SOUTH CHINA SEA (Oct. 9, 2019) A Sikorsky CH-53E "Super Stallion" with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 163 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), takes off of the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) during a vertical replenishment-at-sea. The Marines and Sailors of the 11th MEU are deployed to the 7th Fleet area of operations to support regional stability, reassure partners, and allies, and maintain a presence postured to respond to any crisis ranging from humanitarian assistance to contingency operations.

  

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sikorsky CH-53E "Super Stallion" is a heavy-lift helicopter operated by the United States military. As the Sikorsky S-80 it was developed from the CH-53 "Sea Stallion", mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor and canting the tail rotor 20 degrees. It was built by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Marine Corps. The less common MH-53E "Sea Dragon" fills the United States Navy's need for long range minesweeping or Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) missions, and perform heavy-lift duties for the Navy. Under development is the Sikorsky CH-53K "King Stallion", which has new engines, new composite material rotor blades, and a wider aircraft cabin; this is to replace the CH-53E.

  

Background

 

The CH-53 was the product of the U.S. Marines' "Heavy Helicopter Experimental" (HH(X)) competition begun in 1962. Sikorsky's S-65 was selected over Boeing Vertol's modified CH-47 "Chinook" version. The prototype YCH-53A first flew on 14 October 1964. The helicopter was designated CH-53A "Sea Stallion" and delivery of production helicopters began in 1966. The first CH-53As were powered by two General Electric T64-GE-6 turboshaft engines with 2,850 shp (2,125 kW) and had a maximum gross weight of 46,000 lb (20,865 kg) including 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) in payload.

 

Variants of the original CH-53A "Sea Stallion" include the RH-53A/D, HH-53B/C, CH-53D, CH-53G, and MH-53H/J/M. The RH-53A and RH-53D were used by the US Navy for mine sweeping. The CH-53D included a more powerful version of the General Electric T64 engine, used in all H-53 variants, and external fuel tanks. The CH-53G was a version of the CH-53D produced in West Germany for the German Army.

 

The US Air Force's HH-53B/C "Super Jolly Green Giant" were for special operations and combat rescue and were first deployed during the Vietnam War. The Air Force's MH-53H/J/M "Pave Low" helicopters were the last of the twin engined H-53s and were equipped with extensive avionics upgrades for all weather operation.

  

H-53E

 

In October 1967, the US Marine Corps issued a requirement for a helicopter with a lifting capacity 1.8 times that of the CH-53D that would fit on amphibious warfare ships. The US Navy and US Army were also seeking similar helicopters at the time. Before issue of the requirement Sikorsky had been working on an enhancement to the CH-53D, under the company designation "S-80", featuring a third turboshaft engine and a more powerful rotor system. Sikorsky proposed the S-80 design to the Marines in 1968. The Marines liked the idea since it promised to deliver a good solution quickly, and funded development of a testbed helicopter for evaluation.

 

In 1970, against pressure by the US Defense Secretary to take the Boeing Vertol XCH-62 being developed for the Army, the Navy and Marines were able to show the Army's helicopter was too large to operate on landing ships and were allowed to pursue their helicopter. Prototype testing investigated the addition of a third engine and a larger rotor system with a seventh blade in the early 1970s. In 1974, the initial YCH-53E first flew.

 

Changes on the CH-53E also include a stronger transmission and a fuselage stretched 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m). The main rotor blades were changed to a titanium-fiberglass composite. The tail configuration was also changed. The low-mounted symmetrical horizontal tail was replaced by a larger vertical tail and the tail rotor tilted from the vertical to provide some lift in hover while counteracting the main rotor torque. Also added was a new automatic flight control system. The digital flight control system prevented the pilot from overstressing the aircraft.

 

YCH-53E testing showed that it could lift 17.8 tons (to a 50-foot (15 m) wheel height), and without an external load, could reach 170 knots (310 km/h) at a 56,000 pound gross weight. This led to two preproduction aircraft and a static test article being ordered. At this time the tail was redesigned to include a high-mounted, horizontal surface opposite the rotor with an inboard section perpendicular to the tail rotor then at the strut connection cants 20 degrees to horizontal.

 

The initial production contract was awarded in 1978, and service introduction followed in February 1981. The first production CH-53E flew in December 1980. The US Navy acquired the CH-53E in small numbers for shipboard resupply. The Marines and Navy acquired a total of 177.

 

The Navy requested a version of the CH-53E for the airborne mine countermeasures role, designated "MH-53E "Sea Dragon". It has enlarged sponsons to provide substantially greater fuel storage and endurance. It also retained the in-flight refueling probe, and could be fitted with up to seven 300 US gallon (1,136 liter) ferry tanks internally. The MH-53E digital flight-control system includes features specifically designed to help tow minesweeping gear. The prototype MH-53E made its first flight on 23 December 1981. MH-53E was used by the Navy beginning in 1986. The MH-53E is capable of in-flight refueling and can be refueled at hover.

 

Additionally, a number of MH-53E helicopters were exported to Japan as the S-80-M-1 for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

 

The base model CH-53E serves both the US Navy and Marines in the heavy lift transport role. It is capable of lifting heavy equipment including the eight-wheeled LAV-25 Light Armored Vehicle, the M198 155 mm Howitzer with ammunition and crew. The Super Stallion can recover aircraft up to its size, which includes all Marine Corps aircraft except for the KC-130.

 

The 53E needs 40 maintenance hours per flight hour due to aging parts, lack of available new replacement parts and the extension of the overall airframe lifetime.

 

CH-53K

Main article: Sikorsky CH-53K "King Stallion"

The US Marine Corps had been planning to upgrade most of their CH-53Es to keep them in service, but this plan stalled. Sikorsky then proposed a new version, originally the CH-53X, and in April 2006, the USMC signed a contract for 156 aircraft as the CH-53K. The Marines are planning to start retiring CH-53Es in 2009 and need new helicopters very quickly.

 

In August 2007, the USMC increased its order of CH-53Ks to 227. First flight was planned for November 2011 with initial operating capability by 2015.

  

Although dimensionally similar, the three engine CH-53E "Super Stallion" or Sikorsky S-80 is a much more powerful aircraft than the original Sikorsky S-65 twin engined CH-53A "Sea Stallion". The CH-53E also added a larger main rotor system with a seventh blade.

  

Design

 

The CH-53E as designed to transport up to 55 troops or 30,000 lb (13,610 kg) of cargo and can carry external slung loads up to 36,000 lb (16,330 kg). The CH-53E has incorporated the same crash attenuating seats as the MV-22B to increase survivability of passengers but at a cost of reducing its original troop transport capacity.[citation needed] The "Super Stallion" has a cruise speed of 173 mph (278 km/h) and a range of 621 miles (1,000 km). The helicopter is fitted with a forward extendable in-flight refueling probe and it can also hoist hose refuel from a surface ship while in hover mode. It can carry three machine guns: one at the starboard side crew door; one at the port window, just behind the copilot; and one at the tail ramp. The CH-53E also has chaff-flare dispensers.

 

The MH-53E features enlarged side mounted fuel sponsons and is rigged for towing various minesweeping and hunting gear from above the dangerous naval mines. The "Sea Dragon" can be equipped for minesweeping, cargo and passenger transportation, and troop insertion. Its digital flight-control system includes features specifically designed to help towing mine sweeping gear.

 

Upgrades to the CH-53E have included the Helicopter Night Vision System (HNVS), improved .50 BMG (12.7 mm) GAU-21/A and M3P machine guns, and AAQ-29A forward looking infrared (FLIR) imager.

 

The CH-53E and the MH-53E are the largest helicopters in the Western world, while the CH-53K now being developed will be even larger. They are fourth in the world to the Russian Mil Mi-26 "Halo" single-rotor helicopter and the enormous, twin transverse rotored Mil V-12 "Homer", which can lift more than 22 tons (20 tonnes) and 44 tons (40 tonnes), respectively and the Mi-26's single-rotor predecessor Mil Mi-6, which has less payload (12 tonnes) but is bigger and has a higher MTOW at 42 tonnes.

The F-106 was the ultimate development of the USAF's 1954 interceptor program of the early 1950s. It was the sixth iteration of the famous 1950s-era “Century” series of jet fighters. The initial winner of the competition had been the F-102 Delta Dagger, but earlier versions of this aircraft had demonstrated extremely poor performance, being limited to flying at subsonic speeds and relatively low altitudes. During the testing phase, the F-102 underwent numerous changes to improve its performance, notably the application of the area rule to the fuselage shaping, an engine change, and the dropping of the advanced MX-1179 fire control system and its replacement with a slightly upgraded version of the MX-1 already in use on subsonic designs. The resulting aircraft became the F-102A, and despite being considered barely suitable for its mission, the Air Force sent out a production contract in March of 1954, under which the first deliveries were expected during the following year.

 

By December 1951, the Air Force had already turned its attention to a further improved version, which was initially referred to as the F-102B. The main planned change was the replacement of the F-102A's Pratt & Whitney J57 (which had itself replaced the original J40) with the more powerful Bristol Olympus, which was produced under license as the Wright J67. By the time this engine would be available, the MX-1179 was expected to be available, and thus, it was also selected. The result would be the "ultimate interceptor" that the USAF had wanted originally. However, while initial work on the Olympus appeared to be going well, by August of 1953, Wright was already a full year behind schedule in development. Continued development did not resolve problems with the engine, and in early 1955, the Air Force approved the switch over to the Pratt & Whitney J75.

 

The J75 was bigger than the J57 in the F-102A and had a greater mass flow. This demanded changes to the inlets to allow more airflow, and this led to the further refinement of using a variable-geometry inlet duct to allow the intakes to be tuned to the best performance across a wide range of supersonic speeds. This change also led to the vents being somewhat shorter. The fuselage grew slightly longer and was cleaned up and simplified in many ways. The wing was partially enlarged in area, and a redesigned vertical tail surface was used. The engine's two-position afterburner exhaust nozzle was also used for idle thrust control. The nozzle was held open, reducing idle thrust by 40%, giving slower taxiing speeds and less brake wear.

 

Throughout the early development of the F-102B, it had to compete for attention and resources with the F-102As; the aviation author Marcelle Knaack observed that there were less funds to develop the more capable systems of the F-102B, which would have been useful in more quickly overcoming some of the technical difficulties that would be encountered. The number of F-102As on order grew substantially beyond that which had been originally forecast, indicative of the growing importance attached to what had once been intended to be an interim or 'stop-gap' aircraft to fill in until the F-102Bs could be delivered. In December of 1955, a mock-up with the expected layout of the MX-1179, now known as the MA-1, was inspected and approved.

 

On April 18th, 1956, in a clear sign of growing confidence that the aircraft was improving, an extended production contract for 17 F-102Bs was issued to Convair; however, this order was for substantially fewer aircraft than had been anticipated initially at this stage. On June 17th of that year, the plane was officially re-designated as the F-106A. On August 18th, 1956, the USAF issued a systems development directive that called for both the development and the production of the F-106s to occur simultaneously; Knaack attributed this policy to being responsible for several later problems in the program. In April of 1957, the USAF formally rejected Convair's F-102C proposal (essentially a re-engined model of the F-102) to concentrate on the more advanced F-106 program, which it had anticipated to enter service during the following year.

 

On December 26th, 1956, the prototype F-106, an aerodynamic test bed, performed its maiden flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California. On February 26th, 1957, the second prototype, which was outfitted with a fuller set of equipment, made its first flight. Early flight testing around the end of 1956 and the beginning of 1957 demonstrated somewhat disappointing results, having achieved less of a performance gain over the F-102 than had been anticipated. Specifically, both the acceleration and maximum speed were below Convair's estimates. Furthermore, both the engines and avionics proved to be somewhat unreliable. These combined problems and the delays associated with them were nearly responsible for the termination of the program.

 

However, the service decided to persist with the F-106 program after the Air Defense Command had heavily advocated for it. Based upon the test data submitted, USAF officials had determined that modifications to the inlet duct cowling and charging ejectors were likely to increase both acceleration and speed; modifications would be made following the completion of Category II testing and were evaluated during Category III testing. At this stage, the service enacted several measures to hasten development towards production; in April of 1957, it authorized the conditional acceptance of several F-106s being used by Convair for flight testing; it also took several quick decisions to settle outstanding development questions. By mid-1957, funding for 120 F-106As had been allocated. The USAF ultimately opted to order 350 F-106s, which was substantially less than the planned 1,000 fleet of aircraft. Deliveries of the single-seat F-106A and the twin-seat F-106B combat-capable trainer variant commenced to 15 fighter interceptor squadrons in October of 1959.

 

On December 15th, 1959, an F-106 flown by Major Joseph W. Rogers made history when his plane set a new world speed record for fighter jets, reaching an incredible speed of 1,525.96 mph (2,455 kph) at 40,500 ft (12,300m). The F-106 was envisaged as a specialized all-weather missile-armed interceptor to shoot down bombers. It was complemented by other Century Series fighters for different roles, such as daylight air superiority or fighter-bombing. To support its part, the F-106 was equipped with the Hughes MA-1 integrated fire-control system, which could be linked to the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) network for Ground Control Interception (GCI) missions, allowing the aircraft to be steered by controllers. The MA-1 system proved to be highly troublesome and was eventually upgraded more than 60 times while in service.

 

Like the F-102s, the F-106 was designed without a gun or provision for carrying bombs, but it carried its missiles in an internal weapons bay for clean supersonic flight. It was armed with four Hughes AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missiles (either AIM-4F/G infra-red guided missiles or semi-active radar homing (SARH)-guided (which detected reflected radar signals) AIM-4E missiles, along with a single 1.5 kiloton-warhead AIR-2 (MB-2) Genie unguided air-to-air rocket intended to be fired into enemy bomber formations. Like its predecessor, the F-102 Delta Dagger, it could carry a drop tank under each wing. Later, jet fighters such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the F-15 Eagle took missiles recessed externally in the fuselage. However, stealth aircraft would re-adopt the idea of carrying missiles or bombs internally for a reduced radar signature.

 

The first ejection seat fitted to early F-106s was a variation of the seat used by the F-102 and was called the Weber interim seat. It was a catapult seat that used an explosive charge to propel it clear of the aircraft. This seat was not a zero-zero seat and was inadequate for ejections at supersonic speeds as well as ground-level ejections and ejections at rates below 120 knots (140 mph; 220 kph) and 2,000 ft (610 m). The second seat that replaced the Weber interim seat was the Convair/ICESC (Industry Crew Escape System Committee) Supersonic Rotational B-seat, called the supersonic "bobsled," hence the B designation. It was designed with supersonic ejection as the primary criterion since the F-106 was capable of Mach 2 performance. Fighter pilots viewed high-speed ejections as the most important. Seat designers considered an ejection at low altitude and slow speed the most likely possibility. The ejection sequence with the B-seat was quite complicated, and some unsuccessful ejections resulted in pilot fatalities. The third seat, which replaced the Convair B-seat, was the Weber Zero-Zero ROCAT (Rocket Catapult) seat. Weber Aircraft Corporation designed a "zero-zero" seat to operate at up to 600 knots (690 mph; 1,100 kph). High-altitude supersonic ejections were rare, and ejections at relatively low altitudes and speeds were more likely. The Weber "zero-zero" seat was satisfactory and was retrofitted to the F-106 after 1965.

 

Early operations of the F-106 were troubled by numerous technical issues; these included generator defects, fuel-flow issues (particularly during cold weather), and combustor-starter malfunctions. In December of 1959, all F-106s were temporarily grounded following the accidental jettisoning of the canopy mid-flight on one aircraft. Many of, but not all, of these problems were resolved by the start of 1961; this can be partially attributed to two significant modification and retrofit programs conducted during this timeframe. Following the resolution of initial teething problems—in particular, an ejection seat that killed the first 12 pilots to eject from the aircraft—its exceptional performance led to the aircraft becoming relatively popular amongst its pilots.

 

The F-106 served in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Iceland, as well as for brief periods in both Germany and South Korea. The F-106 was the second-highest sequentially numbered P/F- aircraft to enter service under the old number sequence (the F-111 was highest) before the system was reset under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system. In service, the F-106's official name, "Delta Dart," was rarely used, and the aircraft was universally known simply as "The Six" as it was the sixth and last member in Convair’s Century series of jet fighters. The arrival of the F-106 in quantity quickly led to the withdrawal of various older aircraft that were being used in the interceptor role at that time, such as the North American F-86 Sabres and the Northrop F-89 Scorpions.

 

Although contemplated for use in the Vietnam War, the F-106 never saw combat, nor was it exported to any foreign users. However, after the cancellation of their own Avro Arrow, the Canadian government briefly considered purchasing the F-106C/D. To standardize aircraft types, the USAF was directed to conduct Operation Highspeed, a fly-off competition between the USAF F-106A and the U.S. Navy F4H-1 (F-4B) Phantom, which was not only as capable as the F-106 as a missile-armed interceptor but could carry as large a bomb load as the Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber. The Phantom was the winner but would first be used to escort and later replace the F-105 fighter bomber in the late 1960s before replacing older interceptors in the Air Defense Command in the 1970s.

 

The F-106 was progressively updated in service, with improved avionics, a modified wing featuring a noticeable conical camber, an infrared search and track system, streamlined supersonic wing tanks that provided virtually no degradation to overall aircraft performance, better instrumentation, and features like an inflight refueling receptacle and an arrestor hook for landing emergencies.

 

Air-to-air combat testing suggested "The Six" was a reasonable match for the F-4 Phantom II in a dogfight, with superior high-altitude turn performance and overall maneuverability (aided by the aircraft's lower wing loading). Indeed, the Phantom had better radar—it was operated by an additional crew member—and could carry a load of up to four radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow and four infrared AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, while the AIM-4 Falcon missiles carried by the F-106 proved to be a disappointment for dogfighting over Vietnam. The F-4s had a higher thrust/weight ratio with superior climb, better high-speed/low-altitude maneuverability, and could be used as a fighter-bomber. Air combat experience over Vietnam showed the need for increased pilot visibility and the utility of a built-in gun, which had been added to the "E" variant of USAF Phantoms.

 

In 1972, some F-106As were upgraded in Project Six Shooter, which involved fitting the F-106 with a new canopy without metal bracing, significantly improving pilot visibility. Also added was an optical gunsight and provision for a M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon. The M61 Vulcan had 650 rounds of ammunition in the center weapons bay, replacing the AIM-26 Super Falcon or Genie. The F-15A Eagle started replacing the F-106 in 1981, with "The Sixes" being passed on to Air National Guard units. The F-106 remained in service in various USAF and ANG units until they were fully retired from service in August of 1988.

 

Between June 1st, 1983, and August 1st, 1988, the Delta Darts were incrementally retired and sent to the Military Storage and Disposition Center in Arizona. When the need for a high-performance Full-Scaled Aerial Target Drone was required, the USAF began withdrawing Delta Darts from storage. Starting in 1986, 194 of the surviving surplus aircraft were converted into target drones, and these were designated QF-106As and used for target practice vehicles under the Pacer Six Program by the Aerial Targets Squadron. The last one was destroyed in January of 1998. The drones were still capable of being flown as manned aircraft, such as for ferrying to a test; during the trial, they were flown unmanned. The QF-106 replaced the QF-100 Super Sabre drone; the last shootdown of a QF-106 (BuNo 57-2524) took place at Holloman AFB on February 20th, 1997, after which the QF-106 was superseded by the QF-4S and QF-4E Phantom II drone.

 

Six aircraft were retained by NASA for testing purposes through 1998. An F-106B two-seat trainer was operated by NASA Langley Research Center between 1979-1991. This Delta Dart was used in research programs ranging from testing supersonic engines to improving the maneuverability of fighters. Between 1980 and 1986, the aircraft was modified for lightning strike research and became known as the “Lightning Strike Plane” and was struck 714 times without significant damage. While on an hour-long flight at 38,000 ft (12,000 m) in 1984, lightning struck the research aircraft up to 72 times. One effective modification was the replacement of the composite nose radome with a metallic radome. Although the maximum speed of the F-106 was Mach 2.3, during the lightning experiments, it was flown at subsonic speeds into clouds at 300 knots (350 mph; 560 kph) from 5,000 to 40,000 ft (1,500 to 12,200 m). The aircraft was equipped with optical sensors, which consisted of a video camera and a light detector. Data acquisition was performed with 1980s state-of-the-art digital waveform recorders.

 

NASA used six drones in its Eclipse Project, which ran from 1997–1998. The Dryden Flight Research Center supported project Eclipse, which sought to demonstrate the feasibility of a reusable Aerotow-launch vehicle. The objective was to tow, inflight, a modified QF-106 aircraft with a C-141A as a transport aircraft. This test demonstrated the possibility of towing and launching a space launch vehicle from behind a tow plane.

 

On February 2nd, 1970, an F-106 of the 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, piloted by Captain Gary Foust, entered a flat spin over Montana. Foust followed procedures and ejected from the aircraft safely. The resulting change of balance caused the plane to stabilize and later land "wheels up" in a snow-covered field, suffering only minor damage. The aircraft, appropriately nicknamed "The Cornfield Bomber," was then sent back to base via rail, repaired, and returned to service, and is now on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton.

 

This F-106B, BuNo 57-2513, was only the 33rd F-106 ever produced, and spent almost all of its career as a testbed, flying with the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California after delivery in 1958, then assigned directly to USAF Logistics Command from then until 1982, usually flying from Kelly AFB, Texas. It was assigned to the 325th Fighter Weapons Wing at Tyndall AFB, Florida until 1986, when it returned to California; it was assigned to the B-1B development program at Palmdale to act as a chase plane. (Yanks' sources also claim that 57-2513 briefly served with the 120th Fighter-Interceptor Group (Montana ANG) at Great Falls AFB, but the F-106.net page doesn’t confirm this.)

 

57-2513 flew with the B-1 chase program until 1990, when it returned to Tyndall and was assigned to 475th Weapons Evaluation Group, and was finally retired in 1993–one of the last (if not the last) non-drone F-106s to leave service. It would be acquired by the Yanks Air Museum in 2004 and restored to its markings when it was with the B-1 program.

Arriving into Dublin Airport from Stockholm Arlanda 25th May 2016, is the flying testbed owned and operated by Honeywell International.

Boeing 757 Line number 5, was delivered as N504EA to Eastern Airlines, the launch customer for the successful single aisle narrow body on 28th February 1983. She then became G-JALC with Airtours International in the United Kingdom on 1st february 1995 and Airtours successor Mytravel Airways until 2005 when Honeywell international purchased her.

General Electric's engine testbed parked outside their Victorville hangar, though it seems to have all four of its original engines installed at the moment.

KLFI (Joint Base Langley-Eustis) - 18 SEP 2018

 

Honeywell Aerospace's 1983 Boeing 757 Connected Aircraft parked on the ramp in front of the NASA Langley Research Center hangar at Langley AFB (Joint Base Langley-Eusis). It arrived here the previous day from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where it is based.

 

This Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4 powered Boeing 757 was the fifth 757-200 to roll off the assembly line at Renton.

 

This airplane was delivered to Eastern Airlines on 28 FEB 1983, which it served for nearly 8 years as N504EA before Eastern Airlines ceased operations on 19 JAN 1991.

 

The aircraft was in storage for just over 4 years before being put into service for Airtours International Airways on 06 MAR 1995 as G-JALC.

 

On 01 MAY 2002, the aircraft was transferred to MyTravel Airways as G-JALC.

 

The aircraft was acquired by Honeywell Aerospace on 04 OCT 2005 as N757HW to be used as a testbed aircraft for Honeywell's business aircraft engines, in addition to testing new avionics and airborne weather radar. It's latest mission has turned it into the Connected Aircraft, which can transmit, receive, analyze, and share data which equates to reduced operating costs. The idea is to have the airplane self-monitor and report things that need to be done. For example with an airborne maintenance issue. The airplane will tell the company what needs to be done or fixed before the next flight so that maintenance can be waiting at the gate at the end of the current flight and mitigate or eliminate a future flight delay, which costs the industry 25 billion annually.

 

By enabling advanced troubleshooting, Honeywell estimates that the costs to diagnose an issue can be reduced by up to 25%. An example of this technology is Honeywellâs smart brakes installed on N757HW.

 

Airplane brake wear is measured by pilots and mechanics on walkarounds by looking at brake wear indicators, located in various parts of the brake disc. If the indicator is positive and not flushed with the index, the brake is not worn and is safe for flight.

 

If the indicator is flush with the surface or below it, the brakes must be replaced. Honeywell has designed software to measure and transmit the brake condition to maintenance control to actively monitor and preempt the necessity for brake changes, saving potentially thousands on delayed flight costs.

 

The Connected Aircraft is also a passenger oriented concept. Honeywell, in partnership with Boeing and Inmarsat via GX Aviation, has pioneered a faster airborne WiFi experience for end users.

 

The JetWave modem, not the antenna, has two receivers. The dual receivers allow the JetWave hardware to talk to two beams on the satellite at the same time and allows for seamless switching between beams. Thatâs where the consistent experience comes in.

 

GX Aviation has consistent global coverage regardless of being over water or land. The dual receivers allow users to stay connected while in one beam, while the second receiver acquires the new spot beam as an aircraft moves from one beam to another. GX users use one beam at a time.

 

Perhaps the most important passenger experience enhancement is the ability to live stream and FaceTime with little or no interruption. Using two receivers to have the best-blended WiFi signal ensures constant coverage, even over water, where historically WiFi has had issues.

 

Further, Honeywell now offers an integrated flight planning software â GoDirectFlight Services, that can enable flight dispatchers to better plan flights at scheduled air carriers.

 

Hex Code: AA34CE

Configuration: Testbed

Engines: 2x Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4

A testbed using the frame of a VIA LRC (VIA 6908) at CAD.

N805X operated by Northrup Grumman Systems Corp Bombardier CRJ700-701ER Flying testbed, seen landing at Baltimore MD 16th Dec 2021

"#harrymorrowphoto1

flickr.com/harrymorrowphotography

harrymorrowphotography.com

globalairpower.net"

C-130 Hercules military transport plane heading east over my house and turning south to approach the Davis-Monthan AFB runway from the southeast to the northwest.

______________________________

Lockheed C-130 Hercules

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_C-130_Hercules

 

C-130 Hercules

Straight-wing, four-engine turboprop-driven aircraft overflying water

USAF C-130E

Role: Military transport aircraft

National origin: United States

ManufacturerLockheed

Lockheed Martin

First flight23 August 1954

Status: In service

Primary users:

United States Air Force

United States Marine Corps

Royal Air Force

Royal Canadian Air Force

Produced: 1954–present

Number built: Over 2,500 as of 2015[1]

Unit cost

C-130E $11.9 million[2]

C-130H $30.1 million[3]

Variants:

AC-130 Spectre/Spooky

Lockheed DC-130

Lockheed EC-130

Lockheed HC-130

Lockheed Martin KC-130

Lockheed LC-130

Lockheed MC-130

Lockheed WC-130

Lockheed L-100 Hercules

Developed into: Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules

 

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin.

 

Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medivac, and cargo transport aircraft. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship (AC-130),for

airborne assault,

search and rescue,

scientific research support,

weather reconnaissance,

aerial refueling,

maritime patrol, and

aerial firefighting.

 

It is now the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. Over forty models and variants of the Hercules, including a civilian one marketed as Lockheed L-100, operate in more than sixty nations.

 

The C-130 entered service with the U.S. in the 1950s, followed by Australia and others. During its years of service, the Hercules family has participated in numerous military, civilian and humanitarian aid operations. In 2007, the C-130 became the fifth aircraft—after the English Electric Canberra, B-52 Stratofortress, Tu-95, and KC-135 Stratotanker—to mark 50 years of continuous service with its original primary customer, in this case, the United States Air Force. The C-130 Hercules is the longest continuously produced military aircraft at over 60 years, with the updated C-130J Super Hercules being produced today.[4]

 

Contents [hide]

1Design and development

1.1Background and requirements

1.2Design phase

1.3Improved versions

1.4More improvements

1.5Later models

1.6Next generation

1.7Upgrades and changes

1.8Replacement

2Operational history

2.1Military

2.2Civilian

3Variants

4Operators

5Accidents

6Aircraft on display

6.1Australia

6.2Canada

6.3Colombia

6.4Indonesia

6.5Norway

6.6Saudi Arabia

6.7United Kingdom

6.8United States

7Specifications (C-130H)

8See also

9References

10External links

Design and development[edit]

 

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Background and requirements[edit]

 

The Korean War, which began in June 1950, showed that World War II-era piston-engine transports—Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars, Douglas C-47 Skytrains and Curtiss C-46 Commandos—were inadequate for modern warfare. Thus, on 2 February 1951, the United States Air Force issued a General Operating Requirement (GOR) for a new transport to Boeing, Douglas, Fairchild, Lockheed, Martin, Chase Aircraft, North American, Northrop, and Airlifts Inc. The new transport would have a capacity of 92 passengers, 72 combat troops or 64 paratroopers in a cargo compartment that was approximately 41 feet (12 m) long, 9 feet (2.7 m) high, and 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. Unlike transports derived from passenger airliners, it was to be designed from the ground-up as a combat transport with loading from a hinged loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage.

 

A key feature was the introduction of the Allison T56 turboprop powerplant, first developed specifically for the C-130. At the time, the turboprop was a new application of turbine engines that used exhaust gases to turn a propeller, which offered greater range at propeller-driven speeds compared to pure turbojets, which were faster but consumed more fuel. As was the case on helicopters of that era, such as the UH-1 Huey, turboshafts produced much more power for their weight than piston engines. Lockheed would subsequently use the same engines and technology in the Lockheed L-188 Electra. That aircraft failed financially in its civilian configuration but was successfully adapted into the Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol and submarine attack aircraft where the efficiency and endurance of turboprops excelled.

 

Design phase[edit]

The Hercules resembled a larger four-engine brother to the C-123 Provider with a similar wing and cargo ramp layout that evolved from the Chase XCG-20 Avitruc, which in turn, was first designed and flown as a cargo glider in 1947.[5] The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter also had a rear ramp, which made it possible to drive vehicles onto the plane (also possible with forward ramp on a C-124). The ramp on the Hercules was also used to airdrop cargo, which included low-altitude extraction for Sheridan tanks and even dropping large improvised "daisy cutter" bombs.

 

The new Lockheed cargo plane design possessed a range of 1,100 nmi (1,270 mi; 2,040 km), takeoff capability from short and unprepared strips, and the ability to fly with one engine shut down. Fairchild, North American, Martin, and Northrop declined to participate. The remaining five companies tendered a total of ten designs: Lockheed two, Boeing one, Chase three, Douglas three, and Airlifts Inc. one. The contest was a close affair between the lighter of the two Lockheed (preliminary project designation L-206) proposals and a four-turboprop Douglas design.

 

The Lockheed design team was led by Willis Hawkins, starting with a 130-page proposal for the Lockheed L-206.[6] Hall Hibbard, Lockheed vice president and chief engineer, saw the proposal and directed it to Kelly Johnson, who did not care for the low-speed, unarmed aircraft, and remarked, "If you sign that letter, you will destroy the Lockheed Company."[6] Both Hibbard and Johnson signed the proposal and the company won the contract for the now-designated Model 82 on 2 July 1951.[7]

 

The first flight of the YC-130 prototype was made on 23 August 1954 from the Lockheed plant in Burbank, California. The aircraft, serial number 53-3397, was the second prototype, but the first of the two to fly. The YC-130 was piloted by Stanley Beltz and Roy Wimmer on its 61-minute flight to Edwards Air Force Base; Jack Real and Dick Stanton served as flight engineers. Kelly Johnson flew chase in a Lockheed P2V Neptune.[8]

 

After the two prototypes were completed, production began in Marietta, Georgia, where over 2,300 C-130s have been built through 2009.[9]

 

The initial production model, the C-130A, was powered by Allison T56-A-9 turboprops with three-blade propellers and originally equipped with the blunt nose of the prototypes. Deliveries began in December 1956, continuing until the introduction of the C-130B model in 1959. Some A-models were equipped with skis and re-designated C-130D.

 

As the C-130A became operational with Tactical Air Command (TAC), the C-130's lack of range became apparent and additional fuel capacity was added in the form of external pylon-mounted tanks at the end of the wings.

 

Improved versions[edit]

 

A Michigan Air National Guard C-130E dispatches its flares during a low-level training mission

The C-130B model was developed to complement the A-models that had previously been delivered, and incorporated new features, particularly increased fuel capacity in the form of auxiliary tanks built into the center wing section and an AC electrical system. Four-bladed Hamilton Standard propellers replaced the Aeroproducts three-blade propellers that distinguished the earlier A-models. The C-130B had ailerons with increased boost—3,000 psi (21 MPa) versus 2,050 psi (14 MPa)—as well as uprated engines and four-blade propellers that were standard until the J-model's introduction.

 

An electronic reconnaissance variant of the C-130B was designated C-130B-II. A total of 13 aircraft were converted. The C-130B-II was distinguished by its false external wing fuel tanks, which were disguised signals intelligence (SIGINT) receiver antennas. These pods were slightly larger than the standard wing tanks found on other C-130Bs. Most aircraft featured a swept blade antenna on the upper fuselage, as well as extra wire antennas between the vertical fin and upper fuselage not found on other C-130s. Radio call numbers on the tail of these aircraft were regularly changed so as to confuse observers and disguise their true mission.

 

The extended-range C-130E model entered service in 1962 after it was developed as an interim long-range transport for the Military Air Transport Service. Essentially a B-model, the new designation was the result of the installation of 1,360 US gal (5,150 L) Sargent Fletcher external fuel tanks under each wing's midsection and more powerful Allison T56-A-7A turboprops. The hydraulic boost pressure to the ailerons was reduced back to 2050 psi as a consequence of the external tanks' weight in the middle of the wingspan. The E model also featured structural improvements, avionics upgrades and a higher gross weight. Australia took delivery of 12 C130E Hercules during 1966–67 to supplement the 12 C-130A models already in service with the RAAF. Sweden and Spain fly the TP-84T version of the C-130E fitted for aerial refueling capability.

 

The KC-130 tankers, originally C-130F procured for the US Marine Corps (USMC) in 1958 (under the designation GV-1) are equipped with a removable 3,600 US gal (13,626 L) stainless steel fuel tank carried inside the cargo compartment. The two wing-mounted hose and drogue aerial refueling pods each transfer up to 300 US gal per minute (19 L per second) to two aircraft simultaneously, allowing for rapid cycle times of multiple-receiver aircraft formations, (a typical tanker formation of four aircraft in less than 30 minutes). The US Navy's C-130G has increased structural strength allowing higher gross weight operation.

 

More improvements[edit]

 

Royal Australian Air Force C-130H, 2007

The C-130H model has updated Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, a redesigned outer wing, updated avionics and other minor improvements. Later H models had a new, fatigue-life-improved, center wing that was retrofitted to many earlier H-models. For structural reasons, some models are required to land with certain amounts of fuel when carrying heavy cargo, reducing usable range.[10] The H model remains in widespread use with the United States Air Force (USAF) and many foreign air forces. Initial deliveries began in 1964 (to the RNZAF), remaining in production until 1996. An improved C-130H was introduced in 1974, with Australia purchasing 12 of type in 1978 to replace the original 12 C-130A models, which had first entered RAAF Service in 1958.

 

The United States Coast Guard employs the HC-130H for long-range search and rescue, drug interdiction, illegal migrant patrols, homeland security, and logistics.

 

C-130H models produced from 1992 to 1996 were designated as C-130H3 by the USAF. The "3" denoting the third variation in design for the H series. Improvements included ring laser gyros for the INUs, GPS receivers, a partial glass cockpit (ADI and HSI instruments), a more capable APN-241 color radar, night vision device compatible instrument lighting, and an integrated radar and missile warning system. The electrical system upgrade included Generator Control Units (GCU) and Bus Switching units (BSU)to provide stable power to the more sensitive upgraded components.[citation needed]

  

Royal Air Force C-130K (C.3)

The equivalent model for export to the UK is the C-130K, known by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as the Hercules C.1. The C-130H-30 (Hercules C.3 in RAF service) is a stretched version of the original Hercules, achieved by inserting a 100 in (2.54 m) plug aft of the cockpit and an 80 in (2.03 m) plug at the rear of the fuselage. A single C-130K was purchased by the Met Office for use by its Meteorological Research Flight, where it was classified as the Hercules W.2. This aircraft was heavily modified (with its most prominent feature being the long red and white striped atmospheric probe on the nose and the move of the weather radar into a pod above the forward fuselage). This aircraft, named Snoopy, was withdrawn in 2001 and was then modified by Marshall of Cambridge Aerospace as flight-testbed for the A400M turbine engine, the TP400. The C-130K is used by the RAF Falcons for parachute drops. Three C-130K (Hercules C Mk.1P) were upgraded and sold to the Austrian Air Force in 2002.[11]

 

Later models[edit]

The MC-130E Combat Talon was developed for the USAF during the Vietnam War to support special operations missions in Southeast Asia, and led to both the MC-130H Combat Talon II as well as a family of other special missions aircraft. 37 of the earliest models currently operating with the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) are scheduled to be replaced by new-production MC-130J versions. The EC-130 Commando Solo is another special missions variant within AFSOC, albeit operated solely by an AFSOC-gained wing in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, and is a psychological operations/information operations (PSYOP/IO) platform equipped as an aerial radio station and television stations able to transmit messaging over commercial frequencies. Other versions of the EC-130, most notably the EC-130H Compass Call, are also special variants, but are assigned to the Air Combat Command (ACC). The AC-130 gunship was first developed during the Vietnam War to provide close air support and other ground-attack duties.

  

USAF HC-130P refuels a HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter

The HC-130 is a family of long-range search and rescue variants used by the USAF and the U.S. Coast Guard. Equipped for deep deployment of Pararescuemen (PJs), survival equipment, and (in the case of USAF versions) aerial refueling of combat rescue helicopters, HC-130s are usually the on-scene command aircraft for combat SAR missions (USAF only) and non-combat SAR (USAF and USCG). Early USAF versions were also equipped with the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system, designed to pull a person off the ground using a wire strung from a helium balloon. The John Wayne movie The Green Berets features its use. The Fulton system was later removed when aerial refueling of helicopters proved safer and more versatile. The movie The Perfect Storm depicts a real life SAR mission involving aerial refueling of a New York Air National Guard HH-60G by a New York Air National Guard HC-130P.

 

The C-130R and C-130T are U.S. Navy and USMC models, both equipped with underwing external fuel tanks. The USN C-130T is similar, but has additional avionics improvements. In both models, aircraft are equipped with Allison T56-A-16 engines. The USMC versions are designated KC-130R or KC-130T when equipped with underwing refueling pods and pylons and are fully night vision system compatible.

 

The RC-130 is a reconnaissance version. A single example is used by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, the aircraft having originally been sold to the former Imperial Iranian Air Force.

 

The Lockheed L-100 (L-382) is a civilian variant, equivalent to a C-130E model without military equipment. The L-100 also has two stretched versions.

 

Next generation[edit]

Main article: Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules

In the 1970s, Lockheed proposed a C-130 variant with turbofan engines rather than turboprops, but the U.S. Air Force preferred the takeoff performance of the existing aircraft. In the 1980s, the C-130 was intended to be replaced by the Advanced Medium STOL Transport project. The project was canceled and the C-130 has remained in production.

 

Building on lessons learned, Lockheed Martin modified a commercial variant of the C-130 into a High Technology Test Bed (HTTB). This test aircraft set numerous short takeoff and landing performance records and significantly expanded the database for future derivatives of the C-130.[12] Modifications made to the HTTB included extended chord ailerons, a long chord rudder, fast-acting double-slotted trailing edge flaps, a high-camber wing leading edge extension, a larger dorsal fin and dorsal fins, the addition of three spoiler panels to each wing upper surface, a long-stroke main and nose landing gear system, and changes to the flight controls and a change from direct mechanical linkages assisted by hydraulic boost, to fully powered controls, in which the mechanical linkages from the flight station controls operated only the hydraulic control valves of the appropriate boost unit.[13] The HTTB first flew on 19 June 1984, with civil registration of N130X. After demonstrating many new technologies, some of which were applied to the C-130J, the HTTB was lost in a fatal accident on 3 February 1993, at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, in Marietta, Georgia.[14] The crash was attributed to disengagement of the rudder fly-by-wire flight control system, resulting in a total loss of rudder control capability while conducting ground minimum control speed tests (Vmcg). The disengagement was a result of the inadequate design of the rudder's integrated actuator package by its manufacturer; the operator's insufficient system safety review failed to consider the consequences of the inadequate design to all operating regimes. A factor which contributed to the accident was the flight crew's lack of engineering flight test training.[15]

 

In the 1990s, the improved C-130J Super Hercules was developed by Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin). This model is the newest version and the only model in production. Externally similar to the classic Hercules in general appearance, the J model has new turboprop engines, six-bladed propellers, digital avionics, and other new systems.[16]

 

Upgrades and changes[edit]

In 2000, Boeing was awarded a US$1.4 billion contract to develop an Avionics Modernization Program kit for the C-130. The program was beset with delays and cost overruns until project restructuring in 2007.[17] On 2 September 2009, Bloomberg news reported that the planned Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) upgrade to the older C-130s would be dropped to provide more funds for the F-35, CV-22 and airborne tanker replacement programs.[18] However, in June 2010, Department of Defense approved funding for the initial production of the AMP upgrade kits.[19][20] Under the terms of this agreement, the USAF has cleared Boeing to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) for the C-130 AMP. A total of 198 aircraft are expected to feature the AMP upgrade. The current cost per aircraft is US$14 million although Boeing expects that this price will drop to US$7 million for the 69th aircraft.[17]

 

An engine enhancement program saving fuel and providing lower temperatures in the T56 engine has been approved, and the US Air Force expects to save $2 billion and extend the fleet life.[21]

 

Replacement[edit]

In October 2010, the Air Force released a capabilities request for information (CRFI) for the development of a new airlifter to replace the C-130. The new aircraft is to carry a 190 percent greater payload and assume the mission of mounted vertical maneuver (MVM). The greater payload and mission would enable it to carry medium-weight armored vehicles and drop them off at locations without long runways. Various options are being considered, including new or upgraded fixed-wing designs, rotorcraft, tiltrotors, or even an airship. Development could start in 2014, and become operational by 2024. The C-130 fleet of around 450 planes would be replaced by only 250 aircraft.[22] The Air Force had attempted to replace the C-130 in the 1970s through the Advanced Medium STOL Transport project, which resulted in the C-17 Globemaster III that instead replaced the C-141 Starlifter.[23] The Air Force Research Laboratory funded Lockheed and Boeing demonstrators for the Speed Agile concept, which had the goal of making a STOL aircraft that can take off and land at speeds as low as 70 kn (130 km/h; 81 mph) on airfields less than 2,000 ft (610 m) long and cruise at Mach 0.8-plus. Boeing's design used upper-surface blowing from embedded engines on the inboard wing and blown flaps for circulation control on the outboard wing. Lockheed's design also used blown flaps outboard, but inboard used patented reversing ejector nozzles. Boeing's design completed over 2,000 hours of windtunnel tests in late 2009. It was a 5 percent-scale model of a narrowbody design with a 55,000 lb (25,000 kg) payload. When the AFRL increased the payload requirement to 65,000 lb (29,000 kg), they tested a 5% scale model of a widebody design with a 303,000 lb (137,000 kg) take-off gross weight and an "A400M-size" 158 in (4.0 m) wide cargo box. It would be powered by four IAE V2533 turbofans.[24] In August 2011, the AFRL released pictures of the Lockheed Speed Agile concept demonstrator. A 23% scale model went through wind tunnel tests to demonstrate its hybrid powered lift, which combines a low drag airframe with simple mechanical assembly to reduce weight and better aerodynamics. The model had four engines, including two Williams FJ44 turbofans.[23][25] On 26 March 2013, Boeing was granted a patent for its swept-wing powered lift aircraft.[26]

 

As of January 2014, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Materiel Command and the Air Force Research Lab are in the early stages of defining requirements for the C-X next generation airlifter program to replace both the C-130 and C-17. An aircraft would be produced from the early 2030s to the 2040s. If requirements are decided for operating in contested airspace, Air Force procurement of C-130s would end by the end of the decade to not have them serviceable by the 2030s and operated when they can't perform in that environment. Development of the airlifter depends heavily on the Army's "tactical and operational maneuver" plans. Two different cargo planes could still be created to separately perform tactical and strategic missions, but which course to pursue is to be decided before C-17s need to be retired.[27]

 

Operational history[edit]

 

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Military[edit]

 

USMC KC-130F Hercules performing takeoffs and landings aboard the aircraft carrier Forrestal in 1963. The aircraft is now displayed at the National Museum of Naval Aviation.

The first production aircraft, C-130As were first delivered beginning in 1956 to the 463d Troop Carrier Wing at Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma and the 314th Troop Carrier Wing at Sewart AFB, Tennessee. Six additional squadrons were assigned to the 322d Air Division in Europe and the 315th Air Division in the Far East. Additional aircraft were modified for electronics intelligence work and assigned to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany while modified RC-130As were assigned to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) photo-mapping division.

 

In 1958, a U.S. reconnaissance C-130A-II of the 7406th Support Squadron was shot down over Armenia by MiG-17s.[28]

 

Australia became the first non-American force to operate the C-130A Hercules with 12 examples being delivered from late 1958. These aircraft were fitted with AeroProducts three-blade, 15-foot diameter propellers. The Royal Canadian Air Force became another early user with the delivery of four B-models (Canadian designation C-130 Mk I) in October / November 1960.[29]

 

In 1963, a Hercules achieved and still holds the record for the largest and heaviest aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier.[30] During October and November that year, a USMC KC-130F (BuNo 149798), loaned to the U.S. Naval Air Test Center, made 29 touch-and-go landings, 21 unarrested full-stop landings and 21 unassisted take-offs on Forrestal at a number of different weights.[31] The pilot, LT (later RADM) James H. Flatley III, USN, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his role in this test series. The tests were highly successful, but the idea was considered too risky for routine "Carrier Onboard Delivery" (COD) operations. Instead, the Grumman C-2 Greyhound was developed as a dedicated COD aircraft. The Hercules used in the test, most recently in service with Marine Aerial Refueler Squadron 352 (VMGR-352) until 2005, is now part of the collection of the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

 

In 1964, C-130 crews from the 6315th Operations Group at Naha Air Base, Okinawa commenced forward air control (FAC; "Flare") missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos supporting USAF strike aircraft. In April 1965 the mission was expanded to North Vietnam where C-130 crews led formations of B-57 bombers on night reconnaissance/strike missions against communist supply routes leading to South Vietnam. In early 1966 Project Blind Bat/Lamplighter was established at Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. After the move to Ubon the mission became a four-engine FAC mission with the C-130 crew searching for targets then calling in strike aircraft. Another little-known C-130 mission flown by Naha-based crews was Operation Commando Scarf, which involved the delivery of chemicals onto sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos that were designed to produce mud and landslides in hopes of making the truck routes impassable.[citation needed]

 

In November 1964, on the other side of the globe, C-130Es from the 464th Troop Carrier Wing but loaned to 322d Air Division in France, flew one of the most dramatic missions in history in the former Belgian Congo. After communist Simba rebels took white residents of the city of Stanleyville hostage, the U.S. and Belgium developed a joint rescue mission that used the C-130s to airlift and then drop and air-land a force of Belgian paratroopers to rescue the hostages. Two missions were flown, one over Stanleyville and another over Paulis during Thanksgiving weeks.[32] The headline-making mission resulted in the first award of the prestigious MacKay Trophy to C-130 crews.

 

In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, as a desperate measure the transport No. 6 Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force modified its entire small fleet of C-130Bs for use as heavy bombers, capable of carrying up to 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) of bombs on pallets. These improvised bombers were used to hit Indian targets such as bridges, heavy artillery positions, tank formations and troop concentrations.[33][34] Some C-130s even flew with anti-aircraft guns fitted on their ramp, apparently shooting down some 17 aircraft and damaging 16 others.[35]

  

The C-130 Hercules were used in the Battle of Kham Duc in 1968, when the North Vietnamese Army forced U.S.-led forces to abandon the Kham Duc Special Forces Camp.

In October 1968, a C-130Bs from the 463rd Tactical Airlift Wing dropped a pair of M-121 10,000 pound bombs that had been developed for the massive B-36 bomber but had never been used. The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force resurrected the huge weapons as a means of clearing landing zones for helicopters and in early 1969 the 463rd commenced Commando Vault missions. Although the stated purpose of COMMANDO VAULT was to clear LZs, they were also used on enemy base camps and other targets.[citation needed]

 

During the late 1960s, the U.S. was eager to get information on Chinese nuclear capabilities. After the failure of the Black Cat Squadron to plant operating sensor pods near the Lop Nur Nuclear Weapons Test Base using a Lockheed U-2, the CIA developed a plan, named Heavy Tea, to deploy two battery-powered sensor pallets near the base. To deploy the pallets, a Black Bat Squadron crew was trained in the U.S. to fly the C-130 Hercules. The crew of 12, led by Col Sun Pei Zhen, took off from Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base in an unmarked U.S. Air Force C-130E on 17 May 1969. Flying for six and a half hours at low altitude in the dark, they arrived over the target and the sensor pallets were dropped by parachute near Anxi in Gansu province. After another six and a half hours of low altitude flight, they arrived back at Takhli. The sensors worked and uploaded data to a U.S. intelligence satellite for six months, before their batteries wore out. The Chinese conducted two nuclear tests, on 22 September 1969 and 29 September 1969, during the operating life of the sensor pallets. Another mission to the area was planned as Operation Golden Whip, but was called off in 1970.[36] It is most likely that the aircraft used on this mission was either C-130E serial number 64-0506 or 64-0507 (cn 382-3990 and 382-3991). These two aircraft were delivered to Air America in 1964.[37] After being returned to the U.S. Air Force sometime between 1966 and 1970, they were assigned the serial numbers of C-130s that had been destroyed in accidents. 64-0506 is now flying as 62-1843, a C-130E that crashed in Vietnam on 20 December 1965 and 64-0507 is now flying as 63-7785, a C-130E that had crashed in Vietnam on 17 June 1966.[38]

 

The A-model continued in service through the Vietnam War, where the aircraft assigned to the four squadrons at Naha AB, Okinawa and one at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan performed yeoman's service, including operating highly classified special operations missions such as the BLIND BAT FAC/Flare mission and FACT SHEET leaflet mission over Laos and North Vietnam. The A-model was also provided to the South Vietnamese Air Force as part of the Vietnamization program at the end of the war, and equipped three squadrons based at Tan Son Nhut AFB. The last operator in the world is the Honduran Air Force, which is still flying one of five A model Hercules (FAH 558, c/n 3042) as of October 2009.[39] As the Vietnam War wound down, the 463rd Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Wing B-models and A-models of the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing were transferred back to the United States where most were assigned to Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units.

  

U.S. Marines disembark from C-130 transports at the Da Nang Airbase on 8 March 1965

Another prominent role for the B model was with the United States Marine Corps, where Hercules initially designated as GV-1s replaced C-119s. After Air Force C-130Ds proved the type's usefulness in Antarctica, the U.S. Navy purchased a number of B-models equipped with skis that were designated as LC-130s. C-130B-II electronic reconnaissance aircraft were operated under the SUN VALLEY program name primarily from Yokota Air Base, Japan. All reverted to standard C-130B cargo aircraft after their replacement in the reconnaissance role by other aircraft.

 

The C-130 was also used in the 1976 Entebbe raid in which Israeli commando forces carried a surprise assault to rescue 103 passengers of an airliner hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists at Entebbe Airport, Uganda. The rescue force — 200 soldiers, jeeps, and a black Mercedes-Benz (intended to resemble Ugandan Dictator Idi Amin's vehicle of state) — was flown over 2,200 nmi (4,074 km; 2,532 mi) almost entirely at an altitude of less than 100 ft (30 m) from Israel to Entebbe by four Israeli Air Force (IAF) Hercules aircraft without mid-air refueling (on the way back, the planes refueled in Nairobi, Kenya).

 

During the Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas) of 1982, Argentine Air Force C-130s undertook highly dangerous, daily re-supply night flights as blockade runners to the Argentine garrison on the Falkland Islands. They also performed daylight maritime survey flights. One was lost during the war. Argentina also operated two KC-130 tankers during the war, and these refueled both the Douglas A-4 Skyhawks and Navy Dassault-Breguet Super Étendards; some C-130s were modified to operate as bombers with bomb-racks under their wings. The British also used RAF C-130s to support their logistical operations.

  

USMC C-130T Fat Albert performing a rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO)

During the Gulf War of 1991 (Operation Desert Storm), the C-130 Hercules was used operationally by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, along with the air forces of Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the UK. The MC-130 Combat Talon variant also made the first attacks using the largest conventional bombs in the world, the BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" and GBU-43/B "Massive Ordnance Air Blast" bomb, (MOAB). Daisy Cutters were used to clear landing zones and to eliminate mine fields. The weight and size of the weapons make it impossible or impractical to load them on conventional bombers. The GBU-43/B MOAB is a successor to the BLU-82 and can perform the same function, as well as perform strike functions against hardened targets in a low air threat environment.

 

Since 1992, two successive C-130 aircraft named Fat Albert have served as the support aircraft for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team. Fat Albert I was a TC-130G (151891),[40] while Fat Albert II is a C-130T (164763).[41] Although Fat Albert supports a Navy squadron, it is operated by the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and its crew consists solely of USMC personnel. At some air shows featuring the team, Fat Albert takes part, performing flyovers. Until 2009, it also demonstrated its rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO) capabilities; these ended due to dwindling supplies of rockets.[42]

 

The AC-130 also holds the record for the longest sustained flight by a C-130. From 22 to 24 October 1997, two AC-130U gunships flew 36 hours nonstop from Hurlburt Field Florida to Taegu (Daegu), South Korea while being refueled seven times by KC-135 tanker aircraft. This record flight shattered the previous record longest flight by over 10 hours while the two gunships took on 410,000 lb (190,000 kg) of fuel. The gunship has been used in every major U.S. combat operation since Vietnam, except for Operation El Dorado Canyon, the 1986 attack on Libya.[43]

  

C-130 Hercules performs a tactical landing on a dirt strip

During the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the ongoing support of the International Security Assistance Force (Operation Enduring Freedom), the C-130 Hercules has been used operationally by Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the United States.

 

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom), the C-130 Hercules was used operationally by Australia, the UK and the United States. After the initial invasion, C-130 operators as part of the Multinational force in Iraq used their C-130s to support their forces in Iraq.

 

Since 2004, the Pakistan Air Force has employed C-130s in the War in North-West Pakistan. Some variants had forward looking infrared (FLIR Systems Star Safire III EO/IR) sensor balls, to enable close tracking of Islamist militants.[44]

 

Civilian[edit]

 

A C-130E fitted with a MAFFS-1 dropping fire retardant

The U.S. Forest Service developed the Modular Airborne FireFighting System for the C-130 in the 1970s, which allows regular aircraft to be temporarily converted to an airtanker for fighting wildfires.[45] In the late 1980s, 22 retired USAF C-130As were removed from storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and transferred to the U.S. Forest Service who then sold them to six private companies to be converted into air tankers (see U.S. Forest Service airtanker scandal). After one of these aircraft crashed due to wing separation in flight as a result of fatigue stress cracking, the entire fleet of C-130A air tankers was permanently grounded in 2004 (see 2002 airtanker crashes). C-130s have been used to spread chemical dispersants onto the massive oil slick in the Gulf Coast in 2010.[46]

 

A recent development of a C-130–based airtanker is the Retardant Aerial Delivery System developed by Coulson Aviation USA . The system consists of a C-130H/Q retrofitted with an in-floor discharge system, combined with a removable 3,500- or 4,000-gallon water tank. The combined system is FAA certified.[47]

 

Variants[edit]

 

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C-130H Hercules flight deck

 

A U.S. JC-130 aircraft retrieving a reconnaissance satellite film capsule under parachute.

 

C-130s from the: U.S., Canada, Australia and Israel (foreground to background)

 

RAAF C-130J-30 at Point Cook, 2006

 

Brazilian Air Force C-130 (L-382)

For civilian versions, see Lockheed L-100 Hercules.

Significant military variants of the C-130 include:

 

C-130A/B/E/F/G/H/K/T

Tactical airlifter basic models

C-130A-II Dreamboat

Early version Electronic Intelligence/Signals Intelligence (ELINT/SIGINT) aircraft[48]

C-130J Super Hercules

Tactical airlifter, with new engines, avionics, and updated systems

C-130K

Designation for RAF Hercules C1/W2/C3 aircraft (C-130Js in RAF service are the Hercules C.4 and Hercules C.5)

AC-130A/E/H/J/U/W

Gunship variants

C-130D/D-6

Ski-equipped version for snow and ice operations United States Air Force / Air National Guard

CC-130E/H/J Hercules

Designation for Canadian Armed Forces / Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules aircraft. U.S. Air Force used the CC-130J designation to differentiate standard C-130Js from "stretched" C-130Js (Company designation C-130J-30s).

DC-130A/E/H

USAF and USN Drone control

EC-130

EC-130E/J Commando Solo – USAF / Air National Guard psychological operations version

EC-130E – Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC)

EC-130E Rivet Rider – Airborne psychological warfare aircraft

EC-130H Compass Call – Electronic warfare and electronic attack.[49]

EC-130V – Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) variant used by USCG for counter-narcotics missions[50]

GC-130

Permanently Grounded "Static Display"

HC-130

HC-130B/E/H – Early model combat search and rescue

HC-130P/N Combat King – USAF aerial refueling tanker and combat search and rescue

HC-130J Combat King II – Next generation combat search and rescue tanker

HC-130H/J – USCG long-range surveillance and search and rescue

JC-130

Temporary conversion for flight test operations

KC-130F/R/T/J

United States Marine Corps aerial refueling tanker and tactical airlifter

LC-130F/H/R

USAF / Air National Guard – Ski-equipped version for Arctic and Antarctic support operations; LC-130F previously operated by USN

MC-130

MC-130E/H Combat Talon I/II – Special operations infiltration/extraction variant

MC-130W Combat Spear/Dragon Spear – Special operations tanker/gunship[51]

MC-130P Combat Shadow – Special operations tanker

MC-130J Commando II (formerly Combat Shadow II) – Special operations tanker Air Force Special Operations Command[52]

YMC-130H – Modified aircraft under Operation Credible Sport for second Iran hostage crisis rescue attempt

NC-130

Permanent conversion for flight test operations

PC-130/C-130-MP

Maritime patrol

RC-130A/S

Surveillance aircraft for reconnaissance

SC-130J Sea Herc

Proposed maritime patrol version of the C-130J, designed for coastal surveillance and anti-submarine warfare.[53][54]

TC-130

Aircrew training

VC-130H

VIP transport

WC-130A/B/E/H/J

Weather reconnaissance ("Hurricane Hunter") version for USAF / Air Force Reserve Command's 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron in support of the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center

_________________________________

IMG_5181

The F-82 aircraft, originally designated P-82, was developed as a long-range bomber escort for World War II that could fly beyond the range of the available P-51 Mustang and P-38 Lightning. Powered by a pair of Rolls Royce Merlin counter-rotating engines and based loosely on the P-51H, the F-82 was to accompany the B-29 Superfortress on missions longer than 2,000 miles.

 

By the time the Twin Mustang was ready to serve, though, the war was coming to an end. The U.S. Air Force would eventually accept 272 of these planes, and some saw action in the Korean War. Only 22 Twin Mustangs would be built with two fully equipped cockpits so the crew could alternate control on long flights. Later, fighter versions would remove the conventional cockpit on the right side in favor of airborne radar operations equipment.

 

The Twin Mustang's heyday ended before it really got started. Most were retired in the early 1950s, and those planes were slowly cannibalized until the lack of spare parts made it impossible to keep the remaining airframes flying. Today only 5 twin Mustangs remain and this one is the only one that is in flying condition.

 

This particular aircraft had a remarkable history even before the extensive decade-long restoration. Starting life as the second of two 1945 XP-82 prototypes, it went to the Army Air Force for use in official performance testing. After successful testing. it was transferred to the National Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the forerunner of NASA, where it became a testbed for high-altitude flight.

 

On February 1950, while testing an experimental ramjet, the airplane received substantial damage after sliding off the runway during landing. The story could've ended there, with the plane finding its final resting place at a boneyard in the middle of Ohio. Instead, the aircraft was later cut in half, with the right fuselage and wing delivered to the Air Force for destructive testing.

 

Tom Reilly stumbled upon the partial Twin Mustang. Then began a decade long restoration which included searching for and finding super rare parts, including a left-turning Rolls Royce V-12 Merlin engine, fabricating the missing fuselage and wing, and slowly piecing it together.

 

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to photograph the plane during AirVenture 2019. Early one morning I heard a smarm of RR-Merlins coming low over our campground. There in the morning light was the XP-82, accompanied by several other Mustangs. That is a sight and sound that I will remember for a long time.

Unfortunately because of my schedule I was not able to photograph the XP-82 in flight. Hopefully sometime in the future I can catch some shots of it in the air.

 

Thank you Tom Reilly for your dedication in putting this rare bird back in the air!

One of Martin Baker`s two Gloster Meteor`s used for ejector seat testing touchs down at BAE Warton.

After Cliffe went to sleep upon my finishing of the Schnelljaeger, I decided to keep playing with the model. It needed a more Neustrasian look, I thought. So now I have this forward swept wing, contra-rotating propeller-propelled aerodynamic testbed. Maybe if it's good enough it'll enter full service? For now, it's just an experiment.

Changelog from the initial Cliffe version I built:

-slightly smaller propellers

-smoother nose for the tubroprop inline engine

-Awe-style wings

-4x20mm cannons in the wing pods (I'll show you when I get back from the bank, Cliffe)

-taller tail and slightly longer elevators

 

At this point, my Maelstrom is going to end up becoming everything through variations alone!

Specs:

Speed: 815 km/h (506 mph)

Engine: 3500 Horsepower Turboprop, driving a contraprop

Turn radius: 870 feet

Rate of climb: 5000 feet per minute

Armament: 4x20mm cannons

Service ceiling: 12,000 meters (~40,000 feet)

XV Patrick Blackett (X01) is an experimental ship used by the Royal Navy as a testbed for new technologies, including unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles.

 

Her namesake is Patrick Blackett, a Royal Navy veteran and Nobel Prize-winning British physicist.

 

The Ship has her own QR Code

 

Pictured here arriving at Portsmouth Naval Base, where the ship is currently based

12/2024 - NS 1000 is still around. This is the engine testbed unit used mostly in the 90s and early 2000. It's been quite a while since this unit was used. It's a former EL SD45 that wore a bicentennial scheme.

Handley Page HP 137 Jetstream G RAVL at Cranfield Bedfordshire (EGTC), first flown in 1969 but with Racal/Decca Navigation from 1974, last used by Cranfield University as a flying equipment testbed WFU in 2004.

This Boeing 707-321B N404PA was an experimental aircraft communications and sensor testbed owned by the Air Force Systems Command and operated by a joint venture between the Air Force’s 350th Electronic Systems Wing and M.I.T.’s Lincoln Labs.

Pratt & Whitney Canada 747SP C-GTFF.

 

Originally built for Korean Air on January 30, 1981, this is 1 of only 2 747SP still flying anywhere in the world.

Still equipped with JT9D engines, she serves as a testbed for Pratt & Whitney Canada.

Arriving runway 36L at KOSH.

 

Air Venture 2025.

Imbrium Lunokhod Industries VS-TX-00x 'Kērangi' Frame.

 

Little more than a tablescrap, this is a testbed for an elbow/wrist design that Ive been playing with and a lower leg design that I hoped would work well.

It's far too large for Mobile Frame Zero play, but could work as a base for a larger display mech.

Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Test Bed Boeing 720B at the National Air Force Museum at CFB Trenton - the big nose was used to mount and test turboprop engines.

Coventry 29th August 2015.

As the clock ticks down on these important vehicles, I think a quick history lesson is on the cards....

 

New in June 2001 as a testbed vehicle, two more bendy-bus Scanias joined the fleet later that year, and all were concentrated on the 58 between Killisick, Arnold, Sherwood and Nottingham, then 704 joined the fleet the following Spring.

 

In 2002, both this one and newly acquired 705 were both churned out in blue and white for GO2 Navy 48 between Clifton and Nottingham, with the possibility of more the type being ordered, however the trial didn't come to any light, the following year the first OmniDekkas for the company went on there, alongside Tridents 428 and 430 (replacing 701 and 705).

 

Late in 2003, all five were finally together on the 58, along with 429 and 666-8, where they spent two years on the 58, before OmniDekkas ousted them in September 2005.

 

The following year, initially every 15 minutes, 701-5 moved onto Unilink 4, but demand was growing, so in 2010, an extra bus was acquired in the form of an ex-demonstrator, then in 2012 the service was increased to run up to every 7 minutes using three tri-axle OmniLinks which were acquired from the council, but were new to NCT in 2007 on Citylink 1.

 

This year they are to be replaced by the 55 plate OmniDekkas on the 58, which have just been upgraded to brand new Enviro 400 Scanias.

 

701 passes along Carrington Street in Nottingham with a 4 to NTU Clifton Campus via Trent Bridge and Wilford Green.

For many years the District Railway, officially entitled the Metropolitan District Railway and that was promoted to complete what is now the Circle line of the London Underground thus 'matching' the northern section constructed and operated by the Metropolitan Railway, oversaw the issue of various maps of the Metropolis that were offered for public sale. These, needless to say, heavily promoted the company's lines and services as well as other railways and omnibus lines operated 'in connection' with their services - often in quite wilful ignorance of alternatives!

 

This, from 1903, shows some still familiar District line services along with sections of lines that have seen services withdrawn, transferred or indeed closed such as the services beyond Addison Road (Olympia) towards Latimer Road via Uxbridge Rd station. This issue also shows the original layout of lines around Hounslow, subsequently altered as well as now being part of the Piccadilly line as well as the Uxbridge section, beyond South Harrow, that was under construction and that the MDR would eventually run under powers obtained to have right of use of the Metropolitan's Uxbridge extension that would open in 1904.In fact the section of line running off from Mill Hill Park (now Acton Town) through the largely open fields of Middlesex was to be the testbed in these years for the four-rail electrification system adopted for the wider London Underground system following the purchase of the MDR by American interests to assist in the development of deep tube lines and the infusion of US finance and know-how. The reverse of the map shows various announcements and tables of services and fares. This includes the famous and long-standing through trains from stations on the District direct to Southend on Sea via the London, Tilbury & Southern Railway.

 

This map would have been priced a half-penny had it been sold but it appears, as was quite common, slightly cropped and folded tipped into a 1903 Black's Guide Book to "Around London".

Several Generation Three testbed aircraft were developed to test newer engines and radar, but none made it into production. However, in 1971, the MiG-21SMT (“Fishbed-J”) was developed with increased fuel capacity. This variant is easily spotted due to its larger dorsal saddle tank. These variants were very unpopular with pilots and subsequently rebuilt with smaller tanks. These conversions were known as the MiG-21ST (Model 50, NATO “Fishbed-J”).

 

In this image, you can see the larger dorsal saddle tank of this MiG-21SMT (Fishbed-J) from the 18th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, stationed in Merseberg, East Germany. The outer pylons are holding the Kh-66 Grom (NATO: AS-7 ‘Kerry’) ASM missile. Also visible are the R-3S AAM missiles and the built-in GSh-23L cannon mounted above the centre-line drop tank.

Description: The X-15 #2 (56-6671) launches away from the B-52 mothership with its rocket engine ignited. The white patches near the middle of the ship are frost from the liquid oxygen used in the propulsion system, although very cold liquid nitrogen was also used to cool the payload bay, cockpit, windshields, and nose.

 

The X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft 50 ft long with a wingspan of 22 ft. It was a missile-shaped vehicle with an unusual wedge-shaped vertical tail, thin stubby wings, and unique fairings that extended along the side of the fuselage. The X-15 weighed about 14,000 lb empty and approximately 34,000 lb at launch. The XLR-99 rocket engine, manufactured by Thiokol Chemical Corp., was pilot controlled and was capable of developing 57,000 lb of rated thrust (actual thrust reportedly climbed to 60,000 lb). North American Aviation built three X-15 aircraft for the program.

 

The X-15 research aircraft was developed to provide in-flight information and data on aerodynamics, structures, flight controls, and the physiological aspects of high-speed, high-altitude flight. A follow-on program used the aircraft as a testbed to carry various scientific experiments beyond the Earth's atmosphere on a repeated basis.

 

For flight in the dense air of the usable atmosphere, the X-15 used conventional aerodynamic controls such as rudder surfaces on the vertical stabilizers to control yaw and canted horizontal surfaces on the tail to control pitch when moving in synchronization or roll when moved differentially.

 

For flight in the thin air outside of the appreciable Earth's atmosphere, the X-15 used a reaction control system. Hydrogen peroxide thrust rockets located on the nose of the aircraft provided pitch and yaw control. Those on the wings provided roll control.

 

Because of the large fuel consumption, the X-15 was air launched from a B-52 aircraft at 45,000 ft and a speed of about 500 mph. Depending on the mission, the rocket engine provided thrust for the first 80 to 120 sec of flight. The remainder of the normal 10 to 11 min. flight was powerless and ended with a 200-mph glide landing.

 

Generally, one of two types of X-15 flight profiles was used: a high-altitude flight plan that called for the pilot to maintain a steep rate of climb, or a speed profile that called for the pilot to push over and maintain a level altitude.

 

The X-15 was flown over a period of nearly 10 years—June 1959 to Oct. 1968—and set the world's unofficial speed and altitude records of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) and 354,200 ft (over 67 mi) in a program to investigate all aspects of piloted hypersonic flight. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned spaceflight programs, and also the Space Shuttle program.

 

The X-15s made a total of 199 flights and were manufactured by North American Aviation. X-15-1, serial number 56-6670, is now located at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC. North American X-15A-2, serial number 56-6671, is at the United States Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The X-15-3, serial number 56-6672, crashed on November 15, 1967, resulting in the death of Maj. Michael J. Adams.

 

NASA Media Usage Guidelines

 

Credit: NASA

Image Number: EC88-0180 -1

Date: Circa 1962

4/2021 - The cab of NS 1000, the SD45 testbed unit.

3-6-2004 - British Airways, British Aerospace ATP.

 

Info:

 

The aircraft was built in 1986 and was used a testbed aircraft. It was later delivered as G-BMYM, to British Midland in July 1989.

Manx Airlines were next to operate the aircraft - they took delivery as G-MAUD in December 1993.

British Airways took delivery of the aircraft in March 1997.

The aircraft went on to serve with West Air, after being converted into a freighter - they took delivery as SE-MAF in December 2006.

Today the aircraft still flies as a cargo aircraft as SE-MAF for ATP Cargo - They took delivery in August 2019.

C/n - 2002

Airbus A350-941 [A350 XWB™]

MSN 0002

F-WWCF '002' [Second prototype]

 

A380-861

MSN 004 [Engine Alliance testbed]

F-WWDD 'VNO' ['#A380' 'iflyA380.com' decals]

 

iflya380.com/

 

Airbus S.A.S.

 

Copyright © 2016 A380spotter. All rights reserved.

  

www.farnborough.com

On July 19, 2013, a C-17 aircraft from Buckley Air Force Base outside of Denver, Colo. delivered Lockheed Martin’s full-sized, functional GPS III satellite prototype to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Fla. The GPS III Non-Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST) came to CCAFS to help test facilities and pre-launch processes, further reducing risk and gaining efficiencies, prior the first GPS III flight satellite’s expected delivery to the U.S. Air Force in 2014 and launch in 2015.

N50CR North American Rockwell NA-265 Sabre 50 Rockwell Collins Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum McMinnville 12 November 2017. Avionics Testbed.

Gloster Meteor

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Gloster Meteor Centenary of Military Aviation 2014

The only F.8 in flying condition is operated by the RAAF’s Historic Flight

RoleFighter aircraft

National originUnited Kingdom

ManufacturerGloster Aircraft Company

First flight5 March 1943

Introduction27 July 1944

Produced1943–1955

Number built3,947

 

The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneered by Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of the aircraft began in 1940, although work on the engines had been under way since 1936. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with No. 616 Squadron RAF. The Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in its aerodynamics, but proved to be a successful combat fighter. Gloster's 1946 civil Meteor F.4 demonstrator G-AIDC was the first civilian-registered jet aircraft in the world.[1] Several major variants of the Meteor incorporated technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to fly with the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades.

 

Slower and less heavily armed than its German counterpart, the jet-powered Messerschmitt Me 262,[2] the Meteor saw limited action in the Second World War. Meteors of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fought in the Korean War. Several other operators such as Argentina, Egypt and Israel flew Meteors in later regional conflicts. Specialised variants of the Meteor were developed for use in photographic aerial reconnaissance and as night fighters.

 

The Meteor was also used for research and development purposes and to break several aviation records. On 7 November 1945, the first official airspeed record by a jet aircraft was set by a Meteor F.3 at 606 miles per hour (975 km/h). In 1946, this record was broken when a Meteor F.4 reached a speed of 616 miles per hour (991 km/h). Other performance-related records were broken in categories including flight time endurance, rate of climb, and speed. On 20 September 1945, a heavily modified Meteor I, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent turbine engines driving propellers, became the first turboprop aircraft to fly.[3] On 10 February 1954, a specially adapted Meteor F.8, the "Meteor Prone Pilot", which placed the pilot into a prone position to counteract inertial forces, took its first flight.[4]

 

In the 1950s, the Meteor became increasingly obsolete as more nations developed jet fighters, many of these newcomers having adopted a swept wing instead of the Meteor's conventional straight wing; in RAF service, the Meteor was replaced by newer types such as the Hawker Hunter and Gloster Javelin. As of 2018, two Meteors, G-JSMA and G-JWMA, remain in active service with the Martin-Baker company as ejection seat testbeds.[5] One further aircraft in the UK remains airworthy, as does another in Australia.

 

See also: Frank Whittle

The development of the turbojet-powered Gloster Meteor was a collaboration between the Gloster Aircraft Company and Frank Whittle's firm, Power Jets Ltd. Whittle formed Power Jets Ltd in March 1936 to develop his ideas of jet propulsion, Whittle himself serving as the company's chief engineer.[6] For several years, attracting financial backers and aviation firms prepared to take on Whittle's radical ideas was difficult; in 1931, Armstrong-Siddeley had evaluated and rejected Whittle's proposal, finding it to be technically sound but at the limits of engineering capability.[7] Securing funding was a persistently worrying issue throughout the early development of the engine.[8] The first Whittle prototype jet engine, the Power Jets WU, began running trials in early 1937; shortly afterwards, both Sir Henry Tizard, chairman of the Aeronautical Research Committee, and the Air Ministry gave the project their support.[9]

 

On 28 April 1939, Whittle made a visit to the premises of the Gloster Aircraft Company, where he met several key figures, such as George Carter, Gloster's chief designer.[10] Carter took a keen interest in Whittle's project, particularly when he saw the operational Power Jets W.1 engine; Carter quickly made several rough proposals of various aircraft designs powered by the engine. Independently, Whittle had also been producing several proposals for a high-altitude jet-powered bomber; following the start of the Second World War and the Battle for France, a greater national emphasis on fighter aircraft arose.[11] Power Jets and Gloster quickly formed a mutual understanding around mid-1939.[12]

  

The Gloster E.28/39. The yellow undersides were standard for RAF training and prototype aircraft of the period.

In spite of ongoing infighting between Power Jets and several of its stakeholders, the Air Ministry contracted Gloster in late 1939 to manufacture a prototype aircraft powered by one of Whittle's new turbojet engines.[13] The single-engined proof-of-concept Gloster E28/39, the first British jet-powered aircraft, conducted its maiden flight on 15 May 1941, flown by Gloster's chief test pilot, Flight Lieutenant Philip "Gerry" Sayer.[14][15] The success of the E.28/39 proved the viability of jet propulsion, and Gloster pressed ahead with designs for a production fighter aircraft.[16] Due to the limited thrust available from early jet engines, it was decided that subsequent production aircraft would be powered by a pair of turbojet engines.[17]

 

In 1940, for a "military load" of 1,500 lb (680 kg), the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) had advised that work on an aircraft of 8,500 lb (3,900 kg) all-up weight, with a total static thrust of 3,200 lbf (14 kN) should be started, with an 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) design for the expected, more powerful, W.2 and axial engine designs. George Carter's calculations based on the RAE work and his own investigations were that a 8,700-to-9,000-pound (3,900-to-4,100-kilogram) aircraft with two or four 20 mm cannons and six 0.303 machine guns would have a top speed of 400–431 miles per hour (644–694 km/h) at sea level and 450–470 miles per hour (720–760 km/h) at 30,000 feet (9,100 m). In January 1941 Gloster were told by Lord Beaverbrook that the twin jet fighter was of "unique importance", and that the company was to stop work on a night-fighter development of their F.9/37 to Specification F.18/40.[18]

 

Prototypes

 

Prototype Meteor DG202/G on display at the Royal Air Force Museum London in 2011. The "/G" appended to the aircraft serial denoted that the aircraft was to have an armed guard at all times while it was on the ground.

In August 1940, Carter presented Gloster's initial proposals for a twin-engined jet fighter with a tricycle undercarriage.[Note 1] On 7 February 1941, Gloster received an order for twelve prototypes (later reduced to eight) under Specification F9/40.[20] A letter of intent for the production of 300 of the new fighter, initially to be named Thunderbolt, was issued on 21 June 1941; to avoid confusion with the USAAF Republic P-47 Thunderbolt which had been issued with the same name to the RAF in 1944, the aircraft's name was subsequently changed to Meteor.[21][22][Note 2] During the aircraft's secretive development, employees and officials made use of the codename Rampage to refer to the Meteor, as similarly the de Havilland Vampire would initially be referred to as the Spider Crab. Test locations and other key project information were also kept secret.[24]

 

Although taxiing trials were carried out in 1942, it was not until the following year that any flights took place due to production and approval holdups with the Power Jets W.2 engine powering the Meteor.[14][25] On 26 November 1942 production of the Meteor was ordered to stop due to the delays at subcontractor Rover, which was struggling to manufacture the W.2 engines on schedule[Note 3]; considerable interest was shown in Gloster's E.1/44 proposal for a single-engine fighter, unofficially named Ace.[27] Gloster continued development work on the Meteor and the production-stop order was overturned in favour of the construction of six (later increased to eight) F9/40 prototypes alongside three E.1/44 prototypes.[28] Rover's responsibilities for development and production of the W.2B engine were also transferred to Rolls-Royce that year.[29]

 

On 5 March 1943, the fifth prototype, serial DG206, powered by two substituted de Havilland Halford H.1 engines owing to problems with the intended W.2 engines, became the first Meteor to become airborne at RAF Cranwell, piloted by Michael Daunt.[14] On the initial flight, an uncontrollable yawing motion was discovered, which led to a redesigned larger rudder; however, no difficulties had been attributed to the groundbreaking turbojet propulsion.[30][31] Only two prototypes flew with de Havilland engines because of their low flight endurance.[32] Before the first prototype aircraft had even undertaken its first flight, an extended order for 100 production-standard aircraft had been placed by the RAF.[33]

 

The first Whittle-engined aircraft, DG205/G,[Note 4] flew on 12 June 1943 (later crashing during takeoff on 27 April 1944) and was followed by DG202/G on 24 July. DG202/G was later used for deck handling tests aboard aircraft carrier HMS Pretoria Castle.[35][36] DG203/G made its first flight on 9 November 1943, later becoming a ground instructional airframe. DG204/G, powered by Metrovick F.2 engines, first flew on 13 November 1943; DG204/G was lost in an accident on 4 January 1944, the cause believed to have been an engine compressor failure due to overspeed.[37] DG208/G made its début on 20 January 1944, by which time the majority of design problems had been overcome and a production design had been approved. DG209/G was used as an engine testbed by Rolls-Royce, first flying on 18 April 1944. DG207/G was intended to be the basis for the Meteor F.2 with de Havilland engines, but it did not fly until 24 July 1945, at which time the Meteor 3 was in full production and de Havilland's attention was being redirected to the upcoming de Havilland Vampire; consequently the F.2 was cancelled.[38][39][40][41]

 

Into production

 

Gloster Meteor being deployed in March 1945

On 12 January 1944, the first Meteor F.1, serial EE210/G, took to the air from Moreton Valence in Gloucestershire. It was essentially identical to the F9/40 prototypes except for the addition of four nose-mounted 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk V cannon and some changes to the canopy to improve all-round visibility.[42] Due to the F.1's similarity to the prototypes, they were frequently operated in the test program to progress British understanding of jet propulsion, and it took until July 1944 for the aircraft to enter squadron service.[43] EE210/G was later sent to the U.S. for evaluation in exchange for a pre-production Bell YP-59A Airacomet, the Meteor being flown first by John Grierson at Muroc Army Airfield on 15 April 1944.[44]

 

Originally 300 F.1s were ordered, but the total produced was reduced to 20 aircraft as the follow-on orders had been converted to the more advanced models.[45] Some of the last major refinements to the Meteor's early design were trialled using this first production batch, and what was to become the long-term design of the engine nacelles was introduced upon EE211.[46] The original nacelles had been discovered by the RAE to suffer from compressibility buffeting at higher speeds, causing increased drag; the re-designed longer nacelles eliminated this and provided an increase in the Meteor's maximum speed. The lengthened nacelles were introduced on the final fifteen Meteor IIIs.[3] EE215 was the first Meteor to be fitted with guns; EE215 was also used in engine reheat trials,[47] the addition of reheat increasing top speed from 420 mph to 460 mph.[3] and was later converted into the first two-seat Meteor.[48] Due to the radical differences between jet-powered aircraft and those that it replaced, a special Tactical Flight or T-Flight unit was established to prepare the Meteor for squadron service, led by Group Captain Hugh Joseph Wilson.[49] The Tactical Flight was formed at Farnborough in May 1944, the first Meteors arriving the following month, upon which both tactical applications and limitations were extensively explored.[50]

 

On 17 July 1944, the Meteor F.1 was cleared for service use. Shortly afterwards, elements of the Tactical Flight and their aircraft were transferred to operational RAF squadrons.[51] The first deliveries to No. 616 Squadron RAF, the first operational squadron to receive the Meteor, began in July 1944.[33] When the F.2 was cancelled, the Meteor F.3 became the immediate successor to the F.1 and alleviated some of the shortcomings of the F.1.[52] In August 1944, the first F.3 prototype flew; early F.3 production aircraft were still fitted with the Welland engine as the Derwent engine's production was just starting at this point. A total of 210 F.3 aircraft were produced before they were in turn superseded by production of the Meteor F.4 in 1945.[53]

 

Several Meteor F.3s were converted into navalised aircraft. The adaptations included a strengthened undercarriage and arrester hook. Operational trials of the type took place aboard HMS Implacable. The trials included carrier landings and takeoffs.[54] Performance of these naval prototype Meteors proved to be favourable, including takeoff performance, leading to further trials with a modified Meteor F.4 fitted with folding wings; a 'clipped wing' was also adopted.[55] The Meteor later entered service with the Royal Navy, but only as a land-based trainer, the Meteor T.7, to prepare pilots of the Fleet Air Arm for flying other jet aircraft such as the de Havilland Sea Vampire.[56]

 

While various marks of Meteor had been introduced by 1948, they had remained very similar to the prototypes of the Meteor; consequently, the performance of the Meteor F.4 was beginning to be eclipsed by new jet designs. Gloster therefore embarked on a redesign programme to produce a new version of the Meteor with better performance.[57] Designated 'Meteor F.8', this upgraded variant was a potent fighter aircraft, forming the bulk of RAF Fighter Command between 1950 and 1955. The Meteor continued to be operated in a military capacity by several nations into the 1960s.[58]

 

Night fighter

To replace the increasingly obsolete de Havilland Mosquito as a night fighter, the Meteor was adapted to serve in the role as an interim aircraft. Gloster had initially proposed a night fighter design to meet the Air Ministry specification for the Mosquito replacement, based on the two seater trainer variant of the Meteor, with the pilot in the front seat and the navigator in the rear.[59] Once accepted however, work on the project was swiftly transferred to Armstrong Whitworth to perform both the detailed design process and production of the type; the first prototype flew on 31 May 1950. Although based on the T.7 twin seater, it used the fuselage and tail of the F.8, and the longer wings of the F.3. An extended nose contained the AI Mk 10 (the 1940s Westinghouse SCR-720) Air Intercept radar. As a consequence the 20 mm cannons were moved into the wings, outboard of the engines. A ventral fuel tank and wing mounted drop tanks completed the Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.11.[60][61]

  

Operational Meteor NF.14 of No. 264 Squadron RAF in 1955

As radar technology developed, a new Meteor night fighter was developed to use the improved US-built APS-21 system. The NF.12 first flew on 21 April 1953. It was similar to the NF.11 but had a nose section 17 inches (43 cm) longer;[62] the fin was enlarged to compensate for the greater keel area of the enlarged nose and to counter the airframe reaction to the sideways oscillating motion of the radar scanner which caused difficulty aiming the guns, an anti-tramp motor operating on the rudder was fitted midway up the front leading edge of the fin. The NF.12 also had the new Rolls-Royce Derwent 9 engines and the wings were reinforced to handle the new engine.[63][64] Deliveries of the NF.12 started in 1953, with the type entering squadron service in early 1954,[65] equipping seven squadrons (Nos 85, 25, 152, 46, 72, 153 and 64);[66] the aircraft was replaced over 1958–1959.

 

The final Meteor night fighter was the NF.14. First flown on 23 October 1953, the NF.14 was based on the NF.12 but had an even longer nose, extended by a further 17 inches to accommodate new equipment, increasing the total length to 51 ft 4 in (15.65 m) and a larger bubble canopy to replace the framed T.7 version.[67] Just 100 NF.14s were built; they first entered service in February 1954 beginning with No. 25 Squadron and were being replaced as early as 1956 by the Gloster Javelin. Overseas, they remained in service a little longer, serving with No. 60 Squadron at Tengah, Singapore until 1961. As the NF.14 was replaced, some 14 were converted to training aircraft as the NF(T).14 and given to No. 2 Air Navigation School on RAF Thorney Island until transferring to No. 1 Air Navigation School at RAF Stradishall where they served until 1965.[68]

 

Design

 

Meteor F.8 in flight at RAF Greenham Common, May 1986

 

Gloster Meteor F.8 Cockpit

The first operational version of the Meteor, designated as the Meteor F.1, apart from the minor airframe refinements, was a straightforward 'militarisation' of the earlier F9/40 prototypes.[69] The dimensions of the standard Meteor F.1 were 41 ft 3 in (12.57 m) long with a span of 43 ft 0 in (13.11 m), with an empty weight of 8,140 lb (3,690 kg) and a maximum takeoff weight of 13,795 lb (6,257 kg).[42] Despite the revolutionary turbojet propulsion used,[70] the design of the Meteor was relatively orthodox and did not take advantage of many aerodynamic features used on other, later jet fighters, such as swept wings; the Meteor shared a broadly similar basic configuration to its German equivalent, the Messerschmitt Me 262, which was also aerodynamically conventional.[71]

 

It was an all-metal aircraft with a tricycle undercarriage and conventional low, straight wings with mid-mounted turbojet engines and a high-mounted tailplane clear of the jet exhaust.[Note 5][Note 6] The Meteor F.1 exhibited some problematic flying characteristics typical of early jet aircraft; it suffered from stability problems at high transonic speeds, large trim changes, high stick forces and self-sustained yaw instability (snaking) caused by airflow separation over the thick tail surfaces.[73] The longer fuselage of the Meteor T.7, a two-seater trainer, significantly reduced the aerodynamic instability that the early Meteors were known for.[74]

 

Later Meteor variants would see a large variety of changes from the initial Meteor F.1 introduced to service in 1944. Much attention was given to raising the aircraft's top speed, often by improving the airframe's aerodynamic qualities, incorporating the latest engine developments, and increasing the strength of the airframe.[69][75] The Meteor F.8, which emerged in the late 1940s, was considered to have substantially improved performance over prior variants;[76] the F.8 was reportedly the most powerful single-seat aircraft flying in 1947, capable of ascending to 40,000 feet (12,000 m) within five minutes.[77]

 

Construction

From the outset, each Meteor was constructed from several modular sections or separately produced units, a deliberate design choice to allow for production to be dispersed and for easy disassembly for transport.[78] Each aircraft comprised five main sections: nose, forward fuselage, central section, rear fuselage and tail units; the wings were also built out of lengthwise sections.[79] The forward section contained the pressure cabin, gun compartments, and forward undercarriage. The centre section incorporated much of the structural elements, including the inner wing, engine nacelles, fuel tank, ammunition drums, and main undercarriage. The rear fuselage was of a conventional semi-monocoque structure. Various aluminium alloys were the primary materials used throughout the structure of the Meteor, such as the stressed duralumin skin.[80]

 

Across the Meteor's production life, various different companies were subcontracted to manufacture aircraft sections and major components; due to the wartime workload on producing fighter aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Typhoon, neither Gloster nor the wider Hawker Siddeley Group were able to internally meet the production demand of 80 aircraft per month.[23] Bristol Tramways produced the forward fuselage of the aircraft, the Standard Motor Company manufactured the central fuselage and inner wing sections, the Pressed Steel Company produced the rear fuselage, and Parnall Aircraft made the tail unit.[81] Other main subcontractors included Boulton Paul Aircraft, Excelsior Motor Radiator Company, Bell Punch, Turner Manufacturing Company, and Charlesworth Bodies; as many of these firms had little or no experience producing aircraft, both quality and interchangeability of components were maintained by contractually enforced adherence to Gloster's original drawings.[82]

 

From the Meteor F.4 onwards, Armstrong Whitworth began completing whole units at their Coventry facility in addition to Gloster's own production line.[83] Belgian aviation firm Avions Fairey also produced the Meteor F.8 under licence from Gloster for the Belgian Air Force; a similar licence manufacturing arrangement was made with Dutch company Fokker to meet the Royal Netherlands Air Force's order.[84]

 

Engines

 

Rolls-Royce Welland engine on display. The rear of the engine is at the left.

The Meteor F.1 was powered by two Rolls-Royce Welland turbojet engines, Britain's first production jet engines, which were built under licence from Whittle's designs.[29] The Meteor embodied the advent of practical jet propulsion; in the type's service life, both military and civil aviation manufacturers rapidly integrated turbine engines into their designs, favouring its advantages such as smoother running and greater power output.[85] The Meteor's engines were considerably more practical than those of the German Me 262 as, unlike the Me 262, the engines were embedded into the wing in nacelles between the front and rear spars rather than underslung, saving some weight due to shorter landing gear legs and less massive spars.[86][Note 7]

 

The W.2B/23C engines upon which the Welland was based produced 1,700 lbf (7.6 kN) of thrust each, giving the aircraft a maximum speed of 417 mph (671 km/h) at 9,800 feet (3,000 m) and a range of 1,000 miles (1,600 km).[42] It incorporated a hydraulically driven engine starter developed by Rolls-Royce, which was automated following the press of a starter button in the cockpit.[Note 8] The engines also drove hydraulic and vacuum pumps as well as a generator via a Rotol gearbox fixed on the forward wing spar;[29] the cockpit was also heated by bleed air from one of the engines.[80] The acceleration rate of the engines was manually controlled by the pilot; rapid engine acceleration would frequently induce compressor stalls early on; the likelihood of compressor stalls was effectively eliminated upon further design refinements of both the Welland engine and the Meteor itself.[88] At high speeds the Meteor had a tendency to lose directional stability, often during unfavourable weather conditions, leading to a 'snaking' motion; this could be easily resolved by throttling back to reduce speed.[89]

 

Based upon designs produced by Power Jets, Rolls-Royce produced more advanced and powerful turbojet engines. Beyond numerous improvements made to the Welland engine that powered the early Meteors, Rolls-Royce and Power Jets collaborated to develop the more capable Derwent engine, which as the Rover B.26 had undergone a radical re-design from the W.2B/500 while at Rover. The Derwent engine, and the re-designed Derwent V based on the Nene, was installed on many of the later production Meteors; the adoption of this new powerplant led to considerable performance increases.[29][86][Note 9] The Meteor often served as the basis for the development of other early turbojet designs; a pair of Meteor F.4s were sent to Rolls-Royce to aid in their experimental engine trials, RA435 being used for reheat testing, and RA491 being fitted with the Rolls-Royce Avon, an axial-flow engine.[29][91] From their involvement in the development of the Meteor's engines, Armstrong-Siddeley, Bristol Aircraft, Metropolitan-Vickers, and de Havilland also independently developed their own gas turbine engines.[92]

 

Performance

 

Meteor NF.11 (right) flying with a Hawker Hunter T7A at the Cotswold Air Show in 2009

During development, sceptical elements of the Air Ministry had expected mature piston-powered aircraft types to exceed the capabilities of the Meteor in all respects except that of speed; thus, the performance of early Meteors was considered favourable for the interceptor mission, being capable of out-diving the majority of enemy aircraft.[93] The conclusion of in-service trials conducted between the Meteor F.3. and the Hawker Tempest V was that the performance of the Meteor exceeded the Tempest in almost all respects and that, barring some manoeuvrability issues, the Meteor could be considered a capable all-round fighter.[94] Pilots formerly flying piston-engine aircraft often described the Meteor as being exciting to fly. British politician Norman Tebbit stated of his experience flying the Meteor in the RAF: "Get airborne, up with the wheels, hold it low until you were about 380 knots, pull it up and she would go up, well we thought then, like a rocket".[95]

 

Early jet engines consumed a lot more fuel than the piston engines they replaced so the Welland engines imposed considerable flight-time limitations on the Meteor F.1, leading to the type being used for local interception duties only. In the post-war environment, there was considerable pressure to increase the range of interceptors to counter the threat of bombers armed with nuclear weapons.[96] The long-term answer to this question was in-flight refuelling; several Meteors were provided to Flight Refuelling Limited for trials of the newly developed probe-and-drogue refuelling techniques. This capability was not incorporated in service Meteors, which had already been supplanted by more modern interceptor aircraft at this point.[97]

 

A total of 890 Meteors were lost in RAF service (145 of these crashes occurring in 1953 alone), resulting in the deaths of 450 pilots. Contributory factors in the number of crashes were the poor brakes, failure of the landing gear, the high fuel consumption and consequent short flight endurance (less than one hour) causing pilots to run out of fuel, and difficult handling with one engine out due to the widely set engines. The casualty rate was exacerbated by the lack of ejection seats in early series Meteors;[98] the much higher speed that the aircraft was capable of meant that to bail out pilots might have to overcome high g forces and fast-moving airflow past the cockpit; there was also a greater likelihood of the pilot striking the horizontal tailplane.[99] Ejection seats were fitted in the later F.8, FR.9, PR.10 and some experimental Meteors.[100][101][page needed] The difficulty of baling out of the Meteor had been noted by pilots during development, reporting several contributing design factors such as the limited size and relative position of the cockpit to the rest of the aircraft, and difficulty in using the two-lever jettisonable hood mechanism.[102]

 

Operational service

Second World War

 

Gloster Meteor F.1 of No. 616 Squadron

No. 616 Squadron RAF was the first to receive operational Meteors: a total of 14 aircraft were initially delivered. The squadron was based at RAF Culmhead, Somerset and had been equipped with the Spitfire VII.[103] The conversion to the Meteor was initially a matter of great secrecy.[104] Following a conversion course at Farnborough attended by the squadron's six leading pilots, the first aircraft was delivered to Culmhead on 12 July 1944.[14][Note 10] The squadron and its seven Meteors moved on 21 July 1944 to RAF Manston on the east Kent coast and, within a week, 32 pilots had been converted to the type.[105]

 

The Meteor was initially used to counter the V-1 flying bomb threat. 616 Squadron Meteors saw action for the first time on 27 July 1944, when three aircraft were active over Kent. These were the first operational jet combat missions for the Meteor and for the Royal Air Force. After some problems, especially with jamming guns, the first two V-1 "kills" were made on 4 August.[106] By war's end, Meteors had accounted for 14 flying bombs.[107] After the end of the V-1 threat, and the introduction of the ballistic V-2 rocket, the RAF was forbidden to fly the Meteor on combat missions over German-held territory for fear of an aircraft being shot down and salvaged by the Germans.

 

No. 616 Squadron briefly moved to RAF Debden to allow United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) bomber crews to gain experience and create tactics in facing jet-engined foes before moving to Colerne, Wiltshire. For a week from 10 October 1944 a series of exercises were carried out in which a flight of Meteors made mock attacks on a formation of 100 B-24s and B-17s escorted by 40 Mustangs and Thunderbolts. These suggested that, if the jet fighter attacked the formation from above, it could take advantage of its superior speed in the dive to attack the bombers and then escape by diving through the formation before the escorts could react. The best tactic to counter this was to place a fighter screen 5,000 ft above the bombers and attempt to intercept the jets early in the dive.[108] The exercise was also useful from No. 616 Squadron's perspective, giving valuable practical experience in Meteor operations.[109]

  

Meteor F.3s with original short engine nacelles

No. 616 Squadron exchanged its F.1s for the first Meteor F.3s on 18 December 1944. These first 15 F.3s differed from the F.1 in having a sliding canopy in place of the sideways hinging canopy, increased fuel capacity and some airframe refinements. They were still powered by Welland I engines.[110] Later F.3s were equipped with the Derwent I engines. This was a substantial improvement over the earlier mark, although the basic design still had not reached its potential. Wind tunnel and flight tests demonstrated that the original short nacelles, which did not extend far fore and aft of the wing, contributed heavily to compressibility buffeting at high speed. New, longer nacelles not only cured some of the compressibility problems but added 75 miles per hour (120 km/h) at altitude, even without upgraded powerplants. The last batch of Meteor F.3s featured the longer nacelles; other F.3s were retrofitted in the field with the new nacelles. The F.3 also had the new Rolls-Royce Derwent engines, increased fuel capacity, and a new larger, more strongly raked bubble canopy.[53]

 

Judging the Meteor F.3s were ready for combat over Europe, the RAF finally decided to deploy them on the continent. On 20 January 1945, four Meteors from 616 Squadron were moved to Melsbroek in Belgium and attached to the Second Tactical Air Force,[111] just under three weeks after the Luftwaffe's surprise Unternehmen Bodenplatte attack on New Year's Day, in which Melsbroek's RAF base, designated as Allied Advanced Landing Ground "B.58", had been struck by piston-engined fighters of JG 27 and JG 54. The 616 Squadron Meteor F.3s' initial purpose was to provide air defence for the airfield, but their pilots hoped that their presence might provoke the Luftwaffe into sending Me 262 jets against them.[103] At this point the Meteor pilots were still forbidden to fly over German-occupied territory, or to go east of Eindhoven, to prevent a downed aircraft being captured by the Germans or the Soviets.[112]

  

Ground crew servicing a Meteor of 616 Squadron at Melsbroek, Belgium, 1945. The all-white finish used by the four F.3s sent to Belgium was to aid recognition by ground troops during familiarisation training before the operational F.3 aircraft arrived

In March, the entire squadron was moved to Gilze-Rijen Air Base and then in April, to Nijmegen. The Meteors flew armed reconnaissance and ground attack operations without encountering any German jet fighters. By late April, the squadron was based at Faßberg, Germany and suffered its first losses when two aircraft collided in poor visibility. The war ended with the Meteors having destroyed 46 German aircraft through ground attack.[citation needed] Friendly fire through misidentification as Messerschmitt Me 262s by Allied anti-aircraft gunners was more of a threat than the already-diminished forces of the Luftwaffe; to counter this, continental-based Meteors were given an all-white finish as a recognition aid.[109][111][113]

 

Post-war

The next-generation Meteor F.4 prototype first flew on 17 May 1945, and went into production in 1946 when 16 RAF squadrons were already operating Meteors.[113] Equipped with Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 engines, the smaller version of the Nene, the F.4 was 170 mph (270 km/h) faster than the F.1 at sea level (585 against 415), but the reduced wings impaired its rate of climb.[114][Note 11] The F.4 wingspan was 86.4 cm shorter than the F.3 and with blunter wing tips, derived from the world speed record prototypes. Improvements included a strengthened airframe, fully pressurised cockpit, lighter ailerons to improve manoeuvrability, and rudder trim adjustments to reduce snaking. The F.4 could be fitted with a drop tank under each wing, and experiments were carried out with carriage of underwing stores and also in lengthened fuselage models.

 

Because of increased demand, F.4 production was divided between Gloster and Armstrong Whitworth. The majority of early F.4s did not go to the RAF: 100 were exported to Argentina, seeing action on both sides in the 1955 revolution;[115] in 1947, only RAF Nos. 74 and 222 squadrons were fully equipped with the F.4. Nine further RAF squadrons converted from 1948 onwards. From 1948, 38 F.4s were exported to the Dutch, equipping four squadrons (322, 323, 326 and 327) split between bases in Soesterberg and Leeuwarden until the mid-1950s. In 1949, only two RAF squadrons were converted to the F.4, Belgium was sold 48 aircraft in the same year (going to 349 and 350 squadrons at Beauvechain) and Denmark received 20 over 1949–1950. In 1950, three more RAF squadrons were upgraded, including No. 616 and, in 1951, six more.

  

WA742, a two-seat Meteor T7 in 1961

A modified two-seater F.4 for jet-conversion and advanced training was tested in 1949 as the T.7. It was accepted by the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm and became a common addition to the various export packages (for example 43 to Belgium between 1948 and 1957, a similar number to the Netherlands over the same period, two to Syria in 1952, six to Israel in 1953, etc.). Despite its limitations – unpressurised cockpit, no armament, limited instructor instrumentation – more than 650 T.7s were manufactured.[116][117] The T.7 remained in RAF service into the 1970s.[118]

 

As improved jet fighters emerged, Gloster decided to modernise the F.4 while retaining as much of the manufacturing tooling as possible. The result was the definitive production model, the Meteor F.8 (G-41-K), serving as a major RAF fighter until the introduction of the Hawker Hunter and the Supermarine Swift. The first prototype F.8 was a modified F.4, followed by a true prototype, VT150, that flew on 12 October 1948 at Moreton Valence.[119] Flight testing of the F.8 prototype led to the discovery of an aerodynamic problem: after ammunition was expended, the aircraft became tail-heavy and unstable around the pitch axis due to the weight of fuel in fuselage tanks no longer being balanced by the ammunition. Gloster solved the problem by substituting the tail of the abortive G 42 single-engined jet fighter. The F.8 and other production variants successfully used the new tail design, giving the later Meteors a distinctive appearance, with taller straighter edges compared with the rounded tail of the F.4s and earlier marks.[120]

  

Meteor F.8 at the Danish Flight Museum, 2006

The F.8 also featured a fuselage stretch of 76 cm (30 in), intended to shift the aircraft's centre of gravity and also eliminate the use of ballast formerly necessary in earlier marks due to the subsequent elimination from the design of two of the originally designed six installed cannon. The F.8 incorporated uprated engines, Derwent 8s, with 3,600 lbf (16 kN) thrust each combined with structural strengthening, a Martin Baker ejection seat and a "blown" teardrop cockpit canopy that provided improved pilot visibility.[121] Between 1950 and 1955, the Meteor F.8 was the mainstay of RAF Fighter Command, and served with distinction in combat in Korea with the RAAF as well as operating with many air forces worldwide, although it was clear that the original design was obsolete compared with contemporary swept-wing fighters such as the North American F-86 Sabre and the Soviet MiG-15.[122]

 

Initial deliveries of the F.8 to the RAF were in August 1949, with the first squadron receiving its fighters in late 1950. Like the F.4, there were strong export sales of the F.8. Belgium ordered 240 aircraft, the majority assembled in The Netherlands by Fokker. The Netherlands had 160 F.8s, equipping seven squadrons until 1955. Denmark had 20, ordered in 1951, the last F.8s in front-line service in Europe. The RAAF ordered 94 F.8s, which served in the Korean War. Despite arms embargoes, both Syria and Egypt received F.8s from 1952, as did Israel, each using their Meteors during the Suez Crisis. Brazil ordered 60 new Meteor F.8s and 10 T.7 trainers in October 1952, paying with 15,000 tons of raw cotton.[123]

 

In the 1950s, Meteors were developed into effective photo-reconnaissance, training and night fighter versions. The fighter reconnaissance (FR) versions were the first to be built, replacing the ageing Spitfires and Mosquitos then in use. Two FR.5s were built on the F.4 body; one was used for nose section camera tests, the other broke up in midair while in testing over Moreton Valence. On 23 March 1950, the first FR.9 flew. Based on the F.8, it was 20 cm longer with a new nose incorporating a remote control camera and window and was also fitted with additional external ventral and wing fuel tanks. Production of the FR.9 began in July. No. 208 Squadron, then based at Fayid, Egypt was the first to be upgraded followed by the 2nd Tactical Air Force in West Germany, No. 2 Squadron RAF at Bückeburg and No. 79 Squadron RAF at RAF Gutersloh flew the FR.9 from 1951 until 1956. In Aden, No. 8 Squadron RAF was given FR.9s in November 1958 and used them until 1961.[124] Ecuador (12), Israel (7) and Syria (2) were foreign customers for the FR.9.[125]

 

In 1951, 29, 141, 85 and 264 squadrons each received a number of NF.11 aircraft, the first of the Meteor night fighters.[126] It was rolled out across the RAF until the final deliveries in 1954.[127] A "tropicalised" version of the NF.11 for the Middle East was developed; first flying on 23 December 1952 as the NF.13. The aircraft equipped No. 219 Squadron RAF at Kabrit and No. 39 Squadron at Fayid, both in Egypt. The aircraft served during the Suez crisis and remained with No. 39 Squadron after they were withdrawn to Malta until 1958. Several problems were encountered: the heavily framed T.7 canopy made landings tricky due to limited visibility, the under-wing external fuel tanks tended to break up when the wing cannons were fired, and gun harmonisation, normally set to about 400 yards, was poor due to the wings flexing in flight. Belgium (24), Denmark (20) and France (41) were foreign customers for the NF.11.[128] Ex-RAF NF.13s were sold to France (two), Syria (six), Egypt (six) and Israel (six).[129]

 

In addition to the armed, low altitude operation, tactical FR.9 variant, Gloster also developed the PR.10 for high altitude missions.[130] The first prototype flew on 29 March 1950 and was actually converted into the first production aircraft. Based on the F.4, it had the F.4-style tail and the longer wings of the earlier variant. All the cannons were removed and a single camera placed in the nose with two more in the rear fuselage; the canopy was also changed. The PR.10 was delivered to the RAF in December 1950 and were given to No. 2 and No. 541 squadrons in Germany and No. 13 Squadron RAF in Cyprus. The PR.10 was rapidly phased out from 1956; rapid improvements in surface-to-air missile technology and the introduction of newer aircraft capable of flying at greater altitudes and speeds had rendered the aircraft obsolete.

KTUS.

Tucson, AZ.

9-30-25.

Photo by: Ned Harris.

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 10-Nov-21 (DeNoise AI).

 

This was the last operational BAC One-Eleven... read on!

 

In the original Dan Air livery.

 

I find it difficult to see why American Airlines only kept this aircraft for 2.5 years before selling it to Dan-Air...

 

Delivered new to American Airlines in Nov-66 as N5401, it was sold to Dan-Air Services in Mar-69 as G-AXCP. It was wet-leased to British Midland Airways briefly between Oct-82 & Jan-83.

 

The aircraft was sold to British Aerospace in Oct-86. Two months later, in Dec-86, it was sold to Florida Express as N173FE. A year later, in Dec-87, it was sold to A J Walter Aviation Ltd and immediately sold on to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

 

It was re-registered N162W in Aug-89. At the age of 30 it was sold to Northrop Grumman in Mar-93. The aircraft was used as an electronics testbed and was noted over the years with many lumps and bumps on the fuselage.

 

It was the last operational BAC One-Eleven and was finally retired by Northrop Grumman in May-19 after 53 years in service. Updated 10-Nov-21.

4/2021 - The radiator of NS 1000, the SD45 testbed unit.

Honeywell Testbed B757-200 N757HW

The Central London Railway was formed in 1891 to build a tube railway along the east-west axis of London, connecting the western suburbs to the City. The line, which opened in 1900, ran straight along Oxford Street and its extensions to each end - Bayswater Road and High Holborn. The original western terminus was Shepherd's Bush, from which a single line ran to a surface depot at Wood Lane.

 

The line used electric locomotives for a short time, but problems with excessive vibration caused them to be replaced by multiple-unit stock, the last loco-hauled train running on 1903-06-07. There were also two steam locos, used mostly in the depots to allow stock to be moved without using power rails. Later some of the electric locos were fitted with trolley poles to draw power from overhead wires in the depots.

 

Though there were initial plans to provide two classes of seating, these were abandoned before opening (the resulting variety of seats remained for many years). Instead the company went to the other extreme: not only was there only one class of seat, but the fare was 2d irrespective of distance, leading to the nickname "The Twopenny Tube" (the flat fare was abandoned on 1907-07-01 with the introduction of a 3d fare for long journeys).

 

The company used the telegraphic address RHEOMOTOR.

 

When the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition made it desirable to open a station at Wood Lane, it was built on a new loop track with platforms on both sides and the depot inside the loop. The existing depot entrance line was retained as the westbound track (to stay under the streets this line makes what is still the sharpest curve - the Caxton Curve - on the entire Underground system). This meant that, to fit into the available space, the new eastbound track had to pass underneath the westbound and trains ran anticlockwise around the loop. When trains became longer, the platform inside the loop could not be lengthened without fouling the depot access track, and the solution was to extend it with a movable section 11 m (36') long which could swivel back about 0.9 m (3') to clear the access track when necessary.

 

The company was sold to the Yerkes group on 1913-01-01.

 

Back in 1905, the GWR had sponsored a separate company, the Ealing & Shepherd's Bush, to build a goods line branching off the GWR east of Ealing Broadway and joining with the West London Railway near Uxbridge Road. In 1911 the Central agreed to build an extension from Wood Lane to meet this line (at Wood Lane Junction) and to provide passenger service over it. Because of the intervention of World War I, the work was not completed until 1917, and passenger service did not start until 1920.

 

At Wood Lane, a new pair of platforms was added for through trains on the new track north of the existing station, but terminating trains continued to use the platforms on the loop track. The through lines joined on to the east and west sides of the loop, with the loop platform in between; since the loop ran anticlockwise, right-hand running was in use from there to a flyover at Wood Lane Junction where the link met the E&SB. This arrangement of tracks is still in use, though White City station has replaced the awkwardly arranged Wood Lane.

 

Although the two lines had been under common ownership since 1913, there was no station on the Central Line where it crossed the Piccadilly Line at Holborn. This was rectified in 1933 when a new interchange replaced the nearby British Museum station; unlike most of the original stations, this one had the platforms on the outside to simplify the work needed.

 

For a while the line was known as the Central London Line, but by 1937 this had been abbreviated to its present form.

 

The Central Line was significantly affected by the 1935-40 New Works Programme, where government guarantees were made available for various improvements. In the case of the Central, these came in three parts: the eastern and western extensions, and the central reconstruction.

 

In the west, the E&SB was crossed on the level at North Acton by the GWR line from Old Oak Common to South Ruislip and (as the GWR/GCR joint line) High Wycombe. The extension work involved adding new tracks for the Central parallel to the GWR from North Acton as far as West Ruislip; further extension to Denham was cancelled when the area was designated as Green Belt. Much of the work was done to main-line standards, as it was originally planned to run District Line trains on it as well (via Castle Bar and Greenford).

 

The original tubes had a nominal diameter of 3.56m (11'8¼"). However, the tubes were not well aligned, and in practice trains had to be significantly smaller than would be expected for this size (the very first CLR locomotive didn't fit into the tube until the rails had been replaced by shallower ones). This meant that stock from other lines could not be used on the Central. So in the late 1930s the tubes were expanded and realigned and the stations lengthened from 99m (325') to 130m (427'). Furthermore, the line had been built with a central positive rail 4cm (1½") above the running rails and energized at 550 V, with return through the running rails. On 1940-05-05 this was replaced with the standard LU 4-rail power system. Because of the way the tunnel was enlarged, it is no longer quite round, and for clearance reasons the outside positive rail is of a special shape and placed 4cm (1½") higher than usual.

 

Deep shelter tunnels (see the Northern Line for details) were built at Chancery Lane, though not opened to the public, and started but abandoned at St. Paul's.

 

The eastern extension was designed to allow the Central to take over several of the LNER steam branches in northeast London, reducing the congestion into Liverpool Street (some other branches were electrified at the same time). The work was delayed by World War II, but was eventually done to plan. A new tube was extended eastward, surfacing at Stratford, where the main line is on an embankment (including a bridge over the North London Line). The Central tracks come up on to the embankment, cross the bridge, and immediately dive down again; the station is on this surface section, and cross-platform interchange with the main-line services is provided. The lines then tunnel to the edge of Temple Mills Yard, where they emerge and connect to the LNER line. The latter consisted of a route to Ongar, with a loop from Woodford back to the main line at Ilford. A new shallow tube ran from Leytonstone to this loop at Newbury Park, with the section south of there abandoned.

 

When construction was interrupted for World War II, the eastern extension tunnels were largely complete, and were used for other purposes. One purpose was as air raid shelters, but the only access was by dimly lit stairs not intended for full-time use, and a crowd-crush disaster at Bethnal Green station killed 111 adults and 62 children (this total of 173 can be compared with the number killed in the worst bomb strike - 68 at Balham - or peacetime incident - 43 at Moorgate). Apart from a short section at the west end (bricked off from the rest), the tube tunnels between Leytonstone and Newbury Park had a different use: they became a factory for aircraft parts. Extensive work was done on them for this purpose, including fitting air conditioning throughout, digging two pairs of lift shafts (one west of Wanstead and one between Redbridge and Gants Hill) for additional access, and installing a 46cm (18") narrow gauge goods-only railway along each tunnel to provide transport within the factory. (The Germans set up similar operations in Berlin and occupied Paris, except that existing lines were used).

 

Floodgates are fitted in the tunnels each side of where it crosses under the River Roding.

 

LNER/BR passenger services were withdrawn as Central Line trains took over, though local freight services lasted much longer and the first and last trains to Epping continued to run from Liverpool Street into the 1960s. Once taken over, the section from Hainault to Woodford was operated as a self-contained shuttle, with only the occasional peak-hour trains running on to the rest of the line (and no trains ever running right round the loop). This changed to the present arrangement in the early 1990s. The north side of the loop was used as a testbed for the Automatic Train Operation later adopted on the Victoria Line.

 

The section from Epping to Ongar provided a refuge for steam for 8 years while a shuttle was worked by BR on behalf of LU. When electrification was completed in 1957, there still wasn't enough power to start a full-length train at Ongar, and the shuttle service remained, but now worked by one or two half-length trains. The section was eventually closed in 1994, and in 1998 it was sold to Pilot Developments, a private operator. Although the track under the M11 bridge was lowered enough to allow main-line stock to fit, no services were ever run. At the start of 2001 Pilot was released from the obligation to run the line and their operating licence was withdrawn. In 2004 the Epping-Ongar Railway Volunteer Society started a Sunday service along most of the route.

 

The closed station at British Museum was apparently used for the Army's London Flood Control Centre, but the access shafts have since all been filled with concrete as part of the foundations of a new building. The lift shafts at St. Paul's, disused since escalators came into use at the start of 1939, were used from 1940 to 1945 for an emergency control centre for the Central Electricity Generating Board.

 

On 2003-01-25 a motor fell off a train approaching Chancery Lane station after the bolts holding it in place failed, derailing the train despite the safety bracket intended to prevent this. There was a fear that the same problem might affect other trains, possibly with much more serious consequences, and the decision was taken to close the entire line (and the Waterloo & City Line, which uses the same rolling stock) until the cause was determined and rectified. The final solution required a new type of bolt and a new safety bracket. The extensiveness of the work meant it was only possible to modify a few trains a day and therefore service could only be restored gradually and in stages; the exact schedule was chosen to match the availability of stock and of alternative routes.

First time visit to Russia to present "Highspeed WiFi" copabilities.

Pictured here on very short finals to Vnukovo RWY19

One of the first few 737-500s delivered to Braathens back in 1990, it would later become an eventual sistership to Air North's C-GANH both at Braathens and Nordavia in Russia. This one is now owned by Dynamic Aviation and seems to serve as a testbed for an aerial dispersant system for oil spills.

The crew performing test on this rotary engine standing around the test stand. The rotary engine is tested with a special test propeller otherwise it would not work at all and as it could only be handstarted there needed to be a proppeler.

This test propeller seems to have an extra metal strip on one side whoich was secured by six nuts and bolts on each side.

Testing engines is evidently dangerous as for instance a cylinder can explode shredding the pieces of metal all around. Later teststands had a protective acreen around the engine in case of exploding engines, cylinders etc.

This could be a 9-cylinder rotary. I once had the chance to hear a vintage rotary engine doing its work it is deafening. Judging from the photo I don't tjonk the crew had any form of noisr protection.

I could not identify the rotary engine.

"Clipper Ocean Spray". Former "Clipper Star of the Union",

Later to General Electric N747GE as an engine testbed.

Withdrawn from use and stored at Victorville Southern California Logistics Airport, USA 25 January 2017 - 15 November 2018.

Preserved at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, USA 15 November 2018, at the Pima Air and Space Museum.

Speeding north through Sutton Park with a light-engine move from Derby RTC to Bescot is Network Rail Class 97's, 97304 and 97302, formerly Class 37's, 37217 and 37170, respectively.

 

The proud and powerful workhorse that even 50 years after its construction, continues to be a major part of the British Rail scene. I am of course talking of one of the most successful diesel locomotives of all time, the Class 37.

 

In the 1950's, British Rail was in desperate need to replace its ageing fleet of steam locomotives on both freight and passenger usage, and even though the new BR Standard locomotives were starting to make inroads into the Victorian built fleet, it was apparent that diesel and electric haulage was the only way forward. As such, English Electric, who had already had success with the construction of the Class 20 light freight loco and the Class 40 heavy passenger loco, were assigned to help deliver a new mulit-purpose diesel locomotive with a power output of more than 1,500bhp. Although the Class 40 could have been easily capable of handling this task, problems with these locomotives were that it was far too heavy and underpowered, which meant that in addition to hauling a heavy train, it also had the added task of hauling the actual locomotive itself! The earlier Class 40's were especially known for their unreliability, having to be frequently rescued by the steam locomotives they were built to replace!

 

Essentially, what English Electric did was build a scaled down version of the Class 40, shorter than its predecessor by 8 feet, weighting 33 tons less, and being powered by a much more reliable English Electric 12CSVT engine developing 1,750bhp. A batch of 42 locomotives were delivered in 1960 from the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, these being initially designated English Electric Type 3's, but this order was increased to 309 following the initial success of these engines, with production finishing in 1965. Work on the class was separated between several different plants, with construction primarily taking place at Vulcan Foundry, but also with assistance from Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns factory in Darlington.

 

The class was initially tasked with both freight and passenger workings, but the rough n' tumble nature of these engines meant they were more at home on goods trains. Some of the earlier locomotives were fitted with Steam Heating Boilers to warm passenger carriages as earlier coaches did not feature Electric Train Heating, although other locomotives had boilers added in 1967/68. Beyond the end of steam in 1968 and throughout the 1970's the Class 37's were dispersed among the many administrative Regions of British Rail, travelling the length and breadth of the country and working all manner of trains from Class 1 Express Passenger services to lower class breakdown trains and short goods services. This became apparent in its variety of liveries, especially following sectorisation of British Rail in the 1980's, with Class 37's sporting the livery of InterCity, Regional Railways and Railfreight Distribution.

 

Throughout their time however the fleet continued to be interchanged, especially after the introduction of the TOPS computer system which designated them Class 37. The variety of Class 37 sub-classes included:

 

- Class 37/3: Extended fuel tanks replacing the steam heating boiler

- Class 37/4: Addition of Electric Train Heating for use in passenger service

- Class 37/5: No major changes, a designation for engines with original split headcodes

- Class 37/6: Engines modified for use with Eurostar Class 373 units

- Class 37/7: Heavily modified for heavy freight workings, with extra ballast for more dragging power

- Class 37/9: Used as testbed for experimental Mirrlees MB275T engine

 

However, as the 1990's drew in and with privatisation on the horizon, it was apparent that the Class 37's were starting to look very tired. Their reliability was starting to falter, and the demands on the class were much greater than before. As such, newly formed primary freight operator EWS, made an order for a new fleet of Class 66 locomotives from General Motors to replace the many ageing British Rail classes. Upon their introduction in 1999, these engines were quick to see off many Class 37's, which went on a variety of their own journeys. In the summer of 2000 and 2001, many Class 37's were exported to France and Spain to help with the construction of their many High Speed Lines, including the LGV Méditerranée route from Lyon to Marseilles. While many of the French ones have since returned, a small fleet of Class 37's continued to work in the sun of Spain on the High Speed route between Perpignan and Figueres, but have since returned upon its opening in 2010.

 

In 2007, EWS was taken over by DB of Germany to become DB Schenker, which continued to operate a small fleet of Class 37's until 2010 when the last engines were retired. Throughout the 2000's these locomotives were placed into storage and scrapped, this particular era being their darkest hour. But as said, many continued to find their way into new leases of life, their reliable nature and flexible abilities making them a key part of many private fleets.

 

Direct Rail Services, the former rail arm of British Nuclear Fuels, took on a batch of Class 37's to operate their various freight trains, including the haulage of Nuclear Flasks, a task they continue to do till this day, with 29 of the class still on its books and in regular service. Colas Rail took on a fleet of 4 Class 37's in 2014 to expand their fleet, whilst charter company West Coast Railways owns four and four others were converted for use with Network Rail on engineering services.

 

Either way, it is apparent that these plucky and powerful little locomotives, of which 48 are preserved and 38 remain in mainline operation, will continue to be an integral part of the British Railway scene for many years to come.

 

Who knows, maybe they'll live to see mainline service when they're 100!

In her striking red, white and yellow paint scheme, Royal Aircraft Establishment Bedford's smart looking BAC One Eleven Series 201AC 'XX105' sits at Farnborough during the 1982 SBAC Airshow.

 

Acquired from British Caledonian Airways, this former BUA 'Bus Stop' jet, joined the RAE in 1971 and was the first One Eleven to adopt UK military markings being used by Bedford's BLEU (Blind Landing Experimental Unit) developing various related aids including having a coloured ‘glass’ cockpit fitted with touch screen flying controls.

 

Escaping the generalised Mod(PE) implemented 'Raspberry Ripple' RAE colour scheme of red, white and blue, she spent all her remaining 'life' in the red & yellow, with Bedford's Flight Systems, then at Farnborough until finally moving to Boscombe Down where after retirement with QinetiQ, she was eventually scrapped in 2010.

 

Scanned from an underexposed Kodak 35mm Transparency

  

Virgin Orbit test flight of Cosmic Girl with its rocket attached under the left wing.

The plan is to launch a payload (Up to 500kg) into space by taking the rocket up with the donated 747 (From Virgin Airways), point the aircraft upwards towards space and launch the rocket. One trip around the World and then deploy the payload,

Sounds easy but it has yet to establish itself.

The rationale is that you dont need an air base, a launch pad or a big expensive rocket to get loads into space. This 747 can take off and land at any airport and without months of prior planning refuelling etc.

Lets see if it works and what impact it will have on the space delivery market.

© Kris Klop

KTUS.

3-29-24.

Photo by: Ned Harris.

Stacks of networking switches in one rack of the DETER testbed at the USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI) in Marina Del Rey, CA.

OY-APZ - Boeing B-720-051B - Conair of Scandinavia

at Copenhagen-Kastrup Airport (CPH) in Sept. 1984

 

c/n 18.384 - built in 1951

operated by TWA and later by Northwest Airlines -

operated by Maersk Air from 01/1973 -

leased to Conair between 02/1981 and 12/1987-

this aircraft was used as a flying engine testbed between 1988 and 2008 by Allied Signal / Honeywell International as N720GT and N720H -

broken-up 06/2008 (was the last airworthy 720 in the United States)

 

scanned from Kodachrome-slide

Airbus A220-300

[Bombardier Aerospace 'CSeries' CS300 (BD-500-1A11)]

MSN 55002

C-FFDO [Airbus S.A.S. livery]

 

C Series Aircraft Limited Partnership (CSALP)

 

A380-841

MSN 006

9H-MIP ['Save the coral reefs - whose side are you on?' decals 2018]

 

Hi fly Malta (Hi Fly Malta Ltd)

HFM 5M

 

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