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militaryaircraft

The B-26 with the left wing and horizontal stabilizer blown away by flak

by Till Daisd November 9, 2024

B-26 Marauder 42-107566

The horrific image in this post, which was taken on July 10, 1944, shows a B-26 Marauder 42-107566 after it was struck over Italy.

The website of the American War Memorials Overseas, which uses Missing Aircraft Report {MACR} 6454 as a reference, gives the complete story behind this picture:

‘B-26 (42-107566) and crew were part of the 441st Bomber Squadron, 320th Bomber Group, based at Decimomannu (Sardegna), Italy.

Left-wing and horizontal stabilizer blown away by flak

‘On that day, the 320th was directed to bomb the north side of the railroad bridge near Marzabotto, Italy, just south of Sasso Marconi. 20 B-26s of the 320th Bomber Group departed the airbase at 14:50 along with B-26 (42-107566) with its crew with one substitute. While en route to the bombing target, (42-107566) was hit by antiaircraft fire. The direct hit blew the left wing and horizontal stabilizer off, sending the plane into an uncontrollable spin and trapping the crew inside. A photographer in a plane above, captured the moment just before the plane’s impending doom; an iconic photo depicting the great sacrifice of the United States Army Air Forces during the war. The B-26, with bombs still aboard crashed into a hill just outside Lama di Reno.

‘The crew was declared missing in action. The unidentified remains were buried on site. In 1947, the remains were moved to the U.S. military cemetery at Castelfiorentino, Italy. On December 7, 1949, the remains of the six crew members, still unidentified, were buried in the U.S. at Jefferson Barracks. On Sept. 20, 1991, the six crewmen, now identified, received a full military burial; they are buried together in Section 79, Site 382A-B.’

The crew of B-26 (42-107566) included:

- 1st Lt. Murry B. Wiginton ,Jr. – Pilot (KIA)
- 2nd Lt. William E. Wigginton – CoPilot (KIA)
- PFC Norford G. Meador – Bombadier (KIA)
- Sgt. Ernest D. Casey – Engineer/Gunner (KIA)
- S/Sgt. Wesley B. Hoffman – Radio Operator/Gunner (KIA)
- S/Sgt. Philip A. Iannotta – Tail Gunner (KIA) (Substitute crew member)

A plaque to remember the sacrifice of the crew

Note: T/SGT Harvey Lias was a regular crewmember (Tail Gunner) of this aircraft. On this mission day, Lias was sick and was replaced by Philip Iannotta.

According to the American War Memorials Overseas website, T/SGT Harvey Lias returned several times to look for the site of the B-26 crash. In the early 1990s, with the help of local Italians, the crash site was found, and Lias left a plaque remembering his friends and fellow crewmates.

In the 2000s, the Group Collezione Storica Quardri-Venturi conducted a more extensive search of the area and found numerous aircraft parts that are now on display. One particular item was found as an 1882 silver dollar made into a necklace; this find and the story of this B-26 was front page news in Italy.

In 2015 Collezione Storica Quardri-Venturi and the Romagna Airfinders rededicated the plaque to remember the sacrifice of the crew.

Photo: U.S. Air Force

November 9, 2024 0 comment

History

The Soviet Union was charged $40,000 for the return of the MiG-25 Foxbat stolen by Viktor Belenko

by Till Daisd November 8, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The backdrop

Pilot Lt. Viktor Belenko of a PVO unit stationed at Chuguyevka air base, north of Vladivostok (other sources say Sakharovka air base), failed to return from a sortie on September 6, 1976. If Belenko had fallen into the Sea of Japan, his superiors would hardly have been displeased; in fact, it was a huge shock to learn that he had landed at Hakodate International Airport.

Subhadeep Paul, an aviation expert, explains on Quora;

‘It was 1976, the time of ongoing Cold War between the USSR and US. Each party was developing their own secret weapons & the other one always wanted to know what their enemy was cooking. US was making all possible efforts to get hold of MiGs to study them to know their weaknesses so that those can be exploited by NATO aircraft to defeat them.

The MiG-25 Foxbat

‘Thus, there were efforts from Western countries to encourage defections (prompting enemy pilots to fly enemy aircraft to one’s own airfield).

‘One emerging nightmare for the US was a mysterious Soviet supersonic aircraft, the MiG-25 Foxbat. This was a Mach 3 Interceptor aircraft which, the US thought, posed a great threat to SR-71 Blackbird. Western spy satellites stalking Soviet military installations caught brief glimpses of this warplane and feared this could overwhelm the West’s air defenses, thus posed a dire security risk for NATO countries.

‘Naturally US saw the MiG-25 as a grave danger & thus was dying to know about the ghost plane.

Lt Viktor Belenko steals a MiG-25 Foxbat

‘Enter Lt. Viktor Belenko, a 29-year-old unhappy USSR pilot of the Foxbat, struggling with his about-to-be divorced life. He was dejected by the way of life in the communist USSR.

‘Out of despair, he did something that changed his life. He was about to steal the MiG-25, offering the West what was top-notch classified technology.

‘On Sep 6, 1976, Belenko and several other pilots from his squadron took off from Chuguyevka Air Base (740 km from Japan) on a training flight. He had requested a full tank of fuel in his aircraft before take-off.

‘Belenko followed the flight plan at first, then broke formation, climbed before descending rapidly, and headed out to sea, flying just 100 feet over the sea to avoid detection.

‘A series of events followed where he flew the aircraft without maps & communication, got picked up intentionally by Japanese radar, got chased by Japanese F-4 Phantoms II, and somehow made landing at Hakodate (civilian) airport with just 30 seconds of fuel remaining.’

As the photos in this post show, the low flying of the MiG-25 caught the attention of all the inhabitants of that city, who photographed Belenko’s Foxbat just before landing.

Arrested by police

He continues;

‘The Japs were stunned to see something they had never seen before. A huge aircraft of the enemy amidst the Cold War on their Tarmac.

‘He fired two warning shots from his service pistol sitting from the canopy to discourage any civilian from approaching the aircraft and to make sure that only the Japanese Military could get their hands on the fighter first.

‘He was arrested by police, to whom he offered no resistance. Instead, he asked the aircraft to be covered in canvas because it contained military secrets. US military personnel were there at the scene, guarding the aircraft throughout the night.

Viktor Belenko asks for political asylum in the US

‘Belenko asked the Japs to consult the CIA as he wanted political asylum in the US.

‘Soviet Union was shocked & demanded immediate return of both plane & pilot. They said Belenko had lost his way during the flight & claimed that he was under the influence of drugs administered to him by the Japanese.

The US side

‘Fast forward a couple of months, this incident resulted in these events in the US:

• The USAF & CIA studied the MiG-25 extensively. It was like getting the enemy’s crown jewel.
• However, the USAF concluded that the MiG-25 was nowhere as fearsome as they thought it be. They had overestimated the capabilities of the Foxbat, judging it by its appearance because it had large wings. Conclusion: It wasn’t particularly useful in combat.
• Eventually it was packed up into around 40 boxes and was returned to the Soviet Union. The Soviets complained that around 20 pieces were missing.

Soviet Union was charged $ 40,000 for shipping cost of the MiG-25

‘Irony: Soviet Union was charged $ 40,000 for shipping cost of the MiG-25. The bill was never paid.

• Belenko was given asylum in the US & even granted US citizenship.
• He later became a consultant to the US military and aerospace industry, a public speaker and businessman. He also married an American woman and had two children. They later divorced.

The Soviet Union side

Paul concludes;

‘On the Soviet Union side, things went in a bit different way:

• USSR decided to improve conditions of pilots to avoid such future incidences. From the airport Belenko flew, a five-story government building was built along with school, kindergarten, and other facilities. Treatment of pilots vastly improved.
• Prior to Belenko’s defection the outside world had very little knowledge about the MiG-25. The breaching of secrecy resulted in a new business idea. The USSR thought since the entire world anyways knows about their “secretive” aircraft, why not export it & earn money.
• Hence it was sold to Algeria, Bulgaria, India, Iraq, Libya, and Syria in significant numbers.
• The loss of secrecy led to the fast-track development of the MiG-31 Foxhound, which was already in development at the time of Belenko’s defection.
• The MiG-31 replaced the MiG-25 and is still in active service as of 2023.

Photo by CIA and unknown

November 8, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

While searching for a downed F-105 in Utah, an A-12 pilot came across a brothel with a runway

by Till Daisd November 7, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The Oxcart

The A-11 was a long-range, high-altitude aircraft that Lockheed started designing in 1959. It was a project from the Cold War. The project team was led by Lockheed’s Vice President for Advanced Development Projects, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson. He had previously led the development of the U-2 spy plane. On February 29, 1964, five years after the A-11’s development got underway, President Lyndon Johnson informed reporters that the aircraft, which was by then modified to the A-12 Oxcart production version with a reduced radar cross-section, had achieved over 2,000 mph and over 70,000 feet of altitude in tests conducted at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB).

In particular, three A-12s crashed during the first three years of pre-operational testing—two due to mechanical issues and one due to ground crew error—according to Col. Richard H. Graham’s book The Complete Book of the SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated Profile of Every Aircraft, Crew, and Breakthrough of the World’s Fastest Stealth Jet. Every pilot safely ejected.

The A-12 crash in Utah and the F-105 crash cover story

Piloted by Ken Collins, A-12 number 926 crashed fourteen miles south of Wendover, Utah, on May 24, 1963, while involved in a subsonic engine test flight. Collins flew into dense clouds above thirty thousand feet while testing an inertial navigation system. Shortly before the A-12 pitched up, stalled, and fell into an inverted spin, Collins started to notice inaccurate and perplexing airspeed and altitude readings. Unable to regain control, he ejected at around 25 thousand feet and was unhurt. The crashed aircraft was referred to as a Republic F-105 in a press cover story.

The failure of the air data computer was initially attributed to a pilot error, but it was later determined that the cause was an inadequate pitot tube design. It seemed to be more probable that the accident was an F-105 because Collins was not wearing his pressure suit during his low-altitude sortie.

‘With an ironic twist of faith, sometime after the loss of Article 123, an F-105 from Nellis was lost and members of the Oxcart (code word of A-12) program were involved in the search for the crash site,’ A-12 pilot Frank Murray recalls in Paul Crickmore‘s latest book “Lockheed Blackbird Beyond the Secret Missions.

A-12 pilot searching for crashed F-105

Frank Murray and Dr. Roger Anderson were airborne in a Cessna searching for the crashed F-105 when they located the crash near a small lake with the adjoining property of one of the brothels in the area known as Ash Meadow Ranch. The brothel provided a small dirt runway graded out to allow its customers the option of air travel into the facility.

‘We taxied into Ash Meadow Ranch and we explained that we were here looking for the crash site and we had located it,’ Murray explains.

‘By then it was lunchtime and the Madame got the cook to rustle up some lunch. There was some polite conversation with Madame and my aviation curiosity got the better of me.

Brothel with landing strip

‘I asked her what was the largest aircraft ever to use the landing strip.

‘She replied the largest was an Army C- 7A Caribou full of GIs from an army base in California! ‘Mind you” she added mischievously, they weren’t looking for any downed airplanes!’

Murray concludes;

‘After lunch, the three of us said our goodbyes and departed for our lives back at our Ranch [“Groom Lake,” “The Ranch,” “Area 51,” and “Dreamland” are all names that have been associated with the Groom Lake facility in the Nevada desert]. ‘

I had heard when I was a girl growing up in California that brothels were legal in Nevada. These kinds of rumors were hard for me to believe, but I believe them now!

Check out Habubrats SR-71‘s Twitter profile, SR71Habubrats‘s Instagram profile and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats‘s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by A1C SHERYL D. BARNETT and Kenji Thuloweit / U.S. Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency

November 7, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

Why the F-111 Aardvark was very tedious to maintain

by Till Daisd November 6, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-111 Aardvark

The F-111 Aardvark was an all-weather attack aircraft capable of low-level penetration of enemy defenses to deliver ordnance on the target. Additionally, it was the first aircraft in production to use variable-sweep wings, sometimes referred to as swing wings. Following a difficult development, the F-111 joined the US Air Force in 1967. Before retiring in 1998, it flew in the first Gulf War, Operation El Dorado Canyon, and Vietnam. Up until 2010, when the aircraft was called “the pig,” the F-111 remained in service with the Royal Australian Air Force.

Maintaining the F-111 Aardvark

What was maintaining the F-111 like?

Royal Wesley, a former USAF F-111 environmental control systems specialist, explains on Quora;

F-111-serviced — A 20th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111E is serviced in a hangar

‘Very tedious. I worked the Environmental Control System (air conditioning, pressurization, oxygen, anti-g suit, radar cooling). Each aircraft has its own little pains, and this was no exception. Where modern aircraft were designed for ease of maintenance, the F-111 design engineers seemed to have never heard of that concept. Access to system components in many areas required extensive tear-down, which added to downtime.

‘While working on my own systems I couldn’t help but notice issues some others had. The engines really sucked, not from a performance standpoint but containment of turbine blades. In the three years that I worked that jet all of the engines in the Wing (my 111 service was done at Nellis AFB near Las Vegas) were completely disassembled and inspected 3 different times for turbine blade separation twice causing catastrophic damage to the rear of the aircraft.’

Noise pollution

Wesley continues;

‘It was very noisy. Way beyond the normal jet noise pollution.

‘No health issues at all that could be called service-related. [At Nellis] there is a mountain parallel to the runway that we called Sunrise Mountain. I believe this reflected some of the noise on takeoff. I have never heard an F-35 up close and personal, but if it is as loud as the F-111 was, there will be some serious hearing issues after service.

‘We had one crash on landing. Parts including a burning tire bounced onto the line and fell smoldering among two rows of mission-ready aircraft. The jet’s weapons bay was easily available to anyone who wanted to acquire a souvenir. We called it a triple threat. It bombed them, strafed them, or fell on them. But she looked so sexy.’

The F-111 didn’t have a name during its service

Wesley concludes;

‘Many have never heard the 111 called Aardvark. This aircraft was unique in that it didn’t have a name during its service. It was named at the time of its retirement.’

Photo by Sgt David S. Nolan / U.S. Air Force

November 6, 2024 0 comment

History

The disastrous beginning of B-29 operations against Japan

by Till Daisd November 4, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The C-87 Liberator Express

In response to a request from the Army Air Forces for a heavy bomber with a longer range than the Boeing B-17, Consolidated started designing the B-24 in January 1939. On December 29, 1939, the prototype made its first flight. The Liberators were the most produced American aircraft of World War II, with 18,482 made overall. Every branch of the American military as well as several Allied nations used them. The B-24 Liberator was deployed to every theater of World War II to provide aerial bombing support.

During World War II, one of the largest human or cargo loads of any aircraft currently in production was transported by the C-87 Liberator Express, an airlifter variant of the B-24.

Arthur La Vove piloted a C-87 during the conflict as a “Hump Driver,” transporting people, supplies, and weapons over the Himalayan Mountains between China, India, and Assam. He saw the first B-29 arrive in the CBI (China Burma India) theater while deployed at Chengtu Airfield in China.

C-87 Liberator Express pilot recalls the disastrous beginning of B-29 operations against Japan — Newly delivered USAAF Consolidated C-87-CF *Liberator Express* transport planes at the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, Fort Worth, Texas (USA), in October 1942.

An awful lot of airplane

La Vove recalls in his book Hump Drivers;

‘The B-29s were an awful lot of airplane. There had been scads of rumors about them. Long before they appeared in the CBI, the average Hump Driver imagined them in terms of hugeness that resembled fifteenth-century mariners’ descriptions of sea monsters.

‘The project for bringing the Twentieth Air Force’s big babies had been whispered, hush-hush, and top-secret from the very beginning. It had been known variously as the “Matterhorn” and “Twilight” projects. No one, except possibly Tokyo Rose, the Japs, thousands and thousands of runway-building Chinese and Indian coolies, newspaper correspondents, and Air Force brass, knew exactly what was involved.

‘Hump Drivers, based in Jorhat and Tezpur in Lower Assam Valley began to fly their C-87s, loaded with cement mixers, rock crushers, bombs, and gas to the new, 2-mile-long runways that had come into being at the bases that surrounded the ancient capitol of Chengtu.

‘Weather reports were spotty; there were no adequate radio range facilities, traffic was heavy, and the fields were poorly lighted for night operations. But the Drivers put their ships in and then the 29s came along.

‘When they finally did show up, they looked surprisingly small after all the wild talk. Their crews acted like prima donnas at first. They were positive that they were going to win the war all by themselves.

‘Weren’t they going to bomb Japan from bases ‘way back in the guts of China?’

The disastrous beginning of B-29 operations against Japan

La Vove continues;

‘The ’29 crews were cocky—at first. But as time wore on and accidents began to take their toll, the boys quieted down. And the Drivers soon learned that a B-29 operation was a spectacle that could turn marrow into ice water.

‘There were the takeoffs. The Drivers would gather and watch, sweating palms, as the overloaded bombers slowly rose into the dismal overcast that always gave Chengtu a melancholy, tearful aspect.

‘Too often, bombers did not make it. Engine “bugs” hitherto und-tected showed up—and bombers and crews went up in smoke and flame.

‘And when the big boys came back from a mission, it was just as bad. The B-29 landings were a spectacle that perhaps the Romans could have appreciated. The Drivers did not.

‘Afterward—when the bombers were on the ground—the Japanese showed up and Drivers huddled in slit trenches while the maddened Nips tried to pulverize the ships that were damaging their homeland.’

La Vove concludes:

‘But these raids—Jing Bows, they were called—weren’t as bad as the accidents. It was tough, sweating out the B-29’s return; tough to watch one, with one or more feathered props make a wavering turn and suddenly stall and spin in …’

Hump Drivers is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force via Cool Old Photos, 7th Fighter.com, C-87s_delivered_Fort_Worth_(colour)_1942.jpg: Hollem, Howard R., photographer and derivative work: Jan Arkesteijn via Wikipedia

November 4, 2024 0 comment

History

This Hurricane had the most impact on the Battle of Britain

by Till Daisd November 3, 2024

written by Till Daisd

One of the most famous British fighters of World War II

The Hawker Hurricane was one of World War II’s most famous British fighters. November 1935 saw the first flight of the prototype, while October 1937 saw the maiden flight of the first production aircraft. Hurricanes were being delivered to their operational squadrons in a few weeks. About 500 Hurricanes had been delivered to the Royal Air Force by the time the war started in September 1939, and production went on.

It saw exemplary service in World War II, accounting for over 60% of the air victories in the Battle of Britain.

During the Battle of Britain, Fighter Command flew 1,715 Hurricanes, which is much more than all other British fighters combined. An estimated four-fifths of all enemy aircraft destroyed between July and October 1940 were attributed to Hurricane pilots.

The Hurricane that had the most impact on the Battle of Britain

Of all the aircraft involved in the Battle of Britain, Hurricane OK-1 was the one that made the most impact. ‘One single aircraft. It didn’t shoot down anything during the battle, despite being piloted by an Ace with twenty victories to his name (all during WWI),’ says 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 continues;

‘This photograph shows Sir Keith and OK-1. The handwritten inscription indicates it was taken on the 15th of September, presumably of 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.

OK-1 precious cargo

‘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-recognised hero.

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

This Hurricane is the aircraft that had the most impact on the Battle of Britain. Here’s why.

Photo by Crown Copyright

November 3, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

How revolutionary electronic countermeasures ensured nothing could lock on and shoot down the Blackbird

by Till Daisd November 2, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The Blackbird

Developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft, the SR-71, also known as the “Blackbird,” was a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, received the first SR-71 to begin service in January 1966, while the first SR-71 flight occurred on December 22, 1964.

The Blackbird was in a different category from anything that had come before. “Everything had to be invented. Everything,” Skunk Works’ legendary aircraft designer Kelly Johnson recalled in an interesting article on Lockheed Martin‘s website.

SR-71 revolutionary electronic countermeasures

Capt. Steve “Griz” Grzebiniak, a former SR-71 pilot, describes the revolutionary electronic countermeasures that made sure that nothing else than a golden BB could lock on and then shoot down the SR-71.

Many books about the SR-71 do not have this information because it was classified (most of the information about the SR-71 was declassified in 2007).

In a recent online discussion, Steve explained more about the electronic countermeasures used in the Blackbird.
This is what Steve Grzebiniak wrote:

‘This “deception jammer” used an electronic countermeasure tactic commonly known as “range-gate stealing or range-gate pull-off.” The concept is the same as described below. This tactic would cause a false target return to show up on the enemy-targeting radar scope. This would force the enemy radar operator to switch from the “target tracking mode” and go back into the “target acquisition mode” and attempt to re-acquire the SR-71 before switching back to the more accurate “target tracking mode.”

‘This essentially defeated the SAM capability to successfully intercept the SR, as the window to acquire, track, and launch was very limited against a high-speed target.

‘The SR-71 was one of the first aircraft to feature a “Deception Jammer.” I think this is fascinating and so inventive since it was made in the early 60s.’

Designed to absorb and memorize an enemy radar signal

Grzebiniak concludes;

‘The device was designed to absorb and memorize an enemy radar signal as it hit the reconnaissance plane and sent back a radar single similar to the SR-71, but STRONGER than projecting away from the plane, the trick was designed to confuse the enemy radar operator by making him see a “ghost blimp on the scope!

‘Some parts of the jamming used on the SR-71 are still not allowed to be used while flying over the United States. So, when another country brags that they could’ve shot down our SR-71, just remember what our jamming devices were able to do!’

Check out Habubrats SR-71‘s Twitter profile, SR71Habubrats‘s Instagram, and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats‘s Facebook for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Russian Ministry of Defence and Lockheed Martin

November 2, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The first body count a US Navy F-4 pilot received after a FAC mission against the North Vietnamese

by Till Daisd November 1, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The most challenging and traumatic part of a soldier’s job

Soldiers kill. It goes with the job, and they do it on our behalf.

However, even the soldiers themselves tend to overlook this element of their employment, which can be quite distressing for them psychologically, according to the BBC.

This most difficult and traumatic aspect of a soldier’s work is frequently completely disregarded.

What is it like to kill someone in a conflict?

John Chesire, US Navy F-4 Phantom II pilot during the Vietnam War, recalls on Quora;

‘For me, not good. However, I never lost any sleep over it. Killing is what we did. It was war. And war is hell.

‘I flew 197 combat missions in both South and North Vietnam. Performing close air support for our US troops and South Vietnam troops, I obviously killed an untold number of the enemy. But I fortunately never knew how many or who they were.

‘Then one day while working with a Forward Air Controller (FAC) near the DMZ, we caught a large number of North Vietnamese Regular Army guys out in the open. I attacked, dropping 6 MK-82 bombs. Although I was flying too high to exactly see the results, the FAC was ecstatic with my results, describing in somewhat gory detail what I had wrought.

The body count

‘The next day I received message traffic confirming that I had 112 NVA “killed by air” (KBA). It was the first time I had ever received an actual body count, and I was briefly somewhat affected by that. I asked to never be notified of actual body counts again, although I obviously killed many over the ensuing months. But I never knew how many. It must have been a large number.

‘Once in a great while, I do think about that mission and the many others and wonder a bit. But it never really bothered me to any degree. It was my job and I did it well, just as those trying to kill me did theirs, too.’

Noteworthy this reminds the Intel officer in Flight of the Intruder informing Grafton of his body count and Grafton refusing to listen to it.

A claim confirmed by Chesire himself;

‘Not surprising. While I don’t remember that exact reference, the author – Stephen Coonts – and I were contemporaries and shared many of the same circumstances and experiences.’

Photo by U.S. Navy

November 1, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

Why the SR-71 could fly at Mach 3.55 so long as 427C weren’t exceeded

by Till Daisd October 31, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The Blackbird

Unofficially referred to as the “Blackbird,” the SR-71 was a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A.

The first SR-71 flight occurred on December 22, 1964, and the 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, received the aircraft in January 1966.

The Blackbird was in a different category from anything that had come before. “Everything had to be invented. Everything.” Skunk Works legendary aircraft designer Kelly Johnson recalled in an interesting article that appeared on the Lockheed Martin website.

The SR-71 could fly at Mach 3.55

There are a lot of rumors these days regarding the SR-71’s potential speed. The maximum speed was restricted by the J58 engine’s temperature. Ironically, the aircraft speed limit was related to the engines rather than the airframe. A temperature probe located directly in front of the engine compressor provided the pilot with the temperature; they were only allowed to run as fast as the temperature reached about 427C, or 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, a cold blast from frigid weather could make a difference in reducing the temperature. This would enable the airframe to go faster without harming the engines.

David Peters, former SR-71 Blackbird pilot, explained to me;

‘A little clarification on the speed thing. You are absolutely correct on the 427C. The issue is that I have been limited to less than Mach 3 on a few occasions because the outside air temperature was quite above standard and 427C came up at about 2.95. On other occasions, like the Murmansk deal, I got above 3.4 (3.49 on the one occasion) and wasn’t close to 427C. The actual limiting airspeed is around 3.55 that is where the spike being at full retraction loses the intercept on the shock wave and can no longer position it correctly in the inlet. ‘Also the overflow of the shock starts to go over the wing and interfere with the flight controls. So the limiting speed as configured would be about 3.55 so long as you don’t exceed 427C.’

Mike Relja, who worked on in with the SR-71s for over 30 years, added;

‘I don’t know of any warranty that P&W had or any other parts manufacturer for that matter.

Don’t exceed 427C

‘On the March 6th [Mar. 6, 1990] speed run Ed Yeilding stated that Don Emmons gave them permission to fly the max limit of 3.3 M, they asked Lockheed if they could exceed that number and Lockheed said no if the aircraft had an unstart above 3.3 it may go out of control and come apart hard to keep the pointy end forward. Also, no fuel flow limits established above 3.3 M were ever tested.

‘P&W did give them clearance to exceed 427 CIT for 30 minutes to a limit of 450 CIT but that wasn’t needed they stayed at the book limit of 427 CIT.’*

*SR-71 pilot Ed Yeilding (who along with JT Vida as RSO flew the Blackbird during the speed run of Mar. 6, 1990) said that another reason they didn’t exceed 3.2 is that they were afraid they’d run out of gas before they got to Dulles airport.

The engine maker, Pratt & Whitney, would not warrant or guarantee anything beyond 427; after that, all bets are off; the engine could come unglued or you could shed turbine blades. The SR-71 crewmembers were too responsible to risk and exceeded the temperature limit. They wanted to keep the warranty on the engines, the J58’s.

Check out Habubrats SR-71‘s Twitter profile, SR71Habubrats‘s Instagram profile, and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats‘s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin

October 31, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

SR-71 pilot, lost at Mach 3, returned safely with broken indicators

by Till Daisd October 30, 2024

written by Till Daisd

SR-71 Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft

The Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft served as the basis for the development of the SR-71, also referred to as the “Blackbird” or long-range, advanced strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, received the first SR-71 to begin service in January 1966. The first SR-71 flight occurred on December 22, 1964. On January 26, 1990, the US Air Force (USAF) retired its SR-71 fleet.

For almost 24 years, the SR-71 held the record for being the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft in the world. It could survey 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from 80,000 feet.

SR-71 Lost at Mach 3

‘Decelling, after an extremely valuable take leg over Hanoi, I encountered an emergency and landed in Thailand. Next day, my Recovery Team Crew Chief cornered me… They were most anxious to get this TAKE to the processing center, and no transport is available from Thailand. They told me: “Your malfunction is fixed, but you are legally required to have a NAV SET, and I can provide that for launch in about an hour. HOWEVER, I guarantee the NAV SET will fail about half an hour after level-off speed. Can you get this back to Kadena for them?”

‘I checked the forecast landing weather – CLEAR! I can do this! NAV SET failure degrades Primary Instrument Panels but even if primary FAIL, I’ve got the BACKUP system (called the FRS) – no sweat!!

‘We went and sure enough, 20 minutes after leveling off at speed (locked on the heading home), NAV SET failed. But Primary Flight Instruments also failed. Shortly thereafter, all flight instruments OFF FLAGS POPPED UP. Guess what!?!?! I’m on a partial panel at Mach 3—LOST!

SR-71 pilot tells how he was able to RTB after he got lost at Mach 3 because both attitude indicator and heading indicator were unserviceable

‘We checked OCEAN STATION DELTA and were about 60 nm left of course. I dropped the right wing 5 degrees for a count of 10 and reentered the needle. Start decel backset distance was 230 nm. Kadena TACAN locked on at 235 nm within 1 degree of inbound track. HOME FREE!

‘So, when you hear that old cliche, you ain’t been lost till you’re lost at Mach 3.’

Partial panel

But what does the term “partial panel” refer to?

Former SR-71 Blackbird pilot Stormy Boudreaux answers the question;

‘The term partial panel refers to instrument flying while the attitude indicator and heading indicator are unserviceable. Without the heading indicator you have to rely on the “whiskey compass” – so named, because it floats in a container of alcohol—for your heading and looking out the window for your attitude. However, the whiskey compass will tell you the heading only when the wings are level or very nearly level.

“The pilot has to time his turn because establishing a turn of more than a few degrees of bank causes the floating magnetic card to hang up and freeze inside of the instrument case during the turn until the turn is complete—only after you roll out of your bank and the compass card settles down can you find out your new heading.

‘So you start your turn and maintain the turn for a predetermined number of minutes or seconds, then roll out to wings level based on time—you let the card stabilize (15-30 seconds) while it sloshes around figuring out where north is again and finally you read your new heading.’

Turning to the new heading as accurately and quickly as possible

Boudreaux concludes;

‘You prefer to turn to the new heading as accurately and quickly as possible—without rolling out and checking too many times because you are moving at 30 miles per minute. A large deviation from the desired heading means you are going in the wrong direction in a hell of a hurry! In this instance, weather was not a factor for visually determining his attitude and bank angle. If this happens in the weather, it is an extremely serious emergency.’

Check out Habubrats SR-71‘s Twitter profile, SR71 Habubrats’s Instagram profile, and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats‘s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Lockheed Martin, U.S. Air Force and NASA

October 30, 2024 0 comment

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