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planes

USMC F 4s Vs Cuban MiG 17s e1541667849349

Over the Keys, two USMC F-4 Phantoms almost shot down two Cuban MiG-17s.

by Till Daisd July 13, 2023

“The two MiG-17s went into a 60-degree port turn. I immediately thought they saw us and I slid to the outside of their turn, re-confirmed I was ‘in Sidewinder’ and periodically when at the bogies’ six o’clock, I would hear that beautiful `Grrrrrr’ Sidewinder tone,” MGen Mike “Lancer” Sullivan, high-time Naval F-4 aviator

One of the most adaptable fighters ever created was the McDonnell two-place, twinjet, all-weather F-4 Phantom II, with top speeds exceeding the speed of sound. More Western air forces used it than any other plane in the first line. The F-4 was the fastest, highest-flying, and longest-range fighter in the U.S. Navy’s inventory just 31 months after its initial flight. It took off on May 27, 1958, and went into service a year later.

In response to the Cuban Crisis and Washington’s desire to have the most cutting-edge interceptors in place to counter the threat of Russian and Cuban aircraft, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) F-4Bs were deployed to Key West in 1963, as explained by Peter E. Davies in his book Gray Ghosts, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F-4 Phantoms. This position had previously been held by VF-41, and VF-102 on the USS Enterprise contributed to preserving the blockade of Cuba. According to Fred Staudenmayer, a former RIO for Phantom, VF-41’s relocation to the base, “had been initiated by one of SecDef MacNamara’s whiz kids without going through the usual Navy chain of command, a harbinger of the micro-management that was to follow. With the most sophisticated and effective airborne weapons systems available we assumed Alert status under the operational control of the Air Force to intercept anything coming up from the South. The MiGs never did, except to defect, but we did intercept an interesting assortment of Piper Cubs, transports, balloons, and boats.”‘ However, the Navy Phantoms‘ superiority over its USAF counterparts was not something the Air Force seemed to want to publicize at that time: “During a ‘keep up the good work’ visit just after the maximum crisis time President Kennedy toured the squadron lines of airplanes that had not been flying and bypassed us!”

That time two USMC F-4 Phantoms Nearly Shot Down two Cuban MiG-17s over the Keys

Although the threat had subsided by the time the Gray Ghosts arrived, fighting against Cuban MiG-17s continued, giving Phantom crews some early insight into a potential foe. In his 23-year career flying the Marine Phantom, MGen Mike “Lancer” Sullivan, who holds the record for most Naval F-4 flying hours, had one such encounter while serving with VMF(AW)-531:

“C.C. Taylor, my RIO, and I launched on an airborne scramble, vectored 120 degrees for a bogie at 47 miles. We caught them before they went feet dry over the Cuban Keys. During the intercept, we lost contact with GCI, so our wingman climbed to an altitude where he could relay our instructions. We were at 800 ft doing Mach 1.1 in full afterburner at three miles with an overtaking speed of 470 kts and we got a ‘Break X’ just when GCI said to maintain a five-mile trail on the bogies. I didn’t have a visual on them, so I chopped power to idle with speed brakes out and did a high-g barrel roll to keep from flying out in front of the bogies. Luckily, we stabilized on their tail at about half a mile, and I saw them slightly high at 12 o’clock.

“C.C. Taylor was screaming that GCI said to maintain a five-mile trail and seemed very nervous about being so close, with Cuba only a few miles away. I told him that we should drop hack, but about then the two MiG-17s went into a 60-degree port turn. I immediately thought they saw us and I slid to the outside of their turn, re-confirmed I was ‘in Sidewinder’, and periodically when at the bogies’ six o’clock, I would hear that beautiful `Grrrrrr’ Sidewinder tone. I thought the tight was on but then realized that the MiGs weren’t pulling g in their turn. Watching them for a few seconds more it appeared the wingman on the right was learning how to fly formation. We were now only seconds from being over Cuba, so I started a hard turn back towards Key West with C.C. feeling cocky and wanting me to get closer to the MiGs so that he could get a good look at them. But it was too late, and he griped all the way back to base. The flight lasted only about 25 minutes, and we landed back at base with only 800 lbs of fuel. Both Sidewinders came back with their seeker-head glass blurred (by low altitude, high Mach heat friction].”

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

July 13, 2023 0 comment

History

How US Navy aircraft sank Imperial Japanese Navy’s Oite Kamikaze during Operation Hailstone

by Till Daisd July 12, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Oite Kamikaze-class destroyer was unique in that, it was sunk entering Truk Lagoon rather than exiting it

Early in 1944, the island base of Truk served as the Japanese equivalent of Pearl Harbor; it was a formidable naval and aviation base that had to be destroyed before the Allies could advance farther toward Tokyo. Yet, Truk was also the best-defended naval base outside of the Japanese Home Islands, making an Allied attack expensive.

Truk’s intact defense against long-range bombing would be a carnage, thus an idea was developed to destroy it with a series of enormous naval raids spearheaded by the expanding US carrier fleet. One of the most well-known operations carried out by American carriers in the Pacific was Operation Hailstone.

During Operation Hailstone, the US Navy focussed its efforts on the ships in Truk Lagoon and the air garrison at Truk, as stated by Mark Lardas in his book Truk 1944–1945. An early morning fighter sweep and the subsequent bomber attack with fragmentation bombs on the airfield effectively ended the air garrison’s chances of surviving the assault. The remainder of the day was then spent by the Navy sinking ships.

Less than a week before the US strike, the majority of Imperial Japan’s Combined Fleet left Truk quickly, but there were still a lot of commercial ships and warships in the harbor. On February 17, 1944, the US Navy sank eight warships as well as more than 30 merchant ships and naval auxiliary vessels. Most were downed by US Navy aircraft, and a few were sunk by surface warships circling the atoll to capture escapists.

The Oite was one of them. It was an old destroyer, the Japanese equivalent of the flush-deck destroyers used by the US Navy. It was one of nine Kamikaze-class destroyers constructed for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the early 1920s. Instead of the 127mm guns of the most recent classes of Japanese destroyers during World War Two, it was mounted with 4.7in guns. It and its sisters underwent modifications early on in the conflict to enhance their antisubmarine capabilities.

By 1944, it had three 4.7in main batteries and only four torpedo tubes due to the removal of one main gun and the aft torpedo tubes. The original armament was replaced by extra-depth charge throwers and 25mm antiaircraft guns. During the outbreak of World War Two, Oite and a number of her classmates had been demoted to the Fourth Fleet. In 1941, it took part in the invasion of Wake Island, and in 1942 and 1943, it served as a Central Pacific convoy escort.

In contrast to other ships, the Oite was sunk while entering Truk Lagoon. A US submarine protecting the channel between Truk and the Palau Islands had sunk the light cruiser Agano the day before. The Oite raced into the US airstrike after picking up 523 survivors and heading back to Truk to dump them.

The Oite sped through North Pass toward the navy anchorage off Dublon in an effort to flee the plane. Shortly after the Oite passed through North Pass, carrier planes captured it. Given that the Oite was traveling more than 20 knots and making erratic maneuvers, it was a stunning accomplishment when an Avenger from the USS Bunker Hill landed a torpedo amidships. The ancient destroyer was destroyed by the hit. It split in half and submerged nearly immediately. Trapped below decks, the 523 Agano survivors never stood a chance. All but 20 of the 172-person crew of the Oite also perished to a man.

The plate provided by Adam Tooby depicts the moment the Oite was hit by the torpedo, just after it had passed through North Pass and entered Truk Lagoon. On the far side, the ship can be seen dodging a torpedo that is going parallel to it as another torpedo strikes it from the front. During a strafing run on the destroyer, two Hellcat fighters can be spotted in front of the Oite.

In 1986, the wreck of the Oite was found. It was split in two, with the bow part capsized and the bridge submerged in the sea bottom, and the stern half standing upright. It is a well-liked diving target, located two hundred feet below the surface.

Truk 1944–45 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Adam Tooby via Osprey

July 12, 2023 0 comment

History

Germans mounted a DB 605A engine to a Spitfire during WWII and was superior to the Merlin version

by Till Daisd July 11, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Compared to the Merlin version, Spitfire’s performance with the DB 605 was excellent

Among British aircraft, the Supermarine Spitfire is arguably the most well-known. The aim to provide higher performance than had been previously accomplished by the F.7/30 design heavily affected Spitfire’s design, which was created by Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd initially on a private venture basis. Their concurrent development became an essential element of the Supermarine Spitfire tale as a result of this, along with a further drive to maximize the capabilities of the Rolls-Royce Merlin and Griffon engines.

Did German engineers ever install a German engine in a captured Spitfire during World War II?

‘Yes, and they tested it at Rechlin – where it was found to be better than the Merlin version!’ Charles McDevitt, an aviation historian, explains on Quora.

‘In November 1942, Spitfire VB EN830 NX-X of 131 Squadron made a forced landing in a turnip field in German-occupied Jersey. The plane was repaired by German forces and re-engined with a DB 605A, amongst other modifications.

‘When the Merlin engine was removed it was discovered that the fuselage cross section was virtually identical to that of the engine nacelle of a Messerschmitt Bf-110G. Consequently, a new engine support structure was built onto the Spitfire’s fuselage, and the DB 605 engine and cowling panels added. A propeller unit and supercharger air intake from a Bf 109 G completed the installation.

‘Other changes made were to replace the Spitfire instruments with German types and to change the 12-volt electrical system to the German 24-volt type. In this form, the Daimler-Benz Spitfire started flying in early 1944.

‘The ease of switching between upright and inverted V12s should come as no great surprise since the first Bf 109 flew with a Rolls Royce Kestrel engine.’

McDevitt concludes;

‘The ‘mule’ retained the sweet handling of the original Spitfire and was popular with German pilots more used to the wilful landing performance of the Bf-109.

‘Performance with the DB 605 was superb – significantly better than the Merlin version – but then it had had all armament removed and was a lot lighter!

‘It was flown regularly until destroyed in a USAAF bombing raid on 14 August 1944.’

Photo by WW2aircraft.net

July 11, 2023 0 comment

History

The USS Austin, an amphibious transport ship being towed by a CH-53 heavy-lift helicopter

by Till Daisd July 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The USS Austin LPD-4 is being towed by a CH-53 heavy-lift helicopter in Long Island Sound in the picture in this post

The striking image in this post shows a CH-53 heavy-lift helicopter pulling the USS Austin LPD-4 in Long Island Sound in January 1968.

According to a tweet that was published, ‘After a Christmas and New Year leave period, Austin transported Underwater Demolition Team 21 to Key West, Florida in January 1968 for unit training, then visited San Juan and Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico and Port Everglades, Florida. This was followed by a visit to Bridgeport, Connecticut 12 through 23 February 1968 to participate in tests of the CH-53 helicopter with the Sikorsky Aircraft plant. Part of the test included Austin being towed by a CH-53 helicopter.’

Well I never!
A CH-53 acting as a tug for @USNavy USS Austin LPD-4 in Long Island Sound. 🇺🇸⚓️ pic.twitter.com/UJBnd5wfIb
— Seb H (@sebh1981) October 20, 2020

Notably, the US Navy is not the only one that uses helicopters to tow ships. Another Twitter user notes that the minesweeper HMS Gavington (about 360 tons) was pulled by a Westland Whirlwind (1 x 750 HP engine) in 1957 as part of tests to demonstrate the usefulness of helicopters in salvage work.

The rowing boats were also once employed by the Royal Navy (RN) to tow ships that had become stuck. The US Coast Guard (USCG) also used helicopters to tow boats, as the image below demonstrates. A USCG Sikorsky HO4S Tugbird helicopter is shown in the 1958 photograph towing the service buoy tender Juniper around the ocean off Florida.

The HO4S had a large compartment, a winch, and a rescue basket. For search and rescue, it was perfect. Early in 1958, 30 were stationed in coastal towns in the United States, according to Air & Space Magazine. Along the way, someone had the bright notion of using the helicopter to pull vessels, pleasure, and other kinds—out of harm’s way.

Photo by U.S. Navy, Royal Navy, and U.S. Coast Guard

July 10, 2023 0 comment

History

When Ted Williams, a future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, crash-landed his F9F Panther

by Till Daisd July 9, 2023

written by Till Daisd

After finishing his tour in Korea, Ted Williams returned to the major league and was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame

On February 16, 1953, US Marine Corps ground crewmen at Suwon’s K-13 airfield spotted the crash and the fire and rescue crews rapidly manned their vehicles. They suspected there would be trouble.

It promptly arrived when a midnight blue F9F Panther fighter (BuNo 126109 of VMF-311) came in “heavy” and extremely quickly, as described by Warren Thompson in his book F9F Panther Units of the Korean War. It moved slowly, trailed smoke, and streamed a 30-foot-long ribbon of fire, all of which indicated a significant danger.

The pilot’s aircraft was clearly out of control, but he was too low to eject. His only choice was to attempt to land the damaged jet in an emergency situation. An explosion rocked the plane as it approached the airstrip, heightening the already stressful situation.

Sparks flew from the Panther as it made a wheels-up landing and skidded for nearly a mile along the runway on its belly. The cockpit was immediately in danger as the nose caught fire. The pilot tried to get out and blew off his canopy before limping off. The aircraft was a complete wreck and had only been in Korea since January 11, 1953, but the pilot managed to flee with only minor injuries.

Ted-Williams-F9F — Williams as F9F USMC pilot Ted Williams lithograph is signed by both Williams and the artist Merv Corning.

The most renowned “flying leatherneck” in Korea, none other than Ted Williams, a star professional baseball player serving as a US Marine Corps reservist, made his daring escape in front of the airmen at Suwon but they only later discovered that. After finishing his tour, Williams returned to the major league and was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Future astronauts John Glenn and Neil Armstrong were among the others who would go on to become well-known after flying Panthers in Korea. Together with VMF-311, Maj John Glenn participated in combat in Korea in 1953.

Glenn, a World War II combat veteran of 59 missions, flew an additional 63 sorties in Panthers. While serving with VMF-311, he earned the unsavory moniker “magnet ass” for his apparent propensity to attract enemy flak. With more than 250 flak holes in his aircraft, he twice returned to base.

After briefly flying with Ted Williams, Glenn finished a second combat tour in Korea as part of an interservice exchange program with the USAF’s 51st Fighter Wing. In the last days of the conflict, he flew 27 missions in the F-86F Sabre and downed three MiG-15s close to the Yalu River.

F9F Panther Units of the Korean War is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Merv Corning via Worthpoint

July 9, 2023 0 comment

History

A RAF Halifax was shot down by a Luftwaffe night fighter during a British attack over the Ruhr in 1943

by Till Daisd July 8, 2023

written by Till Daisd

At 17,000 feet, a night fighter attacked the Sgt. R. Lewis-piloted Halifax II of 77 Squadron (KN-D, JB837), which thereafter blew up in a tremendous explosion

The Battle of the Ruhr, the first concentrated bombing operation carried out by the RAF Bomber Command between March and July 1943, had as its sole objective the total destruction of the German war machine’s industrial base.

The Battle of the Ruhr proved to be far larger and much more complicated than the infamous “Dambusters” single-raid attack on the Ruhr dams, which frequently overshadowed it. The enormous, industrial Ruhr region was home to numerous war-related enterprises, including steelworks and synthetic oil factories, in addition to some of the most well-known and significant arms manufacturers, such as Krupp of Essen.

The Ruhr was one of the areas in Europe that was most fiercely protected because it was such a desirable target. The picture in this post, which was taken from the Richard Worrall and Graham Turner book The Ruhr 1943, shows an event that happens after a British airstrike.

The 77 Squadron Halifax II (KN-D, JB837), piloted by Sgt. R. Lewis, was attacked by a night fighter at 17,000 feet and blew up in an enormous explosion on May 25 and 26, after several British aircraft had finished bombing Düsseldorf and were leaving the target area in search of Jülich near the Dutch-German border.

The massive explosion took down two nearby Stirling IIIs, one from 7 Squadron (MG-B, EF361) flown by P/O J.E.G.F. Berthiaume (RCAF), and the other from 15 Squadron (LS-L, BF534) flown by F/O I.S. Thomson (RCAF), whose Stirling III’s tail was completely severed. Six of the 18 fatalities were from the Royal Canadian Air Force, and there were no survivors.

Three of the 27 aircraft lost during this operation—which finally failed because the Pathfinders discovered layer cloud had obstructed the aiming point—were those three. Only a few scattered fires broke out in Düsseldorf and the neighbouring town of Neuss due to the inaccurate marking.

The Ruhr 1943 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Graham Turner via Osprey

July 8, 2023 0 comment

History

First Aerial Victory of the Red Baron

by Till Daisd July 7, 2023

written by Till Daisd

An Albatros DII piloted by Manfred von Richthofen attacked right away when he saw a British F.E. 2b near the back of the British formation

On September 17, 1916, two aircraft formations converged close to Marcoing, France. One was a flight of 6 F.E. 2bs from No. 11 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, which was led by a group of 8 B.E. 2cs from the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The British formation was only attempting to come home after completing a bombing raid on a railroad station that was under German control. The renowned Oswald Boelcke, whose dicta Boelcke are still regarded as the fundamental principles of Air combat, commanded a German formation of 20 Albatros planes of Jasta 2 to intercept this formation.

Only Oswald Boelcke had so far led his new team to victory, scoring seven of them since the beginning of the month. The entire Jasta found the formation over Marcoing on this mission, which was their first time flying as a unit, and they launched a mass assault on it. A British F.E. 2b was knocked down by Hans Reimann and Boelcke personally.

The battle veered south of the intended location, and Manfred von Richthofen, flying an Albatros II, attacked right away when he saw a British F.E. 2b in the back of the British formation.

From his patrol report, in his own words;

The fatal flaw that plagued the Fokker Dr. I, the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen’s favorite aircraft — Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron.

‘WHEN PATROL FLYING I DETECTED SHRAPNEL CLOUDS IN THE DIRECTION OF CAMBRAI. I HURRIED FORTH AND MET A SQUAD [THAT] I ATTACKED SHORTLY AFTER 1100. I SINGLED OUT THE LAST MACHINE AND FIRED SEVERAL TIMES AT THE CLOSEST RANGE (TEN METERS). SUDDENLY THE ENEMY PROPELLER STOOD STOCK STILL. THE MACHINE WENT DOWN GLIDING AND I FOLLOWED UNTIL I HAD KILLED THE OBSERVER WHO HAD NOT STOPPED SHOOTING UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT. NOW MY OPPONENT WENT DOWNWARDS IN SHARP CURVES. AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 METERS A SECOND GERMAN MACHINE CAME ALONG AND ATTACKED MY VICTIM RIGHT DOWN TO THE GROUND AND THEN LANDED NEXT TO THE ENGLISH PLANE.’

The following is what we may infer from this combat report.

Richthofen singled out the last British aircraft in the formation after being alerted to their position by German flak.
Richthofen closed in and attacked from a range of only 10 meters.
The British observer remained shooting until the last moment.
Richthofen attacked from the Fe2b’s blind spot.
Richthofen riddled the engine and killed the observer.
A second German machine tried to shoot down the F.E. 2b. then landed next to it.
The machine landed at the German airfield at Flesquieres, north of Villers Plouich.
Richthofen watched the dying and dead observer be removed from the craft.
Richthofen refused to allow the other aircraft to claim the victory. As an Officer and lifelong hunter, Richthofen was likely enraged that another pilot attacked what he regarded as HIS “Englander” as a dying Morris glided his helpless aircraft onto a safe landing at a German aerodrome.
Richthofen scored his first confirmed victory.

Despite suffering from severe injuries, 2nd Lt. Lionel Bertram Frank Morris was still able to land his F.E. 2b. Richthofen, who had landed at the same German airport, watched his journey to the hospital. Shortly after being removed from his aircraft, Morris passed away at the age of just 19. The Germans gave 2nd Lt. Morris Full Military Honors, and von Richthofen personally attended the funeral and laid a stone on his grave. Outside of Cambrai, France, in the Porte de Paris Cemetery, Morris is laid to rest.

Captain Tom Rees, the F.E. 2b observer, attempted to protect his aircraft, but his tenacity was unable to counteract Richtofen’s attack from a position of strength. Paradoxically, he received his promotion to Captain on the day of his passing. John, Rees’s brother, died the same day after being struck by lightning in a horrific double family tragedy. Captain Rees passed away at the age of just 21 and he is interred at France’s Plouich Communal Cemetery.

Overall, the British lost 2 of the 8 BE2.cs and 4 of the 6 FE2.bs in their formation. The Jasta 4 had also engaged, killing one F.E. 2b near Equancourt, while the two B.E. 2cs were destroyed by ground fire.

Manfred von Richthofen painted his Albatros bright red to give himself a distinctive personal aircraft scheme that everyone on both sides of the Trenches of World War I would know, leading to his becoming famous as the Red Baron.

Photo by B. Huber and F. W. Lanchester via Wikipedia and Eduard

The-Red-Baron-Albatros — The Red Baron Albatros

July 7, 2023 0 comment

Military

The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

by Till Daisd July 6, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The F-18 Hornet was created as the first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft for the US military. It could perform conventional strike tasks like interdiction and close air support without compromising its fighter capabilities. The platform has steadily advanced over time. The US Navy began using the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in 1999 to replace the F-14 Tomcat.

From the 1970s through its retirement in 2006, the F-14 Tomcat, a twin-engine, two-seat fighter aircraft, was used by the U.S. Navy. It was mostly employed for fleet defense and air superiority missions. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which was the F/A-18 model’s second modification, was incredibly capable and adaptable for a wide variety of missions. It could execute a variety of tasks, including air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, suppressing air defenses, and carrying out day-and-night precise strikes.

With its merger with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, Boeing is now the manufacturer of the Super Hornet, which comes in two different versions: the single-seat F/A-18E and the dual-seat F/A-18F. Two F414-GE-400 turbofan engines that together have a thrust rating of 44,000 lbs. power the aircraft. The air inlets have been expanded to maximize airflow into the engines. The engine’s maximum speed when the afterburner is on is greater than Mach 1.8.

On July 24, 2002, Strike Fighter Squadron 115, also known as the “Eagles,” operating off of the USS Abraham Lincoln, made the F/A-18E/F its first operational use. On November 6 of the same year, the aircraft participated in its first combat mission as the squadron helped impose a “no-fly” zone over Iraq. In March 2003, the F/A-18E/F was also deployed as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Its effectiveness and dependability as an aircraft are widely known. The Super Hornet is a multi-role attack aircraft that can carry out numerous tasks by employing various pieces of external equipment. When used to tackle the challenges a carrier can face, its sophisticated networking capabilities enable it to do extremely specific missions, making it a valuable “FORCE MULTIPLIER”

Because of its outstanding armament capabilities, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has proven to be a very adaptable aircraft. consisting of two wings of supply stations and a total of eleven weaponry stations. This fighter jet can transport a variety of weaponry to accommodate different mission demands.

Air-to-air missiles:

AIM-9 Sidewinder
AIM-7 Sparrow
AIM-120 AMRAAM

Air-to-ground weapons:

AGM-84 SLAM-ER
Paveway Laser-Guided bombs
AGM-88 HARM
AGM-154 JSOW
AGM-65 Maverick
Harpoon Missile
AGM-158C LRASM
Free-fall Air-to-ground bombs
MK-80 Unguided bombs
JDAMS bombs
MK-62/63/65 Quick Strike Naval Mine

The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is equipped with an internal weapon that packs a serious punch in addition to its remarkable array of external armament. The GE M61A2 20mm Gatling-style gun uses electric firing to produce devastating firepower at a selectable rate of either 4,000 or 6,000 RPM. It is a hydraulically operated six-barreled rotary action weapon. In close air support and air-to-air combat situations, the gun’s high rate of fire makes it possible to quickly attack targets at close range.

The Navy’s carrier air wing’s mainstay since its deployment in 2001, the Block II Super Hornet contains a number of technologies that improve its capabilities. With the delivery of the last 322 E and 286 F models in April 2020, Block II aircraft production came to an end. The first pair of F/A-18 Block III test jets were delivered to the Navy for carrier testing a month later. The Navy intended to deploy the Block III Super Hornet to test and investigate novel operational concepts while Boeing created the aircraft to complement present and future air wing capabilities.

In addition to other improvements, the first Block III aircraft has a sophisticated cockpit system with a 10×19-inch touchscreen that works like a Large Tablet. This device took the role of many of the conventional cockpit buttons and knobs, allowing pilots to track and target several distant objects more precisely. Together with the Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) data link, the aircraft also features the open-architecture Distributed Targeting Processor-Networked (DTP-N), which increases the mission computer’s processing and networking capabilities.

Several characteristics of Block III Super Hornets also assist in lowering the jet’s radar signature. In addition to all of that, this program has incorporated two more modifications that were previously planned for upcoming Navy Super Hornets, namely an enhanced satellite communications system (SATCOM) and the incorporation of a podded infrared search and track (IRST) system.

The IRST is a “stealth equalizer” that gives users the capacity to passively detect and counter stealthy aircraft, like the Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang FC-31 of China and the Sukhoi Su-57 of Russia. The Navy’s top objective is extending the Super Hornet’s airframe life. While the F/A-18E/F has a 6,000-hour service life, the Strike Fighter has seen extensive use over the course of combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, which has lasted almost 20 years.

Because of this, a significant number of Super Hornets have been worn out, which has decreased readiness rates and reduced the useful life of some aircraft. The airframe service life of brand-new Block III Super Hornets will be 10,000 hours. Block II Super Hornets undergoing Block III improvements will have a “per-jet” service life extension of “an additional 4,000 hours.”

Additionally, shoulder-mounted conformal fuel tanks were planned for the Block III Super Hornet. The aircraft could fly longer, go faster, and/or carry more weight if they could carry 3,500 pounds more fuel and lower drag. But, this choice has been abandoned. The hardware improvements are finished.

“Today we are maximizing the open hardware, software and developing the apps to keep Block III ahead of future threats”. Jen Tebo, Boeing’s Vice President of F/A-18 and EA-18G programs, said in the press release regarding the delivery of the first operational upgraded jets.

“We are giving Navy pilots the tools to make the fastest and most informed decisions possible now and in the future”.

USMN has learned that the Navy has quietly started work to produce its first new carrier-based fighter in almost 20 years by setting up a new program office and engaging in preliminary talks with industry. This comes after nearly ten years of fits and starts. Early measures are being taken to quickly create a new manned fighter to expand the capabilities of the carrier air wing and give the Navy’s fleet of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers new significance as part of the multibillion-dollar project to replace the Super Hornet starting in the 2030s.

The Navy established a program office for the Next Generation Air Domination plan, according to Navy Acquisition Chief James Geurts, who spoke with reporters last week.

“We’re working to outline that program and the acquisition approach and all that as we speak,” Geurts said. The Pentagon is struggling to react to a new defense policy centered on countering Russian and Chinese threats in the Indo-Pacific theater as the Naval Air Systems Command just established the NGAD program office.

The Navy officially established the Next Generation Air Dominance program office, or PMA-230, in May to launch the NGAD initiative. Capt. Al Mousseau was chosen to lead the program. Captain John Dougherty has since taken Mousseau’s place since he retired. The Super Hornet will still be essential to the Navy in the years to come, despite the move toward a new fighter plane. For the foreseeable future, the F/A-18E/F will continue to be the main strike capability from American carriers, providing a flexible and dependable platform for a variety of missions.

July 6, 2023 0 comment

History

Luftwaffe Fighter Pilots explain what it’s like attacking a B-17 Flying Fortress formation from behind

by Till Daisd July 6, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On the B-17E, the tail gunner may have been the most important gunner. He used two.50 caliber machine guns to defend the back quarter of the aircraft. The tail guns earned the healthy respect of enemy pilots

The B-17 Flying Fortress is among the most well-known aircraft ever produced. 28 July 1935 saw the first flight of the B-17 prototype. Even though there weren’t many B-17s in use on December 7, 1941, production swiftly picked up once the US entered World War Two. The aircraft saw action in every theater of war, but its most infamous mission was the strategic daytime bombing of German industrial targets.

Nine machine guns and a 4,000-pound bomb load were carried by the B-17E, the first Flying Fortress variant to be mass-produced. It had more armament and was many tons heavier than the prototypes.

The tail gunner of the B-17E was reportedly one of the most crucial gunners, according to B-17 Queen of the Skies. He used two.50 caliber machine guns to defend the back quarter of the aircraft. A terrible surprise awaited opposing fighters as they approached the E model B-17. The tail guns earned the healthy respect of enemy pilots.

‘A German pilot did once say that attacking a B-17 formation from behind was like trying to make love to a porcupine that is on fire,’ Walt Miller, Former 0311/0302 at United States Marine Corps (1973-1993), explains on Quora.

In JG-26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe by Donald Caldwell, a Luftwaffe fighter pilot explains;

‘The size of the heavy bombers and their formations could not be adequately described to a green pilot; they had to be experienced first-hand… The bomber gunners opened fire as soon as a target was seen, in order to disrupt or ward off attacks. The Americans’ browning .50-inch machine guns had a higher muzzle velocity and a greater range than the Germans MG 17s whose tracers were used to site their MG 151 cannon. So, the fighter pilots’ cockpits were surrounded by red tracers, “Swarming like wasps” in Karl Borris’s words, long before they themselves could open fire effectively; and because of low closing speeds, this extremely uncomfortable situation could continue for several minutes…some pilots would invariably break away prematurely, and the rest would pass through the bomber formation at whatever angle and orientation promised the best chance of survival.’

German pilots were compelled to reconsider their strategies as a result of this advantageous position, which resulted in the adoption of the infamous “12 O’Clock” attack, in which they bore into formations head-on at a closing speed of more than 500 mph! In Donald Caldwell’s JG-26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe, another fighter pilot of the Luftwaffe recounts;

‘All four of the bombers shot down by JG 26 came from the 306th Bomb Group. The Geschwader lost only one pilot in this battle, but it was a serious blow to the unit. Hptm. Fritz Geisshardt, Kommandeur of the third Gruppe, was hit by return fire on his unit’s first pass through the bombers. Bleeding profusely from a wound in the abdomen, Geisshardt dove away from the battle and made a smooth landing …his blood loss proved fatal; the medical personnel at the Ghent hospital could not save him and he died early the next morning.’

One of the keys to victory against USAAF bombers, according to the great German ace General Adolf Galland, was for the fighters to retain formation. The bombers’ weapons did not down many German fighters, but their streams of.50-inch tracers formed a very strong defensive barrier.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

July 6, 2023 0 comment

History

Chuck Yeager is the reason why airline pilots sound so bored when talking to passengers

by Till Daisd July 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Since the late 1940s, pilots have loved and imitated Chuck Yeager’s laconic, folksy drawl

Every time you sit on a plane while traveling for the holidays, a voice that is all too familiar greets you.

As We Are the Mighty reports, the PA system hisses to life and you hear, “ladies and gentlemen, ehhh, good morning. Welcome aboard. This is, ehh, your, uhhh, captain speaking…” before the rest of the relevant travel information is droningly rattled off.

No matter who the pilot is, where you’re taking off from, or where you’re going, every single one of the 850,000+ pilots out there adopts the exact identical speech pattern and pseudo-West Virginian accent.

Why do airline pilots who speak to passengers through the plane’s intercom sound so bored?

‘It’s mainly because of this guy,’ Tim Hibbetts, airline pilot, explains on Quora.

‘That’s Chuck Yeager, a famous sound barrier pioneer. His laconic, folksy drawl was admired and copied by pilots since the late ‘40s. Before long, it became the standard pilot radio voice. Only the coolest characters could toss in a, “well… things seem to be shakin’ ‘round… lemme see what’s goin’ on a minute” and really sell it. That’s just about how things came across from Jim Lovell when his spaceship blew up!

‘Ever since he made it famous, pilots all over have taken it up (certainly others were talking on the radio like this long before and I imagine the whole panoply of RAF transmissions during the Battle of Britain was a series of mild statements of amazement). The feeling behind it for the PAs from the flight deck amount to, “If I sound bored, things must be normal and you should be very confident things are going just fine.”’

Hibbetts concludes;

‘That’s how we like it to sound, anyway.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Steve Jurvetson via Wikipedia

July 5, 2023 0 comment

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