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Su-57, marketed as a stealth fighter, can be detected by radars from a far greater distance than F-22 and F-35

by Till Daisd December 7, 2023

Sukhoi claims Su-57 has an RCS goal between 0.1 to 1 m^2 (-10 to 1 dBsm). For comparison, the F-117 had an RCS of around -25 dBsm while the F-22 and F-35 have an RCS better than -40 dBsm – which is at least 1,000 to 10,000 times smaller than the Su-57

The Sukhoi Su-57 Felon’s configuration is a development of the Su-27’s design modified for low visibility, supersonic speed, and agility.

According to Piotr Butowski’s explanation in Russia’s Warplanes, Volume 1, internal weapon carriage is the primary way to decrease radar visibility. Installed in the engine air intake ducts, radar blockers lessen reflections from the engine inlet guiding vanes. In order to minimize the number of directions in which electromagnetic waves are reflected and to guarantee that these directions are the safest, the airframe’s shape has been chosen.

The equipment of the fighter is the subject of another group of stealth measures. The radiation from the enemy’s radar is diverted away by the NO36 radar arrays’ surfaces being deflected from the vertical plane. The arrays’ domes are selective; while allowing their own signal to get through, they block other frequencies. Additionally, to absorb “freak waves,” which happen when a wave is amplified after several reflections within an enclosed space, the compartments for these arrays have coatings on their edges that are radar-absorbent.

Multiple systems, such as the radar, ECM, and IFF systems, employ the available arrays simultaneously to lower their total number. Antennas that do not extend beyond the airframe outlines are used within the antenna-feeder system, and the vertical empennage serves as an antenna for the communications suite. When in cruise configuration, the 101KS-V IRST’s turret is turned backward and has a coating on its rear hemisphere to absorb radar waves.

Su-57 stealth fighters to take part in Victory Parade for first time

The US-made F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II are not comparable to the Su-57, despite the latter being touted as a fifth-generation fighter. The Felon, on the other hand, is not a real stealth fighter. Why?

‘Sukhoi claims Su-57 has an RCS goal between 0.1 to 1 m^2 (-10 to 1 dBsm). For comparison, the F-117 had an RCS of around -25 dBsm while the F-22 and F-35 have an RCS better than -40 dBsm – which is at least 1,000 to 10,000 times smaller than the Su-57. All of these are based on unclassified program goals and YF-117’s RCS testing data from Skunk Works,’ says Abhirup Sengupta, an aviation expert, on Quora.

‘To understand the real-world difference, let’s take S-400’s 91N6E search radar as a reference. According to the manufacturer, the 91N6E has a detection range of 390 km against a 4 m^2 target. So it should be detecting a F-15 (13 m^2) from 523 km, a F/A-18E Super Hornet (~1 m^2) from 275 km, the Su-57 (assuming 0.1 m^2) from 155 km, and a F-22/F-35 (-40 dBsm) from 27 km. In short, a radar will have between 6 to 10 times greater detection range against the Su-57 compared to the F-22 & F-35.

‘It’s worth remembering that the failure of Mikoyan Project 1.44 (Russia’s first attempt at Stealth aircraft) is what brought Su-57 to light. One of the lessons from Mig 1.44’s failure was the Russian economy being unable to afford to design a new LO airframe from scratch. You can see that all Russian aircraft designs post-Cold War that saw daylight are mere modifications of an existing airframe (Su-30, Su-35, and Mig-29K, Mig-35 being a derivate of Su-27 and Mig-29).

‘The Su-57 program is not too different. The goal was to modify an existing airframe (Su-27) to maximize RCS reduction without having to design a new airframe from scratch. This is evident from the Sukhoi Design Bureau not adding basic things like Serpentine intakes which are critical for achieving serious LO signature. In essence Su-57 in many ways is similar to the US Navy’s F-18 Super Hornet program. It’s what you do when you’re on a really tight budget.

‘The second problem with the Su-57 is that the Russian Aerospace industry is simply incapable of producing a VLO aircraft. It’s not just about things directly related to Stealth (Tolerance, Material sciences for RAM/surface coatings with desired broadband, multispectral and durable characteristics) but also things indirectly related to Stealth like Engines – the Felon’s izdeliye 30 engine with circular nozzle is supposed to produce 38,600 lbf thrust, which is comparable to Raptor’s 20-year-old F119 with rectangular nozzles (37–39,000 lbf). You can’t have a Fighter design with S-ducts or rectangular exhaust nozzles if you can’t produce engines with sufficient thrust to compensate for the thrust loss from those designs. Likewise, you can’t have faceted glass panels to house the IRST sensor if your industry can’t economically produce one with sufficient integrity and tolerance to handle a Mach-2 flight envelope.

‘Then there’s the whole RF domain dictated by the state of your semiconductor industry. When you’ve the Su-35 having comparable SAR resolution to that of F-15E’s 20-year-old Mechanical radar, it highlights the inherent small bandwidth of Russian radars. You can’t have serious LPI characteristics with such a small bandwidth. The same limitations also prevent you from having highly directional (Line-of-sight) LPI datalinks – forcing you to continue relying on omnidirectional Low-band datalinks that not only ruin your RF signature but are also quite limited in terms of throughput. Stealth isn’t just about your airframe’s shape, today it’s also about your avionics suite. Without the necessary EMCON, you’ll be forced to either fly blind or ruin whatever element of surprise you may theoretically have.’

Sengupta concludes;

‘For the most part real-world design objectives aren’t dictated by your group of engineers but your economic and industrial capability. The last 30 years in addition to the last 6 months unequivocally demonstrate that Russia neither has the industrial capacity nor economy to develop a VLO fleet.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Sukhoi

December 7, 2023 0 comment

History

The British MoD turned down a US offer in the 1980s for the UK to purchase F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters for the RAF Squadrons

by Till Daisd December 6, 2023

written by Till Daisd

In the 1980s, US President Ronald Reagan extended an invitation to Margaret Thatcher to participate in US advanced military programs, including the Space Shuttle program and the Lockheed F-117A stealth fighter.

The first operational aircraft in the world built to take advantage of low-observable stealth technology was the F-117A Nighthawk. This precision-strike aircraft was able to use laser-guided weapons against critical targets while penetrating high-threat airspace.

The decision to produce the F-117A was taken in 1978, and Lockheed Advanced Development Projects, also known as the “Skunk Works,” in Burbank, California, was given the contract. Just thirty-one months following the full-scale development decision, on June 18, 1981, came the first flight over the Nevada test ranges.

Deliveries of the F-117A began in 1982 and ended in the summer of 1990. October 1983 saw the 4450th Tactical Group—now the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico—achieve operational capability as the only F-117A unit under Air Combat Command.

While the Nighthawk was never exported, US President Ronald Reagan offered Margaret Thatcher the opportunity to work on US advanced military programs in the 1980s, including the Lockheed F-117A stealth fighter and the Space Transportation System (STS, as the Space Shuttle program was officially named), according to declassified documents made public by the British National Archives in 2016.

Thatcher concurred, according to Theguardian.com, that the Space Shuttle program was a more cost-effective choice for Britain than the European Ariane disposable launch vehicle. For communications throughout Europe and the Atlantic, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) intended to launch two military satellites, called Skynet 4; the cost of the shuttle launch was £58 million, or £23 million less than that of Ariane.

But the Challenger disaster and the letter from French Prime Minister Pierre Mauroy pleading with Thatcher to rethink her choice played against the Space Shuttle program. Furthermore, according to Theguardian.com, in 1986, President Ronald Reagan desired to provide the UK access to highly-sensitive US military technologies.

After Thatcher “met privately” with Casapar (Cap) Weinberger, the then U.S. defense secretary, to discuss this unique project, the U.K. Prime Minister sent a top secret personal message (on which someone wrote in faint pencil “Stealth”) to the U.S. President where she stated: “Dear Ron, I was immensely impressed by your splendid achievement. Three cheers for America! I was also very touched by the generosity of the offer of participation which [Cap] brought. It brings home once again who our real friends are.”

The goal of the project, code-named “Project Moonflower,” was to sell the United Kingdom the still highly top-secret F-117.

In answer to a US Air Force (USAF) request for an aircraft that could attack high-value targets without being detected by enemy radar, Lockheed created the F-117A. By the 1970s, engineers were able to create an aircraft that was “stealth” or capable of evading radar thanks to new materials and techniques.

Ultimately, the MoD turned down the offer to purchase the Nighthawk to equip Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons since the F-117 was still classified as a black program. Charles Powell, the prime minister’s adviser on international affairs, received a letter from the MoD in December 1986 informing him that “Mr. Weinberger has offered us a chance to purchase the current US aircraft, but we have replied that we would not wish to actually buy hardware while the program remains strictly black [secret].”

Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Kim Frey / U.S. Air Force

December 6, 2023 0 comment

History

In March 1942, Japanese Kawanishi H8K flying boats conducted another raid on Pearl Harbor

by Till Daisd December 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Japanese launched a fairly daring plan in March 1942 to send a flight of two Kawanishi H8K long-range flying boats to inspect the damage they had caused to Pearl Harbor and to drop bombs on the 10/10 repair dock

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service employed the Kawanishi H8K flying boat for maritime patrol duties. The Allied reporting name for the type was “Emily”.

Designed for long-range and extended endurance on patrols or bombing missions, the Kawanishi H8K was a large, four-engine aircraft that was usually flown alone over the ocean. The prototype first flew in January 1941, and H8K1s made their first combat sortie in March 1942. The robust H8K2 “Emily” flying boat was also fitted with powerful defensive armament, which Allied pilots had substantial respect for wherever this aircraft was encountered in the Pacific theater. The H8K was called “the most outstanding water-based combat aircraft of the Second World War” by aviation historian René Francillon.

On the night of March 4, 1942, there was another raid on Pearl Harbor using the H8K.

Andrew Taylor, an aviation expert, explains on Quora;

‘In March 1942, they [the Japanese] staged a somewhat audacious plan of sending a flight of 2 Kawanishi H8K long-range flying boats to reconnoiter the damage they had done to Pearl Harbor and drop bombs on the 10/10 repair dock.

‘The planes launched from the Marshall Islands met a Japanese submarine for refueling in the French Frigate Shoals and proceeded to fly to Hawaii. The raid was largely a failure, as they were unable to locate Oahu due to the nighttime blackout conditions. The raid was planned for a Moonlit Night, but they misread the US Navy’s coded weather reports and instead picked a cloudy evening. One plane is believed to have dropped its bombs in error over the ocean before heading back out to sea. The other crashed into Hawaii’s Tantalus Peak volcano, just north of Honolulu, in the darkness. Thus alerting the Americans to what was going on.

‘From the Japanese standpoint, the raid was a failure. But they planned to do it again in June. For the Americans, it was an intelligence windfall. It allowed the Americans to work out how the H8Ks got to Hawaii. The June flight was to be Yamamoto’s reconnaissance flight to determine if the American Carriers were in port at Pearl Harbor right before the Midway attacks. The pilots had to abort the mission when their refueling submarine discovered French Frigate Shoals occupied by an American Destroyer and Minesweeper. This prevented Yamamoto from knowing that the American Carriers were already at sea, laying a trap for him at Midway.’

Photo by War Thunder Forum

December 5, 2023 0 comment

History

Why fighter pilots use sunglasses

by Till Daisd December 4, 2023

written by Till Daisd

What is the real reason why pilots wear sunglasses?

Sunglasses aid in protecting a pilot’s most important sensory asset: eyesight. To maximize visual performance in the cockpit, a good pair of sunglasses is necessary.

Sunglasses shield the ocular tissues from damaging solar radiation, lessen the effects of strong sunshine, and lessen eye strain. Furthermore, they shield the pilot’s vision from flying debris from bird strikes, abrupt decompression, and aerobatic maneuver impacts.

Wearing sunglasses can also help with the process of dark adaptation, which is slowed down by extended exposure to bright sunlight.

However, why do pilots actually wear sunglasses?

David Tussey, ex-US Navy A-7 Corsair II pilot, explains on Quora;

‘Well, in the cockpit, when you’re up at altitude, the sunlight is absolutely blinding. You need to either wear good sunglasses or have your dark visor down. Otherwise, you will be blinded on a bright, sunny day. It’s way worse than on the Earth’s surface.

‘I used to wear sunglasses when flying later in my career because I needed corrective lenses for my eyes. Sometimes I wore clear glasses and used a dark visor, but sometimes I’d wear the dark sunglasses alone.

‘That’s the tactical reason, but certainly, over time, it’s just become part of the image of a fighter pilot and part of the mystic. It looks cool and helps provide that cocky, confident self-image. So basically, ego.’

Tussey concludes;

‘Plus, chicks dig ‘em.’

Photo by Paramount

December 4, 2023 0 comment

History

The first pilot of the SR-71 remembers flying the Blackbird Inverted and turning off the instrumentation to keep Kelly Johnson from knowing about it

by Till Daisd December 2, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Kelly Johnson named Robert J. “Bob” Gilliland chief test pilot when he began designing the advanced SR-71 Blackbird for the US Air Force

Lockheed test pilot Robert J. “Bob” Gilliland stepped into an odd-looking aircraft on the morning of December 22, 1964, at a small, heavily guarded airstrip in the California desert town of Palmdale, and he promptly made aviation history.

The technological marvel that was the SR-71 Blackbird was developed at the super-secret Skunk Works. In fact, the Mach-3-plus titanium wonder created by Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson is still the fastest jet in the world, even after more than 50 years.

To make the maiden flight of the SR-71, a test pilot needed to possess the perfect blend of intelligence, talent, and nerve, and Gilliland, who was thirty-eight years old, had spent much of his life pushing the boundaries.

After being recruited by Lockheed in 1961, Gilliland worked as a protégé of renowned aircraft designer Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson at Skunk Works. Operating from the highly classified Area 51 located in the Nevada desert, he began the testing of an innovative aircraft that could reach heights of up to 85,000 feet and exceed Mach 3.2 in speed. This aircraft, the A-12, was the first in the Blackbird family and was created for the Central Intelligence Agency’s secret Oxcart program.

Robert Gilliand — Gilliland peers from the cockpit of an SR-71 after a test flight in the Blackbird. (Courtesy Robert J. Gilliand)

Gilliland was named chief test pilot by Johnson when he started designing, for the US Air Force’s (USAF), an advanced version of the SR-71. Robert, the son of Gilliland, was raised on stories about courageous men who went on perilous missions.

According to Bob Gilliland and Keith Dunnavant’s story in the book Speed, the son began to ask questions about the Skunk Works days, particularly in later years once the SR-71 Blackbird’s secrecy was revealed. “Did you ever fly the Blackbird upside down?” he asked once.

Bob looked at this boy and smiled.

“Yes, I did,” he said. Robert’s eyes grew brighter as his father began to tell in great detail about an incident in which they went up in the back seat with Dick Miller, the SR-71 program’s chief engineer and program manager, and briefly rolled the aircraft on its belly.

“But weren’t you concerned about Kelly finding out?”

“Oh, I turned off the instrumentation,” the old pilot said with a hearty laugh.

In such instances, the son saw brief flashes of the rebel, who never much cared for rules and liked to push the edge but was too wise to allow himself to become reckless. Bob Gilliland passed away on July 4, 2019.

Speed is published by Casemate Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Robert J. “Bob” Gilliland / Robert Gilliland, Jr.

December 2, 2023 0 comment

History

For the 349th Squadron’s 80th anniversary, the Belgian Air Force painted an almost 50-year-old F-16 in an exclusive paint scheme

by Till Daisd December 1, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On November 4, 2022, the F-16 was shown to an audience of enthusiasts while escorting a WWII Spitfire fighter—a model that the 349 (F) Squadron of the British Royal Air Force had flown for years

The stunning photos in this post, which were taken at Kleine-Brogel Air Base by Andrew Timmerman from Finn Aviation Photography, show off an F-16 from the 349th Squadron of the Belgian Air Force. The nearly 50-year-old Viper flew in the unit’s colors in observance of its 80th anniversary, and it was specifically painted for the occasion.

On November 4, 2022, the aircraft was displayed to an audience of enthusiasts, including escorting a Second World War Spitfire fighter that was flown and employed for many years by the British Royal Air Force’s 349 (F) Squadron before being placed under Belgian cockades following the war.

The aircraft’s decorated tail fin, which features a drawing of the first commander of the Spitfire, “Duke” Ivan Du Monceau de Bergendal, wearing a leather helmet, is a remembrance of this historical moment, according to the Brussels Times. The F-35A stealth fighter, which will serve as the squadron’s future mount in 2027, and a pilot wearing the most recent model of helmet with the words “349 Sqn. Proud of the past, Ready for the future” are displayed on the left side.

The British Royal Air Force’s 349 (Belgian) Squadron was founded in 1942 as a Belgian British Royal Air Force (RAF) unit. During the Second World War, the squadron took part in all major operations, including the first flights over the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and the liberation of Western Europe that followed.

Together with its French-speaking sister unit (350 Squadron), 349 Squadron contributed to the groundwork of the modern Belgian Air Force.

Up until 1996, when the 1st Fighter Wing disbanded on March 4 of that year, the two Squadrons were stationed at Beauvechain with the 1st Fighter Wing. The units gained experience in all facets of air combat during this time, including the renowned F-104 Starfighter stratospheric flights.

349 Squadron became the first operational NATO F-16 unit in 1979. In 1996, the 349 Squadron moved to Kleine-Brogel Air Force Base, where they completed multi-role training. The illustrious 349 CO Count “Duke” du Monceau de Bergendal is the current name of the base.

The 349 Squadron has been involved in all Belgian air operations over the years; it was the first NATO squadron to land in Siauliai, Lithuania, in 2004 to defend the Baltic airspace, and it conducted the first flights over Libya in 2011.

Photo by Andrew Timmerman

December 1, 2023 0 comment

History

The first SR-71 RSO tells why the USAF refused to purchase the SR-71 unless the reconnaissance systems officer cockpit was rearranged before the Blackbird’s maiden flight

by Till Daisd November 30, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘Airspeed indicators were on one side, attitude indicators were on the other, altimeter gauges were in the middle, and we couldn’t even tell what time it was. It was a nightmare,’ said Richard “Butch” Sheffield, first SR-71 Blackbird RSO

The SR-71 Blackbird collected intelligence during its service in some of the most dangerous locations on Earth. The SR-71 was designed to capture images and use its sensors to detect electronic surveillance to fly close to the enemy’s border in a safe manner. All of that and more were managed by the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO).

The officer running the pilot’s checklist in the SR-71 was known as the RSO. He had to know his job and the Pilot’s job. He handled the navigation in the SR-71 in the event that the pilot needed to make an emergency landing, which occurred more frequently than you could imagine. He would question his RSOs, “Where am I landing?” and get precise coordination from them.

The SR-71’s cockpit was rearranged prior to the aircraft’s maiden flight. This cockpit’s arrangement was quite costly, and it still wasn’t functional.

Captain Richard “Butch” Sheffield, at the time, was the first person selected for the SR-71 program. He was hired by Colonel Doug Nelson outside of the B-58 program. After five years in the B-58, he had a perfect bomb-run record.

Captain Sheffield was then sent down to Southern California after departing from Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB) and arriving at Beale AFB in California. In Palmdale, California, at Skunk Works, he attended flight test school. The class was taught on the top floor by a Lockheed employee, Kelly Johnson, and Ben Rich.

The RSO Cockpit was modified because Captain Sheffield, Coz Mallozzi, and Tom Schmittou—the first three RSOs selected for the program—did not like what they saw in it. It was very expensive to rearrange the cockpit, but simply wasn’t functional. In order to avoid the program failing, Scheffield, Schmittou, and Mallozzi insisted that the cockpit be redone, which they did.

This is a short story by Colonel Richard “Butch” Sheffield from one of his unpublished books.

‘While attending class at the Skunk Works, I saw the insides of the Navigators’ (later the RSO cockpit) of the SR-71. I asked one of the Lockheed SW engineers who designed the layout, and his response was, “NO ONE.” He went on to say that Kelly told us to put the instruments “anywhere they would fit.” What a mess! Airspeed indicators were on one side, attitude indicators were on the other, altimeter gauges were in the middle, and we couldn’t even tell what time it was. It was a nightmare. We, the first three SAC Navigators who were headed for Edwards, Beale, and back to Strategic Air Command (SAC) went to see test force personnel who could see we were upset at the lack of design for the RSO human factors layout.

‘They said that it would cost money to rearrange the RSO backseat. We said that the SAC crews would not sign off on this type of cockpit arrangement. When they saw that we were serious and would hang tough, they gave us a phone number in Washington, D.C., to ask for help obtaining the funds to rearrange the cockpit. We made a classified call, and the person on the other end of the line listened and said, “I will tell the Skunk Works (SW) to do as you say”.

‘The person I was talking to was Tom Jones, and he was in the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) program “D” office in Washington.

‘NOTE: IN 1976–1979, TOM AND I WORKED TOGETHER IN THE PENTAGON WHEN I WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE GROUP (SRG). THE SRG HAD REPLACED THE NRO PROGRAM “D”.’

Check out the Habubrats Facebook page and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

November 30, 2023 0 comment

History

F-86 pilot Robbie Risner pushed his wingman’s crippled Sabre for 60 miles to keep him out of enemy hands

by Till Daisd November 29, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Robbie Risner attempted to push 1st Lt. Joseph Logan’s F-86 toward Kimpo by having Logan turn off his engine and sticking his own Sabre’s nose into Logan’s tailpipe

Prior to “Pardo’s push” on March 10, 1967, there was a similar event.

Robbie Risner is renowned for his bravery throughout his 7.5 years of imprisonment and torture in North Vietnam. His eight confirmed victories as a jet ace in Korea are less well known.

On September 15, 1952, a chemical plant on the Yalu River close to the East China Sea was attacked by F-84 Thunderjet fighter-bombers, escorted by Risner’s F-86 Sabre aircraft. Risner’s flight passed over the Chinese MiG base at Antung Airfield while they were defending the bombers. Risner pursued one MiG along a dry riverbed and across low hills to an airbase 35 miles (56 km) inside China, fighting it at nearly supersonic speeds at ground level. After hitting the MiG multiple times, shooting off its canopy, and setting it on fire, Risner pursued it through the Communist airbase’s hangars before shooting it down into parked fighters.

During the return flight, anti-aircraft fire over Antung struck 1st Lt. Joseph Logan, Risner’s wingman, in his fuel tanks. Risner tried an unprecedented and untried maneuver, having Logan shut down his engine and stick his own jet’s nose into Logan’s tailpipe, in an attempt to push Logan’s aircraft and help him reach Kimpo. The object of the maneuver was to push Logan’s aircraft to the island of Cho Do off the North Korean coast, where the Air Force maintained a helicopter rescue detachment.

“A typical fighter pilot,” said Risner in a beautiful article by John L. Frisbee appeared in Air Force Magazine, “thinks less about risk than about his objective.”

Logan’s engine was nearly out of fuel when Risner ordered him to shut it down. The upper lip of his air intake was then carefully placed into Logan’s F-86’s tailpipe. “It stayed sort of locked there as long as we both maintained stable flight, but the turbulence created by Joe’s aircraft made stable flight for me very difficult. There was a point at which I was between the updraft and the downdraft. A change of a few inches ejected me either up or down,” Risner recalled.

The film of hydraulic fluid and jet fuel covering his windscreen and impairing his eyesight meant that every time Risner made contact again with the battered nose of his F-86 and Logan’s aircraft, there was a far greater chance of disaster. It seemed like trying to move a car at eighty kilometers per hour through dense fog on a corduroy road.

Risner’s F-86, piloted by Joe Logan, somehow nudged all the way to Cho Do while flying at 190 knots and high enough to avoid automatic weapons. Logan bailed out close to the island, ending up in the water close to the coast. However, Risner’s heroic attempt was unsuccessful. Logan was a skilled swimmer, but before rescue could reach him, he drowned after getting tangled in his chute lines. But the measure of a heroic act lies not in success. It lies in the doing.

Robbie Risner’s career in the Air Force after Korea was characterized by both moral and physical bravery, which culminated in his leadership of American POWs during those arduous years in Hanoi’s prisons. Generations of airmen to come would aim to reach the standards of bravery, devotion, and hard work he set for himself and brilliantly fulfilled throughout his time in uniform.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and DCS

Robbie Risner in front of an F-86 — Robbie Risner in front an F-86 Sabre

November 29, 2023 0 comment

History

Vulcan XH558 fired up her engines one last time before being put to sleep forever

by Till Daisd November 28, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The famous “howl” of the Vulcan engine was heard for the last time and anyone who wanted to hear it could stand on a road outside Doncaster Airport where it was clearly audible

November 2022 marked the last time the venerable Vulcan XH558 strategic bomber flew, following the decision to “put the plane to sleep forever.” The famous “howl” of the Vulcan engine went to an end. If you wanted to hear it for the final time, you should have gone outside Doncaster Airport and stood where you could hear it well.

The last operational example of the 134 Avro Vulcan jet-powered delta-winged strategic nuclear bomber aircraft used by the RAF in the Cold War is Avro Vulcan XH558, “The Spirit of Great Britain.” She was the final Vulcan to serve in military service and the final one to take off after 1986. Her last flight was to her current home at Doncaster Airport on October 28, 2015. Even though the plane was supposed to serve as an educational resource, her future is now in doubt once more due to the possible closure of the airport where she resides.

GloucestershireLive claims that because of the ancient bomber plane’s unique engine noise—which many refer to as a howl—it became a popular attraction at several airshows. The Vulcan produces this intense, piercing noise just before takeoff when her intake is limited to 90%.

KEEP XH558 Flying Forever Facebook Page says;

‘With a heavy heart…

‘On 20th November 2022 at 10am-2pm

‘You will be able to view the last engine testing ever of XH558 before she is put to sleep forever.

‘This is to make the public aware that they can view this from Old Bawtry Road, opposite the airport.

‘If you wanted to hear that last howl, be there for the last time.

‘Such a sad end to the very finest example of the Vulcan Bombers remaining.

‘Time to cry because it’s ended.’

According to the Royal Air Force Museum, the Vulcan was the second of the Royal Air Force’s “V bombers” and, along with the Valiant and Victor, contributed to Great Britain’s nuclear deterrent force for fifteen years, until the Royal Navy’s Polaris submarines assumed control of it in 1969.

On August 30, 1952, prototype B1 made its first flight; four years later, development of an improved B2 design started. The Vulcan B2 was a perfect candidate for modification to carry the Blue Steel nuclear stand-off bomb because of its increased performance. This weapon increased the effectiveness of the Royal Air Force’s airborne deterrence by enabling the aircraft to begin its attack from outside the immediate missile defenses of a target.

By 1966, Vulcans were using low-level penetration instead of high-level because Soviet missile defenses were so successful. When Vulcans left the nuclear deterrent in 1970, they began supporting NATO forces in Europe by flying as a conventional bomber.

The long-range attacks on the Falkland Islands from Ascension Island in 1982 demonstrated the effective use of in-flight refueling, which could significantly increase the Vulcan’s range. In 1984, the final Vulcans were removed from operational service.

Photo by John5199 via Wikipedia

November 28, 2023 0 comment

History

The F-117 Nighthawk was one thousand times less visible than the D-21 with an RCS of an Eagle’s Eyeball

by Till Daisd November 27, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The least visible shape produced at the Skunk Works was a thousand times more visible than the F-117A Nighthawk shape

The first operational aircraft in the world built to take advantage of low-observable stealth technology is the F-117A Nighthawk. This precision-strike aircraft employs laser-guided weapons against critical targets while infiltrating areas of high risk.

The decision to produce the F-117A was made in 1978, and Lockheed Advanced Development Projects, also known as the “Skunk Works,” in Burbank, California, was given the contract. Just thirty-one months following the full-scale development decision, on June 18, 1981, came the first flight over the Nevada test ranges.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio’s Aeronautical Systems Center used streamlined management to quickly field the aircraft by combining advanced stealth technology with concurrent development and manufacture.

As the following story from Ben Rich’s book “Skunk Works” demonstrates, the F-117A program proved that stealth aircraft could be conceived, designed, and developed.

As small as an eagle’s eyeball.

Rich, who served Kelly Johnson as the second vice president of Lockheed’s Skunk Works, remembers talking to Denys Overholser, an engineer and radar specialist, about the F-117, the company’s first completely stealthy airframe.

“Boss,” he said, handing me the diamond-shaped sketch, “Meet the Hopeless Diamond.”

“How good are your radar-cross-section numbers on this one?” I asked.

“Pretty good.” Denys Overholser grinned impishly. “Ask me, ‘How good?’”

I asked him and he told me. “This shape is one thousand times less visible than the least visible shape previously produced at the Skunk Works.”

“Whoa!” I exclaimed. “Are you telling me that this shape is a thousand times less visible than the D-21 drone?”

“You’ve got it!” Denys exclaimed.

“If we made this shape into a full-size tactical fighter, what would be its equivalent radar signature… as big as what—a Piper Cub, a T-38 trainer… what?”

Denys shook his head vigorously. “Ben, understand, we are talking about a major, major, big-time revolution here. We are talking infinitesimal.”

“Well,” I persisted, “what does that mean? On a radar screen, it would appear as a… what? As big as a condor, an eagle, an owl, a what?”

“Ben,” he replied with a loud guffaw, “try as big as an eagle’s eyeball.”

The F-117 has been in the news as a newly refurbished airframe is on display at the Palm Springs Air Museum in California. Frank Martinez was kind enough to let us share the photo below that he took at Palm Beach.

Despite being officially retired, a large number of F-117s are still in service and are employed for specific research and training missions (like conducting different air combat training sorties with USAF and US Navy aircraft) because of their overall cost-effectiveness and ability to provide special capabilities.

Maybe Ben Rich is smiling down from heaven, knowing that his baby is still active.

Check out the Habubrats Face page, and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder for further Blackbird photos and stories

Photo by Lockheed Martin and Frank Martinez

November 27, 2023 0 comment

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