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When a KC-135Q Stratotanker flew into Northern Laos to save his Blackbird after a Double-Engine Flameout

by Till Daisd June 26, 2024

The SR-71 Blackbird

A group of Lockheed members led by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson—then vice president of Lockheed’s Advanced Development Company Projects, also referred to as the “Skunk Works” and currently a part of Lockheed Martin—designed the SR-71, the most sophisticated Blackbird—including the A-12 and YF-12.

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

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

Checking out in the Blackbird like a cowboy

Col. David P. Dempster, Blackbird Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO) who was also part of the first US Air Force (USAF) contingent to fly operational SR-71 reconnaissance sorties from Okinawa into “denied areas” (the term “denied area” was referred to a specific area over or around a foreign country where you could encounter anything and everything… from MiGs to SAMs), recalls in Richard H. Graham’s book SR-71 Blackbird Stories, Tales and Legends:

SR-71 RSO recalls when a KC-135Q Stratotanker flew unprotected into Northern Laos to save his Blackbird after it had a Double-Engine Flameout

“Jim Watkins was a great pilot to be crewed within the Blackbird. A Texas cow-boy who raised horses in his off time, Jim loved, breathed, and lived for flying.

“But, like his horses, he ‘felt’ and handled them with cowboy common sense. Imagine checking out in the Blackbird, a World War II B-24 pilot who flew fighters, transports, KC-97 tankers, and KC-135 tankers at Beale. In tanker, Jim was on the initial OXCART team and provided the air refueling support for the A-12s flying from the Ranch. Jim checked out in the SR-71 like a cowboy putting on an old familiar leather glove!

“We were honored to be among the four SR-71 crews selected to deploy for the first time to Okinawa in March 1968. On 21 March, the first operational sortie flew and the crew encountered a double-engine flameout during descent to their tanker as they exited the target area. After refueling, they returned to Okinawa. A week later the second operational sortie flew, and again, with a different crew and different Blackbird, they encountered the same double-engine flameout at the start of their descent. They landed in Thailand due to the left generator not working. What was happening? Both planes checked out good on the ground after landing and we had lots of jaw-boning among ourselves and with Lockheed tech reps, with no conclusions.

KC-135Q saving an SR-71 over Laos

“Then, on 19 April 1968, Jim and I launched on the third operational sortie (the first for us and Crew Chief Technical Sergeant Bud Martin’s #974). We zipped through the target area with no problems and began the start descent checklist. As Jim pulled the throttle back to the rpm setting called for in our procedures, we had a double-engine flameout. Excitement, adrenaline pumping, and we dropped like a rock into Northern Laos! Jim got both engines started around 30,000 feet, and we headed south.

“Our [KC-135Q Stratotanker] tanker, the real hero of this story, saw our rate of closure on him stop. He knew what had happened and headed north immediately, unprotected, into enemy territory and rendezvoused with us. Refueling with him, we headed back into Thailand and proceeded to our preplanned end refueling point.

“What to do now? We were scheduled to go back to the target area for another ‘hot loop.’ Over the intercom, I heard this commonsense cowboy say, ‘Dave, I think if when we start our descent, we hold a higher-than-normal rpm we can avoid the flameouts. Want to give it a try?’ ‘Sure,’ I answered. We accelerated back to Mach 3-plus and on course into the target area. We eyeballed adding about 30 miles to the start descent range and when the time came Jim’s theory worked perfectly. No flameouts and a smooth descent.

‘Ichiban,’ the ‘number one’ Habu

“What was the secret and why did this work? The answer turned out to be the way the engine’s fuel controls were programmed. They used standard adiabatic lapse rates, which engineers all over the world assumed depicted the height of the tropopause and outside air temperatures at varying altitudes. WRONG! What we discovered was that in Southeast Asia, the tropopause (and magnificent thunderstorms we would look down on) could go as high as 65,000 feet, rather than the textbook 55,000 feet. Moreover, the air was much colder. Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney Co. eventually reprogrammed the fuel controls correctly and the problem went away. In the interim however, all of the crews adopted the cowboy’s technique and the flameout problems disappeared.

“The day after this flight Jim, Technical Sergean. Bud Martin, and I proudly stenciled the first Habu on the side of #974, which went on to be so successful that it was dubbed ‘Ichiban,’ the ‘number one’ Habu in the 1968 period on Okinawa.”

Photo by U.S. Air Force

June 26, 2024 0 comment

History

USMC marks graduation of last AV-8B Harrier II pilots

by Till Daisd June 25, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Graduation of last USMC AV-8B Harrier II pilots

On March 29, 2024, at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, the last two pilots to receive the 7509 Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) were graduated from the AV-8B Harrier II Fleet Replacement Detachment (FRD), Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW).

Capt. Joshua Corbett and Capt. Sven Jorgensen completed their final training flight at the FRD to receive the 7509 MOS, which is reserved for AV-8B Harrier II trained pilots. The US Marine Corps (USMC) completed its training at the FRD with this flight, a low-altitude close air support training sortie.

“The significance of the last replacement pilot training flight in the Harrier community is that it is the beginning of the end for us as a community.” said Corbett to 2nd Lt. John Graham, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, for the article 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Marines receive last AV-8B Harrier pilot designation. “The Harrier, more than many aircraft than I have come across, elicits an emotional response. For members of the public, members of the aviation community, members of the Marine community, and especially members of the Harrier pilot community, it’s bittersweet. All good things have to come to an end, and it’s our turn soon, but not yet.”

The AV-8B Harrier II

All good things must come to an end: USMC marks graduation of last AV-8B Harrier II pilots — VMA-223 AV-8B Harrier II

The AV-8A and A-4M light attack aircraft were to be replaced by the AV-8B vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) strike aircraft. A well-documented requirement dating back to the late 1950s was the Marine Corps’ need for a V/STOL light attack force. V/STOL aircraft, with their combination of tactical mobility, responsiveness, low operating costs, and basing flexibility options, are especially well-suited to the unique combat and expeditionary needs of the Marine Corps. The AV-8BII+ features the APG-65 Radar common to the F/A-18, as well as all previous systems and features common to the AV-8BII.

January 1984 saw the arrival of the first AV-8B Harrier II at MCAS Cherry Point. The 2nd MAW Harriers and the 7509s that pilot them have been part of over 40 operations worldwide during their forty years of service in the eastern North Carolina region. These operations include Operation Desert Storm, Operation Allied Force in 1999 in the former Yugoslavia, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the skies above the volatile Red Sea against the threat posed by Houthi drones.

Corbett’s and Jorgensen’s designation represents 2nd MAW’s continued operational transition from legacy fixed-wing tactical aircraft, such as the Harrier.

Last USMC AV-8B Harrier II pilots hit the fleet

The F-35B Lightning II is replacing the Harrier within USMC. Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 223 will be the last Harrier squadron in the Marine Corps and is set to continue operating the platform through September 2026. Until then, the platform will continue to call MCAS Cherry Point home and execute deployed operations as part of Marine Expeditionary Units.

“I am incredibly proud of the legacy of the AV-8B, both within Marine Aviation and here in eastern North Carolina.” said Lt. Col. Nathaniel Smith, the Commanding Officer of VMA-223. “Our platform is part of the fabric of eastern North Carolina, as countless Marines, sailors, and civilians have contributed to our success for decades. It is exciting to see our last two students graduate from the FRD and hit the fleet.”

Both pilots will report to VMA-223 after completing the FRD syllabus.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Daisha Ramirez, Petty Officer 3rd Class Tamara Vaughn and Staff Sgt. Theodore Bergan / U.S. Marine Corps

June 25, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

During a night training Mach 2 bomb run, the B-58 navigator remembers his pilot turning in his wings after their Hustler went in a nose-high stall

by Till Daisd June 24, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The B-58 Hustler

On November 11, 1956, the B-58, the US Air Force’s first operational supersonic bomber, took off. Apart from its delta wing design, the Hustler was distinguished by its advanced inertial guidance navigation and bombing system, its slender “wasp-waist” fuselage, and its extensive use of heat-resistant honeycomb sandwich skin panels in both the wings and fuselage. The thin fuselage made it impossible to carry bombs inside; thus, a nuclear weapon, additional fuel, reconnaissance equipment, and other specialized gear were all stored in a droppable, two-component pod beneath the fuselage. The B-58 crew consisted of a pilot, navigator/bombardier, and defense systems operator.

Richard “Butch” Sheffield volunteered for the then-new B-58 while serving as a navigator and bombardier on the B-47. He had to return to his previous rank of lieutenant after losing his spot promotion. In his book “The Very First,” which he left for his family, he writes about it.

‘I entered the B-58 Combat Crew Training School (CCTS) as a student. The school was about two months long with academics and simulators. I was crewed with Captain Sparks (Sparky), aircraft Commander (AC), and Lt. Patrick, Defense Systems Officer (DSO).

The first crew to pass Central Evaluations Group

‘We soon started flying, and I loved the B-58. The bombing and navigation system, plus the cockpit, were excellent. We became combat-ready fast and were one of the first crews checked out in the aircraft, number fourteen, I believe.

‘General LeMay wanted all SAC crews to be changeable. Each crew and crew position were to have procedures alike for the aircraft they were flying in. The Central Evaluations Group (CEG) visited each wing and tested and evaluated the crew force to see if all wings performed the same procedures. To pass CEG was a big deal in B-47’s.

‘The CEG people wanted to get their foot in the door on this new program, so they decided that they should come in and give a check ride to one of the crews. We were selected.

‘It was a joke; they didn’t know anything about the aircraft, but they went through the motions and checked us; it was a piece of cake; we passed. So, we became the first B-58 crew ever to pass CEG.’

B-58 Hustler nose-high stall over Dallas

He continues;

B-58 navigator recalls when his pilot turned in his wings after their Hustler went in a nose-high stall during a night training Mach 2 bomb run over Dallas — Richard Butch Sheffield (in the middle) B-58 crew.

‘About six months after we became combat-ready, we flew a Mach 2 bomb run on Dallas at night. When the run was over, and we went to start our descent from fifty thousand feet, Capt. Sparks pulled back the power but FORGOT to take the altitude hold off.

‘The aircraft went into a nose-high stall, and we began to drop quickly; the engine’s compressor stalled, and the generators all went offline. We lost all electrical power; I had only a tiny battery-powered light in the cockpit. The only thing I could see was the airspeed and altimeter. I called the pilot, who said the flight controls had locked up.

‘It took one hundred and fifteen pounds of pressure to override the autopilot. He was a petite guy trying to override it, not knowing that altitude hold was on. It was a wild ride down. We were falling tail first with very little forward motion.

‘I decided to eject at fifteen thousand feet as we were trained. At about twenty thousand feet, I felt the nose of the aircraft starting to drop, and he said, I think I have got it (he had overridden the autopilot). Once the nose came down, the engines could be re-started, and we recovered at about ten thousand feet; we landed at Carswell. No one said a thing.’

The pilot quits

Sheffield concludes;

‘The following day, when I went into the Squadron, everyone was saying, did you hear about “Sparky?” I said no. They said he went into the commander (CO) office this morning, and threw his wings on his desk, and said, “I quit!” He then went around the Squadron bad-mouthing the B-58 and telling the other crews they should quit the program, too, because the aircraft was unsafe; the CO told him to get out.’

Up until 1964, when he was hired away to the SR-71 program, he continued to serve with the B-58s. In 1965, he arrived at Beale Air Force Base after passing the astronaut physical at Brooks Air Force Base in Texas.

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

Convair Thought to Transform the B-58 into a Supersonic Airliner. And to Store 5 Passengers in Hustler’s MB-1C Pod.

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

June 24, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The US Navy F-14 pilot who created the DACT technique

by Till Daisd June 23, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-16N Viper

The US Navy purchased an F-16N Viper, a version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon used by the US Air Force, to simulate fourth-generation Soviet fighters as adversary aircraft in air combat training. The smaller, more maneuverable F-16N proved an extremely difficult opponent for the F-14.

The Story of how US Navy F-14 Tomcat crews learned to score simulated Gun Kills against the lethal 9G capable F-16N (Captured in a Beautiful Artwork)

Designed by aviation artist Mads Bangsø in collaboration with former F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) David Parsons, the artwork in this post is featured in their book Half Century, Baby! and was realized by Aircraftprofileprints.com.

The DACT technique that made gun kills on F-16Ns possible from the much larger F-14

As the artwork (named Fight’s On) shows, the theme of the print is dogfight: specifically, in a close air-to-air combat scenario, who will win? The F-14 Tomcat or the F-16N Viper (possibly the finest adversary fighter ever flown by the US Navy)? The answer is not as straightforward as you might think. The story behind the artwork is that of CDR Keith “Okie” Nance, who developed a Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) technique that made gun kills on F-16Ns possible from the much larger F-14.

‘The beautiful weather and pristine sea surrounding Naval Air Station Key West has been ideal for those seeking the sun and for DACT. By 1989, the penultimate Adversary Aircraft was the F-16N “Viper,” which had an amazing thrust-to-weight ratio and ability to execute 9G turns. That made for a formidable adversary for Tomcat Aircrews, as they learned out to fight their aircraft during the Fleet Readiness Squadron (FRS) Tactics Phase typically conducted out of Key West to take advantage of the weather.

‘Experienced Tomcat pilots found that even the F-16N was not that invincible if the Tomcat was flown to its advantage and stayed out of the situations in which the F-16N could prevail. One of the masters of this type of encounter was CDR Keith “Okie” Nance, who was not intimidated by the F-16N and routinely took it on in the so-called knife fight in a phone booth and prevailing.

The spirit of attack

‘In this depicted encounter, “Okie” has merged in a VF-101 F-14A+ with a VF-43 F-16N and entered a one-circle fight in which there can only be one victor. “Okie” has used the Tomcat’s ability to pitch and maintain energy as the F-16N is bleeding energy and will soon be at a disadvantage as the Tomcat uses the altitude advantage to pull down in behind the F-16N for a guns solution with its M61 Vulcan Cannon.

‘Although experienced Tomcat pilots like “Okie” were able to take on nimble adversaries like an F-16N or A-4F Skyhawk known as the “Super Fox”, the tactics they used were imparted to the Replacement Aircrews under instruction at VF-101 so they could also perform similar feats.

‘LTGEN Adolf Galland, the famed WWII German Ace, once said, “Only in the spirit of attack, born in a brave heart, will bring success to any fighter aircraft, no matter how highly developed it may be.” This was certainly true over the skies of Key West.’

Half Century, Baby! is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here and here.

June 23, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

A-7 Corsair II pilot once used a $40K AGM-62 Walleye to destroy a $2K broken-down pickup truck blocking a road intersection during the Vietnam War

by Till Daisd June 22, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The AGM-62 Walleye

The Martin Marietta AGM-62 Walleye, although designated as an air-to-ground missile (AGM), was actually an unpowered glide bomb guided to its target by a television camera attached to its nose.

The pilot’s television screen received a picture of the target from the Walleye’s camera. The pilot fired the weapon after he “locked” onto the target. The Walleye’s onboard guidance system adjusted its direction by independently comparing the locked image with the current image. The Walleye was dubbed a “fire and forget” weapon since the pilot did not have to control the bomb to the intended target.

When a target was well-contrasted with its surroundings, walleyes had no issue hitting it; they struggled when the contrast was not enough. In addition, the weapon’s light weight rendered it useless against structures like bridges.

Using a $40K precision weapon to take out a $2K broken-down pickup truck

The AGM-62 worked well against pickup trucks, as David Tussey, former US Navy A-7E Corsair II, explains on Quora;

‘When I first joined Naval Aviation, a number of senior pilots had flown in Vietnam. They flew A-7s, A-4s, and A-1s(!) on ground attack missions.

‘One A-7 guy told me this story of being diverted from his primary mission (due to weather) and was handed off to a Forward Air Controller (FAC). He was instructed to destroy a broken-down pickup truck that was blocking a road intersection.

‘The only weapon he had was a TV-guided precision weapon, the AGM-62 Walleye.

‘And so, it went…he targeted the broken-down pickup truck with the Walleye, and destroyed it.’

Tussey Concludes;

‘So…we took a precision weapon costing about $40K and in short supply, and took out a $2K broken-down pickup truck. Good grief!

‘But it was a good example of pretty specific targeting — a single truck.’

US Navy A-7 pilot recalls when a Corsair II driver used a $40K AGM-62 Walleye to destroy a $2K broken-down pickup truck blocking a road intersection during the Vietnam War — An AGM-62 Walleye glide bomb mounted on the wing pylon of a US Navy Ling-Temco-Vought A-7C Corsair II

Photo by U.S. Navy

June 22, 2024 0 comment

History

40 years ago, NATO aircraft operated on German autobahn: the story of the biggest exercise to date to use a highway as improvised airfield

by Till Daisd June 21, 2024

written by Till Daisd

NATO aircraft land on German autobahn

In 1984, forty years ago, an exercise involving many nations was carried out by NATO aircraft to evaluate the alliance’s ability to use specific prepared sections of the German autobahn as emergency airstrips.

According to the US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Facebook page, the West German government developed 23 distinct autobahn sections that could be transformed into airstrips in less than twenty-four hours, employing concepts similar to today’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE). This included building guardrails that were simple to remove, burying phone and electrical lines close to the strips, and designating areas where NATO forces could establish command and support capabilities required to run an airfield.

40 years ago, NATO aircraft operated on German autobahn: the story of the biggest exercise to date to use a highway as improvised airfield

There could be two uses for these airstrips. First, the autobahn airstrips could be used as a backup in case the Warsaw Pact destroyed NATO airbases in West Germany. Secondly, in the case of a war with the Warsaw Pact, the airstrips may provide NATO with the airfield capacity to handle additional aircraft in West Germany.

HIGHWAY 84 Exercise

The HIGHWAY 84 Exercise tested one of these strips. A section of the A29 near Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony (in northwestern Germany, near the former RAF Ahlhorn) had just been completed and had not been opened to traffic. This was the ideal chance to test a section of the autobahn without too much inconvenience to West Germans.

Over several days, West German, American, British, French, Dutch, Belgian, Norwegian, and Danish aircraft took turns landing, refueling, and rearming on the prepared airstrip. The exercise demonstrated the airstrip’s capability to handle a range of aircraft, including F-15s, F-16s, F-104s, A-10s, C-130s, French Mirages, and British Tornados, while also providing NATO members with an opportunity to practice using the airstrip. For the exercise, specialists in airfield operations erected temporary lighting, communications, and other systems for the exercise.

The ACE concept

Since 1984 and ever since, the idea of using highways as emergency airstrips has persisted. Since then, USAF A-10s have practiced highway landings as part of the ACE concept in both Estonia and the US.

A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, a MQ-9 Reaper, MC-130J Commando II, and MH-6 Little Bird helicopters landed and took off on Wyoming’s Highways 287 and 789 in April and May of 2023. On June 29, 2022, M-28, one of Michigan’s longest, flattest, straightest highways, saw the landing of C-146 Wolfhound, U-28A Draco, and A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft instead.

The exercise featured several firsts, including the first time a US Air Force aircraft had weapons (in the form of AIM-9 Sidewinders, JDAM bombs, AGM-65 Mavericks, rockets, and targeting pods) loaded on a public highway. The weapons used in the exercise were inert. A-10s performed a similar training exercise in August 2021 on highway M-32 near Alpena. Moreover, A-10 aircraft from the Michigan National Guard previously landed on highways in Haapsalu, Estonia, during Exercise Saber Strike 18.

Furthermore, the air forces of Sweden and Finland frequently practice landings on sections of their respective highways. However, HIGHWAY 84 was a successful proof of concept and NATO’s biggest exercise to date to test the idea.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and NATO

June 21, 2024 0 comment

History

The real secret behind P-51B/C/D Mustang range

by Till Daisd June 20, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The P-51 Mustang

The secret to controlling the ground turned out to be controlling the air. The Allied success relied heavily on the long-range P-51 Mustang fighter, enabling the resumption of strategic bombing after heavy losses suffered by unescorted bombers in 1943. American warplanes of the highest caliber throughout the conflict were those built for export to Britain and then converted by the British to employ the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.

The first P-51B/C Mustangs with Merlin engines saw action in Europe in December 1943. The US bombing campaign against Germany greatly benefited from the long-range, high-altitude escort these P-51s provided. The P-51D became the main long-range escort fighter for the USAAF when it began to arrive in large quantities in Europe in the spring of 1944.

Owing to its exceptional performance in long-range escort duties, the Mustang became the pioneer single-engine aircraft stationed in Britain to breach Germany’s defenses, reach Berlin, and go with heavy bombers over Romania’s Ploiesti oil fields. How did the legendary Mustang manage to carry out these kinds of lengthy escort missions? Not because of its drop tanks.

The secret behind P-51B/C/D Mustang range

‘Lots of planes could carry drop tanks: P-47, P-40, P-38, etc.,’ says James Gibson, former MP&P Engineer at Boeing, on Quora.

‘The real secret to the Mustang’s range was not the laminar flow control wing, or the Merlin engine. It was the addition of a fuselage tank behind the cockpit halfway through production of the P-51B. This additional internal tank increased fuel capacity by 85 gallons; the original P-51Bs only had 184 gallons in the wings. The addition increased total fuel to 269 gallons, or some 30%. Further adding two 75-gallon drop tanks, you reached 419 gallons. The later D&H models carried 110 gal drop tanks for 489 gallons.

‘But when you carried so much fuel, you had to be aware of which tanks you were using at which point in the flight. On take-off, you used the rear fuselage tank. This tank effected the center of gravity of the plane. You didn’t want to tangle with a 109 or a Focke Wulf when carrying fuel in the rear tank. So you burned it first and then switched to the drop tanks about halfway to Berlin.’

Gibson concludes;

‘You would then burn off the drop tanks, hopefully before engaging enemy fighters. But if they struck early you could drop those tanks and thus be clean and maneuverable. This was the fight profile that allowed the Mustangs maximum range and best performance when over target.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force

June 20, 2024 0 comment

History

The U-2/SR-71 “yellow” pressure suits were borrowed by NASA for the first space shuttle mission

by Till Daisd June 19, 2024

written by Till Daisd

David Clark Company

American’s David Clark Company (DCC) is a manufacturer and designer of a broad range of industrial and aerospace protective equipment such as headsets, anti-G suits, pressure-space suit systems, and many medical and safety items. Starting with the design and development of the first standard anti-G suits and valves used by allied fighter pilots during World War II, DCC has been involved in the design and manufacture of air-space personnel protection equipment since 1941.

A new generation of pressure suits, the S1031C, was introduced in the early 1980s as a result of DCC’s ongoing research and development activities since 1946. These efforts were primarily sponsored by the Department of Defense to support USAF high-altitude aircraft programs (Lockheed U-2 and SR-71).

NASA borrows U-2/SR-71 “yellow” Pressure Suits

‘NASA had to borrow some space suits from the U-2 program for the first shuttle mission,’ says Damien Leimbach, former Avionics Technician at the U.S. Air Force (2001–2007), on Quora.

‘The David Clark company builds space suits for NASA, but they also build the iconic yellow pressure suits that the U-2 and SR-71 program uses.

Did you know that U-2 decompression sickness cases increased after the end of the Cold War? Here’s why the iconic U-2 is the world’s hardest plane to fly

‘The program calls them “pressure suits” since they don’t actually fly to space, but they are essentially the same suits that the David Clark company made for NASA.

‘Prior to the first shuttle mission (STS-1), the launch of Columbia, there was a defect detected in the batch of suits NASA was making for the pilots to use. Since the maiden flight of the shuttle mission was also its first real test flight, there were only two crew members, a pair of pilots, for that mission.

Why NASA borrowed U-2/SR-71 pressure suits

‘However, the suits were not going to be fixed in time, so NASA called up Beale AFB and said, “Hey, we need to borrow a pair of space suits.”

‘And that’s why the crew pictures from the first shuttle mission show the pilots wearing yellow suits (high visibility to easily see downed pilots) instead of the iconic NASA white.

Did you know NASA had to borrow U-2/SR-71 “yellow” Pressure Suits for first space shuttle mission?

‘I mean, without the NASA patches, you wouldn’t know these guys weren’t SR-71 or U-2 pilots.’

Leimbach concludes;

You can even see the green velcro patches on the thighs where U-2 pilots put their note pads and map boards.’

In 1996, the David Clark Company Model S1034 Pilots Protective Assembly (PPA) started replacing the S1031 predecessor in the U-2R. This model is still in use today. Additionally, it has been adopted into the NASA ER-2 and WB-57F platforms.

Photo by NASA and U.S. Air Force

June 19, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The F-15N Sea Eagle, the navalized version of the F-15 Eagle that never was

by Till Daisd June 18, 2024

written by Till Daisd

US Navy’s search for an advanced carrier-based air superiority fighter

In an effort to support the Department of Defense’s goal of commonality with the Air Force and its F-111A, General Dynamics’ F-111B was evaluated as part of the US Navy’s search for an advanced carrier-based air superiority fighter. After being modified to fulfill Navy mission requirements, the F-111B was found to be too heavy for carrier operations, and the contract was canceled in April 1968.

The Navy then launched a new design contest for the so-called VFX program, with McDonnell Douglas and Grumman as the main competitors.

The F-15N Sea Eagle

Grumman suggested the Model 303, a two-seat, twin-engine, variable-geometry aircraft based on the Hughes AWG-9 weapons system (which eventually led to the development of the F-14 Tomcat). Meanwhile, McDonnell Douglas presented the F-15N Sea Eagle, a “navalized” variant of its then-new F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter.

The F-15N Sea Eagle was developed by the US Navy as a lighter, faster, and less expensive alternative to the F-14.

Among the changes for the F-15N were strengthened landing gear, an appropriate arresting hook, and a wing hinge. DriveTribe claims that the F-15N was predicted to outmaneuver the F-14 despite the weight imposed by these modifications. But neither the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles nor the AN/AWG-9 radar required to target and fire them were part of the original proposal. The US Navy studied the possibility of adding the radar and AIM-54s, but doing so would have made the aircraft 10,000 pounds heavier than an F-15A, erasing any potential advantage the Sea Eagle may have had. A plan to adapt the F-15’s AN/APG-63 radar to interface with the AIM-54 was developed by McDonnell Douglas and Hughes Aircraft, the manufacturer of the radar and AIM-54.

The fly-off between the F-14A Tomcat and F-15N Sea Eagle that never was

The idea was first studied by a Senate subcommittee in 1973, and it was later expanded to include an updated F-4 and a stripped-down F-14 variant. Although discussed, the F-14A and F-15N were never involved in a fly-off.

In the end, the Navy stuck with the F-14 since it was a very capable aircraft. The new “Tomcat,” named for Grumman’s tradition of naming its aircraft after cats, flew for the first time in December 1970. The first F-14As were delivered to the Navy in June 1972 after a series of modifications during flight testing, with Fighter Squadron (VF) 124 designated for crew training. The new aircraft was first flown by operational squadrons VF-1 and VF-2 on the West Coast and by Atlantic Fleet Tomcat squadrons VF-14 and VF-32 on the East Coast.

Photo by Combat Ace and McDonnell Douglas/Boeing via DriveTribe

June 18, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

SR-71 pilot set 13 acres of Maryland on fire by dumping fuel after one engine exploded during his last flight

by Till Daisd June 17, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The SR-71 Blackbird

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

The SR-71 spy plane held the record for being the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft in the world for about 24 years. At a speed of Mach 3+, it could cover 100,000 square miles of Earth’s surface per hour while flying at 80,000 feet. Additionally, the Blackbird only needed to accelerate and outrun any missiles in the unlikely event that an enemy attempted to shoot it down.

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

What it’s like to fly the world’s fastest plane

Spencer Hall spoke with former SR-71 Blackbird pilot Rick McCrary for SBNation to find out what it’s like to pilot the fastest plane in the world.

McCrary explained;

‘You waddle out there in your spacesuit, carrying your little cooler, because it gets quite hot in that spacesuit. You go out to a van with some La-Z-Boys in it, these big recliners, and they drive you out to the airplane. It’s sitting there with all the cables hooked up to it, just like a space launch. It’s outgassing stuff, people are checking it, and then people start unhooking it and leaving and then it’s just you and the crew chief. You get into the seat, close the hatch, and you’re in your cocoon.

‘Startup was also a unique thing. It had this special fuel, because the temperatures during flight got up to over 600 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re at speed. The worry is that with normal fuel, which you want to explode quickly during flight and have a low flashpoint, well… you wanted the exact opposite with the Blackbird. You’re carrying so much fuel that the last thing you want to worry about is self-igniting.

Join this SR-71 Blackbird driver for a top secret recoinnassance mission over North Korea — A Boeing KC-135Q Stratotanker refueling an SR-71

‘You’d burn 80,000 pounds of fuel in about an hour and twenty minutes. That’s a lot of gas. You’re on the boom a lot, and that was why in-flight refueling experience was such a critical part of the screening process. You didn’t have a lot of time to do it, and you had to get it right the first time. Three refuelings were common, but on longer missions, you’d refuel six or eight times. Those were long days.

Last flight on the SR-71 Blackbird

‘You’d light up the afterburner right after that first refueling, and take it to full power for the next hour. That’s pretty amazing, because no other plane can fly in full afterburner continuously. All other planes have either a three-minute limit, or five minute limit on that, but you’d be going at full afterburner for an hour, hour and a half.’

When Hall asked McCrary if he remembered when his last SR-71 Blackbird flight took place, he answered;

‘The answer is kind of an interesting yes and no. There came the time to move on, and we had a good deal. We got to take it to the National Air Show in Washington, DC, and put it on display there. That was going to be our last flight.

Setting 13 acres of Maryland on fire during last flight on the SR-71 Blackbird

‘As we took off from there and came back around for a pass, the right engine exploded. We had to dump gas and set about thirteen acres of Maryland on fire as we did that. That was kind of interesting, just spewing flaming fuel and titanium pieces around.’

McCrary explained that this wasn’t rural Maryland;

‘Actually, we were pointed at the White House out of Andrews Air Force Base. It was funny listening back to the voice tape because I start by saying “Well, we’ll go out over the bay here and dump this fuel.” About thirty seconds later, I say “Screw it” and just dump it. We defoliated southern Maryland, but we got it back on the ground, which was great. After all that happened, I absolutely remember shutting it down. My legs started shaking uncontrollably with the adrenaline from it all when I knew it was over with. My co-pilot never flew again, either.’

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

Photo by Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force

June 17, 2024 0 comment

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