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Apollo 9 Racked Up an Impressive Number of Firsts for NASA

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Apollo 9 Racked Up an Impressive Number of Firsts for NASA

With all of the glory of Apollo missions 8, 11 and 13, it’s easy to forget the awesomeness of Apollo 9.  Yet 45 years ago today, Apollo 9 launched.  That’s right.  On March 3rd, 1969, 3 astronauts bravely lifted into space in another rehearsal of the moon landing that would eventually take place later that year.  In honor of Apollo 9’s launch, here are a couple of accomplishments that you might have forgotten about or overlooked:

  • Apollo 9 first tested the Lunar Module.  Prior to Apollo 9, the lunar module had never been fully powered.
  • This was the first space flight where crews were allowed to name their craft.    The crew of James McDivitt,  David Scott and Russell Schweickart named the Command Service Module the “Gumdrop” and the Lunar Module “Spider”.
  • The flight involved the first extra-vehicular activity aboard an Apollo mission.  The spacesuits worn by Schweickart and Scott were the first ones to have their own life-support capability without being tethered.  This type of spacesuit paved the way for the successful Apollo landing and every spacewalk beyond.
  • The Lunar Module practiced docking to the Command module.  They were separated over 100 miles from each other during testing.
  • The Saturn IVB’s third-stage that propelled Apollo 9 into orbit is still circling the Earth today.

Take a moment today to appreciate Apollo 9.  They paved the way for Apollo 11 and America’s greatest space accomplishment to date.

A ‘new’ B-17 Rolling off the Assembly Line

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A ‘new’ B-17 Rolling off the Assembly Line

Some people might see this headline and call the avgeekery.com staff crazy.  But it’s true.  Volunteers at the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana, Ohio are building a ‘new’ B-17.  This isn’t merely a restoration project of a single dilapidated hull.  This soon to be flyable airplane is made from restored parts along with new fabricated parts.  The goal is to create an airplane that is even better than the original.  The project began in 2005 and still has a few years left to go.  All construction is being done by volunteers and engineers who are meticulously crafting parts from old Boeing diagrams and blueprints.

If you are interested in learning more about the program, you can visit their website here.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm.  Admission is Free.  Donations are accepted and most likely appreciated.

Air Canada’s First 787 is revealed in full paint

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Air Canada’s First 787 is revealed in full paint

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Air Canada’s First 787 came out of the paint shop this week in full pale blue livery.  This is their first 787.  In December, Air Canada announced that the 787 will initially fly the 787 Dreamliner domestically with international service to follow later in the year.  The first announced international route is Toronto to Tokyo (Haneda).   In total, Air Canada expected to receive 37 Dreamliners over the next few years.

(Photo used with permission by PaineAirport.com)

Blue Angel #7 Catches the Barrier

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Blue Angel #7 Catches the Barrier

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A rare sight. Blue Angel #7 testing the portable arresting gear at Moffett Federal Airfield before the start of the Fleetweek Airshow. This was the emergency divert field for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels during the show’s performance, even though they took off from nearby San Francisco International Airport.

MacDill Gulfstream hit by Flying Fish

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MacDill Gulfstream hit by Flying Fish

 

Birdstrike? How about a Fish Strike!

A Gulfstream IV departing from MacDill Air Force Base suffered a fish-strike earlier this week on the runway.  Thats right, a FISH STRIKE! The good news is that it doesn’t appear to be a case of mutant three-eyed fish.  Instead, a bird carrying a fish was startled by the aircraft.

It appears that the bird dropped the fish as it attempted to avoid the Gulfstream.  Said fish, then struck the aircraft.  No injuries or damages were reported.  In related news, fresh sushi was said to be served at the dining hall that evening.  I kid.  You can read the full article here: http://www.amc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123401041

Appreciate the deployment of Boeing 727 Flaps

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Appreciate the deployment of Boeing 727 Flaps

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In this day and age, its super common for airplane manufacturers to use very complex Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software and Computer Aided Design to test and build airplane wings.  The new wings on airplanes like the 787 and Airbus A-350 are both relatively simple in structure and super efficient.  But these fancy tools didn’t really exist back in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Back then the only tools they had were slide rules, blueprints and wind tunnels.  That fact makes the triple-slotted Krueger flaps on the Boeing 727 even more amazing.  These flaps allows short-field takeoffs and jet operations out of hot and high airfields like Mexico city and Chicago Midway.  In the video below, check out the amazing transformation of the wing on the aged but beautiful 727-200.  It’s an #avgeekery work of art.

This video and more beautiful #avgeek videos are available at airsidetv.com

The Day Boeing almost lost a 757 in testing

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The Day Boeing almost lost a 757 in testing

November 16, 1982. That was the day Boeing nearly lost a 757 during the flight test program. It was during a flight into known icing conditions to test the 757’s deicing systems. Two inches of ice built up on the wings. At the time, Rolls Royce thought a flexible spinner hub on the fan would prevent ice formation instead of a traditional heated fan spinner which would be heavier. It didn’t work. Large chunks of ice from the spinners were ingested by the engines, damaging the fan blades to the point that the flight crew had to throttle to idle and coast back to Boeing Field- to descend into terrain around Seattle with insufficient engine power to go around left many shaken, from the flight crew, test engineers, and FAA reps onboard.

Rolls had to hurriedly design a traditionally heated spinner hub for the RB211 engines which met the icing criteria and testing. You can read a little bit more about this incident in a Seattle Times article about the 757 here: http://seattletimes.com/news/business/757/part05/

Another creatively painted C-17 is delivered

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Another creatively painted C-17 is delivered

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A couple of years ago, Qatar received their first C-17.  It wasn’t painted like all the other grey tails from the US, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, UAE and now India.  Instead, it was painted in the colors of Qatar Airways.   It become a spotter’s dream to photograph as it traveled around the world delivering humanitarian aid and flying on missions for the Emir.

Fast forward to 2014 and Kuwait now joins the fray with a very ’90s looking paint scheme on their new C-17.  The two tone white and grey plane was delivered today in Long Beach.  You can read more about the delivery ceremony here:  http://www.presstelegram.com/business/20140213/boeing-delivers-kuwait-its-first-c-17-globemaster-military-transportimg

Original image available at: http://www.air-cosmos.com/img/10-368476-600×350-0/c17-kuwait.jpg

A BBJ Combi!

JP Santiago
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A BBJ Combi!

Peregrine Point is a small charter outfit based at Alliance that was started in 2007 and specializes in short notice passenger and cargo charters. As far as I know they have this Combi BBJ and a G450. This particular BBJ is N529PP.  Peregrine Point is a small charter outfit based at Alliance that was started in 2007 and specializes in short notice passenger and cargo charters. As far as I know they have this Combi BBJ and a G450. This particular BBJ is N529PP. Thanks to the sequester and other assorted asinine antics by Congress, there wasn't a single active duty, Guard, or Reservist aircraft at the air show either flying or on static display at the 2013 Fort Worth Alliance Air Show. But civilian outfits and organizations did what they could to have something for us avgeeks to drool over. Big thanks to Peregrine Point for having their BBJ on static display.  Thanks to the sequester and other assorted asinine antics by Congress, there wasn’t a single active duty, Guard, or Reservist aircraft at the air show either flying or on static display at the 2013 Fort Worth Alliance Air Show. But civilian outfits and organizations did what they could to have something for us avgeeks to drool over. Big thanks to Peregrine Point for having their BBJ on static display. Morning condensation on Peregrine Point's Combi BBJ.... Morning condensation on Peregrine Point’s Combi BBJ…. REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT.... REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT…. Here's something you don't see often- a Boeing BBJ with a main deck cargo door- basically a heavy gross weight 737-700C; slap some Navy markings on this bird and you'd have yourself a C-40A Clipper.  Boeing had announced the Combi BBJ (what they call the BBJC) back in 2007, but this is the first one I've seen. They're pretty rare, there can't be more than a small handful worldwide. Here’s something you don’t see often- a Boeing BBJ with a main deck cargo door- basically a heavy gross weight 737-700C; slap some Navy markings on this bird and you’d have yourself a C-40A Clipper.  Boeing had announced the Combi BBJ (what they call the BBJC) back in 2007, but this is the first one I’ve seen. They’re pretty rare, there can’t be more than a small handful worldwide.

Interesting view of the F-18 Growler

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Interesting view of the F-18 Growler

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Great closeup of some great Naval aviators taking to the skies on a training mission at Nellis AFB, NV.

Queen of the Skies turns 45.

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Queen of the Skies turns 45.

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Today in 1969: the first 747-100 “jumbo jet” made its first flight.  It has a storied history.  Even today it is still nicknamed “The Queen of the Skies”.  Over the years there have been many variants of the 747 produced with the 747-8i and 747-8 still being produced today.  This current 747-8i is the heaviest and longest 747 ever produced.  You can read more about the 747 program at the Smithsonian website link here: http://s.si.edu/No88IT

Band of Brothers

JP Santiago
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Band of Brothers

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;  For he to-day that sheds his blood with me  Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,  This day shall gentle his condition:  And gentlemen in England now a-bed  Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,  And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks  That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.  Location: Fort Worth Alliance Airport Air Show 2013 We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;  For he to-day that sheds his blood with me  Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,  This day shall gentle his condition:  And gentlemen in England now a-bed  Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,  And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks  That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.  Location: Fort Worth Alliance Airport Air Show 2013

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