Aviation History 2016-04

NO JOKE: POLISH JET-POWERED BIPLANE CROP-DUSTER

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jump jet HOW HAWKER’S REMARKABLE HARRIER GOT VTOL RIGHT

FIVE YEARS IN THE AIR: WORLD’S LUCKIEST AIRLINE PILOT MARCH 2016

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WHY BRITAIN AVOIDED ACE WORSHIP IN WORLD WAR I

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departments 5 MAILBAG 6 BRIEFING 12 EXTREMES

Built for crop-dusting, the PZL Mielec M-15 was anything but pretty. By Jon Guttman

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features 20 JUMP JET

Hawker Siddeley’s Harrier proved itself in combat in the Falklands, and has long been the only VTOL airplane in the U.S. inventory. By Stephan Wilkinson

30 VERTICAL DREAMS

The U.S. Navy’s program to build a supersonic jet that could take off vertically from small carriers never got off the flight deck. By Robert Guttman

36 ACES WITHOUT FACES

14 AVIATORS

Lady Mary Heath gained a reputation as the British “Lady Lindy.” By Lora O’Brien

16 RESTORED

Former U.S. Marine pilot Art Nalls’ airworthy Sea Harrier FA.2 is the only one in private hands. By Guy Aceto

18 LETTER FROM AVIATION HISTORY 56 REVIEWS 62 FLIGHT TEST 64 AERO ARTIFACT

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During World War I, Britain’s top fighter pilots remained mostly anonymous. By Gavin Mortimer

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42 BEATING THE ODDS

Dick Merrill spent nearly five years in the air, flying everything from Curtiss Jennys to L-1011 widebodies. By Don Bedwell

50 GOING LONG

In the 1920s and ’30s, the race to set flight distance records took a toll on men and machines. By Derek O’Connor

ON THE COVER: Commanding Officer Chris “Huck” Huckstep of Royal Air Force No. 1 Squadron pilots a British Aerospace Harrier GR.9 near RAF Wittering in 1995. The squadron, Britain’s oldest, moved to Cottesmore in 2000 and ceased flying Harriers in December 2010. Cover: ©John M. Dibbs/The Plane Picture Co.

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TOP LEFT: SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM; BOTTOM LEFT: VIRGINIA AVIATION MUSEUM; ABOVE: POLISH AVIATION MUSEUM, KRAKOW

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VTOL vision A Convair concept for a U.S. Navy vertical takeoff and landing fighter was the stuff of dreams.

Discovered: The Coin That Never Was!

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MICHAEL A. REINSTEIN CHAIRMAN & PUBLISHER DIONISIO LUCCHESI PRESIDENT WILLIAM KONEVAL ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER DAVID STEINHAFEL ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER EDITOR IN CHIEF ROGER L. VANCE

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MARCH 2016 / VOL. 26, NO. 4

Aviation History

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You’ll find much more from Aviation History on the Web’s leading history resource: HistoryNet.com

Dornier’s VTOL Jet Transport The Do-31 showed great promise as a versatile vertical troop transport, but the project was canceled in 1970 due to lack of funding.

Irish Ace in the RAF Captain Edward “Mick” Mannock became the RAF’s second-ranking ace in World War I, and is also remembered as an inspiring leader.

The Charmed Life of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker America’s ace of aces during World War I went on to head Eastern Air Lines.

CARL VON WODTKE EDITOR NAN SIEGEL ASSOCIATE EDITOR DIT RUTLAND ART DIRECTOR JON GUTTMAN RESEARCH DIRECTOR GUY ACETO PHOTO EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS WALTER J. BOYNE, CARROLL V. GLINES, STEPHAN WILKINSON ARTHUR H. SANFELICI EDITOR EMERITUS

CORPORATE STEPHEN KAMIFUJI CREATIVE DIRECTOR KAREN G. JOHNSON BUSINESS DIRECTOR ROB WILKINS DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP MARKETING MICHAEL ZATULOV FINANCE

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Follow our step-by-step instructions to build this issue’s “Modeling” project: a Hawker Sea Harrier FRS.1, featured in “Restored” (P. 16) and “Jump Jet” (P. 20).

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mailbag

Four-Engine Arado

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enjoyed the article on the Arado Ar-234 [“Nazi Blitz Bomber,” November]. It caused me to seek out some old World War II photos my grandmother gave me, taken by her nephew Art Merriman, who served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His unit was right behind our lines, and when the Army took a Luftwaffe airfield, they made it usable again for the Army Air Forces. Looking at the photos, I discovered among them an Arado Ar-234 in a bombed-out hangar [above]. I believe it is the prototype Ar-234 V6 (four BMW 003 engines). I start reading your magazine as soon as it arrives; keep the good articles coming.. Don Doherty Livonia, Mich.

Liberator Love

The story on the famous Consolidated B-24 [“Unloved Liberator,” January] was brilliant and well overdue for a WWII bomber that had to take the back seat in publicity and photo shoots to the famous Boeing B-17. Why? Because the Liberator was ugly, not sexy like the B-17 was. I flew on C-47s, C-54s and “Old Shaky,” the C-124, and trained on B-25s. None of them was sexy. Thank you for the B-24 article, and thanks to the Collings Foundation for keeping their Liberator flying, to be enjoyed and seen by millions. Thomas G. Casey Manager Doolittle Tokyo Raiders

I enjoyed Robert F. Dorr’s article on the B-24. It should be noted that the Privateer

variant soldiered on into the 21st century. One crashed in 2002 while performing firefighting duties in Colorado. Brian Hatoff Oakland, Calif.

Re your reference to the silver B-24 being put on display in 1956 at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas: It was actually there in 1954. I entered basic training in October 1954, and within the first week our squadron marched past this giant historical testament to a bygone era. Fred Beebe Atlantic Beach, Fla.

Mustang Pilot Rescue

In the January issue, P. 26 “Tech Notes,” the items identified in the B-24 illustration as bomb racks are tanks for breathing oxygen.

Also in that issue, the article “Angels of Mercy,” specifically “Hitching a Ride,” reminded me of a rescue that my father told me about. On August 18, 1944, Captain Bert Marshall, 354th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group, was shot down near the German border, crash-landing his P-51D in a wheat field. Lieutenant Royce Priest, of the same squadron and group, landed a quarter mile away in the same field and successfully picked up Marshall after throwing out his parachute and raft. Priest was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for this action, reportedly the first such successful rescue of an American pilot in the ETO. I really like the new format.

landed a total of six C-130s, with two being shot down, and the other four taking out approximately 600 people. Two C-123 sorties were completed, taking out a total of 68, including the three rescued by Colonel Jackson. That leaves nearly 1,200 not evacuated by the Air Force but by Marine CH-46s, Army Hueys and Army Chinooks. The 178th Boxcar Chinooks made 41 sorties into Kham Duc, taking out between 800 and 900 of the evacuees; two Chinooks were shot down and destroyed, although the crews survived. When the last Chinook left, the only Americans on the ground were the three Air Force men who got out on Jackson’s C-123.

John Grimmett Pleasant Grove, Ala.

Dean C. Nelson Secretary 178th ASHC Boxcar Association

overlooked contribution

Your article about Colonel Joe Jackson’s Medal of Honor action [January] would have been fine if you had only covered that part of the day’s work. You claim that a “steady stream” of Air Force C-123s and C-130s carried out the evacuation. The truth is that the total number of evacuees was nearly 1,800, including U.S. Army, ARVN and civilians, with well over half of them taken out by Army Chinook helicopters of the 178th Assault Support Helicopter Company (ASHC) “Boxcars,” starting in early morning, and not concluding until late afternoon. The Air Force

Arado Cockpit Correction

On P. 28 of the November issue, item no. 11 is labeled as “oxygen hose.” However, the German word Notabwurf (emergency jettison) on the part suggests that this is a handle to jettison the canopy in an emergency, which would also explain the relative length of the item (for increased manual leverage) in a cramped cockpit. Martin Hoch Weiterstadt, Germany

Good eye. The no. 11 label should have been placed on the black hose directly behind the red canopy jettison handle. –Ed.

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briefing

Cessna’s Military Trainer

M Laotian l-bird

Steve Dunn’s restored T-41B Mescalero is painted in Royal Laotian Air Force livery. Inset: A view of the 210-hp Continental engine.

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ost big-dollar warbirds make cramped, noisy, expensive and sometimes dangerous crosscountry machines. Not so this just-restored ex-Army T-41B Mescalero, which is based on the world’s most popular GA airplane, the Cessna Skyhawk. That’s one reason Steve Dunn and his

wife, Donna, of Panama City, Fla., chose to pour $100,000 and 19 months of their retirement into an airplane that the Dunns resK]MLNZWUI6I^aÆaQVOKT]J in Jacksonville.
QVM`XMV[Q^MÅ`MLOMIZ[QVOTM it ordered a further 225 units as T-41Bs, which had far less in common with the 172 than is popularly assumed. “The only major structure that is similar to the 172’s is the tailcone,” says Steve Dunn. The T-41B’s engine is a 210-hp, fuel-injected Continental six with a constant-speed prop in place WN \PM;SaPI_S¼[Å`MLXQ\KP

OPPOSITE PHOTOS: STEVE DUNN; RIGHT: (TOP) ALBANESEBRANDING.COM; (BOTTOM) ©DAVID COLE/ALAMY

145-hp carbureted Lycoming four. The main landing gear and center box are from a Cessna 182; the beefed-up ÅZM_ITTIVLVW[MOMIZQ[I ¼[
76 years late

The Bugatti 100P leaves the hangar in 2015 for its first flight.

Bugatti Blue Dream Finally Flies

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“THE AIRPLANE WON’T AMOUNT TO A DAMN THING UNTIL THEY GET A MACHINE THAT WILL ACT LIKE A HUMMINGBIRD.” –THOMAS EDISON

n 1938 Ettore Bugatti, the Milanese-born builder of some of the most technically and aesthetically outstanding automobiles of his day, began designing an airplane to compete in the 1939 Deutsch de la Meurthe Cup, the European equivalent of the American Thompson Trophy race. Aided by engineer Louis D. de la Monge, he came up with a design every bit as striking as his autos. Mostly of wood construction, the Bugatti 100 featured forward-swept wings, an automatic flap system, a V-shaped tailplane with mixed controls, retractable landing gear and two 450-hp Bugatti 50B engines, internally mounted behind the pilot’s extensively glazed-over cockpit, geared to drive two contrarotating propellers. Bugatti expected it to reach from 500 to 550 mph and, with war clouds looming, he hoped to turn it into a lightweight fighter. But the plane was not completed by the race’s September 1939 deadline, and when the Germans overran France in June 1940, it was hidden in a barn to prevent the enemy from capturing it. Restored after the war, it has been displayed since 1996 at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisc. The Bugatti 100 never did fly, but in 2011 an engineering team, headed by Scott Wilson and John Lawson, set out to reconstruct the airplane. Lacking plans, they reverse-engineered the original to produce a replica powered by two Suzuki Hayabusa engines. Variously called the Bugatti 100P and Blue Dream, the reproduction underwent taxi tests at Clinton-Sherman Airport near Tulsa, Okla., on July 4, 2015. During its first test hop on August 19, the plane landed farther down the runway than planned and the right brake failed, causing it to ground loop. Damage was minor, however, and on October 17 the Blue Dream took off and completed a full circuit of the airport. According to its pilot, it performed perfectly in the course of a “flawless” flight. It remains to be seen how much of the Bugatti’s potential will be realized as its owners put it through its paces.

Jon Guttman

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BRIEFING bird in a biplane

Tracey Curtis-Taylor (inset) sets out to reenact Lady Mary Heath’s 1928 flight in her Boeing-Stearman PT-17.

Open-Cockpit to Australia

By the Numbers

Record nonstop Long-Distance Flights YEAR AIRCRAFT 1903 Wright Flyer

DISTANCE 852 feet (third flight)

1914 Mercedes-Aviatik Pfeil

1,056 miles

1919 Vickers Vimy

1,889 miles

1927 Ryan NYP

3,609.5 miles

1929 Breguet 19 Super Bidon

3,669.3 miles

1937 Tupolev ANT-25 1938 2 Vickers Wellesleys

6,306 miles 7,182 miles

1946 Lockheed P2V-1

11,236.6 miles

1962 Boeing B-52H 2006 Global Flyer

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12,532.3 miles 25,766.7 miles

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BRIEFING

Spirit to Soar

E MILESTONES

First Space Shuttle Launch Thirty-five years ago Columbia, the first space shuttle to go into earth orbit, launched for the first time on April 12, 1981, with a crew of two—John Young and Bob Crippen. In its 22 years in service, Columbia would complete 27 missions, spending a total of 300 days in space. The shuttle circled the earth 4,808 times, traveling 125,204,911 miles. One hundred sixty astronauts spent time aboard it. Columbia’s career came to a tragic end at the conclusion of its 28th trip to space, when it disintegrated during reentry on February 1, 2003, killing crew members Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chowla, David Brown and Laurel Blair Salton Clark. The accident was later traced to a debris strike during the launch.

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ver since Charles A. Lindbergh made it famous in 1927, there have been numerous reproductions and replicas made of his Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis. Less numerous have been Spirits that KIVIK\]ITTaÆa=V\QT his death in 1993, Cole Palen had strived to build IÆaQVOZMXZWNWZPQ[7TL Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, N.Y., and three years ago Ken Cassens, the aerodrome’s director of aircraft maintenance, resumed work on the project. This included consulting the Ryan Aeronautical

Archives and accessing the cockpit of the original hanging in the National Air and Space Museum by means of a cherry picker. In 2000 NASM curator Peter Jakab provided three rare instruments to lend an element of authenticity to the replica. 7V6W^MUJMZ \PM faithful reproduction was _PMMTMLW]\WV\PMÅMTL NWZQ\[ÅZ[\MVOQVMZ]V]X and taxi test. Cassens reported very positive KWV\ZWT7^MZ\PM_QV\MZ PMIVLPQ[[\I‫_ٺ‬QTTJM completing this latest Spirit, expecting to take it into the air in time for the 2016 season.

TOP AND RIGHT: ROYAL RICCI; ABOVE LEFT: NASA

ready for its closeup Old Rhinebeck’s re-creation of Lindbergh’s NYP, parked in front of a hangar advertising its maker. Below right: A view of the replica’s cockpit.



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Extremes

spray job The Soviets, who had ordered the PZL Mielec M-15 built, found it useful but not at nearly as cost-efficient as they anticipated.

Crop-duster From Hell

POLAND’S GROTESQUE M-15 BELPHEGOR, THE WORLD’S ONLY JET BIPLANE, WAS DESIGNED TO TOIL OVER THE FIELDS OF RUSSIA BY JON GUTTMAN

P

oland boasts the only production jet biplane in aviation history, and that’s no joke. As boasts go, however, this one is bound to raise a few eyebrows, and cause some to question the rationale for creating such a contraption. The answer lies in the parallel universe occupied by agricultural aircraft, where form follows function and aerodynamics and aesthetics are of secondary importance. In 1971 the Soviet Union asked Poland’s Panstwowe Zaklady Lotnicze (State Aviation Works) at Mielec to design a turbojet-

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powered agricultural airplane to replace the Antonov An-2SKh for use on its sprawling collective and state-owned farms. The Soviet-dominated Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, or Comecon, was at that time delegating industrial specialties to various members of the Warsaw Pact, and in Poland’s aviation industry that included “aggies.” Since the aircraft was being designed to meet a ;W^QM\[XMKQÅKI\QWVMVOQneers from both countries were involved, primarily PZL Mielec’s Kazimierz Gocyla and Soviet engineer Riamir Izmailov. Its agricultural equipment would be jointly developed at the Aeronautical Institute at Warsaw and the Soviet Research Institute of Special and

Utility Aviation at Krasnodar. Since PZL Mielec was already license-producing An-2s, a conceptual prototype was cobbled together by combining the forward fuselage and wings of an An-2 with a frame construction to support the jet engine, empennage and agricultural devices. The bizarre-looking result, called Latajace Laboratorium 1 (contracted into the somewhat humorous IKZWVaU4ITIÅZ[\ÆM_WV February 10, 1972, and over the next year or so the design team set about developing it into something more original. They eventually succeeded, IVL\PMÅZ[\XZW\W\aXMWN \PM

POLISH AVIATION MUSEUM, KRAKOW; ILLUSTRATION: STEVE KARP

PZL Mielec M-15 took to the sky on April 20, 1974. About IaMIZTI\MZÅ^MXZM[MZQM[ examples were sent to the =;;:NWZM^IT]I\QWV
KWT]UV[JM\_MMV\PM_QVO[ _Q\PIKWTTMK\Q^MKIXIKQ\aWN  MQ\PMZ XW]VL[WN LZa KPMUQKIT[WZOITTWV[WN  TQY]QL
]VTWILML[WUMWN \PMUWV its Warsaw Pact allies, which UILM[PWZ\[PZQN\WN \PMUNWZ the m-15 \PM[IUMZMI[WV¸\WWM`XMVbears the [Q^M\WWXMZI\M5MIV_PQTM distinction of 8B45QMTMK[\QTTKWV\ZQJ]\ML \W\PM+WUMKWV¼[IOZWJ][Qbeing the VM[[JaTQKMV[MXZWL]KQVO\PM world's )V;3PI\]ZJWXZWXXW_MZML^MZ[QWVWN \PMWTLZMTQslowest IJTM)V0I^QVOLMKMQ^ML production \PM5¼[J]QTLMZ[QV\WKZMI\QVO\PMQZQTT[\IZZMLKWV\ZIXjet plane. \QWV*MTXPMOWZ\Z]TaPIL\PM TI[\TI]OPI[\PM!^QV\IOMJQXTIVMQ\_I[UMIV\\W ZMXTIKM\PM)VZMUIQVML 8TIV[_MZMUILM\W[I\Q[Na QVXZWL]K\QWV]V\QT IVWZLMZNWZIQZKZIN\QV At least two weatherworn !!J]\;W^QM\][MZ[[WWV M`IUXTM[WN 8B45QMTMK¼[ M`XZM[[ML[MKWVL\PW]OP\[ RM\KZWXL][\MZIZMSVW_V VW\QVO\PM*MTXPMOWZ¼[MVOQVM \W[]Z^Q^M7VM[Q\[W]\[QLM _I[UWZMLQ‫ٻ‬K]T\IVLM`XMV- \PM8WTQ[P)^QI\QWV5][M]U [Q^M\WUIQV\IQVIVLZMXIQZ QV3ZISW__PQTM\PMW\PMZ \PIVIXZWXLZQ^MVIOOQM¼[ Q[[][XMVLMLWVXaTWV[I\ XW_MZXTIV\IVLQVOMVMZIT ;bWTVWS;bIVLI[bT[;XWZ\ \PMXTIVM_I[VW\[]‫ٻ‬KQMV\Ta )QZÅMTLQV0]VOIZa economical to be worthwhile. 8ZWL]K\QWVKMI[MLQV!  after only 120 to 175 M-15s PILJMMVJ]QT\LMXMVLQVO WV\PM[W]ZKM
PZL MIELEC M-15 SPECIFICATIONS

WEIGHT 6,812 pounds (empty) 12,456 pounds (maximum takeoff)

SERVICE CEILING 14,764 feet

LENGTH 41 feet 8¾ inches

MAXIMUM SPEED 124 mph

Note: side view not to scale

HEIGHT 17 feet 6½ inches

CLIMB RATE 950 feet per minute

WINGSPAN 73 feet 3¾ inches WING AREA 726.6 square feet

RANGE 248 miles

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AVIATORS

stardom At the height of her fame, Lady Heath poses with a DH.60 Moth at Stag Lane Aerodrome.

Lady Heath

becoming one of very few women in her day to attend the Royal College of Science in Ireland, where she gained IRELAND’S PIONEERING FEMALE a degree in science and speFLIER BATTLED CHAUVINISM TO cialized in agriculture. World War I took Sophie EARN HER PLACE IN THE SKY, BUT \W-VOTIVLIVL.ZIVKM HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE ALL where she served as a dispatch rider for two years. BUT FORGOTTEN TODAY After the war, now marBY LORA O’BRIEN ried and known as Sophie Mary Elliott-Lynn, she was rom a very early age, aviation trailblazer Mary Heath accepted at the university experienced the glare of publicity, though not the sort in Aberdeen. She moved anyone would envy. In 1897 neighbors discovered 1-year- again in 1922, this time to WTL;WXPQM5IZa8MQZKM-^IV[[Q\\QVOWV\PMÆWWZQVIXWWT London, where she helped of blood in her home in rural Ireland, next to her dead found the organization that mother, Kate Doolin. Sophie’s father, John Peirce-Evans, had would become the Women’s bludgeoned his wife to death with a stout stick. Amateur Athletic Association “Jackie” Peirce-Evans was tried and found guilty, but in 1926. Thereafter she judged insane and locked up in an asylum. Meanwhile Sophie served as the organization’s went to live with her grandfather in Newcastle West. Though joint secretary while camthe youngster showed early talent as an athlete, the two aunts paigning for the inclusion of who raised her discouraged her “unladylike” interest in sports. a full women’s program in During her time at schools in County Cork, County Armagh the Olympics. She remained IVLÅVITTa,]JTQVPW_M^MZ[PMXTIaMLPWKSMaIVL\MVVQ[ involved in competitive excelling at both. She also distinguished herself academically, athletics, setting a world

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record for the high jump IVLJMKWUQVO*ZQ\IQV¼[ÅZ[\ female javelin champion. Sophie’s introduction to aviation came in 1925, when as a delegate to the International Olympics +W]VKQT[PM\WWSPMZÅZ[\ ÆQOP\.ZWU!\PZW]OP to 1929, she was probably the most famous Irish woman in the world. Already established as a top athlete, she had begun to focus her MVMZOaWVÆaQVO)UMZQKIV Amelia Earhart had been ÅZQVOQUIOQVI\QWV[IVL setting records since 1922, but Sophie struggled against prejudice and ignorance to JMKWUM\PMÅZ[\_WUIVQV Britain or Ireland to obtain a commercial pilot’s license.

LEFT: AKG-IMAGES/TT NEWS AGENCY; RIGHT: THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES

To do so she had to buck a resolution passed in April 1924 by the International Commission for Aviation that “women shall be excluded from any employment in the operating crew of an aircraft engaged in public transport.” Her test included proving to a panel of men that she could control an aircraft…regardless of the time of month. 0MZÅZ[\UIZZQIOM_I[ an unhappy one, and she and Major William ElliottLynn were divorced in 1925. Sophie sought a new husband, reportedly making a list of the wealthiest British bachelors in search of someWVM_PWKW]TLÅVIVKMPMZ ÆaQVOKIZMMZ7VUIZZaQVO industrialist Sir James Heath, who was 45 years her senior, QV7K\WJMZ![PMJMKIUM Lady Heath. By that time she had already set a number of altitude records for small aircraft and seaplanes. In addition to PMZZMKWZLÆQOP\[[PMUILM a spectacular landing in the middle of a football match, JMKWUQVO\PMÅZ[\_WUIVQV the UK to parachute from IVIQZXTIVMIVLQV!\PM ÅZ[\NMUITMXQTW\\W_QVIV open race. Traveling to South Africa on her honeymoon, Lady Heath brought along the crated Avro Avian biplane that her new husband had bought for her. She planned \WÆaQ\PWUMPWXQVO\W JMKWUM\PMÅZ[\XQTW\\WÆa a small, open-cockpit plane solo from South Africa to 4WVLWV;PM\WWSW‫ٺ‬NZWU Cape Town in January 1928, but her journey lasted much longer than anticipated and was fraught with peril, including a crash landing outside Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) after she suffered heatstroke. She landed at Croydon Aerodrome on 5Ia\WIPMZW¼[_MTKWUM Despite having piloted

and maintained the Avian throughout that 9,000-mile trek, she stepped out of the cockpit to greet the crowds looking fabulous, in heels, a pleated skirt, fur coat and cloche hat. Lady Heath was determined to earn her way as a pilot, giving joyrides to fans I\IQZ[PW_[IVLWN\MVÆaQVO back to Ireland, where thousands would gather to see her IVLXIa\WÆa_Q\PPMZ0MZ visits are still remembered there today by the lads in Ballybunion, County Kerry, where she went to visit her Aunt Cis. They recall that Lady Heath “was good at the sales talk,” and there would always be more customers waiting to go up with her once the last lot had shakily climbed out of her plane. She soon turned to lobbying for a job as a commercial pilot, eventually succeeding QVTIVLQVOIXW[Q\QWVI[IÅZ[\ W‫ٻ‬KMZ_Q\P\PM,]\KPIQZTQVM 345
on august 29, 1929, lady heath crashed through a factory roof after clipping a chimney while practicing for the national air races in cleveland. original Lady Lindy, after Earhart crossed the Atlantic as a passenger in June 1928. 4ILa0MI\PQV^Q\MLPMZ\WÆa the Avro Avian, and Earhart promptly bought the biplane and took it back to the U.S. with her. Lady Heath recognized that America had the fastestgrowing commercial airline industry of the day. In July 1929, that view led her to write an article for ;KQMV\QÅK American titled “Is Flying Safe?” She believed that welltrained pilots and stringent construction standards were the most important factors

I‫ٺ‬MK\QVOIQZTQVM[INM\a 7VTaIUWV\PIN\MZPMZ article appeared, on August 29, Lady Heath crashed through a factory roof after clipping a chimney while practicing for the National Air Races in Cleveland. She sustained a fractured skull, broken nose and internal injuries, and observers at ÅZ[\\PW]OP\[PM_I[LMIL Newspapers reported that her recovery seemed unlikely, but after weeks in a coma she proved them wrong. Her second marriage ended soon after, when Lord Heath divorced her. After remarrying in 1931, this time to former Trinidadian jockey G.A.R. “Jack” Williams, Sophie moved back to Dublin, where she founded her own private aviation company. The match was by all accounts her happiest, but it led to her being ostracized in social circles due to the fact that Williams was black. In Dublin she also established the Irish Junior Aero Club, which taught young pilot KIVLQLI\M[\WÆa ;ILTa4ILa0MI\P¼[ problems with alcohol and isolation from society led to her gradual decline and estrangement from Williams. She died at age 42 of a head injury following a fall on a tramcar in 1939. In late 2013, seeking to PWVWZ4ILa0MI\P¼[TMOIKa Tracy Curtis-Taylor retraced PMZÆQOP\XI\PNZWU;W]\P Africa to Britain in a Boeing Stearman open-cockpit JQXTIVM[MM¹*ZQMÅVOº8  ¹1_IV\\PQ[ÆQOP\\WÆIO]X her achievements, and put PMZVIUMJIKSQV\PMX]JTQK¼[ consciousness,” commented Curtis-Taylor. 

avian aviatrix Lady Heath smiles from the cockpit of her Avro Avian in 1927.

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restored

leap of faith Art Nalls “jumps” into the air during an airshow in Culpeper, Va.

One Marine’s Harrier

RETIRED MILITARY AVIATOR ART NALLS BOASTS ONE OF THE SWEETEST RIDES ON THE AIRSHOW CIRCUIT, HIS PERSONAL SEA HARRIER BY GUY ACETO

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ieutenant Colonel Art Nalls retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after a career spanning two decades and hundreds WN ÆQOP\PW]Z[0Q[TWOJWWSZMÆMK\[\QUMQVIQZKZIN\I[ LQ^MZ[MI[\PM*. IVL)> 0IZZQMZ1VILLQ\QWV\W PQ[[MKWVL[]KKM[[N]TKIZMMZI[IZMITM[\I\MJZWSMZ6ITT[¼ MVL]ZQVOXI[[QWVNWZÆaQVOUMIV\PMNW]VLPQU[MTN XQTW\QVOI ?WZTL?IZ11·^QV\IOMAISÅOP\MZI\IZMIIQZ[PW_[¹1¼LÆa NWZI\IVSWN N]MTR][\\WPI^MN]VR][\\WOM\\PMM`XMZQMVKMº PMZMKITT[WN \PW[MMIZTaLIa[_PMVPM_I[ÅZ[\OM\\QVOPQ[NMM\ _M\QV\PMIQZ[PW_J][QVM[[<74RM\[XMV\UW[\WN Q\[[MZ^QKMTQNMI[I\M[\IQZKZIN\IVL

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_PMV;MI0IZZQMZ[JMOIV\W JMXPI[MLW]\WN NZWV\TQVM [MZ^QKMQ\_I[UW\PJITTML along with the rest of the :WaIT6I^a¼[;MI0IZZQMZ ;0):ÆMM\-V\MZ)Z\6ITT[ IVL¹
home office Nalls poses in the cockpit of his Sea Harrier between airshow flights.

shape, complete and with KWUXIZI\Q^MTaTW_ÆQOP\ \QUM_I[I^IQTIJTM?PMV 6ITT[ÅZ[\[I_@B!Q\_I[ sitting alone in a hangar lit JaI[QVOTMTQOP\J]TJ)N\MZ TWWSQVOW^MZ\PMIQZKZIN\PM SVM_PM¼LNW]VLPQ[RM\¹?M wrote a one-page contract in

PHOTOS: GUY ACETO

Sharpie, because we had only one piece of paper…and a Sharpie,” he says. Next came the hard part. Once the aircraft had been shipped to its new home in St. Mary’s County, Md., a dedicated team of volunteers gathered, many of them former Harrier mechanics and crew members. Some regularly drove up to six hours to be part of the project. The broker involved in acquiring the SHAR also managed to obtain much-needed replacement and spare parts, even aircraft jacks, a tow bar and drop tanks. Team SHAR spent the next 13 months preparing the jet to roar back to life. Along the way, they had to deal with a very exacting FAA looking over their shoulders. Nothing like this had ever been done before, and it was only due to Nalls’ experience as a pilot and his crew’s commitment that FAA W‫ٻ‬KQIT[M^MVKWV[QLMZMLKMZ\QNaQVOPQ[XZWRMK\0Q[ÆaQVO credentials, especially where the Harrier was concerned, were unassailable. He had experience in testing aircraft, having attended the USAF Test Pilot School; more than !PW]Z[ÆaQVO\PM)> ) (the original Marine version of the Harrier); and some 400 shipboard landings. He had also served on the test team that brought the improved )> *QV\W[MZ^QKM 1V)XZQT! L]ZQVOI \ZIQVQVOÆQOP\VMIZ:QKP UWVL>I6ITT[¼)> ) 0IZZQMZ[]‫ٺ‬MZMLIKWUXTM\M loss of engine power. He glided to a civilian airport and performed a dead-stick landing, stopping just 50 feet short of the runway’s end. Nalls was awarded the Air 5MLITNWZ\PI\ÅZ[\WNISQVL Harrier landing. Much of the work involved in getting the Sea Harrier back into the air required

ÅVM[[MIVLQVOMV]Q\a)\ one point, for example, the KZM_I[SMLNWZÅ^MOITTWV[WN alcohol, which was passed through the engine intake to dissolve residue from various “residents” that had made the engine bay their home while the jet sat idle. The team re-engineered the landing system and some of the emergency systems. As Nalls notes, “Nothing about it has been easy.” Although the RM\¼[WZQOQVIT5IZ\QV*ISMZ ejection seat couldn’t be supported, it turned out that the Stencel S-III-S seat— ][MLQV\PM=;5+)> * 0IZZQMZ11¸Å\\PM;0): with few problems. The team was also fortunate when it came to the all-important Pegasus Mk.104 engine. It had a grand total of 2.3 hours on it—actually better than zero time, since it meant the engine had completed a postÆQOP\UIQV\MVIVKMKPMKS prior to being put into surXT][Ja\PM*ZQ\Q[P5QVQ[\Za of Defence.
The world’s only civilianowned harrier jump jet was big news in the aviation community. Nalls landed at nearby Naval Air Station Patuxent River, with some slight damage to the aircraft. Team SHAR’s X]JTQKLMJ]\KIUMQV I\ IVIQZ[PW_QV+]TXMXMZ>I Nalls says there was only one time when he questioned his decision to take on the project: when he headed W]\\W\PMRM\NWZQ\[ÅZ[\\M[\ ÆQOP\)\\PI\XWQV\PMPIL JMMVW]\WN\PMKWKSXQ\NWZ  years. He knew that once he pushed the throttle forward, there was no going back. The issue wasn’t whether or not \PMIQZXTIVM_W]TLÆaJ]\

whether after all this time he KW]TL[\QTTÆaQ\)[PM\I`QML out, however, he regained PQ[KWVÅLMVKMTMI^QVOIVa doubts in his jet wash. Word has since spread about Nalls’ undertaking. The world’s only civilianowned Harrier Jump Jet was big news in the aviation comU]VQ\aIVL\PMÆaQVO[MI[WV got very busy for Art and his team. They participate in six to eight airshows a year, J]\\PW[M[TW\[Y]QKSTaÅTT]X Their success has led him to purchase a second FRS.2 IVLI< \_W[MI\0IZZQMZ trainer, which is expected to UISMQ\[ÅZ[\ÆQOP\\PQ[[XZQVO Art Nalls says he’s merely the custodian of his Harrier collection, and his goal is to train the team’s next generation of Harrier pilots. His ÆaQVO\MIUK]ZZMV\Ta includes Lt. Col. Jenna Dolan, USMCR; Lt. Col. +PIZTM[>IVLMV*W[[KPM USAF; and Major Monica Marusceac, USMCR. The Harrier’s legacy is clearly in good hands. 

ongoing legacy Nalls taxis to the showline. He recently added a second FRS.2 to his collection.

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LETTER FROM AVIATION HISTORY

No Runway Required

W electric ascent NASA’s GL-10 makes a vertical takeoff. The electric-powered aircraft has a 10-foot wingspan and is remotely piloted.

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hat accounts for our endless fascina\QWV_Q\P^MZ\QKIT\ISMW‫ٺ‬IVLTIVLQVO' 1NaW]¼ZMWNIKMZ\IQVIOMIVLNWTTW_ML aerospace developments in the late 1950s and 1960s, you witnessed an endless procession of VTOL projects \PI\[MMUML\W[QOVITIVM_MZIWN^MZ\QKITÆQOP\ *]\WN\PMUIVaLM[QOV[XZWXW[MLL]ZQVO\PI\ QUIOQVI\Q^MMZIUW[\WN_PQKPVM^MZUILMQ\W‫ٺ‬ \PMLZIN\QVO\IJTMWVTaWVM><74IQZXTIVM[\QTT ÆQM["\PM0IZZQMZ2]UX2M\[\WZQM[8IVL <74_WZS the ideal aircraft, particularly for the military—one \PI\KIV\ISMW‫^ٺ‬MZ\QKITTaKIZZaI[QOVQÅKIV\TWIL attain supersonic speeds and land on a dime—has ZMUIQVMLMT][Q^M7VTa\PMZMKMV\TaQV\ZWL]KML 4WKSPMML5IZ\QV.*KWUM[KTW[M\WI\\IQVQVO \PI\QLMITIVLQ\[LZI_JIKS[IVLOZW_QVOXIQV[ PI^MJMMV_MTTLWK]UMV\ML )QZXTIVMLM[QOVMZ[PI^MXZWXW[ML^IZQW][QLMI[ \W[WT^M\PM><74LQTMUUIQVKT]LQVOUW]V\QVO LMLQKI\MLTQN\MVOQVM[WZZMZW]\QVOMVOQVM\PZ][\ L]ZQVO \ISMWNN JW\P WN _PQKP \PM =; 6I^a M`XTWZMLQV\PMMIZTa![[\WZa8
IXXZWIKP\aXQKITTaZMY]QZM[IKWUXTM`L]K\QVO[a[\MU\PI\IT[WILL[\W\PMIQZKZIN\¼[_MQOP\ :WKSM\[KQMV\Q[\[\WWPI^MOZIXXTML_Q\P\PM XZWJTMU[MMSQVO\WLM[QOVIZM][IJTMJWW[\MZ\PI\ can land vertically under its own power after helpQVOTI]VKPIKZIN\QV\W[XIKM-TWV5][S¼[;XIKM@ has twice tried unsuccessfully to land its Falcon 9 ZWKSM\JWW[\MZ[WVIVWKMIVXTI\NWZU\PW]OPQ\ PI[KWVL]K\ML[]KKM[[N]T><74ZWKSM\ÆQOP\[IVL XTIV[\WI\\MUX\I.ITKWV!TIVLQVOIOIQVL]Z QVOQ\[VM`\TI]VKP7V6W^MUJMZ2M‫ٺ‬ *MbW[¼*T]M7ZQOQVKWUXIVaZMIKPMLIUQTM[\WVM when it launched its New Shepard space vehicle to I[]JWZJQ\IT\M[\IT\Q\]LMWNSQTWUM\MZ[IVL \PMV^MZ\QKITTaTIVLML\PMJWW[\MZ\PI\PILTQN\MLQ\ WVIXILQV?M[\
NASA LANGLEY/DAVID C. BOWMAN

BY CARL VON WODTKE

In tro Sh du oc ct ki or ng yP ric e!

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LIFTOFF A British Aerospace Sea Harrier FA.2 takes off from HMS Invincible during Exercise Magic Carpet 05 in March 2005.

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JUMP JET IN THE ELUSIVE QUEST TO DEVELOP A PRACTICAL VERTICAL TAKEOFF AND LANDING WARPLANE, ONLY THE HAWKER SIDDELEY HARRIER HAS ACHIEVED REAL-WORLD SUCCESS BY STEPHAN WILKINSON March 2016

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TEST SQUADRON Hawker Siddeley Kestrels, the Harrier’s forerunners, line up for takeoff and landing evaluations.

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0IL\PM0IZZQMZ¼[IJQTQ\a\W\ISMW‫ٺ‬IVLTIVL^MZ\QKITTaJMMV\Z]Ta UMIVQVON]TQUXWZ\IV\IVL]VKWUXZWUQ[QVOM^MZaUQTQ\IZa IQZKZIN\UIV]NIK\]ZMZQV\PM_WZTL_W]TLJMJ]QTLQVO0IZZQMZ [\aTMR]UXRM\[ 7VTaWVMKWUXIVaQ["4WKSPMML5IZ\QVI[XIZ\WN\PMPIXTM[[ .*XZWOZIUNWZ\PM=;5IZQVM+WZX[1V\MZU[WNQVKZMI[ML _MQOP\LZIO[XIKMIVLKWUXTM`Q\aUISQVO\PM.*I[PWZ\ \ISMW‫ٺ‬IVL^MZ\QKITTIVLQVOIQZXTIVMQ[\PMIMZWVI]\QKITMY]Q^ITMV\WNX]\\QVOIXQKS]XJMLIVLL]ITQM[WVI.MZZIZQ*]\ ;<7>4Q[VW_XIZ\WN5IZQVMK]T\]ZM#\PMaIZM\PMWVTa=; ][MZWN\PM0IZZQMZ_PQKP\PM+WZX[KITT[\PM)> * 5IVaI\\MUX\[\WXW_MZ><74IQZXTIVM[PILJMMV]V[]KKM[[N]T]V\QTIVWJ[K]ZM.ZMVKPUIVKIUM]X_Q\P\PMKWVKMX\ \PI\_W]TLJMKWUM\PMPMIZ\WN\PM0IZZQMZ\PM*ZQ[\WT8MOI[][ MVOQVM
PREVIOUS PAGES: CROWN COPYRIGHT; LEFT: ©TRINITY MIRROR/ALAMY; RIGHT: IAN TYAS/KEYSTONE/GETTY IMAGES

The Harrier is a remarkable airplane. Which, unfortunately, is not the same thing as a great airplane.

work in the early 1920s developing an all-metal monoplane ÅOP\MZ\PM?QJI]T\1V\PM ![?QJI]T\KIUM\W\PM =;\W_WZSNWZ)TM`IVLMZ 3IZ\^MTQI\:MX]JTQK)QZKZIN\ ?WZSQVO QVLMXMVLMV\Ta ?QJI]T\QV\PMUQL![XZWposed a Harrier-like VTOL ¹/aZWX\uZMº OZW]VLI\\IKS IQZXTIVM J]QT\ IZW]VL \PM _WZTL¼[ NQZ[\ \Z]M ^MK\WZML \PZ][\IQZKZIN\MVOQVM"I*ZQ[ \WT7ZQWV\]ZJW[PIN\KWZM\PI\ XZWL]KML\PZ][\NZWUIKWV^MV\QWVIT \IQTXQXM J]\ NZWU \PMNZWV\WN\PMMVOQVMLZW^M NW]Z TIZOM ZW\IZa KWUXZM[[WZ[
blage balances in relation to the airplane’s center of gravity and the wing’s center of lift. The Harrier’s Pegasus, however, is immovable. Its four nozzles determine the all-important CG, and the airplane must remain perfectly balanced around that point. To keep the moment arm of the weight forward of the engine manageable, the cockpit must be snuggled as close to the Pegasus as possible, and the pilot ends up sitting like a Formula 1 driver, with his shoulders not many inches forward of the big three-disc fan. Small as it is, the Harrier’s wing still must be high-mounted, to allow a clear area below for the swiveling nozzles’ thrust. (That wing is a single spar-through structure that has to be entirely removed to access the engine for heavy maintenance or an engine change.) And with the wing up so high, retractable main TIVLQVOOMIZKW]TLJMI‫`ٻ‬ML\WQ\WVTa_Q\POZMI\LQ‫ٻ‬K]T\a6WZ can the gear be designed to retract into the fuselage, since this would put the wheels directly into the jet blast of the nozzles. The rear nozzles are jet-hot, of course, and even the “cold air” coming out of the front nozzles is hot enough to boil water or blister tires. So the Harrier has centerline bicycle gear, with a single double-wheel main strut aft, a nosewheel forward and a pair of outriggers near the wingtips. The considerable anhedral of the Harrier’s wings and horibWV\IT[\IJQTQbMZ[M`Q[\[\WKW]V\MZ\PMIQZXTIVM¼[LM[QZM\WZWTT ]VKWV\ZWTTIJTaQNaI_JMKWUM[M`KM[[Q^ML]ZQVO[TW_ÆQOP\1V NIK\WVMWN\PM0IZZQMZ¼[UWZMQUXWZ\IV\¹ÆQOP\QV[\Z]UMV\[º is a small yaw indicator—a miniature weathervane, essentially sailplane technology—just in front of the windscreen, to keep the pilot from venturing into this danger zone The Harrier’s elephant ear airscoops are so enormous beKI][ML]ZQVO\PMUW[\KZQ\QKITXPI[MWNÆQOP\¸PW^MZQVOIVL TIVLQVO¸\PMZMQ[VWZIUIQZM‫ٺ‬MK\NZWUNWZ_IZLUW\QWVI[ there would be on a conventional jet. The Harrier must gulp its own intake air rather than having it shoved down its throat. To aid in accomplishing this, each scoop also has a row of blow-in doors just aft of the intake lip. They are spring-loaded and are sucked in automatically to provide more intake area when

READY FOR ANYTHING A Harrier lurks beneath camouflage netting in Germany during a NATO exercise in June 1981.

THE BRITISH RIGHTLY CLAIM HARRIER PATRIMONY, BUT THE UNITED STATES WAS INVOLVED WITH THE AIRPLANE FROM THE OUTSET. the airspeed diminishes. (Unlike a conventional aircraft’s engine, the Pegasus is running at full power and bMZWIQZ[XMMLL]ZQVO\PMÅVIT stages of an approach and a vertical landing.)

W

hy the increased interest in vertical \ISMW‫ٺ‬IVLTIVLing? What eventually became the Harrier had originally been viewed as an QV[\IV\\ISMW‫ٺ‬NI[\KTQUJQVO short-range bomber interceptor, since World War II had made aerial blitz Britain’s great fear. But at the height of the Cold War, it also became apparent that World War III could well begin with the Warsaw Pact’s air forces cratering every runway in Europe L]ZQVO\PMÅZ[\PITNPW]Z\P][ OZW]VLQVO6)<7¼[KWV^MVtional frontline fighters and attack aircraft. Unless, that Q[\PMa_MZMIJTM\W\ISMW‫ٺ‬ NZWUZIVLWUNIZUÅMTL[IVL quickly prepared short strips. Though the Harrier was JZQMÆaXMZKMQ^MLI[I><74 airplane, the source of the jump-jet moniker, it quickly became obvious that a [\ZIQOP\]X\ISMW‫ٺ‬KW]TLWVTa

be done with a near-empty airplane—carrying just enough fuel to do its act at an airshow, say. In the real world, 0IZZQMZ[ JMKIUM ;<7>4 machines. Carrying bombs, bullets and a mission-load of OI[\PMa_W]TL\ISMW‫ٺ‬IN\MZ a ground—or carrier-deck— run and land vertically only after returning with ordnance IVLN]MTM`XMVLML The British rightly claim Harrier patrimony, but the United States was involved with the airplane from the outset. Wibault’s vectored thrust was initially championed by 6)<7¼[=;N]VLML5]\]IT Weapons Development Agency, after U.S. Air Force Colonel Willis Chapman of \PM5?,)_I[KWTTIZMLJaI persuasive Wibault at a Paris Air Show. Before the British government ever got behind the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 XZWXW[IT6);)_I[\M[\QVO wind-tunnel models of the airXTIVMI\Q\[4IVOTMa:M[MIZKP Center and had built a 1/6th-scale, radio-controlled P.1127 model that successfully made vertical takeoffs IVLTIVLQVO[6);)XI[[ML Q\[ÅVLQVO[JIKS\W0I_SMZ which was hugely encouraged by the data. Three-quarters of the funding for the original Pegasus engine prototype was provided by the U.S., the remaining 25 percent covered by Bristol as a private venture because the government couldn’t afford to back the company’s achievement. And of course the major purchase of first-generation-Harrier )> )[Ja\PM=;5IZQVM Corps and the consequent formation of a license-production and development venture _Q\P 5K,WVVMTT ,W]OTI[ (before it became part of

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TECH NOTES BAE HARRIER II GR.5 STAINLESS STEEL WING LEADING EDGE (UNIQUE TO HARRIER GR.5)

AUTOMATIC MANEUVERING FLAP

ROLL CONTROL REACTION AIR VALVE

ZERO SCARF FORWARD (FAN AIR) SWIVELING NOZZLE (A)

AILERON

OUTRIGGER HOUSING

OUTRIGGER LANDING GEAR

PITCH AND YAW CONTROL REACTION AIR VALVES

ECM EQUIPMENT MODULE

AIR BRAKE REAR SWIVELING HOT EXHAUST NOZZLE (B)

SPECIFICATIONS

LENGTH 46 feet 4 inches

ENGINE Pratt & Whitney F402-RR-406 (Pegasus 105) turbofan producing 21,800 pounds of thrust

HEIGHT 11 feet 8 inches

WINGSPAN 30 feet 4 inches WING AREA 344 square feet

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WEIGHT 13,970 pounds (empty) 22,950 pounds (normal takeoff) 20,595 pounds (vertical takeoff) FUEL CAPACITY 7,500 pounds (internal) Up to four 300-gallon tanks (external)

MAXIMUM PAYLOAD 13,235 pounds (short takeoff) 4,000 pounds (vertical takeoff) MAX SPEED 675 mph (at sea level) 647 mph (at altitude) CEILING 38,000 feet FERRY RANGE 1,800 nautical miles

MAIN LANDING GEAR

ARMAMENT One General Electric GAU-12/U 25mm cannon with 300 rounds in adjacent identical pod 9,200 pounds of bombs, rockets, missiles or auxiliary fuel tanks Note: general specs are for the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B

LEADING EDGE ROOT EXTENSION ROLLS-ROYCE PEGASUS 11 (MK.105) TURBOFAN ENGINE

MARTIN-BAKER MK.12 EJECTION SEAT

FERRANTI FIN-1075 INTERNAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM

BLOW-IN INTAKE DOOR

PITCH CONTROL REACTION AIR VALVE HIGH RECOVERY INLET

LANDING LIGHTS

NOSE LANDING GEAR

300-GALLON AUXILIARY FUEL TANK POD-MOUNTED ROYAL ORDNANCE ADEN 25MM GAS-OPERATED REVOLVER CANNON

HEART OF THE HARRIER Seldom in aviation history have airplane and engine been as mutually dependent as the Harrier and the Pegasus. Conceived by French designer Michel Wibault between 1952 and 1955, the Pegasus turbojet was capable of redirecting its thrust for vertical takeoff and landing. Starting in 1957, Gordon Lewis and his engineering team at Bristol Aero

Engines Ltd. simplified and lightened Wibault’s design, incorporating axial compressors and pairs of rotatable nozzles. The BE.53 turbojet, bench-tested in 1959, went on to become the Rolls-Royce Pegasus that first raised the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 off the ground in 1960.

(A)

ILLUSTRATION: JOHN BATCHELOR; PHOTO: ROLLS-ROYCE

AIM-9 SIDEWINDER MISSILE

(B)

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ALMOST THERE Flight directors on USS Essex watch an AV-8B Harrier II land during Operation Enduring Freedom in October 1991.

THE HARRIER WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE A SUPERSONIC FIGHTER TO TUSSLE WITH THE SOVIETS FOR AIR SUPERIORITY.

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Boeing) were of enormous consequence. MacDac turned the original Harrier from “an airplane that couldn’t carry a cigaZM\\MIKZW[[INWW\JITTÅMTLºI[KZQ\QK[KTIQUMLQV\W\PM)> * 0IZZQMZ11\WLIa\PM5IZQVM[¼XZQUIZaKTW[MIQZ[]XXWZ\IQZKZIN\ and a machine with capabilities and sophistication that make early Harriers look like airshow toys. Just as the English Electric Canberra became the Martin *[W\PM)QZ.WZKM_W]TLV¼\JM[MMVI[J]aQVOI¹NWZMQOV IQZXTIVMº\PM0I_SMZ;QLLMTMa0IZZQMZVMMLML\WJMKWUM \PM5K,WVVMTT,W]OTI[)> *NWZ\PM[IUMZMI[WV_PMV\PM 5IZQVM+WZX[UILMQ\[UIRWZJ]a1V\PMMIZTa![*ZQ\Q[P )MZW[XIKMIVL5IK,IK_MZMKWWXMZI\QVO\W]XOZILM\PM ÅZ[\OMVMZI\QWV0IZZQMZ)> )J]\\PM*ZQ\Q[PLZWXXMLW]\ WN\PMXZWOZIUQV! *¼[ ZIVOMIVLXIaTWIL\PW]OPI\\PMKW[\WN SVW\[WNIQZ[XMML caused by the larger and thicker wing’s increased drag. The VM__QVOIT[WMVPIVKML\PM)> *¼[PW^MZQVOIJQTQ\a_Q\P TMILQVOMLOMZWW\M`\MV[QWV[IQTMZWVLZWWXIVL[TW\\MLÆIX[ XT][\PMPMTXWNTIZOMTWVOQ\]LQVIT]VLMZ_QVO[\ZISM[IVLI lateral air dam that help to localize and contain the column of thrust from the downward-rotated nozzles.

LEFT: ©CLOVER B. CHRISTENSEN/EPA/CORBIS; RIGHT: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM FKD 2300

T

he Harrier was originally intended to be a []XMZ[WVQKÅOP\MZ\W \][[TM_Q\P\PM;W^QM\[ NWZIQZ[]XMZQWZQ\a)N\MZ\PM 8 XZW\W\aXM XZW^ML \PI\\PMJI[QK^MK\WZML\PZ][\ KWVKMX\ _WZSML 0I_SMZ UW^MLQUUMLQI\MTa\WLM^MTWXQVO\PM8_PQKP_I[ UMIV\\WJMI5IKPÅOP\MZ that would carry the name 0IZZQMZ,]ZQVO\PM![VW combat aircraft could claim legitimacy without being able to seriously bust the Mach.  )[KW]TLJMKWV[QLMZML ¹*ZQ\Q[P IQZXTIVM[º¸\PM Harrier was sold only to the ;XIVQ[P1\ITQIVIVL1VLQIV VI^QM[QV[UITTY]IV\Q\QM[)[ far as the rest of the world was KWVKMZVMLIVa[MTNZM[XMK\QVO ÅOP\MZPIL\WJM[]XMZ[WVQK and the Harrier was transonic at best. ;_Q\bMZTIVLTWWSMLTQSMI perfect Harrier customer. It was a small country with few IQZÅMTL[IVLQ\TIKSML\PMTIVL \WJ]QTLIVaUWZM;WQV! 0I_SMZ;QLLMTMa[_ITTW_ML its concerns and allowed a ;_Q[[M^IT]I\QWVXQTW\\W\M[\ ÆaI0IZZQMZ*ILQLMI?PQTM \ZIV[Q\QWVQVONZWU\ISMW‫\ٺ‬W NWZ_IZLÆQOP\PMOZIJJML\PM high-pressure fuel cock rather than the nozzle control and shut down the engine. The Harrier dropped like a rock while he ejected. This despite the fact that \PM[QUXTMVWbbTM^MK\WZQVO TM^MZ_I[WVMWN\PM0IZZQMZ¼[ [MTTQVOXWQV\[".TaQVOI0IZZQMZ QV^WT^M[WVTa\PI\WVMM`\ZI

control, and it was a major engineering achievement. The nozbTMTM^MZQ[\_QVVML_Q\P\PM\PZW\\TMI\\PMXQTW\¼[TMN\PIVL where a fuel-mixture control might be in a piston engine airplane. Moving it full aft shifts the four nozzles to the braking position, pointing 8 degrees ahead of straight down. Forward of that is a hover position, nozzles full down. Advancing the lever NIZ\PMZNWZ_IZLÅVL[ILM\MV\I\LMOZMM[LW_V_PQKP\]ZV[ I[PWZ\OZW]VLZ]VQV\WITQN\W‫ٺ‬4M^MTÆQOP\Q[IKPQM^MLJaN]TT forward movement of the lever. The nozzles react rapidly and are capable of moving 90 degrees in less than a second. An even more remarkable engineering achievement in aid of WXMZI\QWVIT[QUXTQKQ\aQ[\PM0IZZQMZ¼[[a[\MUWNZMIK\QWVKWV\ZWT RM\[KI[]ITTaKITTMLX]‫ٺ‬MZ[?PMVI0IZZQMZ[TW_[\WIXWQV\ where its aerodynamic surfaces—ailerons, rudder and eleva\WZ¸IZMVWTWVOMZM‫ٺ‬MK\Q^M\PM:+2[\ISMW^MZZWTTXQ\KPIVL yaw control. They are small nozzles exhausting engine bleed air. One points down at each wingtip, another downward jet is under the nose and three are on the tail stinger, one down and \PMW\PMZ\_WTMN\IVLZQOP\
I

t only took 10 weeks during the spring of 1982 for the British to amortize their entire investment in the Harrier. The air war against Argentina over the Falkland Islands was fought almost entirely by 42 Royal Air Force Harriers and Royal Navy Sea Harriers, which traveled the 7,800 miles to the .ITSTIVL[ IJWIZL \PM :6¼[ two remaining aircraft carriers, as well as several cargo [PQX[
learned the hard way that it required a particularly skilled pilot to safely fly a Harrier. They had practiced air combat maneuvering against the =;).\PM4]N\_I‫ٺ‬MT¼)ZUuM LMT¼)QZIVLM^MZaJWLaMT[M who wanted a piece of them. During one set of practice sorties, three RN Sea Harrier pilots with Falklands experience scored 27 wins versus 10 losses flying against nimble Air Force F-5Es. A fighter wing of F-15s at Bitburg, West Germany, traveled to England to even the score but ended up losing seven to one. And when the RAF tried its own F-4 Phantoms against the new Sea Harriers—and no love is lost between the two services—they were particularly embarrassed to lose 25 to one. The Argentines, however, had no competent opponents against whom they could practice, and their last serious ACM instruction came during the seven years that 4]N\_I‫ٺ‬MIKM)LWTN/ITTIVL spent in Argentina as a Fuerza )uZMI)ZOMV\QVIIL^Q[MZIN\MZ World War II. They were IT[WÆaQVOI\\PMTQUQ\WN\PMQZ range and had no fuel to spare for maneuvering. Nor did the Argentines have electronics that approached what the Harriers carried. ;WaM[\PM0IZZQMZ[ÆaQVO from their own carriers with the battle coming to them, did splendidly at air-to-air, J]\]T\QUI\MTaQ\_I[V¼\INIQZ ÅOP\;WUM_W]TLIT[WIZO]M that the Harriers lost the air war, since enough Argentine aircraft and missiles got past them to sink seven British ships and to hit half a dozen more with bombs that failed to explode. Nor were the Harriers able to interdict the

BAPTISM OF FIRE Harrier GR.3s and Sea Harrier FR.1s line the carrier Hermes’ deck off the Falklands in May 1982.

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BRITISH AEROSPACE HARRIER II GR.9 COCKPIT Option display unit Head-up display Engine performance panel Master arm panel Left multipurpose color display 6. Caution light panel 7. Up-front controller 8. Right multipurpose color display 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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9. Electronic warfare panel 10. Armament control panel 11. Analog flight instruments 12. Fuel control panel 13. Analog stopwatch 14. Water injection/combat thrust panel 15. Landing gear position indicators 16. Control column grip with

controls for pitch/roll trim, sensor selection, waypoint setup, nose wheel steering, SAAHS (stability augmentation and attitude hold system) disengagement and airto-air/ground weaponry 17. Miscellaneous control panel

18. Hydraulic pressure gauges 19. Caution/advisory light panel 20. Electrical panel 21. Gear handle lights 22. Nozzles lever 23. Engine management system switch 24. Throttle quadrant

COUNTERINSURGENCY U.S. Marine Corps AV-8Bs of VMA-231 provide close air support over Afghanistan on December 6, 2012.

daily Argentine C-130 resupXTaÆQOP\[\W\PM.ITSTIVL[ ]ZQVO\PMMIZTa![ U]KP X]JTQKQ\a _I[ OQ^MV \W I 0IZZQMZ maneuver called >1..¸^MK\WZQVOQVNWZ_IZL NTQOP\ ) =;5+ XQTW\ 4\ +WT0IZZa*TW\ZMITQbMLQ\[ XW[[QJQTQ\QM[ _PMV TMOMVL PI[Q\PMLMKQLML\W[MM_PI\ _W]TLPIXXMVQNPM[]LLMVTa [TIUUMLPQ[)> )¼[VWbbTM[ \W \PM N]TTJZISQVO XW[Q\QWV I\SVW\[0MZMXWZ\MLTa OW\/[WNLMKMTMZI\QWVIVL I[\ZWVOVW[M]XXQ\KP1..QVO_I[_PI\ OI^M0IZZQMZ[\PM]XXMZPIVL QV\PM.ITSTIVL[?IZ1VNIK\ \PMZM_I[V¼\I[QVOTMKTI[[QK LWONQOP\ QV \PM .ITSTIVL[" 5W[\0IZZQMZIQZ\WIQZ^QK\WZQM[_MZM[KWZMLJaXQTW\[_PW XW]VKMLNZWUIJW^MI\PQOP [XMMLIVLÅZMLIPMI\[MMSQVO;QLM_QVLMZUQ[[QTMNZWU JMPQVLIV]V[][XMK\QVO5Q ZIOMWZ;SaPI_S
LEFT: NICK GREENALL; RIGHT: U.S. MARINE CORPS

D

WN IVa )UMZQKIV NQOP\MZ¸ ITUW[\\PZMM\QUM[I[JILI[ \PM.WZ. )[\PMaÅO]ZML\PI\\ZIV[Q\QWVQVOPMTQKWX\MZXQTW\[QV\W\PMIQZXTIVM IVLOQ^QVOIUWLQK]UWNPMTW QV[\Z]K\QWV \W NQ`ML_QVO 0IZZQMZKIVLQLI\M[_W]TLJM ][MN]T1\_I[V¼\
BY THE LATE 1970S, THE HARRIER HAD A REPUTATION AS A DEMANDING AIRPLANE AT BEST AND A DANGEROUS ONE AT WORST. MVOQVMXW_MZ\WTQN\\PMILLML _MQOP\¸\PM[MV]OOM\[_MZM [WTWQVOWV\PMQZÅZ[\0IZZQMZ NTQOP\ ¼[[INM\aZMKWZLJa[M\ting a minimum grade stanLIZLNWZ0IZZQMZXQTW\[;\QTT Ja\PMMIZTa[N]TTaI\PQZL WNITT\PM)> )[IVL*[\PI\ \PM5IZQVM[JW]OP\PILJMMV LM[\ZWaMLQVKZI[PM[SQTTQVO 5IZQVM[QVIKKQLMV\[
;MI0IZZQMZ[QVVW\TWVO IN\MZXIaQVO\PMMY]Q^ITMV\WN !UQTTQWV\W]XOZILM\PMU IVL\PM=;5+[VIXXML]X \PMMV\QZMTW\NWZIJW]\  UQTTQWVQVILMIT\PI\QVN]ZQI\ML*ZQ\Q[P\I`XIaMZ[ *XIZ\[ ;<74 ?IZZQWZ, by John Dibbs with Tony Holmes; and *WMQVO*)M 0IZZQMZ, by Dennis R. Jenkins.

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ARTIST'S CONCEPT Convair’s Model 200, envisioned as a VTOL fighter capable of Mach 2, never left the drawing board.

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VERT CAL DREAMS IN THE EARLY 1970S, THE U.S. NAVY SOUGHT TO DEVELOP VTOL AIRCRAFT THAT COULD FLY FROM SMALL CARRIERS, BUT THE RESULTING DESIGNS NEVER QUITE GOT OFF THE DECK BY ROBERT GUTTMAN

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PR SHOT Despite its futuristic look, the XFV-12A incorporated many components from existing aircraft.

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At a time of great social upheaval, he did much to help keep good people in the U.S. Navy. He also came up with some ideas that occasioned a great deal of resistance within the service. Not least among these was the notion of building smaller, less-expensive aircraft carriers, which he dubbed sea control ships, equipped exclusively with vertiKIT\ISMW‫ٺ‬IVLTIVLQVO><74IQZXTIVM[ By the 1970s many of the World War II–vintage Essex-class carriers that had been modified for IV\Q[]JUIZQVM_IZNIZM);?WZW\PMZ[XMKQITized missions were nearing the end of their operational lives. Zumwalt believed they should be replaced by smaller, less sophisticated vessels than the huge nuclear-powered “super carriers” favored Ja\PM6I^aI^QI\QWVKWUU]VQ\a
out that the smaller ships would be ideal for tasks for which a giant carrier was not required, such as ASW, escorting convoys or providing air support to naval auxiliaries or amphibious support groups. <74WZ [PWZ\\ISMW‫ٺ‬IVLTIVLQVO;<74[\ZQSMÅOP\MZ[
PREVIOUS PAGES: SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM; LEFT & BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY OF ERIC SIMONSEN; TOP RIGHT: NASA

AS CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS FROM 1970 TO 1974, ADMIRAL ELMO ZUMWALT WAS AMONG THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL MILITARY OFFICERS OF HIS DAY.

TUNNEL VISION A Rockwell International engineer prepares a scale model of the XFV-12A strike fighter for wind-tunnel testing in 1974.

What the Navy lacked was any sort of V/STOL [\ZQSMÅOP\MZ The obvious solution was the Hawker Siddeley 0IZZQMZIXZW^MVLM[QOV\PI\PILJMMVQVXZWL]K\QWV[QVKM!*]\JW\P\PM6I^aIVL\PM American aerospace industry were opposed to the 0IZZQMZXZQUIZQTaJMKI][MQ\_I[NWZMQOV1V[\MIL WNMU]TI\QVO_PI\_I[ZQOP\IJW]\\PMIQZXTIVM _PQKP_I[IOZMI\LMIT\PMaVQ\XQKSMLLM\IQT[\PI\ \PMaKWV[QLMZML_ZWVO_Q\P\PMLM[QOVQVIVM‫ٺ‬WZ\ \WLQ[KZMLQ\Q\+WV[MY]MV\TaQV!\PM6I^a ZMY]M[\MLXZWXW[IT[NWZI>;<74[\ZQSMÅOP\MZ NZWU=;IMZWVI]\QKITÅZU[IVLZMKMQ^MLI^IZQM\aWN\MVLMZ[NZWUXZIK\QKITTaM^MZaWVMWN\PMU All but two were rejected out of hand as unworkIJTMWZ\WWM`XMV[Q^M7N\PM\_WZMUIQVQVOKWUXIVQM[\PM6I^aÅVITTaI_IZLMLILM^MTWXUMV\ KWV\ZIK\\W:WKS_MTT1V\MZVI\QWVITNWZ\_WXZW\W\aXM[WNIVIQZKZIN\LM[QOVI\ML@>.) .) [MMU[ \W PI^M JMMV KPW[MV solely on the expectation that it would be the least M`XMV[Q^M\WJ]QTLJMKI][MQ\_I[KWJJTML\WOM\PMZ W]\WNJQ\[IVLXQMKM[WNM`Q[\QVOIQZKZIN\._I[IZO]IJTa\PMUW[\XZWJTMUI\QK of all the proposals, since it was based on totally ]VXZW^MV\MKPVWTWOa1\[UW[\[\ZQSQVONMI\]ZM[ _MZM\PMTIZOMKIVIZL_QVO[]ZNIKM[\PI\ITUW[\ Y]ITQNQMLQ\I[I\IVLMUJQXTIVMIVL\PMMVL XTI\M^MZ\QKITKWV\ZWT[]ZNIKM[WV\PM_QVO\QX[ *MaWVL\PI\\PMIQZKZIN\NMI\]ZMLI]VQY]M¹\PZ][\ I]OUMV\MZ_QVOº[a[\MUQV_PQKP\PMUIQV\IQT

THE XVF-12A SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN SOLELY ON THE EXPECTATION THAT IT WOULD BE THE LEAST EXPENSIVE TO BUILD.

XQXM_I[JTWKSMLW‫ٺ‬IVL\PMRM\M`PI][\LQ^MZ\ML ^QIIKWUXTM`[a[\MUWNL]K\[\W\PM_QVO[IVL KIVIZL[)VMTIJWZI\M[MZQM[WNÆIX[WV\PM_QVO[ IVLKIVIZL[TWWSQVO[WUM\PQVOTQSMOQIV\^MVM\QIV blinds, were supposed to convert the exhaust into []‫ٻ‬KQMV\TQN\\WOQ^M\PMXTIVM><74KIXIJQTQ\a .QZ[\\M[\MLQV!\PM@.>)_I[M`XMK\ML to be fully VTOL capable and to reach a top speed WN5IKP=VNWZ\]VI\MTaNWZQ\[LM[QOVMZ[PW_M^MZXZM[[]ZMTW[[M[L]M\WITT\PMIVOTM[IVLJMVL[ QV\PML]K\[a[\MUXZW^ML\WJMNIZOZMI\MZ\PIV XZMLQK\ML[W\PI\WVTaIJW]\XMZKMV\WN\PM MVOQVM\PZ][\_I[IK\]ITTaI^IQTIJTMNWZ^MZ\QKIT TQN\1VNIK\\PMIQZKZIN\LM^MTWXML\WWTQ\\TM^MZ\QKIT TQN\\W[]XXWZ\Q\[W_V_MQOP\QV\PMIQZIVL\P][ VM^MZKW]TL\ISMW‫ٺ‬WZTIVL^MZ\QKITTaI\ITT)PILÆW_V[]KKM[[N]TTaQ\ remains doubtful that it ever could have become IXZIK\QKIT[\ZQSMÅOP\MZ
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CLEAR FOR ACTION Resembling an F-106 fitted with canards, the sleek Convair 200 looked the part of a Mach 2 fighter.

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that the conventional plane would have been able \WKIZZaXMZKMV\UWZM_MQOP\I[N]MTIZUIUMV\ or electronics. By 1980, the Navy had abandoned the idea of the sea control ship, due largely to the failure of \PM><74ÅOP\MZLM^MTWXUMV\XZWOZIUI[_MTTI[ pressure from its aviation community to concentrate on building more supercarriers. Meanwhile, however, Zumwalt’s brainchild was adopted elsewhere in the world. Italy’s Giuseppe Garibaldi follows the sea control ship formula, as do Spain’s Principe de Asturias and Juan Carlos I. Spain has even built similar vessels for export: HTMS Chakri Naruebet for Thailand, and HMAS Canberra and Adelaide for Australia. The Royal Navy’s Illustrious-class “throughdeck cruiser” proved very successful during the 1982 Falklands War. In addition, the RN’s rapid and successful conversion of the container ship Atlantic Conveyor to accommodate Harriers and helicopters demonstrated that the WWII concept of modifying a merchant vessel into a viable escort carrier was still practicable. Nevertheless, the modern “brown shoe” U.S. Navy, still infatuated with its enormous supercarriers and showing little interest in convoy protection, has learned nothing from the success of foreign versions of the sea control ship or the Atlantic Conveyor conversion. )VMY]ITTa[QOVQÅKIV\W]\KWUMWN\PM.ITSTIVL[ War was that the VTOL Sea Harrier put up an M‫ٺ‬MK\Q^MIQZLMNMV[MIOIQV[\)ZOMV\QVM;SaPI_S[ and Mirages. While the U.S. Navy continued to fault the Harrier—complaining that it was too [TW_\WW[PWZ\ZIVOMLIVL\WWLQ‫ٻ‬K]T\\WÆa¸ Britain, Spain, Italy, India and Thailand seemed to experience no problems operating it from their smaller carriers. And after a poor introduction to the McDonnell Douglas–built AV-8A Harrier,

The runner-up in the VTOL competition, Convair’s Model 200, was never built because it was entirely new from the ground up, and therefore would have been much more expensive than the XFV-12A. It does, however, make an interesting case study of what was wrong with U.S. VTOL thinking during the 1970s. Resembling an F-106 Delta Dart with canards, the Convair 200 looked GO! Convair also designed a version of the 200 M^MZaJQ\TQSMI5IKPRM\ÅOP\MZ.WZ^MZ\QKITTQN\Q\ without lift engines for conventional carrier ops. relied upon two additional jet engines mounted vertically inside the fuselage, between the cockpit and the wings, a propulsion arrangement similar to that used in the Soviet Union’s operational but OZW[[TaQVM‫ٻ‬KQMV\AISW^TM^AIS.WZOMZ)[ _Q\P\PMAIS!XMZKMV\WN\PM+WV^IQZ¼[ ÆQOP\ZMOQUM_W]TLJM[XMV\T]OOQVOIZW]VL\PM dead weight of two inoperative jet engines. Additionally, those two lift engines occupied a substantial amount of internal space that could otherwise have be used for fuel, armament or electronics. It is interesting to note that Convair designed two separate versions of the 200 for the Navy—one I[I><74ÅOP\MZ_Q\P\PMM`\ZITQN\MVOQVM[IVL IVW\PMZKWVÅO]ZMLI[IKIZZQMZJI[MLÅOP\MZ_Q\P a tail hook and without the extra lift engines. The VTOL version’s gross weight was to have been XW]VL[_PQTM\PMKWV^MV\QWVIT^MZ[QWV _W]TLPI^M_MQOPML!XW]VL[QVLQKI\QVO

ILLUSTRATIONS: SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM; ABOVE: ©2013 LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP.

THE FUTURE IS NOW Major Richard Rusnok makes the first vertical landing of a production F-35B on March 31, 2013.

the U.S. Marine Corps adopted the improved and enlarged AV-8B Harrier II, with 50 percent more fuel for greater range and loiter time. It has served with considerable success in numerous war zones, from Operation Desert Shield in 1990 to current KWVÆQK\[QV)NOPIVQ[\IVIVL1ZIY Despite the failure of the U.S. aerospace industry to develop a suitable VTOL strike fighter during the 1970s, American engineers have per[Q[\ML5.)I\\IQVML \PMZMY]Q[Q\MXMZNWZUIVKMMV^MTWXMIVL_MIXWV[ clearances. The RAF and RN plan to operate 138 .*[IVL\PMÅN\POMVMZI\QWVÅOP\MZ_QTTIT[W replace the Italian navy’s ship-based Sea Harriers. While it represents state-of-the-art aeronautical technology, the F-35B still shares some of the LZI_JIKS[NW]VLWV\PM><74ÅOP\MZXZWXW[IT[ of the 1970s. Although the F-35B does not have additional lift jets, as did the Convair 200, it does include a large engine-driven lift fan that takes up just about the same proportion of internal space. Its operational weight is 10,000 pounds less than that of the corresponding conventional version of

THE VTOL SEA HARRIER PUT UP AN EFFECTIVE AIR DEFENSE AGAINST ARGENTINE SKYHAWKS AND MIRAGES.

the Lightning II, which means it will carry that much less military load. Furthermore, while the F-35B is capable of a maximum speed of Mach 1.6—much faster than the Harrier—it is also much heavier. Although only about six feet longer, the F-35B weighs in at a hefty 32,300 pounds empty, 132 percent heavier than the Sea Harrier, and a whopping 30 tons loaded. Weight considerations aside, the Royal 6I^aPI[ZMKMV\TaJMMVJMMÅVO]X\PMÆQOP\LMKS[ of its carriers to withstand the F-35B’s jet blast, which has proved to be hotter and stronger than expected during vertical landings. Despite its many detractors, the F-35B is scheduled to soon enter service with several air arms around the world. Time will tell whether it will compare favorably to the Harrier, the only other ?M[\MZVÅOP\MZ\WM^MZ[]KKM[[N]TTaOW^MZ\QKIT For further reading, Robert Guttman recommends: Convair Advanced Designs II (reviewed on P. 57), by Robert E. Bradley; and The World’s Worst Aircraft, by Jim Winchester.

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happy warrior Captain Albert Ball poses with his Nieuport’s prop and the spinner he devised in hopes of increasing its speed. With 44 victories, he earned a posthumous Victoria Cross.

LEFT: ©WORLD HISTORY ARCHIVE/ALAMY; ABOVE LEFT: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM ART 3004; ABOVE RIGHT: COURTESY OF ALEX REVELL

ace versus ace Arthur Rhys-Davids’ 25 victories included German ace Werner Voss.

part of the team James McCudden got 57 “Huns” and the VC, only to die in an accident.

ACES WITHOUT FACES WHILE GERMAN AND FRENCH ACES BECAME CELEBRITIES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES DURING WORLD WAR I, BRITAIN’S TOP PILOTS REMAINED LARGELY ANONYMOUS BY GAVIN MORTIMER

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“The

day began well. We had scarcely flown to an altitude of six thousand feet when an English squadron of five machines was seen coming our way.

pour le mérite Germany idolized the “Red Baron,” Manfred von Richthofen.

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We attacked them by a rush as if we were cavalry and the hostile squadron lay destroyed on the ground. None of our men was even wounded. Of our enemies three had plunged to the ground IVL\_WPILKWUMLW_VQVÆIUM[º 5IVNZML^WV:QKP\PWNMV¼[ZW][QVOLM[KZQX\QWVWNILWOÅOP\ _I[LM[QOVML\W\PZQTTPQ[ILWZQVOX]JTQK.W]VLQV+PIX\MZ@1 of his memoirs, ,MZ:W\M3IUX‫ټ‬QMOMZ, it was written in the late summer of 1917 as he recovered from wounds sustained in a ÅOP\_Q\PINWZUI\QWVWN.-LÅOP\MZ[WN6W;Y]ILZWV :WaIT.TaQVO+WZX[:.+ :QKP\PWNMV¼[_W]VL[LQLVW\PQVO\WLQU\PMIL]TI\QWVWN \PM/MZUIVX]JTQK/1ÅZMLILZ]UI\ him and he passed underneath me. I saw one of our machines engage him, and, while changing drums, I was attacked in front JaI:WTIVL1ÅZMLILZ]UI\\PQ[UIKPQVMIVLPMIZQVOI UIKPQVMO]VJMPQVLUMTWWSMLZW]VLIVL[I_\PZMM:WTIVL[ on my tail. I was hit in the leg almost immediately, but managed

to give the hostile machines a drum from my side gun, on which they went away. My engine started spluttering, and I saw a hole in my petrol tank. My engine then stopped and I started gliding down, thinking I should have to land.
LEFT: INTERFOTO/ALAMY; ABOVE: COLLECTION SHAA; TOP RIGHT: ©CHRONICLE/ALAMY; BOTTOM RIGHT: MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY

mort pour la france Georges Guynemer prepares to take off in his Spad XIII shortly before he disappeared on September 11, 1917.

IOW^MZVUMV\QVVMMLWNIOTIUWZW][ÅO]ZM\WLQ^MZ\\PMX]JTQK¼[I\\MV\QWVNZWU\PM[TI]OP\MZQV\PM\ZMVKPM[PILKZMI\MLQV )LWTXPM8uOW]L\PMÅZ[\¹asºIKMWN\PM_IZ/MZUIVa[WWV NWTTW_ML[]Q\\]ZVQVO5I`1UUMTUIVVQV\WIKMTMJZQ\aJaÅTUQVOPQUIVL\PMVX]\\QVOPQ[.WSSMZ-QVLMKSMZWVX]JTQKLQ[XTIa QV*MZTQV;WWV1UUMTUIVV_I[ZMKMQ^QVO]X_IZL[WNNIVTM\\MZ[ILIaUW[\TaNZWU_WUMV_PW[I_PQUI[\PMQVKIZVI\QWV WN\PMKPQ^ITZW][SVQOP\[WN\PM5QLLTM)OM[ ZQ\IQV¼[ZMT]K\IVKM\WTQWVQbM_PI\\PMNew York Sun KITTML¹\PM[M0WUMZQKKWUJI\[ºQVN]ZQI\ML)TNZML 0IZU[_WZ\P[\>Q[KW]V\6WZ\PKTQ‫ٺ‬M0IZU[_WZ\P _I[IVM_[XIXMZJIZWVIVL\PMXQWVMMZWN*ZQ\Q[P\IJTWQLRW]ZVITQ[U_PW[M\Q\TM[MV\MZ\IQVML\PMX]JTQKIVLW]\ZIOML \PMM[\IJTQ[PUMV\QVMY]ITUMI[]ZM*]\4WZL6WZ\PKTQ‫ٺ‬M_I[V¼\ IUIV\PMOW^MZVUMV\_Q[PML\WIV\IOWVQbMXIZ\QK]TIZTa_PMV \PMZM_I[I_IZ\WJM_WV 6WZ\PKTQ‫ٺ‬MPIL[XMV\\PM[MKWVLPITNWN!QV\PM=VQ\ML ;\I\M[I[\PMPMILWN*ZQ\IQV¼[_IZUQ[[QWVIL^Q[QVO\PMQZVM_ ITTaWVPW_\WZ]VI_IZWV\PMPWUMNZWV\0MPILIT[WX]\PQ[ \ITMV\[I[IVM_[XIXMZUIV\W][MXTIKQVOIZ\QKTM[QV)UMZQKIV VM_[XIXMZ[\WKIX\]ZM\PM¹ZWUIVKMºWN\PM_IZ7V7K\WJMZ =\IP¼[Ogden StandardZIVINZWV\XIOMIZ\QKTM\Q\TML¹?IZ 0WVWZ[NWZ,IZQVO.TaMZ[ºW[[IVL4QM]\MVIV\)TNZML;MaUW]Z;PMXPMZL)T\PW]OP\PM Ogden StandardVMOTMK\ML\WUMV\QWV\PI\;PMXPMZLPILJMMV LMILNWZ\PZMMUWV\P[SQTTMLQVKWUJI\Ja)TNZML6QMLMZPW‫ٺ‬ of JastaQ\Y]W\MLNZWU\PMKQ\I\QWVNWZPQ[,Q[\QVO]Q[PML ;MZ^QKM7ZLMZLM[KZQJQVOPW_\PM)][\ZITQIVXQTW\¹\PW]OP []ZZW]VLMLJaMVMUaUIKPQVM[KWV\QV]ML\WÅOP\NWZVMIZTa IVPW]Z_Q\P\PM]\UW[\OITTIV\ZaIVLLM\MZUQVI\QWVIOIQV[\

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\_WPW[\QTMNWZUI\QWV[ÅVITTa JZQVOQVO LW_V WVM WN \PM MVMUaW]\WNKWV\ZWT?Q\PQV I UWV\P PM JZW]OP\ LW_V [M^MVPW[\QTMUIKPQVM[KWUXTM\MTaW]\WNKWV\ZWTº
French heroes Guynemer (top) was France’s best-loved ace. A French journal (above) features “Iron Viking” Charles Nungesser on its cover.

6W^MUJMZ 8ZQUM 5QVQ[\MZ ,I^QL4TWaL/MWZOMNMIZML PM_I[TW[QVO\PM[]XXWZ\WN \PM *ZQ\Q[P XMWXTM I ^WKIT UQVWZQ\aWN_PWU_MZMXZM[[QVONWZIVMOW\QI\MLXMIKM_Q\P /MZUIVa4WZL6WZ\PKTQ‫ٺ‬M IXXITTMLJa\PMOZW_QVOVMOI\Q^Q\aQV*ZQ\IQV][MLPQ[VM_[XIXMZ[\WKW]V\MZ\PMLMNMI\Q[\[)VMV\P][QI[\QKMVLWZ[MZ WN_PI\PMKITTML¹IQZUQVLML VM[[º[QVKM\PMMIZTaLIa[WN NTQOP\ 6WZ\PKTQNNM TI]VKPML IKIUXIQOV\WW]\*ZQ\IQV¼[ IMZQIT IKM[ 7V 2IV]IZa  !  \PM Daily Mail \PM JM[\[MTTQVO *ZQ\Q[P VM_[XIXMZZIVIVMaMKI\KPQVOIZ\QKTMPMILTQVML¹7]Z=VSVW_V

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I

names at last The January 7, 1918, Daily Mail publicized British aces Philip Fullard (left) and reluctant hero McCudden.

Air Heroes.” It thundered: “What I want to know is why an Englishman whose hobby is bringing down sky Huns in braces and trios between luncheon and tea, who can already claim a bag of 30 enemy aircraft, should have to wait and be killed before a grateful nation waiting to acclaim him could even learn his name? “I wonder if people in England realize that the German Air Service is the most popular and feted branch of the Kaiser’s war machine because German authorities have imagination enough to exploit its personal side? How many people in these islands can VIUMI[UIVa*ZQ\Q[PIQZUMVI[\PMZMIZMÅVOMZ[WVWVMPIVL'º The question struck a nerve. Rival newspapers joined the campaign, and the British government soon saw the sense in their argument. They removed the ban on naming aces, and in its January 7 edition the Daily Mail trumpeted: “Our Wonderful Airmen—Their Names at Last.” The two airmen singled out for attention by the Mail were Captains Philip Fullard and James McCudden, whose photographs accompanied the breathless prose. Fullard was just 20, explained the Mail, “a fair, curly-haired, good-looking boy, clear-eyed and fresh-complexioned, with regular features.” The paper then described some of his gripping exploits: “He had a VIZZW_M[KIXM_PMVÅOP\QVOI/MZUIV\_W[MI\MZPQ[OWOOTM[ being shot away from his eyes. The Verey lights in his machine KI]OP\ÅZMIVL[M\\PM_WWL_WZSWN\PMIMZWXTIVMITQOP\J]\PM managed to get his burning machine back to the British lines.” As for McCudden, continued the newspaper, “He has had _MTTW^MZÅOP\[IVL[WUM_WVLMZN]TM[KIXM[_Q\PW]\[][taining a scratch. He had three duels with Immelmann, the KZIKS/MZUIVIQZUIVIVLWVMIKPWKKI[QWV\PMÅOP\_I[JZWSMVW‫ٺ‬JMNWZMMQ\PMZKW]TLKTIQUILMKQ[Q^MIL^IV\IOMº

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t was just the sort of dashing escapades that the war-weary British public craved, and the Americans enjoyed them too as they waited for their airmen to go into action. On February 3, 1918, the New York Sun ran a full-page feature in its magazine titled “The New Code Duello Is of the Upper Air.” It referenced the fabled aces, most of whom were now dead. “What was Guynemer but a d’Artagnan? Bishop— the British Flying Corps—is another Athos happily survived. Boelcke was a Teuton De Wardes [d’Artagnan and Athos were two of the Three Musketeers, De Wardes one of their respected adversaries]. The fatal encounters high above Flanders and Picardy that have thrilled the world for three years and more are simply the modern expression of the ineradicable thirst of men for personal combat.” The Bishop lauded by the Sun was Billy Bishop, a Canadian with 47 victories. He was in Canada in the winter of 1917-18, sent home by the British to lift his nation’s spirits. The gallant war hero married a local girl and also found time to write his memoirs. Now that the RFC had succumbed to the cult of celebrity, the top aces, including Bishop and McCudden, were

encouraged to commit their exploits to print. McCudden was a reluctant hero. A working-class man who had risen through the ranks, he loathed publicity and in the days following the Daily Mail’s article in January 1918 had written his sister asking her to disregard “all the bosh in the paper.” Bishop had no such concerns. When he returned to Britain in April, he was promoted to major and apXWQV\MLKWUUIVLQVOW‫ٻ‬KMZ of the newly formed No. 85 Squadron. Bishop was given a free hand to choose his pilots, and among those he selected was a trio of untested Americans: Larry Callahan, John McGavock Grider and Elliot White Springs. The latter regarded Bishop as a “wonderful man,” adding in a letter home that he was “considered sort of a superhuman saint” by the British public. The opinion of Bishop’s fellow pilots was less charitable. Many cited the Canadian’s behavior as the reason why the British had been right to resist turning their top pilots into stars: It encouraged vanity

self-promoter Billy Bishop was one of few British aces to actively court publicity.

ABOVE LEFT: DAILY MAIL; LEFT: ©WORLDPHOTOS/ALAMY; RIGHT: U.S. AIR FORCE

american ace Elliott White Springs (center) shared the attitude of his RAF squadron mates.

and individuality, jeopardizing the delicate equilibrium within squadrons containing many young and aggressive egos and tempting pilots to “up one’s score,” in contemporary parlance. Bishop had won the Victoria Cross in 1917 for a lone attack on a German airfield. Standard protocol for awarding a VC required eyewitnesses, but there were none in Bishop’s case. There was only his report, which he later embellished in his autobiography, Winged Warfare, described by the reviewer in Philadelphia’s Evening Public Ledger as “a happy, heedless, heroic narrative.” “I pointed my nose towards \PMOZW]VLIVLWXMVMLÅZM with my gun, scattering the bullets all around the machines, and coming down to ÅN\aNMM\QVLWQVO[Wº_ZW\M Bishop. “I do not know how many men I hit, or what damage was done, except that one man, at least, fell, and several others ran to pick him up.
always does, but it is not that easy….This and other reports by the same pilot are the only ones in almost two years that have ever upset me, because all the RFC boys bend over backwards in reporting their victories. They never make this kind of claim, where there Q[VWKPIVKM\WKWVÅZUº Libby wasn’t the only U.S. ace in British uniform who regarded Bishop with distaste. Bogart Rogers, who joined No. 32 Squadron in April 1918, discussed the Canadian in a June 23 letter to his girlfriend: “The articles in the ‘Post’ by Billy Bishop that you’ve been reading aren’t bad but he has painted them up considerably and sort of clouded up his popularity out here by writing them. There’s no doubt that he’s one of the best pilots that ever climbed into a machine, but writing all about it and telling how I did this and I did that isn’t considered too good form out here.” Bishop was an exception to the rule within the Royal Air Force (as the RFC was renamed on April 1, 1918). The British government may have encouraged the press to turn its aces into stars, but most pilots railed against the idea. It was anathema to the national

MANY WITHIN THE RFC BELIEVED BILLY BISHOP EXAGGERATED HIS NUMBER OF VICTORIES. character, especially pilots who had been privately educated, where boys were expected to submit to the school ethos of Edwardian England: that it was the team, not the individual, which mattered. It was an ethos that the Americans who served in the RFC/RAF readily espoused. In a letter to his mother in September 1918, Elliot White Springs admonished her for what he saw as a crass question about aces. “We don’t have ‘aces’ here,” he wrote. “This ‘ace’ stuff makes me \QZML+ITTQ\W‫_ٺ‬I[PQ\W]\  with the French and FrancoAmericans it’s different— decidedly different. I don’t pretend to know their system

but just wait and see which system wins out. I’ll admit they have good press agents but I’m glad we are [not] burdened with them. Those press IOMV\[_QXMW]\\PM0]VÆaQVO corps every week.” Springs, by then an ace himself, having shot down 10 enemy planes, told his mother what mattered in the RAF: “If I get any more Huns than [the other] men QVUaÆQOP\Q\¼[JMKI][M1¼U a better shot. If they don’t get Huns it’s because I’m a bad leader as much as anything else. My job is not to get Huns Ua[MTNJ]\\WTMILUaÆQOP\\W the detriment of the Hun.” Or as Alvin Callender, another U.S. pilot in No. 32 Squadron, put it in a letter to his sister in 1918: “Quit telling me to be an ‘ace’ because we don’t have those kind of things in the British Army, except four in each pack of cards.”  Gavin Mortimer’s most recent book is The First Eagles: The Fearless American Aces Who Flew with the RAF in World War I, which is recommended for further reading.

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TRAVELING LIGHT Dick Merrill models his summer flying gear during his airmail days in the late 1920s.

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"PING-PONG FLIGHT" Merrill and showman Harry Richman land in the Vultee V-1A Lady Peace at Croydon on September 4, 1936. Before setting out on their transatlantic flight, the pair stuffed the airplane with ping-pong balls, to keep it afloat in case they were forced to ditch.

PHOTOS: XXX XXXXXXX

BEATING THE ODDS

DICK MERRILL REPEATEDLY GAMBLED HIS LIFE WHILE BARNSTORMING, DELIVERING AIRMAIL, CONQUERING THE ATLANTIC, FLYING THE HIMALAYAS AND PIONEERING AIRLINE ROUTES, BUT HE ALWAYS CAME OUT WITH A WINNING HAND BY DON BEDWELL

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AMONG HENRY TYNDALL “DICK” MERRILL’S ACHIEVEMENTS, THE MOST SURPRISING MAY BE THAT HE SURVIVED TO BECOME AN AVIATION LEGEND. So many equally daring young pilots died barn[\WZUQVOWZ\ZaQVO\WÆa\PMIQZUIQTWZXI[[MVOMZ[ IKZW[[IKW]V\Za_PW[MIQZKZIN\IVLIQZ_Ia[[a[\MU _MZMV¼\ZMILaNWZ\PMU )JWZVOIUJTMZ_Q\PIXI[[QWVNWZLQKMKIZL[ IVLPWZ[MZIKQVO5MZZQTT[]Z^Q^MLLM[XQ\MWLL[ \PI\WN\MV[MMUML[\IKSMLIOIQV[\PQU0MTMIZVML \WÆaQVI_IZ[]ZXT][+]Z\Q[[26¹2MVVaºIVL \PMV_Q\PWVTaUQVQUIT_QVLQV\PM_QZM[M`XMZQMVKMJMOIVJIZV[\WZUQVOIZW]VL\PM;W]\PIVL 5QL_M[\0MUW^ML]X\W\ISMIRWJI[IVMIZTa IQZUIQTXQTW\JIQTQVOW]\WNWVMJQXTIVMI\VQOP\ IN\MZ[MIZKPQVON]\QTMTaNWZIVIQZÅMTL\PI\_I[V¼\ [WKSMLQVJaNWO )N\MZ5MZZQTTJMKIUMIKIX\IQVI\-I[\MZV)QZ 4QVM[PQ[JW[[¹+IX\IQV-LLQMº:QKSMVJIKSMZ TIJMTMLPQU\PMT]KSQM[\XQTW\QVPQ[¹/ZMI\;QT^MZ .TMM\º_PMVPM[I^ML\PMXI[[MVOMZ[IVLKZM_WN I\_QVMVOQVMIQZTQVMZ_Q\PIVM`PI][\MLN]MT\IVS JaKZI[PTIVLQVOQV\ZMM\WX[\PI\K][PQWVMLQ\[ LM[KMV\0MIT[W_W]VL]XQVI+IVILQIVJWOI\ \PMMVLWN\PMÅZ[\WNPQ[\_W\ZIQTJTIbQVO\ZIV[I\TIV\QKÆQOP\[QV\PMUQL![,]ZQVO?WZTL?IZ11 PMÆM_\PM¹0]UXºW^MZ\PM0QUITIaI[\W[]XXTa +PQVI¼[)TTQMLLMNMVLMZ[*IKSQVKQ^QTQIVTQNM\ZI^MTQVOQV\PMR]UX[MI\WNI4WKSPMML+WV[\MTTI\QWV JW]VLW^MZ_I\MZNWZ5QIUQQV! PMPMTXML [I^M\PM ¹[W]T[ºWVJWIZLIN\MZIZ]VI_IaXZWXMTTMZ\WZM\PZW]OP\PMXTIVM¼[UQL[MK\QWVSQTTQVOIX]Z[MZ,QKSPMTXML\PMZMO]TIZKZM_V]Z[M \PMKZQXXTMLIQZKZIN\JIKS\WIUQTQ\IZaIQZÅMTLQV *]VVMTT.TI 7^MZIÆaQVOKIZMMZ\PI\[XIVVML\PMPQ[\WZaWN UWLMZVI^QI\QWV5MZZQTTTWOOMLUWZMLWK]UMV\ML PW]Z[QV\PMIQZ\PIVIVaW\PMZIQZTQVMXQTW\0Q[ _MTTX]JTQKQbMLM`XTWQ\[_W]TLUISMPQUIOQIV\ M^MVI\I\QUM_PMVIVI_MLX]JTQKKWV[QLMZML ITTIQZTQVMXQTW\[TIZOMZ\PIVTQNM0MKPIZUMLIVL [WW\PMLNMIZN]TXI[[MVOMZ[ZIVOQVONZWUXZM[QLMV\[ IVLZWaIT\a\W,IUWV:]VaWV·\aXMUWJ[\MZ[ IVLM[\IJTQ[PML[XMMLZMKWZL[QVIQZKZIN\ZIVOQVO NZWU\PM\_QVXZWX,W]OTI[,+\W\PM4WKSPMML OVER THE HUMP During World War II, Merrill piloted C-47s in the Far East, ferrying supplies over the Himalayas from India to China.

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PREVIOUS PAGES: (LEFT) VIRGINIA AVIATION MUSEUM; (RIGHT) AP PHOTO; THESE PAGES: VIRGINIA AVIATION MUSEUM

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Merrill, far left, relaxes between flights with some of his pals, including his sometime flying buddy, lion cub Princess Doreen.

L-1011 widebody jetliner. Frequently in the news, he enjoyed the celebrity of a latter-day rock star, hobnobbing with the rich and famous and marrying a glamorous actress half his age. After serving a stint as Eastern’s chief check pilot, Merrill reluctantly retired as a captain in command on October 3, 1961, yielding to new federal age restrictions. Yet in the mid-1960s, when my job as aviation writer for the Miami Herald allowed UM\WOM\\WSVW_,QKSPMPILITW\WNÆaQVOTMN\QV him. Despite his mandated retirement from carrying revenue passengers, he continued as Eastern’s “captain emeritus,” piloting VIP trips and making friends for the airline as he had for over 30 years.

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orn on February 1, 1894, Merrill grew up in Mississippi, where his ability to pitch a baseball with either arm earned him the unlikely nickname “Dick,” after ambidextrous storybook sports hero Dick Merriwell. He was talented enough to play minor league ball, once winning both games of a doubleheader by pitching right-handed in one, left-handed in the other. But his attention was drawn skyward after watching aviatrix Katherine Stinson stunting in 1914. Upon the outbreak of World War I, he joined the Navy with dreams of dogfighting German Fokkers. But his lessons with French instructors left him frustrated, complaining, “I

MERRILL LOGGED MORE DOCUMENTED HOURS IN THE AIR THAN ANY OTHER AIRLINE PILOT.

didn’t learn a thing.” His interest in aviation never waned, even after he joined the railroad, as his father had done. When the federal government announced the sale of surplus Curtiss Jennys in 1920, he and a buddy scratched up $600 for a XTIVMIVLJMOIV\ISQVOÆaQVOTM[[WV[ Despite limited experience, Merrill soon ventured into barnstorming. His youthful good looks, blue eyes and natural charm helped spare him from starvation in that unforgiving line of work. As crowds demanded ever-more-dangerous stunts, Dick’s charm enabled him to win a rela\Q^MTa[INMRWJW‫ٺ‬MZQVOXTIVMZQLM[NWZ\PMNIUML Gates Flying Circus. )N\MZÅ^MaMIZ[WNJIZV[\WZUQVOPMTMIZVML\PI\ the government was hiring pilots for a pioneering network of airmail routes. His skill and commitment to safety—including being a teetotaler amid legions of heavy drinkers—made him an attrac\Q^MKIVLQLI\M0W_M^MZPQ[ÅZ[\RWJÆaQVOVQOP\[ between Atlanta and New Orleans in a weatherworn biplane provided no guarantee of longevity. In May 1928, he upgraded to a company NW]VLMLJa_MIT\PaaW]VO0IZWTL8Q\KIQZVÆaQVO the mail in a more modern aircraft between Atlanta and Richmond. The ambitious Pitcairn had hired an engineer to design the Pitcairn 5IQT_QVO[XMKQÅKITTa\W[MZ^MIOW^MZVUMV\XW[\IT ZW]\M;\QTTÆaQVOI\VQOP\W^MZUW]V\IQV[_I[I

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BOGGED DOWN After a panicky Richman jettisoned 500 gallons of fuel in a storm, Merrill landed Lady Peace in a bog on Newfoundland on September 14, 1936.

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treacherous undertaking. One night, with an almost empty fuel tank, he had to roll the aircraft QV^MZ\ML\WJIQTW]\QVPQ[J]TSa_QV\MZÆQOP\[]Q\ 4aQVOQVR]ZMLQVIÅMTLNIZJMTW_PMPMIZLUMV searching the woods, wondering aloud where they KW]TLÅVL\PMXQTW\¼[JWLa¹0MZM¼[\PMJWLaºPM called out. 6W\WVTaLQL5MZZQTT[]Z^Q^MPQ[aMIZ[ÆaQVO\PM mail, he even made money doing it. By 1930, when newly formed airlines were beginning to take over the airmail business, he boasted a two-year period _PMVPMVM^MZKIVKMTMLI8Q\KIQZV)^QI\QWVÆQOP\ and earned an unprecedented $13,000 a year. During those airmail years he learned to supplement his income through gambling, a risky enterXZQ[MPM_W]TLX]Z[]MWJ[M[[Q^MTaNWZaMIZ[0Q[ early winnings helped the young bachelor drive IÆI[Pa! 8IKSIZLZWIL[\MZ\PZW]OP8Q\KIQZV¼[ PWUMJI[MWN:QKPUWVL0MNZMY]MV\Ta\ZI^MTML with a lion cub named Princess Doreen in an era when pilots embellished their derring-do reputation with exotic pets and fancy cars. 0IZWTL8Q\KIQZV[WTLPQ[KWUXIVa\W6WZ\P )UMZQKIV)^QI\QWVWVTaUWV\P[JMNWZM\PM!! stock market crash, and Merrill found himself ÆaQVONWZ6))¼[-I[\MZV)QZ
Dick clearly was a public relations asset, whose Y]QM\ KWVNQLMVKM PMTXML ZM\IQV K][\WUMZ[ NWZ -I[\MZVLM[XQ\M:QKSMVJIKSMZ¼[W_VOZW_QVOZMX]\I\QWVWNQVLQ‫ٺ‬MZMVKM\WXI[[MVOMZ[MZ^QKM+IX\IQV -LLQMZM_IZLML5MZZQTTJaTM\\QVOPQUKWUUIVL -I[\MZV¼[!QVI]O]ZITÆQOP\WNQ\[VM_,+ JM\_MMV6M_AWZSIVL5QIUQ_PQKPPMÆM_QV ZMKWZL\QUM*MKI][M,QKSPQ\Q\W‫_ٺ‬Q\PVM_[XIXMZmen in strategic cities, Rickenbacker asked him to inaugurate each new aircraft in following years, uncharacteristically yielding the spotlight in return NWZ\PMX]JTQKQ\aJWVIVbIPQ[ZMKWZLÆQOP\[OMVMZI\ML?PMV\PMIQZTQVMZMKMQ^MLQ\[ÅZ[\4WKSPMML ;]XMZ+WV[\MTTI\QWVWV5Ia!NWZQV[\IVKM Merrill delivered it from Burbank to Miami in a ZMKWZL[Q`PW]Z[UQV]\M[IVL[MKWVL[

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ickenbacker demonstrated his support in 1936 when he granted the young captain \QUMW‫\ٺ‬W]VLMZ\ISMILZMIUÆQOP\IKZW[[ the Atlantic. Merrill had persuaded two LQ‫ٺ‬MZMV\JIKSMZ[\WÅVIVKM\PMÅZ[\)\TIV\QK[WTW \ZQXJMNWZM+PIZTM[4QVLJMZOPJMKIUMIVQV\MZVI\QWVITQLWTQV5Ia!0W_M^MZWVM_W]TLJM backer, a New Orleans riverboat gambler, was forced to pull out after losing everything in a night WN[PWW\QVOLQKM#\PMW\PMZ-L_IZL:*ZILTMa who bred Kentucky Derby–winning race horses, _Q\PLZM_PQ[W‫ٺ‬MZIN\MZVM_[XIXMZ[IKK][MLPQU of sending Merrill on a suicide mission. Dick, who had lined up a long-range Bellanca to make the ÆQOP\_W]TLQV[Q[\aMIZ[TI\MZ\PI\¹1KW]TLPI^M JMI\4QVLJMZOPQN\PMVM_[XIXMZ[PILV¼\[KIZML \PMKWTWVMTIVLKI][MLPQU\WJIKSW]\º Determined to try for a new record, Merrill

LEFT: AP PHOTO; RIGHT: VIRGINIA AVIATION MUSEUM

NW]VLIÅVIVKQITIVOMTIVLKWXQTW\QV[PW_UIV 0IZZa:QKPUIV_PWPIL[\Z]KSQ\ZQKP_Q\PPQ[ ¹8]\\QV¼WV\PM:Q\bºU][QKITZM^QM_[:QKPUIV IOZMML\WXZW^QLMIVLPMTXNTaPQ[VM_TaX]ZKPI[ML[QVOTMMVOQVM>]T\MM>)IN\MZTQ[\MVQVO \W5MZZQTT¼[XQ\KPI\I5QIUQ*MIKPKT]J_PMZM :QKPUIV_I[XMZNWZUQVO¹0IZZaTM\¼[\ISM\PI\ IQZXTIVMIVLÆaPMZ\W-]ZWXMº5MZZQTT]ZOML ¹]T\MM_Q\P5MZZQTTQV\PMTMN\[MI\ _ITTW_MLQV\W\PMIQZNZWU4WVO1[TIVL¼[.TWaL *MVVM\\.QMTLWV;MX\MUJMZ!JW]VLNWZ 4WVLWV/WZOML_Q\PM`\ZIN]MT\PMIQZXTIVM\PMa VIUMLLady PeaceJIZMTaUILMQ\ITWN\LM[XQ\M IJWZZW_MLPX?ZQOP\+aKTWVMMVOQVM )^QI\QWV¼[WLLKW]XTMPILJMO]V\PMÅZ[\\ZIV[I\TIV\QKZW]VL\ZQXJaIQZXTIVM 5MZZQTTIVL:QKPUIVPILÅTTML\PMXTIVM¼[KI^Q\QM[_Q\P\PW][IVL[WNXQVOXWVOJITT[\WPMTXQ\ ZMUIQVIÆWI\QN\PMaPIL\WLQ\KPI\[MI]T\MMIQZJWZVMNWZ\PM ÆQOP\PWUM\W6M_AWZS 5MZZQTTUILMI^QI\QWVPQ[\WZaIOIQV\PMNWTTW_QVOaMIZ_Q\P\PMÅZ[\KWUUMZKQIT\ZIV[I\TIV\QK ÆQOP\1¼[5Ia! KWZWVI\QWVJIKS\W\PM;\I\M[,QKSIKY]QZMLIVL UWLQÅMLI\_QVMVOQVM4WKSPMML--TMK\ZINWZ \PMÆQOP\_Q\PUWVMaNZWUIY]M[\QWVIJTM[XWV[WZ ?ITT;\ZMM\_PMMTMZLMITMZ*MV¹;MTT¼MU;PWZ\º ;UQ\P5MZZQTT_W]TLKWUM\WZMOZM\\PM\Z][\PM PILXTIKMLQV;UQ\P 8ZMXIZQVONWZLMXIZ\]ZMNZWU.TWaL*MVVM\\ .QMTLWV5Ia!5MZZQTT_I[JMQVOQV\MZ^QM_MLJa ZMXWZ\MZ[_PMVPM_I[QV\MZZ]X\MLJaVM_[\PI\ /MZUIVa¼[IQZ[PQXHindenburgPILOWVMLW_VQV ÆIUM[_PQTMI\\MUX\QVO\WTIVLI\4ISMP]Z[\62 SQTTQVOXI[[MVOMZ[IVLKZM_UMUJMZ[5MZZQTT _I[QV[\Z]K\ML\WLMTIa\PM\ISMW‫[ٺ‬WPMKW]TL\W KIZZaÅTUWN\PMLQ[I[\MZ\W4WVLWV_PMZM0MIZ[\ W_VMLIVM_[XIXMZ,QKSIOZMMLQVXIZ\JMKI][M \PMZM^Q[MLI[[QOVUMV\_W]TLOQ^MPQU\PMÅZ[\ KWUUMZKQITÆQOP\QVMIKPLQZMK\QWV

“HARRY, LET’S TAKE THAT AIRPLANE AND FLY HER TO EUROPE. THEN WE’LL GAS HER UP AND FLY HER RIGHT BACK. IT’S NEVER BEEN DONE.”

)[[WWVI[\PMÅTUIZZQ^ML\PMIQZKZIN\L]JJML \PMDaily Express\WWSW‫ٺ‬IVL[WWVÆM_QV\WIV ITT\WWNIUQTQIZ6WZ\P)\TIV\QK[\WZU
SPECIAL DELIVERY Merrill rushed film of the Hindenburg disaster across the “Pond” in this Lockheed 10E Electra.

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called Atlantic Flight (Dick promptly lost his share at Santa Anita racetrack.)

O

vershadowed by Merrill’s transatlantic flights was his 1935 odyssey from Kansas City to Chile’s southern tip in a singleengine Northrop Gamma to help locate explorer Lincoln Ellsworth and his expedition party. The explorers were stranded after crashing on a polar sea icepack. -TT[_WZ\P¼[_QNMXTMILML_Q\P,QKS\WÆa the Gamma down across the Andes to an airport where rescuers could use it to search for the missing party. He agreed \WUISM\PM\ZMIKPMZW][ÆQOP\_Q\P\PM Gamma, provided by TWA. Returning to his regular schedule with Eastern, he was pleased to learn later that the party had been rescued—his only reward for \PMIL^MV\]ZM¹1ÆM_UQTM[ITWVM\PZW]OP some of the most miserable weather in the world and went through four seasons in four days,” Dick summed up. “I got expenses down and back—not a two-dollar bill extra.” 5MZZQTTQV\MZZ]X\MLPQ[ÆaQVOM`XTWQ\[QV!  to wed showgirl and actress Martha Virginia “Toby” Wing in a surprising match announced ÅZ[\JaJZWILKI[\MZ?IT\MZ?QVKPMTTWVMWN,QKS¼[ many celebrity pals. Toby, at 22, was two decades younger than the captain. On meeting the new Mrs. Merrill at a party, comedian Bob Hope said he was pleased to see her, adding, “and I’m glad to see you brought your father along.” According to Toby, her husband was not amused.

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CAUGHT ON FILM A news cameraman captures the Vultee‘s takeoff from Wales. After his first commercial transatlantic flight, in the Electra, Merrill played himself in a 1937 movie based on that crossing.

To the skeptics’ surprise, the couple would spend their life together, enjoying socializing at nightclubs and racetracks at both ends of Eastern’s New York–Miami route. But it wasn’t all fun and games. Despite Merrill’s skill with cards and dice, he could lose as big as he could win, and his gambling remained a problem for years. In Rickenbacker’s autobiography, he claimed credit for suggesting to Toby that buying an expensive home with a big mortgage would restrict her husband’s gambling. Whether following his advice or Toby’s own sharp eye for real estate, the couple bought a showplace Spanish-style home on Miami Beach’s De Lido Island. “Dick had to forgo the ponies to pay for the house,” Rickenbacker wrote. Their storybook lives were disrupted by the death of their infant son, Henry, _PWLQMLQVPQ[KZQJQV!
LASTING MATCH Merrill and actress Toby Wing, who was 20 years his junior, married in 1938.

LEFT: (TOP) AKG-IMAGES-IMAGNO; (BOTTOM) HISTORYNET ARCHIVE; RIGHT PHOTOS: VIRGINIA AVIATION MUSEUM

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ew federal regulations caught up with Merrill on October 3, 1961, when he UILMPQ[TI[\4/)51)ÆQOP\I[\PM Federal Aviation Agency’s new age-60 TQUQ\WVIQZTQVMKIX\IQV[_MV\QV\WM‫ٺ‬MK\)T\PW]OP he was already 67, it was a bitter pill for a man who still met all the FAA’s physical requirements. “It ÅVITTa\WWS\PM.))\WX]\UMW]\WNJ][QVM[[º he complained. EAL wasn’t about to let its star pilot vanish into retirement, however. It created a consulting title that would allow him to continue ÆaQVOI\ZML]KMLXIa[WTWVOI[\PMZM_MZMVWZM^MV]MXI[[MVOMZ[WVJWIZL0M_W]TLZMUIQVI[\PM IQZTQVM¼[KIX\IQVMUMZQ\][XQTW\QVOX]JTQKQ\aÆQOP\[ and even handling the dangerous task of ferrying aircraft with failed engines to a maintenance base. 0Q[¹ZM\QZMUMV\º\WWSIVW^MT\]ZVQV! when he was invited to help pilot an unprecedented round-the-world sortie in a new Rockwell Standard executive jet. The 72-year-old aviator immediately replied, “When can we get started?” Merrill asked entertainer Arthur Godfrey, a friend he had checked out previously in a Lockheed Constellation, to join a four-man crew. Merrill IVL/WLNZMa_W]TL[PIZMÆaQVOL]\QM[_Q\P.ZML Austin, a TWA captain, and Karl Keller, an engineering test pilot for Rockwell Standard. The Jet Commander departed from New York LaGuardia on June 4, 1966, returning 90 hours and 23,524 miles later after touching down in a dozen countries. Their trip included an unscheduled stop in Karachi when suspicious Pakistani ÅOP\MZXQTW\[NWZKML\PMU\WTIVLIVLM`XTIQV_PI\ they were doing. The crew set 21 international speed records en route. After the 1970 death of Sidney Shannon, a onetime airmail pilot who had risen to senior vice president of EAL, Merrill agreed to serve as curator of an aviation museum that Shannon’s son founded in Fredericksburg, Va., to honor his father. Merrill donated his own memorabilia to the museum as part of a collection that includes a JN-4 Jenny, a Pitcairn Mailwing and a sister ship of the transatlantic Vultee V-1A. That collection is now housed at the Virginia Aviation Museum in Richmond.

In 1972 Merrill helped EAL deliver its first L-1011 TriStar from California to Miami. Boosted by a hurricane-like tailwind, the aircraft averaged a record 710 mph groundspeed. Although he would take the controls of the supersonic Anglo-French Concorde six years later with IV-)4M^IT]I\QWV\MIU\PM
CAMPAIGN CHARTER Merrill flew Dwight D. Eisenhower a total of 40,000 miles before the 1952 presidential election.

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GOING LONG

BRITISH EFFORTS TO GARNER INTERNATIONAL PRESTIGE WITH RECORD LONG-DISTANCE FLIGHTS DURING THE INTERWAR YEARS TOOK A HEAVY TOLL ON MEN AND MACHINES BY DEREK O’CONNOR

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LONG RANGER Fairey’s first Long Range Monoplane, J9479, awaits testing at Farnborough.

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CAUGHT SHORT Arthur Jones-Williams and Norman Jenkins arrive at Karachi on April 26, 1929, having abandoned a longdistance record attempt. A FAIR START Jones-Williams (left) and Jenkins relax in Karachi after their flight, the first nonstop from England to India.

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ALL PHOTOS: RAF MUSEUM, HENDON

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ear nightfall on December 17, 1929, an Arab horseman traveling over the mountain paths of the Atlas range in Tunisia heard an airplane approaching. )\ÅZ[\PM\PW]OP\VW\PQVOWNQ\ but when the engine abruptly stopped, he became alarmed and [M\W‫\ٺ‬WQV^M[\QOI\M)\LIaJZMIS PM NW]VL \PM _ZMKSIOM WN \PM UIKPQVM[\ZM_VIZW]VLIZWKSa XMIS
aircraft were not the answer, the Air Ministry issued SpeciÅKI\QWV\W\PM.IQZMa Aviation Company, a draft requirement to design and construct an airplane with IZIVOMWNUWZM\PIV miles. The chosen design was a high-wing cantilever monoplane, which, apart from its excellent aerodynamic characteristics, offered ample [XIKMNWZOITTWV[WNN]MT QV\PM\PQKSQVVMZ[MK\QWVWN the wing while also providing JI[QKOZI^Q\aNMML\W\PM hp Napier Lion 12-cylinder engine. Maximum weight was to be about 17,000 pounds, UISQVOQ\WVMWN\PM_WZTL¼[ heaviest single-engine landplanes, though arguably the UW[\MTMOIV\ Major. Jones-Williams was the commanding officer of 6W;Y]ILZWVÆaQVO/TW[

ter Gamecocks. As a Sopwith Camel pilot in World War I, he had scored 11 victories. It was originally intended that the pair should team up for a long-distance record attempt to Cape Town or Bangalore, in southern India. But after a 24-hour test ÆQOP\ZM^MITML5IRWZ_I[¹\MUXWZIZQTa]V[]Q\MLº\WIÆQOP\WN possibly twice that duration, he was replaced by Flt. Lt. Norman 02MVSQV[I\M[\XQTW\NZWU5IZ\TM[PIU0MI\P
THE LRM HAD COVERED 4,130 MILES IN 50 HOURS AND 38 MINUTES.... THE FIRST NONSTOP FLIGHT FROM ENGLAND TO INDIA. WV )XZQT  _PMV \PMa MV KW]V\MZML I  UXP PMILwind that reduced their OZW]VL[XMML \W  UXP 1\ stayed virtually unchanged until they arrived over KaraKPQI\_PMZM\PMaIT\MZML course for Bangalore. At that XWQV\\PMaPIL[Q`PW]Z[WNN]MT TMN\\WKW^MZUQTM[
PIbIZL[XW[MLJa\PMPW[\QTM terrain around the Western Ghats mountain range, this could well have meant a forced landing in the dark, probably in swampy country and with possibly dire consequences. So they reluctantly turned back, landing at Karachi at /5<_Q\PWVTa OITTWV[ ZMUIQVQVO
READY FOR ANOTHER TRY The second LRM, K1991, makes a trial flight at Cranwell on October 22, 1931.

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THE MAGNIFICENT FEAT OF ENDURANCE BY THE AIRMEN AND THEIR UNFALTERING NAPIER LION ENGINE HAD BROKEN THE DISTANCE RECORD BY 298 MILES.

WELCOME HOME British officials pose with K1991 and its crew—Gilbert Nicholetts (left) and Oswald Gayford (third from left)—at Farnborough on May 2, 1933, following their record flight.

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long-distance record, with the same crew. Meanwhile, between September 27 and 29, 1929, the Breguet 19 Point d’Interrogation, piloted by Dieudonné Costes and Maurice Bellonte, had estabTQ[PMLIVM_LQ[\IVKMZMKWZLWN!UQTM[ÆaQVOJM\_MMV8IZQ[ and Manchuria. After various tests and trials, Jones-Williams and Jenkins departed Cranwell in the LRM at 0800 on December 16, headed for the Cape of Good Hope. All seemed to being going well eight hours later, when a radio transmission was received giving their position as 50 miles northwest of Sardinia, indicating a faster than expected average groundspeed of 112 mph. An Italian report put them over Cagliari on the southernmost tip of the island around 1730. But soon after that the weather deteriorated, bringing high winds with snow and low clouds, and forcing the LRM to lower altitudes. Nothing further was heard of them until the Arab horseman UILMPQ[ZMXWZ\
between the two LRMs was that K1991 had streamlined, drag-reducing spats on its undercarriage. Internally, PW_M^MZ[QOVQÅKIV\QUXZW^Mments had been made to the N]MT[a[\MUIVLÆQOP\QV[\Z]mentation had been augmented, including a more sensitive altimeter. Navigation had been enhanced by the inclusion of a drift indicator and provision for taking sextant sightings. Later an autopilot, better known then as a “pilot’s assister,” would be Å\\MLXW_MZMLJaI_QVLUQTT driven pump. Squadron Leader Oswald R. Gayford and Flt. Lt. D.L.G. Bett were selected to pilot and navigate the new LRM nonstop to the Cape of Good Hope. Gayford had already had a colorful service career, having joined the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman in 1914. Two years later he trained as a Royal Naval Air Service observer and was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross in 1918. After the war, he served during the Allied intervention against the Bolsheviks in southern Russia, and then in 1919-20 he participated in the campaign against the “Mad Mullah” in Somaliland. Following that, he retrained as a pilot, holding various appointments before taking charge of the RAF’s Long Range Flight in September 1931. Meanwhile, between July 23 and 25, 1931, Americans Russell Broadman and John 8WTIVLW PIL ]XXML \PM stakes by piloting a Bellanca 28IKMUISMZUQTM[ between New York and Constantinople for a new long-distance record. It was decided that before the actual record attempt, the LRM should undertake IXZW^QVOÆQOP\\W\PM5QLLTM East. Accordingly, on October 27-28, Gayford and Bett ÆM_\PMIQZKZIN\NZWU+ZIV

well to Abu Sueir, 2,857 miles in 31 hours. They returned on December 13 to an ignominious forced landing caused by fog, MVLQVO]XQVIXTW_MLÅMTLVMIZ;I‫ٺ‬ZWV?ITLMV
QLMV\QÅML_PI\_M\PW]OP\\W JM8WZ\)TM`IVLMZ)VOWTI and the mouth of the Kunene River, and followed the coast southwards all day without position until late afternoon, _PMV_MSVM__M_MZM[\QTT VWZ\P WN ?IT^Q[ *Ia ?M TIVLMLI\?IT^Q[*IaI\" with less than ten gallons of petrol left.” That was all that remained from the 1,150 galTWV[\PMaPIL[\IZ\MLW‫_ٺ‬Q\P ûPW]Z[IVL!UQTM[ MIZTQMZ
when Frenchmen Maurice :W[[QIVL8I]T+WLW[ÆM_\PM Blériot-Zappata 110 a total of UQTM[NZWU6M_AWZS\W :IaIS;aZQI Proposals to re-engine the LRM for another attempt on the record came to nothing, and eventually this graceful, innovative airplane was scrapped. The RAF made no further attempts on the long-distance record until 1938, and then, once again, it was with modified servQKM IQZKZIN\ [MM ¹.TQOP\ WN \PM ?MTTM[TMa[º 5Ia  Aviation History Frequent contributor Derek O’Connor is an RAF veteran who writes from Amersham, Bucks, UK. For further reading, he suggests Fairey Aircraft Since 1915, by H.A. Taylor.

FAIREY LONG RANGE MONOPLANE SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE 12-cylinder liquidcooled, 570-hp Napier Lion XIa with fixed-pitch propeller

HEIGHT 12 feet CRUISE SPEED 110 mph MAX WEIGHT 17,500 pounds

ILLUSTRATION: STEVE KARP

WINGSPAN 82 feet

LENGTH 48 feet 6 inches

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reviews

COMRADES IN ARMS Ensign Jesse Brown and his squadron mates prepare to fly from the carrier Leyte.

DEVOTION

An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos, Ballantine Books, 2015, $28

Ever since Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 bestseller Unbroken about Louis Zamperini’s survival story QV\PM8IKQÅK?IZI]\PWZ[PI^M[\ZQ^MV\WZMXZQ[M PMZ_QVVQVONWZU]TI"IOZQ\\aLM\IQTMLIKKW]V\ centered on sympathetic characters overachieving amid unimaginable wartime stresses. Adam 5ISW[IUQTQ\IZaRW]ZVITQ[\\]ZVML\W\PMOMVZM JMOQVVQVO_Q\PPQ[XZQWZ_IZ\QUMVIZZI\Q^MA Higher Call.> &1VPQ[TI\M[\JWWS5ISW[ expands on the familiar 3WZMIV?IZMXQ[WLMQV _PQKP
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M[XMKQITTa[QOVQÅKIV\[QVKM 0]LVMZ¼[[MTÆM[[VM[[PMTXML bridge the racial divide in America in the early 1950s. Hudner’s attempts to extricate his wingman failed because of the way the pilot’s legs were wedged inside his KZ]UXTMLKWKSXQ\IVL*ZW_V LQLVW\[]Z^Q^M6M^MZ\PMTM[[ reports of the rescue attempt tugged at the heartstrings WN IVI\QWVR][\JMOQVVQVO \WOZIXXTM_Q\PQ\[2QU Crow past. President Harry

Truman awarded Hudner the Medal of Honor at a ?PQ\M0W][MKMZMUWVa Earlier books have ZMXWZ\ML\PM[\WZaQVKT]Ling Alvin Townley’s 2011 Fly Navy_PQKPKWV\IQV[I moving chapter on Hudner’s ^ITWZIVL
prior accounts by painting a more complete picture of the QVKQLMV\WVM\PI\QVKT]LM[ the forgotten grunts on the OZW]VL
SONIC WIND The Story of John Paul Stapp and How a Renegade Doctor Became the Fastest Man on Earth by Craig Ryan, Liveright Publishing, 2015, $27.95. Most aviation enthusiasts who have heard of John Paul Stapp recall him as the man who rode a rocket sled, his cheeks NTIXXQVO TQSM IV IVOZa MT MXPIV\¼[MIZ[\W[WUM]VOWLTa speed. In fact Stapp, an M.D. IVL=;)QZ.WZKMW‫ٻ‬KMZ¸ \PW]OP VM^MZ I UQTQ\ IZa pilot—rode rocket-propelled sleds 29 times, personally \M[\QVO\PMTQUQ\[WN P]UIV MVL]ZIVKMI[_MTTI[[IUXTQVO \PM_QVLJTI[\IVMRMK\QVORM\ XQTW\UQOP\M`XMZQMVKM¹
ZM[XWV[QJTMNWZZMY]QZQVO\PM U.S. automotive industry to install three-point seatIn fact Stapp’s most notorious belts and other features that accomplishment may have were later casually credited JMMVXPZI[QVOIVLXW[\]TI\QVO \W :ITXP 6ILMZ IVL NWZ what he called Murphy’s Law: _WZSQVO \W M[\IJTQ[P _PI\ ¹)Va\PQVO\PI\KIVOW_ZWVO JMKIUM 60<;)¸\PM 6I _QTT OW _ZWVOº )QZ .WZKM \QWVIT0QOP_Ia
YAKOVLEV FIGHTERS OF WORLD WAR Two

ABOVE LEFT: U.S. NAVY

JaAMÅU/WZLWV;MZOMa3WUQ[[IZW^IVL,UQ\ZQa 3WUQ[[IZW^0QSWSQ8]JTQKI\QWV[4\L ! From their hasty debut amid Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union on June !\W\PMQZZWTMQVJZQVOQVOIJW]\ ;W^QM\^QK\WZaWV5Ia!!LM[QOV[Ja )TMS[IVLZAISW^TM^ZI\MIUWVO?WZTL ?IZ11¼[UW[\QUXWZ\IV\ÅOP\MZ[*]\]V\QT the Soviet Union’s collapse, information on them tended to be incomplete and LQ[\WZ\MLJaXZWXIOIVLI6M_TaI^IQTIJTMLWK]UMV\[PI^MKPIVOML\PI\[\I\M WN I‫ٺ‬IQZ[IVLAISW^TM^.QOP\MZ[WN ?WZTL ?IZ<_W represents a collaboration between American and Russian scholars \WOQ^M\PMUW[\LM\IQTMLIVLIKK]ZI\MZMNMZMVKMaM\ AISW^TM^XZWL]KMLWVTaNW]ZJI[QKXZWL]K\QWV\aXM[L]ZQVO the war, but each of them was built in myriad sub-types—for example, 22 variants of the Yak-9 were built, of which 15 I\\IQVMLXZWL]K\QWV[\I\][)TTWN \PMUIZMÅVITTa[WZ\MLW]\ here, after which a comprehensive account describes their use QVKWUJI\IVL\PMQZILWX\QWVJaNWZMQOVIQZIZU[8ZWN][MTa QTT][\ZI\ML_Q\PXPW\W[IVLKWTWZXZWÅTM[\PMJWWSKWVKT]LM[ _Q\PIO]QLM\WAIS[QVU][M]U[IZW]VL\PM_WZTLIVL\PW[M [\QTTÆaQVO)TTQVITT\PQ[Q[ITWVOW^MZL]MTWWSI\IVQUXWZ\IV\ family of warplanes. Jon Guttman

bombers and transports. Many of the unusual aircraft described here were actually J]QT\IVLÆW_VIVL[WUM were sold in quantity. Others remained mere concepts that VM^MZXZWOZM[[MLJMaWVL\PM LM[QOV[\IOM The book’s title falls short WN MVKWUXI[[QVO\PM\Z]M scope of Bradley’s work, which extends to projects LM^MTWXMLTWVOJMNWZM\PM MUMZOMVKMWN \PM+WV^IQZ name. Included, for example, are the last of the famous line CONVAIR WN >IVL¹>MVOMIVKMº This is a follow-up to Robert attack bombers. E. Bradley’s previous study
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DIRIGIBLE DREAMS The Age of the Airship by C. Michael Hiam, ForeEdge, 2014, $29.95. This very well written book is welcome for its insightful treatment of the airship, which once seemed so promising for so many reasons. Unfortunately, the airship concept was cursed by its many catastrophes, especially by the endlessly repeated destruction of Hindenburg. Today there seems to be new interest in the lighter-thanair concept, inspired by the very elements that had in the past failed it: new structural materials and techniques. C. Michael Hiam takes a very evenhanded approach, and one of the great merits of his book is that it recalls

the towering personalities of the past, including Alberto Santos-Dumont, Walter Wellman, Roald Amundsen, Hugo Eckner and of course Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin himself. The airship’s specialized capability—carrying substantial loads over distances far exceeding the airplanes of the day—meant that it was used to attempt the

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If you’re hoping to interest your children or grandchildren in aviation, this book is the best possible start. It is the perfect transition from a typical children’s book into a sensible introduction to aviation via an inspiring story on how to build an airplane. The amazing thing is the symbiotic way Sasia Lacey combines her knowledge of children’s psychology with correct nomenclature and techniques for building aircraft. She introduces an array of colorful imaginary animal characters—the “Scrap Pack”—which have apparently previously worked together on other projects. The book begins with the dream of an airplane. Next comes building a model, installing the wings and MVOQVMIVLÅVITTaÆaQVOQ\ Along the way, Lacey introduces fanciful characters that add interest to the story. The instructional material included is of course relatively simplistic. But the thrust of how to go about building an airplane is clearly portrayed, as is the knowledge to be gained from it. There are minor errors—the fabric covering the plane is called “canvas,” for example—but these are negligible. Parents have often complained that there are no current magazines or books which could involve young[\MZ[QVI^QI\QWV
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flight test

Doppeldeckers 1. Who designed the first wire-braced biplane wing to carry a man into the air? A. B. C. D.

Otto Lilienthal Wilbur Wright Samuel Langley Octave Chanute

2. What is the fastest biplane ever flown?

MYSTERY SHIP

Can you identify this stubby VTOL pioneer? See the answer below.

FEMALE FIRSTS Match the aviation pioneer to her achievement

.

A. Thérèse Peltier B. Raymonde de Laroche C. Betty Miller D. Princess Evgenie Shakhovskaya E. Emma Lilian Todd F. Harriet Quimby G. Svetlana Savitskaya H. Jacqueline Cochran I. Elizabeth Coleman J. Florence “Pancho” Barnes

1. First woman to exceed Mach 1 and 2 in an airplane 2. First woman to fly the English Channel 3. First licensed black pilot in the United States 4. First licensed aviatrix 5. First female stunt pilot in motion pictures 6. First woman to solo in an airplane 7. First woman to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean 8. First female military pilot 9. First woman to design an airplane 10. First woman to walk in space

ANSWERS: MYSTERY SHIP: The Short SC.1. To learn more about it, visit HistoryNet.com/aviation-history. FEMALE FIRSTS: A.6, B.4, C.7, D.8, E.9, F.2, G.10, H.1, I.3, J.5 DOPPELDECKERS: 1.A, 2.C, 3.B, 4.C, 5.D 62

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march 2016

Aberle Phantom Beck-Mahoney Sorceress Fiat CR.42B Pitts Special

3. What is the mostproduced biplane in history? A. B. C. D.

Antonov An-2 Polikarpov Po-2 Stearman-Boeing PT-17 Bücker Bü-131

4. Which was the first product of a major airplane manufacturer designed from the onset as an agricultural plane? A. de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver B. Transavia PL-12 Airtruk C. Grumman AgCat D. PZL Mielec M-18 Dromader 5. When and where was the last biplane used in military operations? A. B. C. D.

Slovakia, 1944 Korea, 1952 Laos, 1968 Croatia, 1991

ABOVE LEFT: SSPL/GETTY IMAGES; ABOVE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

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AERO ARTIFACT

We Were Promised Jetpacks

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scorching screamer Rocket belt pilots wore protective gear to guard against its 1,350-degree, 130-decibel exhaust stream.

64

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NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM; POSTER: MOVIE POSTER IMAGE ART/GETTY IMAGES

PMLZMIUWN^MZ\QKITÆQOP\PI[V¼\JMMVKWVÅVML\W\PMKWKSXQ\?PMV*MTT)MZW[a[\MU[ MVOQVMMZ?MVLMTT5WWZM[\IZ\MLLM^MTWXQVOIXMZ[WVITQbMLZWKSM\XIKSKIXIJTMWNPWQ[\QVO IP]UIVQV\PM![PM_I[J]QTLQVOWVIKWVKMX\[MMVQV*]KS:WOMZ[KWUQK[I[MIZTa I[!!*MTTXQTW\?QTTQIU8;]Q\WZUILMV]UMZW][ÆQOP\[L]ZQVO\PMTI\M![_Q\P\PM 6WZWKSM\JMT\XQK\]ZMLJMTW_2IUM[*WVLPQU[MTN][MLWVM\WM[KIXMO]VUMVIN\MZSQTTQVOI ;8-+<:-IOMV\QV\PM!ÅTU Thunderball..WZXZIK\QKITX]ZXW[M[\PW]OP\PMZWKSM\JMT\¼[ [PWZ\ÆQOP\L]ZI\QWV¸VW\UWZM\PIV[MKWVL[¸TQUQ\MLQ\[]\QTQ\a\WX]JTQKLMUWV[\ZI\QWV[

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