View allAll Photos Tagged instapilot
The AC-130A Spectre is a C-130 converted to a gunship, primarily for night attacks against ground targets. To enhance its armament's effectiveness, it used various sensors, a target acquisition system, and infrared and low-light television systems. The versatile C-130 Hercules, originally designed in the 1950s as an assault transport, was adapted for a variety of missions, including weather mapping and reconnaissance, mid-air space capsule recovery, search and rescue, ambulance service, drone launching, mid-air refueling of helicopters, and as a gunship. The C-130 could transport up to 92 combat troops and their gear or 45,000 pounds of cargo. Where facilities were inadequate, the Hercules could deliver cargo by parachute or by a using a low-altitude parachute extraction system without landing.
The crew of this AC-130A Spectre gunship, named Azrael (Azrael, in the Koran, is the angel of death who severs the soul from the body) displayed courage and heroism during the closing hours of Operation Desert Storm. On Feb. 26, 1991, Coalition ground forces were driving the Iraqi army out of Kuwait. Azrael was sent to the Al Jahra highway between Kuwait City and Basrah, Iraq, to intercept the convoys of tanks, trucks, buses and cars fleeing the battle. Facing numerous enemy batteries of SA-6 and SA-8 surface-to-air missiles, and 37mm and 57mm radar-guided anti-aircraft artillery, the crew attacked the enemy skillfully, inflicting significant damage on the convoys. The crew's heroic efforts left much of the enemy's equipment destroyed or unserviceable, contributing to the defeat of the Iraqi forces. On Feb. 28, 1991, Iraq agreed to a cease-fire.
The aircraft on display was assigned to the 919th Special Operations Wing and was retired to the museum in October 1995.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Two 7.62 miniguns, plus two 20mm and two 40mm cannon
Maximum speed: 480 mph
Range: 2,500 miles
Span: 132 ft. 7 in.
Length: 96 ft. 10 in.
Weight: 124,200 lbs. maximum
Serial number: 54-1630
General Electric AN/ASQ-145 Low Light Level Television Sensor System
The Low Light Level Television Sensor (LLLTV) installed on AC-130 gunships enabled the aircrew to illuminate targets covertly during night operations. Located just in front of the 20mm guns, the LLLTV could amplify the existing light 60,000 times to produce television images as clearly as if it were noon. The crew used a laser, which was invisible to the naked eye but showed up clearly on the LLLTV, to aim the AC-130's guns with great accuracy.
The U.S. Air Force developed the Sikorsky HH-3E helicopter, nicknamed the "Jolly Green Giant," to perform combat search and rescue (CSAR) to recover downed Airmen during the Southeast Asia War. A highly modified version of Sikorsky's CH-3 transport helicopter, the HH-3E carried both armor plating and armament to protect it from hostile forces during rescues of aircrews in a combat area.
Fifty CH-3Es were converted to HH-3Es with the addition of armor, defensive armament, self-sealing fuel tanks and a rescue hoist. With a watertight hull, the HH-3E could land on water, and its large rear door and ramp permitted easy loading and unloading.
The first air-refuelable helicopter to be produced, the HH-3E's retractable fuel probe and external fuel tanks gave it a range limited only by the endurance of the aircrew. In fact, in 1967, two aerial refueled HH-3Es set the long-distance record for helicopters by flying non-stop from New York to Paris, France. This long-range capability allowed HH-3Es to conduct CSAR operations anywhere in the Southeast Asia theater of operations, and they participated in the attempt to rescue American prisoners of war from the Son Tay prison camp in 1970.
The first USAF HH-3Es arrived in Vietnam in 1967, and they operated out of Udorn Air Base, Thailand, and Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam. During the Southeast Asia War, HH-3 crewmen were awarded one Medal of Honor, twenty-four Air Force Crosses, and over 190 Silver Stars. A quarter of a century later, HH-3Es participated in OPERATION DESERT STORM, and they provided rescue support in the early years of the Space Shuttle program. The USAF retired its last HH-3Es by 1995.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew: Four (pilot, copilot, flight mechanic/engineer and gunner)
Armament: Two 7.62mm M60 machine guns
Engine: Two General Electric T58-GE-5 engines of 1,500 hp each
Maximum speed: 177 mph
Cargo: 25 passengers or 15 litters and two attendants
The C-141 Starlifter was the US Air Force’s first major jet aircraft designed to meet military standards as a troop and cargo carrier. Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) built a total of 285 C-141s, and for more than 40 years, C-141s performed numerous airlift missions for the USAF. With its great range and high speed, the Starlifter projected American military power and humanitarian efforts rapidly across the globe.
The Starlifter originated from a 1959 requirement for a fast, strategic transport aircraft that would serve as a “work horse” for moving U.S. Army troops rapidly anywhere in the world. The C-141 made its maiden flight on December 17, 1963, and the C-141A became operational in April 1965 with the 1501st Air Transport Wing at Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
During its early operational service, the C-141A demonstrated that it had the potential to transport larger cargo loads, and the USAF lengthened the C-141A’s fuselage by 23.3 feet and added aerial refueling capability. The first modified “stretch” C-141B arrived at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., in December 1979, and Lockheed completed the modification program in 1982. The additional cargo capacity of the C-141Bs gave the USAF the equivalent of 90 additional C-141As. Later modifications included strengthening the wings which added extra service life to the Starlifter. From 1997 to 2001, C-141Bs were converted to C-141Cs by the addition of advanced avionics.
In July 1986, the USAF began transferring its C-141s to Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units, and the last two Starlifters were retired from service in 2006. Over their four-decade career, Starlifters logged more than 10 million hours, including a record set in 1981 when a C-141 flew 67,000 pounds of cargo non-stop from New Jersey to Saudi Arabia, refueling three times in flight.
Hanoi Taxi -- A Symbol for a War
Although the C-141s had flown many military and humanitarian missions, none was more significant than the mission flown by the Hanoi Taxi, the aircraft on display. This C-141 (serial number 66-0177) airlifted the first American prisoners of war to freedom from Gia Lam Airport in Hanoi, North Vietnam, on Feb. 12, 1973. The Hanoi Taxi flew two missions into Hanoi, carrying out 78 POWs and two civilian returnees to the Philippines, and four missions from the Philippines to the United States, carrying 76 ex-POWs.
Afterward, the Hanoi Taxi continued flying missions around the world for three more decades and logged more than 40,000 flying hours. During its lifespan, the Hanoi Taxi underwent many changes. Originally built as a C-141A model, its fuselage was lengthened and aerial refueling capability was added in the early 1980s. The USAF redesignated it as a C-141B. Later, the aircraft had its wings strengthened and was converted to a C-141C by the installation of advanced avionics. In 2002 the Hanoi Taxi received its final programmed depot maintenance. It was also repainted as it appeared when it went to Hanoi in 1973 -- except for the Red Cross which was used to show it was carrying hospital patients. The Hanoi Taxi flew in these markings for the next four years instead of the standard paint scheme in recognition of its important history.
In May 2004 the Hanoi Taxi again tapped the timelines of history when Maj. Gen. Edward J. Mechenbier, himself a POW repatriated from Vietnam, flew it back to Vietnam to repatriate the remains of two American service members killed in action. The Hanoi Taxi was flown to the museum in May 2006.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew: Two pilots, two flight engineers and one loadmaster (one navigator added for airdrops); two flight nurses and three medical technicians added for aeromedical evacuation missions
Armament: None
Engines: Four Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-7 turbofan engines with 20,250 lbs. thrust each
Load: Either 200 troops, 155 paratroops, 103 litters and 14 seats, or 68,725 lbs. of cargo
Maximum speed: 500 mph
Range: Unlimited with in-flight refueling
The U.S. Air Force developed the Sikorsky HH-3E helicopter, nicknamed the "Jolly Green Giant," to perform combat search and rescue (CSAR) to recover downed Airmen during the Southeast Asia War. A highly modified version of Sikorsky's CH-3 transport helicopter, the HH-3E carried both armor plating and armament to protect it from hostile forces during rescues of aircrews in a combat area.
Fifty CH-3Es were converted to HH-3Es with the addition of armor, defensive armament, self-sealing fuel tanks and a rescue hoist. With a watertight hull, the HH-3E could land on water, and its large rear door and ramp permitted easy loading and unloading.
The first air-refuelable helicopter to be produced, the HH-3E's retractable fuel probe and external fuel tanks gave it a range limited only by the endurance of the aircrew. In fact, in 1967, two aerial refueled HH-3Es set the long-distance record for helicopters by flying non-stop from New York to Paris, France. This long-range capability allowed HH-3Es to conduct CSAR operations anywhere in the Southeast Asia theater of operations, and they participated in the attempt to rescue American prisoners of war from the Son Tay prison camp in 1970.
The first USAF HH-3Es arrived in Vietnam in 1967, and they operated out of Udorn Air Base, Thailand, and Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam. During the Southeast Asia War, HH-3 crewmen were awarded one Medal of Honor, twenty-four Air Force Crosses, and over 190 Silver Stars. A quarter of a century later, HH-3Es participated in OPERATION DESERT STORM, and they provided rescue support in the early years of the Space Shuttle program. The USAF retired its last HH-3Es by 1995.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew: Four (pilot, copilot, flight mechanic/engineer and gunner)
Armament: Two 7.62mm M60 machine guns
Engine: Two General Electric T58-GE-5 engines of 1,500 hp each
Maximum speed: 177 mph
Cargo: 25 passengers or 15 litters and two attendants
737-8 Female Captain Arabia Solis from Panama
26866814_2022196274715700_5119201829686607872_n
www.instagram.com/p/BefXktEF7Vx/
@arabiasolis“ Being Able to call your job your passion is succes in my eye”
#cockpit#cockpitview#femalepilot#pilot#airline#flightdeck#pilotsviews#boeing#b737#boeinglovers#instapilot#aviationgeek#aviationdaily#avgeek#instagram#instagramaviation#pilotlife#pilotseye#aircraft#airplane#passion#lovemyjob#aviationlovers
After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the US Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in the fall of 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds.
The B-52 has set numerous records in its many years of service. On January 18, 1957, three B-52Bs completed the first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft, lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes and requiring only three aerial refuelings. It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956.
In June 1965, B-52s entered combat in Southeast Asia. By August 1973, they had flown 126,615 combat sorties with seventeen B-52s lost to enemy action. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, this aircraft was flown to the Museum in November 1978.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Four .50-cal. machine guns in tail plus up to 60,000+ lbs. of conventional or nuclear bombs
Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs. thrust each
Maximum speed: 638 mph
Range: 8,338 miles unrefueled
Ceiling: 49,400 ft.
Span: 185 ft.
Length: 156 ft. 6 in.
Height: 48 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 450,000 lbs. maximum
During the early part of the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force needed an aircraft to gather information about Soviet air defense radar systems, including details like their location, range and coverage. The electronic reconnaissance RB-47H, developed from the B-47E, met this requirement, and Boeing completed the first RB-47H in 1955. Boeing produced 32 newly built RB-47Hs and converted three B-47Es into ERB-47Hs.
The RB-47H first entered service in August 1955. Over the next decade, RB-47H crews of the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (SRW) flew thousands of dangerous “ferret” missions. Flying in radio silence at night along -- and sometimes over -- the border of the Soviet Union and other communist nations, RB-47Hs collected essential intelligence about the size and capability of Soviet air defense radar networks. The need for this information and the relatively small number of RB-47Hs forced crews to spend much of their time deployed to places around the world, away from their homes at Forbes AFB, Kan. The RB-47H continued in service until the more capable RC-135 replaced it in the mid-1960s.
The museum’s RB-47H was delivered to the USAF in October 1955. The aircraft served with the 55th SRW from 1955 until its retirement in 1966. During this time, it deployed to several locations, including Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, and Yokota Air Base, Japan, and flew missions over the Soviet Union. The aircraft was acquired by the museum in 1998 from the City of Salina, Kan. After extensive restoration by museum personnel, the aircraft went on display in 2003, marked as it appeared in 1960.
The B-47 Stratojet in the Cold War
The B-47 Stratojet became an essential component of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the 1950s and early 1960s, both as a nuclear bomber and a reconnaissance aircraft. Designed to meet a 1944 requirement, the first XB-47 prototype flew in December 1947, performing far beyond its competitors. It incorporated many advanced features for the time, including swept wings, jet engines in underwing pods, fuselage mounted main landing gear and automated systems that reduced the standard crew size to three.
In May 1951 the B-47 began replacing the propeller-driven B-29s and B-50s in SAC's medium bomber units. While it could carry about the same bomb tonnage as the aircraft it replaced, the B-47's top speed was more than 200 mph faster. Since the B-47 did not have the range of SAC's heavy bombers (the B-36 and later the B-52), Stratojet units regularly deployed to forward air bases around the world on temporary duty. Initially these deployments lasted three months, but beginning in 1957 under the Reflex Action program, they were shortened to three weeks.
In addition to its role as a nuclear strike bomber, the Stratojet's speed and payload made it a useful strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Between 1952 and 1956, photographic reconnaissance B-47s conducted several overflights of the Soviet Union, providing detailed pictures of Soviet military and industrial facilities. Stratojets gathered intelligence about Soviet air defense systems and the Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile program. Weather reconnaissance versions of the B-47 not only collected weather data, but also took air samples of Soviet nuclear detonations. These essential RB-47 missions over and along the border of the Soviet Union were hazardous, and Soviet fighters damaged one reconnaissance Stratojet and shot down two, with the loss of seven USAF personnel killed and two temporarily imprisoned.
Between 1947 and 1957, Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed built over 2,000 Stratojets. At its peak use in 1958, the USAF operated 28 B-47 bomb wings and four RB-47 reconnaissance wings, totaling 1,357 B-47s and 175 RB-47s. The USAF phased out its last B-47 bombers in 1965, and the USAF retired its last Stratojet, a WB-47E, in 1969.
TECHNICAL NOTES (RB-47H):
Armament: Two 20 mm cannons in the tail
Maximum speed: 602 mph
Range: 3,935 miles (unrefueled)
Ceiling: 38,850 ft.
After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the US Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in the fall of 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds.
The B-52 has set numerous records in its many years of service. On January 18, 1957, three B-52Bs completed the first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft, lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes and requiring only three aerial refuelings. It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956.
In June 1965, B-52s entered combat in Southeast Asia. By August 1973, they had flown 126,615 combat sorties with seventeen B-52s lost to enemy action. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, this aircraft was flown to the Museum in November 1978.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Four .50-cal. machine guns in tail plus up to 60,000+ lbs. of conventional or nuclear bombs
Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs. thrust each
Maximum speed: 638 mph
Range: 8,338 miles unrefueled
Ceiling: 49,400 ft.
Span: 185 ft.
Length: 156 ft. 6 in.
Height: 48 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 450,000 lbs. maximum
The Learjet (now Bombardier Aerospace) C-21A twin turbofan-engine aircraft was the military version of the Learjet 35A business jet. It provided airlift for eight passengers and 3,153 pounds of cargo. During aeromedical evacuations, it could transport one litter patient or five ambulatory patients. The small size of the aircraft allowed quick and cost effective travel. The turbofan engines are pod-mounted on the sides of the rear fuselage, and the wings have wingtip fuel tanks.
Delivery of the C-21 fleet to the U.S. Air Force began in April 1984 and was completed in October 1985. The C-21A on display (S/N 84-0064) was one of the first three of more than 80 aircraft delivered. It deployed to Southwest Asia in support of OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and ENDURING FREEDOM. During OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM, C-21s delivered the Air Tasking Orders (ATOs) to units lacking the ability to receive these daily orders electronically. Last assigned operationally to the North Dakota Air National Guard (119th Wing, 177th Airlift Squadron), it was flight delivered to the museum in August 2013.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew: Two (pilot and co-pilot); aeromedical evacuation adds a medical crew of three (one flight nurse and two medical technicians)
Engines: Two Garrett TFE-731-2-2B turbofan engines of 3,500 lbs. thrust each
Maximum speed: 530 mph (Mach 0.81) at 41,000 ft.
Range: 2,306 miles
Ceiling: 45,000 ft.
Wingspan: 39 ft. 6 in.
Length: 48 ft. 7 in.
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor is the world's first stealthy air dominance fighter. Its radar, weapons control and electronic warfare systems work together as one integrated unit. The Raptor combines stealth, maneuverability and the ability to fly long distances at supersonic speeds -- or "supercruise" -- in performance of air superiority and air-to-ground missions. Furthermore, it requires less maintenance than older fighters.
In 1981 the U.S. Air Force needed a new air superiority fighter that would take advantage of new technologies in fighter design including composite materials, lightweight alloys, advanced flight control systems, higher power propulsion systems and stealth technology. Lockheed Martin's F-22 won the design competition in April 1991, and the rollout ceremony for the first F-22 Raptor occurred in April 1997.
The Raptor successfully completed its initial operational and test evaluation in 2004, and the program received approval for full rate production. In December 2005 operational aircraft were designated F-22As.
Production of the F-22A is a partnership between Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Pratt & Whitney. Boeing builds the Raptor's wings and aft-fuselage; the engines come from Pratt & Whitney, and Lockheed Martin builds the forward fuselage and assembles the subsections in Marietta, Ga.
On May 12, 2005, the Raptor program achieved a historic milestone with the delivery of the first combat-capable Raptor to the 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, at Langley Air Force Base, Va. In January 2006 the 27th Fighter Squadron flew the first operational mission with the F-22 in support of Operation Noble Eagle (the official name given to the defense of U.S. borders).
From the very beginning, the F-22A exceeded the USAF's expectations, and during exercises and deployments, it proved to be more than a match for any fighter opposing it.
During the highly realistic Exercise Northern Edge 2006, the F-22 proved itself against as many as 40 "enemy aircraft" during simulated battles. The Raptor pilots achieved a 108-to-zero "kill" ratio against the best F-15, F-16 and F-18 "adversaries." The stealthy F-22A also proved that it could avoid and destroy enemy surface to air missiles, and recorded an impressive 97 percent mission capability rate.
Specifically noting the Raptor's performance at Northern Edge, the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) awarded its 2006 Robert J. Collier Trophy, considered America's most prestigious award for aeronautical and space development, to the Lockheed Martin Corp.-led F-22 Raptor aircraft team "for designing, testing and operating" the Raptor. Team members included Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and BAE Systems. This amazing aircraft was described as "the most efficient and effective fighter in history, through exceptional performance and outstanding safety features."
The aircraft on display (S/N 91-4003) was one of nine F-22s built for Engineering, Manufacture and Development (EMD) testing, and it rolled off the Lockheed Martin assembly line in Georgia on May 22, 1999. Assigned to the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the aircraft made its first flight on March 6, 2000. After completing its phase in the test program, this aircraft came to the museum in January 2007. It is painted to represent an F-22A flown by the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Va.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew: One
Armament: One 20mm M-61A2 Vulcan cannon with 480 rounds; internal side weapon bays can carry two AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared missiles; and main internal weapon bays can carry either six AIM-120C radar-guided missiles (air-to-air loadout) or two AIM-120C missiles and two 1,000-lb GBU-32 JDAMs (air-to-ground loadout)
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines of approx. 35,000 lbs. thrust each with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles
Maximum speed: Approx. Mach 2.0
In 1951 Republic Aviation began a project to develop a supersonic tactical fighter-bomber to replace the F-84F. The result was the F-105 Thunderchief, later affectionately nicknamed the "Thud." The prototype YF-105A first flew in October 1955, but the first F-105D did not fly until June 1959. A total of 833 Thunderchiefs of all types were built, including 610 F-105Ds.
The U.S. Air Force sent F-105s to Southeast Asia shortly after the Tonkin Gulf incident in the summer of 1964. The USAF operated the F-105D extensively in the air campaign against North Vietnam called Rolling Thunder. Although designed as a nuclear strike aircraft, the F-105 could carry a total of over 12,000 pounds of conventional ordnance -- a heavier bomb load than a World War II B-17. The F-105 was gradually replaced by the F-4 Phantom, and the USAF withdrew the last F-105D from service in July 1980.
The aircraft on display is painted and marked as it appeared while serving in the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Takhli Royal Thai Air Base in Thailand. The nickname Memphis Belle II refers to the B-17F that carried the same artwork during WWII. The two red stars under the cockpit represent the two MiG kills it claimed during the Southeast Asia War. It arrived at the museum in April 1990.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: One M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon and more than 12,000 lbs. of ordnance
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney J75-P-19W of 24,500 lbs thrust
Maximum speed: 1,390 mph
Cruising speed: 778 mph
Range: 2,206 miles
Ceiling: 51,000 ft.
Span: 34 ft. 11 in.
Length: 64 ft. 5 in.
Height: 19 ft. 8 in.
Weight: 52,838 lbs. maximum
The U.S. Air Force acquired the HH-43 Huskie primarily for local base rescue (LBR) and fighting aircraft fires. Kaman delivered the first USAF H-43As in November 1958, and the B series followed in June 1959. In 1962 the USAF changed the H-43 designation to HH-43 to reflect the aircraft's rescue role. The final USAF version was the HH-43F with engine modifications for improved performance.
The Huskie's interesting intermeshing rotor configuration used two wooden rotors turning in opposite directions, eliminating the need for a tail rotor. Large tabs on the trailing edge of each blade warped the rotors and caused the helicopter to rise or descend.
A Huskie on rescue alert could be airborne in approximately one minute with a fire suppression kit hanging beneath. Developed at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the fire suppression kit weighed only 1,000 pounds, but it could produce almost 700 gallons of fire-fighting foam. Huskies often reached crash sites before ground vehicles arrived, and the foam from the kit plus the powerful downwash of air from the rotors opened a path for rescuers to reach trapped crash victims.
During the Southeast Asia War, the Air Rescue Service (later the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service) first used HH-43 Huskies, which became known unofficially as "Pedros" from their radio call sign. First assigned to Da Nang and Bien Hoa Air Bases in the Republic of South Vietnam and to Nakon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base in 1964, the HH-43 remained the only dedicated USAF rescue helicopter until the arrival of the HH-3 Jolly Greens in late 1965.
Flying the first USAF rescue helicopter to arrive in Southeast Asia and the last to leave, HH-43 aircrews saved more lives in combat than crews flying any other USAF helicopter. From 1966 to 1970, they performed a total of 888 combat saves -- 343 aircrew rescues and 545 non-aircrew rescues. It was an HH-43 that carried Airman 1st Class William J. Pitsenbarger on his Medal of Honor mission on April 11, 1966.
The HH-43B on display (serial number 60-0263) established seven world records in 1961-1962 for helicopters in its class for rate of climb, altitude, and distance traveled. It was assigned to rescue duty with Detachment 3, 42nd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M., prior to its retirement and flight to the museum in April 1973.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: None
Crew: Local Base Rescue (LBR)/Firefighting -- Six: Pilot, Copilot, Flight Engineer/Crew Chief, Aeromedical Technician and two Airborne Rescuemen/Firefighters; Aircrew Recovery (ACR) -- Four: Pilot, Copilot, Pararescue Jumper (PJ) and Flight Mechanic/Engineer
Engines: Lycoming T-53 of 860 hp
Maximum speed: 120 mph
Range: 185 miles
Ceiling: 25,000 feet
Rotor diameter: 47 feet
Overall Length: 47 feet
The Provider was a short-range assault transport used for airlifting troops and cargo to and from small, unprepared airstrips. The rugged C-123 became an essential part of U.S. Air Force airlift during the Southeast Asia War, where it flew primarily as an in-theater airlifter and a Ranch Hand sprayer.
Development
Designed by the Chase Aircraft Co. just after World War II, the C-123 evolved from earlier large assault glider designs. The prototype XC-123, basically a glider powered by two piston engines, made its initial flight in 1949. A second prototype was built as the unpowered XG-20 glider. Chase began manufacturing the C-123B in 1953, but the contract was transferred to Fairchild, which built about 300 C-123Bs.
Between 1966 and 1969, 184 C-123Bs were converted to C-123Ks with the addition of two J85 jet engines. These jet engines increased the C-123's payload weight by a third, shortened its takeoff distance, improved its climb rate, and gave a much greater margin of safety should one of the piston engines fail.
Service
Providers entered service with the USAF's 309th Troop Carrier Group (Assault) in 1955, and this unit conducted several practice combat landings with U.S. Army troops. Other C-123Bs and C-123Js supplied USAF sites in arctic regions from the late 1950s into the mid-1970s.
The C-123's most important service, however, was during the Southeast Asia War. In January 1962, the first of many Providers were sent to South Vietnam to start the Ranch Hand defoliant program. Shortly after, a squadron of standard C-123Bs arrived to provide mobility to the South Vietnamese Army. By the fall of 1964, there were four USAF C-123B squadrons in Vietnam flying airlift and airdrop missions.
Providers constantly flew troops and supplies to small, dirt airstrips at isolated bases in South Vietnam. Their relatively large cargo hold and excellent short field performance made them essential to holding these widely-scattered bases. The CIA's Air America also operated about 35 C-123s in Laos.
C-123s sometimes flew other types of missions. Standard Providers flew night flare dropping missions to expose enemy attacks. Specially-modified C-123s flew night operations with floodlights, radar, and night-vision equipment.
As the war in Southeast Asia wound down, the U.S. transferred some of its Providers to the South Vietnamese Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force. The remaining USAF C-123s were transferred to the Air Force Reserve, which flew them into the mid-1980s. Other operators of the Provider included the U.S. Coast Guard, the Philippines, South Korea and Venezuela.
The Museum's Aircraft: Patches
The C-123K on display saw extensive service during the Southeast Asia War as a sprayer, and Ranch Hand personnel developed a strong symbolic attachment to this aircraft. The aircraft took almost 600 hits in combat, and it was named Patches for the damage repairs that covered it. Moreover, seven of its crew received the Purple Heart for wounds received in battle.
Patches was accepted by the USAF in 1957 as a C-123B, and it went to Vietnam in 1961 to fly as a low-level defoliant sprayer. In 1965, it was redesignated to UC-123B. At about the same time, Patches became a dedicated insecticide sprayer to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and in 1968, Fairchild converted it to a UC-123K.
Patches came back to the U.S. in 1972, and served in the Air Force Reserve as a C-123K until it was retired to the museum in 1980.
TECHNICAL NOTES (C-123K):
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800s of 2,500 hp each and two General Electric J85s of 2,850 lbs. thrust each
Load: 60 fully-equipped troops, 50 stretcher patients or 24,000 lbs. of cargo
Maximum speed: 240 mph
Range: 1,825 miles
Ceiling: 28,000 ft.
During the 1991 Gulf War, military planners made the elimination of Iraq's air defenses a top priority. At the start of Operation Desert Storm (called Operation Granby by the British), Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR1 aircraft attacked Iraqi air bases at low-level with Hunting JP233 anti-runway weapons and suppressed enemy air defenses. Afterward, GR1 aircrews flew medium-level missions using 1,000-pound bombs. At the end of the conflict, they used Paveway II laser-guided bombs against other strategic targets. Flying more than 1,500 operational sorties, mostly at night, RAF GR1 aircrews played an important role in forcing the Iraqis out of Kuwait, and the RAF lost six GR1s in combat.
Development of the Tornado began in 1968, when the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy initiated a collaborative project to produce a low-level, supersonic aircraft. Panavia Aircraft, a new tri-national company established in Germany, built the variable sweep wing aircraft, and the first prototype flew on Aug. 14, 1974. Operational deliveries began in July 1980.
Tornados could carry a wide range of weapons, including the Air-Launched Anti-Radar Missile (ALARM) for the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and the Paveway II and III laser-guided bombs (LGB). The RAF also modified a number of Tornados to carry the Sea Eagle anti-shipping missile. This variant became the GR1B.
The aircraft on display flew with the RAF's 17 Squadron from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where it sported desert camouflage and the name Miss Behavin'. The aircraft is currently painted as an aircraft assigned to 617 Squadron. It came to the museum in October 2002 as a donation from the RAF.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew: Pilot and navigator in tandem seating
Armament: Two IWKA-Mauser 27mm cannon, two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and 18,000 lbs. of ordnance
Engines: Two Turbo Union RB199-103 turbofans with 15,800 lbs. thrust
Maximum speed: 1,452 mph at 36,000 ft.
Wingspan: 45 ft. 7.25 in. (wings fully spread); 28 ft. 2.5 in. (68° sweep)
Length: 54 ft. 9.5 in.
After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the US Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in the fall of 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds.
The B-52 has set numerous records in its many years of service. On January 18, 1957, three B-52Bs completed the first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft, lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes and requiring only three aerial refuelings. It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956.
In June 1965, B-52s entered combat in Southeast Asia. By August 1973, they had flown 126,615 combat sorties with seventeen B-52s lost to enemy action. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, this aircraft was flown to the Museum in November 1978.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Four .50-cal. machine guns in tail plus up to 60,000+ lbs. of conventional or nuclear bombs
Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs. thrust each
Maximum speed: 638 mph
Range: 8,338 miles unrefueled
Ceiling: 49,400 ft.
Span: 185 ft.
Length: 156 ft. 6 in.
Height: 48 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 450,000 lbs. maximum
The F-5 was a supersonic fighter that combined low cost, ease of maintenance and great versatility. The U.S. Air Force procured more than 2,000 of these aircraft for use by allied nations. The F-5, which closely resembled the USAF Northrop T-38 trainer, was suitable for various types of ground-support and aerial intercept missions, including those conducted from unpaved fields in combat areas.
The F-5 first flew in July 1959, and deliveries to the Tactical Air Command for instructing foreign pilots began in April 1964. Pilots from Iran and South Korea were the first to be trained in the F-5, followed by pilots from Norway, Greece, Taiwan, Spain and other Free World nations that adopted the F-5. A two-place combat trainer version, the F-5B, first flew in February 1964.
The YF-5A on display, one of three prototypes ordered, was delivered to the museum in 1970. It is painted as a "Shoski Tiger" of the 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, which combat tested the F-5 in Vietnam in 1965-1967. The 4503rd TFS later was redesignated the 10th Fighter (Commando) Squadron in March 1966. In October 1966 the 10th F(C)S began training South Vietnamese pilots to fly F-5s and later turned its aircraft over to the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) in June 1967.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Two 20mm cannons, rockets, missiles and 5,500 lbs. of bombs externally
Engines: Two General Electric J85s of 4,080 lbs. thrust each with afterburner
Maximum speed: 925 mph
Cruising speed: 575 mph
Range: 1,100 miles
Ceiling: 50,700 ft.
Span: 25 ft. 10 in.
Length: 47 ft. 2 in.
Height: 13 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 20,576 lbs. loaded
Serial number: 59-4989
C-124s provided heavy airlift during the Korean War and the Southeast Asia War. Other important airlifts conducted by C-124s included resupply missions to Antarctica, refugee evacuation in the Congo and mercy flights to Morocco, Chile and elsewhere throughout the world following floods and other natural disasters.
The C-124 evolved from the earlier Douglas C-74. The first flight of the C-124 took place on Nov. 27, 1949, and deliveries of C-124As began in May 1950. The U.S. Air Force bought 448 C-124s before production ended in 1955.
To facilitate cargo handling, the C-124, or "Old Shakey" as it was affectionately known, featured "clamshell" loading doors and hydraulic ramps in the nose and an elevator under the aft fuselage. It was capable of handling such bulky cargo as tanks, field guns, bulldozers and trucks. It could also be converted into a transport capable of carrying 200 fully-equipped soldiers or 127 litter patients and their attendants in its double-decked cabin.
Most C-124s were transferred to the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard by 1970, and all were released from active service in mid-1974. The aircraft on display was assigned to the 165th Tactical Airlift group of the Georgia Air National Guard following its service with the USAF. It was flown to the museum in August 1975.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Maximum speed: 320 mph
Range: 2,175 miles
Span: 174 ft. 1 in.
Length: 130 ft.
Height: 48 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 216,000 lbs. maximum
Serial number: 52-1066
B747 v3 QOTS II
KIAD | Flightbeam Studios
Addons:
Simuladores
►Prepar3d V4 64 bits
►B747 v3 QOTS II
►B777-200-300
►B737 NGX-800
►RealAir Duke turbine
__________________________________________________
PC Specs :
►Case Cosmos SE ATX
►Procesador: i7 4790K 4.5 Ghz OC Devil's Canyon
►GPU: GTX 1080 EVGA 8GB (NEW¡¡)
►Hard Drives: 4 Terabites HHD 7200 rpm
►2 SSD kingston 240GB
►Ram GSkill Sniper 16 GB Ram 2400 Mhz
►Mother Board: GigaByte Z97X-Sli
►Power Supply: HALE82 v2 700W - NZXT
►OS: Windows 10 Pro 64 bits
C-124s provided heavy airlift during the Korean War and the Southeast Asia War. Other important airlifts conducted by C-124s included resupply missions to Antarctica, refugee evacuation in the Congo and mercy flights to Morocco, Chile and elsewhere throughout the world following floods and other natural disasters.
The C-124 evolved from the earlier Douglas C-74. The first flight of the C-124 took place on Nov. 27, 1949, and deliveries of C-124As began in May 1950. The U.S. Air Force bought 448 C-124s before production ended in 1955.
To facilitate cargo handling, the C-124, or "Old Shakey" as it was affectionately known, featured "clamshell" loading doors and hydraulic ramps in the nose and an elevator under the aft fuselage. It was capable of handling such bulky cargo as tanks, field guns, bulldozers and trucks. It could also be converted into a transport capable of carrying 200 fully-equipped soldiers or 127 litter patients and their attendants in its double-decked cabin.
Most C-124s were transferred to the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard by 1970, and all were released from active service in mid-1974. The aircraft on display was assigned to the 165th Tactical Airlift group of the Georgia Air National Guard following its service with the USAF. It was flown to the museum in August 1975.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Maximum speed: 320 mph
Range: 2,175 miles
Span: 174 ft. 1 in.
Length: 130 ft.
Height: 48 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 216,000 lbs. maximum
Serial number: 52-1066
From 1964-1966, the U.S. Air Force evaluated two modified T-37 trainers, designated YAT-37Ds, as prototypes for a counter-insurgency (COIN) attack/reconnaissance aircraft to use in Southeast Asia. Following this evaluation, the USAF contracted Cessna to modify 39 T-37Bs into A-37As in 1967. Later that year, the USAF sent 25 A-37As, nicknamed "Super Tweets," to Southeast Asia for combat evaluation under the name Combat Dragon. These aircraft primarily flew close air support, night interdiction and forward air control missions in South Vietnam and southern Laos.
Based on the successful results of Combat Dragon, the USAF order newly built A-37Bs, which had cockpit armor, more powerful engines, redundant flight controls, provision for aerial refueling and a strengthened airframe. Of the 577 A-37Bs built, the USAF provided 254 to the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) to replace their aging A-1 Skyraiders. Although the A-37B served with the USAF for only a short period, a number of A-37Bs remained in use with the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard as observation/flight attack aircraft until the last one was retired in 1992.
The aircraft on display was one of the two prototype YAT-37Ds evaluated by the USAF. It was retired to the museum in December 1964. However, it was recalled to active service in August 1966 for final design testing of the urgently needed A-37 attack aircraft. This aircraft retired to the museum for a second time in July 1970 as the YA-37A.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: One 7.62mm minigun and 3,000 lbs. maximum of bombs, rockets and/or missiles
Engines: Two 2,400-lb. thrust General Electric J85s
Maximum speed: 485 mph
Cruising speed: 425 mph
Range: 270 miles with 3,000 lb. load
Ceiling: 36,000 ft.
Span: 35 ft. 10 in.
Length: 29 ft. 4 in.
Height: 8 ft. 2 in.
Weight: 11,700 lbs. maximum
Serial number: 62-5951
The F-15 is a twin-engine, high-performance, all-weather air superiority fighter. First flown in 1972, the Eagle entered U.S. Air Force service in 1974. The Eagle's most notable characteristics are its great acceleration and maneuverability. It was the first U.S. fighter with engine thrust greater than the basic weight of the aircraft, allowing it to accelerate while in a vertical climb. Its great power, light weight and large wing area combine to make the Eagle very agile.
The F-15 has been produced in single-seat and two-seat versions in its many years of USAF service. The two-seat F-15E Strike Eagle version is a dual-role fighter that can engage both ground and air targets. F-15C, -D, and -E models participated in OPERATION DESERT STORM in 1991, accounting for 32 of 36 USAF air-to-air victories and also attacking Iraqi ground targets. F-15s also served in Bosnia (1994), downed three Serbian MiG-29 fighters in OPERATION ALLIED FORCE (1999), and enforced no-fly zones over Iraq in the 1990s. Eagles also hit Afghan targets in OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, and the F-15E version performed air-to-ground missions in OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.
In 1980 the F-15A on display (S/N 76-027) was delivered to the 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and it is painted in the colors of that squadron. It was delivered to the museum in 1996.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: One M61A1 20mm Vulcan cannon, four AIM-7 Sparrows and four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, plus 15,000 lbs. of mixed ordnance carried externally
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney F-100-PW-100 engines of 25,000 lbs. thrust each
Maximum speed: Over 1,875 mph
Weight: 68,000 lbs. fully loaded
Span: 42 ft. 9 3/4 in.
Length: 63 ft. 9 in.
Height: 18 ft. 7 1/2 in.
Weight: 56,000 lbs. maximum
Introduced in August 1962, the C-130E conducted critical USAF military missions during the Southeast Asia War through Afghanistan and Iraq. It has also supported countless USAF humanitarian efforts around the globe and in all climates.
Originally designed by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) as an assault transport able to operate from unpaved airstrips, the C-130 Hercules made its first flight in August 1954. Over the next half century, the US Air Force used various versions of this versatile aircraft for aeromedical evacuation, mid-air refueling of helicopters, mid-air space capsule recovery, search and rescue, reconnaissance, as a gunship, and for many other missions.
The C-130E (serial number 62-1787) on display had a long career, including a mission in the Southeast Asia War that earned two Airmen the Air Force Cross. This aircraft was flown to the museum in August 2011.
Spare 617
This C-130E aircraft (serial number 62-1787) participated in one of the greatest feats of airmanship during the Southeast Asia War on April 15, 1972. Operating under the call sign Spare 617, the aircrew consisting of Capt. William Caldwell, pilot; Lt. John Hering, copilot; Lt. Richard A. Lenz, navigator; Tech. Sgt. Jon Sanders, flight engineer; and loadmasters Tech. Sgt. Charlie Shaub and Airman 1st Class Dave McAleece attempted to airdrop ammunition to surrounded South Vietnamese troops at An Loc.
While approaching the drop zone, Spare 617 received heavy enemy ground fire that killed Sanders and wounded Hering and Lenz, damaged two engines, ruptured a bleed air duct in the cargo compartment, and set the ammunition on fire. Shaub jettisoned the cargo pallets, which exploded in midair. Despite receiving severe burns from the hot air escaping the damaged air bleed duct, Shaub extinguished a fire in the cargo compartment. Meanwhile, Caldwell decided to head for Tan Son Nhut Air Base, which had the best medical facilities. Even though his engineer was dead and his co-pilot wounded, Caldwell closed the damaged bleed air duct, and he shut down the two damaged engines.
As Caldwell prepared to land with just two engines, the landing gear would not come down, and the wounded and badly burned Shaub directed McAleece as he hand-cranked the landing gear down using the emergency extension system. Even though a third engine lost power, Caldwell managed to land Spare 617 safely. For their efforts, Caldwell and Shaub received the Air Force Cross, the U.S. Air Force’s second highest award for valor. Shaub also received the William H. Pitsenbarger award for heroism from the Air Force Sergeants Association.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew: Five (two pilots, navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster); for aeromedical evacuation a basic crew of five (two flight nurses and three medical technicians) is added
Engines: Four Allison T56-A-7 turboprops of 4,200 hp each
Maximum load: Six pallets or 74 litters or 16 container delivery system bundles or 92 combat troops or 64 paratroopers, or any combination of these up to 42,000 lbs.
C-124s provided heavy airlift during the Korean War and the Southeast Asia War. Other important airlifts conducted by C-124s included resupply missions to Antarctica, refugee evacuation in the Congo and mercy flights to Morocco, Chile and elsewhere throughout the world following floods and other natural disasters.
The C-124 evolved from the earlier Douglas C-74. The first flight of the C-124 took place on Nov. 27, 1949, and deliveries of C-124As began in May 1950. The U.S. Air Force bought 448 C-124s before production ended in 1955.
To facilitate cargo handling, the C-124, or "Old Shakey" as it was affectionately known, featured "clamshell" loading doors and hydraulic ramps in the nose and an elevator under the aft fuselage. It was capable of handling such bulky cargo as tanks, field guns, bulldozers and trucks. It could also be converted into a transport capable of carrying 200 fully-equipped soldiers or 127 litter patients and their attendants in its double-decked cabin.
Most C-124s were transferred to the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard by 1970, and all were released from active service in mid-1974. The aircraft on display was assigned to the 165th Tactical Airlift group of the Georgia Air National Guard following its service with the USAF. It was flown to the museum in August 1975.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Maximum speed: 320 mph
Range: 2,175 miles
Span: 174 ft. 1 in.
Length: 130 ft.
Height: 48 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 216,000 lbs. maximum
Serial number: 52-1066
The MQ-9 is a long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) with a primary mission of locating and destroying time-critical and highly mobile targets. In addition to this "hunter-killer" mission, the MQ-9 also provides real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) to military commanders.
Larger and more powerful than its predecessor, the MQ-1 Predator, the MQ-9 was originally named the Predator B. However, based upon recommendations from units in the field, the U.S. Air Force officially designated it the MQ-9 Reaper to represent its lethal nature. The "M" stands for multirole, and the "Q" designates it as an RPA.
The Reaper has a 900-hp engine, compared to the Predator's 115-hp engine, and its 64-foot wingspan is 15 feet wider than the Predator. The fuselage is wider and carries more fuel, giving the Reaper a range of 3,682 miles compared to the Predator's 454 miles. With a cruising speed of about 230 mph, the MQ-9 is almost three times faster than the Predator. This greater capability allows the Reaper to have six wing stations for external payloads instead of only two like the Predator. The Reaper can carry a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 500-pound GBU-12 laser-guided bombs, 500-pound GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision-guided bombs, and various reconnaissance sensor packages.
A Reaper system consists of the aerial vehicles, a ground control station (GCS) and communication equipment. A pilot and a sensor operator operate the aircraft from a remotely located GCS. The MQ-9 aircraft can be disassembled into major components, loaded into a special container and quickly airlifted to any location around the world.
Developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. in 2000, the Predator B first flew in February 2001. After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Congress directed the Air Force to order two pre-production YMQ-9s for testing. On Oct. 17, 2003, the YMQ-9 Reaper made its first flight from the General Atomics facility in California. Because of the pressing need for an RPA with the Reaper's capabilities, the Air Force sent the two YMQ-9s to Afghanistan in 2005. The production model MQ-9 Reaper made its first flight in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM on Sept. 25, 2007.
The Reaper on display (S/N 02-4002) is one of the two pre-production YMQ-9s sent to Afghanistan. This aircraft was used for the initial weapons testing, flew 14 missions for the Department of Homeland Defense during October-November 2003, and it was the first Reaper to fly in Afghanistan. In four years, it flew 3,266 combat hours and 254 combat sorties. It came to the museum in May 2009.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew (remote): Two (pilot and sensor operator)
Armament: Combination of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions
Engine: Honeywell TPE331-10GD turboprop of 900 hp
Load: 3,750 pounds
B737 PMDG
TNCM Sint Maarten
Addons:
Simuladores
►Prepar3d V4 64 bits
►B747 v3 QOTS II
►B777-200-300
►B737 NGX-800
►RealAir Duke turbine
__________________________________________________
PC Specs :
►Case Cosmos SE ATX
►Procesador: i7 4790K 4.5 Ghz OC Devil's Canyon
►GPU: GTX 1080 EVGA 8GB (NEW¡¡)
►Hard Drives: 4 Terabites HHD 7200 rpm
►2 SSD kingston 240GB
►Ram GSkill Sniper 16 GB Ram 2400 Mhz
►Mother Board: GigaByte Z97X-Sli
►Power Supply: HALE82 v2 700W - NZXT
►OS: Windows 10 Pro 64 bits
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider played an important part in the Southeast Asia War. Its ability to carry an immense amount of weapons and stay over the battlefield for extended periods of time made it a powerful weapon. This aircraft provided close air support to ground forces, attacked enemy supply lines, and protected helicopters rescuing airmen downed in enemy territory.
Designed during World War II for the U.S. Navy, the Skyraiders almost disappeared before they had the opportunity to excel over Southeast Asia. In the high-speed, jet-age world of the late 1950s, the Skyraider seemed to be a relic of an earlier time. It had performed well during the Korean War, but the Navy had decided to replace it with jet aircraft. However, Skyraiders proved well suited for fighting against the guerrilla-style war waged by communists in Southeast Asia.
The "Spad" Arrives
In the early 1960s, the United States provided South Vietnam with increased military assistance and training to resist communist forces, and the U.S. gave Skyraiders to the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF). In 1961, U.S. Air Force instructors started training VNAF pilots at Bien Hoa Air Base with Skyraiders in VNAF markings and their tail hooks removed. Gradually, the USAF instructors started flying combat missions with the VNAF pilots over South Vietnam. Redesignated the A-1 in 1962, the old Skyraider soon got the nickname "Spad" -- referring to the French fighter used in World War I.
U.S. Air Force Skyraiders
The first U.S. Air Force Skyraiders, two-seat A-1Es, arrived at Bien Hoa Air Base in May 1964. They were assigned to the 1st Air Commando Squadron (later the 1st Special Operations Squadron), which operated under the call sign Hobo. Other USAF squadrons flew Skyraiders from bases in South Vietnam and Thailand under the call signs Spad, Firefly and Zorro. Wherever they went, the Skyraiders provided critical close air support to ground forces and other operations, such as defoliant spraying or supporting the insertion and extraction of special operations teams inside enemy held territory along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Sandy to the Rescue
Air Force Skyraiders in Southeast Asia are probably best remembered for their support of search and air rescue missions. Operating under the call sign Sandy, the A-1's ability to fly over a downed Airman for an extended period complemented its massive firepower. Whereas jet aircraft often had to leave an area for refueling or rearming, the Sandies provided nearly continuous suppressing fire until helicopters could extract downed Airmen.
The A-1E on display (S/N 52-132649) is the airplane flown by Maj. Bernard Fisher on March 10, 1966, when he rescued a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam. For this deed, Fisher received the Medal of Honor. The airplane, severely damaged in further combat in South Vietnam, came to the museum in 1968 for preservation.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Four 20mm cannons and a wide assortment of bombs, rockets, mines, grenades, flares and gun pods
Maximum speed: 325 mph
Range: 1,500 miles
Weight: 24,872 lbs. maximum
In 1966 the U.S. Air Force purchased a standard Beechcraft King Air B90 with a special VIP interior, designated as the VC-6A, to support President Lyndon B. Johnson and his family. The aircraft was faster and more agile than other light transport aircraft and featured full pressurization for comfort at high altitudes. Other special features included all-weather navigation, de-icing equipment and reversible propellers that allowed the aircraft to land on very short runways.
The VC-6A was primarily used to transport President Johnson and his family between Bergstrom AFB, Texas, and the Johnson Ranch near Stonewall, Texas. Owing to these frequent flights, the aircraft became informally known as the “Lady Bird Special,” a play on the childhood nickname “Lady Bird” of First Lady Claudia Johnson.
After leaving presidential service, the VC-6A continued to operate as an executive transport with the 89th Military Airlift Wing until it was retired to the museum in September 1985.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 turboprops of 550 hp each
Maximum speed: 256 mph
Range: 1,400 miles
Ceiling: 32,900 feet
Weight: 9,650 lbs. (loaded)
P-38 Lightning Development
The P-38 was originally conceived as an advanced, high-performance twin-engine interceptor. On Feb. 11, 1939, Lt. Ben Kelsey set a coast to coast record of 7 hours, 48 minutes in the sleek prototype Lightning, but crashed while landing. Despite the accident, development continued and the first of 13 service test YP-38s flew on Sept. 16, 1940. Early model P-38s experienced turbulent airflow over the tail and problems at high dive speeds, known as compressibility, but later modifications corrected these difficulties.
The first major production version was the P-38E, which had a 20mm cannon rather than the earlier 37mm cannon. Production of the E began in September 1941 and 210 were built. The next version, the P-38F, introduced pylon racks that could carry either bombs or droppable fuel tanks, greatly extending its range. Production of the G began in August 1942, followed by the P-38H in May 1943, which had a more powerful version of the Allison V-1710 engine.
The P-38J, introduced in August 1943, was considerably improved over earlier models. It had better cockpit heating (a notable problem on earlier models), more efficient cooling for its engines, a flat bulletproof windscreen, additional fuel in the wings, and increased maneuverability.
P-38 Lightning in Service
The versatile Lightning performed many different missions during World War II, including dive bombing, level bombing, bombing through clouds, strafing, photo reconnaissance and long range escort. It first went into large-scale service during the North African campaign in November 1942, where the German pilots named it Der Gabelschwanz Teufel ("The Forked-Tail Devil"). When the Lightning began combat operations from England in September 1943, it was the only fighter with the range to escort bombers into Germany.
The Lightning truly shined in the Pacific theater; seven of the top eight scoring USAAF aces in the Pacific flew the P-38. On April 18, 1943, the long range of the P-38 enabled USAAF pilots to ambush and shoot down an aircraft carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who was the planner of the Pearl Harbor raid and the commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The P-38 became the standard USAAF fighter in the Pacific theater until the closing months of WWII.
The Museum's Aircraft
The final production version was the P-38L, which could carry two 300-gallon drop tanks. Deliveries of the L began in June 1944 and continued until August 1945. Of the 10,038 P-38s built, 3,923 were P-38Ls.
The P-38L on display, painted as a P-38J with the 55th Fighter Squadron based in England, was donated to the museum in 1961 by the Kaufmann Foundation, Philadelphia, Penn. The top hats on the left side of the aircraft represent the nine bomber escort missions flown by its pilot, 2nd Lt. Royal D. Frey, with the yellow hat signifying five and the white hats one each.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Four .50-cal. machine guns and one 20mm cannon
Engines: Two Allison V-1710s of 1,475 hp each
Maximum speed: 414 mph
Cruising speed: 275 mph
Range: 1,300 miles
Ceiling: 40,000 ft.
Span: 52 ft.
Length: 37 ft. 10 in.
Height: 12 ft. 10 in.
Weight: 17,500 lbs. loaded
The famous British Mosquito – known to many as "Mossie" – was a versatile aircraft used extensively during World War II. Constructed primarily of plywood with a balsa wood core, it had excellent speed, altitude and range. First flown on November 25, 1940, the Mosquito entered production in mid-1941 and was produced until well after the end of the war. Almost 8,000 Mossies were built in Great Britain, Canada, and Australia.
Although best known for its service with the Royal Air Force, the Mosquito flew in several US Army Air Force units as a photographic and weather reconnaissance aircraft, and as a night fighter. During the war, the USAAF acquired 40 Canadian Mossies and flew them under the American F-8 (photo reconnaissance) designation. In addition, the British turned over more than 100 Mosquitoes to the USAAF under Reverse Lend-Lease. These aircraft retained their British designations.
The aircraft on display is a British-built B. Mk. 35 manufactured in 1946 (later converted for towing targets) and is similar to the P.R. Mk. XVIs used by the USAAF. It was flown to the museum in February 1985. This Mosquito, serial RS709, has been restored to a Mk. XVI configuration and painted as NS519, a weather reconnaissance aircraft of the 653rd Bombardment Squadron based in England in 1944-1945.
Mosquito Markings
Just before D-Day (the June 6, 1944, invasion of France), black and white stripes were applied almost overnight to a vast majority of US and British aircraft to clearly identify them during the Normandy landings. In the rush to mark all the aircraft, masking and spraying sometimes gave way to more expeditious method of painting them by hand.
Invasion stripes, like the ones being applied by the ground crewman in the museum's exhibit, would have completely encircled the wings and fuselage. The 25th Bombardment Group adopted a red tail for their Mosquitoes in August 1944 and removed the invasion stripes from the upper wing and upper fuselage surfaces in September 1944.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: 4,000 lbs of bombs in bomber version
Engines: Two Rolls-Royce Merlins of 1,690 hp each
Maximum speed: 415 mph
Range: 1,955 miles
Ceiling: 42,000 ft
The Douglas VC-54C Skymaster is the first aircraft purpose-built to fly the President of the United States. Carrying the staff transport “VC” designation, the aircraft was officially named The Flying White House. However, the aircraft became better known by its unofficial nickname, Sacred Cow, a reference to the high security surrounding the aircraft and its special status.
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first US president to fly in an airplane while in office when the Navy-owned, but civilian-operated Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat, Dixie Clipper, transported the president to the Casablanca Conference. Preferring that the president be flown by an Army Air Forces aircraft and crew, Gen “Hap” Arnold, Commander of the USAAF, ordered that a Consolidated C-87, a transport version of the famous B-24 bomber, be converted to fly the Commander in Chief. When the Secret Service expressed doubts about the safety of the C-87, the USAAF turned to the Douglas Aircraft Company to build a military transport specifically to accommodate the special needs of the president.
As the only VC-54C built, the aircraft was heavily modified on the assembly line. A C-54A fuselage was fitted with wings from a C-54B which offered greater fuel capacity. The unpressurized cabin included an executive conference room with a large desk and a rectangular bulletproof window. For additional comfort, a private lavatory was installed next to the president’s seat, and a fold down bed was concealed behind the sofa. An electric refrigerator in the galley added an uncommon luxury for 1945. A battery-powered elevator was installed at the rear of the aircraft which allowed President Roosevelt to board the aircraft easily while in his wheelchair.
The Sacred Cow carried President Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in February 1945. Illustrating the high stakes associated with presidential airlift, the Sacred Cow’s serial number was changed for the flight as a special security measure. The trip to Yalta was Roosevelt’s only flight aboard the aircraft before his untimely death in April 1945.
Roosevelt’s successor, Harry S. Truman, used the aircraft extensively during the first 27 months of his administration. On July 26, 1947, President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 on board the Sacred Cow. This act, which became effective on Sept. 18, 1947, established the US Air Force as an independent service, making the Sacred Cow the “birthplace” of the US Air Force.
After the Sacred Cow left presidential service, the USAF continued using it for other transport duties until the airplane was finally retired in October 1961. In 1983, the Sacred Cow was transported to the museum, and staff began the monumental task of restoring the aircraft to its former glory. After ten years and more than 34,000 hours of work, the aircraft was placed on display appearing as it did during President Roosevelt’s trip to Yalta.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew: Seven (plus 15 passengers)
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney R-2000 engines of 1,450 hp each
Maximum speed: 300 mph
Range: 3,900 miles
Ceiling: 22,300 feet
Weight: 80,000 lbs. (loaded)
Serial number: 42-107451 (displayed as 42-72252)
The famous British Mosquito – known to many as "Mossie" – was a versatile aircraft used extensively during World War II. Constructed primarily of plywood with a balsa wood core, it had excellent speed, altitude and range. First flown on November 25, 1940, the Mosquito entered production in mid-1941 and was produced until well after the end of the war. Almost 8,000 Mossies were built in Great Britain, Canada, and Australia.
Although best known for its service with the Royal Air Force, the Mosquito flew in several US Army Air Force units as a photographic and weather reconnaissance aircraft, and as a night fighter. During the war, the USAAF acquired 40 Canadian Mossies and flew them under the American F-8 (photo reconnaissance) designation. In addition, the British turned over more than 100 Mosquitoes to the USAAF under Reverse Lend-Lease. These aircraft retained their British designations.
The aircraft on display is a British-built B. Mk. 35 manufactured in 1946 (later converted for towing targets) and is similar to the P.R. Mk. XVIs used by the USAAF. It was flown to the museum in February 1985. This Mosquito, serial RS709, has been restored to a Mk. XVI configuration and painted as NS519, a weather reconnaissance aircraft of the 653rd Bombardment Squadron based in England in 1944-1945.
Mosquito Markings
Just before D-Day (the June 6, 1944, invasion of France), black and white stripes were applied almost overnight to a vast majority of US and British aircraft to clearly identify them during the Normandy landings. In the rush to mark all the aircraft, masking and spraying sometimes gave way to more expeditious method of painting them by hand.
Invasion stripes, like the ones being applied by the ground crewman in the museum's exhibit, would have completely encircled the wings and fuselage. The 25th Bombardment Group adopted a red tail for their Mosquitoes in August 1944 and removed the invasion stripes from the upper wing and upper fuselage surfaces in September 1944.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: 4,000 lbs of bombs in bomber version
Engines: Two Rolls-Royce Merlins of 1,690 hp each
Maximum speed: 415 mph
Range: 1,955 miles
Ceiling: 42,000 ft
#777, #skyporn, #planeporn, #instaaviation, #iphonesia, #instaplane, #igers, #igmy, #aviation, #b777, #igkorea, #pilot, #boeing, #crewlife, #flying, #sky, #aviationgeek, #instamood, #boeing777, #instacool, #instapilot, #igmalaysia, #plane #airplane #cockpit #flightdeck #avgeek #igmalaysia #sunset #pilotlife
56 Likes on Instagram
6 Comments on Instagram:
babysoyamilk: Hey nick, I just wanted to ask in KL where can we get private pilot license?
nicks_pics: @lovesoyamilk For KL it will only be the Royal Selangor Flying Club, sungai besi. Or else Malacca
babysoyamilk: @nicks_pics owh. Any requirement for joining tat PPL? Do I nid to take DCA exam?
nicks_pics: @lovesoyamilk Will fb message you
babysoyamilk: @nicks_pics thkx
mayshuen: Captain ?
Modern military commanders demand accurate and timely reconnaissance information. The RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial system (UAS) provides air, ground and sea force commanders the near-real-time reconnaissance imagery they need to defeat an enemy halfway around the world.
First flown in 1998, Global Hawk's powerful digital camera and infrared sensor gather imagery in any weather condition, day or night. Through satellite links and ground relay stations, that information is transmitted immediately anywhere in the world. Its "Synthetic-Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator" lets ground crews track even small, moving objects on the ground.
A typical, pre-programmed Global Hawk mission can include a 1,200-mile flight to an area of interest, 24 hours flying over the area, and the flight back to base. In just 24 hours, the RQ-4 can survey an area the size of Illinois (about 40,000 square miles) while cruising above the range of enemy air defenses.
Two small ground teams manage Global Hawk's flights: a launch and recovery element (LRE) loads flight plans and makes necessary adjustments to the vehicle while a mission control element (MCE) manages the aircraft and its sensors during flight.
Among the RQ-4's accomplishments are winning the 2000 Collier Trophy for aeronautical achievement and achieving the first autonomous UAS flight across the Pacific Ocean. This autonomous flight from California to Australia was made in just over 23 hours. Global Hawk set a world record for jet-powered UAS endurance in 2000 by flying for more than 31.5 hours at a mean altitude of 65,100 feet.
AV-3: The Grumpy Workhorse
The Global Hawk on display was the third prototype built. Designated Air Vehicle-3 (AV-3), it was officially designated an YRQ-4A (S/N 98-2003). However, AV-3 had anything but a normal career for a prototype. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Air Force deployed AV-3 to Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Because it still showed some of the "crankiness" of a prototype, AV-3 was nicknamed "Grumpy." Nevertheless, it also flew reconnaissance missions in support of Operations Southern Watch (OSW), Iraqi Freedom (OEF), Enduring Freedom (OEF) and the Combined Task Force-Horn of Africa.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, AV-3's sensors successfully tracked Iraqi Republican Guard forces during a fierce sandstorm in March 2003. While the dust blinded AV-3's optical and infrared sensors, its radar provided information accurate enough for fighters and bombers to attack the enemy successfully with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapons.
In February 2006, it made another spectacular flight by flying autonomously and non-stop from Australia to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Over its career, AV-3 completed 251 flights for 4,891.3 total hours flying time. This total included 195 combat sorties and 4,152.7 combat hours. A remarkable aircraft, AV-3 went on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 2008.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Engine: Rolls-Royce AE 3007H turbofan of 9,500 lbs. thrust
Maximum speed: 400 mph
Range: 1,300+ miles
Wingspan: 116.2 ft.
Length: 44.4 ft.
In 1943, the chief of the German Luftwaffe (Air Force), Hermann Göring, allocated half-a-million Reich Marks to the brothers Reimar and Walter Horten to build and fly several prototypes of the all-wing and jet-propelled Horten Ho 229 ('aitch-oh-two-two-nine'). Numerous technical problems beset the project and the only wing to fly with jet power crashed during its third test flight; nonetheless, the airplane remains one of the most unusual combat aircraft tested during World War II.
The idea for the Horten H IX, as designer Reimar Horten called it, grew first in the mind of Walter Horten when he was serving in the Luftwaffe as a fighter pilot in 1940 during the Battle of Britain. Horten was the technical officer for JG (Jadgeschwader or fighter squadron) 26 stationed in France. The nature of the battle and the tactics employed by the Germans spotlighted the design deficiencies of the propeller-driven Messerschmitt Bf 109, Germany's most advanced fighter airplane in service at that time. Pilots had to fly across the English Channel or the North Sea to fulfill their missions, primarily escorting German bombers and attacking British fighters, and Walter Horten watched his unit lose many men over hostile territory at the very limit of the Bf 109's range. Often after just a few minutes in combat, the Germans frequently had to turn back to their bases or run out of fuel, and this lack of endurance severely limited their effectiveness. The Messerschmitt was also vulnerable because a single, liquid-cooled engine propelled it. One bullet could puncture almost any part of the cooling system, causing the engine to overheat and fail in just a few minutes.
Walter Horten came to believe that the Luftwaffe needed a new fighter designed with performance superior to the Supermarine Spitfire, Britain's most advanced fighter. The new airplane required sufficient range to fly to England, the capability to loiter for a useful length of time and engage in combat, and then to return safely to base. He believed that a twin-engine aircraft enhanced all of these attributes.
Reimar had experimented with piloted all-wing aircraft since 1933, using his skills as designer and aerodynamicist to overcome several of the limitations that had always plagued the all-wing configuration. The new fighter needed a powerful, robust propulsion system to give the airplane the highest speed, but also to absorb damage and continue to function. The Nazis were already developing the jet turbine power plant in great secrecy, but Walter's role as JG 26 technical officer gave him access to information about the work. Walter knew that jet propulsion would appeal to Reimar because he could add it to all-wing configuration more easily, and achieve far greater performance by doing so, than was possible with reciprocating engines.
Reimar began to think seriously about the jet wing at the end of 1940. Fiercely independent and lacking the proper intellectual credentials, Reimar worked outside the mainstream German aeronautical community whenever he could. The authorities denied him access to wind tunnels to test his ideas, in part because of Reimar's youth and lack of advanced education, so he developed his designs using flying models and piloted aircraft. He had already successfully flown more than 20 aircraft by 1941 but a jet-propelled wing would be heavier and faster than any previous wing. To minimize the risk of experimenting with such an advanced aircraft, Reimar built and tested several interim designs, each one moderately faster, heavier, or more advanced in some significant way than the one before it.
Reimar built the Horten H V b and H V c to evaluate the all-wing layout when powered by twin engines driving pusher propellers. He began in 1941 to consider fitting the Dietrich-Argus pulse jet motor to the H V but this engine had drawbacks and in the first month of 1942, Walter gave his brother dimensioned drawings and graphs that charted the performance curves of the new Junkers 004 jet turbine engine (this engine is also fitted to the following NASM aircraft: Messerschmitt Me 262, Arado Ar 234, and Heinkel He 162). Later that year, Reimar flew the H VII, which was similar to the H V but larger and equipped with more powerful reciprocating engines. The H VI sailplane also figured into the preliminary aerodynamic design of the jet wing after Reimar tested the sailplane with a special center section.
Walter Horten used his personal connections with important officials to keep the idea of the jet wing alive in the early stages of its development. At the beginning of 1943, Walter heard Göring complain that Germany was fielding 17 different types of twin-engine military airplanes with similar, often mediocre, performance, but spare parts were not interchangeable between any two of these designs. He decreed that henceforth he would not approve for production another new twin-engine airplane unless it could carry 1,000 kg (2,210 lb) of bombs to a 'penetration depth' of 1,000 km (620 miles, penetration depth defined as 1/3 the range) at a speed of 1,000 km/h (620 mph). Asked to comment, Reimar announced that only a warplane equipped with jet engines had a chance to meet those requirements.
In August Reimar submitted a short proposal for an all-wing aircraft that came close to achieving Göring's specifications, who then issued the brothers a contract, and demanded the new aircraft fly in 3 months! Reimar responded that the first Horten IX prototype could fly in six months and Göring accepted this schedule after revealing his desperation to get the new fighter in the air with all possible speed.
Reimar designated each of his major wing designs with Roman numerals. When the H IX became an official Luftwaffe experimental project, it became known as the Ho 229 and each prototype received a Versuch (test or experiment) sub-designation, abbreviated V, and followed by a number, as in Ho 229 V1 for the first prototype Horten jet wing. The third prototype was designated the Ho 229 V3. In September 1944, Göring selected Gotha to mass-produce the Horten jets.
All versions of the Ho 229 resembled each other in overall layout. Reimar swept each half of the wing 32 degrees in an unbroken line from the nose to the start of each wingtip where he turned the leading edge to meet the wing trailing edge in a graceful and gradually tightening curve. There was no fuselage, no vertical or horizontal tail, and with landing gear stowed (the main landing gear was fixed but the nose wheel retracted on the first prototype Ho 229 V1), the upper and lower surface of the wing stretched smooth from wingtip to wingtip, unbroken by any control surface or other protuberance. Horten mounted elevons (control surfaces that combined the actions of elevators and ailerons) to the trailing edge and spoilers at the wingtips for controlling pitch and roll, and he installed drag rudders next to the spoilers to help control the wing about the yaw axis. He also mounted flaps and a speed brake to help slow the wing. When not in use, all control surfaces either lay concealed inside the wing or trailed from its aft edge. Parasite or form drag was virtually nonexistent. The only drag this aircraft produced was the inevitable by-product of the wing's lift. Few aircraft before or after the Ho 229 have matched the purity and simplicity of its aerodynamic form but whether this achievement would have led to a successful and practical combat aircraft remains an open question.
Building on knowledge gained by flying the Horten H V and H 'VII, Reimar designed and built the piloted glider version, the Ho 229 V1, which test pilot Heinz Schiedhauer first flew 28 February 1944. This aircraft suffered several minor accidents but a number of pilots flew the wing during the following months of testing at Oranienburg and most commented favorably on its performance and handling qualities. Reimar used the experience gained with this glider to design and build the jet-propelled Ho 229 V2.
Wood is an unorthodox material from which to construct a jet aircraft and the Horten brothers probably preferred to use aluminum but Reimar certainly was capable of designing the outer wing panels to be built with wood and the center section with welded steel tubes, having designed and built nearly all of his wings this way. Reimar's calculations showed that he would need to convert much of the wing's interior volume into space for fuel if he hoped to come close to meeting Göring's requirement for a penetration depth of 1,000 km (620 miles). Perhaps Reimar lacked either the expertise or the special sealants to manufacture such a 'wet' wing from metal. Whatever the reason, he believed that an aluminum wing was unsuitable.
As they developed the Ho 229, the Horten brothers measured the wing's performance against the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. According to Reimar and Walter, the Me 262 had a much higher wing loading than the H IX and it required such a long runway to take off that only a few airfields in Germany could accommodate it. The Ho 229 wing loading was considerably lower and this allowed it to operate from airfields with shorter runways. Reimar also believed, perhaps naively, that his wing could take off and land from a runway surfaced with grass but the Me 262 could not. If this had been true, a pilot flying the Ho 229 would have had many more airfields from which to fly than his counterpart in the Messerschmitt jet.
Successful test flights in the Ho 229 V1 led to construction of the first powered wing, the Ho 229 V2, but poor communication with the engine manufacturers led to lengthy delays in finishing this aircraft. Horten first selected the 003 jet engine manufactured by BMW but then switched to the Junkers 004 power plants. Reimar built much of the wing center section based on the engine specifications sent by Junkers but when two motors finally arrived and Reimar's team tried to install them, they found the power plants were too large in diameter to fit the space built for them. Months passed while Horten redesigned the wing and the jet finally flew in mid-December 1944.
Full of fuel and ready to fly, the Horten Ho 229 V2 weighed about nine tons and thus it resembled a medium-sized, multi-engine bomber such as the Heinkel He 111. The Horten brothers believed that a military pilot with experience flying heavy multi-engine aircraft was required to fly the jet wing and Scheidhauer lacked these skills so Walter brought in veteran Luftwaffe pilot Lt. Erwin Ziller. Sources differ between two and four on the number of flights that Ziller logged but during his final test flight, an engine failed and the Ho 229 V2 crashed, killing Ziller.
According to an eyewitness, Ziller made three passes at an altitude of about 2,000 m (6,560 ft) so that a team from the Rechlin test center could measure his speed from the ground using a special instrument called a theodolite. Ziller then approached the airfield to land, lowered his landing grear at about 1,500 m (4,920 ft), and began to fly a wide descending spiral before crashing just beyond the airfield boundary. It was clear to those who examined the wreckage that one engine had failed but the eyewitness saw no control movements or attempt to line up with the runway and he suspected that something had incapacitated Ziller, perhaps fumes from the operating engine.
Walter was convinced that the engine failure did not result in uncontrollable yaw and argued that Ziller could have shut down the functioning engine and glided to a survivable crash landing, perhaps even reached the runway and landed without damage. Walter also believed that someone might have sabotaged the airplane but whatever the cause, Walter remembered "it was an awful event. All our work was over at this moment." Ziller's test flights seemed to indicate the potential for great speed, perhaps a maximum of 977 km/h (606 mph). Although never confirmed, such performance would have helped to answer the Luftwaffe technical experts who criticized the all-wing configuration. At the time of Ziller's crash, the RLM had scheduled series production of 15-20 machines at Gotha.
Horten had planned to arm the third prototype with cannons but the war ended before this airplane was finished. Unbeknownst to him or Walter, Gotha designers substantially altered the V3 airframe as they attempted to finish it. For example, they used a massive nose wheel compared to the unit fitted to the V2, and Reimar speculated that the 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) design bomb load may have influenced them, but he believed these alterations unnecessary.
The U. S. VIII Army of General Patton's Third Army found the Ho 229 prototypes V3 through V6 at Friedrichroda, Germany, in April 1945. Horten had designed airframes V4 and V5 as single-seat night fighters and V6 would have become a two-seat night fighter trainer. The V3 was approximately half finished and nearest to completion of the four airframes. Army personnel removed it three days later and shipped it to the U.S., and the incomplete center section arrived at Silver Hill (now the Paul E. Garber Facility, Suitland, MD) about 1950. There is no evidence that any wing sections were recovered at Friedrichsroda, however members of the 9th Air Force Air Disarmament Division found a pair 121 km (75 miles) from this village, and these wings might be the same pair now included with the Ho 229 V3.
In 1983, Reimar wrote in Nurflugel: Die Geschichte der Horten-Flugzeuge 1933-1960 (Herbert Weishaupt, 1983) that he had planned to sandwich a mixture of sawdust, charcoal, and glue between the layers of wood that formed large areas of the exterior surface of the Ho 229 jet wing to shield, he said, the "whole airplane" from radar, because ""the charcoal should absorb the electrical waves. Under this shield, then also the tubular steel [airframe] and the engines [would be] "invisible" [to radar]"” (p. 136, author translation). Reimar was describing a process for reducing the radar energy reflected from the wing, lowering its radar cross-section, or RCS, so that the jet wing would be more difficult to detect by an adversary using radar, and therefore able to carry out its mission with greater stealth.
When interviewed in the mid-1980s, Reimar further claimed that he had specifically used wood to build a substantial portion of the Ho 229 because the material did not reflect radar energy. Asked to explain the background to these actions, the designer replied that "we made it of our own inspiration," without direction from the RLM, to mask the wing from detection during attacks on Allied ships equipped with air-search radar. Reimar had first written about RCS in the article, ""Ala Volante Caza "Horten IX"" (Flying Wing Fighter Horten IX), published in the May 1950 issue of Revista Nacional de Aeronautica (National magazine of Aeronautics published in Argentina).
Following the heightened interest in all-wing aircraft after the public unveiling of the USA's Northrop B-2 bomber on 22 November 1988, and fueled by Reimar's recent claims, some writers extrapolated from the similarity of the B-2 to the Ho 229 (both all-wing aircraft) to conclude that Reimar had designed the first stealth aircraft because he used an all-wing layout and purposefully reduced the Ho 229 jet wing's RCS. Examples of this writing are Stealth Bomber - Invisible Warplane (Motorbooks, 1989) by Bill Sweetman, and David Baker's article, "In Valleys of Shadow - The Black World of Stealth (Part One)."
They apparently did not believe that Reimar shaped the Ho 229 solely for aerodynamic reasons, that the jet was simply one in a long line of all-wing Horten aircraft, and that there exists no physical or documentary evidence to support Horten's claims. His story is weak for several other reasons. Allied ships were equipped with air-search radar; however, these were low-priority targets for the Luftwaffe compared to the waves of heavy bombers that had pounded Germany day and night from the beginning of summer 1943. Germany needed vast numbers of interceptors capable of penetrating the screens of Allied fighters protecting the bombers, not long-range strike aircraft with low RCS. Oddly enough, neither Reimar nor Walter Horten mentioned to Allied intelligence specialists immediately after the war the RCS techniques that Reimar claimed in 1983 he applied to the Ho 229 during the war, a peculiar omission in light of Reimar's strong interest in resuming his work with an Allied aviation firm. Finally, if the Ho 229 was as speedy as Reimar estimated, why would the aircraft need to evade radar detection when it could outrun any Allied fighter?
When Phase II at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center opened on 15 March 2011, the H IX V3 outer wing panels were on public view in the new workshop. NASM collections care specialists are working now to prepare to move the wing's center section to Phase II later in 2013.
Following the Battle of Britain in 1940, the Royal Air Force had planned to replace its Spitfire Mk. I and II fighters with the Mk. III, which had been under development for two years. The Mk. III included significant improvements such as an improved wing design, a retractable tail wheel and a new Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine.
Before the RAF could put the Mk. III into production, however, the Germans introduced the improved Messerschmitt Bf 109F. Since this new German fighter greatly outperformed the current Spitfires at high altitude, the RAF could not wait for the factories to be retooled for the Mk. III, and they hurriedly developed an interim aircraft, the Spitfire Mk. V (the Mk. IV designation had already been assigned to another version). Essentially, the Mk. V consisted of a modified Mk. II airframe with a new Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 engine (a Merlin XX modified to ease production and improve high altitude performance). Initially, the wing remained unchanged, but three different types emerged depending on the armament. With the suffix letter indicating the type of wing, the Mk. Va had eight Browning .303 machine guns, and the Mk. Vb had two Hispano 20mm cannon and four machine guns. The Spitfire Mk. Vc introduced the "universal" wing which enabled this variant to be fitted with various combinations of armament, including four 20mm cannon and four .303 machine guns.
Most Spitfire Mk. Vc fighters had the B version armament with the outer cannon positions being covered, but the C wing carried 120 rounds for each cannon versus only 60 for each cannon on the B wing. The universal wing also used a strengthened landing gear that had been moved two inched forward to correct the Spitfire's tendency to nose over on its propeller. In addition, the Spitfire Mk. Vb and Mk. Vc could carry two 250-pound bombs or one 500-pound bomb.
Unwilling to wait while the Mk. V went into hurried production, the RAF quickly converted more than 100 Spitfire Mk. I aircraft into the Mk. V version. These converted aircraft started arriving at the combat units in March 1941. In addition to these converted aircraft, a total of 6,464 Spitfire Mk. Vs were built between 1941 and 1943. Fighting on every front during the war, these Mk. Vs equipped more than 140 RAF squadrons, including the Eagle Squadrons composed of American volunteers flying for the RAF. Nine other Allied nations, including the United States, flew Mk. Vs. The U.S. Army Air Forces' 31st and 52nd Fighter Groups flew them first during Operation TORCH, the invasion of North Africa in November 1942. Some of the American pilots removed one machine gun from each wing to lessen weight and thereby improve maneuverability. Also, to protect the engine in the desert climate, the RAF tropicalized (Trop) the Spitfire Mk. Vs by adding either a Vokes or a smaller Aboukir air filter to the aircraft.
Originally, the Spitfire had been designed as a short-range home-defense fighter, but by 1941 the RAF had begun offensive operations over Nazi-occupied Europe. To extend the Mk. Vs range, the RAF adopted 30- and 90-gallon jettisonable fuel tanks which fit flush under the fuselage. Also, as the war progressed and fewer enemy fighters were encountered, the Spitfires began flying ground strafing missions. To improve the low-altitude characteristics, most Spitfire Mk. Vs had their wingtips removed. Categorized as low-altitude fighters, these aircraft carried the prefix of "L.F." (i.e. Spitfire L.F. Mk. Vc).
The Spitfire on display is a Mk. Vc (Trop) built for Supermarine under license by Vickers-Armstrong in June 1943. Shipped to Australia in September 1943, it served with the Royal Australian Air Force, and the museum acquired it from the Imperial War Museum in March 2000.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Normally two Hispano 20mm cannon and four Browning .303 machine guns; some with four Hispano 20mm cannon
Bomb load: Two 250-lb. bombs or one 500-lb. bomb
Engine: 1,470-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 45
Maximum speed: 374 mph
Ceiling: 37,000 ft.
Span: 36 ft. 10 in. (32 ft. 7 in. in L.F. version)
Length: 29 ft. 11 in.
Height: 11 ft. 4.75 in.
Weight: 6,785 lbs.