Tag:

history

Why the Flying Tigers’ fabled tiger mouth insignia was inspired by a Sharkmouthed Me 110

by Till Daisd January 17, 2023

Erik Shilling, a former Army Air Corps pilot, was ultimately responsible for designing the insignia that would become synonymous with the American Volunteer Group

Following their arrival three months prior to the start of the war, the Royal Air Force (RAF) Brewster Buffalos of 67 Squadron were solely in charge of defending Rangoon (the commercial and political center of British Burma). However, a few days prior to the Japanese attack, they were joined by a strange aerial unit that had been practicing all fall at Kyedaw Airdrome in the Burmese up-country. The 3rd Squadron of the American Volunteer Group (AVG or Flying Tigers) of the Republic of China Air Force was the group’s official name. The American pilots went under the nickname “The Hell’s Angels” informally.

All of the pilots had prior flying experience with the US Army Air Corps, US Navy, and US Marine Corps.

Once approved, the pilots discovered their leader was former Army Air Corps Major Claire A. Chennault, a fighter pilot’s fighter pilot who had been the foremost proponent of fighter aviation in the Air Corps, as recounted by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver in his book I Will Run Wild. The Republic of China’s Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, who had been at war with Japan since 1932, took a position as an air advisor when he resigned from his commission in the late 1930s.

Early in 1941, Chennault persuaded Chiang—who in turn convinced Roosevelt—that a volunteer squadron of American pilots he had trained in what he deemed “proper tactics” could be able to alter the course of the war in China. The British released 100 Lend-Lease Curtiss H-87-A2 “Tomahawks” for transport to China, and in April, President Roosevelt signed an unnoticed executive order allowing the recruitment of enlisted personnel and reserve officers on duty with the US armed services.

The recruiting officers had to present contracts that were “legally consistent” with official US policy because US-Japanese relations were already in a delicate situation. The Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO), headed by Edward D. Pawley, was in charge of organizing the operation, which received the government’s informal approval. Edward D. Pawley was later praised by Life magazine for his ability “to be at the right place a few minutes before the right time.” The contracts the men signed simply said that they were engaged to “manufacture, repair, and operate aircraft” without mentioning the true nature of their work.

Three groups were initially designed: two fighter groups and one bomber group. The first group had Curtiss P-40 aircraft, the second would have Seversky P-43 aircraft, and the third would have Lockheed Hudson aircraft as a bomber group. The second and third groups had to be canceled due to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Erik Shilling, a former Army Air Corps pilot, boarded the Dutch passenger ship Jagersfontein on July 7, 1941, together with 100 other pilots and 150 ground troops, for the voyage to the Far East. Shilling stated that soon after the ship set sail, he came to the conclusion that there was more going on than had been disclosed.

How a Luftwaffe Sharkmouthed Me 110 inspired Flying Tigers’ legendary tiger mouth insignia — Me 110 from Luftwaffe’s Haifisch Gruppe

‘In fact, we were an official undercover operation of the American government. We were not mercenaries, though that cover story was so good everyone believed it afterward. We were escorted to the vicinity of Australia by two US Navy heavy cruisers, the USS Salt Lake City and the Northampton because there was a real fear the Japanese had heard about the operation and would attempt to intercept us.’

Shilling and the others were introduced to the P-40 and Claire Chennault’s strategies for fighting the Japanese after they arrived at Kyedaw, the training facility the British provided for the AVG north of Rangoon. Older approved of Chennault’s methods. ‘The P-40 was a heavier fighter than the others, and it could dive faster than anything else around at the time. Staying in the vertical plane, using dive and zoom tactics against an enemy whose best performance was in the horizontal plane, made perfect sense to me.’

Three squadrons—the “Adam and Eves” (1st Pursuit Squadron), “Pandas,” and “Hell’s Angels”—were formed during that fall’s training. Although there were no ranks, a military-style organizational structure was used, and “squadron leaders” and “flight leaders” were called after the more seasoned pilots. The emblem that would become inextricably identified with the AVG was ultimately created by Erik Shilling. After 40 years, he remembered:

‘It’s always been said that the tiger mouth came about after we saw a picture of a P-40 being flown by 112 Squadron of the RAF in North Africa. That’s not true. I was looking through a British magazine one day and saw a photo of a Me 110 with a shark face on it. They were the Haifisch Gruppe. I thought it looked perfect for our squadron insignia.’

Shilling painted a shark’s mouth on his P-40 because he thought it complemented the airplane’s sharp-nosed shape. The commander recognized it as the group marking when he requested Chennault for authorization to use it as a squadron marking. Before they were painted, Shilling decided to chalk the shark’s jaws onto every P-40 at Kyedaw. Because of this, no two of them had the same mouth. Only the “Hell’s Angels” airplanes had their machine guns bore-sighted when Chennault was notified of the potential for an impending war.

To finish equipping, the “Adam and Eves” and the “Pandas” went to Kunming, China. On December 3, 1941, the “Hell’s Angels” flew their aircraft to Mingaladon Airdrome, north of Rangoon. A few days later, on December 20, 1941, the Flying Tigers engaged in their first battle.

I will Run Wild is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Pinterest

January 17, 2023 0 comment

History

Why this Hurricane had the biggest influence on the Battle of Britain

by Till Daisd January 17, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Hurricane OK-1 had the biggest impact on all the aircraft that took part in the Battle of Britain. a single airplane. Despite being flown by an Ace with 20 wins to his credit, it failed to shoot down anything during the combat (all during WWI).

Early in the 1930s, Sydney Camm at Hawker Aircraft created the British single-seater monoplane fighter aircraft known as the Hawker Hurricane. In World War II, it served admirably and was responsible for more than 60% of the air wins in the Battle of Britain.

During the Battle of Britain, Fighter Command flew 1,715 Hurricanes in total, significantly more than all other British fighters combined. In the months of July and October 1940, it is thought that Hurricane pilots were responsible for four out of every five enemy aircraft destroyed.

Hurricane OK-1 had the most impact of all the aircraft in the Battle of Britain. One airplane only. Despite being flown by an Ace with 20 victories under his belt (all in WWI), it didn’t shoot down anything throughout the conflict, according to Jim Schofield, an aviation expert on Quora.

‘OK-1’s impact came as a result of being the trusted personal aircraft of Air Vice Marshal Sir Keith Park.

‘“If any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did” – Air Chief Marshal Lord Tedder (1947)

‘Sir Keith saved the entire world, becoming the first General to defeat the Nazis in a large battle, in what may be the most pivotal and most important battle in world history. His Hurricane, OK-1, was the plane he flew while doing it. It’s important to note that Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding is as crucial as Sir Keith, and was Fighter Command’s overall commander. Plus, massive contributions from so many others. I believe Lord Dowding didn’t fly around as of the Battle of Britain; if he did, his plane would be here too!’

He goes on;

‘This photograph shows Sir Keith and OK-1. The handwritten inscription indicates it was taken on the 15th of September, presumably in 1940; a date now celebrated as Battle of Britain Day. That day was the climax of the battle when some 1,500 aircraft fought above London and Southern England. The RAF and Sir Keith (and OK-1!) emerged victorious.

‘Sir Keith’s beloved ‘dear old Hurricane’ seems to have served him and the RAF extremely well throughout the battle.

‘So, what’s so special about OK-1? Physically not much, it’s like all the other Hurricanes. She was a Block 3 Mk.1 Hurricane, with a Merlin III engine, with the serial number P3854. It’s her precious cargo, Sir Keith, who OK-1 kept safe and sound is what makes her so important… Although she does have appropriate, badass nose art; Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Hades, who guards the underworld to prevent the dead from escaping!’

Schofield concludes:

‘Sir Keith is an incredible, sadly under-recognized hero.

‘And that’s why Hurricane, OK-1 is the aircraft that had the most impact on the Battle of Britain!’

Photo by Crown Copyright

January 17, 2023 0 comment

YF 1568 Navy Competition Paint Scheme 1170x720 1

History

Development and Life of YF-16 #72-1568

by Till Daisd January 15, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The revolutionary advantages the YF-16 #72-1568 jet had over earlier fighter models are where the aircraft starts to stand out and contribute to changing the fighter world

A new fighter is needed

The American airpower plan in the Vietnam War was centered on penetrating enemy territory from a greater range and destroying aircraft before they even took to the air. The Air Force developed this strategy to target enemy air bases like Phuoc Yen and Gia Lam near Hanoi and those north of the Yalu River in China out of concern that China may reenact its entry into the Korean War.

The Air Force organized its forces for a conflict that never occurred. The larger, more expensive, and less nimble jets that the service had concentrated its efforts on producing became unsuccessful in the soon-to-be air-to-air battle as orders came down to prosecute a limited war against the communists in Vietnam.

The story of the Longest Serving F-16: Development and Life of YF-16 #72-1568 — YF-16 #72-1568 Static Display – Goleta Air and Space Museum

To make matters worse, the AIM-7 and AIM-9 missile systems on the F-4 Phantom had success rates below 20%. The highly skilled US pilots were dissatisfied, left empty-handed, and unable to defend their designated bomber groups since the F-4 lacked a viable armament to combat the faster and more agile MiG-17, MiG-19, and MiG-21 fighter jets.

The “Fighter Mafia” was established at this turning point in the development of fighters and limited warfare. This informal team of skilled military aviators, technical experts, and defense analysts fought valiantly to use Russian MiGs to catch up to US technology.

Pilot and engineer John Boyd set out to demonstrate it. He ultimately came up with the Energy Maneuverability Theory, which for the first time measured the performance factors of jets based on thrust, weight, aerodynamic drag, wing area, etc. Most crucially, it demonstrated to senior Air Force officers that the MiG-21 could outmaneuver every aircraft in the American fleet, leading to the creation of the Lightweight Fighter Jet Program in 1972.

Contest

The goal of the Lightweight Fighter Program was to design a less expensive, more maneuverable fighter jet that could establish and sustain dominance in hostile skies.

20,000 lb fighter with high maneuverability, quick acceleration, long-range, and specialized to compete at combat speeds between.6 and 1.6 Mach at an altitude range of 30,000 to 40,000 feet was requested by the program as one of its baseline objectives. The catch was that each plane had to cost less than $3 million, which would be a nice $18.5 million in 2020.

Five companies submitted designs, and the General Dynamics YF-16 and the Northrop YF-17 were selected as the final two. They did compete against other fighters in the U.S. arsenal as well as some “acquired” Mig-21s, while never engaging in actual combat. Within two years, the Air Force had decided on the ground-breaking YF-16, buying an initial 650 aircraft and promising to buy an additional 348 from four NATO nations.

Sharing parts and cutting costs

With an incredibly cheap beginning cost, the General Dynamics YF-16 development provided a special high-performance capability.

Employing components from other aircraft with running production lines was among the most economical approaches used to construct the YF-16 #72-1568. The Air Force gained from sharing the same supply lines in two ways: it became less of a threat to the ongoing F-15 program and became more appealing to other nations.

The Pratt & Whitney F-100 turbofan production lines used in the F-15’s development were put to use by the YF-16. The single-engine aircraft used a tested power source that did not threaten the beloved F-15 while cutting the cost per flight hour almost in half.

The Escapac ejection seat was another important component that was seized. Later, the ACES II variant used in the F-15 and A-10 would take its place. To reduce testing and manufacturing time, the firing control handles on the ACES II were moved from the sides of the seat to a single “D” ring in the center, between the pilot’s legs.

In order to pay attention to even the smallest details, the B-58 Hustler’s tires were also removed. Last but not least, the M61A1 6 barrel 20mm Vulcan Cannon was placed on board for the sky gunslingers. The Vulcan had nearly 20 years of performance history on six distinct fighter platforms, including two bomber platforms, before being chosen for the YF-16!

The YF-16 #72-1568 was initially designed with a wing area that was 20 square feet smaller and 26 inches shorter than anticipated, but as the mission set grew, additional requirements arose. The Westinghouse APG-66 radar was not initially required because General Dynamics only intended the aircraft for fair weather day fighting. The nose cone had to be made longer to fit this in. Production variants were lengthened by 16 inches in the radome and 10 inches in the midsection to accommodate larger radars.

Cockpit and Egress Systems

The revolutionary benefits the YF-16 #72-1568 jet had over earlier fighter models are where the aircraft starts to stand out and contribute to changing the fighter world.

With a full internal fuel load, it can draw 6.5 Gs, and with less fuel and a heavier weapons payload, it can pull an incredible 9 Gs. Fly-by-wire, a redesigned G-suit, and a steeper ejection seat slope were the three key advances in aircraft design that allowed for this.

The new fly-by-wire system, which shifted the control stick from between the pilot’s legs and installed it on the right side of the cockpit, was the alteration that was most evident to pilots. The two YF-16s were the first aircraft to use the slightly more dependable analog fly-by-wire system, as opposed to NASA’s usage of the first digital fly-by-wire system in the space capsule and an F-8 test jet. The system took the physical load of pulling a traditional floor-mounted stick off the pilot by processing the side-mounted control stick input through a quad computer system, then using the hydraulic system to make the desired adjustments. As a result, the pilot’s reaction time was sped up and he was able to influence an opponent’s reaction time.

The engineers were also able to shift the center of gravity aft thanks to the fly-by-wire technology, with the computers computers making up the difference in controls.

The engineers angled the ejection seat from the initial 13 degrees, which can be seen in the F-15, A-10, F-4, etc., to 30 degrees to lessen the huge stress that the G forces inflicted on the human body. A new G-suit regulator was added that would inflate more quickly to further reduce the possibility of a blackout during high-G maneuvers.

In contrast to production versions, there were two distinct systems for unlocking and raising the canopy. Two levers that, when pulled aft, unlocked the canopy hooks were mounted on the interior forward canopy frame. The flexible screw drives that were integrated into the canopy structure were connected to these two levers. An electrical switch that triggered a pneumatic actuator positioned in what is now the avionics compartment behind the cockpit bulkhead was responsible for lifting the canopy. The torque tube, which was also placed in the avionics bay, was rotated by the actuator when it was activated, raising the canopy. This massive torque tube was bolted externally to the canopy hinges and spanned the whole width of the jet.

The pilot was equipped with lightning-fast options in case of an emergency, yet none of them were redundant. The internal canopy jettison handle had to be used to first jettison the canopy if the pilot had to exit the aircraft while in flight. This was coupled to a single canopy thruster on the left side of the fuselage, which when activated would release the canopy’s hooks and push it into the wind, causing it to pull back violently enough to dislodge the torque tube. The pilot might then exit the aircraft by pulling on the seat’s ejection control handle. If the canopy hooks became trapped, the solid polycarbonate transparency made it hard for the pilot to eject.

The hooks could be unlocked and the canopy could be raised externally using a lever that could be pulled out and rotated up. The canopy’s disposal on the ground posed further dangers. On the right side of the forward fuselage, where it appears on production versions, there was a single emergency canopy jettison handle. To manually raise the canopy in order to save the pilot, a single canopy thruster on the fuselage side had to be engaged using this handle. This system lacked the wind speed necessary to firmly remove the canopy from either canopy jettison handle while the user was on the ground.

After winning

The Lightweight Fighter Jet Program didn’t end with its victory in the Air Day Fighter Fly-Off.

Weapons including the AIM-7, ATLIS II laser targeting pod, and helmet-mounted sight systems, to mention a few, were tested on the YF-16 #72-1568. The aircraft was employed for air exhibitions and static displays while it wasn’t being tested. It was once given a blue navy paint scheme to compete in a separate fly-off, but the US Navy chose the YF-17 (what is now the F/A-18) instead for both fleet service and the renowned “Blue Angels” due to the single engine and various changes that increased weight.

Sadly, on May 8th, 1975, the main landing gear got stuck during a practice flight for the Paris Air Show. When his fuel was almost gone and there was no time to scramble a tanker, the pilot was forced to belly land on the grass next to the Carswell, AFB runway. The YF-16 #72-1568 had considerable inlet damage, a cracked bulkhead and radome, and other problems after inspection; the aircraft was stored for what seemed like good reason.

Five more years would pass until the YF-16 #72-1568 was used once more. It was transported from Fort Worth to the Rome, New York, Air Development Center in 1980 so that it could be tested there. By cutting the plane in half to fit a 10-inch plug behind the cockpit, installing the larger nose radome, putting spacers within the wings, removing all of the internals, and fitting with test objects, the aircraft was transformed to resemble a production model. Testing of new antennas, external fuel tanks, and radar signatures at various angles would all be done on YF-16 #72-1568.

In 2019, the Fort Worth Aviation Museum collaborated with the National Museum of the Air Force to bring her back home, on loan, to be fully restored to its original state and proudly presented to the public after 48 years and an unthinkable number of tests. This restoration was only made possible with the assistance of skilled volunteers from the Fort Worth Aviation Museum, Lockheed Martin, the 24th Fighter Squadron, and a number of local aviation experts.

Photo by U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin, and Fort Worth Aviation Museum

January 15, 2023 0 comment

History

De Havilland Hornet, the forgotten replacement of the illustrous Mosquito

by Till Daisd January 14, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Despite being frequently overlooked, this aircraft was the best of its kind. Most people are familiar with the Mosquito, but many overlook its successor, the renowned Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown, who compared it to “flying a Ferrari in the sky.”

In many ways, the de Havilland Hornet epitomizes fighter design for piston engines. With its thin fuselage, sleek aesthetics, and tightly cowled engines, the goal of optimizing performance was taken very seriously from the beginning. On July 28, 1944, the prototype (RR915), which had been constructed as a private venture, had its first flight.

The Hornet was powered by two 2,070 hp Merlin engines driving opposite-handed propellers and was built around the successful wooden construction principles of the de Havilland Mosquito. Boscombe Down trials revealed an amazing top speed of 485 mph at 22,000 feet. Such a kind also had exceptional handling qualities, especially in light of its high rate of roll.

Before the aircraft achieved operational condition, the war had already ended in the Pacific Theatre, where it was originally intended for operations against the Japanese. The F Mk 1 and the F Mk 3, the latter with more fuel capacity and a larger dorsal fin, were the two major models used by the RAF Fighter Command.

The Hornet served in the Royal Navy as well, at first as a single-seat fighter (Sea Hornet F 20). The installation of an arrester hook and wing-folding were the principal improvements. In the back fuselage, space was also reserved for an oblique reconnaissance camera.

‘An often forgotten aircraft that was nevertheless the pinnacle of its type. Most have heard of the Mosquito, but many forget its successor – described by the venerable Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown as “Like flying a Ferrari in the sky”,’ says Alex Patrick, an aviation expert, on Quora.

Patrick goes on to say,

‘Besides looking bloody fantastic, it was one of the fastest piston-engined aircraft ever designed.

‘Continuing the colossal success garnered by the wartime Mosquito, de Havilland began the Hornet as a private venture in 1941.

The story of the de Havilland Hornet, the cool, forgotten successor of the famous Mosquito

‘Intended to improve on the Mosquito and become the main long-range fighter intended for the RAF operating in the Pacific theatre, it continued the basis of a wooden airframe and two powerful Merlin engines – however, it would be smaller and more streamlined than the Mosquito, having just one seat and a narrower fuselage without a bomb bay.

‘Whilst the Mosquito, originally designed as a light bomber, was a true jack-of-all-trades, the Hornet was designed primarily as a fighter.

‘A high-overpowered aircraft. The favorite piston aircraft of Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown, who flew the most different aircraft types of any pilot, stated that you could do almost anything you wanted using just one of the Hornet’s engines, let alone using both.

‘First flying in 1944, the D.H.103 Hornet was completed too late for wartime service, entering RAF service in 1946. It was also procured by the Royal Navy, being tested rigorously on carrier landings.

‘Though it was used by a fair number of Fleet Air Arm squadrons, it was largely deemed unfit for the smaller Colossus and Majestic class of light fleet carriers.

‘Hornets saw extensive service during the Malayan Emergency in 1951, flying dozens of missions and replacing the fairly sub-par Bristol Brigands. They were usually equipped with a mix of 500lb bombs and RP-3 unguided rockets, as well as a plentiful supply of 20mm rounds for strafing guerrilla positions.’

Finally, Patrick says,

‘This would be their only major outing, however, and by 1955, ten years after the first ones had rolled off the production lines, the Hornets were retired from service. Nearly 400 had been built, and they served as heavy fighters, fighter bombers, photo-reconnaissance, and night fighters.

‘Most were replaced by Sea Furies in the Fleet Air Arm, and de Havilland Venoms in the fighter-bomber role in the RAF.’

Photo by Umeyou via Wikipedia and Crown Copyright

January 14, 2023 0 comment

History

When the Luftwaffe lost 20% of its Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers during the Battle of Britain

by Till Daisd January 12, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Germans’ closest option for precision bombers was the Ju-87 Stuka, and they employed them as such until the Battle of Britain

The Stuka, also known as the Junkers Ju 87 or Sturzkampfflugzeug (German for “dive bomber”), was a ground-attack and dive bomber aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 served the Axis forces during World War II and made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War.

‘The Ju-87 Stukas were the nearest thing to precision bombers the Germans had, and they were used as such right up until the Battle of Britain,’ points out Francis Dickinson, Analyst at National Health Service (NHS), on Quora. ‘However, the Battle of Britain made their shortcomings very clear even if the Germans were able to badly damage three Chain Home stations with them as well as some other things.

Here’s why Luftwaffe lost 20{c09bf51d3084968f1fc8e8160bd97d2911d32a96dfcb7d9df5d8fba5b5a6afbe} of its Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers during the Battle of Britain even though they were escorted by fighters — Chain Home station in Poling, Sussex (1945)

‘The Stuka was not the fastest plane in the sky, but its crippling weakness was the very dive bombing that gave it its precision bombing approach. To divebomb you continue in a straight line at a constant speed, diving toward the target. This means that when you start the bombing run you are signaling what you are going to be doing for the next few seconds. This means that the fighters trying to shoot you down know not only where you are but where you are going to be. You also lose a lot of altitudes so it’s hard for the fighters to protect you at – and because dive bombing was at a constant speed and other planes dived to gain speed most planes can trade their altitude for speed to catch the dive bomber. Further, if you had an escort of fighters at the start of the dive-bombing run either they didn’t join you in the dive at all (in which case they weren’t with you at the end) or they did and gained a lot of speed in the dive (in which case they weren’t with you at the end). This made it a very easy target whenever it tried to bomb something and there were fighters around and even opportunist fighters could catch Stukas when they were effectively unprotected.’

Dickinson continues;

‘Then there’s the matter of taking out the radar stations by bombing. It was possible to knock over the wooden huts they used, but that didn’t do very much that couldn’t be repaired or replaced in only a few hours. And as for the towers such as the ones seen below the open girder construction means that short of the kinetic damage from a direct hit on one of the towers not much damage would be done by bombs; neither blasts nor flying metal would do very much. Three stations were badly damaged by bombing from Stukas, but that was nowhere near enough to break the chain and on the one occasion I know of the chain was actually broken the Germans weren’t aware of it.

‘Also, the Germans simply didn’t get how important the British radar system was. They had radar of their own that could sweep an area to look for things that were the equal of the British radar – but what they didn’t have was anything remotely approaching the Dowding system to integrate reports from the radar and on the ground observers into something the fighters could actually use, working out which cases were the observers and different radar systems tracking the same planes, plotting the planes on a map, and then sending where their targets and threats were to the pilots. Below is the most famous actual room used, complete with the maps and markers with sticks to move them to track the German planes. Without that the radar was an early warning system rather than part of a command and control network.

‘As for defending the Stukas with German fighters, they were. But the British had radar so they could ensure that the Germans were outnumbered in most engagements because they knew where and when the Germans were coming. The Spitfires would go in first – and the German fighters had to fight the Spitfires or be shot up while in formation. Then the less capable Hurricanes would go in on the bombers, putting holes in many and shooting some down. And because the British always knew where the German planes were coming, they could always have some opportunist observers (that the Germans thought were patrols) watching for if the fighters were drawn off; escorts couldn’t go after patrols because it would uncover their bombers.’

Dickinson concludes;

‘The Stukas were withdrawn from the Battle of Britain when between August 8 and 18 1940 Germany lost 20% of its Stukas to the RAF. Those were clearly unsustainable losses – and the Germans had a fight coming up against an enemy that was known to not have one of the strongest air forces in the world; the Stukas were needed for the Russia campaigns where they wouldn’t be quite such easy targets. The lesson was learned – dive bombing was a great tactic against enemies who didn’t have a first-rate air force but they were very hard to provide cover for and fighters could shoot them down pretty easily if the Germans didn’t control the skies.’

Photo by Bundesarchiv, Bild via Wikipedia and Crown Copyright

January 12, 2023 0 comment

History

Bat 21 and other important CSAR operations from the Vietnam War

by Till Daisd January 12, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Many pilots who were shot down remembered how the sound of a Sandy passing overhead gave them hope when everything looked desperate

Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) personnel made a crucial contribution throughout the Vietnam War and upheld their motto, “That Others May Live.” They helped 4,120 people in total, and 2,780 of them were in combat. They received 38 Air Force Crosses, two Medals of Honor, and countless other honors for their outstanding accomplishments. However, the price was tremendous as 45 planes were lost and 71 American rescuers perished during the conflict.

As Peter E. Davies explains in his book Ho Chi Minh Trail 1964–1973, SAR efforts could turn into large-scale operations requiring multiple planes over a number of days.

On January 17, 1969, the crew of a Stormy FAC aircraft that included an F-4D Phantom II (66-8773) attacked a 37mm AAA site while on an armed reconnaissance mission over southern Laos. One F-4D was struck and crashed in flames. The WSO in the back seat was able to eject, which led to a rescue operation involving 284 aircraft. One Sandy A-1H (52-134632) from the initial flight was shot down, and the HH-53B “Jolly Green 67” rushed to save its pilot, Lt Col Lurrie Morris, the commander of the 602nd SOS, and look for the F-4D crew.

It crashed near Tchepone and was severely damaged. While strike aircraft destroyed “Jolly Green 67” to prevent its capture, a second HH-53B, “Jolly Green 70,” came in to rescue its crew and Morris. The next day, a second Sandy (52-134588) and its pilot, Capt. Robert Coady were destroyed by heavy 37mm fire as the hunt for the missing F-4 pilot went on. While Sandys used tear gas to keep the enemy at bay, an O-2A that was in the same area inspecting the damage to trucks from the previous night was struck. The rescue team diverted to pick up its crew.

Bringing them home: Bat 21 and the other big CSAR operations of the Vietnam War — A-1E Skyraider escorts an HH-3C rescue helicopter on a CSAR mission in 1966.

The recovery of a 12th TFW F-4C crew, “Boxer 22,” required one of the largest SAR operations, which took place close to Ban Phanop in southern Laos, one of the Ho Chi Minh Trail’s most heavily defended areas. A 37mm hit caused the crew to eject, and on December 5, 1969, a 51-hour rescue operation comprising 366 sorties (including 171 by A-1 Sandys) got underway. Seven Nakhon Phanom helicopters tried a recovery on the first day, but one of them ended up with its tail boom caught in a tree. All of them were chased away by ground fire, and 47 A-1 sorties were flown nonstop to put out gunfire coming from roughly a hundred different sources.

Capt Ben Danielson, the F-4C pilot, was killed by NVA soldiers, but 1Lt Woodie Bergeron, the backseater, was finally rescued by an HH-53 from behind a dense smokescreen after spending two nights on the ground or submerged in a river covered in forest. Five A-1s and 12 other aircraft suffered heavy damage, and a para jumper died. 24 A-1 Sandy aircraft made a mass return to Nakhon Phanom, and 4,000 people gathered at the base to welcome the HH-53 carrying Bergeron. It was a graphic demonstration of the US objective of protecting its own men at great cost.

Airmen likely benefited from this knowledge as they launched incredibly perilous flights over Laos and Vietnam. Many pilots who were shot down remembered how the sound of a Sandy passing overhead gave them hope when everything looked desperate.

On April 2, 1972, the EB-66C 54-0466 “Bat 21,” which was providing ECM protection for an Arc Light strike, was shot down by an SA-2 near the DMZ. This incident serves as another outstanding example of the tenacity of SAR operators. Lt Col Iceal “Gene” Hambleton, a 53-year-old navigator, was the only crew member to eject, and he landed near to an NVA troop concentration. The ensuing 11 days saw the mounting of the largest SAR operation of the conflict (as dramatized in the film Bat 21, with Gene Hackman playing Hambleton). Another SA-2 destroyed an HC-130 “King Bird” that was flying over the area, but Lt Col Bill Jankowski, an O-2A FAC headquartered in Da Nang, made touch with Hambleton as he was parachuting down. Later, Capt Gary Ferentchak in a Pave Nail OV-10A confirmed his location.

As they approached, Sandy A-1s strafe NVA soldiers who were less than 300 feet from Hambleton’s post. Two of the four US Army helicopters that attempted the rescue were shot down. The following day, a number of FACs were still stationed there, with one of them (OV-10A Nail 38) being taken down by an SA-2.

90 strike sorties a day were flown over the next 11 days to defend Hambleton, and another OV-10A, “Covey 282,” was lost. A 37th ARRS HH-53C was struck by machine gun fire on April 6 during a final attempt at rescue, and all of its occupants perished when the aircraft crashed. Eventually, Hambleton made it to a riverbank where he was found and saved by a special operations SEAL team that had also rescued Nail pilot 1Lt Mark Clark. Lt. Tom Norris, the leader of the SEAL team, received the Medal of Honor for his rescue work.

Ho Chi Minh Trail 1964-73 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and TriStar Pictures

January 12, 2023 0 comment

History

A thorough story of the P-38 killing of Yamamoto

by Till Daisd January 11, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Yamamoto’s plane was no longer visible; instead, a towering column of black smoke could be seen rising into the air from the thick jungle

Admiral Yamamoto was the brains behind Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, and the war that followed made him a priority target. US codebreakers deciphered Yamamoto’s flight schedule for an upcoming trip to Rabaul in 1943. But it was nonetheless one of the most difficult tasks of World War II for the P-38 Lightning unit that was given the order to track down, intercept, and shoot down his aircraft at a great distance.

On April 18, 1943, six escorting Zero fighters from No. 204 Kaigun Kokutai accompanied the two Japanese Navy G4M (Betty) bombers carrying Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto and Chief of Staff Matome Ugaki as they took off from Lakunai airfield on New Britain’s east coast at 0600 hours. The flight path first touched down at the southern tip of New Ireland as a security concession and to give the commander of the Combined Fleet a glimpse of his deployed forces. It then turned south along Bougainville’s east coast, passing the Japanese bases at Buka and Kieta, before continuing on to Buin.

The Zeros arranged themselves into two flights of three, each in the shape of a “V.” Given that they believed American fighters would only approach from the seaward side, the Japanese kept Bougainville’s mountains to their left. The fighters followed a mile behind them on either side, at an altitude of 8,200 feet, while the bombers maintained a height of 6,500 feet.

Ugaki’s Betty carried its standard armament of three 13mm guns and one 20mm gun, but the squadron leader only requested one belt for each weapon due to the weight of the ammunition boxes. There is absolutely no proof that Yamamoto’s Betty was armed. Japanese operational security was extraordinarily lax on every level. After takeoff, the chief pilot of the aircraft carrying Yamamoto sent a communication to the Ballale base stating that they were “due to arrive 0745.”

We Killed Yamamoto: a detailed description of the P-38 assassination of the man behind Pearl Harbor — Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto

Ugaki, who was seated in the captain’s seat directly behind the chief pilot Hayashi, soon fell asleep. The aircraft got its first glimpse of Ballale at 7:30, at which point it started a shallow descent in preparation for landing. “Expect to arrive at Ballale 0745,” Tanimoto wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to the still-half-asleep Ugaki when he was in the copilot’s seat. The lush jungle below could be seen when the formation flew over Bougainville’s west coast.

One of the escort fighters suddenly took off in front of the second bomber. Its wings lowered, and the pilot could be seen pointing in that direction. As one of the escort Zeros got closer to the lead bomber, it picked up speed and quickly descended by pushing its nose down. Hiroshi Hayashi, a Japanese flight petty officer second class serving with the 705th Air Squadron and having spent almost a year in Rabaul, was in charge of the second bomber. Professional outrage was his first reaction; such a rapid loss of height was risky. But his suffering had really just begun.

A flight of 16 P-38 Lightning fighters, flown by Major John Mitchell, from the USAAF 374th and 18th Fighter Groups, had detected the Japanese bombers and was turning to intercept.

It was Doug Canning, flying No. 3 in the flight, who broke radio silence: “Bogeys! Eleven o’clock high!” At that moment, Mitchell spotted two Japanese bombers (not the lone Betty anticipated by the intelligence) crossing the western tip of Bougainville 5 miles away at about 4,500ft in a shallow descent toward Ballale with six Zeros behind them in two flights of three about a thousand feet higher. He replied “Roger,” and “I have ‘em.”

The P-38s were still at wave-top height and making a 90-degree turn toward the Japanese aircraft. Mitchell made a right turn and followed their trail while firewalling his engine to accelerate as quickly as possible. He pulled his own belly tank release while Julius Jacobson, Canning, and Delton Goerke dropped theirs after ordering his pilots to “skin off your tanks.”

Besby Holmes’ tanks wouldn’t detach: “I jigged the release, I checked the circuit breakers, nothing happened. I couldn’t drop them.” He radioed his flight leader Thomas Lanphier (who led the section tasked to attack Yamamoto’s bomber), “Wait a minute Tom, I’ll tear my tanks off, just give me a second.” Holmes drew away from the formation once more out over the water after receiving no answer from Lanphier. He then turned toward the sea and accelerated in the hopes of shaking the tanks loose, “That was a mistake as far as I was concerned,” Mitchell later noted, while showing due deference to Raymond Hine, Holmes’ wingman, who “rightfully followed him to protect him.”

The entire operation appeared to be failing at that point. Mitchell, whose section was in charge of giving the other Lightnings high cover, felt his heart sink as he realized that his fighters would now be facing twice as many bombers than they had originally planned. Even worse, he had no idea which Betty belonged to Yamamoto and was unable to direct his pilots to focus on it.

As he radioed to Lanphier, Mitchell guided his airplane in its ascent to the predetermined CAP height with cold resolve. “He’s your meat, Tom.” Lanphier acknowledged, and the two remaining planes of the killer flight turned toward the eight enemy aircraft on a rising intercept course.

The covering flight kept ascending while staying parallel to the Japanese aircraft. Mitchell was strongly tempted to join the pursuit and level off. “If I had known they weren’t going to send any fighters up to greet the admiral, I would have made the attack. I would have taken over, Lanphier or anyone else be damned. I would have gone in first.” He had opted for the high cover role because he anticipated mixing it up with the Zeros scrambling from Buin. But none of these so much as got off the ground while the interception was in progress — “a big disappointment to me and the rest of the cover flight.”

Therefore, the killer flight would be the main focus of the action. All following sources concur that Lanphier made a climbing turn to the left (to the left of the attacking element) (north by northwest). In doing so, he had come face to face with the three escort Zeros on the formation’s seaward side. By all accounts moving forward, Rex Barber, Lanphier’s wingman, banked sharply right. Mitchell radioed while observing from above, “Get the bombers … damn it all, the bombers!” Neither Barber nor Lanphier would later recall hearing this radio transmission. They were too mission-focused.

Now the accounts start to differ. Over the course of the subsequent few minutes, specifics of what occurred have been the subject of passionate debate for more than 75 years. Each participant went to their grave vowing that their point of view was the only one that mattered, and no version of the story can be reconciled with any other.

The day’s activities appeared to the Japanese to be completely simple. They were ambushed and overpowered. The pilots of the escorting Zeros were fatally late in responding to the threat because they were taken entirely by surprise. They had no idea that American fighters would arrive from behind them at a lower altitude as they flew above the bombers and scanned the southern horizon in front of them. Kenji Yanagiya, one of their number, didn’t know they were being attacked until the flight leader abruptly rocked his wings and dove at full speed.

His first impulse was to divert the P-38s from their intended attack route rather than attempt to shoot them down. From their higher altitude, all six of the Zeros executed a straight dive to position themselves between the bombers and the approaching P-38s. They continued to fire in front of the P-38s in an effort to keep them from closing in on the Bettys rather than firing at the American fighters. The enemy was relentless, however: “They were all firing at the bomber and they were just going in rows, so to speak. They were all firing … Shoot, flip, go down — just like that.”

Aboard the bombers, confusion was total. “What happened?” Ugaki called out to his plane’s captain, who replied “It must be some mistake.” The crew onboard took up battle stations, cleared their guns, and prepared for firing. “For a moment, the wind blowing in and the handling of machine guns and all caused one mixed, disturbing noise,” Ugaki recalled. His bomber made a sudden evasive turn off more than 90 degrees. Having spotted the American fighters, the bomber’s captain, “seeing an enemy plane about to make a dive at us, tapped the shoulder of the chief pilot, directing him to turn left or right.” As they entered their dives, Yamamoto and Ugaki’s aircraft split apart, their separation growing as the No. 1 plane swung to the right and south-southwest toward the shoreline while the No. 2 plane banked east to the left.

As Ugaki’s plane separated from the lead bomber he lost track of Yamamoto before finally locating the C-in-C’s Betty. He was frightened to watch the plane spitting smoke and losing speed as it headed south, now skimming the top of the bush. Ugaki shouted at the pilot before turning back to the air staff officer Muroi, who was waiting on the gangway diagonally behind him, “Follow plane No. 1! Follow plane No. 1!”

Hayashi, who was making frantic escape attempts, had similarly lost sight of the other bomber as he banked and turned the aircraft, at times just using his hands and at other times only his feet. “Tracers flashed by our wings, and the pilot frantically maneuvered to evade the pursuing fighter plane,” Ugaki recalled. “I waited impatiently for the airplane to return to a horizontal position so that I could observe the admiral’s bomber. Although I hoped for the best, I knew only too well what the airplane’s fate would be.” He was right in his prediction. Yamamoto’s plane was no longer visible; instead, a towering column of black smoke could be seen rising into the air from the thick jungle. His diary entry is permeated with his anguish at the time: “Alas! It is all over!”

We Killed Yamamoto is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Adam Tooby via Osprey, U.S. Navy

January 11, 2023 0 comment

History

The last aviator to fly all the Grumman Cats

by Till Daisd January 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

After piloting every Navy fighter from the Wildcat to the Tomcat, Commander Glenn Tierney concluded his long military career in 1971

By giving combat-tested carrier fighters to the US Navy, the former Grumman Aerospace Corporation, now known as Northrop Grumman, made history. Each of these amazing fighter planes was not only technologically superior for its day but also named after cats in keeping with Grumman’s own style.

The Story of the Last Aviator to fly All the Grumman Cats

The number of pilots who had the particular privilege and notoriety of flying every Grumman cat over their brilliant flying careers is exceedingly small. Glenn Tierney, a true legend in Naval Aviation, is the sole surviving member of this exclusive group of Grumman Cat drivers. He also holds the title of being the only pilot to have fired the most AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles of any fighter pilot in the United States Navy AND the United States Air Force.

The documentary HUN PILOTS tells the tale of his accomplishment as the Chief Test Pilot for the missile that fundamentally changed air-to-air warfare. It is not surprising that the 96-year-old Glenn Tierney would work with the Speed & Angels Productions Team once more on their follow-up movie, TOMCAT TALES, which is available on Blu-ray at www.f14tomcats.com. Since the Tomcat was the last of the great Grumman cats to protect the US Navy Fleet for almost 66 years, it was only fitting that the final Grumman Cats pilot share his F-14 story in the movie “Tomcat Tales.”

The two documentaries’ director, Mark Vizcarra, a former fighter pilot, talks about filming this iconic person. “I love working with Glenn because every time I do, I walk away having learned something! He’s a walking screenplay and has a little black book filled with incredible stories. The only thing is, your face is going to be sore from laughing so hard. His stories and delivery are always amazing with portions downright hysterical!” In 1971, Commander Glenn Tierney retired from the service after a distinguished career that saw him pilot every Navy fighter, from the Wildcat to the Tomcat. The Vought F7U Cutlass was the sole fighter he didn’t fly, which was probably for the best considering it had the greatest accident rate of any Navy swept-wing fighter.

His Naval career was timed perfectly because the F-14 flew its first flight on Dec. 21, 1970. His boss, Admiral Hank Miller, informed him while he was at Patuxent River, Maryland, that the third F-14 to leave the assembly line would be flown back up to Grumman’s “Iron Works” in Bethpage, New York, where it was made. Tomcat 3 had breached the test envelope, according to Admiral Miller’s remark. This worn-out, battered Grumman F-14 must be returned. Admiral Miller offered his men who weren’t participating in the test program a “good deal” flight in the newest and best fighter.

Glenn Tierney promptly raised his hand and stated, “I’ll go… I’ll go!” even though he had five days left before retiring. Glenn received the nod from the Admiral at a time when the Navy fighter community was still quite loose. He instructed him to read the manual before getting a short cockpit inspection.

Glenn Tierney claims that the Admiral did add a crucial condition that was made abundantly clear. He allowed Glen to fly the aircraft for an hour and a half while he ran the wings back and forth. He cautioned him, though, not to pull too many Gs because the Tomcat had been through a lot and might start breaking. Glenn assured the Admiral there would be “no hanky-panky”. The Admiral’s final and most crucial directive to Glenn was, “keep one thing in mind – do not come back without the airplane”.

As promised to the Admiral, Glenn Tierney completed his 30-year career flying a faultless mission in the Navy’s first fourth-generation fighter. Glenn Tierney continues to appear in movies today despite having flown nearly forty different aircraft, one of which had a top speed of only 126 mph and the other of 1566 mph. The documentary “Icons of Carrier Aviation,” which is now in pre-production, is expected to feature him.

Other awesome F-14 stories are featured in the documentary Tomcat Tales available to purchase here.

Photo by U.S. Navy and Mark and Michael Vizcarra, Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK, and Kogo via Wikipedia

January 10, 2023 0 comment

History

The observation mission to monitor V2 impacts flown by Luftwaffe Arado Ar 234 reconnaissance aircraft

by Till Daisd January 9, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Even though they weren’t as well-known as the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters, the Ar 234s that made it to Luftwaffe units were outstanding aircraft, especially for reconnaissance

The world’s first operational jet bomber and reconnaissance aircraft were the Arado Ar 234 B Blitz (Lightning). On August 2, 1944, the Ar 234 conducted its first combat mission, a reconnaissance flight over the Allied beachhead in Normandy. The Blitz quickly avoided Allied fighters with piston engines thanks to its top speed of 735 kilometers per hour (459 miles per hour).

Even though they weren’t as well-known as the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters, the Ar 234s that made it to Luftwaffe units were outstanding aircraft, especially for reconnaissance.

It was decided on Christmas Day of 1944, as recounted by Robert Forsyth and Nick Beale in their book Arado Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units, that all Ar 234 reconnaissance flights should begin from Rheine for the time being. Once reinforcements had arrived, Kommando Sperling (Detachment Sparrow) should hold a pilot at readiness for V2 spotting over Antwerp “in accordance with oral instructions to detachment pilot Hauptmann Horst

Oberleutnant Werner Muffey and Leutnant Wolfgang Ziese took off in quick succession to cover the combat area, Nijmegen, and Tilburg on the 25th, which for once had clear skies. Meanwhile, Oberleutnant Erich Sommer was driving to the photographic division of Lw.Kdo. West (Luftwaffenkommando West – Air Command West).

Muffey completed a duty given to him a week prior on the 26th by taking photos of the English coast from Southwold to Dover, followed by Boulogne, Calais, Dunkirk, Ostend, Zeebrugge, the Scheldt, and Antwerp. Later, he remembered such a flight; ‘Crossing the coastline near Lowestoft at around 10,000 m and in a clear blue sky, trailing long white condensed streams for everyone to see. I can’t remember just how many airfields we counted on the film I had brought back, full of Fortresses and Liberators, but that had been the order – to start early enough [so as] to still have them on the film before they had left their base, heading for Germany.’

On the morning of the 25th, Ziese was also up and flying an observation mission to monitor V2 impacts on Antwerp in Ar 234B2 WkNr 140153 T9+HH. Since October, V2 aircraft had been continuously attacking Antwerp, the main supply port for the Allies; the assault would persist until March 28, 1945.

At an altitude of between 7000 and 9000 meters, he was flying over the city when three rockets were reported: the first at 1307 hours, 7.5 km south-southwest of the city center, west of the Willebroek road; the second four minutes later, in the angle of “the Turnhout-Meuse canal,” probably the intersection of the Kempisch and Albert Canals; and the third rocket at 1314 hours, at Rijkevorsel, 30 km east. Photographs were taken of the impact points and of the Scheldt as far as Vlissingen, as well as of Antwerp itself, Breda, Tilburg, ’s‑Hertogenbosch, and Nijmegen.

The specially commissioned cover artwork by Mark Postlethwaite included in this post shows Ziese’s Ar 234 flying over the Belgian port city immediately after the second impact on the Turnhout-Maas canal with smoke billowing into the sky.

Arado Ar 234 Bomber and Reconnaissance Units is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

January 9, 2023 0 comment

History

Loose deuce Vs fluid four: US Naval Aviators were better than the USAF pilots

by Till Daisd January 8, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The flexible “fluid four” formation flown by USAF pilots was very different from the famed “thatch weave,” or loose “deuce,” formation during World War 2.

During the Vietnam War, US Navy F-4 Phantom II fighters used a two-aircraft basic combat unit known as a section and an air-to-air formation known as a “loose deuce,” which involved two aircraft flying about a mile apart from one another. From here, both crews could support one another by covering each other’s “six o’clock” rear quarter.

The loose deuce, as described by Brad Elward & Peter E. Davies in the book US Navy F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1965-70, called for one aircraft to attack while the wingman (referred to as the “free” fighter) maneuvered with the engaged fighter but at a distance sufficient to keep an eye out for other bandits or threats in the area. The free fighter would make the decision as the engaged fighter forced the bandit into a recognizable flight pattern.

As either aircraft could take on the engaged or free role in this formation, Navy crews had more freedom. Additionally, neither plane needed to worry about colliding with the other when operating at full power.

Loose deuce Vs fluid four: during the Vietnam War the fighting tactics used by US Naval Aviators were better than those of the USAF pilots – here’s why — U.S. Navy F-4Bs

The two Phantom II aircraft flew a radar trail formation in the traditional intercept pattern, but loose deuce constituted a change from that. As the “eyeball,” the leading aircraft would essentially operate as a spotter, calling the contact to the following Phantom II, which would subsequently take a shot with a Sparrow. This separation maintained the necessary minimum distances for a successful AIM-7 launch, but it proved ineffective within the Sparrow’s confines in a close-in dogfight scenario.

The loose deuce configuration was built on the idea that teammates may support one another both offensively and defensively. From a tactical perspective, mutual support is attained when each aircraft can quickly clear the rear aspect of its counterpart of aerial threats. The aircraft with the best tactical position to see, assess, and guide the flight holds the tactical lead, but the military lead of the section (often the senior aviator) never changes.

The person who makes the initial radar or visual contact is in the lead (whether he is the wingman or RIO), and he calls a “turn” on UHF before giving a description of the position and make-up of the bogie. The tactical lead must always keep an eye on his wingman.

The famed “Thatch Weave” variation used in the loose deuce formation during World War 2 was very different from the rigid “fluid four” configuration used by USAF pilots. A four-aircraft flight divided into two components of two aircraft served as the basis for Fluid Four. With the exception that the two wingmen, numbers 2 and 4, only served to protect their element leaders, numbers 1 and 3, the two-element leads, numbers 1 and 3, would engage the bandit in a dogfight similarly to the loose deuce.

The wingmen followed their leader at a distance of 1500 to 2000 feet and were offset by roughly 45 degrees. They flew as a “welded wing” or “fighting wing.” When the planes were slower and powered by propellers, like they were during World War 2, this configuration worked perfectly. However, it was impossible to use with the 1960s’ fast jets. Welded wing pilots discovered that because they were focused on maintaining formation and avoiding collisions with their element leaders, they had no time to search the area for bandits.

Fluid Four Flights also had a “single shooter” policy, which limited who could fire; only the flight leader could do it; the other fighters followed to defend the commander as he pursued the MiGs. Since only one of the four airplanes could shoot, this policy inevitably significantly restricted the offensive capabilities of the formation.

Former F-4 pilot and Topgun commanding officer Capt. Jim Ruliffson recalls a scenario in which a USAF flight lead had used up all of his missiles pursuing a MiG. The flight leader told the flight to return to base when one of his wingmen called out that he had the MiG in his sights and requested authorization to fire!

US Navy F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1965-70 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

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

January 8, 2023 0 comment

Newer Posts

Older Posts