West Germany. He left Edwards for a few ordinary jobs before coming back in 1962 as colonel and commandant of the Aerospace Research Pilot School. He assumed control of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing in 1968. In 1975, he retired from the air force as a brigadier general. Yeager, his autobiography, was released in 1985.

Yeager flew in an F-15 Eagle to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his historic X-1 flight in 1997 when he was 74 years old.

Additional source: Britannica

Chuck Yeager, first man to break the sound barrier portrayed in “The Right Stuff” movie dies at 97

Photo by U.S. Air Force

February 10, 2023 0 comment

History

When the Imperial Japanese Navy sank the Battleship

by Till Daisd February 9, 2023

written by Till Daisd

For the Brits, the loss of Force Z was a catastrophic setback that essentially signaled the end of their empire in the East

Britain’s empire in Southeast Asia was in danger as the threat of war with Japan loomed in the latter part of 1941. The modern battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Repulse were part of the British government’s decision to send Force Z, which was intended to boost Singapore’s naval defenses and act as a potent naval deterrent against Japanese assault.

These two powerful ships arrived in Singapore on December 2, five days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, as described by Angus Konstam in his book Sinking Force Z 1941 the day the Imperial Japanese Navy killed the Battleship. But more importantly, they had no air cover. Force Z’s approach was discovered by Japanese scout aircraft on December 9 in the Gulf of Thailand. Battleships at sea could maneuver and had ready anti-aircraft defenses, unlike at Pearl Harbor. But it was useless. The combat was unequal since the Imperial Japanese Navy’s (IJN) dive and torpedo bombers were the most sophisticated in the world.

A torpedo strike crippled HMS Prince of Wales at 11:44 that morning. She was difficult to steer a straight course, listing considerably to port, and her speed had dropped to 16 knots. Due to the list, any torpedo strikes on her starboard side would have a fair chance of striking her below her protective armored belt because her lower hull was riding high in the water. The Prince of Wales was therefore very exposed.

Several Japanese planes were then seen flying toward the battleship from the south around 12:20 hours. Admiral Phillips took some time to recognize he was under torpedo attack as he watched their attack unfold from the ship’s compass platform. But it soon became apparent that this was indeed what was going on. The battleship’s forward 5.25-inch batteries could not depress low enough to fire at the incoming low-flying aircraft because of the list.

Due to a shortage of electricity, her after batteries were no longer functional. Only the ship’s smaller guns and multiple-barreled “pom-poms” offered any real resistance. The battleship’s starboard side was approached by the first six Type 1 bombers of the 1st and 2nd squadrons, Kanoya Kokutai, who launched their torpedoes at a close range of about 500 meters. Three of them hit the Prince of Wales in three different places—forward, amidships, and aft—resulting in significant flooding and permanent damage. These fatal blasts caused the battleship to slowly start sinking.

The remainder of the Kanoya Kokutai split off from the assault on the Prince of Wales at 12:24 a.m. and started running toward the Repulse, which was off their port side. To assault the battle cruiser simultaneously from multiple angles, they encircled her. Repulse avoided most of these torpedoes. However, one hit Repulse on her port quarter, damaging her outer port propeller shaft and causing flooding.

The 3rd Squadron, Kanoya Kokutai, approached the battle cruiser simultaneously at 12:25 on both the port and starboard sides. Repulse struck by four more torpedoes, three on her port side and one to starboard. The battle cruiser started to sink and heel over as a result of the severe flooding damage these inflicted. The command to abandon the ship was given. The Repulse sank at 12:32.

Prince of Wales was struck amidships by a 500 lb bomb at 12:41 by the 1st and 2nd squadrons of Mihoro Kokutai, resulting in significant casualties. On the Prince of Wales, the order to leave the ship was given at 13:10, and at 13:23, the ship sank.

The British suffered a catastrophic strategic setback with the loss of Force Z, which essentially signaled the end of their empire in the East. But more significantly, the sinking signified the end of the era in which battleships were regarded as the ocean’s rulers. From that point on, naval warfare would be decided by air power rather than big guns.

Sinking Force Z 1941 the day the Imperial Japanese Navy killed the Battleship is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Adam Tooby via Osprey

February 9, 2023 0 comment

History

Giora Even-Epstein, the eldest Israeli pilot to fly an F-16

by Till Daisd February 8, 2023

written by Till Daisd

“I flew the F-16 for nine years. Grandpa fighter pilot. Older than the parents of most of the young pilots at the base. I would soon be turning 59, an age where my pilot instincts would begin to decline,” Giora Even-Epstein.

Giora Even-Epstein served as a fighter pilot with the Israel Air Force (IAF) for more than thirty years, becoming known as a highly-skilled military aviator and the highest-scoring jet-mounted ace with the most confirmed wins (17) in the French Mirage. After overcoming several obstacles merely to learn to fly, he went on to amass an Arab MiG and Sukhoi kill total that surpassed that of all other combat aviators in the globe.

In his gripping book “Hawkeye,” he vividly describes his experiences, particularly during the brutal wars of 1967’s Six Day War and 1973’s Yom Kippur War.

He started flying for El Al after his final combat, rose to the position of commander of the First Jet Squadron, 117, served in the 1982 Lebanon War with the reservist squadron 254 Midland Squadron, and eventually became the oldest IAF F-16 pilot.

“I found the F-16 to be an incredible plane with amazing capabilities. It was best of its kind around, like the Mirage, in its time, it had far exceeded enemy aircraft in its capabilities,” Epstein says in Hawkeye. ‘The F-16’s capabilities were far beyond those of the Mirage, but our enemies had also been busy upgrading their air forces over the years. They, too, had more advanced aircraft, with more advanced technological systems. As always, the key factor was the pilot. The result of the dogfight depended on him.

Did you know that the highest-scoring jet-mounted ace Giora Even-Epstein had also been the eldest Israeli pilot to fly an F-16? — Giora Even-Epstein

“Flying an F-16 was different than any other plane I’d ever flown. It felt like it was the computer more than the pilot that was flying the plane. Naturally, I made many comparisons to the Mirage on which I’d flown so many hours. The stick was on the pilot’s side and barely moved. Pilots complained that it wasn’t comfortable for them. You pulled to the left as hard as you could and the plane would turn in accordance with the parameters — velocity, altitude, temperature — but it is impossible to exceed 9 G. The computer would not allow it. The Mirage easily passed the 7 G limit. On the F-16, exceeding the G limit would damage the plane.

“But the more I got to know the new plane, called the `Hawk’ — the Americans called it the `Fighting Falcon’ — the more I came to admire its capabilities. In dogfights, even with a Mirage behind it, it could down the rival plane within 20 seconds — though, again, it all depended on the pilot. In the past, I’d had dogfights where I flew a Mirage and was able to down a Kfir or an F-16. Despite the new plane’s extraordinary capabilities, I still felt that the experience of flying the Mirage was more powerful.

“In January 1991, when the first Gulf War started, I was in the Golden Eagle Squadron at the Ramon base. I was at the base when the first Scud missile attack on Israel occurred. When those first missiles fell, pilots who were with me there readied to take off for Iraq. Everyone was on standby. Suited up and were ready to go as soon as the order came, so I calmed them down. Most of them are young, they hadn’t tasted war before and they were keen to head out. I explained to them that it was nighttime. If they didn’t go to sleep now, they wouldn’t have energy in the morning, if and when they were needed.”

Epstein was given the promotion to colonel after the war, and his family began to ask him about leaving the IAF.

“Most fighter pilots stop flying at age 40-45. Yosef Tzuk – who was my close friend and who made air force history by being the first pilot to down a MiG during the 1956 Sinai Campaign — had stopped flying in 1988, at age 50, but he was definitely the exception,” he remembers.

“I flew the F-16 for nine years. Grandpa fighter pilot. Older than the parents of most of the young pilots at the base. I would soon be turning 59, an age where my pilot instincts would begin to decline. I barely felt it, but I did start to sense the reactions of the other pilots, that maybe it was time for me to start thinking of retiring from active combat flying. ‘It’s a shame, but maybe…’ some hinted.

Giora Even-Epstein onboard the F-16 he flew during his last sortie in the IAF. Seventeen roundels were painted on the plane, symbolizing his kills of enemy aircraft.

“The squadron commander was much blunter.

“‘Giora, maybe the time has come for you to stop flying,” he said to me one day.

“I was almost 59. He was 39.

“I realized that my time as a fighter pilot was nearing an end.

“It was time to give someone else a chance to break some of my records. I said goodbye to the IAF when I was 59, but not to flying. I kept flying for El Al for another six years after I left the military. In El Al, too, I flew until the maximum possible age according to aviation regulations, which was 65. For a time, my son Guy and daughter Dana were flight attendants with El Al, and we would head to Ben Gurion Airport together.”

Epstein concludes;

“The long dry spell at El Al during which no new pilots were hired finally ended, and new pilot training courses were opened, which attracted many air force veterans. Often, the first officer sitting beside me was one of the ‘kids’ who’d been one of my cadets or a young pilot who’d flown with me in the combat squadrons. A heavy hint that the time for retirement was nearing.”

Hawkeye is published by Grub Street Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Israeli Air Force

February 8, 2023 0 comment

bristol blenheim large 56a61c503df78cf7728b64ac

History Military

The Bristol Blenheim aircraft

by Till Daisd February 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Bristol 135

On the main up departure platform at Temple Meads Station in Bristol, early one morning in February 1934, the most devastating blow to Britain’s pre-war air defenses started to emerge. Robert Lewis, the editor of the Bristol Evening World, and a member of the Rothermere group of national and regional newspapers was one of the passengers boarding the Great Western Railway express bound for London Paddington. He was present in a meeting of editors being presided over by Lord Rothermere. Rothermere was very interested in aviation and had served on Lloyd George’s Air Council during World War One.

The requirement for a high-speed aircraft to rival the 12-seat Lockheed monoplane lately ordered by Lord Beaverbrook, chairman of the competing Express group of papers, was on the agenda. Lewis noticed Roy Fedden, the Bristol Aircraft Company’s principal engine designer, on the packed platform. Fedden had given a lecture at the Spa Hotel in Clifton, and Lewis was a member of the Bristol Yacht Club, where the men had first met. Fedden’s talk covered the Bristol 135 twin-engined monoplane, his company’s most recent effort.

Lewis encouraged Fedden to sit at his table when they entered the restaurant car for breakfast because he knew Rothermere would be curious to learn about it. They spoke for a while about their shared love of fishing before Lewis changed the topic to the 135, asking Fedden for additional details so he could give Rothermere more information during the London meeting. Fedden was happy to comply. Bristol had experienced rough years in the early 1930s.

The Bristol Fighter biplane, a popular two-seater that became a mainstay of the Royal Flying Corps during World War I, helped the company prosper, and by 1918, more than 5000 had been constructed. But after the war ended, commerce slowed, orders stopped coming in, and Bristol was only able to stay in business by producing designs created by other companies under license. The Bristol 135 was a valiant attempt at a revolutionary new design to revive the market for the company. Sadly, startling new concepts and designs were not readily accepted in aviation.

The Bristol Fighter was still being used in New Zealand’s front-line military service when Fedden and his crew started working on the 135 project. Lewis had all the information regarding the 135 by the time both guys had completed their meal and the train was rolling into Paddington Station. Though he brought a good proposal to the table, he was utterly unaware of how threatening the project would be to military aviation’s stability and Britain’s capacity to repel air attacks. Military aircraft had become powerful weapons during the conflict, but the Armistice had halted the development.

Stories of daring single battles between fighter aces high above the muck, blood, and squalor of the trenches continued to influence the public’s perception of military aviation. The Armistice had prevented the bomber’s full potential from being seen, but it still posed a serious threat going forward. When commercial airliners were originally being developed, aircraft engineers were excited. Fedden has concentrated on the main issue impeding the development of aero-engines.

An engine needed to turn over more quickly to provide more power. Although the first sleeve valve engine was still in its infancy, these promised increased reliability, particularly at higher speeds and power settings. The 135 would have two of the Bristol Aquilas, a smaller six-cylinder radial based on the current Bristol Mercury. Steel would be used for the flanges of the wing-spar webs and the frames on which the engines would be mounted.

To generate some curiosity and even an order for the new aircraft, Fedden maintained his appointment at the Yacht Club. Lewis informed Rothermere about the 135 later that day. Lewis was instructed to speak with Fedden and his colleagues again for more information after Rothermere, who had served on the Air Council during the war, became confident that he could spot good news when he heard it. When he did, Barnwell and Fedden displayed the 135 sketches to him.

The Bristol 142

Later, on March 26, 1934, Rothermere placed an order for the 135 for a total of £18,500, with the stipulation that it be delivered within a year. The Aquila engines’ power output was still somewhat low, and they wouldn’t be ready for bench testing for another six months. However, by prioritizing speed over the economy, Rothermere created a distinct scenario. His aims led Bristol to switch from the smaller and less powerful Aquila engines to the bigger and more powerful supercharged Bristol Mercury engines.

This revised design was renamed the Bristol 142 and work began on the necessary changes. Ironically, Brigadier General P., an ex-Royal Flying Corps officer and former secretary-general of the Air League of the British Empire, served as Rothermere’s own aviation adviser. On April 12, 1935, Bristol test pilot Cyril Uwins started the 142’s two Mercury engines and took flight from the company’s Filton airport. Roy Fedden made a wise proposal in the interim.

Fedden advised adopting the significantly more effective three-bladed variable-pitch airscrews produced by the American Hamilton-Standard Corporation to take full advantage of the low drag factor. This was more than 100 mph faster than Beaverbrook’s Lockheed, much to Rothermere’s pleasure. Even more quickly than any of the RAF’s current fighters was Rothermere’s new aircraft. Rothermere was completely unaware of this issue and considered his purchase as a triumphant confirmation of his expectations that Britain could compete with the most modern aviation designs from outside.

Therefore, calling it the Bristol 142 was inadequate to convey the message the aircraft was carrying. He had the phrase “Britain First” painted on his nose instead. Others referred to it as the “Rothermere Bomber” because they saw the more deadly implications of such a swift aircraft that appeared impervious to fighter attack. Early in the 1930s, the excitement over the victory in 1918 had given way to rising unease regarding the long-range bomber’s growing menace.

Britain should have this capability as soon as possible if “Britain First” could be evolved into a swift, contemporary medium bomber that could outrun enemy aircraft. But others might be able to duplicate Barnwell and Fedden’s success. Rothermere agreed that the aircraft could be sent to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath, close to Ipswich, for RAF experts to inspect and test it before they decided to take a closer look at what “Britain First” could do. Britain First joined a group of aircraft waiting for service evaluation in June 1935.

The plane in front of it in the test lineup highlighted just how significantly better it was compared to current military designs. The Boulton Paul Overstrand, a huge and unwieldy biplane with a massive fixed undercarriage and a vast network of bracing struts and wires, was the most recent bomber to be accepted for RAF service. Meeting something like the Bristol 142 would make RAF fighters entirely useless as this slowest of targets was the threat they were built to handle. Although the Air Ministry had been as surprised by the Bristol 142’s performance as its new owner had been, Barnwell and Fedden kept them fully informed.

The 142M

A modern machine for a civilian owner without informing them and without keeping them updated on engine developments was the last thing they wanted to do in a down market for airplanes. Then they created the Bristol 143, a second prototype outfitted with the original Aquila sleeve-valve engines. The plane’s top speed, albeit with engines that were smaller than those of Rothermere’s machine, was a heartening 250 mph. However, Rothermere’s aircraft appeared to be the greatest option for future British bomber development, and Rothermere himself declared he would give it to the RAF if doing so would enable it to acquire the most advanced equipment.

When he touched down, it collapsed after failing to lock into position, seriously damaging the aircraft. The RAF felt this to be extremely embarrassing and insisted on paying Rothermere the original purchase price for “Britain First” as compensation. The 142M, an updated version of the 142 that was better suited to military requirements, had already been created by this point by Barnwell and Fedden.

With the 142M in mind, they created the official medium bomber specification 28/35. They ordered 150 of the new bombers within a month, nearly a year before the 142M prototype actually took to the air. With updated carburetor air intakes and cooling gills around the engine cowlings that the pilot could regulate to ensure the engines functioned at the ideal temperature under various loads, this model left the Bristol facility in June 1936. In reaction to German attacks on Allied towns by huge Gotha biplanes and Zeppelin airships during the closing months of World War One, the public had called for intensifying bombing strikes on Germany.

The Royal Flying Corps of the Army and the Royal Naval Air Service were combined to become the RAF on April 1, 1918, with the goal of improving air defenses for the British Isles and launching a strategic bombing campaign against Germany. To do this, the Independent Force of heavy Handley Page biplane bombers was established in June 1918. Future military victories need an increasing number of bombers carrying bigger bomb loads to annihilate and demoralize the enemy. At its most fervent, the bomber lobby maintained that funding for fighters was entirely unnecessary and took resources away from bombers, which were the only vehicles capable of bringing victory.

Germany

The enormous performance difference between bombers and fighters appeared to be supporting their position. While Rothermere’s aircraft was being built, the newly installed Nazi regime in Germany had started a massive rearmament program that was oriented toward starting a new world war but was being kept secret for the time being under a tight security net. Hitler, therefore, gave Rothermere information on the creation of the new Luftwaffe on March 8, 1935, as soon as he felt secure enough to reveal Germany’s growing military prowess in order to ensure maximum publicity in national newspapers like Rothermere’s Daily Mail. Although the notion of a mail plane was marginally more plausible, it became increasingly clear that this aircraft was a bomber in all but name.

Tank and bomber crews were closely clustered according to German military psychology for mutual assistance. Performance was lacking at first since aero-engine development had just recently been made possible by the Versailles Treaty. The Dornier 17 prototype had a top speed of 225 mph thanks to two BMW engines, each producing 750 bhp. This would be superior to the majority of biplane fighters, but advancements would soon follow.

Heinkel provided perhaps the strongest evidence that Barnwell, Fedden, and Dornier were making the right decisions. With the Heinkel He 70 monoplane’s inaugural flight on December 1, 1932, Heinkel had already begun to catch up to Lockheed by the time of this flight. It was a small, precisely streamlined monoplane with a retractable undercarriage, similar to the Orion. It had a single BMW V12 engine, seated the pilot and radio operator in front of four passengers who were seated in pairs with their backs to the cabin sides.

Its performance was nearly comparable to that of the Orion, although it had a stressed magnesium alloy skin to reduce weight. Fortunately, Lockheed had the twin-engined Electra, their first all-metal stressed-skin monoplane, ready for the new specifications. Boeing’s 247, which had its first flight in 1933 and had a similar capacity and performance, and Douglas’ DC2, which made its debut on May 11, 1934, and could carry 14 passengers at a top speed of 210 mph, were examples of other US aircraft manufacturers working in a similar vein. These American designs, in contrast to their German counterparts, were sincere attempts to address a rapidly expanding need for secure, long-distance travel for passengers and freight throughout their vast country.

These would be entirely different designs when the Americans began to produce their own bombers as the war drew closer. Heinkel’s attempt to follow Lockheed’s lead in converting from a single-engine monoplane to a twin would serve a more nefarious purpose in Nazi Germany, however, where the military tail wagged the aviation dog. The Heinkel 111 was commissioned as a prospective airliner, similar to the Dornier 17, but again, its design only made sense as a bomber. Although it was built up to twin-engine dimensions, it was officially capable of carrying ten passengers at a top speed of 225 mph and had beautiful elliptical wings and tail surfaces akin to the Heinkel 70.

The Junkers 88, which debuted as a military aircraft from the start, would be the second bomber design after the Heinkel 111, which made its first flight on February 24, 1935. The aircraft industry was undergoing rapid change, with performance increasing month over month. The murders of his erstwhile accomplices served as unmistakable evidence that Hitler was a dangerous megalomaniac for many people inside and outside of Germany, and he now considered them as a threat to the consolidation of that authority. In fact, each of these new bombers rendered existing fighters less efficient.

The RAF’s current fighter biplanes were set to be replaced by a completely new generation of fighter biplanes by the time the Blenheim ultimately reached service in the summer of 1937. Front-line fighter units from countries like France, Germany, and the USA continued to rely on aircraft that 1918 pilots were all too familiar with. They desired a fixed undercarriage for its extreme simplicity and dependability as well as the well-known armament of two machine guns that were conveniently located on the engine cowling in front of them. This was the reason why the new metal-skinned monoplane bombers were so immune to fighter interception.

Early 1930s aero engines had a maximum output of about 600 bhp. This allowed a top speed of about 150 mph with a conventional fighter design with all the added drag, which is far too slow to catch and take down one of the new bombers. Even if designers resorted to the retractable undercarriage and all-metal stressed skin construction, their aircraft would still be lucky to achieve 250 mph, which is still too slow to catch a twin-engine bomber. Even with 600 horsepower each, two contemporary engines fitted into a streamlined monoplane provided enough power to outrun aircraft.

Even the most advanced fighter aircraft could never overcome enough weight and drag to provide a high enough top speed and rate of climb from a single, similar engine. Even worse, any fighter that managed to down one of the new bombers would probably not be able to keep it in its gunsight for more than a few seconds. Failure was inevitable due to the preferences of fighter pilots. The drag caused by an open cockpit meant the only view it was likely to give was of a monoplane bomber disappearing into the distance.

The inherent maneuverability of a biplane, according to pilots, is crucial in fighter-to-fighter combat. Designers had little reason to test out novel concepts as long as fighters were evenly matched, but the game was now officially over. Manoeuvrability became less important with the advent of quicker twin-engine monoplanes like the “Britain First.” A speedier opponent could decide the terms of the fight, charge in, and execute a swift hit, taking out his opponent without any maneuvering at all.

It was obvious that the quick monoplane fighter would be in the shape of the future just five years before the second world war. However, fighter performance seemed destined to remain unachievable without significantly more potent engines. It could be equipped with two more machine guns in the wings in addition to the two mounted on the engine cowling. 501’s 690 horsepower Hispano engine was only capable of 250 mph.

Its weaponry was enhanced by an engine-mounted cannon that fired through the propeller hub, but it would never approach an adversary closely enough to pose a threat. Due to its poor performance, it was only suitable for training purposes when the conflict started. The most important takeaway from Lewis and Fedden’s breakfast talk on the train to London was that the balance between fighter and bomber, so disrupted by the Bristol 142 and its contemporaries, could only be restored if engine makers could increase power output beyond 1000 bhp. This required starting from scratch after such engines were made accessible because there wasn’t enough money for fighter development.

Dogfight – The Supermarine Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Bf109 is available to order here.

February 5, 2023 0 comment

History

How the F-100 Super Sabre’s world air speed record was beaten by the Delta 2

by Till Daisd February 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

It was clear that the Delta 2 could easily break the current world air speed record due to the ease with which it entered the supersonic regime, without any of the violent behavior experienced by previous kinds in the transonic region

The Fairey Delta 2 was a supersonic research aircraft built to examine the behavior of a delta planform with 60 degrees of sweep on the leading edges of the wings when traveling at speeds considerably over Mach 1. In addition, in March 1956, the first Delta 2 broke the world air speed record, surpassing the 823mph held by Col. Horace Hanes in a North American F-100C Super Sabre, in one of the greatest achievements in British aviation history. The two examples built (serials WG774 and WG777) and flown proved to be invaluable research tools over a long period of time.

The ease with which the plane entered the supersonic regime, without any of the violent behavior experienced by other types in the transonic area, as related by Tony Buttler in his book Cold War Delta Prototypes, was what made clear that the Delta 2 could easily break a new world air speed record. After reaching Mach 1.56 in November 1955, the flight crew realized the record may exceed 1,000 mph. Everything was kept as secret as possible after preparations for the record attempt were under way. In fact, the cover story worked so well that many engineers were unaware of what was going on until just before the attempt actually started.

Since that WG774 was based at Boscombe Down, it was decided to plan a flight path between Chichester and the Royal Navy base at Ford across West Sussex. Ground observation and recording sites were established at both locations. Because this approximated the level for optimal performance and also guaranteed a good contrail, the flying height was set at 38,000 feet (the latter was essential for ground tracking). It had been required to fly in hot weather for earlier record attempts employing subsonic (i.e., Mach-limited) aircraft in order to lower the Mach number appropriate for a given airspeed. Yet, the coldest atmosphere was required for the Delta 2 in order to improve the engine’s thrust.

The General Post Office put up extensive telephone services that were directly connected to lines installed for a now-disused airfield. Also, the most sophisticated British Army radar system was made available in two full installations. Every day, No. 29 Sqn’s Gloster Meteor NF 11 night fighters took off to calibrate the radars, check the communication systems, and determine the true contrail height. During the Delta 2’s sorties, a specially calibrated de Havilland Venom measured the height as WG774 flashed by.

The two aircraft would be guided into the best positions by the ground radar, but getting WG774 into the proper position and altitude at the appropriate time required exact timing and exceptional piloting abilities. Everything was set up and prepared for “Exercise Metrical” by March 7.

Lt Cdr Peter Twiss, the Delta 2’s lead test pilot for manufacturer’s trials flying, made nine flights between March 7 and March 10 in excellent weather for the time of year, but on each sortie, either technical issues with the ground equipment or some other factor prevented a new record from being set. He always took off in a westerly direction and traveled along a route that maximized the usage of the fuel load.

Over the New Forest, a climb was completed, and from that point on, the aircraft continued to accelerate continuously until the run came to a close. After the eastward pass, Reheat was canceled, and WG774 made a wide 180-degree turn over the water before Twiss pulled it back in to repeat the entire process in a westerly direction. Approximately 24 minutes of flight time were spent in a landing at Boscombe Down following a minimum-power let-down (following the record run Twiss landed without enough fuel to make an overshoot and another approach).

The record was finally secured by a tenth flight that took off at 1121 hours on March 10, 1956. The two runs’ speeds of 1,117.6 mph and 1,146.9 mph produced a mean speed of 1,132.1 mph. This translated to a mean Mach number of 1.731 and an indicated air speed (IAS) of 983.7 knots (a maximum of Mach 1.8 was recorded during the flight). With WG774 flying for 2.8 minutes at a speed more than Mach 1.6, Peter Twiss increased the world air speed record by no less than 37%. Even after each run, the airplane continued to accelerate.

Meet the Fairey Delta 2, the British supersonic research aircraft that led to the development of the French Dassault Mirage III

The public press went crazy after the record was revealed on March 11. The record had a significant impact across the globe and was well-appreciated in general. Stuart Scott-Hall of the Air Ministry was in the USA when the record flight took occurred, and he discovered that the Americans generously acclaimed the achievement. He thought it true to say, however, that ‘they were quite astonished. For months they had been reading that the British aircraft industry had failed to produce the goods in this direction and in that. They would have had good excuses for thinking that the British were in a bad way. The capture of the record gave the British aircraft industry a tremendous uplift, while Americans concerned with high-speed aircraft development, no matter what type of wing they favored, swept wing, straight wing, or delta, appeared to be equally surprised at the performance achieved.’

WG774 was being serviced a few days later when the press arrived at Boscombe Down, therefore the second Delta 2, WG777, had its fuselage serial number swiftly altered to WG774 in order to be ready for the cameras. At the SBAC Farnborough Airshow in September 1956, Fairey planned to show the public the speed of the aircraft.

Piloted by Gp Capt Gordon Slade Slade and Twiss, WG774, and WG777 would attempt a supersonic crossover directly over Farnborough at 38,000ft and produce level-flight sonic bangs, which had not been publicly demonstrated in Britain at the time (these would be audible on the ground some 25 seconds later). The Delta 2s’ routine proceeded without a hitch during practice for the presentation, but wet weather made it impossible for them to do it at the actual airshow.

On Dec. 12, 1957, the USA reclaimed the record with a speed of 1,207.6mph set by a McDonnell F-101A Voodoo.

Cold War Delta prototypes is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Crown Copyright, U.S. Air Force

February 5, 2023 0 comment

History

Red Tail Angels, the Tuskegee Airmen documentary series produced by USAF

by Till Daisd February 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The documentary series “The Red Tailed Angels” depicts the challenges, battles, and ultimately victories of the Tuskegee Airmen

The US Air Force (USAF) video production team created a video series to commemorate the Tuskegee Airmen and their influence on the war and society as a whole in honor of the 75th anniversary of World War II.

The Tuskegee Airmen’s challenges, failures, and eventual accomplishments are shown in the documentary series “The Red Tailed Angels” (you can view the trailer here).

“The Tuskegee Airmen represent a part of American history, which for far too many years languished in obscurity after WWII,” said Anthony Young, Air Force Television senior producer, in the article Air Force releases “Red Tailed Angels” docuseries, written by Staff Sgt. Jeremy L. Mosier, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. “This documentary is an attempt to tell their story through the words of those who lived it, highlighting not only the obstacles they faced but the perseverance they exhibited in overcoming it. Though they have been revered for their exploits during the war, I think their legacy is evident not only throughout the U.S. armed forces, but within society as a whole, given the many doors their success has led to the opening.”

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators in the US Army Air Corps, a precursor of the US Air Force. Pilots, navigators, maintainers, bombardiers, instructors, and support staff all trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. The Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 sorties during World War II in Europe and North Africa.

The US Army Air Corps, which was the forerunner of the US Air Force, used the Tuskegee Airmen as its first black military aviators. The Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama served as a training ground for pilots, navigators, maintainers, bombardiers, instructors, and support personnel. During World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen flew almost 15,000 missions over Europe and North Africa.

The Tuskegee Airmen applied a red-tailed paint scheme to their Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, and North American P-51 Mustangs.

Today, pilots from the Alabama Air National Guard regularly fly their F-16 Fighting Falcons while sharpening their abilities in routine training flights, leaving flashes of red in the skies above lower Alabama. The members of Dannelly Field’s 100th Fighter Squadron Red Tails are aware of their history and the importance of the red paint on their jets’ tails. The Tuskegee Airmen are also the direct descendants of the 301st Fighter Squadron. Currently, the unit flies the F-22 Raptor.

You may see the first of the three parts of the series here on the Air Force Blue Tube Channel. Soon after will be the second and third segments.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

February 5, 2023 0 comment

History

Nakajima Kikka, the Japanese Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe

by Till Daisd February 2, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On August 7, 1945, the Kikka successfully completed its one and only test flight, which lasted just 20 minutes, and took off from Kisarazu Naval Air Base. To help it take off, the aircraft used rocket-assisted takeoff gear

After the Japanese military saw a demonstration of the Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (“Swallow”) in 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force (IJNAF) asked Nakajima to construct a similar turbojet-powered model to be used as a high-speed attack fighter. The IJNAF required the new machine to be simple to produce and have foldable wings so that aircraft could be hidden from Allied aerial raids in caverns and tunnels, as related by Mark Chambers in his book Wings of the Rising Sun. Kazuo Ohno and Kenichi Matsumura, two prominent Nakajima aircraft designers, accordingly came up with the idea for a fighter that closely resembled a scaled-down Me 262, but had straight wings as opposed to wings with a considerable amount of sweep.

Two 441lb thrust Tsu-11 Campini-type engines were originally intended to power the aircraft, but they were swiftly swapped out for more powerful 750lb thrust Ishikawajima Ne-12s. Since these engines similarly failed to provide enough thrust, Ishikawajima began to construct replicas of the BMW 003 installed to the Me 262 using in-depth pictures that IJNAF engineer Cdr Eichi Iwaya had taken. The axial flow turbojet, known as the Ne-20, had a 1,047lb thrust rating. The fighter, by this time known as Kikka (“Orange Blossom”), had a top speed of 432 mph at a height of 32,800 ft. It was equipped with two 30mm Type 5 cannons and had a 1,102Ib or 1,764lb bomb capacity.

On August 7, 1945, the Kikka successfully completed its one and only test flight, which lasted just 20 minutes, and took off from Kisarazu Naval Air Base. To help it, the aircraft used rocket-assisted takeoff gear. Japan surrendered shortly after, ending the opportunity for further flying tests. At the end of the war, a second prototype was almost finished, and American forces discovered roughly 23 Kikkas being built at Nakajima’s main facility in Koizumi, Gunma Prefecture, and at a location on Kyushu Island.

The Kikka airframes 3, 4, and 5 were sent to America in late 1945, together with a number of Ne-20 engines, where they underwent technical analysis. The second Kikka prototype was also brought to the US and only underwent brief ground testing at “Pax River” in 1946, and it was equipped with two Ne-20 turbojet engines. The Chrysler Company received a second set of Ne-20s in the same year, and by merging components from both turbojets, they were able to put together a single functional powerplant. The official Chrysler Ne-20 Turbojet Report, titled “Japanese NE-20 turbojet engine,” was ran for 11 hours and 46 minutes. The Tokyo National Science Museum now has a display called “Construction and performance.”

Two of the four Kikkas that were shipped to America were demolished, while the other two were kept in long-term storage at NAS Norfolk from the late 1940s. In March 2016, the fuselage and center wing portion of one of the airplanes were placed on static display in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center without its engines. Both aircraft were relocated to “Silver Hill” in September 1960. Another Kikka is still in storage. The National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola and the Tokyo Science Museum both have Ne-20 turbojet engines on exhibit right now.

Wings of the Rising Sun is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

The story of the Nakajima Kikka, the Japanese Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe that never was — Nakajima Kikka in the restoration hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington, D.C. on Jul. 15, 2012.

Photo by unknown

February 2, 2023 0 comment

History

The Soviet MiG-15 pilot who allegedly shot down a USAF F-80

by Till Daisd January 31, 2023

written by Till Daisd

When the range was reduced to 200 meters, Snr Lt Khominich started firing three seconds of cannon fire at one of the F-80s (220 yrd). In the first-ever dogfight between jet fighters, the Soviet pilots were said to have shot down the Shooting Star

On June 25, 1950, just before dawn, North Korean forces occupied South Korea. Seoul, the capital of South Korea, was taken three days later, and the UN sanctioned the dispatch of military support, led by the US, to fend off the North Korean invaders.

On July 5, the first American Army units—from the 8th Army—were sent into combat. UN forces were trapped in the Pusan Perimeter on August 4 when North Korean troops reached the Nakdong River in the southeast corner of the Korean Peninsula. In anticipation of a counteroffensive, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of UN Forces in Korea, concentrated his soldiers inside the Pusan Perimeter for more than a month.

Ultimately, on September 15, he ordered an amphibious landing at Inchon to take the North Korean troops on the flank. He gave the 8th Army the command to move north from Pusan one week later. By October, North Korean forces had been pushed back under the 38th parallel of latitude, which served as the pre-war border. On October 26, UN troops arrived at the Yalu River near the border with China and Korea.

According to Leonid Krylov and Yuriy Tepsurkaev in their book Soviet MiG-15 Aces of the Korean War, China’s active involvement in the conflict was unavoidable after its leadership issued a warning that it would support North Korea if the 38th parallel was crossed by non-South Korean units. Soviet Air Force units in-theater were entrusted with providing air protection for the Chinese troops, their supply lines, and crucial locations in the country’s northeast during preparations for the ensuing offensive.

The 151st GvIAD (Guards Fighter Air Division) of the Soviet Air Force, which was headquartered in Manchuria, was the primary unit in charge of providing aircraft for these operations. Three of its regiments, the 28th, 72nd, and 139th GvIAPs (Guards Fighter Air Regiments), were stationed at the airfields at Anshan and Liaoyang, close to Mukden, starting in August 1950. Here, they taught Chinese pilots how to fly jets so they could later protect the northeast. The 67th IAP was established by the 151st GvIAD and the 139th GvIAP in late October to form the new 28th IAD.

The 72nd GvIAP’s 1st Squadron was given the order to take to the air at 1350 on November 1. Maj. N. V. Stroykov, a Hero of the Soviet Union (HSU) who flew 245 combat missions during World War 2, participated in 66 air fights and achieved 16 individual and 21 group victories, commanded this unit. On that particular day, Snr Lts Guts and Kaznacheev and Lts Monakhov, Chizh, and Sanin flew the MiG-15s in his formation. In the end, only five MiG-15s were able to take off since Sanin’s was unserviceable.

The others were instructed to proceed to Antung, which is located close to the North Korean border on the Yalu River. The group was given the order to cross the border, begin looking for enemy aircraft, and engage any found. The five MiGs flew far into Korean territory in the southeast.

Guts, who was leading the second pair, discovered three USAF F-51D Mustangs at 14:15. All five MiGs launched simultaneous attacks, but the US pilots were able to avoid a dogfight at first thanks to some skillful flying. Two F-51s made sharp turns, and one half-rolled dived before accelerating and heading south. When the third F-51 dove sharply and broke off to the south, according to Soviet archives, Chizh shot down a Mustang during the second attack (USAF records indicate that no Mustangs were lost).

From 72nd GvIAP’s 2nd Squadron, four MiGs departed towards Antung. The squadron leader, Maj. Bordun, was in command of these aircraft as they passed overhead the Yalu River 26 minutes after Stroykov’s group had done so. The MiG pilots were instructed to return to base by their ground controller around 25 minutes later, and they departed for Anshan. But less than three minutes later, they got instructions to return to Antung to repel an enemy air strike that ground forces had just reported.

While Lt Esyunin returned to base because his plane did not have external fuel tanks and was now out of fuel, Maj Bordun, Snr Lt Khominich, and Lc Sukhov changed course for the Korean border. At 1550 hours, Snr Lt Khominich noticed 10 F-80C Shooting Stars ahead of him. He then launched an out-of-the-sun attack on the leading group of four. He opened fire and peppered one of the F-80s with a three-second burst of cannon fire, ceasing when the range was down to 200 m (220 yrd). In the first-ever dogfight between jet fighters, the Soviet pilots were said to have shot down the Shooting Star.

After a morning airstrike on Sinuiju airfield, one of the USAF’s two F-80s was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery, the USAF acknowledged losing two F-80s on November 1. Although the USAF records contain no mention of the duel between the F-80s and the MiGs, the second jet, from the 49th Fighter-Bomber Group (FBG), was reported as having been shot down on the afternoon of the first during a rocket attack near Unsan. Even though the Shooting Star pilot perished in the battle, it is unlikely that his squadronmates were unaware of the Soviet planes’ attack.

It is unknown from the archives on both sides if Khominich actually won this all-jet clash, and it is also unclear what specifically destroyed the F-80. Clearly, a second Shooting Star was lost on Nov. 1, but where did it crash? Did it fall into the sea or explode in the air? Such queries are yet unaddressed.

Soviet MiG-15 Aces of the Korean War is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

The story of the Soviet MiG-15 pilot who claimed to have shot down a USAF F-80 in the first-ever dogfight between jet fighters

January 31, 2023 0 comment

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