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planes

The SR-71 had to refuel immediately after takeoff, and Blackbird Pilot explains why

by Till Daisd September 8, 2023

The crews of the SR-71 Blackbird remember the KC-135Q Stratotanker crew with gratitude for their attention to their safety

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird requires JP-7 fuel, which the KC-135Q variant of the renowned KC-135 Stratotanker was modified to carry by separating the JP-7 from the KC-135’s own fuel supply (the body tanks carrying JP-7, and the wing tanks carrying JP-4 or JP-8). Also, the tanker included unique fuel systems for transferring various fuels across tanks. The KC-135T model, which could separate the main body tanks from the wing tanks where the KC-135 gets its engine fuel, was renamed after the KC-135Q model when it was given the CFM56 engines.

The KC-135Q crews and their aircraft set themselves apart from the rest of the Air Force in a number of ways, including the fact that they were the only ones certified in the specific radio-silent rendezvous techniques used by the SR-71 and that their boom operators were the only ones capable of refueling the Blackbird.

If it weren’t for the SR-71’s ability to refuel in the air, its range would only be about 2,000 NM. The aircraft’s range was increased through numerous air refuelings to the limit of the crew’s endurance. Several missions have traveled more than 12,000 NM. The SR-71 and KC-135Q tankers’ forward basing enabled them to respond more quickly, conduct missions with shorter ranges and shorter durations, require fewer air refuelings, and operate more efficiently overall.

The story of the SR-71 Blackbird that pitched up and collided with a KC-135Q tanker during an air refueling over El Paso

If the SR-71 landed somewhere where JP-7 fuel was not accessible, the Q-model tankers flew in with the fuel and were able to refill the SR-71 using transfer hoses on the ground.

In his book SR-71 The Complete Illustrated History of THE BLACKBIRD The World’s Highest, Fastest Plane, former SR-71 pilot Col. Richard H. Graham explains why the Blackbird needed to refuel immediately after takeoff.

“Many people believe we refueled after takeoff because the aircraft leaked fuel so profusely that we needed to fuel up quickly. We had to refuel right after takeoff for only one reason, and it wasn’t because we leaked JP-7 fuel on the ground. Yes, the plane does leak fuel, but not enough to require refueling after takeoff.

“The JP-7 fuel reaches temperatures well over 300 degrees F. during Mach 3 cruise, making the fumes in each of the six fuel tanks very volatile and potentially explosive. The metal skin of the aircraft approaches 400 degrees F., adding to the volatility of the fuel inside the tanks. One of our aircraft limitations was a maximum speed of Mach 2.6 without an inert atmosphere inside the fuel tanks.

“The aircraft had three liquid nitrogen Dewar flasks containing 260 liters of liquid nitrogen, located in the nose wheel well. The only way to ensure a 100 percent inert atmosphere in each fuel tank was to refuel the plane inflight completely full of JP-7, allowing ambient air in each fuel tank to vent overboard. Once full of fuel, gaseous nitrogen would now dominate each fuel tank’s empty space above as it burned off JP-7. The nitrogen gas pressurized each fuel tank to 1.5 psi above ambient pressure and inerts the space above the heated fuel to prevent autogenous ignition. This is why we refueled after takeoff. Then we could safely accelerate beyond Mach 2.6.

“There was one other way of achieving tank inerting, called a Yo-Yo. but this was a maintenance nightmare. A few of our missions required the SR-71 to accelerate to Mach 3+ right after takeoff with a 65,000-pound fuel load. The Yo-Yo procedure had the crew chief completely refuel the plane to full tanks of 80,000 pounds of fuel. Then, with the nitrogen pressurization system working, they de-fueled 15,000 pounds of JP-7, ending up with a 65,000-pound fuel load and a plane that was capable of going immediately to Mach 3+.”

The SR-71’s refueling process took at least 15 minutes, but at times it felt much longer. As opposed to other SAC tankers, the KC-135Q did not require constant alertness. The KC-135Q crew members are remembered warmly by the SR-71 crews for their attention to detail in ensuring their safety.

Check out Habubrat’s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by: U.S. Air Force

September 8, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

As the cable connecting the catapult to the US Navy F-4B Phantom II snapped, the shuttle that had been released crashed into the nose wheel

by Till Daisd September 7, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The video in this post was captured on board the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CV-43) and shows a mishap on CAT-3 as an F-4B Phantom II of VF-151 is pushed down the deck by its damaged nose gear following a miscue

The video in this post, which was shot on board the USS Coral Sea (CV-43), shows an accident on CAT-3 in which a VF-151 F-4B Phantom II is dragged down the deck by its damaged nose gear. If you look attentively, you can see the nose gear collapsing before becoming entangled in the bridal/shuttle that is dragging the Phantom II into the water.

As AO2 Tom Pokora explains in a video comment:

‘I was also on deck that day when the skipper and LCdr Keating had to eject. I was standing right across from the waist cat when the accident occurred. I have always maintained that the hold-back “apple” prematurely broke and the F-4 in full burner lurched forward just before the cat fired. The cables fell off and the plane rolled down the deck ways and the shuttle blew the nose gear up into the radome. The plane continued down the deck on it’s nose and ejection occurred just before it went off the angle deck. Canopies and ejection seats were coming down and I had to scramble. I looked aft and saw Cdr. Winton blowing down the deck and over the fantail. I remember he did not want us to try and grab him as he knew there was no stopping him with the deck wind. A very sad day.’

John Chesire, a former US Navy F-4 Phantom II Pilot, describes on Quora;

‘Aircraft carrier’s catapult catastrophic malfunction happens, but it is thankfully a rare occurrence. Nevertheless, the possibility is in the back of the mind of everyone who sits on the catapult at full power, waiting to be shot off the ship within two seconds time.

‘The more common failure is called a “cold cat” whereby the end speed off the catapult is not enough to maintain flight and the aircraft falls into the water off the ship’s bow.

‘However, other failures can occur. The video below was my squadron just before I joined them. The cable from the catapult to the aircraft snapped, and the freed shuttle came forward, breaking the nose wheel. The aircraft could not stop, both pilot and RIO ejected, but the RIO died.’

Video: Coral Sea PLAT video from Gary Schreffler

September 7, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

Before the SR-71 maiden flight, the cockpit had to be rearranged or the USAF would not buy it

by Till Daisd September 6, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Blackbird’s cockpit needed to be rearranged prior to the aircraft’s first flight, but the cost was high and it wasn’t functional.

The SR-71 Blackbird collected intelligence during its service in some of the most difficult environments on Earth. The SR-71 remained the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft for approximately 24 years of its life. It could survey 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from an altitude of 80,000 feet.

The SR-71 was intended to operate at high speeds, altitudes, and temperatures; in fact, it was the first aircraft to be built using titanium since a typical aluminum frame would melt under the friction of air molecules passing over it at Mach 2.6.

Because of its cutting-edge engineering, even the tools used to construct the SR-71 had to be created from scratch. The SR-71’s task was to collect pictures while also using its sensors to detect electronic surveillance and cautiously navigate close to the enemy’s border. All of that and more was managed by the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO).

The officer in the SR-71 who completed the checklist for the pilot was known as the RSO. Both his and the Pilot’s jobs had to be known to him. He did the SR-71’s Navigation. The Pilot would ask his RSO, “Where am I landing?” to acquire the precise coordinates if he had to make an emergency landing, which happened more frequently than you would imagine.

There is a saying: “You’ve never been lost until you’ve been lost going 2,100 mph!”

The cockpit of the SR-71 was rearranged prior to the aircraft’s first flight. The redesign of this cockpit was highly expensive, yet it still wasn’t usable. Thus, Butch Sheffield, Tom Schmittou, and Coz Mallozzi, the first three RSOs selected for the program, took a look at it and demanded that they redo the cockpit, which they did.

A quote from Colonel Richard “Butch” Sheffield’s unpublished book. ‘I asked one of the Lockheed Skunk Works engineers who design this, and he said; “NO ONE”. He went on to say, “Kelly told us to put the instruments anywhere they would fit.” What a mess! Airspeed on one side, attitude on the other, altimeter in the middle, we couldn’t even tell what time it was, it was a nightmare.’

Check out the Facebook Page Habubrats for awesome Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

September 6, 2023 0 comment

History

The Horten Ho 229 is considered the first stealth aircraft during WWII (although it Never Entered Service)

by Till Daisd September 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

If the Horten Ho 229 was intended to be a low-drag bomber as well as possess stealth capabilities, it would put it roughly 30 years ahead of its time

The invention of low-observable technology, also known as “stealth,” was arguably the most successful breakthrough throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

The element of surprise had been sought by air fighters since the earliest days of aerial combat, when typically the sun was employed to conceal the location of an attacker honing in on an intended victim, as David Baker explains in his book Fifth Generation Fighters. The parameters switched to the electromagnetic spectrum with the development of radar targeting and interception during the Second World War, initially for night-fighting and subsequently generally for air defense.

Radar operates by picking up a return signal that is reflected off of a solid object; the strength of the signal is inversely correlated with the item’s apparent visibility. The amount of signal that is reflected back determines the “observed visibility,” which is a measurement of the object’s radar cross-section (RCS).

At German laboratories during the Second World War, the development of radar and strategies for avoiding detection was shrouded in considerable secrecy. Several concepts were researched and examined using data and results from in-depth investigations and tests undertaken toward the conclusion of the war, as the victorious Allied nations desired to get as much of this work for their own exploitation after the German capitulation. One of these was the fusion of low-observables (LO) technology and flying-wing design principles.

While some of the claims made by German inventors were total lies, certain systems unintentionally did have stealth features. The Horten Ho 229, created by Reimar and Walter Horten, proponents of diminutive “flying-wing” designs, and constructed at the Gotha Works in 1944, is one illustration. The German Air Ministry wanted a bomber capable of carrying a 1000kg (2200lb) bomb at a distance of 1000km (620mls) at 1000km/hr (620mph).

The Horten brothers asserted that these criteria could only be satisfied by lowering the cruise power. The easiest way to do it would be to design a tailless, blended wing-body shape that is propelled by jet engines buried in the wing/fuselage root. The Ho 2299 was constructed and flown on multiple occasions, but due to a variety of causes, the type never saw service.

The Horten brothers had chosen a design approach with minimal drag, and the aircraft was undoubtedly less radar-visible than a typical aircraft of this size would have been. There were no abrupt angles connecting the wing to the fuselage, no large vertical tail to reflect radio waves, and no propellers to project bright discs onto the radar. After the war, Northrop Grumman conducted a thorough investigation of the type and found that, with a wing span of 55 feet (16.8 meters), it had only 80% of the visibility offered by a lightweight fighter like the Messerschmitt Bf 109, which had a wing span of 32 feet (9.8m).

Yet Reimar Horten’s assertions that he had included charcoal with the glue used to bind the wood laminates from which the structure was formed in an effort to create a low reflection were refuted by a chemical examination that revealed there was no proof of such a substance. We might, however, be hasty in rejecting this assertion because there was a discernible shift in the dielectric constant. Horten claimed that the carbon charcoal, which would have greatly absorbed radio waves as they traveled, was intended to be employed in production models, as opposed to the early-build V3 prototype that was brought to the US and used for testing.

This thorough examination of the Ho 229 myth is necessary because, if it were true that the aircraft was designed to be both a low-drag bomber and to possess stealth capabilities, it would have been approximately 30 years ahead of its time. But, the truth is obscured by uncertainty, deceit, lying, and finger-pointing.

German scientists, engineers, technicians, and workers were quick to point the finger at those who had passed away (usually in high political or military positions in the Third Reich) after the war for missed opportunities, decisions that were obviously poor, or intentional mismanagement. These men were also quick to claim they were aware of applications that, in reality, only became apparent when allied brains were matched with those from the German research facilities to point out subtle possibilities such as the variation of a shape to effectively produce a more stealthy design.

Fifth Generation Fighters is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by: Michael.katzmann at English Wikipedia

Ho-229-Smithsonian — Horten Ho 229 at the Smithsonian Institution’s Garber Restoration Facility.nnPhotographed by Michael Katzmann, 2000

September 5, 2023 0 comment

History

The SR-71 Blackbird’s final flight (at Mach 3.2)

by Till Daisd September 4, 2023

written by Till Daisd

At the Edwards AFB Open House Airshow on October 9, 1999, an SR-71 Blackbird made its final flight

The brief video in this post, which was recorded on Saturday, October 9, 1999, at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), shows the final flight of an SR-71 Blackbird.

The flight took place at the Edwards AFB Open House Airshow. After taking off, the SR-71 climbed to an altitude of 80,100 feet and reached a speed of Mach 3.2, or 2,430 mph.

She emptied a trail of fuel in anticipation of the sonic boom so the crowd would see her. Before landing for the final time in her history, the Habu flew three flypasts over Edwards. She did not fly again after October 9, 1999.

The Mach 3 SR-71A Blackbird spy aircraft from Lockheed ruled the skies for a quarter of a century. More people than have flown what continues to be the world’s fastest, highest-flying jet, according to SR-71 pilot and author Brian Shul more people have stood atop Mt. Everest than have flown what remains the world’s fastest, highest-flying jet. A total of 32 aircraft were built.

Foreign agents treasured the SR-71’s revolutionary technology so highly that Lockheed was given the government’s order to destroy all of the tools used to design and construct the Blackbird in 1968. Airman Magazine claims that the SR-71 was also the first stealth aircraft ever built.

The airplane had to adopt a distinctive shape in order to become almost undetected. The wings were integrated into the body, and the forward fuselage had long, blade-like features called chines that helped deflect incoming radar waves.

The Blackbird’s radar cross-section was additionally reduced by the twin fins over the engines that were slanted inward and the pointed engine cones. The bottom fuselage of the 107-foot SR-71 was practically flat, giving it a sleek, futuristic spear shape.

Radar-absorbing paint made of ferrite (iron) was used to coat the SR-71. Due to 600-degree exterior temperatures brought on by friction during flight, the paint helped to prevent the aircraft from being targeted and made it even more difficult to target. The spy plane’s official Air Force name, Blackbird, was also given to it by the black paint.

Photo by NASA

September 4, 2023 0 comment

History

The Imperial Japanese Navy’s H6K Mavis pilot recalls how B-17 bombers attacked and almost brought down his flying boat

by Till Daisd September 3, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘The only chance we had was the relatively small turning radius of our slow plane compared to that of the fast B-17, said Lt. Hitsuji, H6K ‘Mavis’ flying boat pilot

One of the most recognizable aircraft ever constructed is the Flying Fortress. July 28, 1935, saw the first flight of the B-17 prototype. When the British Royal Air Force received four B-17s for high-altitude missions in 1941, the first B-17s entered combat. The bombers needed more armor and armament as World War II progressed.

The B-17E, the first Flying Fortress variant to be produced in large quantities, was equipped with nine machine guns and a 4,000-pound bomb load. Compared to the prototypes, it weighed several tons more and was heavily armed. For better control and stability during high-altitude bombing, it was the first Boeing aircraft with a distinctive, huge tail. Each variant was more heavily armed.

As we’ve already mentioned, the Japanese dubbed the aircraft “four-engine fighters” because of their deadly reputation in the Pacific. Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Lt. Hitsuji, Kktai (851 Air Group), who was in charge of a Kawanishi H6K “Mavis” flying boat in November 1942 when it was attacked by a B-17, confirmed this claim.

The following is a translation of his autobiography, “Saigo no Hikotei (The Last Flying Boat),” which is accessible on J-Aircraft.com (Asahi Sonorama, ISBN4-257-17286-X).

‘”Enemy plane! Close! Starboard and to the rear!” the tail gunner reported.

‘”All men on air to air battle station!” I yelled as I put the plane in a full-speed dive to sea level.

‘It was 0700 on November 21, 1942, 150 nautical miles south of Guadalcanal. We were in the midst of a very bloody battle, losing flying boats almost every day to unidentified enemy activities. Our boats would have just enough time to radio a consecutive “hi” signal (consecutive signaling of the Japanese Morse code signal for the character “hi”, the initial for “hikoki” or airplane) before the shoot-out followed by silence. Very few survived air combat. If a boat is able to make detailed reports about the enemy, that boat is sure to make it back.

‘Our commanding officer was in distress about the mounting losses, and just a few days ago, I had assured him that this would not go on for long. So far, 16 of our boats have been lost. I was not about to be number 17. It wasn’t a patrol plane’s duty to engage in air battles, but now I had no choice.

Kawanishi-H6K — Kawanishi H6K in flight.

‘I figured that the fight must be decided quickly. The B-17 positioned itself above and to the starboard rear of our plane and followed us with ease. It must be radioing its base about our position. One of them was bad enough. If there were two or even three fighter planes, we would not have had a chance. I made a tight turn to the port and headed towards the enemy. The only chance we had was the relatively small turning radius of our slow plane compared to that of the fast B-17.

‘The enemy was obviously surprised at our sudden turn. As we passed each other, our tail cannon fire hit the B-17, and its port inside the engine started smoking. The enemy fled, trailing a long streamer of black smoke. The enemy was surprisingly impersistent. We continued our search mission, but I had a feeling that it wasn’t over yet.

‘”Eat your breakfast now before they come back.” I ordered and went to the commander’s seat to open my lunch box. Pretty soon, the co-pilot silently pointed his finger forward and to the port. I took a hard look, and there he was. Another big-tailed B-17 is heading straight toward us. The one we damaged must have called for help. We were all ready to fight, and I stood up from my seat. I sealed the tank chamber and pulled the fire extinguisher lever. This fills the tank chamber with CO2. All gunners manned their stations. I could see the front gunner grinning in his turret.

‘”Okay we’re ready,” someone said.

‘At an altitude of 30 meters and a speed of 150 knots, we headed towards squally skiing in the direction of our base. The enemy didn’t start his attack immediately. It flew alongside us and passed us. I figured that he was avoiding our tail cannon. It would probably be making a frontal attack. The shootout was about to begin.

‘”Here it comes!” someone shouted, and at the same time, the enemy’s front guns and all four of our starboard machine guns started firing. As we passed each other, I could see the enemy’s tail gun fire, but tracers were way behind us. No hits on either side. We didn’t change our course and headed toward the squall.

‘The faster enemy caught up quickly and crisscrossed our path, attacking as it passed us.

‘We were at a very low altitude, and the sea behind us whitened with machine-gun fire. As the shooting went on, this started moving closer and closer. I could not hear anything other than the roar of the machine guns and the engine noise. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the enemy for a moment. The enemy made its fourth pass, and as it crossed our path, a 50-caliber shell jumped into the cockpit.

‘I heard someone yell “Damn!” and smelled smoke at the same time. I turned around, and two men were down on the floor. Our main radioman, PO2 Watanabe’s left arm was hanging limp from his shoulder, and blood was shooting up to the ceiling. Flight engineer Leading Mechanic Nakano was down on the floor, holding his left arm, and shouting, “Gasoline, gasoline!”

‘He was yelling to the radioman because the spark from the telegram key could set the vaporized gasoline on fire. But the injured radioman continued to send the message that we were combating an enemy bomber. The enemy started making yet another pass.

‘I took off my muffler and threw it to Lt. (jg) Ide, who was shooting away, and yelled: “Stop his bleeding!” I could see from the tank chamber window that gas was gushing out of a hit tank. It was a miracle that it wasn’t on fire. The floor was soon covered with gas. I injected additional CO2 gas, and I could see the white gas filling the tank chamber. The injured mechanic was still yelling “Gasoline!”. I could only yell back, “It’s okay! You worry about yourself!”

‘We were able to stop the radioman’s bleeding, but the enemy still kept attacking. Amid the exchange of machine gun roar, I could hear bullets tearing into our plane. The plane shook under the impact. All four engines were driving at full power.

‘On their sixth pass, the moment I saw their tailgun fire, there was an enormous banging noise up front Gunner PO1 Takahashi pointed to the floor beneath the pilot’s seat and I noted a big hole about 30cm, on the keel of our bow. I could see waves from the hole.

‘By this time, I was sure that this enemy had shot down more than one flying boat. “It wasn’t fighters. It was this guy. Another patrol plane! I’m going to get him. He is not going to have any more kill marks!” As I came to this realization, there was a new determination in my mind. If we can’t down him with our guns, we will ram him. I drew and loaded my pistol.

‘”If worse comes to worst, we’ll ram him, okay?” I patted the main pilot Ensign Kobayashi’s shoulder, with my pistol. He nodded lightly. “Okay, we’re ready then”. My mind was set. I was going to shoot myself at the moment of the ramming, so I would die before the crew.

‘I noted that the side panel of the commander’s seat was burning hot. I was shocked to find the bullet that hit the crew crewmen perched on the panel. Had I not been standing, this bullet would have hit my back! (This bullet is still in my possession).

‘I noticed that the enemy’s fire was getting considerably weaker. Either some of their gunners were knocked out, or they were out of ammo. I was getting the feeling that we might be able to make it when the co-pilot suddenly put the plane in a dive. The sea was right in front of us.

‘”Not yet!” I yelled, thinking that he was about to ram the B-17, but soon realized that our co-pilot PO1 Kira evaded a collision with the enemy who came in from the side. The enemy passed about 30 meters behind us. The tail gunner poured an entire drum of 20-mm cannon shells into the B-17.

‘The shells all hit the enemy’s fuselage. The enemy passed us from the right, then banked left and started closing into our plane. I could see the enemy pilot’s face. I couldn’t help but fire my pistol at the enemy.

‘Maybe the enemy was trying to ram us too. I noticed all his guns were pointing in random directions. He must have been out of ammo. He flew alongside us, banking and yawing for a while, but eventually disappeared into the rain towards Guadalcanal, trailing gasoline. “We won!” we said to each other, but we could no longer fight.’

Lt. Hitsuji’s H6K made it back to Shortland, but taxing was a bit of an adventure, according to J-Aircraft.com. The moment the bow touched the water after splashdown, water began pouring in from the hole in the bow. They jammed their life jackets into the gap left by the large hole in the bow because they lacked the materials to cover it. Six men piled up on the life jacket-filled hole to halt the water because it was clear that this was not holding. These men were barely above the water as they reached the beach. Everyone had blood, oil, and liquid on them.

Their plane #36 (could have been O-36, 851-36, or 51-36) had endured ninety-three 50 caliber bullets.

Photo by: Jack Fellows illustration via Weapons and Warfare

September 3, 2023 0 comment

History

Adolf Galland, a German ace, tells the incident in which his Messerschmitt Bf 109 was seriously damaged by a Spitfire

by Till Daisd September 2, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On June 21, 1941, Galland had blasted a Spitfire out of a formation northeast of Boulogne. He watched the flaming Spit spiraling down and began following to accurately register the crash. Galland was flying alone — a serious mistake

Lieutenant General Adolf Galland was by far the most well-known of Germany’s fighter pilots and air leaders during World War Two, as well as a multifaceted personality. He is one of the most outstanding individuals to hold a prominent position during the conflict on either side. Due to Galland’s significant contribution to the ups and downs of Germany’s aerial fortunes, air power historians will surely continue to be interested in him for many years to come. He became one of the legendary aces by excelling as a combat pilot.

As explained by Ray Toliver and Trevor J. Constable in their book Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe, on June 21, 1941, Galland had blasted a Spitfire out of a formation northeast of Boulogne. He watched the flaming Spit spiraling down and began following to accurately register the crash. Galland was flying alone — a serious mistake. He was jumped by a lone Spitfire lagging behind the formation.

According to him:

“Hell broke loose in my crate. Now they’ve got me. Something hard hit my head and arm. My aircraft was in bad shape. The wings were ripped by cannon fire. I was sitting half in the open. The right side of the cockpit had been shot away. Fuel tank and radiator were both leaking heavily. Instinctively, I banked away to the north. Almost calmly, I noticed that my heavily damaged fighter still flew, and responded tolerably well with the engine cut off. My luck had held once more, I was thinking, and I will try to glide home. My altitude was 18,000 feet.

“My arm and head were bleeding. But I didn’t feel any pain. No time for that. Anyhow, nothing precious was hurt. A sharp detonation tore me out of my reverie. The tank, which up to then had been gurgling away quietly, suddenly exploded. The whole fuselage was immediately aflame. Burning petrol ran into the cockpit. It was uncomfortably hot! Only one thought remained: Get out! Get out! Get out!

“The cockpit roof release would not work — must be jammed. Shall I burn alive in here? I tore my belt open. I tried to open the hinged top of the roof. The air pressure on it was too strong. Flames all around me. I must open it! I must not fry to death in here! Terror! Those were the most terrible seconds in my life. With a last effort, I pushed my whole body against the roof. The flap opened and was torn away by the airstream… I had already pulled her nose up. The push against the joystick did not throw me entirely clear of the burning coffin, which a few minutes before was my beloved and faithful Bf 109.

“The parachute on which I had been sitting was caught on the fixed part of the cockpit roof. The entire plane was now in flames and dashing down to earth with me. With my arm around the antenna mast, I tugged, I pushed against anything I could find with my feet. All in vain! Should I be doomed at the last moment although I was already half-freed? I don’t know how I got free in the end. Suddenly I was falling.

“I turned over several times in the air. Thank God! In my excitement, I nearly operated the quick harness release instead of the rip cord handle. At the last moment, I noticed that I was releasing the safety catch. Another shock! The parachute and I would have arrived separately . . slowly and softly I floated down to the earth.

“Below me a column of smoke marked the spot where my Messerschmitt had crashed. By rights, I should have landed in the forest of Boulogne like a monkey on a tree, but the parachute only brushed a poplar and then folded up. Handed rather luckily in a soft, boggy meadow. Up to now I had been under high tension of nerves and energy. I collapsed. I felt as wretched as a dog. Shot and bleeding profusely from head and arm, with a painfully twisted ankle which started to swell immediately, I could neither walk nor stand up.”

The clanking and bleeding Galland was picked up by a car. After attention from Dr. Heim at the naval hospital at Hardingham, and a few jolts of cognac, he was on his way to recovery.

Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by: Platinum Fighters and German Federal Archive via Wikipedia

September 2, 2023 0 comment

F-14 Tomcat Military

Tomcats support SOF mission in opening of Iraq war

by Till Daisd September 1, 2023

written by Till Daisd

A first-hand account of F-14 aircrew operations during a critical special ops mission in western Iraq

All three Tomcat units in the NAG (VF-154 having arrived with CVW-5, embarked aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), in late February 2003) participated heavily in a series of precision strikes on known targets in the “Box” in the final days before OIF began. Republican Guard barracks, HQ and command and control structures, mobile missile launchers, and AAA sites in and around Basra were all struck by CVW-5, the authorized CAS air wing.

Assets from CVW (1-2, -5, and -14, as well as USAF and RAF jets, supported a very essential long-range mission to the H2 and H3 airfields in western Iraq on the night of March 19. The mission also included SOF elements on the ground. The following is a description of the sortie provided by one of the VP-2 RI Os participated in this mission:

‘I was in one of two F-14Ds that launched off CV-64 to support a preplanned operation sent against an airfield in the extreme west of Iraq. By the time it was over, my pilot and I had logged 8.6 hours from launch to crap. Assigned to the mission was a SOF ground element, various TACIR assets, including sections of A-10s rotating throughout the evening, F-15Es, F-14/Ds, AWACS, and dedicated tankers.

‘Our task was to show up after the initial ingress into the area and take over TACAIR asset control in support of the ground element as it headed toward its objective. We started to gain situational awareness of which phase the operation was in as soon as we could get radio contact a few hundred miles out. Having Link-16 JTIDS (Joint Tactical Information Distribution System) was invaluable, as we were receiving datalink to all the other assets in our package without having to use our radio or radar. It sounded like things were going according to plan, and that the assets were getting into position.

‘As we got closer, we heard a VF-154 F-14A divert for unknown reasons. We weren’t certain if the crew had been engaged by ground fire and been hit, or had some other type of failure, but they had an immediate divert problem and left their wingman on station to wait for our relief. We quickly arrived on-station and relieved the lone Tomcat as the FAC(A)s for the operation. He passed a turnover brief as he departed, and we started getting a check in from the other assets in the area.

‘Our plan was to have at least one Tomcat on station to quarterback the operation, while the other one was headed to or from the ranker – located over the border – to refuel. If required, we would pass control to one of the F-15Es if we had both Tomcats off-station. JTIDS was once again invaluable when it came to deconflicting all the assets in our package that were flowing in and out of our Area of Responsibility (AOR) as required, and holding in the same relative area with their lights out. It also allowed us to release the sections on-station when we saw their relief headed inbound without having to constantly query the AWACS as to the status of our support assets. JTIDS provided deconfliction with attacking assets while prosecuting targets on the ground, and most importantly, it let us accurately find the ranker when gas became critical so that we could drive him to us if required.

‘Initially, things went pretty smooth for what seemed to be the first 20 minutes, so we headed to the ranker to top off and left our wingman on station to run the show. The tanker was its own unique type of pain this evening. It was WARP (wing aerial refueling pod) configured, with a boom in the center. That way it could refuel the USAF assets with the boom or stream the baskets from the wingtips for the Navy jets, which probe refueled. As we got to the ranker, we joined up on the left side after it streamed the basket. We had to stay pretty well topped off on gas because we would need a significant amount to get to a divert field should we be hit, suffer mechanical difficulties, or have a problem refueling.

‘Three things soon became readily apparent as we closed on the tanker: 1) we were stuck with manual (unboosted) throttles, so it was like driving a Mack truck without power steering, and therefore very fatiguing on the pilot who was trying to make the minor throttle correction to get in the basket; 2) our probe light, which illuminates the otherwise pitch black basket and lees the pilot sec where he’s putting the refueling probe in the endgame, was not working; and 3) there was a lot of turbulence at the canker’s altitude which was causing the wing rips to bounce up and down like a big lumbering bird. This caused the basket to move up and clown sporadically about four feet at a shot.

‘I stayed on NVGs in the back seat and tried to help talk the pilot into the basket, which was difficult to see without a probe light. Tanking on NVGs was also difficult, as it can seriously distort your depth perception. My pilot got in on the third try, which made us very happy, as the closest divert field was nowhere as close as we wanted it to be.

‘As we headed back to the AOR and switched back to the working frequency, things had obviously moved along to the next phase of operations. Our wingman was controlling the engagement of a AAA piece that had started opening up, and we had A-10s and F-15Es attacking vehicles that were moving in the general direction of the SOF units on the ground. We quickly arrived on-station and received control from our wingman as he headed toward the tanker. We were able to cake out one of the targets pointed out by the ground element ourselves with an LGB before the dust settled a little bit.

‘Now that the initial exchanges had subsided, we gave ourselves about a ten-minute break. The next target that the ground element wanted us to address was located in a revetment about a kilometer away from their present position but between them and their objective. We had soon located and verified the target with the LTS, and were also able to see the ground unit with our NVGs, but we could not see die target visually with the goggles.

‘The release cues from the LTS showed an aim point after we were past the ground element position. The SOF team wanted us to illuminate the target with an infrared (IR) pointer to confirm its position before we dropped our LGB on it since it was close to their position. We told them that we couldn’t visually put the IR pointer on it because we could not see it through NVGs, but that the LTS indicated that it was clear of their position. After making two passes, and asking for clearance to release, which we did not get because the SOF unit did not acquire us until we were past our release solution, we brought in an F-15E which was fitted with a new Litening II pod. We talked the crew onto the target and verified the ground position with them as well.

‘The Litening II-equipped F- 15E has an internal IR pointer (unlike our handheld version, which required us to see the target with NVGs), and they illuminated the target that they had located with their FUR. We saw that the F-15 had the target about 800 meters away from the friendly position, and we passed terminal weapon release control back to the ground element, which in turn authorized the F-15E crew to drop their LGB on their first pass, scoring a direct hit as verified by our LTS. We now headed back to the tanker for round two, as our wingman was on his way back to station.

‘The next duel with the tanker took additional tries to get in the basket and left my pilot with a good cramp in his throttle (left) arm. ‘As we arrived back at the fight to join our wingman, the ground unit had reached its objective and was ready to egress the area, which involved moving across a major “enemy line of communication” – a road. We were tasked with sanitizing the area where the crossing was to occur, searching out any possible resistance. There were a few vehicles moving along the road, but none were presenting a direct threat to the ground element. We then caught sight of a real fast mover on NVGs doing about 80 mph – easily three times the speed of any other traffic observed and headed directly for the ground unit. We passed the information to the ground controller, who instructed us to rake the vehicle out.

‘We rolled in the same direction that the target was heading and tried to lead it with an LGB, but he was seriously moving. The LGB hit about two vehicle lengths short, but the blast forced the driver off the road. We observed four individuals get out of the vehicle once it had stopped, and they ran into a ditch next to the road. The final person leaving the vehicle had a pretty good heat signature on the PLIR, and he appeared to be severely injured based on the way he rolled into a ditch on the roadside. We watched as the group continued to head away from the damaged vehicle and toward the ground unit. Before we could come back around to see how close the group was getting to the crossing site, an F-15E crew “cleaned up” the scene with their own LGB, and this group was no longer a factor. We covered the rest of the egress by the ground unit, directing other fires as required until we proceeded off-station.

‘There was one more trip to the ranker left, and if we topped off, we could make it all the way back to the boa[ at high altitude on a conservative profile. By the time we got back to the tanker, my pilot was dragging. It was early in the morning hours and still pitch black all around. We had been pumped up during the action, and the flight had been fairly fatiguing. The basket was really bouncing and we were low on gas. We made the decision to take the Tomcat down to the lowest possible Fuel state before heading off to the divert airfield (where we could be stuck for days).

‘After many attempts. and a severe forearm cramp from running the manual throttles all night, my pilot just steadied about ten feet behind the basket for about a minute. I asked, “Hey, you know we’ve only got about 400 lbs of gas to play with here before we gotta go?” He replied, ”Yeah, I know, but I’ve got to give it a little break or I’m not gonna make it in”. ‘With 200 lbs to go (enough for another ten seconds of trying to get in), my pilot made one more attempt and successfully plugged into the basket. The fuel gauge touched the bingo number just as it reversed and started showing good flow from the ranker into our ranks!

‘Now we still had the long ride home to end in a Navy-specific event, the night trap. En route, we consumed two mocha flavor power bars and a bag of spicy teriyaki beef jerky—a meal that would not be repeated during the war! Once we were feet wet, my pilot leveled with me and said that he was pretty tired—something that a RIO never wants to hear, but I appreciated the honesty.

‘I implicitly trusted him with my life, and had a little worry about his ability to get aboard, It just may have taken us a few tries. I passed him two Red Bulls to see if they would help. He had one right away, and saved the other for closer-to-die boat – it really did the trick. I don’t remember if it was an OK 3 wire, but we were aboard safely on the first pass.’

The next time VF-2 would launch jets in anger, they would lead the initial assaults on Baghdad at the opening of “Shock and Awe.”

The book US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom is available to purchase here.

September 1, 2023 0 comment

History

50 years after being struck by a 57mm bullet over Vietnam, the crew of an AC-130A reunited with the “Spectre 17” Gunship

by Till Daisd September 1, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Chandler was falling through a three-foot hole that the 57 mm bullet had made in the weapons control booth of the AC-130A “Spectre 17” in addition to causing structural damage

The “Spectre 17” aircrew as a whole would agree that March 4, 1972, was both their luckiest and unluckiest day.

“I’ve lived most days of my life since then just being happy that I’m alive,” Gary Chandler recalled.

According to Col. Chandler, a retired US Air Force Col., who was an infrared sensor operator on board the AC-130A Spectre Gunship, now known as “Spectre 17” for its call sign, as stated by Airman 1st Class Natalie Fiorilli of the 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs in the article From boring to unimaginable: Vietnam-era crew recalls famed Spectre 17 flight, Chandler’s service was during the Vietnam era. The crew was operating a combat mission in support of Operation Commando Hunt, a Vietnam War campaign, and was part of the 16th Special Operations Squadron.

The night of Mar. 4 began as a sluggish night in comparison to past missions they had flown, according to Chandler.

“It went from boring to unimaginable in about a split second,” said Chandler.

The crew observed two powerful flashes that lit up the ground below. Their gunship had been hit by enemy anti-aircraft artillery, seriously damaging the aircraft’s structure.

“I never saw anything like it,” said Lee DeRosa, an electronic warfare officer on board Spectre 17. “It looked like the Fourth of July.”

The cockpit filled with smoke and heat right after the explosion.

“I could barely see the copilot,” noted David Hobgood, aircraft commander of Spectre 17.

The blast also confused the crew members who were in the back of the airplane.

“Out of nowhere, there was this blinding light,” said Chandler. “I thought maybe the whole aircraft had blown up. I had no idea what happened.”

The 57 mm also caused a three-foot hole in the weapons control booth, which Chandler was falling through in addition to other structural damage.

“I opened my eyes just a bit to try and see what was going on, and realized that I was looking at floor level, and I couldn’t quite figure out why,” Chandler said.

Chandler was promptly helped by crew members near the booth, who pulled him from the hole and wrapped his wounds with tourniquets made of adjacent rags and rope. The infrared sensor operator suffered multiple broken bones as well as injuries to his feet and legs. The flight crew would continue to secure themselves after attending to Chandler’s wounds since they were uncertain about the plane’s ability to land. Hobgood recalls making preparations for a crash landing inside the cockpit.

“I was absolutely shocked that the gear came down and held,” Hobgood said, adding that it was a surprisingly smooth and uneventful landing.

AC-130-Spectre-17-Crew — Aircrew from the AC-130A Gunship, call sign “Spectre 17,” assigned to the 16th Special Operations Squadron, pose for a photo next to an AC-130J Ghostrider Mar. 3, 2022, at Hurlburt Field, Florida. On March 4, 1972, Spectre 17 was hit by a 57 mm round as the crew supported Operation Commando Hunt, a campaign of the Vietnam War. To commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the event, the crew reunited to revisit the aircraft and share stories from the famed flight.

Upon arriving at Thailand’s Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, injured crew members were sent there for medical assistance. But in the hours and days that followed the tragedy, the majority of the Air Commandos would start flying.

“We all flew,” said Hobgood. “That’s what we did.”

The renowned flight’s 50th anniversary was observed in 2022. According to Alert5, the crew met up again on March 3, 2022, to remember the event by visiting the plane, which is currently on display at Hurlburt Field Memorial Air Park in Hurlburt Field, Florida.

A C-130 converted to a gunship, the AC-130A Spectre is primarily used for nighttime attacks on ground targets. It made use of a variety of sensors, a target acquisition system, as well as infrared and low-light television systems, to increase the effectiveness of its weapons. Since Vietnam, the AC-130 gunship has participated in combat. Gunships are credited with many missions of close air support that saved lives while also destroying more than 10,000 trucks.

The AC-47, the first operational gunship, was followed by the AC-119 and the AC-130A, the latter of which served as the prototype for the current C-130 Hercules gunship.

Photo by: Senior Airman Jonathan Valdes Montijo / U.S. Air Force

September 1, 2023 0 comment

History

The 80th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid commemorated unveiling B-1B Lancer tail decoration

by Till Daisd August 31, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On the nose of the B-1B Lancer, a quotation was added, “In remembrance of the Doolittle Raiders.”

Many base events were held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, including a heritage flight, the dedication of a JASSM to a nearby museum, a toast, and the unveiling of a tail flash.

The 34th conducted anti-submarine warfare operations in the Pacific Northwest from December 22, 1941, until about March 1942, in the immediate wake of the Pearl Harbor Attack. On February 9, 1942, it was transferred to Lexington County Airport in South Carolina in response to the increased threat posed by German submarines operating off the East Coast. The only B-25s in use at the time belonged to the 17th Bombardment Group.

In December 1941, preparations for a retaliatory bombing strike on Japan got under way. 24 B-25Bs were diverted from the 17th Bombardment Group, and volunteers from all three squadrons (the 34th, 37th, and 95th) were sought out. The crews were only informed that the operation would be highly dangerous and up against great odds. For training, the volunteers relocated to Florida’s Eglin Field. The crews trained taking off in the shortest amount of space feasible without knowing what kind of mission they were preparing for.

After training was complete, seventeen crews moved from Eglin Field to McClellan Field in California for the B-25s’ last set of modifications before transferring to Naval Air Station Alameda, where the bombers were loaded onto the USS Hornet (CV-8) and the members of the Doolittle Raider task force departed on April 2, 1942.

200 volunteers launched the first long-range attack of World War II on April 18, 1942. 80 Raiders and 16 B-25 Bombers took off from the USS Hornet’s deck under the command of Lt. Col. James Doolittle.

“Today is a historic day,” said Col. Joseph Sheffield, 28th Bomb Wing commander. “Today we commemorate the brave and bold Raiders of the past, the dedication and sacrifice of the original Doolittle Raiders.”

The day’s activities began with the unveiling of a Joint Air-to-Surface Missile (JASSM) at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, according to Staff Sgt. Hannah Malone of the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs, who was quoted in the article Ellsworth celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. The missile was dedicated in remembrance of the April 14, 2018, mission to Barzah, Syria on the 80th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. 19 JASSM were employed in this mission as the weapon’s first combat use.

“As threats have evolved, so too has the B-1 mission,” said Sheffield. “However, there are some things that have remained the same for a long time now. For Ellsworth Air Force Base, the Raider heritage courses through the very construct of our mission. Over the past 80 years, we have continued to build and expand upon the same qualities that made them so successful during World War II.”

Becky Thatcher-Keller, the daughter of David J. Thatcher, a founding member of Crew 7 during the Doolittle Raid, delivered a speech during the ceremony. Following her speech, she was given the distinction of making the last toast in front of the 34th and 37th Bomb Squadrons.

The 80th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid was commemorated with new B-1B Lancer tail art, which was unveiled on aircraft 85-0060. The Doolittle Raiders patch, a B-25, and patches from each of the five participating Doolittle Raid Squadrons make up the tail art.

“We are proud to be called Raiders, not because of one event, but more for what it means to be a Raider,” said Master Sergeant Michael Bowser, the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron lead production superintendent. “A heritage aircraft paint scheme is an excellent example of our professionalism, lineage, and at the same time, shows our local community our Air Force branding as Raiders.”

On the B-1B’s nose, a quote was added, “In remembrance of the Doolittle Raiders.”

Photo by: Senior Airman Austin McIntosh and Airman 1st Class Adam Olson / U.S. Air Force

B-1B-Tail-Art — A B-1B Lancer decorated for the 80th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid with the original patches of the four squadrons that participated in the Raid rests on the flightline at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., April 18, 2022. The new tail flash design includes a B-25 Bomber, the Doolittle crest, and five patches from the original Doolittle crews.

August 31, 2023 0 comment

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