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Original pencil drawing with blue color pencil shading, of an 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper sailing down to the ground with an open parachute, drawn around 1960. Drawing was stuck inside of a 1960 82nd Airborne yearbook by U.S. Army airborne soldier A. Schubert, while he was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC, in 1960 during the Cold War era (circa 1960).
From Folder 2, 1960 82nd Airborne Jump Log Yearbook, CLDW 71, Cold War Papers, Military Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.
Fehler bitte melden. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob alle Angaben richtig sind.
Displaying errors. I am not shure if all given informations are correct.
Aeronauticum, Nordholz (2015) - Germany
VFW-Fokker 614, 17+02 ('D-AXDB')
First flight 13.06.1977 as D-BABR. Used by the german air Force as 17+02. Later used 17+02 / D-AXDB.
Withdrawn from service 30.09.1998
In september 2003 transferred to Nordholz by ship and truck.
Photo selection
The F-104 was a great aircraft design. It had its problems, but it epitomized to me what a modern fighter should look like. I also loved the fact that it was often left in its unpainted condition, showing off the metal skin. It looked dangerous and fast, something any hot-shot pilot would want to fly.
“DYNA SOAR GLIDER RE-ENTERING EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE – This is a Boeing artist’s impression of how the Dyna Soar manned space glider will look when it re-enters the earth’s atmosphere after a flight into space. Leading edges of the craft will glow from the heat created by the friction of the vehicle passing into the atmosphere. Dyna Soar will be boosted into space by a modified Titan intercontinental ballistic missile. After being separated from its booster, the glider will be left in piloted, near orbital flight. Its pilot later could glide to a conventional landing at an Air Force base. The Boeing Company, under supervision of the Air Force, is prime contractor for the system and the glider. The Martin Company is prime contractor for the Titan booster.
--Boeing Airplane Company Photo”
Artwork by Warren McCallister. Another huge WIN!:
projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-of-sword-dyn...
Credit: MOONBASE CENTRAL website
This photo and an excellent article at:
pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a722/d4455ab5ad4637e0addeee1338d...
Credit: Semantic Scholar website/"Crosslink: The Aerospace Corporation magazine of advances in aerospace technology, Winter 2003/2004" issue
Photo featured in the December 1960 issue of USAF magazine “AEROSPACE SAFETY”:
books.google.com/books?id=PjI8uoezsGAC&pg=RA11-PA4&am...
Credit: Google Books website
The Westland Wessex was a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky H-34. It was developed and produced under license by Westland Aircraft (later Westland Helicopters). One of the main changes from Sikorsky's H-34 was the replacement of the piston-engine powerplant with a turboshaft engine; the Wessex was the first large mass-produced helicopter designed around use of a gas turbine engine. Early models were powered by a single Napier Gazelle engine, while later builds used a pair of de Havilland Gnome engines.
The Wessex was initially produced for the Royal Navy (RN) and later for the Royal Air Force (RAF); a limited number of civilian aircraft were also produced, as well as some export sales. The Wessex operated as an anti-submarine warfare and utility helicopter; it is perhaps best recognised for its use as a search and rescue (SAR) helicopter. The type entered operational service in 1961, and had a service life in excess of 40 years before being retired in Britain.
The Wessex was first used by the Royal Navy, which introduced the Wessex HAS.1 to operational service in 1961. Having been satisfied by the favourable initial performance of the Wessex but seeking to improve its avionics and equipment, the Navy soon pressed for the development of the improved HAS.3, which came into service in 1967. Operationally, younger models would be assigned to perform the key anti-submarine warfare and commando transport missions, while older and less capable models would be typically be assigned to land bases for search and rescue (SAR).
The RAF became an operator of the Wessex in 1962 those helicopters used for air-sea or mountain rescue duties helped make the Wessex a particularly well known aircraft of the service and contributed to the saving of many lives during its time in service. As one of the RAF's standing duties, multiple Wessex helicopters were permanently kept on standby to respond to an emergency located anywhere within 40 miles of the British coastline within 15 minutes during daytime, at night hours this response time was decreased to 60 minutes. SAR-tasked Wessex helicopters were also stationed abroad, such as at Cyprus. The qualities of the Wessex were described as being "ideal for mountain flying".
The Wessex often found itself being used on the battlefield as a utility transport; as well as delivering supplies and equipment, the Wessex could also transport small groups of troops. Operationally, the Wessex could lift less than the RAF's Bristol Belvedere helicopters, but was more robust and required less maintenance; thus, when the Belvedere was retired at the end of the 1960s, Wessex squadrons were often tasked with their former duties in support of the British Army on an ad-hoc basis. In large-scale helicopter assault operations, the type could be escorted by the RAF's Hawker Siddeley Harriers. The HC.4 variant of the Westland Sea King began to replace the Wessex in this capacity from the late 1970s onwards, although troop-carrying missions would continue into the late 1990s.
The Wessex's service career featured long-term deployments to both Hong Kong and Northern Ireland to support internal security operations, performing transport and surveillance missions. In Northern Ireland, the use of helicopters for supply missions proved a viable alternative to vulnerable road convoys; operations in this theatre led to the employment of various defensive equipment and countermeasures against the threat posed by small arms and man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).
Wessex helicopters were also used by the Queen's Flight of the RAF to transport VIPs including members of the British Royal Family in this role, the helicopters were designated HCC.4 and were essentially similar to the HC.2, differences included an upgraded interior, additional navigation equipment and enhanced maintenance programmes. Both Prince Philip and Prince Charles were trained Wessex pilots, occasionally they would perform as flying crew members in addition to being passengers on board the VIP services. The Wessex was replaced in this role by a privately leased Sikorsky S-76 in 1998.
Fehler bitte melden. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob alle Angaben richtig sind.
Displaying errors. I am not shure if all given informations are correct.
Constructed by the Nazis, this former military area near Berlin is a ghost town today. Back then, this was a restricted zone, and soldiers made sure no civilian came near the place. And today? Still a restricted zone. But at least you will not get shot anymore if you try to enter the area. Planned by the Kaiser, greatly extended by the Nazis and mostly used by the Red Army this military area was home to soldiers from three different empires. When the last units moved out 25 years ago, they left behind deserted buildings everywhere. Although the Soviet army was taking everything with them, there are still traces that remind you of the everyday life behind the Iron Curtain. Join this exploration on YouTube to see what is left of what used to be the biggest military training area in the country: youtu.be/XNqYgaCqzEA
The Kelvedon Nuclear Bunker
Hidden in a wood off the A128 Ongar - Brentwood Road, is a small bungalow which hides a big secret. Behind it lies a three floored bunker complex in which 600 people would have been confined behind blast proof doors in the event of a nuclear war.
The deep, 125 foot, bunker was built in 1952/3 as part of Rotor, an urgent government building programme to improve Britain's air defence network. The bunker was the Sector Operations Command for the RAF Fighter Command. Known as SOC - R4, it was to provide command and control of the London Sector of Fighter Command.
Once into the bungalow, it leads to a 100 yard tunnel before you are in the bunker itself. Above you are two more floors, the 'hill' which covers it, and a radio mast, one of two, which would have been vital for communications.
The reason for the bunker was to take on a far more potentially catastrophic role in the 1960's. Because of the threat of nuclear war the bunker became the regional government bunker for London. The aim of the bunker was that it was to be one of the government administration centres communicating with the many other smaller bunkers situated throughout the country, organising the country after a nuclear attack.
The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen is a British twin-engine, twin boom-tailed, two-seat jet fighter flown by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during the 1950s through the early 1970s. The Sea Vixen was designed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company during the late 1940s at its aircraft factory in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. It was developed from an earlier first generation jet fighter, and the Sea Vixen was a carrier-based fleet air-defence fighter that served into the 1970s. Initially produced by de Havilland, it was later called the Hawker Siddeley Sea Vixen after the de Havilland Company was absorbed by the Hawker Siddeley Corporation in the year 1960.
The Sea Vixen had the distinction of being the first British two-seat combat aircraft to achieve supersonic speed, albeit not in level flight. Operating from British aircraft carriers, it was used in combat over Tanganyika and over Yemen during the Aden Emergency. In 1972, the Sea Vixen was phased out in favour of the American-made McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 interceptor.
Beautiful 1958 North American Aviation (NAA) artist's concept of an X-15 launch, a moment after release from its Boeing B-52 mothership. The work was probably meant to coincide with the vehicle's initial rollout the same year.
The image was featured on the cover of U. S. Air Force Fact Sheet No. 8-65, “X-15.”
See also:
e05.code.blog/2025/01/13/255-grc-1958-c-49075/
Credit: numbers station blog
Another gorgeous work by the same artist, D. E. Wilson:
www.afapo.hq.af.mil/Global/ArtLibrary/1963.080.jpg
Credit: The United States Air Force Art Collection website
Fehler bitte melden. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob alle Angaben richtig sind.
Displaying errors. I am not shure if all given informations are correct.
The United Kingdom bought versions based on the U.S. Navy's F-4J for use with the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. The main differences were the use of the British Rolls-Royce Spey engines and of British-made avionics. The RN and RAF versions were given the designation F-4K and F-4M respectively, and entered service with the British military aircraft designations Phantom FG.1 (fighter/ground attack) and Phantom FGR.2 (fighter/ground attack/reconnaissance). Initially, the FGR.2 was used in the ground attack and reconnaissance role, primarily with RAF Germany, while 43 Squadron was formed in the air defence role using the FG.1s that had been intended for the Fleet Air Arm for use aboard HMS Eagle. The superiority of the Phantom over the English Electric Lightning in terms of both range and weapon load, combined with the successful introduction of the SEPECAT Jaguar, meant that, during the mid-1970s, most of the ground attack Phantoms in Germany were redeployed to the UK to replace air defence Lightning squadrons. A second RAF squadron, 111 Squadron, was formed on the FG.1 in 1979 after the disbandment of 892 NAS.
In 1982, during the Falklands War, three Phantom FGR2s of No. 29 Squadron were on active Quick Reaction Alert duty on Ascension Island to protect the base from air attack. After the Falklands War, 15 upgraded ex-USN F-4Js, known as the F-4J(UK) entered RAF service to compensate for one interceptor squadron redeployed to the Falklands.
Around 15 RAF squadrons received various marks of Phantom, many of them based in Germany. The first to be equipped was No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Coningsby in August 1968. One noteworthy operator was No. 43 Squadron where Phantom FG1s remained the squadron equipment for 20 years, arriving in September 1969 and departing in July 1989. During this period the squadron was based at Leuchars.
The interceptor Phantoms were replaced by the Panavia Tornado F3 from the late 1980s onwards, and the last British Phantoms were retired in October 1992 when No. 74 Squadron was disbanded.
Der M48 Patton ist ein Kampfpanzer der Zeit des Kalten Krieges aus US-amerikanischer Produktion. In verschiedenen Versionen wird er noch heute in einigen Staaten des westlichen Einflussbereiches verwendet. Die offizielle Bezeichnung des Army Department war: „M48 Medium Tank – 90 mm Gun“. Benannt ist das Fahrzeug nach General George S. Patton, dem Kommandeur der Third United States Army während des Zweiten Weltkriegs und auf alliierter Seite einem der ersten Befürworter von massiven Panzereinsätzen.
In der US Army wurden die M48A5 als letzte Ausführung dieses Modells durch den M60 ersetzt; seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre sind die M48 in den Vereinigten Staaten nicht mehr im Dienst. Die zuletzt bei der Heimatschutztruppe der Bundeswehr eingesetzten M48A2C wurden ersatzlos ausgemustert, die M48A2GA2 durch den Leopard 2 ersetzt.
Bereits im Jahre 1947 forderte das US-Militär eine längerfristige Lösung für die Beschaffung eines Kampfpanzers der 30-Tonnen-Klasse mit einer 90-mm-Kanone. Die seit 1944/45 im Einsatz stehenden Kampfpanzer M26 Pershing sowie das Nachfolgemodell M46 entsprachen wegen ihrer geringen Motorleistung und ihrer sonstigen Schwächen nicht mehr den Anforderungen. Die seit 1951 hergestellten Kampfpanzer vom Typ M47 waren von Anfang an nur als Zwischenlösung betrachtet worden. Unmittelbar nach dem Produktionsbeginn für den M47 begannen bereits im Oktober 1951 im Arsenal von Detroit die Entwicklungsarbeiten für einen Nachfolger. Im Dezember des gleichen Jahres erhielt Chrysler den Auftrag zum Bau von sechs Prototypen mit der Bezeichnung T48. Noch bevor Chrysler die Prototypen fertig hatte, erging bereits der Auftrag für die ersten Baulose (zunächst ebenfalls an Chrysler), dem im Jahr darauf weitere Aufträge an die Firmen Ford Motor Company und Fisher Body Division (eine Tochter von General Motors) folgten. Die Auslieferung des nunmehr M48 genannten Fahrzeugs begann im Jahre 1952.
1954 erfolgte die Vergabe eines weiteren Bauloses an Chrysler.
Den Bauauftrag für den M48A2 erhielt im Jahre 1955 das Unternehmen „Alco Products“ in Schenectady (New York). Der Stückpreis betrug zu diesem Zeitpunkt 250.000 US-Dollar, womit er um 35.000 US-Dollar teurer war als sein Nachfolger M60 fünfzehn Jahre später.
1960 bemängelte eine Kontrollkommission inzwischen festgestellte gravierende Fehler an dem Fahrzeug, die nicht erkannt worden waren, da kein Truppenversuch stattgefunden hatte.
1975 wurde mit der Kampfwertsteigerung von 500 M48A3 zu M48A5 begonnen. Diese Fahrzeuge waren ausschließlich für die Nationalgarde bestimmt und wurden auch nur dort eingesetzt. Insgesamt wurden 2067 Panzer zur Version A5 umgerüstet. Diese Aktion war 1980 beendet.
Von 1952 bis 1959 (nach anderen Angaben in den Jahren 1952 bis 1960) wurden fast 12.000 Stück aller Varianten gebaut. Die Modelle M48 / M48A1 / M48C / M48A2 / M48A2C verwendeten einen Benzinmotor, dessen ausgesprochen hoher Kraftstoffverbrauch (im günstigsten Fall 6 Liter pro Kilometer) für einen nicht zufriedenstellenden Fahrbereich sorgte. Bereits 1959 begann die Entwicklung eines Dieselmotors, der ab 1963 in die M48A3-Modelle (Umbauten verschiedener älterer M48-Typen) eingebaut wurde.
Eine Vielzahl von Staaten bestellten die Fahrzeuge für ihre Panzertruppen, darunter auch Deutschland (ab 1956), Israel, Pakistan, Spanien, Taiwan und die Türkei.
Quelle: Wikipedia
XM655 is an Avro Vulcan B Mk2, and the youngest Vulcan in existence (the third to last produced; XM656 and XM657 have both been scrapped). Delivered to 9 squadron at RAF Cottesmore in November 1964, she tranferred to the Waddington Wing in January 1968. She then served with 101 and 44 squadrons, and was with 50 squadron when she was put up for disposal in late 1983. She was bought by businessman Roy Jacobsen who had hopes to fly her on the airshow circuit.
She was the first Vulcan “civilianised” and was flown in to Wellesbourne Mountford about a week after a Cat 3 Check, on the 11th of February 1984. Hundreds of people were there to watch her arrive. She had flown only 5,744 hours, making her a very viable proposition for taking to the air once more. However, the Civil Aviation Authority made it clear that the aircraft would not be flying again without stringent conditions being satisfied. While efforts at funding the work necessary were begun and the aircraft was put on the civil register as G-VULC, little real progress was made. A plan to fly the aircraft in America got as far as registering the aircraft on the American civil register as N655AV but no further. After two years Roy Jacobsen lost interest in XM655 and bought another Vulcan (XL426) which was delivered to Southend. Parking fees were mounting at Wellesbourne and after a number of years the airfield owners took Jacobsen to court to recover them. The result was that the ownership of the aircraft passed to Wellesbourne Airfield.
XM655 had stood without attention for so long that she was in quite poor condition. Ten years of neglect had finally put paid to any lingering hopes of her ever flying again. At one stage she had been broken into, the cockpit instrumentation vandalised and the co-pilot’s control column removed with a hacksaw. The wingtip panels were also damaged at some point. With the transfer of ownership however, the future began looking brighter.
The Delta Engineering Association was formed to look after XM655 and they made it clear from the outset that their intention was to get her into ground running condition only. The aircraft was gradually brought back to life – all the hydraulics were overhauled, the damage to the cockpit was repaired and a number of engine runs undertaken.
Delta moved from Wellesbourne to Kemble in March 1996, and after the brief and unhappy existence and demise of the XM655 Association, the volunteers remaining at Wellesbourne decided that the best way forward would be a properly constituted membership organisation to look after XM655. As a result the 655 Maintenance and Preservation Society (655MaPS) was formed in late 1998.
Thanks to the generosity of Wellesbourne Airfield and with funds provided by the society’s members and other donors, 655MaPS have been able to assemble an impressive collection of workshops, storage units and ground equipment to support and service XM655.
The rear spar has been inspected and found to be in excellent condition. XM655 now has fuel in her tanks at all times to keep the system and the seals ‘wet’. All the aircraft systems are powered up and exercised regularly.
The aircraft has been repainted several times to keep the inevitable corrosion of the more than 50 year old structure under control, the flying control surfaces (elevons and rudder) have been reskinned, the jet pipe end caps have been replaced and the three engines with the longest running hours have been removed, opened, inspected and re-installed.
Engine ground runs (EGRs) are carried out approximately every three months, together with slow taxi runs to ensure the steering and braking systems are functional. Once each year, usually in June, XM655 takes part in Wellesbourne Wings and Wheels, which is our major public event of the year. Reports of past events can be found on the Taxi Runs page, and details of the next event are on the Events page.
XM655 is virtually complete in terms of installed equipment, with the H2S Radar, the Terrain Following Radar (TFR) and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems all still in-place, as well as the complete suite of Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) equipment. The only notable item missing when XM655 left RAF service was the in-flight refuelling probe; not surprising considering the world-wide hunt for serviceable probes which had occurred during the Falklands conflict a couple of years earlier. Eventually, a replacement probe was obtained and installed, and XM655 regained her familiar profile.
Scanned C41 negatives from a visit to the Naval Warfare Museum in Gdinya, Poland during 1991. These aircraft are mostly still there!
Fehler bitte melden. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob alle Angaben richtig sind.
Displaying errors. I am not shure if all given informations are correct.
SOXMIS - Soviet Commander's Liaison Mission to HQ BAOR, was established with Western Allies' equivalents; La Mission Militaire Francaise de Liaison (MMFL), U.S. Military Liaison Mission (USMLM), and our British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany (BRIXMIS), the latter being established in 1946 under the terms of the Robertson-Malinin Agreement.
Basically overt spying organisations, they had the right to tour around East Germany (French, British American missions) and West Germany (SOXMIS) in the former zones of occupation.
SOXMIS were based at Buende near Herford, and a team of RMP fast pursuit drivers was tasked to shadow them whenever they left their compound, nicknamed "white mice" after the colour of their pursuit cars. These were referred to as SOXMIS Pursuit Vehicles (SPVs) earning them the nickname of Spectre Pursuit Vehicles. Since SOXMIS' task was to observe, photograph and spy on Allied military activity (as did the other missions in East Germany), soldiers had to be aware of their possible presence, especially on exercises and particularly in areas permanently barred to SOXMIS (Permanently Restricted Areas - PRAs) or temporarily closed to them due to a sensitive exercise (Temporary Restricted Areas - TRAs). Every serviceman in BAOR was issued with one of these cards with the reporting procedure for sightings. One soldier in my battalion, the Royal Regiment of Wales in the 1970s, was so paranoid about SOXMIS that he was constantly reporting imagined sightings, earning the nickname "Soxmis".
Der M48 Patton ist ein Kampfpanzer der Zeit des Kalten Krieges aus US-amerikanischer Produktion. In verschiedenen Versionen wird er noch heute in einigen Staaten des westlichen Einflussbereiches verwendet. Die offizielle Bezeichnung des Army Department war: „M48 Medium Tank – 90 mm Gun“. Benannt ist das Fahrzeug nach General George S. Patton, dem Kommandeur der Third United States Army während des Zweiten Weltkriegs und auf alliierter Seite einem der ersten Befürworter von massiven Panzereinsätzen.
In der US Army wurden die M48A5 als letzte Ausführung dieses Modells durch den M60 ersetzt; seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre sind die M48 in den Vereinigten Staaten nicht mehr im Dienst. Die zuletzt bei der Heimatschutztruppe der Bundeswehr eingesetzten M48A2C wurden ersatzlos ausgemustert, die M48A2GA2 durch den Leopard 2 ersetzt.
Bereits im Jahre 1947 forderte das US-Militär eine längerfristige Lösung für die Beschaffung eines Kampfpanzers der 30-Tonnen-Klasse mit einer 90-mm-Kanone. Die seit 1944/45 im Einsatz stehenden Kampfpanzer M26 Pershing sowie das Nachfolgemodell M46 entsprachen wegen ihrer geringen Motorleistung und ihrer sonstigen Schwächen nicht mehr den Anforderungen. Die seit 1951 hergestellten Kampfpanzer vom Typ M47 waren von Anfang an nur als Zwischenlösung betrachtet worden. Unmittelbar nach dem Produktionsbeginn für den M47 begannen bereits im Oktober 1951 im Arsenal von Detroit die Entwicklungsarbeiten für einen Nachfolger. Im Dezember des gleichen Jahres erhielt Chrysler den Auftrag zum Bau von sechs Prototypen mit der Bezeichnung T48. Noch bevor Chrysler die Prototypen fertig hatte, erging bereits der Auftrag für die ersten Baulose (zunächst ebenfalls an Chrysler), dem im Jahr darauf weitere Aufträge an die Firmen Ford Motor Company und Fisher Body Division (eine Tochter von General Motors) folgten. Die Auslieferung des nunmehr M48 genannten Fahrzeugs begann im Jahre 1952.
1954 erfolgte die Vergabe eines weiteren Bauloses an Chrysler.
Den Bauauftrag für den M48A2 erhielt im Jahre 1955 das Unternehmen „Alco Products“ in Schenectady (New York). Der Stückpreis betrug zu diesem Zeitpunkt 250.000 US-Dollar, womit er um 35.000 US-Dollar teurer war als sein Nachfolger M60 fünfzehn Jahre später.
1960 bemängelte eine Kontrollkommission inzwischen festgestellte gravierende Fehler an dem Fahrzeug, die nicht erkannt worden waren, da kein Truppenversuch stattgefunden hatte.
1975 wurde mit der Kampfwertsteigerung von 500 M48A3 zu M48A5 begonnen. Diese Fahrzeuge waren ausschließlich für die Nationalgarde bestimmt und wurden auch nur dort eingesetzt. Insgesamt wurden 2067 Panzer zur Version A5 umgerüstet. Diese Aktion war 1980 beendet.
Von 1952 bis 1959 (nach anderen Angaben in den Jahren 1952 bis 1960) wurden fast 12.000 Stück aller Varianten gebaut. Die Modelle M48 / M48A1 / M48C / M48A2 / M48A2C verwendeten einen Benzinmotor, dessen ausgesprochen hoher Kraftstoffverbrauch (im günstigsten Fall 6 Liter pro Kilometer) für einen nicht zufriedenstellenden Fahrbereich sorgte. Bereits 1959 begann die Entwicklung eines Dieselmotors, der ab 1963 in die M48A3-Modelle (Umbauten verschiedener älterer M48-Typen) eingebaut wurde.
Eine Vielzahl von Staaten bestellten die Fahrzeuge für ihre Panzertruppen, darunter auch Deutschland (ab 1956), Israel, Pakistan, Spanien, Taiwan und die Türkei.
Quelle: Wikipedia
The Jaguar programme began in the early 1960s, in response to a British requirement (Air Staff Target 362) for an advanced supersonic jet trainer to replace the Folland Gnat T1 and Hawker Hunter T7, and a French requirement (ECAT or École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique, "Tactical Combat Support Trainer") for a cheap, subsonic dual role trainer and light attack aircraft to replace the Fouga Magister, Lockheed T-33 and Dassault Mystère IV. In both countries several companies tendered designs: BAC, Hunting, Hawker Siddeley and Folland in Britain; Breguet, Potez, Sud-Aviation, Nord, and Dassault from France. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in May 1965 for the two countries to develop two aircraft, a trainer based on the ECAT, and the larger AFVG (Anglo-French Variable Geometry)
Cross-channel negotiations led to the formation of SEPECAT (Société Européenne de Production de l'Avion d'École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique – the "European company for the production of a combat trainer and tactical support aircraft") in 1966 as a joint venture between Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation to produce the airframe. Though based in part on the Breguet Br.121, using the same basic configuration and an innovative French-designed landing gear, the Jaguar was built incorporating major elements of design from BAC – notably the wing and high lift devices.
Production of components would be split between Breguet and BAC, and the aircraft themselves would be assembled on two production lines; one in the UK and one in France, To avoid any duplication of work, each aircraft component had only one source. The British light strike/tactical support versions were the most demanding design, requiring supersonic performance, superior avionics, a cutting edge nav/attack system of more accuracy and complexity than the French version, moving map display, laser range-finder and marked-target seeker (LRMTS). As a result, the initial Br.121 design needed a thinner wing, redesigned fuselage, a higher rear cockpit, and after-burning engines. While putting on smiling faces for the public, maintaining the illusion of a shared design, the British design defacto departed from the French sub-sonic Breguet 121 to such a degree that it was for all intents and purposes a new design.
A separate partnership was formed between Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca to develop the Adour afterburning turbofan engine. The Br.121 was proposed with Turbomeca's Tourmalet engine for ECAT but Breguet preferred the RR RB.172 and their joint venture would use elements of both. The new engine, which would be used for the AFVG as well, would be built in Derby and Tarnos.
Previous collaborative efforts between Britain and France had been complicated – the AFVG programme ended in cancellation, and controversy surrounded the development of the supersonic airliner Concorde. Whilst the technical collaboration between BAC and Breguet went well, when Dassault took over Breguet in 1971 it encouraged acceptance of its own designs, such as the Super Étendard naval attack aircraft and the Mirage F1, for which it would receive more profit, over the Anglo-French Jaguar.
The initial plan was for Britain to buy 150 Jaguar "B" trainers, with its strike requirements being met by the advanced BAC-Dassault AFVG aircraft, with France to buy 75 "E" trainers (école) and 75 "A" single-seat strike attack aircraft (appui). Dassault favoured its own Mirage G aircraft above the collaborative AFVG, and in June 1967, France cancelled the AFVG on cost grounds. This left a gap in the RAF's planned strike capabilities for the 1970s at the same time as France's cancellation of the AFVG, Germany was expressing a serious interest in the Jaguar, and thus the design became more oriented towards the low-level strike role.
The RAF had initially planned on a buy of 150 trainers; however, with both TSR2 and P.1154 gone, the RAF were looking increasingly hard at their future light strike needs and realizing that they now needed more than just advanced trainers with some secondary counter insurgency capability. The RAF's strike line-up was at this point intended to consist of American F-111s plus the AFVG for lighter strike purposes. There was concern that both F-111 and AFVG were high risk projects and with the French already planning on a strike role for the Jaguar, there was an opportunity to introduce a serious backup plan for the RAF's future strike needs - the Jaguar.
While the RAF had initially planned to buy 150 trainers, the TSR2 and p.1154 were gone, and believing that both the US F-111 and AFVG were high-risk programs, and with the French already planning a strike role for their Jaguar, the MOD suddenly realized they were in bad need of a new light strike aircraft capable of delivering tactical nuclear weapons. As a result, by October 1970, the RAF's requirements had changed to 165 single-seat strike aircraft and 35 trainers.
The Jaguar was to replace the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 in the close air support, tactical reconnaissance and tactical strike roles, freeing the Phantom to be used for air defence. Both the French and British trainer requirements had developed significantly, and were eventually fulfilled instead by the Alpha Jet and Hawker Siddeley Hawk respectively. The French, meanwhile, had chosen the Jaguar to replace the Aeronavale's Dassault Étendard IV, and increased their order to include an initial 40 of a carrier-capable maritime version of the Jaguar, the Jaguar M, for the Aeronavale. From these apparently disparate aims would come a single and entirely different aircraft: relatively high-tech, supersonic, and optimised for ground-attack in a high-threat environment.
Fehler bitte melden. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob alle Angaben richtig sind.
Displaying errors. I am not shure if all given informations are correct.
▪︎SEPECAT Jaguar GR.3 Tactical Strike and Support Aircraft▪︎
This Jaguar Jet was part of 16th squadron based at RAF Coltishall.
When withdrawn from service it was repainted and became a gate guard at RAF Shoreham unfil 2017.
It is now privally owned by a local Farmer.
Please do take photos, but be respectful.
There is also a Honesty box with all donations going towards the RAF Benevolent Fund.
Link to information board – www.flickr.com/gp/139375961@N08/y2794RYyNu
The Jaguar is the Anglo-French answer to a 1965 requirement for a tactical strike and support aircraft. Should the Cold War in Europe gone hot, RAF and French Jaguar squadrons would have engaged Warsaw Pact forces in the initial phases. The advent of the Panavia Tornado and Dassault Mirage 2000D/N saw the Jaguar lose it's nuclear role and focus on precision tactical strike operations.
During the 1991 Gulf War, the Jaguar flew with The RAF and Armee del Aire, deploying precision munitions against Iraqi tanks and positions. During the Cenapa War in South America, Ecuadorian Jaguars acted in an air superiority role. The Jaguar flew with NATO forces in the Balkans and in Kosovo. India, the largest export customer for the Jaguar, took their fleet into combat during the Kargil war with Pakistan.
France retired her Jaguar fleet in 2005, with the RAF following in April, 2007. Ecuador's fleet of Jaguars remains in storage for economic reasons. Oman continues to operate the Jaguar and will until the selection and delivery of a new fighter occurs. India will continue to operate the Jaguar for considerable time, with new units ordered as recent as 2002.
▪︎Country of Origin: France/UK
▪︎First Flight: 1968
▪︎Initial Service Date: 1973
▪︎No. Built: 543
▪︎No. In Service: 0
▪︎Crew: 1
▪︎Power: 2 x Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca Adour Mk. 102 turbofans at 8,249lbf
▪︎No. of Hardpoints: 5
▪︎Weapons: Two 30mm ADEN cannons or DEFA cannons, with 150 rounds per gun.
Eight Matra rocket pods with 18 SNEB 68mm rockets each.
Two AIM-9 'Sidewinder's' OR Matra R550 'Magic's' on over-wing pylons.
10,000lbs of bombs, reconnaissance pods, Drop tanks or the AS-37 'Martel' missile.
(Previous RAF versions of the Jaguar were able to carry the WE.177 tactical nuclear weapon).
▪︎Length: 55ft. 3in
▪︎Wing Span: 28.51in
▪︎Wing Area: 258sq/ft
▪︎Height: 16ft. 1in
▪︎Empty Weight: 15,400lbs
▪︎Max Weight: 34,600lbs
▪︎Ordnance Load: 10,000lbs
▪︎Max Payload: 19,200lbs.
Information sourced from – AIRFIGHTERS.COM - Sepecat Jaguar GR3 Aircraft Data & History share.google/mN4TrFnzYTEeT1LZj
Scanned C41 negatives from a visit to the Naval Warfare Museum in Gdinya, Poland during 1991. These aircraft are mostly still there!
Iconic American Bomber from the cold war. Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, AZ. Literally 1000s of airplanes scattered over several acres. Well worth the trip if you are in Tucson. For scale, I'm standing by the landing gear.
Hawker Hunter XG194 was delivered to the RAF on October 3rd 1956. Flown by Air Commodore Roger Topp, C.O. of 111 Sqn, she led the 111 Sqn Black Arrows aerobatic display team during the world record 22 aeroplane loop at the 1958 Farnborough Air Show and was based at Wattisham from 1958-60.
Converted to FGA.9 in March 1965, it went on to fly with 1 Sqn at Wittering. In 1988, after a period at Cosford as a ground instructional airframe, it went to RAF North Luffenham for Explosive Ordnance training, and was painted to resemble a Soviet Sukhoi fighter for crews who would have to disarm Warsaw Pact aircraft that may have been flown to the West by a defecting pilot.
In November 2009, the dilapidated frame of XG194 was rescued from a muddy field minus ejection seat, and moved back to Wattisham to be restored to its former glory. Ex-Armourer Mike Halpin was tasked with sourcing a Martin Baker Mk 2H seat for the aircraft and, after a tireless search, located a 1951 seat in Brighton, complete with all original safety equipment. Before the seat could be fitted into the aircraft Mike deactivated all mechanisms, making it safe for static display.
The final stage of the restoration was to spray the aircraft in its aerobatic gloss-black colour, as seen while leading the 22 aeroplane loop more than 54 years ago. On 14th May 2013, his 90th birthday, Air Commodore Roger Topp, the former CO of 111 Sqn who led the team and flew the aircraft in 1958, officially unveiled XG194.
Superb ca. 1965 depiction of the Soviet Union’s manned Vostok spacecraft (top), the first to successfully sustain and return a human being in/from earth orbit, and an early Molniya, “Lightning”, (possibly “Molniya-1” series) military/communications satellite.
Artwork by the immensely talented John Desatoff, resident TRW graphic design artist/illustrator. Mr. Desatoff's works were featured in a 1968 Smithsonian Institute traveling museum/exhibition entitled “Exploring Space: Paintings by John Desatoff,” which now reside in the Institution's archives.
Rest In Peace Mr. Desatoff, and THANK YOU:
www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=john-j-...
Credit: Legacy website
The Jaguar programme began in the early 1960s, in response to a British requirement (Air Staff Target 362) for an advanced supersonic jet trainer to replace the Folland Gnat T1 and Hawker Hunter T7, and a French requirement (ECAT or École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique, "Tactical Combat Support Trainer") for a cheap, subsonic dual role trainer and light attack aircraft to replace the Fouga Magister, Lockheed T-33 and Dassault Mystère IV. In both countries several companies tendered designs: BAC, Hunting, Hawker Siddeley and Folland in Britain; Breguet, Potez, Sud-Aviation, Nord, and Dassault from France. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in May 1965 for the two countries to develop two aircraft, a trainer based on the ECAT, and the larger AFVG (Anglo-French Variable Geometry)
Cross-channel negotiations led to the formation of SEPECAT (Société Européenne de Production de l'Avion d'École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique – the "European company for the production of a combat trainer and tactical support aircraft") in 1966 as a joint venture between Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation to produce the airframe. Though based in part on the Breguet Br.121, using the same basic configuration and an innovative French-designed landing gear, the Jaguar was built incorporating major elements of design from BAC – notably the wing and high lift devices.
Production of components would be split between Breguet and BAC, and the aircraft themselves would be assembled on two production lines; one in the UK and one in France, To avoid any duplication of work, each aircraft component had only one source. The British light strike/tactical support versions were the most demanding design, requiring supersonic performance, superior avionics, a cutting edge nav/attack system of more accuracy and complexity than the French version, moving map display, laser range-finder and marked-target seeker (LRMTS). As a result, the initial Br.121 design needed a thinner wing, redesigned fuselage, a higher rear cockpit, and after-burning engines. While putting on smiling faces for the public, maintaining the illusion of a shared design, the British design defacto departed from the French sub-sonic Breguet 121 to such a degree that it was for all intents and purposes a new design.
A separate partnership was formed between Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca to develop the Adour afterburning turbofan engine. The Br.121 was proposed with Turbomeca's Tourmalet engine for ECAT but Breguet preferred the RR RB.172 and their joint venture would use elements of both. The new engine, which would be used for the AFVG as well, would be built in Derby and Tarnos.
Previous collaborative efforts between Britain and France had been complicated – the AFVG programme ended in cancellation, and controversy surrounded the development of the supersonic airliner Concorde. Whilst the technical collaboration between BAC and Breguet went well, when Dassault took over Breguet in 1971 it encouraged acceptance of its own designs, such as the Super Étendard naval attack aircraft and the Mirage F1, for which it would receive more profit, over the Anglo-French Jaguar.
The initial plan was for Britain to buy 150 Jaguar "B" trainers, with its strike requirements being met by the advanced BAC-Dassault AFVG aircraft, with France to buy 75 "E" trainers (école) and 75 "A" single-seat strike attack aircraft (appui). Dassault favoured its own Mirage G aircraft above the collaborative AFVG, and in June 1967, France cancelled the AFVG on cost grounds. This left a gap in the RAF's planned strike capabilities for the 1970s at the same time as France's cancellation of the AFVG, Germany was expressing a serious interest in the Jaguar, and thus the design became more oriented towards the low-level strike role.
The RAF had initially planned on a buy of 150 trainers; however, with both TSR2 and P.1154 gone, the RAF were looking increasingly hard at their future light strike needs and realizing that they now needed more than just advanced trainers with some secondary counter insurgency capability. The RAF's strike line-up was at this point intended to consist of American F-111s plus the AFVG for lighter strike purposes. There was concern that both F-111 and AFVG were high risk projects and with the French already planning on a strike role for the Jaguar, there was an opportunity to introduce a serious backup plan for the RAF's future strike needs - the Jaguar.
While the RAF had initially planned to buy 150 trainers, the TSR2 and p.1154 were gone, and believing that both the US F-111 and AFVG were high-risk programs, and with the French already planning a strike role for their Jaguar, the MOD suddenly realized they were in bad need of a new light strike aircraft capable of delivering tactical nuclear weapons. As a result, by October 1970, the RAF's requirements had changed to 165 single-seat strike aircraft and 35 trainers.
The Jaguar was to replace the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 in the close air support, tactical reconnaissance and tactical strike roles, freeing the Phantom to be used for air defence. Both the French and British trainer requirements had developed significantly, and were eventually fulfilled instead by the Alpha Jet and Hawker Siddeley Hawk respectively. The French, meanwhile, had chosen the Jaguar to replace the Aeronavale's Dassault Étendard IV, and increased their order to include an initial 40 of a carrier-capable maritime version of the Jaguar, the Jaguar M, for the Aeronavale. From these apparently disparate aims would come a single and entirely different aircraft: relatively high-tech, supersonic, and optimised for ground-attack in a high-threat environment.
The 'Humber Pig' is a Lightly Armoured Truck used by the British Army from the 1950's until the early 1990's. The Humber Pig saw service with the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) chiefly as an Armoured Personnel Carrier from late 1958 until early 1970. The Humber Pig became particularly well known from its presence on the streets of Northern Ireland during the worst of the Troubles.
Officially designated Truck, Armoured, 1 Ton, 4x4, the Humber Pig is based on the FV1600 Series of four wheel drive 1-ton payload Trucks manufactured for the British Army by Rootes from 1952 to 1955. The Humber Pig FV1611 is the Armoured variant of FV1601 CT Truck and the FV1612 the Armoured version of the FV1602 CT FFW Truck. As FV1609 an Armoured version was originally designed to fulfil many roles with Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, RS, REME and Infantry. The full Armoured body was fitted to fulfil the need for an Armoured Personnel Carrier until the Alvis Saracen could be delivered in numbers. The Armoured bodies were produced by J. Sankey as well as the Royal Ordnance Factories, of 3,700 Humber Trucks some 1,700 Pigs were produced.
Twenty prototype Humber Pigs FV1609A (no armoured rear roof) entered Troop trials in 1956, when these trials ended ten were issued to the RUC in October 1958. In 1960 the RUC Humber Pigs were upgraded with a rear roof to emulate the FV1611 that was then in production. The Truck chassis proved ideal for Urban Internal Security Duties, and ended up serving longer than the larger, heavier Saracens that were intended to replace them. As the Troubles in Northern Ireland escalated during the 1970's, some 487 'Army Pigs' were further modified with additional internal and external Armour during the period of September 1972 to July 1973. These were referred to as Mark II Vehicles, the last of the Mark II Humber Pigs were removed from service in the early 1990's.
Official designations :-
• FV1601, FV1602 — un-armored Cargo GS and FFW (fitted for wireless) Humber CT trucks.
• FV1609 — c1956 Prototype APC vehicle with removable rear roof, canvas roof, and removable windscreens.
• Mk 1 FV1611 and FV1612 plus FV1609 vehicles converted to Mk 1 Pig spec with fully integrated rear roof and armour. Side storage boxes in Northern Ireland to prevent terrorists from placing explosives.
• FV1620 — Humber Hornet, a dedicated converted FV1611 to Malkara missile-launching platform.
• Mk 2 FV1611 and FV1612 —Additional armour for protection against small-arms fire and rocket propelled grenades, ''barricade removers'' (heavy-duty bull bars) which enabled them to force their way through barricades erected in the streets.
Unofficial designations :-
Some vehicles were equipped with the machine gun turret from the Shorland ISPV. All below were developed for use in Northern Ireland.
• 'Flying Pig' — FV1611 with extending riot screens either side and roof.
• 'Holy Pig' — fitted with rooftop hatch surrounded by perspex screen (reference to the Popemobile)
• 'Kremlin Pig' — fitted with wire screening for protection against rocket propelled grenades (RPG-7's)
• 'Squirt Pig' — fitted with a water cannon beside driver for riot control.
• 'Foaming Pig' — fitted with a foam generator to diffuse bomb blasts.
• 'Felix Pig' — modified for bomb disposal duties.
• 'Turret Pig' — Has the machine gun from the Shortland armored vehicle installed for operation in the Armagh area.
Humber Pig (Truck, 1 Ton, Armoured, 4x4, Humber) :-
▪︎ Type :- Armoured Personnel Carrier
▪︎ Place of origin :- United Kingdom
▪︎Manufacturer :- Humber (Rootes Group) / Joseph Sankey & Sons (GKN) / Royal Ordnance Factories.
▪︎No. built :- 1,700
▪︎Variants :- Mk1, Mk2
▪︎Mass :- 4.8 ton Mk1 / 6.5 ton Mk2
▪︎Length :- 16ft 2in
▪︎Width :- 6ft 8in
▪︎Height :- 6ft 11in
▪︎Crew :- 2 + 6 (max. 8)
▪︎Main armament :- Limited fitting of 7.62×51mm L4 Light Machine Gun or .30 in 7.62×63mm Browning M1919 Machine Gun
▪︎Engine :- Rolls-Royce B60 6-cyl 4.2 litre petrol I-6 120hp
▪︎Operational range :- 250 miles
▪︎Maximum speed :- 40mph.
The Battle of the Ia Drang Valley (from November 14–18, 1965) saw the first major battle between the United States Army and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), also referred to as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA),
before the battle, the North Vietnamese Army 32nd Regt had surrounded and attacked the American Special Forces camp at Plei Me In mid-October.
The PAVN plan was not to overrun the camp, only to lure out II Corps' (ARVN) main force from Pleiku to destroy it, But the U.S. American airpower and ARVN forces helped the camp hold off The PAVN forces forced them to retreat westward. Into the Ia Drang Valley (which bordered Cambodia along the Ho Chi Minh Trail).
In the aftermath of the siege, elements of the 1st Cavalry were airlifted to Plei Me. On October 26, General William Westmoreland authorized the 1st Cavalry to take the offensive and pursue the withdrawing North Vietnamese, Beginning the Pleiku Campaign.
The 1st Cavalry Division was already one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army, seeing Combat in WW2 and Korean War. Still, by the Vietnam War, the Division Was No longer a conventional infantry unit. Instead, it had become an air assault division as the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).
To many, This was seen as a big thing as the use of helicopters on such large scales as troop carriers, cargo lift ships, medevacs, and aerial rocket artillery were never before implemented. Still, doing so freed the infantry from the tyranny of terrain to attack the enemy at the time and place of its choosing.
In 1965, The Division was transferred from Korea to Fort Benning, Georgia; shortly after that, the Division began deploying to Camp Radcliff, An Khe, Vietnam, in the Central Highlands and was equipped with the new M16 rifle, the UH-1 troop carrier helicopter, UH-1C gunships, the CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter, and the massive CH-54 Skycrane cargo helicopters With All aircraft carried insignia to indicate their Battalion and company.
On November 14, 1965, the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry of the 3rd Brigade led By Lt. Col. Hal Moore,1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) were sent by U.S. Military Command to investigate the Ia Drang Valley of the withdrawing North Vietnamese Up to that point of the pursue, contact with the North Vietnamese Army had been limited.
When Moore touched down with the men in the first wave of sixteen helicopters at LZ X-Ray near the base of the Chu Pong Massif, he found no enemy.
Moore remained cautious. With only 90 men on the ground and the next ninety at least an hour away (34 miles to Plei Me and back), he was operating lightly in a largely unexplored region that American Intelligence had suggested could be filled with a regiment of enemy forces.
During the first hour, Moore's men captured an enemy private, a boy. He informed Moore that two PAVN regiments on the mountain next to them "wanted very much to kill Americans but have not been able to find any." There were, in fact, three. At that point, Moore knew he would fight a battle for survival rather than mount a first strike. Roughly 90 minutes after landing, his forces met with enemy fire for the next three days and two nights.
Moore and his men and later 2nd Bn replacement fought for survival against a numerically superior force. Still, in the end, they could hold off and drive back mainly through the support of air power and heavy artillery bombardment, which the North Vietnamese lacked.
The battle was documented in the CBS memorable report Battle of Ia Drang Valley by Morley Safer in 1965 and the critically acclaimed book We Were Soldiers Once... And Young by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway in 1992. In 2002, Randall Wallace depicted the first part of the battle in the film We Were Soldiers starring Mel Gibson and Barry Pepper as Moore and Galloway, respectively
The (abandoned) Church of Reconciliation occupied the death strip when the wall was constructed. It was blown up in 1985 as shown in this reproduced photo.
XM655 is an Avro Vulcan B Mk2, and the youngest Vulcan in existence (the third to last produced; XM656 and XM657 have both been scrapped). Delivered to 9 squadron at RAF Cottesmore in November 1964, she tranferred to the Waddington Wing in January 1968. She then served with 101 and 44 squadrons, and was with 50 squadron when she was put up for disposal in late 1983. She was bought by businessman Roy Jacobsen who had hopes to fly her on the airshow circuit.
She was the first Vulcan “civilianised” and was flown in to Wellesbourne Mountford about a week after a Cat 3 Check, on the 11th of February 1984. Hundreds of people were there to watch her arrive. She had flown only 5,744 hours, making her a very viable proposition for taking to the air once more. However, the Civil Aviation Authority made it clear that the aircraft would not be flying again without stringent conditions being satisfied. While efforts at funding the work necessary were begun and the aircraft was put on the civil register as G-VULC, little real progress was made. A plan to fly the aircraft in America got as far as registering the aircraft on the American civil register as N655AV but no further. After two years Roy Jacobsen lost interest in XM655 and bought another Vulcan (XL426) which was delivered to Southend. Parking fees were mounting at Wellesbourne and after a number of years the airfield owners took Jacobsen to court to recover them. The result was that the ownership of the aircraft passed to Wellesbourne Airfield.
XM655 had stood without attention for so long that she was in quite poor condition. Ten years of neglect had finally put paid to any lingering hopes of her ever flying again. At one stage she had been broken into, the cockpit instrumentation vandalised and the co-pilot’s control column removed with a hacksaw. The wingtip panels were also damaged at some point. With the transfer of ownership however, the future began looking brighter.
The Delta Engineering Association was formed to look after XM655 and they made it clear from the outset that their intention was to get her into ground running condition only. The aircraft was gradually brought back to life – all the hydraulics were overhauled, the damage to the cockpit was repaired and a number of engine runs undertaken.
Delta moved from Wellesbourne to Kemble in March 1996, and after the brief and unhappy existence and demise of the XM655 Association, the volunteers remaining at Wellesbourne decided that the best way forward would be a properly constituted membership organisation to look after XM655. As a result the 655 Maintenance and Preservation Society (655MaPS) was formed in late 1998.
Thanks to the generosity of Wellesbourne Airfield and with funds provided by the society’s members and other donors, 655MaPS have been able to assemble an impressive collection of workshops, storage units and ground equipment to support and service XM655.
The rear spar has been inspected and found to be in excellent condition. XM655 now has fuel in her tanks at all times to keep the system and the seals ‘wet’. All the aircraft systems are powered up and exercised regularly.
The aircraft has been repainted several times to keep the inevitable corrosion of the more than 50 year old structure under control, the flying control surfaces (elevons and rudder) have been reskinned, the jet pipe end caps have been replaced and the three engines with the longest running hours have been removed, opened, inspected and re-installed.
Engine ground runs (EGRs) are carried out approximately every three months, together with slow taxi runs to ensure the steering and braking systems are functional. Once each year, usually in June, XM655 takes part in Wellesbourne Wings and Wheels, which is our major public event of the year. Reports of past events can be found on the Taxi Runs page, and details of the next event are on the Events page.
XM655 is virtually complete in terms of installed equipment, with the H2S Radar, the Terrain Following Radar (TFR) and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems all still in-place, as well as the complete suite of Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) equipment. The only notable item missing when XM655 left RAF service was the in-flight refuelling probe; not surprising considering the world-wide hunt for serviceable probes which had occurred during the Falklands conflict a couple of years earlier. Eventually, a replacement probe was obtained and installed, and XM655 regained her familiar profile.
Boeing B-29A-45-BN
S/N : 44-61748
Construction : 11225
G-BHDK
-Aircraft assigned to the 371st Bombardment Squadron, 307th Bomb Group, 307th Bomb Wing at Kadena AB, Okinawa in March 1952.
-Flew 105 combat missions over North Korea carrying the name "It's Hawg Wild" before the Korean armistice agreement was signed in July 1953.
-Sent to Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California as a target in November 1956.
-Donated to the Imperial War Museum by the US Navy in 1979.
-Recovered from China Lake on November 16, 1979 after being made flyable and flown to Tucson, Arizona for further restoration by Aero Services.
-On February 16, 1980, the aircraft was flown to Flint, Michigan.
-On March 2, 1980, the aircraft arrived at Duxford via Loring Air Force Base, Maine; Gander, Newfoundland; Sondestrom Fjord, Greenland; Keflavik, Iceland; and Mildenhall, UK.
-Severe corrosion was found in the bomb bay area requiring extensive repairs.
-Exterior was eventually repainted in its wartime color scheme and the aircraft was fully restored.
-On permanent indoor display at the American Air Museum, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England.
warbirds.fandom.com/wiki/B-29_(IT%27S_HAWG_WILD)_44-61748