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NTSB Video Shows Recovery Of Cargo 737 That Ditched In Hawaiian Waters

Avgeekery
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NTSB Video Shows Recovery Of Cargo 737 That Ditched In Hawaiian Waters

The NTSB released video today that showed the recovery of the wreckage from Transair flight 810.

Flight 810, a Boeing 737-200 jet, departed on a routine cargo flight from Honolulu International Airport. It was supposed to arrive at Maui’s Kahului International Airport just 43 minutes later. Early in the departure, the pilots requested a return to the airport due to the loss of an engine. On the turn back towards the airport, the pilot reported that the aircraft lost thrust on its remaining engine.

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NTSB Video Shows Recovery Of Cargo 737 That Ditched In Hawaiian Waters 6

The crew had no choice but to ditch off the coast of Oahu, just 4 miles from Honolulu International airport.Before they ditched, they made a mayday call and requested Coast Guard assistance. The Coast Guard arrived within the hour to begin rescue operations. Both pilot and co-pilot survived the unpowered ditching in the dark ocean but sustained injuries in the process. No small feat.

NTSB successfully recovers the jet

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After four months of preparation, the NTSB successfully raised the aircraft off the ocean floor. This was no small feat as the aircraft rested over 800 feet below the water’s surface. Months of preparation were required to obtain the correct equipment and devise a plan to recover the downed aircraft. A crane capable of raising over 60k pounds of jet was required for the task.

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Remarkably, the 46 year-old jet was largely intact as you can see in the photos. The aircraft broke apart into two major pieces with a separation occurring at approximately one-third the length of the aircraft. The underside of the aircraft was shredded which likely occurred as a result of landing in 4′ to 8 feet swell conditions with potential additional damage as it landed on the sea bed. Both engines separated from the aircraft.

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Damage on one engine in the photo showed rotational shearing that could indicate that the engine was still spinning (but note it may have not been producing thrust) at the point of impact.

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NTSB Video Shows Recovery Of Cargo 737 That Ditched In Hawaiian Waters 10

In the video below (released by the NTSB), you can see the cockpit intact with the co-pilot’s window open.

The investigation on the accident continues. A final report on the incident is expected sometime within the next year.

Note: All photos provided by the NTSB. The full Flickr album is located here.

Blue Angels Arrive for Halloween Airshow in North Georgia

Charles Atkeison
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Blue Angels Arrive for Halloween Airshow in North Georgia

ROME, Ga. — The penultimate air show of the Blue Angels’ 75th anniversary season is underway as they arrived Thursday to perform during the Wings Over North Georgia air show.

Their blue and gold jets thundered across northwest Georgia arriving over the Richard Russell Regional Airport at 10:15 a.m. The squadron’s Super Hornets arrived in pairs, touching down on the concrete runway during a rain swept morning.

The ninth edition of the Rome air show is sold out on Saturday with tickets available for Sunday. The Air Force A-10C Warthog, the C-17 Globemaster II, and top civilian aerobatic pilots are also set to perform each afternoon.

“We’re super excited to be in Rome this weekend,” Blue Angels Boss Capt. Brian C. Kesselring told AvGeekery.com minutes after parking his aircraft. “To be able to close out our road show here in Rome where we haven’t been in a couple of years is going to be absolutely fantastic for us.”

This is Capt. Kesselring’s second season with the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron. He will return with the team to begin another season as their flight leader in March.

“What the Blue Angels are about is not the max performance or any particular maneuver,” Kesselring said. “It’s about six aircraft flying as one — much like our Navy and Marine Corp. across the fleet.”

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Capt. Brian Kesselring pauses Thursday upon arriving at the north Georgia airshow. (Charles A Atkeison)

The north Georgia air show will have drive-in format as each ticket will allow a vehicle of guests to park near the runway. Coolers and lawn chairs can be placed outside the vehicle during the family-fun aerial events.

Gates for the first vehicles open at 9 a.m. and the first performances are scheduled to begin at about 10 a.m. Guests can also participate in helicopter flights during the day.

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

WATCH: F-16 Demo Team Viper Performs in the Heartland

Bill Walton
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WATCH: F-16 Demo Team Viper Performs in the Heartland

A Viper Demo Team Video with No Narration? Yes Please!

The US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon Demonstration Team performed at the 2021 Thunder Over the Heartland airshow in Topeka, Kansas. Our friends at AirshowStuff were there and captured the performance in HD video with ear-splitting sound- and no narration! F-16C Air Force serial number 94-0047 has worn a special paint scheme called Viper (the F-16’s semi-official nickname) since May of 2020. More about the jet itself and its interesting history after the video, which was uploaded to YouTube by AirshowStuffVideos. Turn that audio up!

[youtube id=”ryw0tTY–e8″ width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

Going to Work with the Tigers

F-16C Air Force serial number 94-0047 is a Block 50 Wild Weasel Plus specification jet accepted by the US Air Force on 27 November 1996. The jet was assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron (FS) Tigers of the 20th Fighter Wing (FW), Fifteenth Air Force based at Shaw Air Force Base (AFB) near the town of Sumter in South Carolina during April of 1997. During its time with the Tigers the jet wore a special commemorative 79th Anniversary tail color scheme (1918-1997) applied during October of 1997. 047 also wore a special paint scheme for the 2001 Tiger Meet. The jet was assigned to the Tigers until April of 2006, when it was reassigned to the 77th FS Gamblers of the same 20th FW, Fifteenth Air Force, Air Combat Command, at Shaw AFB.

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image via us air force

Becoming a Gambler

Not long after being assigned to the Gamblers, the jet experienced an exhaust fire during departure from Shaw AFB which resulted in the drop tanks being jettisoned (over surrounding uncontrolled land) prior to the jet’s return to Shaw and successful recovery. 047 was then repaired and subsequently returned to duty. For the next several years 047 flew with the Gamblers as a Fighting Falcon Demonstration Team mount. On 8 May 2020 the jet emerged from the paint shop wearing its unique (and very cool) Viper paint job. Air Force Major Garret “Toro” Schmitz is both commander of the F-16C Viper Demo Team and the pilot of the Viper.

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image via us air force

WATCH- The Tomcat Bows Out During the New Millennium

Bill Walton
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WATCH- The Tomcat Bows Out During the New Millennium

These “Fighter Fling” Videos Were the Last and Best Looks at F-14s in the Fleet

“Fighter Fling” videos were created to highlight the squadrons operating the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. These five videos were created for each of the last few years the Tomcat was operated by the Navy. From 2001 through through 2006, one fighter (VF) squadron after another was re-equipped with either the Boeing F/A-18E or the F/A-18F Super Hornet and redesignated as a fighter-attack (VFA) squadron. Quite a few of them were disestablished entirely. You’ll see references to how the Tomcat crews and maintainers felt about the switch from the revered if aging Tomcat to the Super Bug. The videos were uploaded to YouTube by Triple Nickel.

2000 Fighter Fling- a New Millennium

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2001 Fighter Fling- Payback

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2002 Fighter Fling- Combat

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2003 Fighter Fling- And Then There Were Fewer

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2004 Fighter Fling- the Last Ride

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The Jetson ONE- A High-Tech Personal eVTOL for the Masses

Bill Walton
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The Jetson ONE- A High-Tech Personal eVTOL for the Masses

There Are Plenty of Similar Vehicles in Development But Jetson is Ahead of the Pack

The aptly-named company Jetson was co-founded by Peter Thernstrom and Tomasz Patan in 2017. The two Swedes created a prototype eVTOL vehicle during the Spring of 2018. Three years later, the company has just introduced the Jetson ONE, billed by the company as, “a commercially available personal electric aerial vehicle that anyone can own and fly. Our mission is to make flight available to everyone. We intend to make everyone a pilot.” Here’s a video of the Jetson ONE in action uploaded to YouTube by Jetson.

[youtube id=”FzhREYOK0oo” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

Technology Included

According to Jetson, the eVTOL craft features a race car-inspired “Spaceframe” safety cell design. The craft can safely fly even after the loss of any one of its eight motors. Hands free hover and emergency functions are built into the triple redundant flight computer/control system. A rapid-deployment emergency ballistic parachute is standard, as is Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor-driven terrain tracking and obstacle avoidance.

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Image via jetson

Marketing Spiel

According to Tomasz Pazan from Jetson, “The Jetson ONE is built around a rigid aluminum spaceframe with eight powerful electric motors.  It utilizes composite carbon fiber and cutting-edge 3D printed components, making it an extremely lightweight design.  It is also equipped with many safety features including a redundant propulsion system and a ballistic parachute.  It is a dream to fly.” Here’s another video of Jetson ONE testing uploaded to YouTube by Jetson.

[youtube id=”5lvOxweVAiY” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

Just How Small Is It Anyway?

The aluminum-framed Jetson ONE weighs in at 190 pounds. Maximum pilot weight is 210 pounds. When ready for flight the craft measures 9.3 feet in length by 7.8 feet in width by 3.4 feet tall. When folded up for storage the ONE measures less than 3 feet in width. The high-discharge lithium-ion batteries can put out a maximum of 88KW to the ONE’s eight brushless outrunner motors. All that electrical activity yields a flight time of about 20 minutes (assuming a pilot weight of 187 pounds). For you speed junkies the top level-flight speed of the ONE is software-limited to 63 miles per hour. Flight controls consist of a starboard side-mounted three-axis joystick and a port side-mounted throttle lever.

Jetson ONE front
image via jetson

Delayed Gratification

If you’re already sold on a Jetson ONE you’ll need to invest $92,000 US. For that sum you’ll receive a partially-assembled kit you can finish building at home or in your hangar. Jetson says everything you’ll need, from the aluminum frame to the motors, propellers, and control system, along with detailed assembly instructions, is included. A $22,000 US deposit will get you in the queue for a ONE, but the earliest you’ll receive your kit will be sometime in 2023. All twelve of the 2022 model ONEs are already spoken for- they’ll be showing up in the United States, Mexico, Germany, Spain, and elsewhere. There are (as of now) chassis reservations open for 2023. Callsign ELROY!

Jetson ONE rear view
image via jetson

Blue Angels, A-10 Warthog to Headline North Georgia Airshow

Charles Atkeison
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Blue Angels, A-10 Warthog to Headline North Georgia Airshow

ROME, Ga. — The southeast’s largest air show of autumn will host the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force A-10C Warthog next weekend during the Wings Over North Georgia air show.

Top civilian aerobatics and military aircraft are scheduled to perform October 30-31 from Russell Regional Airport. Tickets for this drive-in formatted air show remain available for each day.

Pre-show activities will begin about 10 a.m. each day. A Dobbins Air Reserve Base C-130H and the Georgia State Patrol SWAT helicopter unit will kick-off the excitement.

“Each year, we have incorporated improvements and enhancements to continue to offer one of the top air show experiences,” JLC AirShow Management President John Cowman said. “Our ninth annual air show promises to be our best yet.”

Blue Angels’ Super Hornets to Dominate Weekend Excitement

Celebrating their 75th anniversary season, the Blue Angels are scheduled to arrive next Thursday to prepare for the two-day show. The team’s new C-130J Super Hercules Fat Albert will also arrive loaded with equipment and personnel.

“This is a gigantic year with the brand new Super Hornets and the C-130J,” Blue Angels executive officer CDR Todd Royles told AvGeekery.com. “What a major milestone, 75 years of this historic and a national treasure of an organization.”

LCDR Cary Rickoff is the Blue Angels opposing solo, piloting the number six jet. Rickoff is a native of Atlanta and is excited to return to his hometown to showcase his flying.

“I do my best to oppose the lead solo pilot, he makes sure the timing looks good and I’ll make sure the sets and the crosses happen nicely,” LCDR Rickoff explained to AvGeekery.com. “At the vey end we’ll join up with delta (formation) and assemble the six plane formation.”

Brrrt! Warthog to Thunder Over Rome Airport

Capt. Haden “Gator” Fullam is both the commander and pilot of the A-10C Thunderbolt II Demo Team. A native of nearby Rising Fawn, Fullam is a career A-10C pilot who joined the Air Force to honor his two grandfathers.

Both had served as combat pilots during the Vietnam War. This year, the A-10C Demo aircraft was painted to honor Vietnam soldiers held as POWs or who never made it home.

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U.S. Air Force Capt. Haden “Gator” Fullam takes off to begin a recent practice flight. (USAF)

“The opportunity to fly an aircraft with a Vietnam War-era paint scheme is one I never thought I would have,” Capt. Fullam said. “Every time I fly that aircraft it will have a special meaning to me.”

Championship aerobatic pilots will include Scott Farnsworth, Michael Goulian, Mike Wiskus, and Greg Koontz. Historic warbirds scheduled to appear include B-25 Mitchel bomber, P-51D Mustand, and more.

Voted USA Today’s No. 7 fan favorite airshow this year, Wings Over North Georgia is designed as a drive-in air show. The success of last year’s drive-in show allows guests to tailgate near the flight line.

“A general airfield parking ticket will receive a 10-by-20-foot spot for a vehicle with an adjacent 10-by-20-foot space for enjoying the air show in a tail-gate fashion,” Wings Over North Georgia spokesperson Brenda Little said. “The premium ticket covers the cost of admission for the carload of guests.”

Air show officials add that the number of people per carload is based on the number of manufacturer-installed seatbelts. Tickets for the Drive-In Air Show are advance purchase only and will not be sold at the gates.

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

Profiles in Aviation: Nathan Gordon Rescued 15 Men Against All Odds

Bill Walton
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Profiles in Aviation: Nathan Gordon Rescued 15 Men Against All Odds

PBY Pilot Gordon and His Crew Snatched Downed Bomber Crews From Under Japanese Noses

Nathan Green Gordon was born in Morrilton in Arkansas on 4 September 1916. His education began in public schools until his junior year in high school, after which he attended Columbia Military Academy in Columbia, Tennessee for his final two years of high school. After graduating as class Salutatorian in 1933, Gordon attended Arkansas Polytechnic College in Russellville, Arkansas. While in college Gordon enlisted in the Arkansas Army National Guard. After graduating from Arkansas Poly, Gordon went to the University of Arkansas Law School. He graduated in 1939 with a Juris Doctor Law degree in 1939.

PBY 5 Catalina taking off in 1943b
PBY catalina image via national naval aviation museum (nnam)

Learning to Fly the PBY

Gordon actually practiced law for a couple of years before enlisting in the Navy in May of 1941. Gordon went to Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville to learn to fly. He was there when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Gordon then went to NAS Norfolk where he completed his training and was assigned to Patrol Squadron THREE FOUR (VP-34) Black Cats flying Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats. VP-34 was soon sent to the Caribbean to hunt Kriegsmarine U-Boats. Gordon and VP-34 never saw any U-Boats while flying surface search missions from such places as NAS Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, Kingston in Jamaica, and Trujillo in Honduras.

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black cat pbys image via nnam

Heading West to War

On 7 June 1943, VP-34 was reassigned to NAS North Island in San Diego, where the squadron was re-equipped with PBY-5 model Catalinas wearing all-black camouflage. The squadron then proceeded west to Hawaii. Gordon spent six weeks based on Midway flying anti-shipping and antisubmarine patrols before moving to Funafuti Atoll in August of 1943. Gordon flew a reconnaissance mission over Tarawa the day before the start of Operation Galvanic- the invasion of Tarawa and the Gilbert Islands. VP-34 then moved to a seaplane base near Perth in Western Australia until December of 1943, when the globetrotting Black Cats made their way to Samarai Island near Milne Bay, at the extreme eastern tip of New Guinea, in January of 1944.

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black cat pbys image via nnam

Arkansas Traveler and Her Crew

LTJG Gordon was the aircraft commander of VP-34 PBY-5 Catalina Bureau Number (BuNo) 08139 tail number 71. The aircraft was named Arkansas Traveler. Gordon’s crew consisted of First Pilot Ensign John “Jack” A. Kelly, Second Pilot Ensign Walter L. Patrick, Third Pilot Ensign Leurelle R. Fulmer, Jr., First Radioman ARM1c Aleck G. Alexander, Second Radioman ARM3c Robert Murch, Plane Captain and First Mechanic AMM1c Wiley R. Routon, Jr., Second Mechanic Joseph “Joe” P. Germeau, Third Mechanic AMM3c John Brately, and Ordnanceman/Gunner AOM2c Paul J. Wodnick.

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PBY on beaching gear fueling up. image via nnam

Tough Crews Attacking a Tough Target

Assigned to air alert/rescue duty (Dumbo) with the code name Gardenia Six, Arkansas Traveler departed Samarai on 15 February 1944 bound for a rendezvous near the Vitu Islands with four white-tailed Republic P-47D Thunderbolts from Neel Kearby’s 348th Fighter Group (FG) out of Finschafen to provide escort for the lumbering and vulnerable Catalina. Kavieng is a port city located at the far western tip of New Ireland. Firth Air Force mission 46D-1 called for four squadrons of Douglas A-20 Havoc strafers from the 3rd Bombardment Group (BG) Grim Reapers to attack shipping targets in the harbor. Seven squadrons of North American B-25 Mitchell strafers from the 38th BG Sun Setters and 345th BG Air Apaches were to attack the facilities supporting the harbor at Kavieng.

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black cat pby image via national archives

The Guts to Try

Heavily-defended Kavieng lived up to its reputation that day. The first rescue call came in at about 1100 local time after A-20G Havoc SN 42-86616 assigned to the 13th Bomb Squadron (BS) of the 3rd BG crewed by pilot 1st LT William T. Pearson and gunner MSgt Donald N. Gamage, was shot down and crashed about 35 miles southwest of Kavieng. Gordon and his crew could not tell from the air whether or not the crew of the A-20G was alive so they power-stalled the flying boat on the rough seas between the fifteen-foot high swells. A search of the debris did not yield any survivors and Arkansas Traveler took off again. The crew reported that the open-water landing had sprung rivets and split seams in the bottom of the hull. The crew broke pencils off in the worst of the popped rivet holes and broke out the buckets. After taking off again the PBY-5 waited for more business. It didn’t take long.

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A-20G strafers. image via national archives

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WATCH: Strategic Air Command Goes Hollywood

Bill Walton
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WATCH: Strategic Air Command Goes Hollywood

The Film “Tall Man Five Five” Was a Tour de Force for SAC and the B-58

Produced for Convair and General Electric by Herschensohn Productions of Hollywood, with aerial photography by Convair and narration by none other than Chet Huntley, the film Tall Man Five Five was produced during the early 1960s to promote Convair’s B-58 Hustler supersonic bomber. The B-58 did come with a built-in calling card- the mysterious and always attention-grabbing sonic boom. The film does its level best to allay any concerns among its audience about the booms. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.

[youtube id=”qjLaUYxdGuc” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

Operation Heat Rise

On 5 March 1962 a pair of B-58s from the 65th Bombardment Squadron of the 43rd Bombardment Wing based at Carswell Air Force Base (AFB) in Fort Worth, TX, took off and departed the area westbound. After the B-58s were off the west coast they were refueled by Boeing KC-135A Stratoankers. Then the lead aircraft, 59-2458, Cowtown Hustler, callsign Tall Man Five Five, flew from Los Angeles to New York in a new world-record time of 2 hours and 56.8 seconds. According to the Air Force the flight generated more than 10,000 damage claims (mostly for broken windows) due to sonic booms caused by the two Hustlers during their historic round trip from LA to the Big Apple and back.

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B-58 refueling from a KC-135. image via national archives

DFCs for the Crew of Cowtown Hustler

Average speed of the B-58 was 1,214.17 miles per hour. The second B-58, Tall Man Five Six, was a minute behind Tall Man Five Five. During their return flight they broke the records for flight from New York to Los Angeles and the record for a round trip between the two cities as well. The crew, USAF Captains Robert G. Sowers (pilot) Robert MacDonald (navigator) and 1st Lieutenant John T. Walton (defensive systems operator) received Distinguished Flying Crosses along with the Bendix and Mackay Trophies for their feats. The B-58 they flew, B-58A-10-CF AF SN 59-2458, Cowtown Hustler, is now enshrined at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, OH.

Operation Heat Rise crew Sowers MacDonald and Walton with another B 58A 10 CF 59 2447
The record-breaking crew of cowtown hustler. image via US Air FOrce

Supporting Cast

The film features the Convair B-58 Hustler along with the Boeing B-52F Stratofortresses and the Convair SM-65 Atlas Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The sharp-eyed among us may notice a passing appearance by a Convair TF-102A Delta Dagger along with a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and a Douglas C-133 Cargomaster swallowing an SM-65.

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B-52 flightline image via national archives

Hustler’s Lament

The B-58 largely replaced the Boeing B-47 Stratojet as a strategic bomber, but the B-58 itself didn’t last very long in the role either. When the Soviets demonstrated their newest surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) could take out high and fast-flying bombers like the Hustler the jet became a low-level penetration bomber instead- a role for which the B-58 was neither suited nor designed. Eventually the B-58 was itself replaced in the low-level penetration bomber role by the General Dynamics FB-111A.

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B-58 image via NMUSAF

WATCH: Vietnam-Era Footage Captured Viggies in Action

Bill Walton
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WATCH: Vietnam-Era Footage Captured Viggies in Action

Go Aboard the Ranger with RVAH-6 and Watch RA-5C Vigilantes Do Their Thing

Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron SIX (RVAH-6) Fleurs was embarked aboard the Forrestal-class aircraft carrier Ranger (CVA-61) in May of 1968 when a Navy film crew captured some excellent footage of their RA-5C Vigilantes operating from the Ranger. The footage is silent, but it provides some of the best visuals of Viggies flying from carrier decks. The video was uploaded to YouTube by Periscope Film. Enjoy!

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The Rest of the Cast

During CVW-2’s 1967-1968 WestPac deployment (4 November 1967 – 25 May 1968) aboard the Ranger, the Air Wing consisted of VF-154 Black Knights and VF-21 Freelancers flying the McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II, VA-22 Fighting Redcocks flying the Douglas A-4C Skyhawk, VA-165 Boomers flying the Grumman A-6A Intruder, VA-147 Argonauts flying the Ling Temco Vought A-7A Corsair II, RVAH-6 Fleurs flying the North American RA-5C Vigilante, VAW-115 Liberty Bells flying the Grumman E-2A Hawkeye, Detachment 61 of VAH-2 Royal Rampants flying the Douglas KA-3B Skywarrior, Detachment 61 of VAW-13 Zappers flying the EKA-3B variant of the Skywarrior, Detachment 61 of VAP-61 World Recorders flying the RA-3B Skywarrior, and Detachment 61 of HC-1 Pacific Fleet Angels flying the Kaman UH-2A and UH-2C Seasprite.

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CVW-2 aboard the ranger image via nnam

Born for Doomsday

RVAH-6 dates back to 6 January 1950 when VC-6 was established at Naval Air Station (NAS) Moffett in California as the Navy’s second nuclear attack squadron. At the time VC-6 was flying the Lockheed P2V Neptune. VC-6 then operated the North American AJ Savage before moving south to NAS North Island and being redesignated Heavy Attack Squadron SIX (VAH-6) in 1956. A couple of years later VAH-6 moved up to NAS Whidbey Island in Washington. VAH-6 began flying the Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior in 1958 and deployed several times aboard the Ranger and the Forrestal (CVA-59). The A3D-2s VAH-6 was flying became A-3Bs in September of 1962 thanks to the Tri-Service Aircraft Designation System.

A3D Skywarriors on the flight line at NAS Sanford c1960
Whales on the ramp at NAS Sanford image via national archives

Moving Across Country and Going Supersonic

VAH-6 moved across the country to NAS Sanford in Florida in 1965. Later that year the Fleurs traded in their aging Whales for spanking new North American RA-5C Vigilantes and picked up the RVAH-6 designation. RVAH-6 deployed to the West Pac and Vietnam twice aboard the USS Constellation (CVA-64). The deployment aboard Ranger was the squadron’s third trip to Yankee Station. After their deployment aboard the Ranger RVAH-6 returned to Yankee Station three times- once each aboard the carriers USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), and finally aboard USS America (CVA-66).

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RVAH-6 RA-5Cs image via NNAM

After Vietnam…

After the Vietnam War, RVAH-6 deployed a single time aboard the carriers Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, and USS Nimitz (CVN-68). When it came time to replace the Viggie aboard carriers the Vought RF-8G Crusader picked up where the RA-5Cs left off- at least until they were in turn replaced by the Grumman F-14A Tomcat/Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) combination aboard aircraft carriers. After the conclusion of their last deployment in July 1978, after 28 years of active service, RVAH-6 was inactivated at NAS Key West on 20 October 1978.

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RVAH-6 RA-5C vigilante on display at the nnam. image via author

BREAKING: Rolls-Royce F130 Engines Will Power Up the B-52H Fleet

Bill Walton
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BREAKING: Rolls-Royce F130 Engines Will Power Up the B-52H Fleet

The Program Will Provide New Engines and Other Updates to Keep BUFF Flying Through the 2050s

According to the US Air Force, “The Department of the Air Force has awarded a $2,604,329,361 contract to Rolls-Royce Corporation, Indianapolis, Indiana, for B-52H Stratofortress military derivative commercial engines. The competitive single award contract provides for 608 military derivative commercial engines, plus spare engines, associated support equipment and commercial engineering data, to include sustainment activities, to be used on the B-52H bomber fleet.”

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Image via Rolls-Royce

“The Rolls-Royce F130 engine will replace the TF33-PW-103, which has powered the B-52 since the 1960s, and is projected to no longer be supportable beyond 2030. The B-52 original equipment manufacturer, Boeing, is responsible for integrating the engines onto the aircraft. The Air Force plans to finalize integration activities and deliver the first lot of B-52H modified aircraft by the end of 2028.”

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image via rolls-royce

“The B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) is a complex upgrade that not only updates the aircraft with new engines, but updates the flight deck area, struts and nacelles,” said Brig. Gen. John Newberry, Air Force bombers program executive officer. Our current virtual digital prototyping efforts are giving us an opportunity to integrate the engines and other changes to the B-52 before doing any physical modifications. This has allowed us to develop the most cost-efficient solution while reducing the time from concept to production.”

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image via US Air force

“The new engines on the B-52s are expected to remain on the B-52H through at least 2050, increase fuel efficiency, increase range, reduce emissions in unburned hydrocarbons, and significantly reduce maintenance costs.”

“The B-52 CERP is the most important and comprehensive upgrade to the B-52 in over half a century,” said Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost, director of Strategic Plans, Programs and Requirements at Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. “The B-52 is the workhorse of the nation’s bomber force and this modification will allow the B-52 to continue its critical conventional and standoff mission into 2050’s.”

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image via us air force

The first two fully modified B-52s are projected to deliver by the end of 2025 and will undergo ground and flight testing. The first lot of operational B-52s with the new engines is projected to deliver by the end of 2028 with the entire fleet modified by 2035.

According to Rolls-Royce North America, “The F130 and its commercial family of engines have accumulated more than 27 million engine flight hours. The F130 is the perfect fit for the B-52 with proven reliability, superb life cycle cost, and low integration risk. A variant of the Rolls-Royce engine selected to power the iconic B-52 is already in service with the USAF around the world, powering both the C-37 (G550) and E-11 BACN (Battlefield Airborne Communications Node) aircraft.”

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A C-37A Gulfstream aircraft sits on the flightline at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., April 13, 2017. The aircraft assigned to the 310th Airlift Squadron, which provides worldwide air missions for high ranking government and military officials. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Mariette Adams)

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Seasprite: Kaman’s Little Utility Helicopter Made a Big Impact

Bill Walton
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Seasprite: Kaman’s Little Utility Helicopter Made a Big Impact

The SH-2 Seasprite Served In Peace and War with Distinction for Nearly 40 Years

The Kaman SH-2 Seasprite was designed in response to a 1956 US Navy requirement for a compact, all-weather flight capable, multipurpose naval helicopter. Kaman’s proposal, internally designated K-20, was a largely conventional helicopter design powered by a single General Electric T58-GE-8F turboshaft engine turning a 44-foot four-bladed main rotor and a three-bladed anti-torque tail rotor.

The Navy awarded a contract to Kaman for four prototypes designated YHU2K-1 and an initial batch of 12 production rotorcraft designated HU2K-1 in late 1957.

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HC-1 UH-2A Image via National Naval aviation museum (NNAM)

Working Out the Bugs

Although the first prototype took to the skies on 2 July 1959, it took several years for Kaman and the Navy to work the kinks out of the prototypes and the initial production machines. In fact, over the course of their lifetimes nearly every Seasprite was remanufactured at least once.

When in September of 1962 the Navy adopted the Tri-Service Aircraft Designation system the HU2K-1 became the UH-2A and the HU2K-1U became the UH-2B. But the nickname “Hooky Took” stuck with the Seasprite.

UH 2A of HC 1 takes off from USS Forrestal CVA 59 in 1967
HC-1 UH-2A image via NNAM

Small But Quite Capable

Diminutive in size compared to many of its contemporaries, the Seasprite was a shade over 38 feet long with blades folded. Its 44-foot main rotor diameter and 52 foot overall length allowed it to operate from even the smallest of helicopter flight decks aboard escort ships. Maximum takeoff weight was 12,500 pounds and range was 422 miles with maximum fuel load.

Movable flaps on the trailing edges of the main rotor blades were controlled by the pilot, which reduced the amount of hydraulic power required to control the blades. UH-2s were equipped with sliding doors on both sides of the fuselage and the ability to carry auxiliary fuel tanks. But that single turboshaft engine eventually became a liability.

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HC-4 UH-2A image via NNAM

More Power for the Hooky Took

Single-engine UH-2A Seasprites entered US Navy service with HU-2 Fleet Angels in December of 1962 and the type first went to sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Independence (CV-62) in June 1963. The UH‑2B went to sea aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Albany (CG-10) in August of 1963.

But the Navy quickly determined that the helo would be a far more capable machine if it were powered by a pair of engines.  Kaman remanufactured 40 single-engine UH-2As and UH-2Bs to the UH-2C specification beginning in August of 1967. The Charlies were powered by two T58-GE-8B turboshaft engines turning the same main and tail rotor system. HH-2Cs, HH-2Ds, and all subsequent Seasprites were equipped with a four-bladed anti-torque tail rotor.

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UH-2B image via nnam

Utility Infielder

The Seasprites largely replaced earlier generations of piston engined rotorcraft and were utilized for a variety of missions, including supply, communications, ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship transport, reconnaissance, supply, casualty evacuation, and plane guard duties, but the early Seasprites became perhaps best known for search and rescue (SAR) work.

Initially crewed by two, the UH-2s could stuff up to 11 passengers or four stretcher cases inside the cabin. The fuselage was watertight to facilitate landings in calm water and equipped with retractable main landing gear.

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HC-7 UH-2B image via nnam

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Blue Angels to Highlight MCAS Cherry Point Airshow

Charles Atkeison
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Blue Angels to Highlight MCAS Cherry Point Airshow

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — High speed maneuvers by the Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force F-22 Raptor will headline the MCAS Cherry Point air show this weekend.

The biannual air show will celebrate the Marine Corps Air Station’s 80th anniversary. The family fun event is free to the public.

The popular air show was forced to cancel in 2020 due to the rise of Covid. An open weekend in the Blue Angels schedule allowed show organizers in July to approve the weekend long event.

“The schedule of the Blue Angels opened up and we jumped on it,” Cherry Point Commanding Officer Col. Mikel Huber explained. “We are really excited to be able to put the air show together and host the public here aboard the air station.”

This year also marks the Blue Angels 75th anniversary season. A year which has seen the squadron perform high performance maneuvers aboard the new Super Hornet jets.

Their six pilots arrived in their blue and gold jets Thursday, crossing overcast skies and landing onto a wet runway. This weekend’s weather is forecast to be sunny and pleasant.

“I like the low-break cross,” Blue Angels left wing pilot Maj. Frank Zastoupil told AvGeekery. “That is a maneuver when the diamond comes from behind the crowd; we then break out in four separate directions, cross in front of the crowd and then comeback and meet at center point, and then do two max afterburner turns right in front.”

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F-22 Raptor pilot Maj. Josh Gunderson will provide the thrust over North Carolina this weekend. (USAF)

Col. Huber received news Tuesday that the F-22A Raptor demonstration team has been added to the performers line up. The Marine Air Ground Task Force, F-35B Lightning II, F/A-18 Hornet, and and AV-8B are also scheduled to fly.

Civilian aerobatic performers scheduled include Randy Ball piloting his MiG aircraft, Tom Larkin and Stephen Covington. The crowd favorite Wall of Fire will also take part during the Marine Air and Ground Task Force Demonstration.

Gates open each day at 8 a.m. and the flying will begin about 10:30 a.m. Parking and gate admission is free to the public.

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

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