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The last F-14 Tomcat used by the US Navy transferred from Bethpage to the Cradle of Aviation Museum.

by Till Daisd September 22, 2023

The last Tomcat in US Navy service, Felix 101, F-14D BuNo 164603, which was previously outside an empty office building in Bethpage, has been relocated to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale

According to Newsday, Felix 101, F-14D BuNo 164603, the last Tomcat in US Navy service, which had been parked in front of an empty office building in Bethpage, has been relocated to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale.

Once a California company, Prologis Inc. decided to buy the former Grumman Corp. office and surrounding land for a planned 218,150-square-foot warehouse, the status of the F-14 was uncertain.

According to Alert 5, the company asked the county for a sales tax exemption as well as property tax relief. Nevertheless, until the new location for the Tomcat was decided, the Industrial Development Agency could not vote on the tax-aid package.

The migration was supported and assisted in part by Northrup Grumman.

Since 2008, when the Grumman Retiree Club, a former employee group, and Grumman’s successor, Northrop Grumman Inc., built a monument, F-14D BuNo 164603 was parked at 600 Grumman Rd. West. The aircraft is one of the 711 F-14s that Grumman constructed on Long Island throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

In accordance with Tony Holmes’ account in his book F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom, F-14D 164603 was initially delivered to VF-124 Gunfighters, the West Coast Tomcat Fleet RAG, on May 29, 1992, at NAS Miramar. In June of the following year, it was one of the first D-model aircraft assigned to VF-2.

The aircraft was moved to VF-213 in late 1997 and stayed there until it was transferred to VF-101 in early 2002. When F-14s and F/A-18s from CVW-11 attacked an SA-3 SAM battery and its attendant target acquisition and guidance radars near Kabul’s international airport on October 7, 2001, this Tomcat served as the strike leader.

BuNo 164603 was assigned to VF-31 in the summer of 2003, where it quickly became the “Felix 101” jet for the unit. After completing two more cruises with the unit, the Tomcat achieved the honor of carrying out the last Navy F-14 flight on October 4, 2006, when it took off from NAS Oceana and landed at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York.

As we have previously documented, the Cradle of Aviation Museum already has two F-14 cockpits, noses, and flight suits in addition to the third and oldest surviving F-14 ever constructed, which flew from 1971 until 1990.

U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Randall Damm

September 22, 2023 0 comment

History

Combat Lancer: The F-111’s first flight

by Till Daisd September 20, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On March 25, 1968, the F-111A began its combat career with a night of strikes, starting with a 500kt, 500ft solo attack that fully displayed the F-111A’s prowess

The first Air Force version of the TFX (for “Tactical Fighter Experimental”), the most divisive of all the joint-service “commonality” airplanes developed during the McNamara era, and intended as “cost-effective” substitutes for aircraft acquired through conventional acquisition processes, saw deployment planning begin at PACAF in the fall of 1967.

The F-4, OV-10, and A-7 programs showed that commonality might succeed if it were carefully planned and implemented, but with the TFX, as told by Richard P. Hallon in his book Rolling Thunder 1965-68, McNamara had tried the impossibility of creating a successful aircraft by combining intrinsically incompatible requirements.

Key to meeting all these was a large variable-geometry wing that fully extended to generate the lift necessary to achieve long-range and long-loiter but swept sharply back to reduce drag, permitting a supersonic dash. In 1963, Congressional investigators found that the McNamara team had rejected the recommendations of service and NASA professionals when it selected General Dynamics over a more highly regarded Boeing design.

After being put through rigorous flight testing, the TFX exposed significant performance and safety flaws, many of which required redesign. The Navy was forced to create a replacement, the Grumman F-14A Tomcat, which first flew nearly a decade after the F-4 had first taken to the skies because the F-111B carrier-based variant, which was significantly overweight and dangerously underpowered, never entered fleet service.

Notwithstanding its flaws, the Air Force F-111A program had a lot of potential since it combined attack avionics on par with those of the A-6, a terrain-following radar (TER) coupled to an autopilot, and a low-level supersonic dash similar to that of the F-105. On March 17, 1968, St. Patrick’s Day, Combat Lancer, formally Det 1 of the 428th TFS, a six-aircraft operational test and evaluation force of the Air Force’s new General Dynamics F-111A, landed at Takhli.

On March 25, the F-111A began its combat career with a night of strikes, starting with a solo attack that displayed the aircraft’s prowess to the fullest extent at 500 kt and 500 ft. With an F-111A SN 66-0018, Colonel Ivan Dethman and Captain Rick Matteis departed from Takhli, flew over Nakhon Phanom, and then lowered their altitude to 500 feet in preparation for a strike on the Vung Chua truck park and storage area on Hon Co Island. Before leaving over the Tonkin Gulf, Dethman and Matteis dropped 12 M117 750 lb bombs with drag-retarding fins.

Regrettably, three were lost very quickly—two from mechanical issues and the third from an SA-2—and only one crew was saved. This shoot-down was so critical that then-Soviet military minister Andrei Grechko personally briefed Leonid Brezhnev on it. There was no doubt that the F-111A needed improvement. Despite the arrival of three extra F-111As to make up for lost aircraft, Combat Lancer saw little more action in Southeast Asia before flying back to Nellis AFB in the middle of November 1968. Having reached maturity, the F-111A returned to Vietnam in 1972 and, during Operation Linebacker, proved to be a lethal and extremely effective night attacker.

Almost exactly two decades later, the outstanding F-111F proved to be a pillar of Operation Desert Storm thanks to its increased power and Pave Tack self-designating attack system.

Rolling Thunder 1965-68 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by: U.S. Air Force

September 20, 2023 0 comment

History

The story of the XB-52 and YB-52, the scrapped B-52s prototype

by Till Daisd September 19, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The designations XB-52 and YB-52 were assigned to these prototype B-52 aircraft. X stands for “experimental,” and Y stands for “prototype.”

The B-52 was the primary long-range heavy bomber of the US Air Force during the Cold War after it went into service in 1955, and it is still a crucial component of the USAF bomber force today.

In his book Boeing B-47 Stratojet & B-52 Stratofortress Origins and Evolution, Scott Lowther explains how the Model 464-49, which was chosen as the XB-52’s winning design, evolved into the Model 464-67. Although they were similar in many ways, there were several noticeable variations, most notably the enlargement of the forward Fuselage. 464-67 had the cockpit well in front of the wing, as opposed to 464-49 which had the cockpit canopy’s rear behind the leading edge of the wing roots. The engine nacelles were modified, and the spoilers on the wings’ comparatively large area were shrunk. With these modifications, Boeing was prepared to start building two Model 464-67s after receiving an Air Force “letter of intent” for B-52 tooling in March 1951.

The designations XB-52 and YB-52 were assigned to these prototype B-52 aircraft. X stands for “experimental,” and Y stands for “prototype.” Usually, an “experimental” aircraft is constructed before a “prototype,” but in this instance, the YB-52 took flight first on April 15, 1952, while the XB-52 (serial number 49-230) rolled out on November 29, 1951, and the YB-52 (serial number 49-231) followed on March 15, 1952. This was because the XB-52 needed major repairs after damage occurred during testing of the pneumatic system’s pressurization.

On October 2, 1952, the XB-52 took to the skies after the prototype. The YB-52’s two-hour initial flight was powered by YJ57-P-3 prototype engines. The XB-52 and YB-52 were basically the same despite having different names.

In terms of appearance, the prototype B-52s and the finished aircraft shared many similarities. The cockpit, however, was a feature that stood out between the two planes right away. The pilot had good visibility thanks to the low-drag tandem fighter-style canopy, which was used on the B-47.

The layout of the landing gear used by the rest of the B-52 fleet was pioneered by the prototypes. Though at first appearing to be fairly comparable to the B-47’s bicycle arrangement, the B-52’s gear was very different. Four separate dual-wheel bogies were stored within the B-52 fuselage, but instead of deploying straight down, they deployed out to the sides, twisting around so that the bogies stored fore-and-aft ended up side-by-side. This gave the B-52 not a bicycle arrangement, but a quadricycle.

The main landing gear of the B-52 would allow it to sit levelly without leaning to one side or the other. It continued to use smaller outrigger gear close to the wingtips, although this was done to prevent wingtip impact with the ground during heavy takeoffs or bumpy landings.

Moreover, the B-52 was able to land while “crabbing” into the wind with its fuselage oriented significantly off the plane’s groundpath because to its forward bogies’ ability to swivel up to 20° side to side. This would allow for risk-free landings in strong winds.

The main wings of the prototypes had flapperons, ailerons, and spoilers. The inboard engine pylon was right outside the ailerons, which were small and placed far from the wingtip. The ailerons would have had better control if they had been positioned at the wingtip, but that would have placed them in a much thinner and more flexible area of the wing. The inboard spot was suitable for the maneuvers the bomber was supposed to make.

In any case, the spoilers were to handle the majority of the aircraft’s control requirements, making the ailerons redundant over time. The prototypes lacked the capacity to refuel in flight, unlike the subsequent production aircraft. The external fuel tanks that often adorned the outer wings of B-52 production models were also absent at first, but they were finally fitted later in the testing phase.

All of the horizontal stabilizers could move, although this movement was intended to stabilize the trim. Real control was carried out via small elevators around the back. Trim tabs were present in the elevators of the B-52F. The folding vertical fin was a significant but underappreciated characteristic of all B-52s that came after the prototype. Up until the G-model, the fin was a sizable structure that was far too tall to allow the B-52 to fit inside conventional hangars.

As a result, it could fold over 90 degrees, significantly decreasing the aircraft’s effective height. The fielding fin is not a self-contained system; an additional crane is required to lay it over and hoist it back up again, in contrast to naval aircraft that have wings that can fold to fit in the constrained area on board aircraft carriers.

The Boeing Seattle factory essentially handcrafted the prototypes. Jigs were not finalized, therefore production processes were not applied, and frequently, standard instruments and equipment were not used. The tail turrets on either prototype were represented by static fairings with painted-on lines; none was equipped with defensive armaments.

After 783 hours of flight, the YB-52 was handed to the US Air Force Museum on January 27, 1958. It was on display for a while, but the XB-52 and YB-52 were both scrapped sometime in the 1960s as a result of a “beautification” plan coordinated by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. The available literature does not sufficiently explain how the official museum of the United States Air Force was ‘beautified’ by turning one of the most beautiful airplanes ever made into razor blades and soda cans.

Boeing B-47 Stratojet & B-52 Stratofortress Origins and Evolution is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by: U.S. Air Force

September 19, 2023 0 comment

History

During the USAAF’s Oil Campaign, Me 163 Komet Rocket fighters protected the Leuna chemical complex

by Till Daisd September 18, 2023

written by Till Daisd

To safeguard the important Leuna chemical complex, the first Me 163 Komet rocket-fighter squadron was deployed at Brandis

Due to the loss of German oilfields on the Eastern Front by retreating forces, Germany was dependent on its own infrastructure, especially for the production of coal-based synthetic oil. But the more powerful Allied air forces could reach them. General Carl Spaatz, the commander of the US Strategic Air Forces, embarked on a new offensive in 1944 with the intention of sapping the German war machine of fuel.

During the summer of 1944, the USAAF’s Oil Campaign gained speed and began to attack these refineries and plants with its daylight-heavy bombers. German communications that had been decrypted revealed that the Oil Campaign was having an impact on the Wehrmacht.

According to Steven J. Zaloga’s explanation in his book The Oil Campaign 1944–45 Draining the Wehrmacht’s Lifeblood, Me 163 Komet rocket fighters were among the Luftwaffe aircraft participating in defending the Reich during the Oil Campaign

In the middle of August, there were several raids on oil refineries, but few of them were devoted specifically to fuel targets. Mission 556, which took place on August 16 and involved 976 bombers and 612 fighters, was the only significant Oil Campaign raid. All five Me 163 rocket fighters from 1./JG 400 were among the 121 fighters that the I. Jagdkorps successfully launched into the air. It’s important to note that this Staffel was specially sent to the Brandis airbase to guard the enormous Leuna complex and the Leipzig fuel complex.

Two of the new rocket fighters were destroyed, one by P-51 of the 359th Fighter Group and the other by B-17 gunners. Three “shot-out-of-formation” victories for the Me 163 fighters were recorded, despite the fact that none of the B-17s were really shot down. Ten B-17s, mostly from JG 302, and three P-51 Mustangs were among the other claims. 32 German fighters were said to have been downed by escort fighters.

On August 24, the Oil Campaign continued with Mission 568, which included numerous well-known synthetic fuel targets, including Brüx, Misburg, Stade, and Leuna/Merseburg. Only 99 of the 222 fighters launched by the I. Jagdkorps made interceptions. The 1st Bomb Division was stopped by the Gefechtsverband in the vicinity of Lüneburg, and they reported 16 total losses, with 10 B-17s destroyed and seven more shot out of formation or destroyed stragglers.

With the largest commitment to date of eight rocket fighters, the Me 163 fighters returned to combat. The common strategy was for the fighters to fly over the bomber formations with high acceleration. Afterward, they could either turn off their rocket motors to save fuel and glide through the American bombers or turn them on to rapidly descend into the bomber line. The two 30mm MK 108 cannons were deadly against bombers, although it was quite challenging to target the bombers as they were rapidly descending.

That same day, Leutnant Bott of the same Staffel claimed to have shot a B-17 out of formation at around the same position a short while after Feldwebel Schubert claimed to have shot down two B-17s northwest of Leipzig at 1208-1209. The Me 163 fighters also engaged in a pointless battle with the P-51 fighters that were escorting them.

The Oil Campaign 1944–45 Draining the Wehrmacht’s lifeblood is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by: Edouard A. Groult via Osprey

September 18, 2023 0 comment

History

The RAF Mosquito pilot who made a landing while carrying a bullet tip from a Luftwaffe Ju 188 in his liver

by Till Daisd September 16, 2023

written by Till Daisd

A skilled Ju 188 gunner could leave his imprint even on a Mosquito, as was the case on the night of November 6–7, 1943, over the English Channel, around 30 miles south of Dungeness, in Kent

The Junkers Ju 188, an improved version of an earlier type that included more performance and advanced technology, was the pinnacle of mid-war German twin-engined aircraft design.

It was developed as a part of the 1939 “Bomber B” program to replace the Ju 88 and He 111 medium bombers. Its radical redesign of the cockpit area included all-around visibility for high-speed bombing, torpedo-bomber carrying, FuG 200 radar, and camera-equipped reconnaissance operations.

What emerged in the autumn of 1943 was a sophisticated bomber, a reconnaissance aircraft, and an intended nightfighter.

Actually, as described by Robert Forsyth in his book Junkers Ju 188 Units of World War 2, a skilled Ju 188 gunner could impact significantly even on a Mosquito, as was the case during the night of November 6–7, 1943, over the English Channel, about 30 miles south of Dungeness in Kent.

At 22:35, Sqn Ldr John Selway and Plt Off Norman Bamford of No. 85 Sqn took off in a Mosquito from West Malling to begin a patrol. They were pointed in the direction of a “Fw 190,” which they shot down in flames at 23:55 hours south of Hastings. They were then given a second vector for a different “Bandit” that was roughly 20 miles away and traveling south. The enemy aircraft was so far below the Mosquito that Selway could not have descended far below without overshooting, so he turned to starboard before turning back to port as the Mosquito approached at 6,000 feet.

Contact was reestablished with what was thought to be a Ju 188 that was “traveling very fast and weaving at about 20,000 feet.” Selway approached at about 1000 feet, but Bamford instructed his pilot to throttle back because Selway’s range was decreasing quickly. Selway was hit by a burst of fire from the Ju 188 at that precise moment, severely wounding his stomach, and he was unable to retaliate. The pilot lost control, sending the Mosquito into a dive and ending the engagement.

With his airspeed indicator and altimeter shot up as a result of a bullet entering the cockpit between the windscreen and the armor plate below it, which then crashed into the instrument panel, Selway was still able to level the nightfighter off and land it back at West Malling despite his wound. Selway entered the crew room unaided after landing, and as Jimmy Rawnsley later noted;

‘For a while, he just stood there discussing the affair with the others in his usual light-hearted fashion. He started to drink some tea, but fortunately “Rigor” Mortimer snatched the cup away from him, thereby possibly saving his life. When he started to undress, the onlookers were shocked to see that his clothes were liberally soaked in blood.’

After being sent right away to the hospital, Selway underwent an urgent operation to have the tip of a Ju 188 bullet removed from his liver. Although he survived, his second tour was over.

Junkers Ju 188 Units of World War 2 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by: German Federal Archive and Royal Air Force

September 16, 2023 0 comment

History

Why the F-15 Eagle was chosen by the Israeli Air Force over the F-14 Tomcat

by Till Daisd September 15, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) needed about 50 4th-generation fighters to last them into the 1990s and maybe beyond. The McDonnell Douglas F-15A/B Eagle and the Grumman F-14A Tomcat would be the two primary candidates for such a procurement

The US was constantly attempting to “tread carefully” in the Middle East throughout the 1970s. Even though it seems strange to us now, at the time, they were working to protect and preserve the balance of power in the area. Following the end of the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, the UN-backed agreement between Israel and Egypt in January 1974, the subsequent Israeli withdrawals, and the signing of the second disengagement agreement in September 1975, there was reason to believe that the US government would view Israel favorably regarding any potential purchase of 4th-generation fighters.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) needed about 50 4th-generation fighters to last them into the 1990s and maybe beyond. Shimon Peres, the country’s defense minister, made the request in June 1974 for a limited group of seasoned IAF pilots to be permitted to test and assess the two primary candidates for such a purchase. These candidates would be the McDonnell Douglas F-15A/B Eagle and the Grumman F-14A Tomcat, as described by Bertie Simmonds in his book F-15 Eagle.

The Shah, a pilot himself, was impressed by the F-14A’s performance at this point, and the Iranian government had already examined it and placed an order before the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The AIM-54 Phoenix, a 100-mile missile that helped give the F-14A the reach to protect the fleet against long-range Soviet bombers and cruise missiles (since the Tomcat was designed around it), was one of the features that set the F-14 and F-15 apart from one another. It might even start a dogfight in the appropriate hands.

Yet, both would be carefully considered. The F-15, on the other hand, was built for air superiority over the battlefield, something the Israelis found appealing when you consider the battles they had fought since gaining independence in 1948.

One of the first TF-15s was flown by IAF commander Benny Peled in 1974, but because it was a preproduction model, it was lacking several of the systems that would have made it combat-ready. When visiting Naval Air Station Miramar, David Ivry, a former IAF P-51 Mustang and Dassault Ouragan pilot, also piloted a Tomcat. He is said to have been impressed by the F-14, if not a little let down by the need to take special care with the problematic TF-30 turbofans during air combat maneuvers with a US Navy A-4 Skyhawk.

While the US had not authorized the Israelis to actually pitch Tomcat against Eagle, a team was eventually established to independently analyze both machines. Amnon Arad, a former Mirage and F-4E pilot and squadron leader, would serve as the team’s leader. In addition to Israel Baharav, a former Mirage pilot and squadron leader during the most recent Yom Kippur War, Assaf Ben-Nun, an F-4E pilot, Omri Afek, and navigator Aharon Katz would be flying with him. The remaining members of the team were ground crew and employees from Israeli Aircraft Industries.

Operation Wooden Leg: how the F-15 Baz fighters became bombers and performed the longest air strike in IAF history

The evaluations, coming from the most seasoned and combat-tested jet fighter pilots at the time—these pilots had a combined total of about 24 kills—would have been fascinating to read at the time. They intended to mimic the annoying MiG-25Rs that were flying obtrusively over Israel, seeing how these teen-series jets handled everything from low and slow targets to fast targets.

The two-seat F-15, a full-scale development aircraft with the new systems on board, was flown around ten times, and the McDD F-15 simulator was used a lot. Sorties were conducted against A-4 and F-4 aircraft, and the Israelis were particularly taken by the F-15. They discovered the F-15 could easily outperform both aircraft, the weapons systems were “user-friendly,” the Eagle’s agility was astonishing, and the power allowed them to “sustain” like no other aircraft they had flown previously. Also, the cockpit provided unmatched visibility for dogfighting.

They were disappointed in the Tomcat’s dogfighting capabilities, which the IAF excelled in, compared to the two-seat F-14 that the team flew at Miramar. An air combat maneuver mission against the unassuming A-4 Skyhawk frequently ended in a deadlock. It was soon obvious that the F-15 Eagle was the finest option for the IAF, and even better, the plane was far more affordable per unit than the Tomcat.

However, political obstacles to an F-15 sale would not be resolved until that second disengagement agreement in September 1975, and a month later, the US decided to supply the Eagle in large quantities. In accordance with the provisions of the ‘Peace Fox I’ agreement, Israel started getting its new fighter in the form of four full-scale development aircraft in December 1976. Under the terms of ‘Peace Fox II,’ Israel then started receiving two F-15Bs and 19 F-15As.

Israel would have to pay roughly $625 million for this, which was replaced by Peace Fox III, for which 18 F-15Cs and eight F-15Ds were ordered. Also, in the early 1990s, the US government handed the IAF 10 early F-15A and B aircraft that had been refurbished as a thank you for Israel’s assistance during Desert Storm, when it was attacked by Iraqi Scud missiles.

F-15 Eagle is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

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

September 15, 2023 0 comment

History

The Royal Navy Ice Patrol Vessel that during the Falklands War escaped harm from Argentina’s Navy

by Till Daisd September 14, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Barker transformed HMS Endurance into a combat helicopter platform and photo-spy ship with just a pair of 20mm AA guns, small weapons, and missiles for her Wasp Helicopters

The narrative of another Endurance resonates as photographs of Shackleton’s Endurance’s wreck are sent throughout the globe, especially as the 40th anniversary of another fight draws near. Her Majesty’s station ship in the Falkland Islands in 1981 was the HMS Endurance. HMS Endurance served an incredible career during the Falklands Conflict with Argentina, and a Pebble Mill documentary produced the year before the Falklands War vividly depicted her prewar history.

The documentaries listed below demonstrate how dangerous exploring the Antarctic was even in the early 1980s. The arrival of Captain Nicholas Barker, who expertly led her in both exploration and combat, demonstrates his skill as an officer. Captain Barker successfully hid his ship from Argentine forces when the Falklands War broke out by using satellite communication to hide his bright red ship among ice floes while he waited for UK reinforcements.

Before giving up to the overwhelming force of the Argentinian amphibious assault on South Georgia, where Shackleton’s grave still lies, Endurance’s Royal Marine Detachment, left there, managed to shoot down an Argentinian Puma Assault Helicopter and damage an Argentinian Naval vessel with their anti-tank weapons.

Barker managed to convert his ship into a combat helicopter platform and photo-spy ship with only two 20mm AA guns, small arms, and missiles for her Wasp Helicopters. This while keeping his crew alive and causing no deaths. In order to maximize damage against the enemy war effort in the event of a confrontation with the Argentinian Naval Forces, his strategy was to ram whatever tankers they had nearby.

Endurance was one of the vessels that assisted in the successful recapture of South Georgia, and she was able to escape harm from Argentina’s Navy until reinforcements arrived. In South Georgia’s Grytvken Harbour, her Wasp Helicopter helped to sink the Argentinean Santa Fe submarine. In one of the last operations of the Falklands War, she was also able to help with the recapture of South Thule Island.

Aboard Endurance, the war’s ultimate surrender took place in the South Sandwich Islands.

Due to his continuing opposition to Thatcher’s prewar Defense Minister John Nott’s decision to retire Endurance as a cost-saving measure just before the War, Captain Barker was put to pasture postwar and retired as merely a Captain despite all of his accomplishments. Barker’s opposition was based on the abundant resources of the Falklands and South Georgia, as well as those islands’ respective Exclusive Economic Zones and their significance as staging areas for the British Antarctic Territory, which is home to a vast potential resource base, including the possibility of substantial petroleum reserves that could result in a sizable financial windfall for the British government and people as well as the islanders themselves.

HMS Endurance, Langley South Part 1. Ignore the messed-up beginning, that is likely bad VCR Tape. To Deception Island Prewar.

HMS Endurance, Langley South Part 2 To Sir James Ross Island, with a re-enactment by Endurance 1981’s crew of Endurance 1915’s harrowing adventure.

War Stories, Captain Barker Postwar, at his reunion party aboard Endurance, visiting the Falklands, shows the Governor General of the Falklands. The Royal Marines’ Lieutenant Keith Mills is also present to share his incredible tale. This will also provide viewers a look at the particular species of Whitehall Office Mole that made the kinds of choices that ultimately resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. Moreover, Lord Shackleton makes an appearance; he is a recently found direct descendent of Shackleton the Great of the Original Endurance.

Be sure to check out William Cobb’s Facebook Page Pensacola Aerospace Museum for awesome aviation’s photos and stories.

September 14, 2023 0 comment

History

When a Saudi Prince arrived in the US to buy F-15s pulling out a roll of $1,000 bills

by Till Daisd September 13, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘I reminded him that Saudi Arabia would be billed directly for the total cost and so he didn’t need to pay now. The roll disappeared back in the folds of his robe and he went inside to wait,’ Ron Wagner, former T-39A Sabreliner pilot with 89th AW

The 89th Airlift Wing (89th AW) is a tenant unit headquartered at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and is one of 17 Air Force active duty wings assigned to Air Mobility Command (AMC). For the president, vice president, cabinet members, combatant commanders, and other senior military and elected leaders as assigned by the White House, Air Force chief of staff, and AMC, the 89th AW provides global Special Air Mission airlift, logistics, aerial port, and communications.

According to the US Air Force (USAF), the unit’s mission is to “Advancing national interests by delivering diplomacy… safe, comfortable, reliable, connected, and protected. “Perfection is our standard!”’ At this point, one may think that the 89th AW performs its mission by flying luxury business jets…

‘The Air Force does not have luxury business jets!,’ Ron Wagner, former T-39A Sabreliner pilot with the 89th AW, recalls on Quora.

‘I was there. As a pilot in the 89th Military Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force base I flew the jets there. They are absolutely not luxury and here’s how I know that.

‘As you can imagine, most of our passengers were U.S. government people. The most famous, of course, is Air Force One. But we also flew Air Force Two and Executive One Foxtrot (first family). And then, often under the “SAM” call sign (Special Air Missions), we flew in direct support of the White House.

‘However, we were also tasked with flying foreign dignitaries within the borders of the USA. They would fly into Andrews on their own jets, but they were not allowed to fly domestically in their jets with their crews, so their jets were parked on our North Ramp and they rode with us. When they needed security details, that service was provided by the State Department, which has a branch that is a carbon copy of what you know as the Secret Service—same mission, same type of people, just for the protection of non-U.S. VIPs.

‘I first learned of how not luxury our jets were when I carried a Saudi prince and his entourage from Andrews to Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas because Saudi Arabia wanted to buy F-15s. They were going to get a very special F-15 show out there.’

Wagner continues;

‘When the prince stepped on board, I was watching from the cockpit and he landed at the top of the stairs in shocked disgust at the interior of our jet.

‘He at first refused, but the State Department “escort” reminded him that his only choice was to ride in a U.S. Air Force jet or go commercial because his plane and crew could not fly within the USA. He was insulted at the total lack of “luxury” in our jets.

‘I got more insight into his expectations when we stopped for fuel halfway there. Before he walked away he reached into his robe and pulled out a large roll of $1,000 bills and started peeling them off, asking how many I needed to pay for the fuel.

‘I reminded him that Saudi Arabia would be billed directly for the total cost, so he didn’t need to pay now. The roll disappeared back in the folds of his robe, and he went inside to wait.

‘My eyeballs were still bulging when I turned to the State Department guy and asked how much money he had. “He has 235 one-thousand-dollar bills on him.”

‘I about passed out as this was about 1977 or so and that was enough money to retire on, but then the State Department guy continued, “But that’s just his pocket money for the first time we hit the tables. The real money is in my briefcase.”

‘“How much is in the briefcase?”

‘“Ten million.”

‘“In cash?”

‘“Of course, in cash.”’

Wagner concludes;

‘NOTE ABOUT THE BILLS: I’ve received many comments saying that I’m lying about this because it was not possible to get $1,000 bills in 1977. I finally got confirmation that there were plenty of them around then, and that it was possible for the right person to get them. And a Saudi prince visiting the USA to buy 60 of the top fighter in the world was definitely “the right person” to get them.’

Photo by: U.S. Air Force and Rob Schleiffert from Holland via Wikipedia

September 13, 2023 0 comment

Civil

After moving to Leipzig, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Antonov restored operations with its final five AN-124 cargo aircraft

by Till Daisd September 12, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The remaining five AN-124 cargo aircraft will continue to be flown by the Antonov team from Leipzig, where the company has been able to relocate

In a presentation given to the Worldwide Project Consortium (WWPC), which convened its 20th annual membership conference in May 2022 in Vienna, Antonov acknowledged the level of damage caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International claimed that the AN-225, AN-74, and AN-26-100 aircraft, as well as the airline’s home base at Kyiv-Antonov airport in Hostomel, were all destroyed. At the airport, two aircraft—an AN-124 and an AN-22A—were damaged.

The remaining five AN-124-100 aircraft will continue to be flown by the Antonov team out of Leipzig, Germany, where the company has been able to relocate. The airline claimed that in order to accomplish this, it must relocate a complete base to the airport, transport spare engines, parts, and other specialized equipment from Ukraine, procure Western versions of the components when possible, and relocate technical experts, flight crew, and important office personnel to Leipzig.

The possibility of managing commercial flights exists, however, the airline currently gives priority to flights for the Ukrainian government, NATO/EU under the SALIS program, and humanitarian missions. In the following 12 months, Antonov expected to fly 385 times and land 1,270 times. As previously reported, officials from Antonov evaluated the damage to one of its An-225 Mriya (Dream) aircraft.

Early in February, the largest aircraft in the world arrived at Hostomel Airport for maintenance before being damaged during the Battle of Antonov Airport, which took place as the Russian invasion of Ukraine got underway. Entry to the airport remained impossible until Ukrainian forces reclaimed the area from Russia on April 2 when Russian troops withdrew to the country’s east, according to Simple Flying.

‘It is believed that the nose and wings of the aircraft, in particular, suffered considerable damage.’

Dmytro Antonov, the main pilot of the An-225, and Antonov’s team of investigators traveled to the scene to assess the damage and perform a preliminary study of the repair expenses. They collaborated with Ukroboronprom, a Ukrainian defense company.

Simple Flying says that ‘The full findings of the damage assessment have not yet been released, although previous statements from the Ukrainian defense company Ukroboronprom put the cost of repair at $3 billion over five years. It also declared that the aircraft would be rebuilt at Russia’s expense.

‘However, if the An-225 has been as badly damaged as some pictures suggest, repairing the aircraft may not even be possible. Many of the aircraft’s parts were constructed in the 1980s and replacements may be difficult to come across today, almost 40 years later.

‘Both Antonov and aviation enthusiasts worldwide are keen to see Mriya back in the skies, and the manufacturer recently called on public donations to support the rebuild.

‘Yet perhaps a more feasible option would be to continue construction of its second An-225, which was started but never completed.’

According to reports, this partially completed aircraft appears to be unharmed despite being kept in the same hangar at Hostomel Airport at the time of the attack.

Photo by: Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon Own Work via Wikipedia

September 12, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

F-106 vs F-4: 6 pilots describe how Delta Dart Squadron defeated a Phantom II unit during scramble maneuvers

by Till Daisd September 11, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘In the post-action debriefing, we found that ALL the F-106 Delta Dart aircraft got to the runway before the FIRST F-4,’ Bruce Gordon, former USAF fighter pilot

The sudden mobilization of military aircraft is known as scrambling in military aviation. In response to an immediate threat, scrambling may occur, typically to intercept hostile aircraft.

What is the time required to scramble a jet?

‘In the Air Defense Command, we had several different alert categories,’ Bruce Gordon, former F-86, F-100, F-102, F-106 at US Air Force (1958–1971), fighter pilot, explains on Quora.

‘Normal status: Off duty. I was once scrambled from the bathtub at home when Russian bombers penetrated Alaska in 1963. I got my F-102 airborne in about 45 minutes. I was also scrambled from bed in the barracks in Alaska when a Russian bomber was coming up the Aleutian Chain of Islands and the planes tracking him were running low on fuel. It took about 45 minutes

‘30-MINUTE Alert: We could go anywhere on base, but were in our flight suits and carried radios for recall. I never was scrambled from that condition.

‘15-MINUTE Alert: We were assigned aircraft and had our gear in the aircraft, but we could perform normal duties in the squadron, such as training.

‘5-MINUTE Alert: This was our normal Alert status. Our gear was in the plane, we had set up the cockpit for SCRAMBLE. We were in the Alert barn, we could sleep, play cards, watch movies, and we could get airborne in less than 5 minutes.

‘BATTLE STATIONS: Pilots in the cockpit, but don’t start the engine. We could get airborne in 2 minutes.

‘BATTLE STATIONS, ENGINES RUNNING: pilot in the cockpit, engine running, but at idle, so we weren’t using much fuel. We could get airborne in less than two minutes.

Gordon continues;

‘The aircraft had a lot to do with it. The F-102 was a little faster than the F-106, and the F-106 was faster than the F-100 or F-4.

‘In Vietnam, the F-100 had to go through end-of-runway arming of the bombs and charging the guns. I was scrambled several times in the F-100, and think it took about 10 minutes to get off the ground.

‘In Korea, we had an unusual test. A COCO SCRAMBLE, where the object was to go to the end of the runway and start your takeoff roll, pop your afterburner, but then come out of the afterburner and taxi down to the end of the runway and come back to your parking spot. I was in an F-106 squadron, and right beside us was a F-4 squadron. The COCO SCRAMBLE was a complete surprise in the early morning, as both squadrons were asleep in barracks that were right beside each other. A major difference was that the F-4 pilots were provided with four-passenger pickup trucks, while the F-106 pilots had all purchased our own motorcycles. The base golf course was between our barracks and the flight line.

Former F-106 pilot explains why the Delta Dart - although fast and agile - was never used in Vietnam

‘We were all in bed when the air raid siren blew and the loudspeakers called: “COCO SCRAMBLE! COCO SCRAMBLE!” I jumped out of bed, put on my flight suit and boots, and ran out to my motorcycle. As I started the motorcycle, I could hear the F-4 pilots climbing into their pickup trucks and calling to each other: “Where’s Joe? Tell him to GET MOVING!”

‘I started my motorcycle and ran directly across the base golf course. I went to Squadron Operations, where I got my helmet, parachute, clipboard, and the F-106 assigned to me and its location. Back on my motorcycle, I raced to the aircraft and ditched the motorcycle. The crew chief barracks were much closer to the aircraft, and my crew chief was already at the plane, with the cockpit open, and he was putting up the ladder as I arrived. He helped me strap in; I started the engine while he took down the ladder and pulled the chocks.

‘I was the second aircraft to the runway (the Squadron Commander beat me by a few seconds), started my takeoff roll, came out of the afterburner, and taxied down the length of the runway. I turned off at the end and taxied back. I stopped short of the F-4 squadron because the F-4s were starting to taxi out.’

Gordon concludes;

‘In the post-action debriefing, we found that ALL the F-106s got to the runway before the FIRST F-4. I don’t remember the time, but it seemed like about twenty minutes for me. The fact that the F-106s had motorcycles and the F-4s had pickup trucks was probably a factor, but the F-106 was quicker to start and taxi than the F-4.’

Photo by: U.S. Air Force

September 11, 2023 0 comment

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