We’ve posted a few videos of arrivals at St. Maarten. We’ve even had one of our own avgeeks profile his trip down to the island. It’s a magical place with pristine beaches, beautiful weather, and (of course) gorgeous low flying planes.
Most of the videos out there though show the beach arrivals. While departures toward Maho Beach aren’t unheard of, they aren’t as frequent due to the prevailing winds at the field. Departures towards the beach are a treat. Who could forget that KLM 747 departure video?
This Insel Air MD-80 video rivals that KLM 747 video. The MD-80 looks to be fully loaded or the pilots are just showboating. We’re not sure. Either way, it makes for an impressive and slightly hair raising departure video. In the video you can clearly see inside the main gear wells on departure. It can’t be more than 15-20 feet over the beach. The videographer sure was jazzed about this departure. His choice language at the end shows just how “wow’ed” he really was.
About the MD-80
The MD-80 is twin engine, single aisle, narrow body commercial jet airliner, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, and later by Boeing. It is a mid size, medium range airliner. This slender aircraft has a number of variants, including the MD-81, the MD-82, the MD-83, the MD-87, and MD-88. The MD-80 can seat anywhere from 130 to 172 passengers, depending on the variant. Each variant also features upgrades in the cockpit and avionics.
The aircraft took its maiden voyage on October 18th of 1979. However, two MD-80 aircraft were severely damaged during the test flights. Despite the early design issues, the MD-80 underwent improvements. The first variant of the MD-80 was introduced with Swissair in October of 1980. The MD-80 series was eventually modified into the MD-90 series.
Almost 1,200 MD-80 aircraft were built between 1979 and 1999, at a unit cost in the 40 million dollar range.
How Could Such a Forward-Thinking Piece of Machinery Like The SR-71 End Up in a Museum?
On 6 March 1990, pilot Colonel Ed Yielding and reconnaissance systems officer (RSO) Colonel Joseph Vida departed Palmdale in California flying U. S. Air Force SR-71 (serial number 61-17972). This was not just another Senior Crown SR-71 flight. Yielding and Vida landed one hour, four minutes, and 20 seconds later at Dulles International Airport outside Washington DC. The last operational flight of the SR-71 set a new Los Angeles to Washington speed record averaging a scorching 2,124 miles per hour (3,420 kilometers per hour), along with three other records. 972 was then delivered to the National Air and Space Museum for display. It was the final flight of the Air Force’s SR-71 program.
What’s in a Name?
Derived from the Lockheed A-12, the development of which is worthy of its own story, the 32 SR-71s built served with the US Air Force from 1964 until 1990. 12 of them were lost in operational accidents. Not a single SR-71 was lost to enemy action. The “Blackbird” was the most common nickname used to refer to the all-black monster, but “Habu” (Japanese venomous snake- a name bestowed while the SR-71 operated from Okinawa) was a moniker as well. Between the original A-12 and SR-71, these Lockheed “Skunk Works” products were the fastest air-breathing (jet-powered) aircraft inhabiting this planet from inception of the A-12 until the final retirement of the SR-71 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1998.
Rare Materials and Engineering Challenges
The SR-71’s airframe was 85% titanium. Lockheed was forced to pioneer new tooling and fabrication methods just to build the aircraft. Due to the chlorine in tap water, even washing the welded titanium in the airframe components required distilled water. Tools had to be specially manufactured because they too could cause corrosion. Tools wore out quickly during the fabrication process too. Building the SR-71 was one engineering challenge after another.
Hot Stuff
Flying at Mach 3 or more generated friction. Lots of friction. And lots of friction equals lots and lots of heat. For that reason, major portions of the skin of the wings were corrugated. The intense heat would have caused smooth skin (even titanium) to deform and potentially curl up or even split. Conversely, corrugated skin could expand both vertically and horizontally and actually increased longitudinal strength.
Designed to Leak on the Ground
The SR-71s fuselage panels were specially manufactured so they had gaps between them. When the aircraft encountered the heat from in-flight friction the panels would expand and fit properly. It was said that the Blackbird leaked more fuel on the ground than it used in the air. An obvious exaggeration, but the sight of a Blackbird sitting on the tarmac surrounded by dripped puddles of special high-flashpoint JP-7 fuel was a contradiction indeed. If you see a picture of an SR-71 in flight (most of which were captured at low altitude and low speed), chances are you’ll also see fuel streaming back from the as-yet unsealed joints as well.
For the Rest of the Blackbird Story Bang NEXT PAGE Below
Failure or success? It depends how you look at it.
The holy grail of fighter aircraft is one aircraft that meets the operational requirements of both the Air Force and the Navy. The most current attempt at a multi-service design is the Lockheed Martin F-35 “Lighting II.” Historically, the result of such ambitious efforts is an aircraft that does nothing really well, or worked well for one service or had limited combat capabilities.
F-111F (National Museum of the USAF)
The F-111 was an earlier attempt at a supersonic multi-role, multi-service all-weather fighter-bomber. The F-111 was handicapped from the beginning, based on a rather poorly conceived operational specification, with both the Air Force and the Navy pressured to commit to a civilian concept of the “Tactical Fighter Experimental” (TFX) program.
F-111 Formation (Australian Air Force Photo)
The concept called for a single aircraft that was both a nimble, carrier-based Navy fleet-defense interceptor and a more beefy land-based Air Force supersonic strike aircraft. Development focused on the Air Force role, and the F-111B—the naval variant—never made into production.
The F-111 Arrdvark was produced in a variety of models, including the F-111A, F-111D, F-111E, and F-111F, as well as an FB-111A strategic bomber. What the Pentagon had touted as a “cost effective” solution, ironically would be labeled a major aeronautical and financial fiasco in the 1960s. Other designations were assigned to aircraft sold to other nations.
Initially, F-111As had major engine problems. Intense testing by NASA pilots and engineers it was determined that engine inlet dynamics created pressure fluctuations that led to compressor surges and stalls. The engine problems were solved by a major inlet redesign.
The F-111 could operate from tree-top level to altitudes above 60,000 feet (18,200 meters). The major design feature were the variable sweep wings that would allow the pilot to fly from slow approach speeds to supersonic velocity at sea level and more than twice the speed of sound at higher altitudes. The wing angle could be swept to any angle from 16 degrees (full forward for takeoff, landing, and slow flight) to 72.5 degrees (full aft for maximum speeds).
Demonstration of Variable Sweep wings; from Swept forward for takeoff, landing, and slow flight (top left) to fully swept back (bottom right).
In terms of fighter design, the F-111 was unusual in that the two crew members—a pilot and a weapons system/radar operator sat side-by-side in an air-conditioned, pressurized cockpit module that served as an emergency escape vehicle and as a survival shelter on land or water.
In an emergency, both crew members remained in the cockpit and an explosive charge separated the cockpit module from the aircraft. The module descended by parachute. The ejected module included a small portion of the wing fairing to stabilize it during aircraft separation. Airbags cushioned impact and helped keep the module afloat in water. The module could be released at any speed or altitude, even under water. For underwater escape, the airbags raised the module to the surface after it has been separated from the plane.
F-111 Cockpit Escape Capsule (National Museum of the USAF)
Using internal fuel only—tanks in the fuselage and the wings–the plane had a range of more than 2,500 nautical miles. External fuel tanks could be carried on the pylons under the wings and jettisoned if necessary. It also could be refueled in flight via a refueling boom receptacle on top of the aircraft aft of the cockpit.
The F-111 carried conventional or nuclear weapons. It could carry up to nuclear bombs or additional fuel in the internal weapons bay. External ordnance included combinations of bombs, missiles and fuel tanks. The loads nearest the fuselage on each side pivoted as the wings swept back, keeping ordnance parallel to the fuselage.
The F-111 aircraft could dump fuel from an aft nozzle between the engines. The dumped fuel could be ignited when the aircraft afterburners were lit.
The avionics systems included communications, navigation, and electronic counter measure self-defense systems. A radar bombing system was used for precise delivery of weapons on targets during night or bad weather.
The FB-111 also had an automatic terrain-following radar (TFR) system that flew the craft at a constant altitude following the Earth’s contours. It allowed the aircraft to fly in valleys and over mountains, day or night, regardless of weather conditions. The pilot could adjust the ride of the TFR from a “soft” ride to a “hard” ride. In the “soft” mode, the aircraft would anticipate requirements to climb or descent and begin climbs and descents to “smooth” the flight. In the “hard” setting, the aircraft followed the shape of the terrain, making climbs and descents roughly match the rise and fall of the terrain.
Major Variants
F-111A, D, E, and F: The A model first flew in December 1964. The first operational aircraft was delivered in October 1967 to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. F-111A models were used for tactical bombing in Southeast Asia. The D. E, and F models incorporated incremental improvements in avionics and weapons systems, aerodynamics and engine performance. These aircraft remained operational through 1995, when they were replaced by the F-16 C/D aircraft.
EF-111 Raven Electronic Warfare Aircraft easily identified by the Pod atop the Vertical fin.
EF-111A Raven: F-111As were converted to serve as electronic warfare platforms. The primary modifications were the ALQ-99 jamming system, N/ALQ-137 self-protection system, and an AN/ALR-62 terminal threat warning system. A total of 42 aircraft were converted to the EF-111A.
FB-111: The FB-111 was assigned to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a strategic nuclear-capable attack aircraft. With refueling, the aircraft could reach any target on the globe, and return. In 1990, FB-111s were retired from the SAC role, and converted to the F-111G transferred to the Tactical Air Command as high-performance fighter aircraft.
Using More Than a Dozen Different Aircraft the Aussies and the Yanks Combined for a Near-Total Victory
Beginning on 2 March 1943 and lasting over the next two days, a battle was fought that determined the fate of the Japanese forces engaged against Allied armies on New Guinea. This battle, later known as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, was not fought between battleships. It was not a night surface action or a destroyer duel. The all-important aircraft carriers were not involved. No Wildcats, Corsairs, Dauntlesses, or Avengers did battle with the Japanese Kates, Vals, or Zeros. Yet, it was such a complete victory for the Allied air forces in the area that the newly-developed and highly effective weapons and tactics used to defeat the Japanese were utilized by the Allies for the rest of the war.
Image via US Navy
Desperately Needed Troops and Supplies Put in Harm’s Way
The Battle of the Bismarck Sea pitted a Japanese convoy carrying urgently needed reinforcing troops and supplies from their bastion of Rabaul on New Britain to Lae on neighboring New Guinea against fighters and bombers of the US Army Air Corps (USAAC) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Except for a night attack by US Navy PT boats this battle was fought entirely by ships against land-based aircraft.
Success is Where You Find it
The Japanese had successfully landed troops and supplies at Lae before. Even though the Allies were able to decode Japanese radio traffic about a convoy planning to head from Rabaul to New Guinea in January, the attacking USAAC and RAAF aircraft were unable stop it. The convoy, consisting of five transports with five escorting destroyers, succeeded in landing most of their embarked troops and supplies even though the Japanese lost one transport (Nichiryu Maru) and had to beach another one (Myoko Maru) that was heavily damaged.
Image via US Navy
The Snooper Tipped Off the Allies
After a Japanese floatplane type often used for anti-submarine patrols in advance of convoys was sighted on 7 February 1943, General George Kenney (Allied Air Commander- Southwest Pacific) ordered increased aerial reconnaissance coverage of Rabaul believing something was cooking there. A week later there were 79 vessels in port, making it clear that another convoy, destination unknown but inferred, was forming up.
Image via USAF
Code Breakers Reading the Mail
Once naval code breakers were able to decrypt a coded message outlining the Japanese plans for the convoy the American and Australian commanders agreed to hit the convoy in the Vitiaz Strait between the islands of New Guinea and New Britain. This convoy would consist of eight military transport ships with eight escorting destroyers along with air cover consisting of about 100 Japanese fighter aircraft.
It’s a Lot Harder Than It Looks
Hitting a maneuvering ship with a dropped bomb from any altitude is a dicey proposition at best. Up to that point 416 sorties had been flown against Japanese convoys in the New Guinea campaign resulting in only two ships sunk and three damaged. After conferring with experienced RAAF and USAAC pilots, the Allies decided to try bombing from different directions and altitudes simultaneously. Attacks by high altitude bombers would, it was hoped, disperse the convoy and allow more accurate bombing from medium altitude…and low altitude.
Image via USAF
For the Rest of the Bismarck Sea Story Bang NEXT PAGE Below
Did they even turn this helicopter on? Helo appears to hove with the blades perfectly still.
Video has a tendency to make spinning airplane propellors and helicopter blades look warped. It has to do with the shutter speed. The blades are spinning so fast that the refresh rate of the screen and shutter speed create unique blurs and deceptive spinning motions.
But if the shutter speed is fast enough, you’ll be able to capture each blade without a blur. Additionally, if you have a frame rate that is synchronized with the movement of the blades, it will appear as if there is absolutely no movement.
Pretty cool, huh? While you may now know ‘why’ this helo looks like it does in this video, it still looks super weird. Watch for yourself.
Fighter Weapons School at Miramar Turned Good Fighter Pilots into Great Fighter Pilots.
On 3 March 1969 the United States Navy established its Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar outside of San Diego in California. You know the school better as TOP GUN. The school began producing pilots and crews with much improved air combat maneuvering (ACM) skills, who were then able to pass their knowledge on to their squadron mates. TOP GUN also spawned a woefully inaccurate but nonetheless popular 80s movie. But how much do you really know about TOP GUN?
Figuring Out Why Naval Aviators Had Lost the Edge
In 1968, United States Navy Captain Frank Ault was directed by the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral and Naval Aviator Thomas Moorer, to look into the reasons why the Navy was losing so many aircraft and experienced crews in the skies over Vietnam. More specifically, Moorer and the Navy High Brass were concerned that having procured a fighter aircraft that was not armed with guns might have been a blunder. The Navy and Marine F-4 Phantom IIs were just not scoring kills with their primary (and in most cases only) weapon- the air-to-air missile. Ault’s charter was to figure out why and to propose potential fixes.
Image via US Navy
The Numbers Didn’t Lie
Consider this: Between 2 March 1965 and 1 November 1968 (the days of Operation Rolling Thunder) the United States lost nearly 1000 aircraft in roughly 1 million sorties. Even though both the Navy and Air Force losses were included in these telling statistics, the reasons for the losses were not interpreted by the Navy and the Air Force the same way.
Image via USAF
The Air Force Opinion
Although the Air Force had not commissioned a formal study into the abysmal performance during Rolling Thunder, the Air Force nonetheless came to the conclusion that their losses came about because Vietnamese MiGs, operating primarily at the direction of ground controllers, were routinely being steered by those controllers into positions from which they were both unobserved before they attacked, and most often attacked from behind the Air Force jets. The Air Force interpreted the data and decided that their losses were primarily due to technology.
Air Force Solutions Adopted By All Branches
In order to address what they believed were equipment shortcomings, the Air Force specified and procured the F-4E variant of the Phantom II. The F-4E added an internal M61 Vulcan multi-barrel cannon, additional internal fuel capacity, improved radar homing and warning (RHAW) equipment, more powerful engines, leading-edge maneuvering slats, and more reliable targeting systems for the radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow and heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. The Air Force also worked with the missile manufacturers to improve quality control during the manufacturing process, which benefitted all parties. The Navy would eventually incorporate some of these improvements into later variants of their Phantom IIs, but did not adopt an internal cannon. Every fighter aircraft developed after the F-4 incorporated an internal gun of some kind.
The Ault Report Reached Different Conclusions
Captain Ault published his report in May of 1968. He reached the conclusion that inadequate air combat maneuvering (ACM) training was the root of the problem. Although he interpreted the poor results attained using the missiles the same way the Air Force did, Ault believed Navy and Marine aircrews were being adequately trained only to maneuver into position to fire their missiles at targets but not in the kind of frenetic maneuvering then taking place in the skies over Vietnam. His conclusions were seconded by the pilots flying the Vought F-8 Crusader. Equipped with four 20 millimeter cannon but a handful to maneuver effectively, the F-8 would also reward pilots who practiced ACM on a regular basis.
Image via US Navy
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Tough times call for drastic measures. We came across this video of a RyanAir 737-800 struggling to land at London Stansted Airport during Winter Storm Doris.
In the video, you can see the pilot struggling with both a crosswind and gusty winds. On the approach, the pilot appears to flare but then float as he or she was caught in a gust. The pilot then surprisingly deploys the thrust reversers and plants the plane on the ground. That’s not normal.
What’s wrong with landing this way?
Deploying the thrust reversers prior to touchdown isn’t a very smart way to fly the plane. A good pilot should always be ready to go around. It’s much safer to attempt a second landing than to try to salvage a bad one. In this case, the pilot took advantage of 737 logic that allows the thrust reverser to deploy if the radar altimeter senses less than 10ft of altitude. The landing was relatively uneventful and the pilot and those on board were no worse for the wear.
But what if the gust of wind that he or she corrected for didn’t dissipate but instead grew stronger? By deploying the TRs, the pilot had no choice but to commit to the landing. The TRs would take way too long to stow to accomplish a safe go around in a majority of cases. TR deployment equals total and full commitment to land…full stop.
The video was filmed by ElliotL- CBGSpotterHD. Elliot is an avgeek and spotter with some brilliant videos. Be sure to check out his other work.
No Fuel to Spare, But They Eeked Out a Record That Still Stands.
On 27 February 1947, Colonel Robert E. Thacker (pilot) and Lieutenant John M. Ard (copilot) took off from Hickam Field on Oahu, Hawaii and headed east. Their aircraft, Betty Joe, a P-82B Twin Mustang Air Force serial number 44-65168, landed 14 hours, 31 minutes, and 50 seconds later at La Guardia Field in New York. The flight covered 5,051 miles (8,129 kilometers) and averaged 347.5 miles (559.2 kilometers) per hour.
About That Still-Standing Record
Betty Joe did not stop. Betty Joe did not refuel. Betty Joe took off with a total of 1,816 gallons of fuel and used nearly every drop of it to complete the flight. Thacker and Ard’s flight is still the longest non-stop flight by a piston engine fighter and the fastest flight from Hawaii to New York by a piston engine aircraft. The flight might have been completed in even less time had the pilot jettisoned his empty drop tanks after he drained them as planned!
Genesis of the Twin Mustang
Looking like nothing so much as a pair of P-51H Mustangs joined at the hip or some Photoshopped apparition, the P-82 was originally developed during World War II to fulfill the need for a very long-range escort fighter for B-29s that would be raiding Japan. The design had just barely gotten off the ground when the war ended. The prototype was completed on 25 May 1945. The first flight of the XP-82 was on 26 June 1945.
Image via USAF
The Rare Merlin-Powered Twin Mustang
Oddly enough, initial production P-82s were powered by the Mustang’s Rolls Royce Merlin engine but the remaining production aircraft were all powered by the lower-horsepower Allison V-1710. The Merlin-powered Twin Mustangs eventually became trainers, which meant that P-82 trainers were faster and performed better at altitude than the subsequent Allison-powered production aircraft.
Image via USAF
Deadheading and Scoping the Snoopers
All P-82s became F-82s when the newly-formed United States Air Force changed the P-for-pursuit designation prefix to the F-for-fighter designation prefix on 11 June 1948. Later production aircraft were not equipped with full cockpits and dual controls as the prototype and early variants were. A radar operator occupied the right cockpit in radar-equipped F-82s.
Into Service with SAC First
The F-82E was the first F-82 model to reach operational status in March of 1948, with Strategic Air Command’s 27th Fighter Wing at Kearney Air Force Base in Nebraska. With range and performance that would allow them to escort bombers attacking Russia all the way to the target and back the 27th FW deployed to support air defense and long-range escort missions envisioned due to tensions around the Berlin Airlift. In early 1949, the 27th FW began flying long-range escort mission profiles. Missions from Kearney AFB to Mexico, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and nonstop to Washington D.C were all flown.
Image via USAF
For the Rest of the Twin Mustang Tale Bang NEXT PAGE Below.
It Only Took 94 Hours in the Air and More Than 23,000 Miles on the Odometer!
On 26 February 1949 the Boeing B-50A-5-BO Superfortress, Air Force serial number 46-010, named “Lucky Lady II” took off on what was to become the first non-stop around-the-world flight.
Lucky Lady II. Image via Life
That’s Almost 4 Days in the Air!
United States Air Force Captain James G. Gallagher and his crew (including two additional pilots and twice the normal crew complement) departed Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas at 1221 local time and headed east. The Lucky Lady II returned to Carswell 94 hours and one minute later (on 2 March 1949) after flying a total distance of 23,452 miles.
Lucky Lady II refueling. Image via USAF
Slow Bomber Back to Carswell
The Lucky Lady II was a standard B-50A of the 63rd Bomb Squadron, 43rd Bombardment Group and was equipped with the normal B-50A defensive armament consisting of 12 50 caliber machine guns. The bomber did carry an additional fuel tank in its bomb bay to provide additional range. Even with the extra fuel capacity, the B-50 was refueled in midair four times by KB-29 tankers during the mission. Flown primarily at altitudes between 10,000 feet and 20,000 feet, the first non-stop circumnavigation of the planet averaged only 249 miles per hour! ground speed.
The Brass Roll Out the Welcome Back
Strategic Air Command’s commander Lieutenant General Curtis LeMay greeted the Lucky Lady II upon its return to Carswell. Other dignitaries at Carswell for the historic event included Secretary of the Air Force W. Stuart Symington, Air Force Chief of Staff General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, and Major General Roger M. Ramey, commander of the Eighth Air Force. The significance of the event was not lost on LeMay, who took advantage of the opportunity to remark that the Air Force (and of course Strategic Air Command) could now be based entirely in the continental United States and still attack any place in the world that “required the atomic bomb.”
Lucky Lady II after record-setting flight. Image via Life
Record-Setting Crew
For the record-setting flight of the Lucky Lady II, Captain Gallagher was the aircraft commander. 1st Lieutenant Arthur M. Neal was the relief pilot. Captain James H. Morris was copilot. Captain Glenn E. Hacker and 1st Lieutenant Earl L. Rigor were the navigators. 1st Lieutenant Ronald B. Bonner and 1st Lieutenant William F. Caffrey operated the radar. Captain David B. Parmalee was the project officer for this flight and flew as the chief flight engineer. The crew flight engineers were Technical Sergeant Virgil L. Young and Staff Sergeant Robert G. Davis. Technical Sergeant Burgess C. Cantrell and Staff Sergeant Robert R. McLeroy operated the radios. Handling the guns were Technical Sergeant Melvin G. Davis and Staff Sergeant Donald G. Traugh Jr. The Lucky Lady II’s crew was showered with awards including the National Aeronautic Association’s Mackay Trophy and the Air Force Association’s Air Age Trophy. Each crew member also received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Republic’s Thunderchief Made the Most of 27 Memorable Years in Service.
On 25 February 1984, the Air Force Reserve’s 466th Tactical Fighter Squadron, a part of the 508th Tactical Fighter Wing, made the last operational fight of the Republic F-105D Thunderchief or Thud. The flight occurred 19 years nearly to the day after the F-105 saw its combat debut in Vietnam and a little bit less than 27 years after the F-105 was first accepted for service by the United States Air Force. Air Force Thuds sure packed a lot of service into those 27 years.
F-105D. Image via USAF
Heavyweight Champion
Weighing in at a whopping 50,000 pounds (23,000 kilograms) when it entered service the Thunderchief was the largest single-seat single-engine combat aircraft in history. The F-105 could move at supersonic speeds at sea level and at Mach 2 speeds at altitude. The “Thud” was capable of regularly carrying 14,000 pounds of ordnance and was armed with a 20 millimeter Vulcan Gatling gun.
F-105D. Image via USAF
What’s In a Name?
Without realizing just how effective a weapon the Air Force had in the F-105 yet, derisive nicknames such as “Lead Sled”, “Squat Bomber”, “Hyper Hog”, and “Ultra Hog” were hung on the F-105. It was even said that the Thud was a triple threat in that it could bomb you, it could strafe you, or it could fall on you. Sarcasm aside, the F-105’s strengths, such as its electronics suite and its capabilities, highly responsive controls, and its hair-raising performance, eventually made believers out of pilots who flew the big jet.
Early F-105B. Image via USAF
Another Advanced Century-Series Design Waiting on a Suitable Engine
Initial F-105 prototypes did not perform as expected in part because of aerodynamic inefficiencies like trans-sonic drag in the fuselage design. This led to a redesign of the fuselage with an area ruled “coke bottle” profile similar to that found on the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and the later F-106 Delta Dart, both of which experienced similar performance improvements after initial models were found to have similar trans-sonic drag issues. The performance of the F-105B was also vastly improved due to the distinctive forward-swept variable-geometry air intakes which regulated airflow to the engine at supersonic speeds and, when eventually installed, the Pratt & Whitney J75 afterburning engine.
Fast Out of the Gate But High-Maintenance Too
Entering service with Tactical Air Command’s 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron in August of 1958 and becoming fully operational in 1959, an F-105B set a world record of 1,216.48 miles per hour (1,958 kilometers per hour). While proven to be quick in the air, maintenance requirements slowed the F-105 to a crawl on the ground, requiring up to 150 hours of maintenance for each flying hour.
Thunderbirds F-105B. Image via USAF
Short Season With the Thunderbirds
For the 1964 show season, the United States Air Force Flight Demonstration Team, otherwise known as the Thunderbirds, modified F-105Bs with fuselage and wing reinforcements, added a smoke generation system. Tragically they flew only six performances with the F-105B before a fatal accident led the team to revert to the F-100 Super Sabre as their show aircraft.
Want proof that you are getting old? The DC-9 is over a half-century old.
Today marks the 52nd birthday for the beloved “Diesel” -9 jet. Back in 1965, Douglas powered up the twin-engine short haul jet for the very first time at Long Beach Airport. The DC-9 took to the skies with the promise of the jet flight comforts on shorter regional flights.
The original DC-9 was a series -10 aircraft. Short and stubby, the first 90 seat passenger jet would be delivered to Delta Air Lines in December of that year. Delta operated the jet until 1993. They later inherited another fleet of DC-9-50s from the Northwest Merger. The final Delta DC-9 flight was flown in 2013.
The DC-9 fleet grew with the -15/-20/-30/-40 and -50 versions each increasing maximum performance and loads. The DC-9 family later gave birth to the MD-80, MD-90 and 717 versions. A total of 976 DC-9s were built with the last original DC-9 produced in 1982.
Even today, there are a few US operators of the original “Diesel” 9 fleet. US Jets and Kalitta Charters both operate small fleets of the elderly jet.
The National World War II (WWII) Museum in New Orleans covers all aspects of WWII. It emphasizes the personal dimensions of combat, often told through first-hand combat accounts of soldiers, sailors, Marines, as well as seen by politicians and civilians.
Still, no account of WWII is complete without recognizing the aircraft that were instrumental (or infamous) throughout the theaters of combat, and the WWII Museum is no exception. Although, unlike any other museum I have visited, all of their aircraft are suspended—none are simply sitting on display.
The First aircraft encountered is a C-47 (military DC-3) Skytrain, the workhorse of the allied forces, carrying and dropping supplies and troops, and towing troop-carrying gliders.
The C-47 above the museum lobby, viewed from the second level inside the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion.
In the Campaigns of Courage building, visitors follow the roads to Berlin and Tokyo. On the road to Berlin, visitors encounter a Bf-109 (commonly known as the ME-109). Designed by Willy Messerschmitt (hence ME-109), it was built by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke and therefore officially designated as the Bf-109.
While on the road to Tokyo, a restored P-40 Curtiss Warhawk seems to roar overhead in a low attack profile.
Most Museum aircraft are displayed in the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center. This multi-story building is about twice the height of other museum buildings. Despite the height, viewing aircraft is very easy, and close-up views are easy from three catwalks at different levels. The fourth-floor catwalk provides some impressive views of all aircraft on display.
On display are:
The North American P-52 Mustang, “Bunnie.”
A Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber, dive brakes extended.
A Vought F-4U Corsair.
A Boeing B-17E “My Gal Sal.”. There really is no place to stand to get a photo of the entire aircraft without a wide-angle lens. Photos taken from the fourth-floor catwalk.
The North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber—the same type of aircraft featured in “30 Seconds Over Tokyo,” launched from the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. The B-25 exterior gun mounts are shown below.
Grumman TBM Avenger Torpedo Bomber
There are many aircraft not yet represented in the museum’s collection, but the collection is almost certain to grow over the years and space and funding increase. Perhaps a reason to return in a few years.
