Aviation History 2016-05

Could the Germans have bombed New York in WwI?

AVIATION H

I

S

T

O

R

Y

Pearl Harbor

B-17s

After the attack, eight Flying Forts battled across the Pacific

When birds strike aircraft

Secret missions to rescue Allied aircrews from Poland MAY 2016

HistoryNet.com

curtiss c-46 Commando: World War II’s heavy hauler

Spirit in the Sky THE NEW C8 FLYER AUTOMATIC VINTAGE BLACK EDITION – 44MM

Inspired by the Best of British Aviation

EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE AT

christopherward.com

MAy 2016

34

all aboard U.S. troops march into the spacious hold of a C-46 Commando during World War II.

departments 5 MAILBAG 6 BRIEFING 12 EXTREMES Germany’s Poll Giant triplane would have reached five stories high. By Evan Hadingham

12 14 AVIATORS B-17 top turret gunner/ engineer Irving Rothman survived the infamous “Black March.” By John Greeves

16 RESTORED After more than 20 years of work, Semper Fi is on track to be the world’s only airworthy PBJ-1. By Stephan Wilkinson

features

20 PACIFIC TRAMPS

What happened to the dozen unarmed B-17s that arrived over Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack? By Steve Birdsall

19 LETTER FROM AVIATION HISTORY 56 REVIEWS 62 FLIGHT TEST 64 AERO ARTIFACt

64

Captain Robert Trimble embarked on a daring mission to retrieve a B-17 from Soviet-occupied Poland in 1945. By Jeremy Dronfield

34 GOING COMMANDO

Originally intended as an airliner, the Curtiss C-46 filled a niche for a heavy hauler around the globe. By Stephan Wilkinson

44 WHEN BIRDS STRIKE

Although he pulled off the “Miracle on the Hudson,” not every pilot is as lucky and skilled as “Sully” Sullenberger. By Ed Brotak

50

50 THE FIRST SPACE RACE

American and Soviet balloon crews vied to break altitude records during the mid-1930s. By Richard Jensen

ON THE COVER: Pearl Harbor survivor B-17E Miss Fit dogfights with a Kawanishi H6K4 “Mavis” on October 23, 1942, sending the Japanese flying boat into the Pacific. Miss Fit was one of eight B-17Es that arrived during the Pearl Harbor attack and subsequently battled across the Pacific (story, P. 20). Cover: ©2016 Jack Fellows, ASAA

2

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

TOP LEFT: BOB LEAVITT/PIX INC./TIME LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES; BOTTOM LEFT: NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM; ABOVE: DEUTSCHES TECHNIKMUSEUM, BERLIN

28 FORTRESS DOWN

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

...like Teddy Roosevelt, Siting Bull or Julius Caesar Search PERSONALITIES at HistoryNet.com More than 5,000 articles available online

HistoryNet.com

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

AVIATION H

nose to nose General Henry “Hap” Arnold examines Memphis Belle after her return to the U.S.

Aviation History

Online

I

S

T

O

R

Y

MAY 2016 / VOL. 26, NO. 5 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

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

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

DIGITAL

Memphis Belle, World War II’s most celebrated B-17, is remembered as the first to complete 25 combat missions over Europe without losing a crewman.

10 GREATEST EMERGENCY LANDINGS Our picks for the most incredible forced landings of all time.

FIRST TO FLY IN AMERICA Aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard launched his hydrogen balloon from Philadelphia in January 1793.

O N L I N E / D I G I TA L B O N U S Follow our step-by-step instructions to build this issue’s “Modeling” project: one of the Pearl Harbor B-17Es featured in “Pacific Tramps” (P. 20).

Let’s Connect Like Aviation History Magazine on Facebook Digital Subscription Aviation History is available on iPad and other digital platforms

4

AH

may 2016

MICHAEL CLIFFORD DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY JOSH SCIORTINO ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ADVERTISING BARBARA JUSTICE Senior Graphic Designer/Advertising Services [email protected] RICHARD E. VINCENT National Sales Manager [email protected] KIM GODDARD National Sales Manager [email protected] RICK GOWER Georgia [email protected] TERRY JENKINS TENN., KY., MISS., ALA., FLA., MASS. [email protected] PRINT DIRECT RESPONSE ADVERTISING RUSSELL JOHNS ASSOCIATES 800-649-9800 [email protected] © 2016 HISTORYNET, LLC

PRINT SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION AND BACK ISSUES SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: 800-435-0715 YEARLY SUBSCRIPTIONS IN U.S.: $39.95 BACK ISSUES: 800-358-6327 Aviation History (ISSN 1076-8858) is published bimonthly by HistoryNet, LLC 1600 Tysons Blvd., Suite 1140, Tysons, VA 22102-4883, 703-771-9400 Periodical postage paid at Leesburg, VA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER, send address changes to Aviation History, P.O. Box 422224, Palm Coast, FL 32142-2224 List Rental Inquiries: Belkys Reyes, Lake Group Media, Inc. 914-925-2406; [email protected] Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 41342519, Canadian GST No. 821371408RT0001 The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of HistoryNet, LLC

PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA

U.S. AIR FORCE

FAMED FLYING FORTRESS

mailbag

B-24 Ferry Flights fore sunset, covering 3,405 miles at an average speed of 250 mph, a transatlantic speed record at the time. Having covered 26,000 miles, they reached Bolling Field on October 7. This brought to an end their key roles in the initial Ferrying Command and the initiation of the first operational B-24.

ing supplies over the Himalayas from India to China.” Since the picture shows Merrill in the left-hand seat of a Curtiss C-46 Commando, should the caption have said “C-46”? Minor point, not meant to take away from your interesting and informative magazine. David R. Smith McKeesport, Pa.

C. Vance Haynes Jr. Tucson, Ariz.

Liberator Crewman

R

LEFT: COURTESY OF C. VANCE HAYNES JR.; RIGHT: U.S. AIR FORCE

obert F. Dorr’s article on the B-24 Liberator in the January issue brought to mind a very early use of the Liberator, if not the first, for the U.S. Army Air Corps. In his autobiography (My Story), Curtis LeMay tells of receiving a call from Caleb V. Haynes, my father, in early July 1941. LeMay quotes C.V. as saying: “Get on a commercial airliner and come on up to Montreal tonight. I want you to meet me here tomorrow morning at nine.” >

>The place was the headquarters of Canada’s Atlantic Ferry Operation. As Steve Birdsall explains in his book Log of the Liberators: “In June the Army Air Corps accepted the B-24A, one of the nine built. These went to Air Corps Ferrying Command, newly formed under the command of Colonel Robert Olds with the express purpose of delivering aircraft to Montreal for movement to Britain....The first overseas pilots were among the very best the Air Corps had to offer: Lieutenant Colonel Caleb V. Haynes, Major Curtis E. LeMay, Captain Carlos N. Cochrane, Captain James H. Rothrock, and ten other officers and twenty-one hand-picked enlisted men.” The officers named were all former members of the 49th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bombardment Group, commanded by Colonel Olds. That June, Haynes, LeMay, Rothrock, Cochrane and others had gathered at Wright Field to be checked

out in the very first B-24A. The factory representative with LeMay on board had Haynes take it up and land twice, LeMay once, then they were considered qualified to cross the North Atlantic. Haynes made the first crossing from Gander, Newfoundland, to Prestwick, Scotland, the first week in July, and LeMay took over the same aircraft for the second crossing. The ferrying of aircraft to England came soon thereafter. My father wrote an article for the February 1942 Air Force newsletter on the first South Atlantic B-24 ferrying operation titled “The Cruise of the Arabian Knight.” He was able to get much of his 49th Bomb Squadron crew for the trip, including LeMay as copilot/navigator and Cochrane as assistant navigator [see photo, above: Haynes is at left, LeMay third from left and Cochrane fifth]. On the return flight they departed Takoradi in West Africa at sunup and reached Belem, Brazil, be-

I have just finished reading your January edition for the third time. It is the best I have ever read on the history, stories and information about the B-24. The picture on pages 22-23 is the best photo of a B-24 I have ever seen. The articles throughout the issue were very enlightening on the many tasks for which the B-24 was used. I am a veteran of the 767th Bomb Squadron, 461st Bomb Group, and was the bombardier of Crew 78. I flew 20 missions in the B-24 from January to mid-April 1945. I was then assigned to another crew that was training for squadron lead ship, until the ETO war ended. Planes I flew were never attacked by German fighters, but the flak over targets was very intense. Luckily we were not seriously hit. Ronald F. Hansing Elkhart, Ind.

Commando Cockpit On P. 44 of the March issue, the caption for the picture indicates that “During World War II, [Dick] Merrill piloted C-47s in the Far East, ferry-

Thanks, yes, we should have noted that Merrill is sitting in a C-46 (though he did fly C-47s). For a detailed look at a Commando cockpit, see P. 40 of this issue.

Don’t Forget the “Ass-Ender” I would like to compliment Robert Guttman on his “Extremes” article in the January issue. I always look for his articles to expand my historical knowledge. However, is his article he states, “The Shinden, a singleengine plane of tailless canard design, looked like no other aircraft in the world in 1945.” In that regard, I would point to the Curtiss XP-55 Ascender [above], which had its first flight in July 1943. Although the XP-55 was not a true canard, it looked much like the Shinden, as did the Italian SAI SS.4. Patrick Cleary Docent, National Air and Space Museum

SEND LETTERS TO

Aviation History Editor, HistoryNet 1600 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 1140, Tysons, VA 22102-4883 703-771-9400 OR EMAIL TO [email protected]

May 2016

AH

5

BRIEFING

briefing

the Eagle has flown

laminated lightplane

The first certified composite powered airplane makes its maiden post-restoration flight. Inset: The Windecker Eagle II mounts an upgraded Continental engine.

6

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

esigned by a husbandand-wife team of Texas dentists and UILMWN ÅJMZOTI[[ ZMQVNWZKMLXTI[\QK \PM?QVLMKSMZ-IOTM of the 1960s-’70s was the _WZTL¼[ÅZ[\KMZ\QÅMLITT KWUXW[Q\MXW_MZMLIQZKZIN\ OTI[[ÅJMZ[IQTXTIVM[PIL JMMVIZW]VL[QVKM!
D


J]QT\"[Q`XZWL]K\QWVIQZKZIN\ XT][Å`MLOMIZIVLZM\ZIK\IJTMXZW\W\aXM[IVLI[XMKQIT \M[\]VQ\NWZ\PM=;)QZ .WZKM_PQKP_I[NI\ML\W KZI[P7VMWN \PMXZWL]K\QWV IQZXTIVM[[M\Å^M\ZIV[I\TIV\QK [XMMLZMKWZL[\PM)QZ.WZKM \M[\MLI[XMKQIT^MZ[QWVNWZQ\[ [\MIT\PXZWXMZ\QM[IVLITT MQOP\ZM\ZIK\IJTM[_MZMNI[\MZ IVLZWWUQMZ\PIV\PMJQO JWZMXQ[\WV[QVOTM[WN \PMLIa
ABOVE: RICHARD JAMES; INSET: DON ATCHISON; TOP RIGHT: BURT RUTAN/ANTENNA FILMS; BOTTOM RIGHT: TODD SUMLIN/CHARLOTTE OBSERVER/MCT VIA GETTY IMAGES

victim of general aviation community rumors, negativism and innuendo, particuTIZTaIN\MZ\PMÅZ[\XZW\W\aXM was lost to an unrecoverable spin. Nor did it help that the FAA knew almost nothing about the durability and manufacturability of composite structures. Ultimately, \PMKWUXIVaNIQTML\WÅVL enough investors to subsidize production. A lone unrestored Eagle sits amid the Smithsonian’s warehoused collection, two more are in other small museums and a fourth formerly neglected example has now been completely restored. Last December 6, this XPWMVQ`UILMQ\[ÅZ[\ÆQOP\ The restoration was not an enthusiast’s hobby project but a business venture, and the restoration was intentionally not entirely accurate, for it is meant to be a “2016” Windecker Eagle II, with a KWUXTM\MÅZM_ITTNWZ_IZL upgrade including a larger Continental IO-550-N engine and an entirely new IVLIMZWLaVIUQKITTaZMÅVML cowling, improved systems, a new interior and a modern glass cockpit. ?PMVÆQOP\\M[\QVOQ[ complete, the airplane will be shipped to China, where entrepreneur Hang Wei owns Q\[\aXMKMZ\QÅKI\MIVL\WWTQVO and intends to put the design back into production. If nothing else, Hang might use PQ[?QVLMKSMZ\WTMIZV\WÆa and he will certainly end up owning a particularly historic and unusual airplane. Stephan Wilkinson

oddball amphibian

Burt Rutan‘s SkiGull extends its innovative undercarriage.

Air Quotes

“THERE’S SIMPLY NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF AVIATION SAFETY.” –CAPTAIN CHESLEY “SULLY” SULLENBERGER

Rutan’s SkiGull

T

he 47th creation from renowned aircraft and spaceship designer Burt Rutan is a tandem twoseat amphibian whose configuration brings to mind the groundbreaking flying boats of Claude Dornier, who pioneered the use of duraluminum alloy in the late 1910s just as Rutan focused on modern composite materials in the 1970s. Rutan’s most noticeable innovation this time takes the form of wing-mounted retractable skis with small wheels, which will facilitate the aircraft’s ability to handle both hard surfaces and rough water. On November 23, 2015, Glenn Smith took the SkiGull up for its maiden flight over Idaho, with Rutan observing from a Piper Super Cub flown by Mike Kincaid. The flight went well, but on landing the right ski delaminated near the site of a previous repair. “It is clear that I will have to make new, autoclaved skis,” Rutan noted, nevertheless adding that Smith “was able to taxi clear of the active runway on one good ski and one soft ski.” Rutan, who received the National Aeronautic Association 2015 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy at the Aero Club of Washington, D.C., on December 11, spent 20 months building the SkiGull in his garage, which he called “a grueling exercise for an old guy,” and he does not anticipate building another. The flyit-anywhere amphibian boasts a cruising speed of 160 mph and a range of 2,500 miles. With his wife Tonya, Rutan plans to enjoy retirement by hopping around the country in this latest addition to his legendary line of unconventional airplanes.

Jon Guttman

M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

7

BRIEFING

BY THE NUMBERS

102,400 feet

113,740 feet

(photo at left)

135,806 feet

BALLOON ALTITUDE RECORDS

8

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

57,579 feet

51,781 feet

LEFT: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE; RIGHT: REX FEATURES VIA AP IMAGES

Oct 24, 2014 Helium

Nov 26, 2005 Hot air

May 4, 1961 Helium

Aug 19, 1957 Helium

Oct 23, 1932 Hydrogen

May 27, 1931 Hydrogen

Sept 5, 1862 Coal gas

Sept 10, 1838 Hydrogen

Hydrogen Dec 1, 1783

Aug 15, 1783 Hot air

79 feet

8,900 feet

27,146 feet

T

37,000 feet

Air Force Museum Opens New Building he world’s largest military aviation museum will get much larger on June 8, when the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force opens its fourth J]QTLQVO8ZQ^I\MTaÅVIVKMLJa\PM)QZ.WZKM Museum Foundation at a cost of $40.8 million, the 224,000-square-foot structure will soon be home to more than 70 aircraft, spacecraft and other exhibits. Currently being moved to the new facility, for example, are the sole remaining North American XB-70 Valkyrie (above) and a 96-ton Titan IVB space launch vehicle and satellite booster rocket. “We’re extremely excited to open the fourth building with some of our most popular aircraft at the beginning of the summer vacation season,” said museum director Lt. Gen. Jack Hudson (ret.). “The museum is within a day’s drive of more than 60 percent of the U.S. population, so we’re not too far from many of the places folks will be traveling to....” With free admission and ample parking, the Dayton, Ohio, museum seems sure to attract record crowds this summer. For hours, special events and additional info, visit nationalmuseum.af.mil.

68,986 feet

ALTITUDE BALLOON TYPE DATE

Own a Piece Of History... Be One of Only 5,000! The United States Air Force has a long and proud tradition dating back to 1947. From the earliest days of the Air Force to today, they have made the ultimate sacrifice, putting country before self, and defending freedom wherever and whenever challenged. Now, you can show your pride and celebrate the U.S Air Force’s 65th Anniversary with the “U.S. Air Force” Commemorative Watch—an edition limited to only 5,000!

A Magnificent Achievement in Craftsmanship and Design Precision crafted in stainless steel, our custom designed “U.S. Air Force” Commemorative Watch features a bold bracelet style in dramatic silver and gold-tone finish. Within the golden bezel, the Air Force dress blue watch face stands out along with the U.S. Air Force “wings” insignia. The chronograph watch sports 3 sub-dials for seconds, minutes and hours, and a date window. The case back is etched with the Air Force insignia, their motto U.S. AIR FORCE, COUNTRY BEFORE SELF, and the founding year of 1947, as well as your personal watch number in the limited edition of only 5,000. The side of the watch is etched, too, with powerful words of Air Force pride: ABOVE ALL. The watch has Precision Quartz Movement, an adjustable c-clasp, is water resistant to 3 ATM, and is backed by a full-year limited warranty as well as our 120-day satisfaction guarantee.

Paying Tribute to 65 Years of U.S. Air Force Pride ---

Chronograph dial with 3 sub-dials and date window ---

Bold Air Force colors and insignia ---

Solid performing Precision Quartz Movement ---

Custom etching on case back honoring the 65 year tradition of the U.S. Air Force

An Exceptional Value... Available for a Limited Time Complete with a custom wooden case, FREE historic Fact Cards, and a Certificate of Authenticity, this handcrafted timepiece is a remarkable value at just $249*, which you can pay for in 5 installments of $49.80. To reserve yours, send no money now; just fill out and mail the Reservation Application. But hurry... only 5,000 watches will ever be made!

Comes in a deluxe wooden case that includes FREE Historical Fact Cards trace the 65 year history of the United States Air Force and feature stirring fine art scenes of our U.S. Air Force in action EDITION LIMITED TO 5,000 WATCHES... ORDER NOW SO YOU DON’T MISS OUT! Back view shown actual size

Custom etching on case back and side ™

Side view of watch

Department of the Air Force. Officially Licensed Product of the Air Force (www.airforce.com). ©2012 BGE All rights reserved 01-13104-001-B

www.bradfordexchange.com/13104

RESERVATION APPLICATION

SEND NO MONEY NOW

9345 Milwaukee Avenue · Niles, IL 60714-1393

YES. Please reserve the “U.S. Air Force” Commemorative Watch for me as described in this announcement. *Plus $15.00 shipping and service. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of your jewelry after we receive your initial deposit. Sales subject to product availability and order acceptance.

Signature Mrs. Mr. Ms. Name (Please Print Clearly)

Address City

State

Zip

E-Mail (Optional)

01-13104-001-E13904

BRIEFING aviation chronicler

Carroll V. Glines (left) interviews General James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle while preparing the air legend‘s autobiography.

viation History lost a founder and its ÅZ[\MLQ\WZTW[\I friend and mentor when C.V. (Carroll Vane) Glines passed away on January 25. Glines was born in 1920 in Baltimore, Md., and got hooked on aviation in college when he TMIZVML\WÆaQVI8QXMZ Cub. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 and graduated from pilot training in January 1942, beginning his long military ÆaQVOKIZMMZI[IÆQOP\ instructor. By the time Glines retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1968 as a command pilot and a colonel, he had amassed ÆaQVOPW]Z[IVL his writing skills had led to an assignment in the 8MV\IOWVI[KPQMN WN \PM Air Force Magazine and Book Branch. )XZWTQÅKI]\PWZ Glines continued his aviation-oriented writing in civilian life, and became the editor or contributing editor of several aviation magazines, pro-

A MILESTONES

First Transatlantic Concorde Service Forty years ago, Air France and British Airways simultaneously instituted Concorde passenger service across the Atlantic, with the first flight landing at Washington Dulles International Airport on May 24, 1976. Trips on the supersonic airliner, jointly developed by France’s Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation, cost an average of $12,000, but took less than half the time for a crossing by contemporary carriers, roughly 3½ hours versus the usual eight. Transatlantic Concorde service ended in 2003 due to many factors, including fuel costs and environmental complaints, as well as a July 25, 2000, crash. On June 12, 2003, I watched the last landing of Air France F-BVFA at Dulles—complete with fire trucks creating a water archway—before it was installed as a permanent exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center.

Nan Siegel

10

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

ducing hundreds of articles and more than three LWbMVVWVÅK\QWVJWWS[ He has been recognized with several awards, and his reporting and writing skills won him the respect of colleagues throughout the aviation industry. He is known for several LMÅVQ\Q^M_WZS[QVKT]Ling biographies of Jimmy Doolittle, explorer Bernt Balchen and air racer Roscoe Turner. Glines’ work with the Doolittle Raiders led to his honorary membership in that exclusive fraternity. In 1990 Aviation History invited Glines to join our editorial advisory board. He graciously accepted and has been a continuous participant with his astute guidance and many article contributions over the years. “CeeVee” became a close personal friend of this former editor, and I will remember him as an unassuming giant among the many aviation notables I’ve known. Safe trip West, old friend—and save me a seat. Arthur H. Sanfelici

TOP: AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION; BOTTOM: NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

So Long, C.v.

How To Walk the Walk The must-have men’s accessory once carried by kings, presidents, barons and billionaires is back—and can be yours for ONLY $49! hey call walking the “perfect exercise.” It gets your heart pumping, clears your head and fills your lungs with fresh air. Not bad, but we found a way to make it even better. Before you take your next 10,000 steps, add a little strut to your stroll. Take the Stauer Knightsbridge Walking Stick anywhere and I promise that you’ll feel like a conquering hero. Heads will turn. Doors will open. Its powers will astound you.

T

What’s the secret? Pure class. Our Knightsbridge Walking Stick is a tip of the top hat to turn-of-thecentury tradition. Today these Victorian tributes to a man’s power, prestige, and posture might fetch as much as $200,000 at auction, according to The World of the Walking Stick. Because Stauer takes the quicker and less expensive route and go right to the source, we can offer you the vintage-worthy Knightsbridge Walking Stick for ONLY $49!

Over 18,000 Stauer Walking Sticks Already Sold!



The ultimate travel companion. Hold it once and you can feel that it’s not some hollow imitation. Our Knightsbridge Walking Stick is crafted from a solid shaft of imported eucalyptus wood and finished with layers of black lacquer. A classic “Derby” handle made of solid brass invites a strong grip or casual lean. A tasteful amount of engraved flourishes adds flair and grip, while a rubber tip steadies your stance.

“The Walking Stick is excellent! It is as attractive as it is useful.” — James, Lehigh Acres, FL

Limited Edition. Only 4,999 available! These handcrafted beauties take months to craft and are running (not walking) out the door. So, take a step in the right direction. Call today! Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Try the Knightsbridge Walking Stick for two months. If you’re not convinced it adds sophistication to your stride, simply send it back within 60 days for a complete refund of the sale price. At Stauer, we walk the talk.

“The best, the most exquisite automobile is a walking stick; and one of the finest

Image not actual size.

things in life is going on a journey with it.” — Robert Coates Holliday, Walking-Stick Papers

Limited Edition Knightsbridge Walking Stick $79†

$49 + s&p

Save $30 You must use the insider offer code to get our special price. Offer Code Price—

1-800-333-2045 Offer Code KWS112-01 Please use this code when you order to receive your discount.

TAKE 38 % OFF INST ANTLY! When you use

your

Stauer

®

14101 Southcross Drive W., Dept. KWS112-01, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337

www.stauer.com

INSIDER OFFER CO DE

Rating of A+

† Special price only for customers using the offer code versus the price on Stauer.com without your offer code.

• 36" long • Solid brass Derby-style handle • Supports up to 250 lbs. • Imported eucalyptus wood • Rubber tip Smar t Luxuries—Surprising Prices™

EXTREMES

think big German soldiers stand beside the fuselage of Villehad Forssman’s giant triplane.

Germany’s Titanic Triplane THE POLL GIANT WOULD HAVE BEEN WORLD WAR I’S BIGGEST BOMBER—HAD IT ACTUALLY BEEN COMPLETED BY EVAN HADINGHAM t’s one of the most enigmatic objects in Britain’s Imperial War Museum—a gigantic 8-foot plywood landing gear wheel, all that’s left of what would have been World War I’s largest airplane. Recent research has questioned much of what we thought we knew about the purpose of this extraordinary machine, what happened to it, and the character and reputation of its designer.
I 12

AH

may 2016

were all sheathed in three-ply wood, prompting the inspectors to comment on the good workmanship but seemingly heavy and weak design. Identifying the designer simply as “Forstmann,” the inspectors said the airplane’s endurance was planned to be 80 hours at a cruising speed of 80 mph. The report W‫ٺ‬MZMLI[QVOTM\IV\ITQbQVO statement about why the Poll was built: “Function—heavy bombing, long distance machine, alleged to have been intended to bomb New York. No trace of any gear or bomb release gear found.” More clues emerged in
leading plywood producer, which was asking the navy for support. Its designer was Swedish engineer Villehad Forssman, who as early as 1914 had conceived one of /MZUIVa¼[ÅZ[\U]T\QMVOQVM bombers while working for Siemens-Schuckert Werke. Haddow and Grosz depict this pioneering craft, the SSW-Forssman, as a lumbering, expensive disaster, plagued by incompetent design choices and weak construction. Over a year of testing, it crashed so often that XQTW\[ZMN][ML\WÆaQ\1\_I[ ÅVITTaLMTQ^MZML\W\PM1LÆQMO (military aviation bureau) in early April 1916, but a week earlier SSW had ignominiW][TaÅZML.WZ[[UIV Despite his unpromising track record, the Brüning company hired Forssman as its chief designer, and he dreamed up the monster triplane. Haddow and Grosz dismiss the project as another example of the

OPPOSITE: DEUTSCHES TECHNIKMUSEUM, BERLIN; RIGHT: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Q69474

Swede’s “naiveté,” and the proposal to bomb New York “as entirely in keeping with Forssman’s creative fantasy.” This damning verdict held fast in aviation history circles for more than four decades. Then in 2009 aviation historian Günther Sollinger published an exhaustive biography of Forssman suggesting I^MZaLQ‫ٺ‬MZMV\XQK\]ZM1V\PM Siemens archive, Sollinger found evidence of a simmering feud between Forssman and two other designers on \PM[\I‫*ٺ‬Z]VWIVL.ZIVb ;\M‫ٺ‬MV)\\PM[IUM\QUM Forssman’s early bomber was JMQVO\M[\ML\PM;\M‫ٺ‬MV brothers were developing a rival multi-engine bomber at SSW. Sollinger believes that \PM;\M‫ٺ‬MV[XWX]TIZM`XQTW\[ who had served at the front, used their military connections to promote their own LM[QOVIVLUIZOQVITQbM Forssman within the company. He thinks Haddow and /ZW[b_MZM]VL]TaQVÆ]enced by a scathing unpublished account about .WZ[[UIV\PI\*Z]VW;\M‫ٺ‬MV _ZW\MQV!)VL;WTTQVOMZ argues that rather than a sign of incompetence, the SSWForssman’s teething troubles were typical of an era when designers were struggling to ÅO]ZMW]\PW_\WJ]QTL\PM ÅZ[\OMVMZI\QWVWNU]T\QMVOQVM IQZXTIVM[
I\\IKPuQV*MZTQV_PWUM\ with Forssman in the summer of 1917. During their talk, .WZ[[UIV[IQL\PI\*Z†VQVO was constructing a number of the machines as heavy bombers for the navy to I\\IKS8IZQ[IVL*ZQ\Q[PKQ\QM[ from Germany. Fully loaded with 20 tons of bombs, the 75-ton triplane would have been able to reach as far as northern Scotland and return QVIJW]\PW]Z[)^MZQ\IJTM ÆaQVONWZ\ZM[[Q\_I[\WJM massively armed with a forest of machine guns and two KIVVWV[WV\PM\WX_QVO1N Forssman was exaggerating to impress his Swedish contact, he certainly succeeded: The attaché wrote that “compared to this giant the latest army airplanes used in the attacks against London are merely toys.” 1V\PMNITTWN!\PMVI^a was ordered to stop develWXQVO:XTIVM[IVLÅVITTa LMKTQVML*Z†VQVO¼[ZMY]M[\ NWZÅVIVKQIT[]XXWZ\1V[\MIL a new commercial backer, industrialist Reinhard Mannesmann, took over the project. To accomplish the transfer, giant sections of the triplane were moved from *Z†VQVO¼[NIKQTQ\aI\3IPT\W Mannesmann’s specially built hangar at Westhoven, some 150 miles away, via narrowgauge railroad and river barge down the Rhine. This herculean feat was captured in a memorable series of photos, our best visual record of \PM]VÅVQ[PMLUMOIJWUJMZ They show a team of 30 to 40 soldiers manhandling the enormous plywood fuselage and wing sections across the wintry landscape,

allied inspectors said the Giant was “alleged to have been intended to bomb New York.” using wooden rollers and levers to load them onto the ZIQTZWILKIZIVLJIZOM1\¼[ I^QI\QWV¼[MY]Q^ITMV\WN+MKQT *,M5QTTM¼[[KMVMWN[TI^M[ hauling pyramid blocks in The Ten Commandments. )N\MZ\PI\LI]V\QVOUW^M \PM\ZIQTZ]V[KWTL)UQTQ\IZa visitor to the Westhoven hangar in 1918 said he was “impressed by the clean workmanship” and “the very handsome engine nacelles… intended for a tractor and pusher engine each.” No record exists of why the triXTIVM_I[[\QTT]VÅVQ[PML _PMV)TTQMLQV[XMK\WZ[LQ[covered it there in September !!*]\\PM:XTIVMXZWgram as a whole had proved disappointing. The 30 or so

giant bombers that reached the front were costly and difÅK]T\\WWXMZI\MIVLNIQTML\W make an impact on the air war or enemy morale. Those factors must have militated against completing a machine that dwarfed even such massive R-planes as the Staaken :>1[MM¹-`\ZMUM[º;MX tember 2014). *]\_I[\PM8WTT\ZQXTIVM the white elephant it has been XWZ\ZIaMLI[')VL_I[Q\[ designer a fantasist or an innovator ahead of his time? Sollinger argues that both the German navy and 1LÆQMOmust have approved the diversion of considerable resources, if VW\LQZMK\ÅVIVKQIT[]XXWZ\ \W\PMXZWRMK\¹1[Q\ZMI[WVable to assume,” he asks, “that 1LÆQMOwould allow *Z†VQVOTI\MZ5IVVM[UIVV to engage in this extraordinary venture if they felt it was ][MTM[['º1V\PMMVL\PM8WTT Giant saga leaves us with UWZMY]M[\QWV[\PIVIV[_MZ[ IVLI[QVOTM\IVOQJTMZMTQK¸ \PI\ÅVMTaKZIN\MLaM\[MMUingly impractical wooden _PMMTQV\PM1?5

scale reference The Poll Giant’s 8-foot plywood wheel, the only surviving piece of the leviathan, is now on display at the Imperial War Museum.

May 2016

AH

13

AVIATORS tight team The crew of Heavenly Daze: (standing, from left) Rothman, Carter, King, Cadle, Hobbs, Ciesler; (kneeling, from left) Foley, Keith, Wayman, Shaughnessy.

Final Mission of Heavenly Daze A B-17 CREWMAN RECALLS HIS LAST MISSION, PERILS AS A POW AND THE INFAMOUS “BLACK MARCH” BY JOHN GREEVES

14

AH

may 2016

he weather predictions for January 11, 1944, were good when B-17F serial no. 42-5918 \WWSW‫ٺ‬I\ IUNZWU 0WZPIUIQZÅMTLQV;]‫ٺ‬WTS
T

XQTW\2IUM[-.WTMaKWXQTW\ 8I]T?3MQ\PVI^QOI\WZ +PIZTM[-;PI]OPVM[[aIVL JWUJIZLQMZ+PIZTM[)?Ia UIV2Z#
OPPOSITE: COURTESY OF JUDITH A. PARK; RIGHT: COURTESY OF JOHN GREEVES

had made my commitment [to my country] and was bound to honor it.” Heavenly Daze was part of the lead squadron, the 336th, which joined a strike force of some 550 B-17s and B-24s. En route to the target, the crew armed the dozen 500pound bombs and checked their .50-caliber guns. When the nose gun jammed, all attempts to clear it failed. They had crossed the Dutch coast and were half an hour from the target when disaster struck. “We lost all the electrical power to our gun turrets,” Rothman said. The B-17’s no. 2 engine was also acting up and had to be feathered. With communications down and the bomb bay doors needing to be cranked open manually, the problems were mounting. Foley decided to abort, dropping the bombs and dipping beneath 10,000 feet to try to avoid detection by MVMUaÅOP\MZ[)\TMI[\\_W Messerschmitt Me-109s attacked almost instantly. Wayman recalled, “We could KTMIZTa[MM\PMÅOP\MZ[¼O]V XWZ\[OTQ\\MZQVOIVLÆI[PQVO I[\PMaKWVKMV\ZI\ML\PMQZÅZM WVW]Z*¼[UQL[MK\QWVº) ÅZM[\IZ\MLWVWVM_QVOKTW[M to the fuselage and spread, blocking access to the plane’s rear. Despite the crew’s M‫ٺ‬WZ\[\WNMVLW‫\ٺ‬PMMVMUa the crippled gun turrets meant they were no match for the Germans. Foley gave the order to bail out. Those in the front escaped through the nose hatch. Rothman tried to reach the crewmen in the rear but couldn’t because WN\PMÅZM*MNWZMPMJIQTML out through the bomb bay, PMPMIZL0WJJ[[\QTTÅZQVO The tail gunner had been wounded in both arms but continued shooting, destroying one Me-109 before bailing out through the broken

tail windows. Hobbs would later be awarded the Silver Star for his actions. Cadle died from a direct hit on the ball turret, but the rest of the crew parachuted to safety. Rothman found himself QVI[TW_[XQVIVLI\ÅZ[\ he couldn’t remember how to stop it. Eventually he stretched out his arms, then released his parachute. The ÅZ[\\PQVOPM[I_IN\MZTIVLQVOQVIÅMTL_I[INIZUMZ wearing wooden shoes, which made him think he might be in Holland. But he soon realized that German farmers wore them too. His captors UIZKPMLPQUW‫ٺ‬I\O]VXWQV\ with one yelling, “Baby killer, )UMZQKIVLuftgangster, Juden!” By nightfall, when the 4]N\_I‫ٺ‬MKWTTMK\MLPQU\PMa had also picked up pilot Foley IVLIVW\PMZW‫ٻ‬KMZ7‫ٻ‬KMZ[ and enlisted men were rou\QVMTa[MV\\W[MXIZI\M87? camps. Rothman was taken by train to Frankfurt, then on to a transit camp where PM[XMV\Å^MLIa[QV[WTQ\IZa before being led to the interrogator, who already knew a surprising amount about him, including the fact he _I[2M_Q[P)TT:W\PUIV\WTL him was his name, rank and serial number. He was soon sent to Stalag Luft 6 at Heydekrug, in East Prussia. Conditions there were harsh but bearable for \PMÅZ[\aMIZ\PIVS[\W:ML +ZW[[IVL;IT^I\QWV)ZUa parcels. When the Soviet :ML)ZUaVMIZML\PMXZQ[WV \PM87?[_MZMUW^ML to Memel, then crammed into the hold of a ship for 60 hours. Next they went to Gross Tychow, where

they were met by German naval infantry with dogs and machine guns who lined the road and told the prisoners to start running. Rothman _I[PIVLK]‫ٺ‬ML\WIVW\PMZ man, and both started running—he doesn’t remember how far—until they reached the camp. 7V.MJZ]IZa!I[ IZ\QTTMZaÅZMKW]TLJMPMIZLQV the distance, Rothman was among some 8,000 men from the camp forced to set out on what became known as the “Black March.” Groups of 250 to 300 men were marched under guard across country during the coldest winter in Germany for 50 years. The “Kriegies,” as the 87?[KITTML\PMU[MT^M[ slept in barns or back to back on the frozen ground. There was little food, though they were sometimes given black bread made from a mixture of rye, beets, sawdust, leaves and straw. Water often had to be scooped from roadside ditches, resulting in dysentery and diarrhea. “Dysentery was the worst,” Rothman noted. To combat those ills, he said, “We made charcoal IVLOZW]VLQ\]XQV\WIÅVM powder, then we ate it.” Between 5 and 10 percent of the prisoners succumbed L]ZQVO\PI\PWZZQÅK\ZMS Rothman was one of the

lucky ones who survived. By March 29, when he arrived at Stalag 11-B in time to celebrate his 21st birthday, he hadn’t bathed in weeks. )VLJa\PM\QUM\PM*ZQ\Q[P TQJMZI\ML\PI\KIUXWV)XZQT 16, he had lost 50 pounds [QVKMPQ[KIX\]ZM
“no milk runs” Heavenly Daze participates in one of its 35 bombing raids prior to its fateful final sortie of January 11, 1944.

May 2016

AH

15

restored

marine mitchell

Semper Fi in the Sky UNDER RESTORATION FOR 22 YEARS, A ONE-OF-A-KIND BOMBER AT LAST NEARS FLYING STATUS BY STEPHAN WILKINSON he warbird world is replete with professional restorations of basket cases and re-creations of dataplate specials, WN _QVO[XIZ[ZMUIV]NIK\]ZMLKWUXTM`Å\\QVO[IZ\N]TTa crafted, rare airplanes rising phoenix-like from behind KTW[MLPIVOIZLWWZ[*]\\PM[\WZaWN \PQ[WVMWNISQVL 6WZ\P)UMZQKIV8*22¸\PM6I^a^MZ[QWVWN \PM)ZUa)QZ Forces’ B-25J Mitchell—is as much a tale of people as it is of nuts and bolts, clecos and rivets. Over a two-decade period, a movable cast of some 12 to 15 NIQ\PN]T^WT]V\MMZ[LQLVMIZTaITT\PMOZ]V\_WZSIVLIZ\Q[\ZaIVL U]KPWN \PMN]VLZIQ[QVO\WZM[\WZM\PM_WZTL¼[WVTaZMUIQVQVO 8*2)VLVW\WVTaPI[Q\JMMVZM[\WZML\WI]\PMV\QK?WZTL ?IZ11KWTWZ[IVLKWVLQ\QWVQ\_QTT[WWVJMÆaQVOIOIQV;WUM of these volunteers traveled considerable distances to the Camarillo, Calif., hangar where the airplane is based. Most PILLIaRWJ[_PMV\PMZM[\WZI\QWV[\IZ\MLJ]\UIVaPI^M[QVKM ZM\QZMLIVL[PQN\MLNZWU_MMSMVL_WZS\WVMIZTaN]TT\QUM ,]ZQVO??11\PM5IZQVM+WZX[ÆM_\PM6I^a¼[8*2[

T 16

AH

M AY 2 0 1 6

7VM[\WZaPI[Q\\PI\6WZ\P American was manufacturing the twin-engine bombers so NI[\\PI\\PM)ZUa)QZ.WZKM[ PILUWZM5Q\KPMTT[\PIV\PMa KW]TLKZM_[W\PMaW‫ٺ‬MZML \PMM`\ZI[\W\PM6I^a_PQKP in turn handed them over to the Marines. Trusted aviation historian Joe Baugher, however, tells a more complex tale involving IJQO6I^aW_VMLIQZKZIN\ NIK\WZaQV:MV\WV?I[P \PI\\PM=;))._IV\MLNWZ *!XZWL]K\QWV1VZM\]ZV NWZ\PM6I^aKIVKMTQVO\PM *WMQVO8**;MI:IVOMZ ÆaQVOJWI\L]M\WJMUIV]NIK\]ZMLI\:MV\WV\PM)). would turn over all anti-sub ÆaQVOL]\QM[\W\PM6I^aIVL provide it with B-24s, B-25s and Lockheed Venturas to do \PI\RWJ The Marine Corps received 706 PBJ-1s out of \PM\W\ITWN VMIZTa *[J]QT\7VTaMQOP\WN  \PMUTI\MZNW]VL\PMQZ_Ia QV\WKQ^QTQIVPIVL[;M^MV of those eight have since

KZI[PMLJMMVR]VSMLWZ disappeared, and this sole authentic former Marine Mitchell remains. At least two B-25s have been repainted as PBJ-1s, but their owners— one of them the National Naval Aviation Museum, in 8MV[IKWTI¸ILUQ\\PI\\PMa “represent” PBJ-1s but aren’t the real deal. That lone remaining 8*22VM^MZÆM_QVKWUJI\# Q\_I[[QUXTaJ]QT\LMTQ^MZML \W\PM6I^a[M^MZITUWV\P[ before the war ended and \PMV[MV\\W\PM?IZ)[[M\[ Administration for disposal. 1\_I[[WTLQV\]ZV\WI^IZQM\a of civil operators. During the 1950s and ’60s, a budding Continental Airlines used it as a crew trainer and shuttle, then it passed through the hands of several corporate operators, including an elec\ZWVQK[KWUXIVa\PI\][MLQ\ as an aerial testbed. 1V! \PQ[[WTM[]Z^Q^WZ _I[IKY]QZMLJa\PM+WU memorative (then ConNMLMZI\M)QZ.WZKMIVLÅ^M

PHOTOS: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WING, COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE

The newly restored PBJ-1J is rolled out for an engine run-up. Opposite below: A crew of volunteers spent two decades on the project.

years later was assigned to its Southern California Wing for eventual restoration. Not a basket case by any means, the IQZXTIVM_I[IK\]ITTaÆW_V from Midland, Texas, to the SoCal Wing’s Camarillo headquarters…though its doughty CAF crew might have had second thoughts about being airborne had they seen all the internal corrosion later discovered by the restoration team. Since it seemed to be a working airplane, the group ÅO]ZMLQ\PILJMMVOZIV\ML a project that would need little more than cosmetic work and a paint job. That gift horse’s mouth clamped shut as soon as a SoCal crew taxied their new PBJ out for a quick spin. They made it no farther than the run-up pad before a variety of gauges either dead or in the red convinced them that the bomber was far from airworthy. Though some disassembly and cleanup work was done in the interim, serious restoration began in 2003 that included removal of the engines; the wings outboard of the engines; and all fuel, oil and hydraulic tanks and plumbing. The fuselage inte-

rior was stripped, and mods from the airplane’s corporate career were removed. An airstair door had been added to the aft fuselage and the bomb bay eliminated. )XTa_WWLÆWWZPILJMMV installed, with control cables rerouted from the fuselage [QLM_ITT[\W\PM]VLMZÆWWZ area. And of course the top turret was long gone, though the bombardier’s glass nose had survived. Many of the airplane’s corroded internal formers, stringers and longerons had to be replaced, and often they were of unusual curves and shapes that required expensive subcontracting. By the late 2000s the restoration was competing with a major national recession, and every nickel was squeezed until the J]‫ٺ‬ITW[Y]MISML A B-25 is no B-17, but it is still a large airplane, a massive metalworking project for a dozen people who stand hip-high to its main-gear tires. (Resto-serendipity: When the team decided that it needed to send the PBJ’s big wheels out for expensive professional tire mounting, a casual visitor to the hangar mentioned that he routinely

IQZXTIVM[XZWJIJTaIZMÆMKtion of the Navy’s own reluctance to personalize airplanes at least in part because carrier-borne aircraft stay on the ship while pilots come and go. So MB 11 carries only a small globe and anchor and “Semper Fi” under the pilot’s window. When the Marines got \PMQZ8*2[\PMaUWLQÅML them for the missions they VMMLML\WÆa:ILIZXWL[ mounted way bigger tractor were added for night shiptires. He did the job for free.) ping interdiction, racks Typical of the airplane’s for 5-inch rockets were complexity were the cowlmounted under the wings ÆIXIK\]I\WZJMIZQVO[ITT and extra .50-caliber guns of which had to be replaced. were brought aboard for Much of the fuselage and IV\Q[PQX[\ZIÅVOIVLKTW[M wings had to be reskinned, air support. MB 11 has been and at times the airplane restored with rockets and four looked like a forest of clecos guns in cheek pods below (spring-loaded devices that and aft of the cockpit, plus a are temporarily substituted starboard-wingtip radome. for rivets to hold sheet-metal 5*\PI\ ZM^MV]MZQLMÆQOP\[_QTTJM went down in May 1945 an essential part of MB 11’s during a mission over Davao, operations. After a successful on the Philippine island of engine run-up on December 5QVLIVIW1\_I[JMQVOÆW_V 15, taxi tests were expected by Lieutenant Doit Fish, the to start early this year. At father of SoCal Wing mempresstime the SoCal Wing ber David Fish. He was lost _I[ZIQ[QVO\PMÅVITN]VL[ during the same mission that required to install instruKTIQUML>5*¼[_MTT ments and communications SVW_VKWUUIVLQVOW‫ٻ‬KMZ [a[\MU[VMKM[[IZaNWZÆQOP\ Lt. Col. George A. Sarles; More info at cafsocal.com.  the squadron was informally known as “Sarles’ Raiders.” The Marines were never encouraged to plaster fancy names and nose art on their

After a successful engine run-up on December 15, taxi tests were expected to start early this year.

M AY 2 0 1 6

AH

17

ROBERT TAYLOR ‘The World’s most collected Aviation Artist’

TOWARDS THE HOME FIRES Flying low over the winter English landscape, Major Robin Olds leads a flight of Mustangs of the 479th Fighter Group back to their base on 14 February 1945. Prints are signed by the legendary Robin Olds and iconic Mustang Aces.

Don’t miss out - contact one of these AUTHORIZED dealers for priority ordering! ACES HIGH AVIATION GALLERY

JOHNIES GB IMPORTS

AIKENS AIRPLANES

10735 Town Center Blvd, Dunkirk, MD 20754 Tel: (410)257-6616 [email protected] www.medartgalleries.com

815 E. Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA 93023 Tel: (800)528-0887 [email protected] www.aces-high.com

540 Dent Road, Eads, TN 38028 Tel: (901)853-6517 [email protected] www.aikensairplanes.com

ALAMO AVIATION ART

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET

PO Box 739, Sheridan, MT 59749 Tel: (800)598-2927 [email protected] www.alamoaviationart.com

AVIATION ART HANGAR

Tel: (888) 478-2784 GSA Contract #GS-03F-0093Y [email protected] www.aviationarthangar.com

BROOKS AVIATION ART Los Angeles, CA Tel: (800)647-8217 [email protected] www.brooksart.com

CLASSIC AVIATION & WAR ART

AIR SUPERIORITY

Seymour Johnson AFB – 4th Fighter Wing Home of the RAF Eagle Squadrons Tel: (919)583-8866 [email protected] www.warart.com

Avenue Antiques Mall 3419 8th St. SE Calgary, AB T2H 1A4 (403)287-1988

MEDART GALLERY

SIERRA AVIATION ART

3500 Vicksburg Lane, N. #339 Plymouth, MN 55447 Tel: (800)270-1943 [email protected] www.sierra-art.com

SOUTHERN GUN WORKS

167 S. Main Street, Suffolk,VA 23434 Tel: (757)934-1423 [email protected]

THE OUTLET / BEACON LIGHT Hendersonville, NC 27839 Tel: (828)891-9871 (908)832-5811 www.beaconlightaviation.com

VIRGINIA BADER FINE ARTS

19531 Campus Drive, Suite 19 Santa Ana, CA 92707 Tel: (800)233-0345 [email protected] www.virginiabader.com

WINGS FINE ARTS

1400 Sea View Road Black Creek, BC, Canada V9J IJ7 Tel: (800)545-9464 [[[[MRKW½RIEVXWGSQ

LETTER FROM AVIATION HISTORY

Close Encounters of the Bird Kind BY CARL VON WODTKE

hroughout aviation history, pilots have strived to emulate birds, the world’s most ILMX\ÆQMZ[1V\PMXZWKM[[\PMa¼^M[W]OP\ to safely share the skies with our feathered NZQMVL[JaI^WQLQVOI^QIVMVKW]V\MZ[IVL KWTTQ[QWV[*MKI][M_PMVJQZLUMM\[IQZXTIVM\PMZM[]T\[KIVJMLM^I[\I\QVO )[-L*ZW\ISVW\M[QV¹?PMV*QZL[;\ZQSMº 8ZMXWZ\ML_QTLTQNM[\ZQSM[QVKT]LQVO\MZZM[\ZQITKWTTQ[QWV[QVKZMI[MLJaUWZM\PIVXMZKMV\ NZWU!!\W_Q\PQVKQLMV\[QV\PM UW[\ZMKMV\aMIZNWZ_PQKPÅO]ZM[IZMI^IQTIJTM )T\PW]OP[WUMWN\PI\QVKZMI[MKIVJMI\\ZQJ]\ML \WJM\\MZZMXWZ\QVOXWX]TI\QWV[WNJQZL[XMKQM[ most dangerous to aviation have soared during \PMXI[\NM_LMKILM[¹
U.S. AIR FORCE

T standing guard A red-tailed hawk perches on the winglet of a C-17 Globemaster III at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

ZWW[\QVO[Q\M[IVL^IZQW][LM^QKM[\W[KIZMJQZL[ I_IaQVKT]LQVO[QZMV[PWZV[IVLÅZM_WZS[;QVKM !!!;W]\P_M[\.TWZQLI1V\MZVI\QWVIT)QZXWZ\PI[ MUXTWaMLJWZLMZKWTTQM[\W[KIZMW‫ٺ‬JQZL[_PMV _QTLTQNMIOMV\[UISM\PMQZIQZXWZ\ZW]VL[)VL [WUMIQZXWZ\[ÅOP\JQZL[_Q\PJQZL[][QVO\ZIQVML ZIX\WZ[\WNZQOP\MVI_IaZWW[\QVOQV\MZTWXMZ[ 1V\PM.))IVL=;)QZ.WZKM[\IZ\ML LM^MTWXQVOJQZL\ZIKSQVOZILIZ[a[\MU[
AH

19

clash of titans After surviving the Pearl Harbor attack, B-17E 41-2433 gets some payback against a Kawanishi H6K4 on October 23, 1942, in a Jack Fellows illustration.

20

AH

may 2016

©2016 JACK FELLLOWS, ASAA

PACIFIC TRAMPS THE STORY OF THE B-17S THAT ARRIVED OVER HAWAII DURING THE JAPANESE ATTACK HAS BEEN TOLD MANY TIMES, BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM? BY STEVE BIRDSALL

May 2016

AH

21

On December 7, 1941, 12 unarmed B-17s on their way to reinforce the Philippines arrived over Oahu to find Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field under attack. Six, led by Major Truman Landon, were from the 19th Bomb Group’s 38th Reconnaissance Squadron. Two of them, 4IVLWV¼[IVL XQTW\MLJa4QM]\MVIV\3IZT Barthelmess, were brand-new B-17Es. The other four were obsolescent B-17Cs that would never see combat again. Following were six B-17Es from the 88th Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Bomb Group, led by Captain Richard Carmichael in 41-2429. +IZUQKPIMTLMKQLML\WÆaVWZ\PMI[\¹R][\W‫\ٺ‬PMOZW]VLº IVL\Za*MTTW_[.QMTL)\*MTTW_[PMMVKW]V\MZMLUWZMKPIW[ and at Kaneohe and Wheeler too. With little choice left he \]ZVMLQV\W\PM_QVLTW_MZML\PMTIVLQVOOMIZIVLÆIX[IVL in a near stall, dragged the Flying Fortress onto the runway of \PM[PWZ\I]`QTQIZa[\ZQXI\0ITMQ_I4QM]\MVIV\0IZWTL+PI‫ٻ‬V PILTIVLML\PMZMÅ^MUQV]\M[MIZTQMZQV4QM]\MVIV\[ Robert Thacker in 41-2432, Harry Brandon in 41-2433 and ,I^QL:I_T[QVJZI^ML2IXIVM[MIVLNZQMVLTaÅZM\W

aloha! B-17E 41-2408 (foreground) arrives at a scene of carnage at Hickam Field on December 7, 1941.

22

AH

may 2016

land at Hickam. Lieutenant Robert Ramsey, Brandon’s copilot, recalled “getting shooted at, muchly, by both countries.” Lieutenant Frank Bostrom in 41-2416 landed on a golf course at Kahuku. One B-17C was destroyed on landing and another damaged beyond repair, but all eight B-17Es and two B-17Cs were safely down by the time the Navy issued orders \W¹KMI[MÅZQVOWV*[I\ tempting to land at Hickam.” With every reason to expect that the Japanese would be back, probably with an invasion force, the movement to the Philippines was postponed QVLMÅVQ\MTa)TTJWUJMZ[ were commandeered by the 0I_IQQIV)QZ.WZKMIVLX]\ to work patrolling the surZW]VLQVO_I\MZ[)[IN]Z\PMZ precaution, Brig. Gen. Jacob Rudolph issued an order on ,MKMUJMZ\WW^MZXIQV\\PM B-17s to “blend” with “the area in which they were dispersed.” He later noted that “lack of proper colors prevents getting color desired,” but provided no further explanation. The work was hastily carried out, presumably by or under the supervision WN \PM 0I_IQQIV )QZ ,MXW\ Refinishing Section. There was a basic pattern and all the overpainted planes were similar, but no two were identical. The colors, chosen purely to protect the bombers on the ground, appear to have been shades of rust, sand, blue-gray, the earlier fast-fading olive drab and remnants of factoryapplied dark olive drab. Data blocks were masked off and radio call numbers were added to the tails. Brigadier General Clarence Tinker endorsed the camouflage program when he arrived to take command of \PM 0I_IQQIV )QZ .WZKM WV December 18, but just three days later two relatively junior W‫ٻ‬KMZ[6I^a4\+ULZ.ZIVS

OPPOSITE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES; CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES; MARK CORDLE COLLECTION/DAMIAN WATERS; AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL; U.S. AIR FORCE

O’Beirne of Patrol Wing Two and the Hawaiian Air Force’s Major Ernest Moore, agreed to a compromise to aid with airKZIN\QLMV\QÅKI\QWV:MLKMV\MZMLZW]VLMT[_W]TLJMLQ[XTIaML on both port and starboard upper and lower wings as well as the fuselage sides, with 13 alternate red and white stripes painted on the rudders. It’s not known to what degree the bolder, brighter markings contributed to the conclusion of the program, but by \PMV\PM]VQY]MKIUW]ÆIOMILWZVMLI\TMI[\*-[QVKT]LQVO\PMMQOP\,MKMUJMZIZZQ^IT[ )[\PM\PZMI\WNI\\IKSZMKMLML\PM*[ZW]\QVMTaXI\ZWTTML the ocean around Hawaii. On the afternoon of January 3, 1942, 23rd Bomb Squadron commander Major LaVerne Saunders, ÆaQVO!JWUJMLIXIQZWN[]JUMZOML[]JUIZQVM[_Q\PW]\ result and lost contact after a 40-minute pursuit. The following LIa4QM]\MVIV\:ITXP?IVLMZMZQVZMXWZ\MLIVMVMUa[]J 600 miles out, but it escaped beneath the waves. 1V\PMMIZTaUWZVQVOWN2IV]IZa[Q`*-[NZWU\PM\P IVL\P*WUJOZW]X[\WWSW‫ٺ‬NZWU0QKSIU
force while pioneering a route through the South Pacific. Three were from the 23rd Squadron: Captain George Blakey in 429, Lieutenant Francis Seeburger in 432 and Wanderer in 433. During the two-week operation they experienced all the complications that would hinder Allied units operating from advanced bases for months to come. After 433 developed a problem with the no. 3 engine \PI\LMÅMLITTM‫ٺ‬WZ\[\WZMXIQZ it, the airplane and crew had to be left at Fiji when the others returned to Hawaii on January 30.

not all survived Clockwise from top left: Strafed on approach, B-17C 40-2074 burns at Hickam; 41-2434 wears a patch over “one very large cannon hole” in its tail in July 1942; ground crewmen bomb up 41-2432 at Port Moresby in August 1942; dubbed Miss Fit, 41-2433 awaits its next mission on Guadalcanal in July 1943.

May 2016

AH

23

blending in Pearl Harbor survivor 41-2408 (right) and 41-2421, which took part in a daring raid from the Philippines in April 1942, wear new camouflage paint.

24

AH

may 2016

T

he Southern Bomber Command was born when the Navy “desired” a dozen B-17s to provide support for the carrier Lexington and Task Force 11 in the New Caledonia area. Six of the chosen crews had arrived QV0I_IQQWV,MKMUJMZIVLÅ^MWN\PMKWUUIVLXQTW\[¸ +IZUQKPIMT*W[\ZWU+PI‫ٻ‬V:I_T[IVL
were ready and gave Brandon a warm reception. His no. 3 MVOQVMKI]OP\ÅZMIVL\_WWN his crewmen were wounded. Brandon made it back to Port Moresby, the advanced base on New Guinea, running out of fuel before he cleared \PMZ]V_Ia+IZUQKPIMTÆM_ the two wounded men to Townsville for medical attention, and Brandon brought 408 and the rest of his crew back the next day. :I_T[¼  _I[ ZMXIQZML overnight with parts from 416. +PI‫ٻ‬V¼[_Q\PI¹VM_º outer wing section salvaged from a less-fortunate B-17, passed a test hop on March 3. Bostrom’s 416 remained at Townsville, where all hope of repairing it was abandoned two months later when parts of the bomber were shipped south to Melbourne. As the squadron historian drily noted: “If Melbourne can’t get parts what are we to do?

The ships are unloaded there, not here.” 7V5IZKP+IZUQKPIMT¼[KWUUIVL_I[W‫ٻ‬KQITTaLM[QOnated the 40th Reconnaissance Squadron, 19th Bomb Group, and returned to Army control. A few days later Captain WilTQIU4M_Q[QV!IVL+PI‫ٻ‬VQV XTIaMLIXIZ\QV\PMZM[K]M WN/MVMZIT,W]OTI[5IK)Z\P]ZPQ[NIUQTaIVLPQ[[\I‫ٺ‬NZWU the Philippines. The bold rudder stripes were already gone when the squadron historian noted on April 4 that the markings on the B-17s PILJMMVUWLQÅML"¹6W_\PM[aUJWTQ[I_PQ\M[\IZ_Q\PW]\ the red dot....The Japs have changed our ideas about red.” On April 22, the 40th was redesignated the 435th Bombardment Squadron and Major William Lewis assumed command. Throughout the May 4-8 Battle of the Coral Sea, the 435th’s bombing was very disappointing, but its relentless reconnaissance proved invaluable. The crews were dog-tired, and tragedy was only narrowly avoided on May 11 when Lieutenant James Gibb in 432 collided with another B-17 during a fruitless search for a crippled aircraft carrier. Both landed safely, Gibb’s bomber with a mangled tail. The 23rd Squadron’s 433 had been in Fiji awaiting a new MVOQVM[QVKM2IV]IZa1\[]‫ٺ‬MZMLN]Z\PMZQVLQOVQ\QM[QV.MJZ]IZa when Carmichael’s crewmen helped themselves to anything they needed, including five enlisted men from Wanderer’s KZM_.QVITTaÆW_VJIKS\W0I_IQQWV5IZKPQ\ZM[]UML ÆaQVOXI\ZWT[IVL\ZIQVQVOUQ[[QWV[]V\QT)XZQT_PMV+IX\IQV :QKPIZL;\MXXTIVLML[PWZ\I\*MTTW_[.QMTL\MIZQVOW‫\ٺ‬PM tail gunner’s section. Named Miss Fit (although it’s not known whether the name was actually painted on the plane), it was considered a “jinx B-17” by some. 4QM]\MVIV\2IUM[>IV0I]ZÆM_\W5QL_Ia_Q\P\PM 431st Squadron on May 31, but returned from a search mission the next day with engine problems. After all repair attempts NIQTML>IV0I]ZÆM_JIKS\W0I_IQQWV\PZMMMVOQVM[IVL\WWS no further part in the Battle of Midway. When the 11th Bomb Group moved south to the New Hebrides in July 1942 to support the Guadalcanal campaign, neither 413 nor Miss Fit went with them.

OPPOSITE: E.P. STEVENS/IHRA

B

y the end of July 1942, now–Lt. Col. Carmichael had assumed command of the reorganized 19th Bomb Group, and the 28th, 30th and 93rd squadrons were established at Mareeba, Australia, about three hours by air from Port Moresby. The 435th remained at Townsville, though the squadron’s oldest aircraft were transferred to the other units. Over the previous months the old B-17s and crews had suffered many mishaps but no fatalities. That changed on August 7, when the 93rd Squadron’s Captain Harl Pease Jr. was shot down by Zeros over Rabaul in 429. Pease and gunner Sergeant Chester Czechowski parachuted from the doomed B-17, but they were quickly captured and imprisoned, only to be executed two months later. Pease was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. On August 16, Major Dean Hoevet, 30th Squadron commander, was testing a new flare delivery method off the )][\ZITQIVKWI[\QV_PMVQ\KI]OP\ÅZMIVLKZI[PML¹
LOBERG AND THURSTON PUT THE BOMBER THROUGH A SERIES OF MANEUVERS THAT HAD IT “SHAKING AND RIPPLING ALL OVER LIKE A SKIRT IN A GALE.” imprisoned under the wreck.” Twelve men were aboard the Fortress, but only six bodies were recovered. Rumors had been circulating that the 19th would be relieved, and new planes and crews had been arriving in Australia. In September 408 was assigned to the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, and by October 430 and 432 were ZMTMOI\ML\WÆaQVOTMI^MKZM_[ back and forth to Sydney. As a result of the Allies’ “Europe first” policy and other factors, U.S. military planners decided that no new B-17s would be sent to the Pacific after October 1942. The plan was to ultimately replace them with B-24 Liberators, but in the meantime there was a gap \WÅTT;WIN\MZ\PM!\P_MV\ home, 408, 430 and 432 were overhauled and modified, returning to action with the

43rd Bomb Group. Along the way 430 was named Naughty but Nice and 432 became The Last Straw. Naughty but Nice had a narrow escape during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March 1943, when Lieutenant James Easter was mortally _W]VLMLJaIÅOP\MZI\\IKS Fortunately his inexperienced copilot, Lieutenant Russell Emerick, was able to get the bomber safely back to the advanced base at Dobodura. The old B-17’s luck finally ran out in the early morning hours of June 26 over Rabaul when a Nakajima J1N1-Ckai “Irving,” an improvised night fighter, shot it down. Only the navigator, Lieutenant José Holguin, survived both the shootdown and his subsequent interrogation by the notorious Kempei Tai.

O

ne way or another, the 11th Group had by this time lost more than a dozen Flying Fortresses since moving to the New Hebrides. As a result, on October 18, Miss Fit joined the group’s 26th Squadron as a replacement. Five days later a routine anti-submarine patrol erupted into a ferocious duel when 433 encountered a fourengine Kawanishi H6K4 ¹5I^Q[ºÆaQVOJWI\I\\IKSQVO a PBY-5A Catalina. War correspondent Ira Wolfert was aboard (see sidebar, P. 27), and he reported that the pilots, Lieutenants Edwin Loberg and Bernays Thurston, put the old bomber through a series of maneuvers that had it

May 2016

AH

25

soldiering on Clockwise from top left: After the first Rabaul raid in February 1942, 41-2408 still sports tail stripes at Port Moresby; 41-2434 flew an Australian air force team to Ohakea, New Zealand, in July 1942; modified and repainted, 41-2408 served as an armed transport; The Last Straw’s final mission with the 43rd Bomb Group was a raid on Lae on September 8, 1943.

26

AH

may 2016

“shaking and rippling all over like a skirt in a gale.” During the running battle, navigator Lieutenant Robert Spitzer and bombardier Lieutenant Robert Mitchell were wounded. Finally, after 44 minutes of ear-shattering mayhem, the Mavis was LW_VÆWI\QVOQVIXWWTWNJTIbQVON]MT
junk heap” until “the boys NZWU 0),º I[[]UML \PM ZMXIQZ\I[S)T\PW]OPQ\PIL [IKZQÅKMLQ\[^MZ\QKIT\IQT[MK\QWV\WIVM_*.XI[[QVO \PZW]OP0I_IQQWV\PM_Ia \W)][\ZITQIQV)]O][\\PMRWJ _I[ÅVITTaKWUXTM\MLIVL\PM ZMJWZV*-RWQVML\PMVL *WUJ;Y]ILZWVI[IZMXTIKMment on December 26. <_WLIa[TI\MZ_I[WVM of a dozen 5th and 11th group *[[MV\\W8WZ\5WZM[Ja for coordinated strikes with \PM.QN\P)QZ.WZKMZM\]ZVQVO to Guadalcanal on January !+IX\IQV/TMVV;WZ en son flew the bomber on missions to drop supplies \W )UMZQKIV \ZWWX[ NQOP\ing entrenched Japanese in the hills and ridges in the Matanikau River area of

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ARTHUR DEAN/DAVID VINCENT COLLECTION; ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE; DAVID VINCENT COLLECTION; O.K. COULTER; RIGHT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES

FOUR-ENGINE BOMBERS DOGFIGHT Guadalcanal on January 14. When the 11th Bomb Group returned to Hawaii, the well-traveled veterans 413 and 433 were passed on to the 5th Bomb Group’s 31st Squadron. In the evening of March 20, a simple but audacious mission took shape when nine B-17s, including Captain William Kyes in Miss Fit, joined nine B-24s to attack 3IPQTQIQZÅMTL
;IV\WWV;MX\MUJMZ
In his book Battle for the Solomons, war correspondent Ira Wolfert described what it was like aboard the B-17 Miss Fit (41-2433) when an anti-submarine mission turned into a duel with a four-engine H6K4 “Mavis” flying boat on October 23, 1942: e dove straight down so rapidly that my knees buckled under me….The bottom turret was working. The nose bucked with its chugging, like the handle on an electric riveting machine…. When we got on an even keel, I could stand up again and look out the window. We were in a squall…. Then we hurtled clear through the cloud and into blinding sunlight and there the Jap was, right alongside us, maybe fifty feet away….Every trigger on every gun on both planes was pressed at once and held. Thousands of bullets criss-crossed through the narrow spread of air….Our plane shuddered under the impact of bullet after bullet and teetered and buckled under the blasts of its own guns…. I could see a cannon firing at us, smoke blowing from its open mouth like frosted breath, and I could see our red tracer bullets pelt like darts into the Jap and ricochet off his armor and streak wailing straight up into the air….The Jap made a tight turn and we followed suit. It was a delicate maneuver, the Jap having a mortal sting in his tail. To keep away from his tail and give our nose and side guns a chance to work him over, we had to turn inside him…. Then the sun blotted out and the whole wild scene was blotted out by an even wilder one as a cloudburst fell upon us like a mountain of loose rocks….The Jap had dived into the cloudburst, either to lose us or to maneuver himself into a position to kill us. We lost him five times in the fight….every time the Jap plunged into a cloud…we went racing after him and caught him just as he was breaking into the clear and hit him….The Jap kept very close to the water to make sure we wouldn’t come in under him. He has no guns there and we could tear his belly open with our top turret. So the fight was so low in the air there would be no escape. A hit on the controls for either of us meant the end….This was kill going down An H6K4 or be killed all the way through, Mavis erupts in flames one of those arrangements after being hit by a known locally as ‘git’ or ‘git PB4Y-1 on May 7, 1944. got.’…Twice we passed right over the Jap, so close I could see the jagged bullet-holes we had torn in him….Then, at 1:01, exultantly Lieutenant Spitzer shouted, ‘He’s smoking! One of his motors is gone!’ Then Lieutenant Spitzer, who was still working his guns, shouted, ‘He’s down.’…There was an aching silence in the nose of the plane. Anyway, it seemed like silence. We had all been deafened by the noises of thousands of explosions.”

W

“

May 2016

AH

27

night raid Luftwaffe aircraft bomb the Soviet air base at Poltava on June 21, 1944, destroying 47 B-17s. Captain Robert Trimble arrived in Poltava (opposite) in February 1945.

28

AH

may 2016

FORTRESS DOWN DURING A SECRET MISSION IN SOVIET-OCCUPIED POLAND, A SALVAGE OPERATION TURNED INTO A FLIGHT TO FREEDOM BY JEREMY DRONFIELD

May 2016

AH

29

Fro

POLAND

CAPTAIN TRIMBLE’S AREA OF OPERATIONS

N

«

WARSAW

GERMANY

150 MILES

nt

USSR

li

ne

M

arc

h1 945

LUBLIN

KIEV

STASZÓW KRAKÓW

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

POLTAVA

RZESZÓW LWÓW

UKRAINE

GETTING A B-17 FLYING FORTRESS OFF THE GROUND IS NO TRIVIAL TASK; IN WARTIME IT REQUIRED STEADY NERVES,

free pass Trimble’s diplomatic passport (above) protected him from the NKVD as he operated in Sovietoccupied Poland.

30

AH

may 2016

especially if the bomber was laden with fuel and JWUJ[¸M^MVWVIOWWLZ]V_Ia
Air forces didn’t have the range to hit targets deep inside the eastern parts of the Third Reich, so Operation Frantic had been conceived in coopera\QWV_Q\P\PM=;;:)QZKZIN\_W]TL\ISMW‫ٺ‬NZWU -VOTIVLIVL1\ITaJWUJ\PMQZ\IZOM\[\PMVÆa\PM short distance to Poltava. Refueled and rearmed, they hit another set of targets on the return route. .ZIV\QKPILUQ`MLZM[]T\[IVL[]‫ٺ‬MZMLI[M\JIKS _PMV\PM4]N\_I‫ٺ‬MZIQLML8WT\I^IWV2]VM 1944, destroying 47 B-17s. By the fall of 1944, Frantic was on ice, and the U.S. Eastern Command presence was scaled down to a detachment tasked with salvaging American aircraft that had crashlanded in Soviet territory.

W

hen Trimble arrived in February 1945, relations between the Russians and Americans were tense. American openness and democratic ideals were incompatible with the Soviets’ addiction to bureaucracy and military brutalism. The weather was even colder than the politics. “I’ll never forget when I stepped out of that plane,” Trimble recalled decades later, “I made up my mind right then and there, ‘You made a mistake, buddy.’ The wind was blowing, the temperature was about 25 below zero. I had a warm jacket, but it just went right through it. I said, ‘I’m gonna have to make some kind of changes here.’…

PREVIOUS PAGES: NATIONAL ARCHIVES; INSET: TILLMAN COLLECTION, TEXAS MILITARY FORCES MUSEUM; OPPOSITE: LEE TRIMBLE; MAP: DIT RUTLAND VIA JEREMY DRONFIELD; RIGHT: U.S. AIR FORCE

Well, I got the changes all right.” Trimble was taken aside by CO Colonel Thomas 0IUX\WVIVLOQ^MVIRI_LZWXXQVOJZQMÅVO¹1 _I[V¼\OWQVO\WJMÆaQVOIVaXTIVM[ºPMZMKITTML 0IUX\WV[IQL¹, \PM;W^QM\[MKZM\XWTQKM_PWQVNM[\ML\PMbWVM[ JMPQVL\PM:ML)ZUa¼[NZWV\TQVM\PMVKTW[M\W 8WTIVL¼[JWZLMZ_Q\P/MZUIVaIVLIL^IVKQVO _M[\_IZLJa\PM_MMS
AFTER A HAIRRAISING LOWLEVEL FLIGHT, TILLMAN MANAGED TO LAND THE B-17 IN A SNOWCOVERED FIELD IN SOUTHERN POLAND.

A

\\PMMVLWN.MJZ]IZa,WXMZI\Q^M

cold war Ground crewmen brave subzero temperatures to work on a B-24 engine at Poltava.

May 2016

AH

31

return to action After its recovery from Poland, B-17G 43-37687 resumed bombing operations from England with a newly added moniker: Crash Crew’s Pride.


A

\ TI[\ \PM * _I[ ZMILa *I\\MZML PWTML_Q\PLQ[KIZLMLXIZ\[TMN\JMPQVL QV\PM[VW_Q\_I[_PMMTMLW]\WN\PM \ZMM[IVL\W\PM\WXWN\PM\ISMW‫ٺ‬ÅMTL
32

AH

may 2016

IZUMLM[KWZ\IZZQ^MLIVLLMKTIZML\PI\\PM:ML )ZUa_W]TLVW_\ISMKWUUIVLWN\PM*IVL ÆaQ\W]\0MXZWUQ[ML\PI\,KW]TLV¼\LM\IQVPQUJMKI][MWNPQ[ LQXTWUI\QKXI[[XWZ\J]\\PMaKW]TLJ]UXPQU W‫<ٺ‬WLW[W\PMa_W]TLMV\QKMPQUI_IaITWVM IVL\PMVQV[WUMY]QM\[XW\[PWW\PQUQV\PMJIKS )V\Q;W^QM\XIZ\Q[IV[_W]TLJMJTIUMLIVL\PM )UMZQKIV[KW]TLLWVW\PQVOIJW]\Q\ ?PMVQ[QJQTQ\a_I[ITUW[\LW_V\W _PQ\MW]\_PMVPMKI]OP\[QOP\WN4_~_IQZÅMTL 0M¼LIZZQ^ML\PMZMJMNWZMI[IXI[[MVOMZJ]\VM^MZ XQTW\MLQV0MTQVML]XWV_PMZMPMJMTQM^ML\PM Z]V_Ia_I[IVL[M\\PMJWUJMZLW_VQVIXMZNMK\ \PZMMXWQV\TIVLQVOWV\PM[VW_ )[\PM*KIUM\WIPIT\IRMMXZIKML\W_IZL Q\IVL;W^QM\W‫ٻ‬KMZ[R]UXMLW]\[PW]\QVO
the brakes, their journey would have come to an abrupt and permanent end. Leaving the crew chief with the hangared plane to oversee additional repairs, Trimble and his crew took rooms at the Hotel George (the regular base for his POW rescue operations) to wait out the bad weather. They were stuck there for 11 days. On \PMÅZ[\LIa\PMaLQ[KW^MZMLIKZM_NZWUIVW\PMZ downed B-17, already staying in the hotel. Trimble \WWS\PMUQV\WPQ[KIZMQV\MVLQVO\WÆa\PMU\W Poltava with him. But the next strays he came across were in much worse condition. Trimble and Matles were walking out to buy cigarettes when they encountered several disheveled men being marched along by two Russians. One of these emaciated individuals, seeing the American uniforms, stopped Trimble and pleaded for help. He was an American ex-POW—Sergeant Richard Beadle, a decorated veteran of Anzio, who had been liberated weeks earlier from Stalag III-C.
OPPOSITE: TILLMAN COLLECTION, TEXAS MILITARY FORCES MUSEUM; ABOVE RIGHT: VERGOLINA FAMILY; RIGHT: U.S. AIR FORCE VIA MARTIN BOWMAN

D

MNaQVO\PM:][[QIV[¼XZW\M[\[IÆI[PWNPQ[ passport could work wonders), Trimble took all four men into his care. He managed to put the messengers on a train for Moscow, but the Russians insisted on taking Gould and Beadle back to their containment camp. The men were starved, their clothes were taken and they were given Soviet uniforms. After two nights they escaped and sought out Captain Trimble at the Hotel George. Furious at the Russians’ behavior, Trimble decided to keep the former prisoners with him, no matter the consequences. Within days Trimble had picked up two more ex-POWs, American Sergeant Rudy Vergolina and Scotsman Jim McNeish. Vergolina had also come from Stalag III-C, where he’d witnessed Russian soldiers murdering POWs during the liberation. Trimble now had four ex-prisoners under his wing, along with the B-17 crew and his own three men. As word got out that there were Americans in Lwów, the trickle of POWs became IÆWWL
“WHEN I STOOD NEXT TO THAT BEAT UP PLANE, I WAS JUST ABOUT READY TO TELL THE CAPTAIN, ‘THANKS, BUT NO THANKS.’” – SERGEANT RUDY VERGOLINA

)\\PMIQZÅMTL\PMNW]Z87?[_MZMLQ[O]Q[ML _Q\P[XIZMÆaQVOOMIZIVLXI[[MLW‫ٺ‬I[IQZKZM_ Vergolina was anxious: “When I stood next to that beat up plane, I was just about ready to tell the captain, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’” The airmen teased the infantryman that he would have to ride in the Plexiglas nose, which had a big hole in it where the chin turret had been removed. “I was petriÅML º>MZOWTQVIZMKITTML*]\
salad days Prior to its Poland shuttle mission, 687 (center, middle distance) lines up for takeoff from Snetterton Heath in 1944.

May 2016

AH

33

GOING COMMANDO THE CURTISS C-46 FILLED A NICHE DURING WORLD WAR II FOR A HIGH-ALTITUDE HEAVY HAULER CAPABLE OF OPERATING FROM ROUGH AIRSTRIPS IN FARFLUNG LOCALES BY STEPHAN WILKINSON

caf’s china doll The Commemorative Air Force’s Southern California Wing operates C-46F serial no. 44-78663, though the airplane has recently been grounded due to fuel and maintenance costs.

M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

35

a lot of airplane C-46s were underpowered until Curtiss replaced their 1,700-hp Wright Twin Cyclones with 2,000-hp Pratt & Whitney Double Wasps.

36

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

The C-46 Commando was the biggest twin-engine airplane in \PM_WZTL_PMVQ\ÅZ[\ÆM_¸TWVOMZ\ITTMZIVL_Q\PI_QLMZ_QVO[XIV\PIVI*WZ*
C-46s were sold as surplus for as little as $5,000. When design of the Curtiss CW-20 airliner began in 1936, war was a distant threat to the non-interventionist United States, and the Douglas DC-3 had already demonstrated the possibility of serious commercial air travel. The Doug had rendered obsolete the Boeing 247 and Curtiss’ gawky 12seat, retractable-gear Condor II biplane. Curtiss found itself looking at future competition from Boeing’s pressurized four-engine 307 Stratoliner and the Douglas DC-4.

PREVIOUS PAGES: ©JOHN M. DIBBS/THE PLANE PICTURE CO.; ABOVE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES; ABOVE RIGHT: ©DON TROIANI/CORBIS; RIGHT: BERNARD HOFFMAN/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES

They called it the Curtiss Calamity, Ol’ Dumbo, the Flying Whale and, more recently, Miss Piggy.

1V\PM![IVL¼[+]Z\Q[[_I[I[QVOTMMVOQVMÅOP\MZKWUXIVa_Q\PITWVOTQVMWN JQXTIVMX]Z[]Q\[NWZ\PM)ZUaIVL6I^a C-46 squadron IVL\PMV\PM8IVL80I_SÅOP\MZ[NWZ\PM)ZUa)QZ Commandos await their next +WZX[IVLM`XWZ\
THERE WERE PILOTS WHO SAID THAT IF YOU COULD FLY A C-46, YOU COULD FLY ANYTHING.

J]JJTMIVL,+ IN\MZ\PM +]Z\Q[[XI\MV\PILM`XQZML

I

V 5IZKP ! *WMQVO \M[\ XQTW\ -LLQM )TTMV \WWS\PMJQO+]Z\Q[[]X NWZQ\[NQZ[\NTQOP\)TTMV _I[JaNIZ\PMUW[\M`XMZQMVKMLU]T\QMVOQVM\M[\XQTW\ QV\PMKW]V\ZaIVLPILUILM LWbMV[WN ÅZ[\ÆQOP\[QVM^MZa\PQVONZWU\PM,W]OTI[,+ \W\PM*WMQVOÆaQVOJWI\ 1V\PMKT]JJa_WZTLWN ?M[\ +WI[\IQZNZIUMZ[PM_I[NZMM \WWKKI[QWVITTaNZMMTIVKM *a \PI\ \QUM _IZ KTW]L[ TWWUMLIVL+]Z\Q[[XIZSML \PM+?QV\PMJIKSWN Q\[ UIQV *]NNITW 6A PIVOIZ _PQTMQ\ZIUXML]XXZWL]K\QWVWN 8[NWZ\PM*ZQ\Q[P 4MOMVLPI[Q\\PI\_PQTM\W]ZQVO IQZKZIN\ UIV]NIK\]ZQVO NIKQTQ\QM[QV;MX\MUJMZ! 5IR /MV 0MVZa ¹0IXº )ZVWTL ^Q[Q\ML +]Z\Q[[ [I_ \PM +? IVL []XXW[MLTa LMKTIZML ¹1 _IV\ \PI\ IQZXTIVMº;QVKMJa\PMV\PM)QZ +WZX[PILITZMILaJW]OP\\PM XZW\W\aXMIVL_I[\M[\QVOQ\¸

M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

37

38

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

Hump-topping work during the prime years of the resupply route. But the C-46 was nobody’s NI^WZQ\M
ABOVE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES; RIGHT: IVAN DMITRI/MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES

over the “hump” A C-46 tackles its most famous challenge (above), the Himalayan route between India and China. Commando crewmen chat with locals (opposite) at an air base near Khartoum, Sudan, in 1943.

under the designation of C-55—more likely that’s when Arnold became aware of its cargo- and troop-carrying potential. =VNWZ\]VI\MTa\PM+_I[IZI_]VÅVQ[PMLXZW\W\aXM
Commandos also got a reputation for fuel line vapor-locking at altitude when a crew tried to switch tanks. The only solution was to descend and try a restart, which was hardly an option over the Himalayas. Postwar civil C-46s all had submersible electric fuel pumps installed in their tanks, to forcibly push fuel through a vapor bubble. Countless published sources list carburetor icing as a C-46 bugaboo during Hump operations, but this is a misnomer. To a pilot, “carburetor icing” means internal obstruction of a carbuZM\WZJaUWQ[\]ZMTILMVIQZ\PI\Q[[]LLMVTa[]XMZKWWTMLJaÆW_ through the carb venturi, turning the humid air to ice. What Commandos actually encountered—and they frequently did over the Himalayas—was impact icing, or physical obstruction of the external carburetor air scoop by snow, sleet and superKWWTMLZIQV+PWSMW‫ٺ‬IXQ[\WVMVOQVM¼[QVL]K\QWVIQZ[W]ZKMIVL Q\¼[W]\WN J][QVM[[
lift—or, as was sometimes the case in India, an elephant with a gasoline barrel wrapped in its trunk—was presented with a flat floor rather than the uphill tilt of a C-47. The Commando also had a particularly long tailwheel leg, to moderate the inclination of \PI\]XPQTT_PMVXIZSMLÆWWZ Historian Barbara Tuchman blames Madame Chiang 3IQ;PMSNWZ\PM+¼[NIQTings. “The Dragon Lady so incessantly pestered Roosevelt for more aircraft that he sent C-46s before they were ready,” Tuchman wrote. One C-46 pilot quoted in Flying the Hump remembered “transporting an assorted load of Kotex for Madame Chiang and some good California wine for her husband.” This at a time when three American that perhaps had never before crewmen died for every thouor since been applied to the sand tons of cargo carried into Gooney Bird. China, on missions substanA Commando typically tially more dangerous than ÆM_\PM0]UX_Q\PIKZM_WN  bomber runs over Europe. three—two pilots and a radio hough C-46s operaoperator. Despite numerous ted mainly in the sources claiming that C-46s CBI Theater during PILÆQOP\MVOQVMMZ[\PMZMQ[ WWII, they also carno such position in the cockpit. Often a crew would also ried cargo across the South include a crew chief acting as )\TIV\QKJM\_MMV*ZIbQTIVL a combined loadmaster and North Africa and onward to Calcutta for staging over the mechanic. At the other end of the Hump. The Marine Corps crew spectrum, C-46s were also flew the Navy version occasionally soloed over the of the C-46—the Curtiss Rockpile by especially experi- R5C-1—in support of its MVKMLXQTW\[)TT\PMIQZXTIVM¼[ South Pacific amphibious controls and systems were island-hopping campaign. Only a few C-46s served in accessible from the left seat, unlike the C-47, which was Europe, most notably during [WTWMLNZWU\PMKWXQTW\¼[KPIQZ Operation Varsity, the airdrop for easy access to the cowl component of the Allied push ÆIX[
THE C-46 WAS NOBODY’S FAVORITE. THIRTY-ONE OF THE 230 COMMANDOS USED ON THE HUMP ROUTES OVER THE HIMALAYAS—MORE THAN 13 PERCENT OF THE FLEET— EXPLODED IN FLIGHT.

T

M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

39

1

2 3

1

2

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

8 11

12

9

13

14

14 16

10

15

17

18 22

19

20

21

22

23

24 25

25

27

27 26

28

29

28

30

31

32

33

34 36 35

C-46F THE TINKER BELLE COCKPIT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

40

AH

Engine primer Engine starter Master electronic shut-off Battery selector Generator switch Propeller anti-icer Compass Airspeed indicator

m ay 2 0 1 6

9. Artificial horizon 10. Directional indicator 11. Cylinder temperature

16. Fuel pressure gauge 17. Tachometer 18. Propeller governor

12. 13. 14. 15.

19. Cowl flap controls 20. Hydraulic system gauge 21. Voltmeter 22. Mixture controls

gauge Manifold pressure gauge Oil pressure gauge Fuel gauges Altimeter

controls

23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Throttles Outside air temperature Elevator trim tab control Rudder trim tab control Fuel tank selector Oil cooler flap controls Wing flap control Aileron trim tab control

CURTISS C-46A COMMANDO SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINES 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-51 Double Wasp 18-cylinder radials producing 2,000 hp each WINGSPAN 108 ft. 4 in. LENGTH 76 ft. 4 in. HEIGHT 21 ft. 9 in.

CAPACITY 15,000 lbs. of cargo, 40 soldiers or 30 stretcher patients WEIGHT 30,000 lbs. (empty) 50,000 lbs. (maximum takeoff) MAXIMUM SPEED 270 mph

CRUISING SPEED 173 mph SERVICE CEILING 24,500 ft. RATE OF CLIMB 1,175 feet per minute RANGE 1,200 miles

COCKPIT: JIM KOEPNICK ILLUSTRATION: STEVE KARP

31. Propeller feathering 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.

switch Tail wheel lock Supercharger controls Parking brake Carburetor heat controls Landing gear selector handle

M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

41

42

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

)]\WUI\QK:QÆMW]\PQ[KWKS XQ\_QVLW_IVLMUX\QML\PM MV\QZMUIOIbQVMI\IVI\\IKS QVO 6ISIRQUI 3Q 7[KIZ /IaLIPQ\\PM]V[][XMK\QVO XQTW\ IVL \PM 7[KIZ _MV\ LW_V,]ZQVO\PM*IaWN 8QO[ WXMZI\QWVI+[KWZML\PM +WUUIVLW¼[[MKWVL¹SQTTº 0I^QVO LZWXXML I TWIL WN  LWWUML +]JIV M`QTM XIZI \ZWWXMZ[ \PM \ZIV[XWZ\ _I[ WVQ\[_IaJIKS\W\PM+1)¼[ [MKZM\/]I\MUITIJI[M_PMV Q\ _I[ I\\IKSML Ja WVM WN  +I[\ZW¼[0I_SMZ;MI.]ZQM[ ;WUM\PQVO_MV\_ZWVOXZWJ IJTaIVW^MZMV\P][QI[\QK\WW TW_\WW[TW_[\ITT[XQVIVL \PM0I_SMZI]O]ZMLQV\W\PM +IZQJJMIVSQTTQVO\PMXQTW\ +]Z\Q[[¼+LM^MTWXUMV\ MVLMLQV!_PMV-I[\MZV )QZ4QVM[KIVKMTMLQ\[WZLMZNWZ +?-[IXZWXW[ML?ZQOP\ :XW_MZMLXI[[MVOMZ KIZZaQVO^IZQIV\WN \PM+WU UIVLW-I[\MZVZMITQbML\PMZM _MZMP]VLZML[WN KPMIX+[ KWUQVOWV\W\PM[]ZXT][UIZ SM\IVL\PM/WWVMa[KW]TLÆa \PM[PWZ\UMLQ]UPI]TZW]\M[

ABOVE: STEPHEN M. FOCHUK; ABOVE RIGHT: JIM KOEPNICK; RIGHT: ©LLOYD CLUFF/CORBIS

still in service Buffalo Airways, made famous by the Ice Pilots TV series, operates a C-46 in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The carrier’s other Commando recently suffered damage in a belly-landing.

Å\\ML_Q\P[MTN[MITQVON]MT\IVS[QM\VIU_PMZMWVM+KIZZaQVO>QM\VIUM[MNZWU ;IQOWV\W*IVOSWS_I[\PMTI[\Å`ML_QVOIQZKZIN\\WTMI^M;W]\P >QM\VIUJMNWZM\PMKW]V\Za_I[W^MZZ]V
UWZMM‫ٻ‬KQMV\Ta\PIV\PMN]MT P]VOZa+
+WUU IVLW QV KW]V\ZQM[ _PMZM IQZ KIZZQMZ[ _MZM \PM WVTaZMITZWIL[\W\PMQV\MZQWZ _PMZMUW]V\IQV[IJW]VLML IVL_PMZMUIVaIQZÅMTL[_MZM PQOP[PWZ\IVLXZQUQ\Q^M
flying colors Warriors & Warbirds operates The Tinker Belle from Monroe, N.C.

C-46 SURVIVORS IN NORTH AMERICA he Commando is a relatively scarce warbird in the U.S. and Canada. A number of C-46s are still operating in Central and South America, but north of the border they are among the least numerous of all major World War II types still flying. Our count shows six Commandos currently flying in North America: The Tinker Belle, operated by Warriors & Warbirds, in Monroe, N.C.; a fleet of four earning their keep for Everts Air Cargo/Everts Air Fuel in Alaska; and a Commando in Canada’s Northwest Territories still operated by Buffalo Air, an outfit made notorious by the TV series Ice Pilots. The Commemorative Air Force’s SoCal Wing has parked its well-known

T

China Doll for lack of funds to buy gas for its thirsty R-2800s. Buffalo Air lost a C-46 to a gear-up landing after an engine failure last September. Though that airplane may look like an it’ll-buff-right-out repair, it is in fact a write-off, in part because its irreplaceable props were destroyed. A C-46D that is claimed to be a survivor of Operation Varsity is currently for sale in Bolivia, restored and flying with a handsome 32-seat airline interior. Houston contract and corporate pilot T. Craig Hill and a small group of investors hope to bring it to the U.S. by this summer. S.W.

M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

43

flight risk A flock of birds steers clear of a Delta Airlines commuter jet landing at Reagan International in 2015.

WHEN BIRDS STRIKE SINCE THE EARLIEST DAYS OF MANNED FLIGHT, PILOTS HAVE SOUGHT TO SAFELY SHARE THE SKIES WITH THEIR AVIAN COUNTERPARTS—WITH MIXED RESULTS BY ED BROTAK

M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

45

ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1905, LESS THAN TWO YEARS AFTER ORVILLE WRIGHT BECAME THE FIRST MAN TO MAKE A CONTROLLED FLIGHT IN A POWERED, HEAVIER-THAN-AIR CRAFT, HE WAS THE FIRST TO REPORT A BIRD STRIKE. danger on wing Vin Fiz pilot Cal Rodgers was the first to die in a bird strike accident (above). As shown in a 1921 photo (top right), birds also suffer in collisions. An F-16 (bottom right) demonstrates the grisly outcome of even a glancing encounter.

46

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6


MV\IVOTMLQV\PMKWV\ZWTKIJTM[:WLOMZ[\PMVTW[\ KWV\ZWTIVLKZI[PMLQV\W\PM8IKQÅK¸\PMÅZ[\JQZL [\ZQSMNI\ITQ\a )[\QUM_MV\WVIVL\PMV]UJMZWN IQZKZIN\XTaQVO\PM[SQM[QVKZMI[MLQ\JMKIUMKTMIZ\PI\XQTW\[ _W]TLPI^M\WTMIZV\W[PIZM\PM[SQM[QVWZLMZ\W N]TTaZMITQbM\PMLZMIUWN ÆQOP\1\_W]TL\]ZVW]\ \WJMIPIZLTM[[WVWVM\PI\I^QI\QWVM`XMZ\[PI^M TWVO[\Z]OOTML\WZM[WT^MM^MVI[IQZXTIVM[JMKIUM NIZNI[\MZIVLOMVMZITTa[INMZ\WÆa
common starlings. Losing power in three engines, the airliner crashed into Boston Harbor. In all, 62 people died—the greatest single loss of life from any bird strike. The worst bird strike–related accident to military aircraft in the United States occurred on September 22, 1995, when a U.S. Air Force Boeing -;MV\Za)?)+;XTIVMMVKW]V\MZMLIÆWKSWN  +IVILIOMM[M_PQTM\ISQVOW‫ٺ‬NZWU-TUMVLWZN )QZ Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. After both portside engines lost power due to ingested material, the E-3 crashed two miles from the runway, killing all 24 crew members. Worldwide, the worst military accident due to a bird strike came nearly a year later in the Netherlands, on July 15, 1996. A Belgian C-130 Hercules with a crew of four carrying 37 army musicians was trying to land at Eindhoven Air Base when several hundred starlings and lapwings, VW\^Q[QJTMNZWU\PMKWV\ZWT\W_MZ[]LLMVTaÆM_ into its path. The pilot attempted a go-around, but both left engines were inoperable due to ingested birds. The Hercules struck the ground and burst QV\WÆIUM[IN\MZ_PQKPKWUU]VQKI\QWVXZWJTMU[ resulted in a delayed response from emergency personnel. Tragically, 34 on board perished.

THE LARGEST COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT EVER TO BE DESTROYED BY A BIRD STRIKE WAS A DC-10 ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF FROM JFK IN NEW YORK.

PREVIOUS PAGES: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/APF/GETTY IMAGES; OPPOSITE: (LEFT) SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM; (TOP RIGHT) ©AVIATION HISTORY COLLECTION/ ALAMY; (BOTTOM RIGHT) U.S. AIR FORCE; RIGHT: U.S. AIR FORCE

W

hile most bird strikes occur at low altitudes (below 500 feet) and close to airports, the danger isn’t limited to those areas. On November 23, 1962, after United Airlines Flight 297, a Vickers Viscount ,TQN\MLW‫ٺ‬NZWU6M_IZS1V\MZVI\QWVIT)QZ XWZ\Q\ÆM_QV\WIÆWKSWN _PQ[\TQVO[_IV[I\ feet over Maryland. A strike damaged the horizontal stabilizer, resulting in loss of control of the aircraft, which crashed near Ellicot City, killing all 17 WVJWIZL1\_I[\PMÅZ[\UIRWZKWUUMZKQITÆQOP\\W crash due to a bird strike at cruising height. Even aircraft flying at high altitudes are not necessarily safe. The record for the highest bird strike is 37,000 feet, in an incident on November !!L]ZQVOIKWUUMZKQITÆQOP\W^MZ)JQRIV Ivory Coast, in West Africa. Although the airliner lost one engine, it landed safely. The bird was later QLMV\QÅMLI[I:]XXMTT¼[OZQ‫ٺ‬WV^]T\]ZM\PW]OP\\W JM\PMPQOPM[\ÆaQVOJQZLQV\PM_WZTL *][QVM[[RM\[PI^M[]‫ٺ‬MZML\PMQZ[PIZMWN JQZL strikes as well. On February 26, 1973, after a LearRM\MVKW]V\MZMLKW_JQZL[NWTTW_QVO\ISMWNN  from Georgia’s DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, the TMN\MVOQVM[P]\LW_VIVL\PMRM\KZI[PMLSQTTQVO all seven aboard. When a Cessna 500 crashed minutes after leaving Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City on March 4, 2008, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators determined that the loss of control was due to structural damage to the wing—the result of strikes by one or more American white pelicans. The two pilots and all three passengers died. Helicopters are less prone to strikes near airports

grim reckoning Investigators examine the wreckage of an E-3, destroyed with its crew after striking a flock of Canada geese.

\PIVÅ`ML_QVOIQZKZIN\I[\PMQZ[TW_MZNWZ_IZL [XMML[WV\ISMW‫ٺ‬IVLTIVLQVOUISMKWTTQ[QWV[NIZ less likely. But the low altitudes at which choppers WN\MVÆaQVKZMI[M[\PMQZZQ[SNIZ\PMZNZWU\MZUQVIT[ Although strikes on the rotor assembly have only rarely caused accidents, birds hitting the windshield are more common. A medium to large bird can go right through a standard windshield. =[]ITTa\PMXQTW\ZMKW^MZ[[]‫ٻ‬KQMV\Ta\WTIVLJ]\ there have been a few fatal encounters. Seven minutes after a dual-engine Sikorsky ;+PMTQKWX\MZ\WWSW‫ٺ‬NZWU)UMTQM4IWV 2IV]I Za!WVIKPIZ\MZÆQOP\\WIVW‫[ٺ‬PWZM oil rig, a red-tailed hawk crashed through the windshield. NTSB investigators later said they thought \PMQUXIK\IT[WLQ[TWLOMLIÅZMM`\QVO]Q[PMZ\PI\ struck the engine control levers, reducing power to the engines. The two pilots, understandably disoriented, could not regain control of the helicopter, IVL\PMaXT][[Q`WN \PM[M^MVXI[[MVOMZ[WVJWIZL died when it crashed. Just two years ago, on January 8, 2014, an AmeriKIV00/8I^M0I_S_I[ÆaQVONMM\IJW^M the ground on a nighttime training mission near Cley, in Norfolk, England, when it apparently startled some geese in a game preserve. After several birds crashed through the Pave Hawk’s windshield, rendering both pilot and copilot unconscious, the helicopter went down, killing them and two others on board. Even greater disasters have been averted in recent years, usually due to the skill of the pilots. The best known of these took place on January 15, 2009, when Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger successfully landed a powerless Airbus A320-200 QV\PM0]L[WV:Q^MZ¸\PM¹5QZIKTMWV\PM0]L [WVº:]VVQVOQV\WIÆWKSWN +IVILIOMM[MIN\MZ \ISQVOW‫ٺ‬NZWU4I/]IZLQI\PM)QZJ][QVOM[\ML[W many of the birds that both engines shut down. A similar accident occurred the following year in the 6M\PMZTIVL[WV2]VM_PMVI:WaIT)QZ5IZWK Boeing 737-400 with 162 people on board struck a ÆWKSWN OMM[MIN\MZLMXIZ\QVO)U[\MZLIU¼[;KPQX

M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

47

flight delayed After their Airbus A320 struck a flock of geese, passengers await rescue on the wings of the airliner, famously landed in the Hudson River by pilot “Sully” Sullenberger on January 15, 2009.

48

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

hol Airport. In that case, the pilot managed to turn the badly damaged airliner around and land back at the airport.

H

ow big a problem are we really dealing with here? To assess the risk in the U.S., beginning in 1990 the Federal Aviation Administration mandated that all wildlife strikes were to be recorded, regardless of whether LIUIOMPILZM[]T\MLNZWU\PM[\ZQSM
On the military side, the U.S. Air Force alone PI[ ZMXWZ\ML UWZM \PIV ! JQZL_QTLTQNM strikes since 1995. There have been 23 fatalities, 12 aircraft destroyed and more than $400 million in damage. Worldwide since 1988, 255 people have died and 243 aircraft were destroyed due to collisions with wildlife. The European Space Agency estimates that bird/wildlife strikes around the world cost airlines over $1 billion a year. Birds of all types fall victim to strikes. The latest .))ZMXWZ\TQ[\ML LQ‫ٺ‬MZMV\[XMKQM[QV^WT^ML in collisions, most of them smaller birds that did little if any damage to aircraft. Of the strikes that did cause damage, waterfowl led the list, involved in 30 percent of incidents. They were followed by gulls (22 percent), raptors (20 percent) and pigeons or doves (7 percent). The most damaging species include snow geese, vultures, northern pintails and Canada geese. A single large bird can take down a medium-size plane. After a Dornier 228-200 carrying 19 people struck a vulture and crashed in Nepal in September 2012, all onboard died. *]\\PMOZMI\M[\\PZMI\KWUM[NZWUÆWKS[WN TIZOMZ birds, particularly geese. While the Miracle on the Hudson and Holland incidents had happy endings, that hasn’t always been the case. Of course, birds aren’t suicidal monsters looking for planes to crash into. In fact, birds don’t hit airKZIN\¸IQZKZIN\_PQKPÆaU]KPNI[\MZPQ\JQZL[ -Q\PMZIJQZLWZÆWKSLWM[V¼\PMIZIXTIVMKWUQVO or the bird can’t get out of the way in time.

I

f birds weren’t enough, however, pilots also have to worry about other critters that wander WV\WZ]V_Ia[\PMZMI[WVW‫ٻ‬KQITZMXWZ\[ZMNMZ to “wildlife strikes.” Fewer than 5 percent of all strikes reported involve something other than IJQZLJ]\\PMa[\QTTKI][M[QOVQÅKIV\XZWJTMU[ Moose and caribou have been struck by aircraft in Alaska, while in Florida collisions with alligators happen almost every year, and gopher tortoise strikes have recently been increasing. Armadillos PI^MJMMVPQ\QV
age is typical. Next on the list is the coyote, with more than 400 collisions. In all, the FAA listed 42 species of terrestrial mammals and 11 species of reptiles involved in accidents. Even domesticated animals have run afoul of aircraft. Collisions with cattle have destroyed airplanes, and yes, dogs and cats have had encounters \WW1VNIK\\PMÅZ[\ZMKWZLML\MZZM[\ZQIT_QTLTQNM strike involved a dog. On July 25, 1909, the same LIaPM_W]TLJMKWUM\PMÅZ[\XMZ[WV\WÆaIXTIVM across the English Channel, Louis Blériot was warming up the engine of his Blériot XI when an unfortunate farm dog ran into his propeller blades. There have also been some downright strange mishaps. On September 10, 2013, when a Gulfstream IV flown by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hit something on the runway at MacDill AFB in Florida, it turned out to JMIÅ[P¸I[PMMX[PMIL\PI\PILUW[\TQSMTaJMMV dropped by an osprey. A small homebuilt aircraft was landing at North Carolina’s Miller Air Park Airport on March 13, 2006, when the pilot felt the plane hit something. As the aircraft rolled down the grass runway, its nose gear began to collapse. When the nose hit the OZW]VL\PMXTIVMÆQXXMLW^MZ¸I\W\ITTW[[
OPPOSITE: AP PHOTO/STEVEN DAY; TOP RIGHT: RED BULL; RIGHT: SHOW LOW, ARIZ.

S

o what has been done to lessen the risk? In the 1980s, the FAA started taking steps to address the problem, hiring its first [\I‫ٺ‬JQWTWOQ[\QV! 1V! !.))W‫ٻ‬cials began collaborating with the Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, which developed an Airport Wildlife Hazards Program and provided direct assistance to airports across the country. The 6I\QWVIT?QTLTQNM:M[MIZKP+MV\MZ¼[7PQWÅMTL station works to develop management strategies to reduce wildlife hazards to aircraft and produce science-based recommendations, policies and procedures to control wildlife at airports and other locations where they present a hazard to aviation safety. Wildlife Services personnel began working _Q\PW‫ٻ‬KQIT[I\UIRWZIQZXWZ\[[]KPI[2.3IVL ORD to address their wildlife issues. The two IOMVKQM[X]JTQ[PML\PMÅZ[\UIV]ITWVUQ\QOI\QVO wildlife strikes at civil airports in 1999, at which time they were assisting 363 airports. By 2010, more than 800 airports were provided assistance. Since most bird strikes occur when aircraft are KTW[M\W\PMOZW]VLMQ\PMZ\ISQVOW‫ٺ‬WZTIVLQVO much of the control effort has been centered around airports and nearby areas. In fact, the FAA has addressed the issue of wildlife strikes in Q\[IQZXWZ\KMZ\QÅKI\QWVXZWKM[[_PQKPQVKT]LM[ an explanation of wildlife control strategies. And since 2004, the FAA has required every airport that meets or exceeds a certain size to conduct a Wildlife 0IbIZL)[[M[[UMV\)QZXWZ\W‫ٻ‬KQIT[U][\[]Z^Ma

THE ANNUAL COST IN THE U.S. OF DAMAGE AND DOWNTIME DUE TO WILDLIFE STRIKES IS ESTIMATED TO BE AS HIGH AS $937 MILLION.

their site, determining the types and numbers of birds and other wildlife typically found there and the threats they pose to aircraft. Then the airport must produce a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan and submit it to the FAA for approval. The Bird Strike Committee USA is a volunteer organization formed in August 1991 to promote the collection of data on wildlife strikes, facilitate the exchange of that information and foster the development of systems to reduce the hazard. The group includes representatives from the FAA, USDA, Department of Defense, aviation industry and airports. It holds conferences to exchange ideas, and also works closely with the Bird Strike Association of Canada. Both groups meet annually at the Bird Strike North America Conference. It is particularly important that both nations work together because migratory birds that spend time VWZ\PIVL[W]\PWN \PMJWZLMZIZMIUIRWZPIbard. About 90 percent of all bird strikes in the U.S. involve species federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Many other countries also have bird strike committees, and there’s also the World Birdstrike Association, headquartered in the Netherlands. Officially formed in June 2012, the WBA was the successor to the International Bird Strike Committee, established in November 2008 to coordinate information between nations. Progress is clearly being made in identifying strike zones and warning pilots and airports about PW_\WUISMÆaQVO[INMZ-‫ٺ‬WZ\[\WZML]KM\PMJQZL and wildlife strike threat will continue worldwide, but this is a problem sure to challenge aviators as long as birds and beasts lurk nearby.  Retired meteorology professor Ed Brotak has written M`\MV[Q^MTaWV\PMM‫ٺ‬MK\[WN _MI\PMZJQWTWOaMKWTWOa and natural hazards to aviation. Further reading: Bird Strike: The Crash of the Boston ElectraJa 5QKPIMT3ITINI\I[7VTQVMZM[W]ZKM[QVKT]LM\PM.)) ?QTLTQNM;\ZQSM,I\IJI[M_QTLTQNMNIIOW^IVL_MJ[Q\M[ WN \PM*QZL;\ZQSM+WUUQ\\MM=;)JQZL[\ZQSMWZO*QZL ;\ZQSM)[[WKQI\QWVWN +IVILIKIVILQIVJQZL[\ZQSMKI IVL?WZTL*QZL[\ZQSM)[[WKQI\QWV_WZTLJQZL[\ZQSMKWU

race to survive A pelican flew into Hannes Arch’s prop during the 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship (above). This Beechcraft (right) landed with a smashed windshield after hitting a western grebe at 11,000 feet on November 4, 2009.

M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

49

near-fatal freefall Major William Kepner gives Captain Albert Stevens a kick to free him from the hatch of the Explorer balloon gondola as it plummets to earth on July 28, 1934.

50

AH

may 2016

THE FIRST SPACE RACE DURING THE 1930S, THE U.S. AND SOVIET UNION COMPETED IN GAS BALLOONS TO SEE WHO COULD FLY THE HIGHEST BY RICHARD JENSEN

May 2016

AH

51

MAJOR CHESTER FORDNEY HAD A BUMP ON HIS HEAD. HE GOT IT WHEN HE WAS THROWN OUT OF A BALLOON GONDOLA DURING AN ABRUPT LANDING IN A NEW JERSEY SWAMP. After spending a chilly night huddled inside the gondola with the pilot, Major Thomas “Tex” Settle, trying to stay warm swadLTMLQVJITTWWVNIJZQK.WZLVMa\Z]LOMLÅ^MUQTM[\WÅVLPMTX They had tossed their radio batteries overboard during descent, and couldn’t call for assistance. It was November 1933, and Fordney and Settle believed they had only reached 59,000 feet in their balloon, The Century of Progress. That was disheartening because right before launch they had been informed that a Soviet balloon, USSR-1, had passed 62,000 feet in September. Now there was a slightly smug \MTMOZIUNZWU5W[KW__IQ\QVONWZ\PMU¹0MIZ\aKWVOZI\]lations on your great achievements,” it began. “May both our countries continue to contest the height.”
52

AH

may 2016

ments during their time aloft. While there was a measure of distrust between the Soviets and Americans in 1933, the atmosphere was nowhere near as fraught as it would be after World War II. There was no Cold War yet, no fear that missiles from the Soviet Union could strike targets in the United States within minutes of launch. There was also almost no public money available for balloon missions. The next balloon launched by the U.S., Explorer, cost the Army about $2,500 out of pocket, not counting the salaries of the personnel involved. In 1932 Army Air Corps Captain Albert Stevens and Major William Kepner had convinced the National Geographic Society to underwrite most of the costs associated with the mission. American companies pitched in as well: Dow Chemical supplied the gondola, Goodyear donated the balloon, Union Carbide furnished the hydrogen gas to ÅTTQ\IVL0IUQT\WVXZW^QLML a watch. Kepner had once described in a speech what he considered the ideal launch location:

PREVIOUS PAGES: TOM LOVELL/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE; ABOVE LEFT: RIA NOVOSTI/PHOTO RESEARCHERS, INC.; ABOVE & RIGHT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES

the race is on The Soviet balloon USSR-1 (left) set an altitude record of 62,230 feet in September 1933. After failing to beat the Soviet record in 1934, Major Kepner (above) was determined to mount another attempt in 1935.

a hollow or valley a few hundred feet deep, with road or rail access and electrical service—hopefully situated near a good trout stream. Moonlight Valley, in South Dakota’s Black Hills, was that ideal spot. There was more than enough room in the valley for crews to prepare the balloon for launch, and ample [PMT\MZNZWU_QVL[_PQTMQ\_I[QVÆI\ML4WKITW‫ٻ‬KQIT[IOZMML to provide roads and electrical service. There was even a trout [\ZMIU_QVLQVO\PZW]OP\PM^ITTMaÆWWZ Explorer’s target launch date was the summer of 1934. In January of that year, the Soviets pushed forward with their second stratosphere launch, in Osoaviakhim-1
DEFLATED HOPES After Explorer’s gas bag developed a large tear at high altitude, the crew descended until the bottom half of the shroud gave way, turning the balloon into a gigantic but ineffective parachute.

Explorer continued to climb for another 2,000 feet as the crew began to slowly vent hydrogen from a valve at the top of the balloon (the sun was heating and expanding the hydrogen, increasing its lifting power even though gas was being released by the crew and escaping from the tear). The crewmen went about their business, performing a couple of additional experiments. If nothing worse happened, it was assumed they could still land safely and wouldn’t need to bail out. They couldn’t bail out at 60,000 feet anyway, as the air was far too thin. The balloon had been drifting steadily southeast, and was now descending over central Nebraska. The radio link with NBC was maintained even after the tear was discovered, ever, the Americans would so the whole country could lis[]‫ٺ‬MZ[QUQTIZXZWJTMU[IVL ten to what was happening in \PMQZÆQOP\VMIZTaKIUM\W\PM the gondola. The next hour or same end. so was relatively uneventful, Explorer’s gondola was considering that three men equipped with a porthole at were suspended below a disthe top that allowed the QV\MOZI\QVOJITTWWVÅTTML_Q\P crew—Major Kepner and explosive gas. Captain Stevens, joined by Things changed around the Captain Orvil Anderson—to 10,000-foot mark, when they UWVQ\WZ\PMJITTWWVQVÆQOP\ opened the hatch and climbed Around 58,000 feet they atop the gondola to inspect PMIZLITW]LÆIXXQVOWZZI\- the damaged balloon. At that tling sound, and when one point the whole bottom half of man peered through the port- the gas bag tore away, essenhole he spotted a sizable tear tially turning the balloon’s along the balloon’s bottom. shroud into a gigantic, largely The fabric, which was surpris- ineffective and highly flamingly fragile and also a bit mable parachute. The crew sticky, had not been properly tried dumping ballast in an packed. It had been dusted effort to slow their descent, with powder to prevent it from but the gondola continued to sticking to itself, but some of rapidly fall. About 4,000 feet the bottom fabric had stuck above ground, the aeronauts together in a clump that gave decided it was time to bail out. way once the balloon was )VLMZ[WV_I[ÅZ[\\WTMI^M N]TTaQVÆI\ML As he prepared to jump, he The situation was hardly caught his parachute in the ideal, but the crew wasn’t gondola rigging, unbundling in any immediate danger. it. While he gathered the

AROUND 58,000 FEET THEY HEARD A LOUD FLAPPING SOUND, AND WHEN ONE MAN PEERED THROUGH THE PORTHOLE HE SPOTTED A SIZABLE TEAR ALONG THE BALLOON’S BOTTOM.

May 2016

AH

53

strato-bowl Filled with helium, Explorer II is ready to launch from a sheltered valley in the Black Hills of South Dakota on November 11, 1935. Opposite: Captains Stevens and Orvil Anderson prepare the balloon gondola for their record attempt.

OPPOSITE & ABOVE RIGHT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES; RIGHT: NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

]VJ]VLTMLKP]\M;\M^MV[¸VM`\QVTQVM\WTMI^M¸W‫ٺ‬MZML[WUM unsolicited encouragement: “Get your big feet out of the way, I want to jump.” Just as Stevens leaped, with an assist from Kepner, the remaining hydrogen in the shroud exploded. Kepner jumped when the balloon was barely 500 feet above ground. All three landed safely. After salvaging what they could from the gondola wreckage, they hiked to a nearby house, owned by Reuben Johnson, to send telegrams and make calls. Meanwhile a crowd of motorists that had chased the balloon cross-country snapped up scraps of the gas bag and other souvenirs. Someone _W]TLM^MV_ITSW‫_ٺ‬Q\P\PMTWVO]VLMZ_MIZ\PI\;\M^MV[PIL left hanging on the Johnsons’ clothesline. Given the limited funding available in the middle of the /ZMI\,MXZM[[QWV\PI\WVMÆQOP\UQOP\PI^MUIZSML\PMMVL of the Explorer saga. But National Geographic Society President Gilbert Grosvenor had insured their investment with Lloyd’s of London, and payment on that claim went a long way toward funding Explorer II. The next launch was planned for the following summer from the same spot in the Black Hills. Meanwhile Soviet balloon projects had continued apace. But the rushed investigation into the Osoaviakhim tragedy left sigVQÅKIV\[INM\aXZWJTMU[]VILLZM[[ML7V;MX\MUJMZ! while the silk balloon attached to USSR-2_I[JMQVOQVÆI\MLI stray spark ignited the gas and burned it to the ground. After that disaster, Defense Commissar Kliment Voroshilov put the whole XZWOZIUWVPWTL)[!MVLMLPW_M^MZ\PM;W^QM\[PIL[\QTT TWOOML\PM\_WPQOPM[\JITTWWVÆQOP\[WVZMKWZL Explorer II_W]TLJMÅTTML_Q\PPMTQ]UITM[[M‫ٻ‬KQMV\J]\NIZ less dangerous gas that was readily available in America. The JITTWWV_I[[QOVQÅKIV\TaTIZOMZ\PIVExplorer, not only to compensate for helium’s reduced lifting ability but also because Explorer II’s gondola was larger. Since Major Kepner was not available to pilot the balloon, this time the crew would consist of Stevens and Anderson. An initial launch attempt in July 1935 had to be aborted IN\MZ\PMJITTWWV[]‫ٺ‬MZMLI[QOVQÅKIV\\MIZL]ZQVOTQN\W‫ٺ‬1\\WWS

Goodyear several months to make repairs, and a second launch opportunity did not occur until November.
SOFT LANDING Gas escapes from Explorer II’s collapsing bag after the aeronauts’ return to earth.

Although this first space race lasted barely more than two years, technologies key to manned space exploration were advanced by the balloon ÆQOP\[QVKT]LQVOKIX[]TMXZM[surization and carbon dioxide scrubbing, mission control via radio communication and scientific experimentation L]ZQVOÆQOP\[)VLMZ[WVIVL Stevens’ record would stand until Project Manhigh, a series of high-altitude ascents in the 1950s connected to the U.S. manned space program.  Richard Jensen is a writer and historical preservation consultant who lives in Sioux Falls, S.D. He suggests for further reading: The Pre-Astronauts: Manned Ballooning on the Threshold of Space, by Craig Ryan; and Race to the Stratosphere: 5IVVML;KQMV\QÅK Ballooning in America, by David H. DeVorkin.

May 2016

AH

55

reviews

FLIGHTS OF NO RETURN Aviation History’s Most Infamous One-Way Tickets to Immortality Ja;\M^MV):]‫ٻ‬VBMVQ\P8ZM[[ 

1[\PMZMISQVLWN UIKIJZMNI[KQVI\QWV_Q\P[\WZQM[ IJW]\NI\ITÆQOP\['+IVQ\JM\PI\\PMUWZMÅMZa \PMJTW_]X\PMUWZMNIUW][\PMLWWUMLXQTW\ IVL\PMUWZMUa[\MZQW][\PMKQZK]U[\IVKM[\PM OZMI\MZ\PMKZI^QVONWZOWZaLM\IQT['& &1N [W\PMV;\M^MV:]‫ٻ‬VI NWZUMZ=;)QZ.WZKMW‫ٻ‬KMZ IVLI_IZL_QVVQVOI^QI\QWV _ZQ\MZ LMTQ^MZ[ \PM UW\PMZ TWLM_Q\P\PQ[JWWS 1VKPIX\MZ[:]‫ٻ‬V KPZWVQKTM[[WUMWN \PMUW[\ VW\WZQW][IQZLQ[I[\MZ[1V KT]LMLIZM\PMIQZ[PQXHindenburg¼[MZ]X\QWVQV\WIÅZMJITT IJW^M\PMLQ[IXXMIZIVKMWN  )UMTQI-IZPIZ\IVL.ZML 6WWVIVMVZW]\M\W0W_TIVL

56

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

1[TIVLIVL\PMLMI\P[XQZITWN  2.32Z¼[XZQ^I\MXTIVMW‫ٺ‬ 5IZ\PI¼[>QVMaIZL )NM_WN \PM\ITM[QV^WT^M UITQKQW][QV\MV\I[WXXW[ML \WPWVM[\UQ[R]LOUMV\[.WZ M`IUXTM\PMLZIUI\QK[PWW\ LW_VWN TMILQVO/MZUIV IKM5IVNZML^WV:QKP\PWNMV Q[LM[KZQJMLPMZMITWVO_Q\P \PM\MZZWZQ[\\ISMLW_V[WN \PM NW]ZRM\TQVMZ[WV! :MILQVO\PZW]OP\PQ[

KWUXQTI\QWVWVMQ[[\Z]KS Ja\PMLMOZMM\W_PQKPI^QI \QWVKI\I[\ZWXPM[PI^MJMMV J]ZVMLQV\W\PMKWTTMK\Q^M KWV[KQW][VM[[_PM\PMZQ\Q[ \PMTW[\NWZUI\QWVWN \WZXMLW JWUJMZ[QV\PM[WKITTML *MZU]LI
]VKW^MZIVaVM_UI\MZQIT AM\[]KPKPQTTQVO[\WZQM[WN  UQ[NWZ\]VMITWN\[MZ^M\W ZMUQVLZMILMZ[WN \PMLIV OMZ[QVPMZMV\QVÆaQVOIVL \PM[IKZQÅKM[WN JZI^M[W]T[ _PW^MV\]ZML[Sa_IZL
THE FLYING HOURS The Compelling Memoirs of Squadron Leader Andrew Millar DSO, DFC, and the Second World War Battle Against Japan by Andrew Millar, Casemate, 2015, $34.95. When World War II began, Andrew Millar left his medical studies to become a pilot in the Royal Air Force. In the summer of 1942, he was assigned to an Army Cooperation squadron in India, which he subsequently commanded throughout the campaign to retake Burma. Returning to Britain in 1946, Millar resumed his medical studies and worked as a physician until his death in 1982. During the 1960s, Millar wrote a memoir of his days in India and Burma for his chilLZMVJI[ML]XWVPQ[ÆQOP\TWO

his notes and his vivid recollections of people and events. Finally published last year, The Flying Hours is a joy to read because Millar clearly had a natural talent for writing. While many books have JMMVXZWL]KMLIJW]\ÅOP\MZ and bomber operations, this is one of the very few written by an Army Cooperation pilot, a category that was peculiarly British and—like the Westland Lysander that Millar and his men flew—had no real counterpart in the U.S military. Millar’s No. 20 Squadron operated in direct support

of the British army, performing reconnaissance, observation, artillery spotting, liaison, aerial photography, strafing and dive-bombing missions as needed. Already obsolete before Millar arrived in India, and worn out from incessant combat missions thereafter, 20 Squadron’s Lysanders were replaced by Hawker Hurri-

365 AIRCRAFT YOU MUST FLY

POPPERFOTO/GETTYIMAGES

The Most Sublime, Weird, and Outrageous Aircraft from the Past 100+ Years by Robert F. Dorr, Zenith Press, 2015, $22.99. 8ZWTQÅKI^QI\QWVPQ[\WZQIV:WJMZ\.,WZZ soars to literary heights again with his TI\M[\JWWS_PQKP[]OOM[\[ILQ‫ٺ‬MZMV\IQZKZIN\\WÆaMIKPLIaWN \PMaMIZ¸\PW]OP few are actually available to pilots. To put it mildly, this is an eclectic collection. All genres are represented in this superbly produced book, from transport to show, sport to military. Alluring beauties like the P-51 Mustang and SBD Dauntless are mixed in with peculiar types that had fascinating, if ill-fated, evolutions, such as the Bell Airacuda and the Hughes H-4 Hercules, better known as the “Spruce Goose.” The aircraft are organized by country of origin, and groupings are then arranged in chronological order. Each choice is illustrated with at least one photo and accompanied by an informative and entertaining paragraph. Unlike a reference volume chock-full of numbing statistics, \PQ[PIVLJWWSQ[UMIV\\WZMSQVLTMMIZTaLZMIU[WN ÆQOP\4MIN  \PZW]OPQ\[OTW[[aXIOM[IVLNIV\I[QbMIJW]\ÆaQVO\PMSQVL[WN  XTIVM[\PI\OW\aW]QV\MZM[\MLQVI^QI\QWVQV\PMÅZ[\XTIKM Enthusiasts will appreciate the fact that 365 Aircraft doubles as a history lesson. For example, mini-accounts explain how .IQZMa;_WZLÅ[PPMTXML[QVS\PMJI\\TM[PQXBismarck, and LM[KZQJM\PM[]JWZJQ\ITÆQOP\WN *]Z\:]\IV¼[;XIKM;PQX7VM which heralded the dawn of the private sector in space. Though you’re unlikely to ever pilot such aircraft, you can ÅVLW]\UWZMIJW]\\PMUQV,WZZ¼[JWWS
LOCKHEED F-94 STARFIRE by Alan C. Carey, Ginter Books, 2015, $39.95. The latest (No. 218) in the “Air Force Legends” series NZWU\PQ[XZWTQÅKX]JTQ[PMZ highlights one of the most mysterious U.S. Air Force jets of the early Cold War period. Derived from the F-80 Shooting Star, one of \PMÅZ[\)UMZQKIVRM\[\W[MM widespread service following ?WZTL?IZ11\PM;\IZÅZM captured public attention with its unusual armament system—nose-mounted projectiles, later supplemented by mid-wing rocket pods

KIVM[L]ZQVO\PMÅZ[\PITN WN  1943, and the squadron was transformed into a dedicated close-support unit. By that time the Hur ricane was no TWVOMZZMOIZLMLI[IÅZ[\TQVM ÅOP\MZMQ\PMZJ]\Q\_I[[\QTTQV production as a ground-attack platform. Millar’s squadron ÆM_\PM5IZS11,IZUML_Q\P either a pair of 40mm cannons or eight rockets. Apart from providing a rare view of Army Cooperation ÆaQVOQVWVMWN \PMKWVÆQK\¼[ lesser-known theaters, Millar had a vivid eye for details of character and situation. Sometimes shocking, occasionally sad but more often very funny, The Flying Hours is highly recommended. Robert Guttman whose nose cones blasted away as the rockets shot out toward their targets. Although not as well known as many of its contemporaries, the F-94 did see squadron service in the 3WZMIV?IZ
M ay 2 0 1 6

AH

57

REVIEWS

KOKODA AIR STRIKES Allied Forces in New Guinea, 1942 by Anthony Cooper, NewSouth Publishing, 2014, $39.95. Most Americans think of the six-month battle for Guadalcanal as the turning point of World War II QV\PM8IKQÅK*]\PQ[\WZQIV[ elsewhere in the world consider the failure of the earTQMZ2IXIVM[MW‫ٺ‬MV[Q^MITWVO the Kokoda Track, in New Guinea, as equally important, if not more so. Fought from July through November 1942, the Battle of the Kokoda Track, a primitive 60-mile, single-file footpath traversing the Owen Stanley Mountains, and the landing at Milne Bay were both part of a Japanese drive to capture Port Moresby, on the south coast. Had they succeeded in seizing that last major air base on the island, it would have severely curtailed air attacks against Japanese bases in New Guinea, New Britain

and the Solomon Islands. Port Moresby could also have provided the Japanese with a base from which to cut Australia off from American support, as well as to launch a direct attack on Australia itself. Kokoda Air StrikesQ[\PMÅZ[\ attempt to focus on the air campaign in support of Allied ground forces along the track, IVLQ\[[QOVQÅKIVKM_Q\PQV\PM strategic picture of what was happening in the rest of the 8IKQÅK¸QVKT]LQVO\PMTW[[M[ of Rabaul and northern New Guinea to the Japanese, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the unsuccessful Japanese invasion of Milne Bay and their seizure of Guadalcanal. Although the Kokoda Track campaign was fought principally by Australian ground troops, author Anthony Cooper stresses the air sup-

CLASSICS THE CANNIBAL QUEEN An Aerial Odyssey Across America by Stephen Coonts In 1986 Stephen Coonts captivated readers with a novel about his carrier-borne combat experiences in Vietnam. Building on the fame of his Flight of the Intruder, Coonts produced IVMY]ITTaUMUWZIJTMVWVÅK\QWVIKKW]V\WN  a summer sojourn to all 48 contiguous states in an immaculately restored Boeing-Stearman PT-17 six years later.
58

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

port supplied mainly by the U.S. Army Air Forces, since, as at Guadalcanal, the ultimate outcome would revolve around the possession of stra\MOQKIQZÅMTL[ The struggle for the Kokoda Track played out in some of the world’s most challenging tropical jungle and mountain terrain. With every backward step the Australians took, however, they grew stronger,

while with each forward step the Japanese took, they became weaker. Even so, it was a near-run thing, as the Japanese managed to battle their way to within sight of their goal before turning back. Cooper explains the role that Allied air power played in that outcome. Kokoda Air Strikes is a fascinating look at the dark early LIa[WN \PM8IKQÅK?IZ_PMV \PMKWVÆQK\¼[W]\KWUM_I[NIZ from certain, and victory or defeat hung in a delicate balance. It was a time when the Japanese seemed invincible and the Allies, disorganized and ill equipped, seemed to be hanging on by their ÅVOMZVIQT[1\Q[PQOPTaZMKWUmended for anyone interested in WWII, and in particular \PM8IKQÅK?IZ Robert Guttman

stream of consciousness of a wise old aviator, one of those characters who can still be found wiping down a fabric-covered antique inside a ramshackle hangar. During his three-month adventure, Coonts visited Old Rhinebeck, N.Y., where rare World ?IZ1ÅOP\MZ[IZMSMX\QVIQZ_WZ\PaKWVLQ\QWV and Oshkosh, Wis., sport aviation’s nerve center. Other stops included a Civil War battleground and Mount Rushmore. In the course of his travels, the author reveals as much about himself as the sites along his route. Though Coonts worried that regulation and litigation would push the general aviation industry to extinction, counteracting those threats were the unsung champions of the LZMIUWN ÆQOP\XMWXTM_PW+WWV\[KIUM IKZW[[I\ZMUW\MIQZÅMTL[
ife et e G bl r L K. ou fo TAL D es ut E in W M ith w

Co N nt o ra ct

ADVERTISEMENT

“My friends all hate their cell phones… I love mine!” FREE Car Charger Here’s why.

Say good-bye to everything you hate about cell phones. Say hello to Jitterbug5. “Cell phones have gotten so small, I can barely dial mine.” Not Jitterbug®, it features a larger keypad for easier dialing. It even has an oversized display so you can actually see it.

Monthly Plan Monthly Minutes Operator Assistance Long Distance Calls Voice Dial Nationwide Coverage

“I had to get my son to program it.” Your Jitterbug set-up process is simple. We’ll even pre-program it with your favorite numbers.

Friendly Return Policy1

24/7

24/7

No add’l charge

No add’l charge

FREE

FREE

YES

YES

30 days

30 days

More minute plans available. Ask your Jitterbug expert for details.

“I tried my sister’s cell phone… I couldn’t hear it.” Jitterbug is designed with a powerful speaker. There’s an adjustable volume control, and Jitterbug is hearing-aid compatible.

“My cell phone company wants to lock me in on a two-year contract!” Not Jitterbug, there’s no contract to sign and no penalty if you discontinue your service.

“I don’t need stock quotes, Internet sites or games on my phone, I just want to talk with my family and friends.” Life is complicated enough… Jitterbug is simple. “What if I don’t remember a number?” Friendly, helpful Jitterbug operators are available 24 hours a day and will even greet you by name when you call. “I’d like a cell phone to use in an emergency, but I don’t want a high monthly bill.” Jitterbug has a plan to fit your needs… and your budget.

$19.99

$14.99

was 50 NOW 200 was 200 NOW 600

“My phone’s battery only lasts a couple of days.” Unlike most cell phones that need to be recharged every day, the Jitterbug was designed with one of the longest-lasting batteries on the market, so you won’t have to worry about running out of power. Enough talk. Isn’t it time you found out more about the cell phone that’s changing all the rules? Call now, Jitterbug product experts are standing by.

Available in Blue and Red.

Order now and receive a FREE Car Charger for your Jitterbug – a $25 value. Call now!

Jitterbug5 Cell Phone Call toll free today to get your own Jitterbug5. Please mention promotional code 102353.

1-877-545-6376 www.jitterbugdirect.com

47644

We proudly accept the following credit cards.

IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: WE TALK offer valid on 400 minute plan and applies to new GreatCall customers only. Offer valid until plan is changed or cancelled. Jitterbug is owned by GreatCall, Inc. Your invoices will come from GreatCall. All rate plans and services require the purchase of a Jitterbug phone and a one-time set up fee of $35. Coverage and service is not available everywhere. Other charges and restrictions may apply. Screen images simulated.There are no additional fees to call GreatCall’s U.S. Based Customer Service. However, for calls to an Operator in which a service is completed, minutes will be deducted from your monthly balance equal to the length of the call and any call connected by the Operator, plus an additional 5 minutes. Monthly minutes carry over and are available for 60 days. If you exceed the minute balance on your account, you will be billed at 35¢ for each minute used over the balance. Monthly rate plans do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges. Prices and fees subject to change. We will refund the full price of the GreatCall phone and the activation fee (or set-up fee) if it is returned within 30 days of purchase in like-new condition. We will also refund your first monthly service charge if you have less than 30 minutes of usage. If you have more than 30 minutes of usage, a per minute charge of 35 cents will be deducted from your refund for each minute over 30 minutes. You will be charged a $10 restocking fee. The shipping charges are not refundable. Jitterbug and GreatCall are registered trademarks of GreatCall, Inc. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. ©2016 Samsung Electronics America, LLC. ©2016 GreatCall, Inc. ©2016 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

Wow! A Simple to Use Computer Designed Especially for Seniors! Easy to read. Easy to see. Easy to use. Just plug it in! Call now toll free for the lowest price ever.

1-877-734-9223 81023

Please mention promotional code 102355.

DC-3s, C-47s, Troop Carrier Squadrons “The Thirsty 13th” 800-pages, 2,000 photos and maps

Reduced to $40 + $7 S&H Visit: www.Thirsty13th.com

WARBIRDS Warbirds follows the combat and life experiences of three pilots, an American, a German, and an Englishman, as they grow from their initial enthusiasm, to experienced combat veterans, and finally to men who are trying to stay alive until the war ends.

Available on Amazon (Kindle and Paperback)

Contact us to put your advertisement in front of thousands of history enthusiasts! 800.649.9800 [email protected] For information on placing a Direct Response or Marketplace ad in Print and Online contact us today: Aviation History 800.649.9800 / Fax: 800.649.6712 / [email protected] / www.russelljohns.com

F-51 MUSTANG UNITS OF THE KOREAN WAR by Warren Thompson, Osprey Publishing, 2015, $22.95. When North Korea invaded its neighbor on June 25, 1950, the few available air assets opposing it included a handful of F-51Ds being used to train South Korean air force pilots. As the war progressed, F-80 jets performed ground-attack missions, but were handicapped by limited range. Just as it had in World War II, the Mustang offered the range and loiter time needed, and the U.S. Air Force began sending F-51s to Korea. =;).XMZ[WVVMTIT[WÆM_ South Korean P-51s, even while phasing in their South Korean allies. By the end of 1950, Mustangs of No. 77 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, and No. 2 Squadron, South African Air Force, were contributing to the rout of the enemy. All these aspects of the P-51’s career are covered in Warren Thompson’s comprehensive new study. Serving alongside Navy and Marine F4U Corsairs, Mustangs proved the continued utility of piston-engine warplanes. Thompson highlights many encounters with MiG-15s, but the P-51’s more frequent nemesis in Korea was OZW]VLÅZM_PQKPIKKW]V\ML for most of the nearly 200 F-51s lost. Their mounts’ WWII glamour may have been usurped by their sweptwing successors, F-86 Sabres, but Mustang pilots still played a vital role in Korea. Thompson has delivered an important reminder of their deeds. Jon Guttman

“ I can hear the TV clearly again... thanks to my new TV Chair!” NEW! (+=,9;0:,4,5;

Introducing the revolutionary new Perfect TV ChairTM---the only chair with speakers in the headrest that connect wirelessly to your television for clear, crisp sound.

)) ))

Easy-to-use remotes for massage/heat and recline/lift

đ Receives the wireless audio signal from your TV

Why is this the Perfect TV ChairTM?

đ Battery backup in case of a power outage đ Headphone jack for an even more personal listening experience

Hidden dual speakers built inside the wings for stereo sound — optimized for voice clarity

Also a lift chair which puts you safely on your feet!

đ Overstuffed back and arms đ Hideaway TV tray in the armrest

“ Considering how much time I spend in my chair, I’m sure glad it’s so comfortable.

“

I don’t hear as well as I used to, so now I have to be the “early bird” wherever I go. Whether it’s a bingo game, a church service or a movie — I have to arrive early and get a good seat. If I’m not in the front row or near a speaker, I won’t be able to hear a thing. When it’s time to go home, I hurry there too… but that’s only because I can’t wait to get back to my Perfect TV Chair™. When I’m at home, my TV chair is my favorite spot. Whether I’m watching the news, a ball game or one of my favorite movies, the volume is always just right. All the controls are located right in the armrest, so I can easily adjust the sound. The high quality stereo speakers are right in the backrest, so no one ever has to tell me to turn the sound down like they used to. Considering how much time I spend in my chair, I’m sure glad it’s so comfortable. The foam padding is great and I can adjust the back and leg rest with the touch of a button — for an infinite number of positions. Whether I’m watching TV, reading, talking with friends or taking a nap, I can position my chair just the way I want. When it’s time to get in or out — that’s simple too. Another button on the remote activates the lift motor and puts me on my feet, safely and easily. There is even a handy TV tray, so I can have dinner and a movie... right in the comfort of my own home. Once you try the Perfect TV Chair™ for yourself you’ll wonder why no one thought of this earlier. Call now, and a friendly, helpful product expert will tell you all about it. White Glove delivery and professional service is included

= with your purchase. Professionals will set it up, make sure it’s working properly and even remove the packaging. If you’re not 100% satisfied simply return the chair within 30 days for a refund of the product purchase price. Call now!

Perfect TV ChairTM Call now toll free for our lowest price. Please mention code 102354 when ordering.

1-877-732-5040 Long Lasting DuraLux Leather

DuraLux II Microfiber

Tan

Burgundy Cashmere

Fern

Chocolate Burgundy

Chocolate Indigo

ÄYZ[:;9,,;MVY)VVTLYZHUK)L`VUK0UJ

82704

“

đ Comfortable, durable micro-fiber fabric

“

FLIGHT TEST Balloonacy 1. What did Jean-Pierre Blanchard and Dr. John Jeffries achieve on January 7, 1785? A. First free flight in a balloon B. First flight in a hydrogen balloon C. First flight in a helium balloon D. First flight across the English Channel 2. What did the French hydrogen balloon l’Entreprenant do on June 2, 1795? A. First cross-country flight by air B. First military aerial reconnaissance mission C. First mail transport by balloon D. First passenger flight by air

MYSTERY SHIP ARMY VS. NAVY Match the U.S. Army designation to its Navy counterpart.

A. A-24 Banshee B. P-12E C. XA-4 D. P-39 Airacobra E. B-24 Liberator F. P-1 Hawk G. XF-50 H. RB-34 Lexington I. OA-10 J. A-25A Shrike

What was unique about this airship? See the answer below.

1. F6C 2. PV-1 Ventura 3. PB4Y-1 4. XF5F-1 Skyrocket 5. SB2C Helldiver 6. PBY-5A Catalina 7. F4B-4 8. F8C-1 Falcon 9. SBD Dauntless 10. XFL Airabonita

ANSWERS: MYSTERY SHIP: It was constructed entirely from aluminum alloy. Learn more about it at HistoryNet.com/aviation-history. ARMY VS. NAVY: A.9, B.7, C.8, D.10, E.3, F.1, G.4, H.2, I.6, J.5 BALLOONACY: 1.D, 2.B, 3.A, 4.C., 5.A 62

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

A. First aerial bombs B. First surrender terms from the air C. First airdrop of food and medicine D. First chemical weapons from the air 4. What did Thaddeus S.C. Lowe deliver to President Abraham Lincoln on July 11, 1861? A. The first military balloon in the U.S. Army B. The first combat dispatch from the air C. The first telegraph message from a balloon D. The first balloon-based carrier pigeon 5. What record, at 68,986 feet, did Vijaypat Singhania set on November 26, 2005? A. Altitude in a hot air balloon B. Altitude in a hydrogen balloon C. Altitude in a helium balloon D. Free fall from a balloon

U.S. NAVY

>

3. During the siege of Venice, what did the Austrians deliver from unmanned balloons on August 22, 1849?

ADVERTISEMENT

Not getting the sleep you need?

Is your pillow the problem? On its 10 year anniversary and with over five million satisfied customers, MyPillow® has been selected the Oicial Pillow of the National Sleep Foundation! How Well Did You Sleep Last Night? Did you toss and turn all night? Did you wake up with a sore neck, head ache, or was your arm asleep? Do you feel like you need a nap even though you slept for eight hours? Just like you, I would wake up in the morning with all of those problems and I couldn’t figure out why. Like many people who have trouble getting a good night’s sleep, my lack of sleep was afecting the quality of my life. I wanted to do something about my sleep problems, but nothing that I tried worked.

Mike Lindell Inventor of MyPillow®

The Pillow Was the Problem I bought every pillow on the market that promised to give me a better night’s sleep. No matter how many pillows I used, I couldn’t find one that worked and finally I decided to invent one myself. I began asking everyone I knew what qualities they’d like to see in their “perfect pillow”, and got many responses: “I’d like a pillow that never goes flat”, “I’d like my pillow to stay cool” and “I’d like a pillow that adjusts to me regardless of my sleep position.” After hearing everyone had the same problems that I did, I spent the next two years of my life inventing MyPillow.

MyPillow® to the Rescue Flash forward ten years and MyPillow, Mike Lindell’s revolutionary pillow design, has helped 5 million people improve the quality of their sleep. MyPillow has received thousands of testimonials about the relief MyPillow has brought to people who sufered from migraines, snoring, fibromyalgia, neck pain and many other common issues. Lindell has been featured on numerous talk shows, including Fox Business News and Imus in the Morning. Lindell and MyPillow have also appeared in feature stories in The New York Times and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. MyPillow has received the coveted “Q Star Award” for Product Concept of the Year from QVC, and has been selected as the Official Pillow of the National Sleep Foundation. MyPillow’s patented technology can help with all of the most common causes of sleep loss and allows you to adjust it to any sleeping position. You can even wash and dry MyPillow as easily as your favorite pair of blue jeans!

“With my neck and back issues (I had surgery) proper body alignment is important. Since I received my MyPillow, I have had significant improvement in my sleep, allowing me less pain. I wake up refreshed and ready for the day. I love that the pillows come in variety of sizes to meet needs of all. The pillow stays cool which allows for good sleeping temperature. MyPillow, thank you for giving me the gift of sleep!” - Todd Westerbeck U.S. Navy

Unprecedented Guarantee and Warranty I do all of my own manufacturing in my home state of Minnesota and all materials are 100% made in the U.S.A. I’m so confident MyPillow will help you, I’m ofering an unprecedented 60-day money back guarantee and a 10-year warranty not to go flat! I truly believe MyPillow is the best pillow in the world and that if everyone had one, they would get better Michael J. Lindell CEO, MyPillow, Inc. sleep and the world would be a much happier place.

Get the Sleep You’ve Been Dreaming About Save 50% today when you use promo code: “"WJBUJPO”
BUY NOW AT:

mypillow.com OR call 

AERO ARTIFACT

ONE FOR THE BOOKS

64

AH

m ay 2 0 1 6

GUY ACETO

O

ne of the 1.2 million bookmarks manufactured by the National Geographic Society from Explorer II’s nearly three acres of balloon fabric after its November 11, 1935, ascent to a record height of 72,395 feet (story, P. 50). 7‫ٺ‬MZML\WITT[WKQM\a members, the promotional souvenirs were also used as an incentive to nominate new members.

ADVERTISEMENT

How to Tell Time Like a Man Our digital-analog hybrid has two sides... tough and tougher. Get it now for an unbelievable $59!

Y

our watch shouldn’t cost more than your car. It should look and feel like a power tool and not a piece of bling. Wearing it shouldn’t make you think twice about swinging a hammer or changing a tire. A real man’s timepiece needs to be ready for anything. But that’s just my opinion. If you agree, maybe you’re ready for the Stauer Centurion Hybrid. Use your Exclusive Insider Promotional Code below and I’ll send it to you today for ONLY $59.

This watch doesn’t do dainty. And neither do I. Call me old-fashioned, but I want my boots to be leather, my tires to be deeptread monsters, and my steak thick and rare. Inspiration for a man’s watch should come from things like fast cars, firefighters and power tools. And if you want to talk beauty, then let’s discuss a 428 cubic inch V8. Did I mention the $59 price tag? This is a LOT of machine for not a lot of money. The Stauer Centurion Hybrid sports a heavy-duty alloy body, chromed and detailed with a rotating bezel that allows you to track direction. The luminous hour and minute hands mean you can keep working into the night. And the dual digital displays give this watch a hybrid ability. The LCD windows displays the time, day and date, includes a stopwatch function, and features a bright green electro-luminescent backlight. We previously offered the Centurion for $199, but with the exclusive promotional code it’s yours for ONLY $59!

TAKE 70% OFF INSTANTLY! When you use your Promotional Code

No matter what, this watch can keep up. Thanks to the Stauer 30-day Money Back Guarantee, you’ve got time to prove it. If you’re not totally satisfied, return it for a full refund of the purchase price. You also get a 2-year replacement guarantee on both movements. But I have a feeling the only problem you’ll have is deciding whether to keep the Stauer Centurion on your dresser or tucked inside your toolbox.



Stauer Centurion Hybrid Watch— $199 Promotional Code Price Only $59 50 or two payments of + S&P

$29

Order now to take advantage of this fantastic low price.

1-800-333-2045 Your Insider Promotional Code: CNW439-03

“I work in the surveying and construction industry... This is my work horse watch and I am proud to wear it.” — C.S. from Fort Worth, TX

Please use this code when you order to receive your discount.

Stauer

®

Rating of A+

14101 Southcross Drive W., Dept. CNW439-03 Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com

Digital-Analog Hybrid • Dual digital displays • Heavy-duty chromed body • 3 ATM Water Resistant LCD windows for time, date and day • Luminous hands • Contrast Stitch Band fits a 7 1/4"–9 1/4" wrist

Smart Luxuries—Surprising Prices™

You Work Hard. We’ll Work Hard to Save You Money. GEICO has been proudly saving Military customers money on their car insurance since 1936, and we want to do the same for you. We understand the special needs DQGVDFULĆFHVPDGHE\0LOLWDU\PHPEHUVDQGWKHLUIDPLOLHVZKLFKLVZK\ZHRIIHU QXPHURXVGLVFRXQWVćH[LEOHSD\PHQWRSWLRQVRYHUVHDVFRYHUDJHDQGPRUH We stand ready to serve you. Get a free quote today.

JHLFRFRP_0,/,7$5<_ORFDORIĆFH Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2015. © 2015 GEICO