‘suicide club’ pioneering post office pilots
I
The Other
‘Zero’
Japan’s Ki-43 Oscar claimed more victories than its most feared fighter
Queen of the air: Beech’s beautiful staggerwing The creative genius behind Blohm & Voss’ exotic airplanes
HistoryNet.com
MAY 2017
TURBINE PILOT Manufacture caliber. Turbine Technology. 48 mm stainless steel case. Screw-down crown at 3 o’clock. Bidirectional inner dial ring, circular aviation slide rule. Black 12-blades revolving Turbine. Black calfskin strap. Ref. A1085/1A
APRIL
2017 35
MIAMI, FL/EAST COAST JEWELRY · BOCA RATON, FL/ECJ LUXE · CHARLOTTE, NC/DIAMOND DIRECT · BEVERLY HILLS, CA/DAVID ORGELL · SAN FRANCISCO, CA/SHAPUR MENLO PARK, CA/CECI WONG JEWELERS · LOS ANGELES, CA/FELDMAR · COSTA MESA, CA/WATCH CONNECTION · NEW YORK NY/KENJO · COLTS NECK, NJ/J. VINCENT ENGLEWOOD, NJ/TIMEPIECE COLLECTION · GAMBRILLS, MD/LITTLE TREASURE · CHICAGO, IL/NEW YORK JEWELERS · DENVER, CO/RIGHT TIME · HOUSTON, TX/STYLE JEWELERS TORONTO, ON/MYLES MINDHAM · VANCOUVER, BC/TIME & GOLD · ST THOMAS, USVI/TRIDENT · JAMAICA, WI/HOUSE OF DIAMONDS · ST MARTEEN, DWI/BALLERINA
MAY 2017
28
japanese stablemates A Nakajima Ki-43-III Oscar (foreground) and Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero fly in formation.
DEPARTMENTS 5 MAILBAG 6 BRIEFING
12 12 AVIATORS Convair test pilot Sam Shannon never crashed an airplane and refused to brag about his exploits. By Robert Bernier
features The Japanese army’s Ki-43 Oscar suffered from structural problems when first introduced, but it went on to claim more Allied aircraft than the navy’s legendary A6M Zero. By Jon Guttman
38 vISIONS FROM THE MIND OF RICHARD vOGT
60
When the Blohm & Voss shipbuilding firm launched an aircraft-manufacturing subsidiary, it hired an obscure but talented engineer who generated a succession of imaginative designs. By Peter Garrison
46 QUEEN OF THE AIR
The beautiful Beech Staggerwing Model 17 began as a sales failure, but grew to become an elegant golden age icon. By Stephan Wilkinson
54 AIR WAR over kashmir
During the 1965 war between India and Pakistan for control of Kashmir, American-made Sabres and Starfighters tangled with British and French fighters. By Don Hollway
60 THE SUICIDE CLUB
Early airmail pilots had one of the world’s most dangerous jobs, flying open-cockpit biplanes in often-treacherous conditions. By Richard Jensen
14
14 RESTORED A small fleet of retired U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawks has found a new lease on life in the Arizona desert. By Dick Smith
16 EXTREMES The odd-looking Naval Aircraft Factory N-1 was purpose-built to carry the recoilless Davis Gun. By Robert Guttman
18 STYLE New! Showcasing products of interest to aviation enthusiasts and pilots.
26 LETTER FROM AVIATION HISTORY 66 REVIEWS 71 FLIGHT TEST 72 AERO ARTIFACT
ON THE COVER: Flying a Nakajima Ki-43-I, Sergeant Takeo Takahashi sends 1st Lt. Jefferson DeBlanc's F4F-4 Wildcat down in flames on January 31, 1943. DeBlanc, who had shot down five Japanese airplanes that day, bailed out and survived. His opponent's fighter was often mistaken for the A6M Zero. Cover: ©2017 Jack Fellows, ASAA.
2
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: KEDAR KARMARKAR; SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM; FIGHTING CLASSICS AIRCRAFT RESTORATION; NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM
28 NAKAJIMA’S FRAGILE FALCON
The most expensive Mercedes-Benz® ever made. Rarer than a Stradivarius violin.
Not actual size. Shown is model in Pearl White finish. Also available in Ruby Red finish.
How to Park $11.7 Million on Your Desktop The 500K Special Roadster is one of the rarest and mostsought after automobiles ever built.
I
t's hard to deny that one of the signature models of Mercedes-Benz® is the 500 series. So many striking and elegant bodies would grace the stalwart chassis. The 500K's of the 1930s were beautiful, elegant, and exclusive models often outfitted with voluptuous coachwork and sold to the wealthiest of clientele.
You don’t need to spend millions to showcase your impeccable taste. Sold! To the discerning reader for $99! Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Test drive the Special Roadster for 30 days. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, simply return it to us for a full refund of your purchase price. But we’re sure that once you park this beauty in your house you’ll be sold. Comes factory sealed in its original packaging in order to retain its status as a highly collectable item.
The most ravishing model of this species was the two-seater 500K Special Roadster launched in 1936. It was a limited production Diecast metal body features doors, hood and trunk that open, steerable wheels cabriolet, in total less than 30 were made, that roll, and four wheel suspension. adding to its near-mythical qualities. In its Available in Ruby Red finish. day it went for top dollar—over $106,000. Today, these ultra rare masterpieces are going for millions. In 1936 MercedesBenz® 500K Special Roadster 2012, a Special Roadster fetched more than $11.7 million at (Pearl White or Ruby Red finish) $149† auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Offer Code Price $99 + S&P Save $50 Forgo the bidding wars, nail-biting flatbed transport, and scavenger hunting for parts in Germany. Here’s your chance to own the rare and luxurious essence of this remarkable car in Your Insider Offer Code: MBD31001 terms of its unforgettable styling, inimitably powerful and You must use this insider offer code to get our special price. elegant lines, and show-stopping presence.
18003332045
Our die-cast metal replica captures the sexy curves and sumptuous coachwork of the full-size model in striking detail. Just shy of a foot long, and available in pearl white or ruby red.
† Special price only for customers using the offer code versus the price on Stauer.com without your offer code. 14101 Southcross Drive W., ® Dept. MBD31001 Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 Rating of A+
Stauer
www.stauer.com
Highquality 1:18 scale diecast replica • intricate moving features •Detailed chassis with separate exhaust systems • Includes display stand
Smart Luxuries—Surprising Prices ™
MICHAEL A. REINSTEIN CHAIRMAN & PUBLISHER DAVID STEINHAFEL ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ALEX NEILL EDITOR IN CHIEF
Aviation History
Online You’ll find much more from Aviation History on the Web’s leading history resource: HistoryNet.com
HEINEMANN’S HOTROD The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk packed a combat punch far in excess of what might be expected from such a diminutive fighter-bomber. The man behind it, Ed Heinemann, was widely regarded as “Mr. Attack Aviation.”
THE ORIGINAL AIRMAIL PILOTS The world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service was inaugurated in May 1918 by U.S. Army Air Service pilots, who flew the route once a day, six days a week, until the Post Office took over operations that August.
THE LUFTWAFFE’S SECRET SQUADRONS During World War II, Germany’s Kampfgeschwader 200 (KG.200) remained shrouded in mystery. This covert wing operated a wide variety of aircraft, including the six-engine Blohm & Voss BV-222 flying boat.
ONLINE BONUS Follow our step-by-step instructions to build this issue’s “Modeling” project, the Blohm & Voss BV-141B featured in “Visions From the Mind of Richard Vogt” (P. 38). Let’s Connect Like Aviation History Magazine on Facebook Digital Subscription Aviation History is available via Zinio and other digital subscription services
4
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
AVIATION H
I
S
T
O
R
Y
MAY 2017 / VOL. 27, NO. 5 CARL VON WODTKE EDITOR PARAAG SHUKLA SENIOR EDITOR JON GUTTMAN RESEARCH DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS WALTER J. BOYNE, STEPHAN WILKINSON ARTHUR H. SANFELICI EDITOR EMERITUS
STEPHEN KAMIFUJI CREATIVE DIRECTOR BRIAN WALKER GROUP ART DIRECTOR DIT RUTLAND ART DIRECTOR GUY ACETO PHOTO EDITOR
CORPORATE ROB WILKINS DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP MARKETING ROXANNA SASSANIAN FINANCE TOM GRIFFITHS CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT GRAYDON SHEINBERG CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT
ADVERTISING COURTNEY FORTUNE ADVERTISING SERVICES
[email protected] RICK GOWER REGIONAL SALES MANAGER
[email protected] TERRY JENKINS REGIONAL SALES MANAGER
[email protected] RICHARD VINCENT REGIONAL SALES MANAGER
[email protected] JOSH SCIORTINO WEB SALES
[email protected]
DIRECT RESPONSE ADVERTISING RUSSELL JOHNS ASSOCIATES 800-649-9800
[email protected] © 2017 HISTORYNET, LLC
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: 800-435-0715 OR SHOP.HISTORYNET.COM YEARLY SUBSCRIPTIONS IN U.S.: $39.95 Aviation History (ISSN 1076-8858) is published bimonthly by HistoryNet, LLC 1919 Gallows Road, Suite 400, Vienna, VA 22182-4038, 703-771-9400 Periodical postage paid at at Tysons, 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
SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM
Ed Heinemann with the XA4D-1 prototype.
mailbag
CHOSIN RESUPPLY STRATOJET CONFUSION
R
egarding “Rescuing the Frozen Chosen” [March], as a first lieutenant, my uncle, Major Bobby Carter, served as a transport pilot with Headquarters Squadron of Marine Air Group 33 during the Chosin Reservoir campaign in Korea. A Marine with whom he served, William O. Brennen, provided me with an account of their participation in the campaign, as well as some photos. One of those photos [above] shows a Douglas R4D, Marine 50785, at the emergency airstrip at Hagaru-ri in December 1950. The Marine in the leather jacket is probably my uncle. The U.S. Marine and Air Force transport crews flew in atrocious weather, providing vital supplies to the men trapped at Chosin and evacuating wounded. As Brennen notes in his account, “I suspect that all of the wounded troops evacuated by the C-47s and R4Ds, if given the chance, would vote to change the nickname of those aircraft from ‘Gooney Bird’ to ‘Angel.’” Bruce Wheat Pownal, Vt.
LEFT: COURTESY OF WILLIAM O. BRENNEN; RIGHT: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE
STATE OF THE UNION The articles in the March issue lit a light in my mind regarding not only aviation history, but the current state of our American Union. There is not an article or feature from this issue that does not in some way provide insight into why, and how, the United States has been able to defend our nation and way of life. Life and aviation are inherently fraught with risk. However, we have been blessed with dreamers, designers, innovators, engineers, manufacturers and aviators willing to stick their necks out, both literally and financially, to keep us ahead of the com-
petition and our adversaries. This issue also highlights a few (of many) immigrants, including Gerhard Neumann and Giuseppe Bellanca, who helped us greatly to maintain our edge in the aviation industry, and the performance of military aircraft, when sorely needed. From the exploits of heroic pilots, to the dreamers, engineers and manufacturers who find a better way, hats off! However, industry overregulation and the outsourcing of U.S. manufacturing capability threaten to destroy the very heart of our aviation industry and our national security in one fell swoop. Barry Fahnestock Mifflinburg, Pa.
Kudos on a great publication. The article on the J47 [“GE’s Trailblazing J47,” March] points out a lot of little-known facts about General Electric and its turbine engines. However, the picture of the B-47 on P. 47 does not show an RB-47E or a B-47E. The clues are no guns, the shape of the nose and the windows in the nose. Only the very early -47s had the windows, and the RBs had a differentshaped nose. I was a KC-97G pilot in the 70th Air Refueling Squadron, 70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, at Little Rock AFB in the late 1950s and early ’60s. The 70th was the training wing for B-47 crews, and they used RB-47Es, while the 384th Bomb Wing, the operational B-47 wing there, used B-47Es. We supported both wings, with most of our normal missions refueling the RBs and as much as six hours of a nine-hour mission being hookup after hookup, training the new crews. We operated around the clock, and our squadron motto was “Anyplace, Anytime.” Don Sproule Lexington, Ky.
Thanks for your letter. We’ll blame the error on Getty Images, who provided incorrect caption information. Read on for more on that Stratojet. I spent 6½ years on B-47s in Strategic Air Command’s 98th and 303rd Bomb wings. The picture on P. 47 shows
an ETB-47B, serial no. 492643, the test aircraft for the J57 engine, as shown in the number 1 and 6 positions. Also of note: In the photo on P. 48 showing the B-36 jet pod, those are not J47s but Allison J35-A-19s; the J47s were not available at that time, and they also lacked the side sway-brace. Master Sgt. Wayne C. Hammer U.S. Air Force (ret.) Pasco, Wash.
ORIGINAL NORTHROP RAIDER I read the short announcement in the January issue about the Northrop B-21 Raider, currently under development. While it is nice that it honors the Doolittle Raiders of World War II, I felt compelled to mention the original Northrop Raider, the three-engine YC-125. First flown in 1949, the STOL taildragger was designed to carry 30 troops into and out of rugged unimproved airstrips. One variant was designed as an arctic transport. Two of the 23 Raiders built survive, one each at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force [above] in Dayton, Ohio, and the Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Ariz. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of seeing both. Glen Geller Beaverton, Ore.
SEND LETTERS TO
Aviation History Editor, HistoryNet 1919 Gallows Road, Suite 400, Vienna, VA 22182-4038 703-771-9400 OR EMAIL TO
[email protected]
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
5
briefing
vintage Air Rally Along Africa into africa A de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth participates in the 8,000-mile rally from Crete to Cape Town, South Africa.
6
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
I
n mid-December, a group WN ^QV\IOMJQXTIVM[ÅVished an audacious 8,000mile air rally from the Greek island of Crete to Cape Town, South Africa. Eleven aircraft—most dating back to the 1920s and ’30s— started the 36-day challenge
on November 12, retracing \PM_WZTL¼[ÅZ[\KWUUMZKQIT airline route. The journey was full of scenic waypoints, including the Pyramids, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti game reserve and Victoria Falls. The international group of pilots, who
participated in the unique event to raise funds for wildlife preservation, became the ÅZ[\IL^MV\]ZMZ[\WTIVLVMIZ the Great Pyramid of Giza in eight decades. Prepare2Go, a Belgian ÆQOP\[INIZQKWUXIVa\PI\ organized the rally, had
ABOVE: COURTNEY WILSON/PREPARE2GO; TOP RIGHT: U.S. AIR FORCE; BOTTOM RIGHT: HISTORYNET ARCHIVE
last of the rhinos AF-349, a QF-4 target aircraft in manned configuration, lands at Hill Air Force Base in Utah prior to the final flight ceremony.
required only that the pilots bring sleeping bags, a basic Swahili language book and formal attire for meetings _Q\P[MVQWZWٻKQIT[ The air adventure was not without its share of turbuTMVKM.]MT[PWZ\IOM[_MZMI challenge from the start, with most of the pilots describing \PMQZQVQ\QIT\_WPW]ZÆQOP\ across the Mediterranean ;MII[¹VMZ^M_ZIKSQVOº One of the pilots got lost and accidentally ventured into war-torn South Sudan, and soon after, the pilots were detained near Addis Ababa after a miscommunication led to Ethiopian authorities not being informed in advance of the teams’ arrival QV\PMQZKW]V\Za,QXTWUI\QK MٺWZ\[[XMIZPMILMLJa=; Secretary of State John 3MZZa[MK]ZML\PMQZZMTMI[M .W]ZIQZKZIN\_MZM]VIJTM to complete the rally because of mechanical failures or crashes, including a Boeing Stearman that made a forced landing after its engine failed VMIZ6IQZWJQ3MVaI1\[ two pilots were fortunate to M[KIXMQVR]Za ,M[XQ\M\PMV]UMZW][ challenges, American Nicholas Oppegard said the journey produced a strong JWVLIUWVO\PMXQTW\[¹?M didn’t know each other and there we were, heading together to do the greatest WLa[[MaWN W]ZTQ^M[ºPM[IQL ¹1N ITWVO\PM_Ia_MKW]TL inspire one child to look up and say the sky is not the limit, then it’s been worth \PQ[\ZQXº Paraag Shukla
Phantom’s phinal pharewell
W Air Quotes
“THERE ARE OLD PILOTS AND BOLD PILOTS, BUT NO OLD, BOLD PILOTS.” –E. HAMILTON LEE
ith Lt. Col. Ronald “Elvis” King, commander of Detachment 1, 82nd Aerial Target Squadron, at the controls, McDonnell Douglas QF-4 target aircraft AF 349 took off for its final flight from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., on December 21. The flight marked the end of 53 years of service for the F-4 Phantom II, which was originally conceived as an interceptor for the U.S. Navy and a fighter-bomber for the U.S. Air Force. The first F-4B Phantoms were delivered to the Navy in 1961, and the first Air Force F-4C flew on May 27, 1963, exceeding Mach 2 during its maiden test flight. In spite of its welterweight size, two-man crew and unlikely appearance, “Double Ugly,” “Old Smokey” and “Rhino” (among other nicknames) soon exceeded all expectations. It was the highest-scoring fighter of the Vietnam War, with two of its pilots becoming five-victory aces. It established 15 world records, including aircraft speed— 1,606 mph—and absolute altitude, 98,577 feet. It was the only airplane used by both the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels. By the time production ceased in 1979, McDonnell Douglas had built 5,057 Phantoms and Mitsubishi had produced another 138 under license. Although the Phantom’s operational career ended in 1997, the QF-4 version soldiered on as a manned or unmanned target for almost two decades. It flew its last of 145 unmanned missions at Holloman (in which 70 were destroyed in the line of duty) in August 2016, and will be replaced by Boeing’s QF-16.
Jon Guttman
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
7
BRIEFING
Skyhawk for Sale
S
ingle-seat fighters may be more rakishly sexy, but besides their usefulness in getting new generations into the air, two-seat trainers offer the flying experience to a passenger. With that in mind, the two-seat version of a historic jet (above) is being offered for sale by Illinois-based SOLJETS. Built in 1970, Douglas TA-4J Bu. No. 156925 is the trainer version of the A-4 Skyhawk, and served the U.S. Navy’s instrument training program for many years. It had undergone a 10-year, $1.5 million restoration when Doug Matthews of Classic Fighters of America acquired it in 2015. He then spent 14 months upgrading the airplane before taking it up with the landing gear down (to make sure a hydraulic leak would not leave the undercarriage unable to be lowered again) on November 15. SOLJETS estimates that when retired by the Navy, the trainer had more than half its service life left.
8
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
W
ilbur and Orville Wright established the Wright Company in 1909, and a factory in West Dayton, Ohio, QV!¸\PMÅZ[\QV America devoted to the manufacture of airplanes. However, it built only 120 planes before Wilbur died in 1912, and Orville sold his shares in the company in 1915. The two factory buildings then became the nucleus of the 54-acre Delphi Home Avenue Plant, which manufactured auto parts until it was shut down amid the economic downturn and housing crisis of 2008. In 2009 the National Aviation Heritage )TTQIVKMIVWVXZWÅ\OZW]X in Dayton, persuaded Congress to incorporate the factory and 20 acres around it into the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. This year NAHA plans to acquire the property and set about making the fully
restored factory the centerpiece of its project to tell the Wrights’ story. The Dayton Public Library’s decision to build a $7 million library right across the street helped. NAHA estimates that it will need $4 million to improve the grounds and complete the site for the general public, and thus far it has raised about half that amount. NAHA hopes \WJWW[\MٺWZ\[\WZIQ[M the remainder via a video released on September 1 that includes an interview with—and hearty endorsement from—David McCullough, author of the 2016 biography The Wright Brothers. After more than 95 years, the historic structures the Wrights built, and the neighborhood around them, might soon be back in business. Jon Guttman
TOP: NAHA; INSET: NAHA PHOTO BY TIMOTHY R. GAFFNEY; LEFT: ©ADAM GLOWASKI
wright stuff An artist’s rendering shows what the Wright Company factory will look like after restoration from its present condition (inset).
Wright Factory Revival
TECHNOLOGY SIMPLIFIED – BIGGER AND BETTER
Wow! A Simple to Use Computer Designed Especially for Seniors! Easy to read. Easy to see. Easy to use. Just plug it in!
NEW Now comes with... Larger 22-inch hi-resolution screen – easier to see 16% more viewing area Simple navigation – so you never get lost Intel® processor – lightning fast Computer is in the monitor – No bulky tower Advanced audio, Better speaker configuration – easier to hear Text to Speech translation – it can even read your emails to you! U.S. Based Customer Service
FREE
Automatic Software Updates
– Janet F.
Have you ever said to yourself “I’d love to get a computer, if only I could figure out how to use it.” Well, you’re not alone. Computers were supposed to make our lives simpler, but they’ve gotten so complicated that they are not worth the trouble. With all of the “pointing and clicking” and “dragging and dropping” you’re lucky if you can figure out where you are. Plus, you are constantly worrying about viruses and freeze-ups. If this sounds familiar, we have great news for you. There is finally a computer that’s designed for simplicity and ease of use. It’s the WOW Computer, and it was designed with you in mind. This computer is easy-to-use, worryfree and literally puts the world at
your fingertips. From the moment you open the box, you’ll realize how different the WOW Computer is. The components are all connected; all you do is plug it into an outlet and your high-speed Internet connection. Then you’ll see the screen – it’s now 22 inches. This is a completely new touch screen system, without the cluttered look of the normal computer screen. The “buttons” on the screen are easy to see and easy to understand. All you do is touch one of them, from the Web, Email, Calendar to Games– you name it… and a new screen opens up. It’s so easy to use you won’t have to ask your children or grandchildren for help. Until now, the very people who could benefit most from E-mail and the Internet are the ones that have had the hardest time accessing it. Now, thanks to the WOW Computer, countless older Americans are discovering the wonderful world of the Internet every day. Isn’t it time
you took part? Call now, and you’ll find out why tens of thousands of satisfied seniors are now enjoying their WOW Computers, emailing their grandchildren, and experiencing everything the Internet has to offer. Call today! 7 Send & Receive Emails 7 Have video chats with family and friends 7 Surf the Internet: Get current weather and news 7 Play games Online: Hundreds to choose from!
Call now toll free and find out how you can get the new WOW! Computer. Mention promotional code 105316 for special introductory pricing.
1-877-810-0041 © 2017 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.
81059
“I love this computer! It is easy to read and to use! I get photo updates from my children and grandchildren all the time.”
BRIEFING
supersized RC sikorsky Boasting a 16-foot wingspan, Sal Calvagna’s 1/6th-scale Ilya Muromets flies over Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (above) and sits on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center (inset).
Radio-Controlled russian Giant
MILESTONES
Battle of the Coral Sea
S
eventy-five years ago, on the morning of May 7, 1942, the American carriers Lexington and Yorktown collectively launched 53 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers, 22 Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bombers and 18 Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters to attack the Japanese fleet during the Battle of the Coral Sea. The aircraft pounced on the light carrier Shoho, striking it with 13 bombs and seven torpedoes (above). The crew quickly abandoned ship, and it went under within minutes. It was the first Japanese carrier sunk in action during World War II. The commander of Lexington’s dive bombers, Lt. Cmdr. Robert E. Dixon, excitedly radioed the now-famous message: “Scratch one flattop!” The next day saw the main event, with the Americans damaging the fleet carrier Shokaku, but the Japanese sinking Lexington and damaging Yorktown.
10
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
TOP: SAL CALVAGNA; INSET: JON GUTTMAN; LEFT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
M
odeling historic aircraft is older than actual aircraft, but the winner of the “Spirit of the Aerodrome” award at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome’s September 2016 R/C Jamboree may be one for the record books. Sal Calvagna’s labor of love is a 1/6th-scale radio-controlled ÆaQVOUWLMTWN \PM;QSWZ[Sa1TaI5]ZWUM\[ 1OWZ;QSWZ[SaQ[JM[\SVW_VQV\PM=VQ\ML;\I\M[NWZ PMTQKWX\MZ[IVLÆaQVOJWI\[J]\QV:][[QIPMÅZ[\I\\ZIK\ML _WZTLI\\MV\QWVWV5Ia!_PMVPQ[*WT[PWQ *IT\Q[Sa\PM_WZTL¼[ÅZ[\NW]ZMVOQVMIQZXTIVM\WWSWٺ0M intended it as a commercial transport, but when war broke W]\QV! PMZMLM[QOVMLQ\I[\PM1TaI5]ZWUM\[ITWVO range photoreconnaissance plane. )\I[MUQVIZWN \PM4MIO]MWN ?WZTL?IZ1)^QI\QWV 0Q[\WZQIV[PMTLI\\PM6I\QWVIT)QZIVL;XIKM5][M]U¼[ =L^IZ0Iba+MV\MZQV+PIV\QTTa>IWV2IV]IZa +IT^IOVILQ[XTIaMLPQ[KZMI\QWV¸KWUXTM\M_Q\P \P[KITMXQTW\IVLIVIK\QWVÅO]ZMUWLQÅML\WZMXZM[MV\;QSWZ[SaPQU[MTN¸IVLXTIaMLÅTUNWW\IOM\W[PW_ that his authentically detailed machine, driven by four [aVKPZWVQbMLMTMK\ZQKUW\WZ[IKPQM^MLKWV\ZWTTMLÆQOP\ NZWU[\IZ\\WI[TQOP\TaZW]OPÅVQ[P\PI\LIUIOMLITIVLQVOOMIZY]QKSTaZMXIQZML1\¼[IVQUXZM[[Q^MZMXTQKIQV every respect. Jon Guttman
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: CNW4-03
“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. CNW4-03 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™
AVIATORS jet on skis Convair chief test pilot Ellis “Sam” Shannon (in life jacket below) beaches an XF2Y-1 Sea Dart after taxi tests in San Diego Bay on December 17, 1952.
Delta-Wing Trailblazer SAM SHANNON WAS THAT RARE EXAMPLE OF AN ACCOMPLISHED TEST PILOT WHO NEVER CRASHED AN AIRPLANE AND REFUSED TO BRAG ABOUT HIS EXPLOITS BY ROBERT BERNIER
M
ounted atop a pole outside the San Diego Air & Space Museum sits a blue delta-wing jet aircraft sporting skis and a porthole-like windscreen that looks like it could have been designed by Jules Verne. This strangelooking craft often draws double-takes from visitors _ITSQVOJa*]QT\QVIVIOM_PMVN]\]ZQ[\QKLM[QOV[ÆW_MLNZMMTa from the drafting tables of America’s aircraft manufacturers, \PM+WV^IQZ@.A;MI,IZ\_I[ÅZ[\ÆW_VJa\M[\XQTW\ Ellis “Sam” Shannon, a soft-spoken Alabamian who began his long, colorful aviation career piloting “rag and stick” JQXTIVM[¸IVLÅVQ[PML]X_Q\PM`XMZQUMV\ITLMT\I_QVORM\[ *WZVQV! ;PIVVWV[\IZ\ML=;)ZUa)QZ+WZX[ÆQOP\ \ZIQVQVOQV!!IVL_MV\WV\WÆaT]UJMZQVO3Ma[\WVM
12
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
biplane bombers during the early 1930s. With few advancement opportunities available in the Air Corps during the Depression, he embarked on a series of foreign adventures worthy of the once-popular “Terry and the Pirates” comic strip. In 1932 Shannon eagerly accepted a position training Chinese pilots for Chiang 3IQ[PMS¼[IQZNWZKM)N\MZ
three years in China, he returned to the U.S. for another brief stint with the Air Corps, before the Glenn L. Martin Company tapped him for a sales demonstration tour of its B-10 bombers in Latin America. There, he made a name for himself by successfully competing against German and Italian airmen peddling their countries’ warplanes in the region. Impressed with his technical skill and competence, in 1939 the Martin Company selected Shannon for yet another foreign assignment, this time to French Morocco. Based in Casablanca, he led a team tasked with assembling IVLKPMKSÆaQVO5IZ\QV Maryland bombers destined for the French air force. With the fall of France in 1940, the U.S. Navy hastily evacuated Shannon and his team. Once back in the States, Shannon began learning the
OPPOSITE TOP & ABOVE RIGHT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES; OPPOSITE BOTTOM: NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM
test pilot trade in earnest by ÆaQVOVM_5IZ\QVIQZKZIN\ MIZUIZSMLNWZ)UMZQKI¼[ IKKMTMZI\QVOUQTQ\IZaJ]QTL]X )UWVO\PMIQZXTIVM[PM\M[\ ÆM__MZM\PMPW\J]\KWV\ZW ^MZ[QIT* 5IZI]LMZIVL \PMOQOIV\QK5IZ[ÆaQVOJWI\ 1VMIZTa! WXXWZ\] VQ\aSVWKSMLIVL;PIVVWV UQOZI\ML\W;IV,QMOW\W PMIL]X\PM.TQOP\:M[MIZKP ,MXIZ\UMV\I\+WV[WTQLI\ML >]T\MMTI\MZ+WV^IQZ)[ KPQMN \M[\XQTW\PMKWVL]K\ML LM^MTWXUMV\ITÆQOP\[WV M^MZa\PQVONZWUPMI^a JWUJMZ[[]KPI[\PM@* ,WUQVI\WZ\WIL^IVKML ÆaQVOJWI\[
_WZTL¼[ÅZ[\LMT\I_QVORM\ \WÆa)WVMWٺJ]QT\I[I ZM[MIZKP^MPQKTM\W\M[\\PM IMZWLaVIUQKXZWXMZ\QM[WN LMT\I_QVO[\PM@.!) XI^ML\PM_IaNWZI[MZQM[WN +WV^IQZIQZKZIN\K]TUQVI\QVO QV\PM=;).¼[¹]T\QUI\MQV\MZ KMX\WZº\PM. ,MT\I,IZ\ IVLQ\[ÅZ[\[]XMZ[WVQK[\ZI\M OQKJWUJMZ\PM* 0][\TMZ ¹*aUISQVO\PI\ÅZ[\ÆQOP\ QV\PM@.!;IUSQKSML W\ٺPMLMT\I_QVO_WZTLº [IQL.ZIVS
With the cold war heating up, the U.S. Air force called for supersonic interceptors able to engage enemy bombers.
;PIVVWV_I[\PMÅZ[\\W Æa\PQ[ZILQKITÆaQVOJWI\ QV)XZQT! 7VKMIQZ JWZVM\PM;MI,IZ\ÆM__MTT MVW]OPJ]\\ISMW_[ٺMZM IKPITTMVOMI[\PMXTIVM¼[ [SQ[PIUUMZML\PM_I^M[ VMIZTQN\W[ٺXMML[;PIVVWV ZMXWZ\ML\PI\\PMXW]VL QVOL]ZQVO\ISMW_ٺI[JIL MVW]OP\WJT]ZPQ[^Q[QWV ¹
delta dawn Shannon piloted the Convair XF-92A, the world’s first delta-wing jet, on its maiden flight in September 1948.
\M[\UIVIOMZI\+WV^IQZ0M _W]TLKWV\QV]M\WTMILIVL QV[XQZMaW]VOMZUMV]V\QTPQ[ ZM\QZMUMV\QV! I\IOM ;PIVVWVLQMLQV!
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
13
RESTORED faded plumage Douglas A-4s at Fighting Classics Aircraft Restoration still sport their original U.S. Navy unit marking. Below: Mike McDougall operates the restoration facility at Marana Regional Airport in Arizona.
Desert Skyhawk A SMALL FLEET OF U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT HAS FOUND A NEW LEASE ON LIFE AT A RESTORATION FACILITY IN THE ARIZONA DESERT BY DICK SMITH
T
ucked away in the southwest corner of Marana Regional Airport in Arizona is a sight that could be mistaken for the fantail of a Vietnam-era aircraft carrier. Nearly a dozen vertical stabilizers poke skyward, all carrying faded markings from U.S. Navy squadrons that have been bleached by the desert sun. In reality the airplanes crowded together here are awaiting a new life at the home of Fighting Classics Aircraft Restoration. Most are Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, with a sprinkling of LTV A-7 Corsair IIs and a pair of Vought F-8 Crusaders. Mike McDougall, owner of the company and a longtime aircraft technician and restorer, said Fighting Classics is in the “busiVM[[WN [I^QVO_IZJQZL[NWZÆQOP\IVL[\I\QKLQ[XTIaJ]\UWZM
14
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
importantly for history.” One of McDougall’s restored Skyhawks is an A-4C model, which after retirement from the Navy was sold in a block of 36 aircraft to the Malaysian government. Some of the ;SaPI_S[_MZMZMÅ\\MLQV the United States for the Malaysians, but a similar group was stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and
Regeneration Group, commonly known as the Boneyard, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. When the Malaysians decided to reduce the total number of aircraft they had originally contracted to purchase, they sold the remaining airframes to individual buyers. One of those was purchased by an aircraft enthusiast in Florida who
OPPOSITE PHOTOS & TOP RIGHT: DICK SMITH; BOTTOM RIGHT: FIGHTING CLASSICS AIRCRAFT RESTORATION
planned to have it restored JaITWKITÅZU?PMV\PW[M XTIV[NIQTML\WUI\MZQITQbM PW_M^MZ\PM) _I[M^MV tually shipped to Fighting +TI[[QK[NWZZMÅ\\QVO McDougall said the res \WZI\QWVWN \PM) [\IZ\ML with a thorough cleaning of \PMIQZNZIUM
The scrappy little airplane gained the respect of combat pilots, who nicknamed it “Heinemann’s hotrod.” [Q^MZMXTIKMUMV\NWZ\PM) ;SaZIQLMZ0MQVMUIVV¼[ ÅVITLM[QOV_I[WVTaPITN \PM _MQOP\WN \PM6I^a¼[[XMKQÅ KI\QWV_Q\PI_QVO[WKWU pact that it did not need to be folded for storage aboard IQZKZIN\KIZZQMZ[ )T\PW]OP\PM;SaPI_S_I[ []J[WVQKQ\JWI[\MLM`KMT TMV\UIVM]^MZIJQTQ\a
NWZ_IZLIZMI\WWSILLQ\QWVIT \QUM[QVKMQ\ZMY]QZMLI\W\ITTa VM_KWKSXQ\IVLÆQOP\KWV \ZWT[)[_WZSMZ[XZMXIZML\PM NWZ_IZL[MK\QWV[XMKQITQ[\[ [XMV\UIVaPW]Z[_QZQVOIVL \M[\QVO\PMVM_QV[\Z]UMV\I \QWVIVLÆQOP\KWV\ZWT[ ¹-`\MZVITTa\PM;SaPI_S _QTTIXXMIZWZQOQVITº 5K,W]OITTZMXWZ\ML¹7V the inside it will be new and UWLMZVQbML1\_QTTJM[QU
faux falklands fighter McDougall’s latest project is an A-4C painted in 1980s Argentine air force markings.
XTQÅMLMI[a\WÆaIVLIXQMKM WN I^QI\QWVPQ[\WZaº)N\MZ Å^MaMIZ[WN _WZSI\.QOP\QVO +TI[[QK[¼NIKQTQ\aPM[IQL\PM ) _QTT¹TQ^MQVIVIQZ KWVLQ\QWVMLPIVOIZÆaXMZ PIX[INM_\QUM[I_MMSIVL JMILUQZMLJa[XMK\I\WZ[º
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
15
EXTREMES majestic monstrosity A Naval Aircraft Factory N-1 struggles to get airborne, which the second prototype finally did on July 27, 1918.
The Navy’s Flying Cannon BUILT TO COUNTER THE GERMAN U-BOAT THREAT IN WORLD WAR I, THE NAVAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY N-1 NEVER FULFILLED ITS PURPOSE BY ROBERT GUTTMAN
I
n a peculiar contravention of American capitalist principles, the U.S. Navy established its own aircraft production facility—the Naval Aircraft Factory—in Philadelphia in 7K\WJMZ! 1\[ÅZ[\XZWL]K\_I[\PM+]Z\Q[[0 ÆaQVO boat, 150 of which were produced under license. By the end WN 5IZKP! 6).J]QT\0 [_MZMÆaQVOIV\Q[]JUIZQVM patrols over European waters. Apart from the license-produced 4QJMZ\a-VOQVMLM0I^QTTIVL,0 \PM0 _I[\PMWVTa American-built aircraft to serve in the American ExpeditionIZa.WZKM[W^MZ-]ZWXML]ZQVO?WZTL?IZ1
16
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
1\_I[VW\TWVOPW_M^MZ before the NAF initiated LM^MTWXUMV\WN IVWZQOQVIT IQZKZIN\LM[QOV,M[QOVI\ML \PM6Q\_I[\PMÅZ[\6I^a IQZXTIVMLM[QOVML[XMKQÅKITTa for the attack role, as well as one of the most unusual aircraft ever developed for that service. To understand why it looked the way it did ZMY]QZM[IV]VLMZ[\IVLQVOWN \PM_MIXWVQ\_I[LM[QOVML to employ.
\PM,I^Q[/]V_I[I[QVOTM shot weapon, a Lewis maKPQVMO]V_I[NZMY]MV\Ta I\\IKPML\WQ\\WIQLQVTQVQVO ]XWV\PM\IZOM\JMNWZMÅZQVO the shell. ,]ZQVO??1*ZQ\IQV M`XMZQUMV\ML_Q\PUW]V\QVO \PM,I^Q[/]VQV\PMVW[M[ WN ^IZQW][IQZKZIN\1\JZQMÆa IXXMIZMLWV\PM0IVLTMa 8IOM7JWUJMZIVL\PM +]Z\Q[[0;4ÆaQVOJWI\ for potential use by the Royal 6I^IT)QZ;MZ^QKMIOIQV[\ []JUIZQVM[1V5Ia! :WJMa+WUXIVa4\LJMOIV _WZSWVITIZOM[QVOTM MVOQVMJQXTIVMLM[QOVMLJa 2)8M\MZ[_Q\P\_W,I^Q[ O]VVMZ[XMZKPMLQVVIKMTTM[ WV\PM]XXMZ_QVO\WI\\IKS BMXXMTQV[7VQ\[ÅZ[\\M[\ ÆQOP\QV5Ia! PW_M^MZ \PM:WJMa8M\MZ[,I^Q[ /]V+IZZQMZKZI[PMLQV\WI local mental hospital. The
PHOTOS: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
pilot was unhurt, but Robey apparently considered this a bad omen and burned the prototype. Another unusual aircraft intended for anti-Zeppelin duties, the Supermarine P.B.31E quadruplane had a glazed enclosed cabin IKKWUUWLI\QVO]X\WÅ^M men and a sleeping berth for WٺL]\aKZM_UMV8W_MZML by two 100-hp Anzani 9-cylinder radial engines, it was intended to stay up for nine to 18 hours, waiting to intercept Zeppelins with Q\[,I^Q[O]VWZ\_W4M_Q[ machine guns atop the upper _QVO.QZ[\ÆW_VQV.MJZ]IZa 1917, it was promptly rejected because its 60 mph speed and 60-minute climb to 10,000 feet made it slower than its intended prey. After the United States entered the war in April ! \PM6I^aIT[WJMKIUM QV\MZM[\MLQV][QVO\PM,I^Q[ Gun as an airborne weapon against U-boats. But whereas the British had adapted large UIZQ\QUMXI\ZWTÆaQVOJWI\[ to carry the gun, the NAF J]QT\IVIQZKZIN\[XMKQÅKITTa for that purpose. Designed by Jerome Hunsaker, the N-1 was a large, two-seat, singleMVOQVMX][PMZÆWI\XTIVM powered by a single 330-hp 4QJMZ\aMVOQVM)T\PW]OP \PMX][PMZKWVÅO]ZI\QWV_I[ obsolescent by that time, it was considered necessary in \PQ[KI[MQVWZLMZ\WXZW^QLM
the gunner stood in the bow of the nacelle, an arrangement that provided him with a perfect view and field of fire. a roomy cockpit in the nose from which the gunner would PI^MIKTMIZÅMTLWN ÅZMNWZ PQ[J]TSa,I^Q[/]V The N-1 was a clumsylooking biplane with the ]XXMZ_QVOUW]V\MLÆ][P with the top of the fuselage and the tail surfaces supported by a latticework of four longerons and bracing struts in order to clear the propeller. The lower wing was mounted well below the fuselage, and the twin UIQVÆWI\[_MZMI\\IKPML to a spindly set of struts well below that. The gunner stood in the bow of the nacelle, an IZZIVOMUMV\\PI\XZW^QLML PQU_Q\PIXMZNMK\^QM_IVL ÅMTLWN ÅZM
ÅMLQ\KW]TLVW\PI^MJMMV U]KPIJW^MUXP The N-1 looked both \WXPMI^aIVLÆQU[a[WQ\¼[ hardly surprising that in May ! \PMÅZ[\XZW\W\aXM_I[ damaged beyond repair when its landing gear collapsed as Q\_I[IJW]\\W\ISMW<ٺP][ XW[\XWVML\PM6¼[ÅZ[\ ÆQOP\_I[IKPQM^MLJa\PM second prototype on July 27. Two more N-1s were J]QT\IVLÆW_VIN\MZ\PM war, in July 1919. Reports WN \PMZM[]T\QVOÆQOP\\ZQIT[ QVLQKI\M\PI\_PQTM\PM,I^Q[ Gun mounting worked well enough, the aircraft itself was unsatisfactory. The engine W^MZPMI\MLNZMY]MV\Ta_PQTM \I`QQVOIVL\ISMW_[ٺMZM LQٻK]T\_PMV\PM6_I[ loaded with more than a halfPW]Z¼[_WZ\PWN N]MT_PQKP _I[KTMIZTaQV[]ٻKQMV\NWZQ\[
big gun Although unwieldy, the Davis Gun, with a Lewis machine gun attached to aid in aiming, worked better than the airplane meant to carry it.
proposed mission of antisubmarine patrol. Consequently, the N-1 was deemed operationally useless, and both the aircraft and the concept were rejected. The NAF continued to produce aircraft, most famously the N3N biplane basic trainer of World War II, more familiarly known to VI^ITI^QI\QWVKILM\[I[\PM “Yellow Peril,” of which about 1,000 were built. In 5Ia! \PM6I^IT)QZKZIN\ .IK\WZaJMKIUM\PM6I^IT Air Engineering Facility (Ship Installations), at which point it ceased airplane production IVLLM^MTWXUMV\IK\Q^Q\QM[
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
17
STYLE
18
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
The 272-foot Stockholm-Arlanda Airport control tower designed by Gert Wingårdh was completed in 2001. The two control cabs s ymbolize Hugin and Minun, ravens from Nordic mythology that were sent out to watch over the world. On the bands surr ounding the towers, Finnish artist Silja Rantanen inscribed words from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s 1929 aviation novel Southern Mail.Among Saint-Exupéry’s other classics is The Little Prince. Photo by Carolyn Russo, Art of the Airport Tower.
STYLE Our new special section showcases a potpourri of stylish items—large and small—that take their inspiration from the world of aviation. m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
19
STYLE
Albert Halff Associates designed Texas’ Fort Worth Alliance Airport control tower in 1992. The cone-shape design mimics a bird’s beak, and hides the tower’s microwave signal relay equipment. Photos by Carolyn Russo
Cleared for Takeoff The world’s air traffic control towers are soaring examples of architectural form meeting function, and Smithsonian photographer Carolyn Russo traveled to 23 countries to capture images of 85 of them. Her extraordinary photos in the book Art of the Airport Tower document these modern monuments. Since 1988, Russo has worked at the National Air and Space Museum as a staff photographer and as a specialist in the Aeronautics Division with the museum’s art collection. Her other aviation titles are Women and Flight: Portraits of Contemporary Women Pilots; Artifacts of Flight; and In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight. Her photographs have been displayed in solo and group exhibitions in the United States, Finland and China. Art of the Airport Tower, by Carolyn Russo, designed by Mine Suda, Smithsonian Books, $45, amazon.com 20
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
(Top) The Abu Dhabi Intl. Airport United Arab Emirates air traffic control tower was completed in 2011. (Bottom) Dubai International United Arab Emirates airport’s 285-foot air traffic control tower has two CAT III B instrument landing systems for low-visibility conditions, and runways capable of handling the Airbus A380, the world’s largest airliner.
Edinburgh Airport Scotland, United Kingdom, originally a military airport, opened to commercial aviation in 1977. It is Scotland’s second-largest airport after Glasgow. Its 187-foot control tower took 15 months to complete and opened in 2005. The 9,216 zinc tiles have aged naturally, reducing the need for maintenance. Photo by Carolyn Russo
Airstream Classic Airstream’s classic design continues to symbolize luxury land travel.
Streaming on Air In 1931 Airstream originated with Walter Byam’s dream to build a travel trailer that moved like a stream of air. After 80 years, and millions of miles on the road, the Airstream legacy continues. The Airstream Basecamp is a lightweight and SUV-towable travel trailer that comfortably seats five and sleeps two. Standard features include panoramic front windows with blackout shades, Bose Bluetooth SoundLink Color speakers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, 12-volt tank heaters, hot water and cabin heating systems. Airstream supports the Basecamp with a two-year 24/7 Coach-Net Roadside Assistance program and a two-year limited warranty that’s transferable. For more information, visit airstream.com. The Basecamp’s 26-by-46-inch rear hatch allows load-in and unload-out through the back of the trailer. It offers 126 inches of cargo depth from the hatch to the galley cabinets.
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
21
STYLE
Fashion Takes Flight Actor and musician Jesse Metcalfe is perhaps best known for his breakout role as John Rowland on television’s Desperate Housewives. Since then, he’s starred in numerous films (John Tucker Must Die, Dead Rising: Watchtower) and TV shows (Passions, Chase, Dallas). Aviation History captured Jesse before he climbed into the Spitfire at the World War II Aviation Museum, Camarillo, Calif., wearing some stylish new threads. Photos by Jeff Berlin
The Kooples military coat with faux sheepskin collar, $504, thekooples.com/us Bloomingdales scarf, bloomingdales.com Ahlem Republique sunglasses, $470 Perrelet First Class Double Rotor in blue, A1090/6, $3,790, perreletusa.com
22
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
The Hamilton Khaki Aviation Chrono Worldtimer keeps time across the world’s 24 standard time zones and displays Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Designed in collaboration with aerobatic pilot Nicolas Ivanoff. $1,295, hamiltonwatch.com
Schott A-2 leather flight jacket, $760, schottnyc.com Calvin Klein t-shirt, $30, macys.com Dior Homme 0205/S aviator sunglasses, $395, dior.com Perrelet Turbine Pilot 48mm stainless steel case watch with black calfskin strap, $5,790, perreletusa.com
PHOTOS: JEFF BERLIN; STYLING: ALEXA R. GREEN
Prada aviator sunglasses, $520, Sunglass Hut
The Breitling Navitimer 01 with bidirectional ratcheted rotating bezel ensures smooth and easy handling of the famous circular aviation slide rule. $7,965, breitling.com
Dolce & Gabbana DG 2162 Metal aviator sunglasses, $270, Sunglass Hut
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
23
STYLE
A North American P-51 Mustang follows a Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Photo by Paul Bowen
Shooting Planes “I love my work. I’m fortunate to be able to make a living doing this,” says Paul Bowen. Since 1972, the award-winning photographer, whose extraordinary air-to-air images have graced the covers of more than 1,000 magazines, including Aviation History, continues to take his position, Canon in hand, strapped into the open tail-gunner position of a WWII B-25 bomber. Bowen is an inductee in the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s International Air & Space Hall of Fame and the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame. His limited-edition, fine art prints are available at airtoair.net, (316) 263-5537.
24
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
A rare formation of three different Mustang models: (from left) a TF-51, P-51D and a P-51C—all owned by Max Chapman Jr. at the time of the shoot. Photo by Paul Bowen
The F2G-1D Super Corsair was owned and flown by Bob Odegaard, who sadly died in a crash of this airplane in 2012. Photo by Paul Bowen
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
25
LETTER FROM AVIATION HISTORY
[XIKM[P]\\TMÆQOP\L]ZQVO_PQKPPMJMKIUM\PM WTLM[\XMZ[WVM^MZ\WÆaQV[XIKM¹PILI\ZMUMVdous impact on me.” Currently pursuing a master’s degree in history at St. John’s University in Queens, Sakowitz notes: “I had the great privilege of meeting Glenn [M^MZIT\QUM[\PMÅZ[\QV 0M_I[M`\ZMUMTa humble, a good listener. Some of our conversations were remarkable.” He asked Glenn why he thought Ohio became a leader in aviation, with native sons such as the Wright brothers and Neil Armstrong. “He said Ohio had a pioneer spirit and tradition of rugged individualism,” qualities that helped foster an environment of creative \PQVSQVOIVLM`XMZQUMV\I\QWVIUWVO\PM[\I\M¼[ MIZTaI^QI\WZ[IVLTI\MZTML 7PQWVI\Q^M[\W become astronauts. While Glenn’s service as an astronaut and U.S. senator is well known, his time in the Marine Corps has garnered less attention. After earning his pilot’s KMZ\QÅKI\MQV2]Ta! ]VLMZ\PM+Q^QTQIV8QTW\ Training Program, Glenn enlisted in the Army Air Corps following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. When he wasn’t called up, Glenn enlisted as a naval aviation cadet, and later transferred to \PM5IZQVM+WZX[0MÆM_ !KWUJI\UQ[[QWV[QV . =+WZ[IQZ[QV\PM8IKQÅKIVL_MV\WV\WÆa! combat sorties during two Korean War tours. Sakowitz thinks those early years in combat informed Glenn’s later attitudes toward nuclear BY CARL VON WODTKE proliferation—the theme of a graduate paper he recently prepared. “These men who came back dam Sakowitz is a young man with a mis- from World War II lost friends and saw the horsion. The 25-year-old graduate student ZWZ[WN _IZºPMM`XTIQV[¹IVL\PMQZM`XMZQMVKM[ NZWU?M[\J]Za6AQ[TMILQVOIVMٺWZ\ changed them for the rest of their lives.” In his to honor Senator John Glenn, who died paper he cites two incidents in particular that proon December 8, with a series of tangible NW]VLTaIٺMK\ML/TMVV"\PMTW[[WN PQ[OWWLNZQMVL memorials in Glenn’s home state of Ohio. and wingman 1st Lt. Miles F. Goodman Jr. to Sakowitz hopes these will include a statue on the IV\QIQZKZIN\ÅZMWV2]Ta!! IVLIUQ[[QWV\PI\ Ohio Statehouse grounds, historical markers at December in which he dropped a new weapon— sites associated with Glenn’s life, recognition of his VIXITU¸NWZ\PMÅZ[\\QUM7N \PMNWZUMZ/TMVV birthplace home in Cambridge on the National wrote in his autobiography, “…war had suddenly Register of Historic Places and eventually a mu- become very, very personal”; of the latter, “It was seum dedicated to the former U.S. Marine Corps terrible to think what it was like on the ground in pilot and astronaut. \PMUQLLTMWN \PW[MÆIUM[º Glenn has been Sakowitz’s personal hero since “I had been through World War II and Korea 1998, when as a second-grader he watched the and knew what happens in conventional war,” 77-year-old senator return to space aboard the Glenn wrote. “The horror of a nuclear holoa life of service shuttle Discovery. Glenn, of course, is best known caust was beyond imagining.” As a senator, that John Glenn models as the first American to orbit the earth, in the belief led him to become the chief architect of the his Mercury spacesuit Mercury capsule Friendship 7 on February 20, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978. in January 1962 (top), 1962. “My grandparents were at the tickertape “Our country’s young people could learn so and poses with stuparade for Glenn in 1962,” says Sakowitz, and much from John Glenn,” says Sakowitz. To read dent Adam Sakowitz they brought back buttons and other mementos his research paper, “A Soldier Prays for Peace,” visit (above) in June 2016. that they later shared with him. He says Glenn’s our webpage at historynet.com/aviation-history.
Honoring an American Hero
26
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
TOP: NASA; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF ADAM SAKOWITZ
A
unsung liberator
AVIATIO
America built more B-24s than any other military aircraft, so why doesn’t it get the respect it deserves?
H
I
S
T
O
R
Y
‘suicide club’ pioneering post office pilots 1/22/17 8:51 AM
ermans have bombed New York in WwI?
VIATION H
I
S
T
O
R
AVIATION H
I
S
T
O
R
Y
Y
Pearl Harbor
Stealth fighter of the future or Nazi fantasy?
HITLER’S JET
B-17s
After the attack, eight Flying Forts battled across the Pacific
FLYING WING The Other
FRENCH TOWN COMMEMORATES A P-38 PILOT’S SUPREME SACRIFICE
‘Zero’
HOW HOLLYWOOD HELPED LAUNCH THE DRONE REVOLUTION
Japan’s Ki-43 Oscar claimed more victories than its most feared fighter
AVHP-161100-COVER_US/CAN.indd 3
Queen of the air: Beech’s beautiful staggerwing The creative genius behind Blohm & Voss’ exotic airplanes
When Germany bombed Freiburg and blam
HistoryNet.com
MAY 2017
Secret missions to rescue Allied aircrews from Poland AVHP-170500-COVER.indd 3
curtiss c-46 Commando: World War II’s heavy hauler
2/2/17 11:54 AM
AVIATIO H
I
S
T
O
R
Y
1/9/17 10:49 AM
-1: Mighty motor that conquered the moon
VIATION H
I
S
T
O
R
Y
d
Spitfire vs. Junkers WWII’s highest aerial combat
The real-life Skyraider mission behind James Michener’s Korean War masterpiece
THE BRIDGES AT
HistoryNet is the world’s largest publisher of history magazines; visit
SHOP.HISTORYNET.COM to subscribe to any of our nine titles
ER PLANE How CIERVA’S autogiros helped win the Battle of Britain
ce shoots down a U.S. … and earns a medal for it
HistoryNet.com
JANUARY 2017
9/30/16 1:05 PM
AVIATION H
I
25: 710-ton russian heavy hauler for hire
VIATION S
T
O
CAC Boomerang: Australia’s first homegrown fighter
f-86A: Oldest flying jet returns to
t: ’Splash-and-go’ veteran PBY Catalina
I
Vought F7U Cutlass ‘ensign eliminator’
AVHP-160900-COVER_US/CAN.indd 3
ars of service, high-flying U-2 LS SECRETS
H
TOKO-RI
R
Y
creature of the
night Lockheed’s nearly invisible top-secret F-117 stealth fighter strikes Serbia
Pacific P-47 ace’S FATAL pursuIT OF Rickenbacker’s
S
T
O
R
Y
AVIATIO H
I
10 Great air rescues Kamikazes: The original suicide bombers Israeli F-16 strike on Iraq’s nuclear reactors
S
T
O
R
Y
NAKAJIMA’S FRAGILE FALCON AFTER OVERCOMING SOME TEETHING TROUBLES, THE JAPANESE ARMY’S NIMBLE KI-43 HAYABUSA WENT ON TO CLAIM MORE ALLIED AIRCRAFT THAN THE NAVY’S VAUNTED ZERO BY JON GUTTMAN
28
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
NOT A ZERO Nakajima Ki-43-I pilot Sergeant Takeo Takahashi shoots down an F4F-4 Wildcat flown by 1st Lt. Jefferson DeBlanc on January 31, 1943, in an illustration by Jack Fellows. Prior to bailing out that day, DeBlanc had downed five Japanese airplanes in a single action, for which he was later awarded the Medal of Honor.
BY THE MID-1930S, THE BACKWARD INFERIORITY OF JAPANESE AVIATION HAD BECOME VIRTUALLY INGRAINED IN EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN STRATEGIC THINKING.
OSCAR ANCESTOR A Nakajima Ki-27 flies over China in early 1940. Introduced in 1938, the Ki-27 fought well into 1942 while its successor’s faults were remedied.
30
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
That complacency was rudely shaken on December 7, 1941, by the carrier-launched aircraft that executed the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor—especially the Japanese navy’s fast, agile and LMILTa5Q\[]JQ[PQ) 5BMZWÅOP\MZ At the same time, Allied airmen over Malaya and China were IT[WZMKWZLQVO\PMQZ[PWKSI\\PMBMZW¼[I[\WVQ[PQVOXMZNWZUIVKM In most cases there, however, the Zero’s name and mystique _MZMJMQVOXI[[MLWV\WIVW\PMZ2IXIVM[M¹Ua[\MZaºÅOP\MZ\PI\ _I[M^MVVM_MZaM\OMVMZITTaQVNMZQWZ\W\PM) 5+WLMVIUML “Oscar” by the Allies, the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (peregrine falcon) became the most numerically important Japanese army IQZNWZKM2)).ÅOP\MZWN \PM_IZ)VLTQSM\PMBMZWQ\ZMUIQVML IUIQV[\IaNWZ\WWTWVO 1V\PMTI\M![\PM2IXIVM[MIZUa¼[XZQVKQXITÅOP\MZ_I[ the Nakajima Ki-27, a low-wing monoplane with a glazed KIVWXaIVLÅ`MLTIVLQVOOMIZ
JAAF headquarters laid out a [XMKQÅKI\QWVNWZQ\[[]KKM[[WZ in December 1937, the only major innovation was retractIJTMTIVLQVOOMIZ=X\W\PI\ time, the Japanese regarded the aerodynamic advantages of such undercarriage to be W[ٺM\Ja\PMILLML_MQOP\J]\ combined with a more powerful engine, the retractable gear was expected to raise maximum speed to 311 mph—an unambitious 7 percent imXZW^MUMV\W^MZ\PM3Q The army was so pleased _Q\PQ\[K]ZZMV\ÅOP\MZ\PI\Q\
PREVIOUS PAGES: ©2017 JACK FELLOWS, ASAA; OPPOSITE: JAPANESE SELF DEFENSE FORCE; RIGHT: AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
LQLVW\M^MVWXMVQ\[VM_[XMKQÅKI\QWV\WKWUXM\Q\QWVTMI^QVO Q\\W6ISIRQUILM[QOVMZ[0QLMW1\WSI_IIVLAI[]UQ3WaIUI \WQUXZW^MWV\PM3Q ¼[XMZNWZUIVKM_Q\PW]\[IKZQÅKQVOQ\[ UIVM]^MZIJQTQ\a
S
\I\QWVMLWV\PMQ[TIVLWN 8P]9]WKW\ٺPM+IUJWLQIV KWI[\ \PM \P Sentai KW^MZML \PM TIVLQVO[ WN \PM 2IXIVM[M \P )ZUa I\ 3W\I *PIZ] ;QVOWZI IVL 8I\IVQWV,MKMUJMZ ! _PQKPJMKI][MWN \PM 1V\MZVI\QWVIT,I\M4QVMIK\]ITTaWKK]ZZML[TQOP\TaJMNWZM\PM
“THE PLANE WAS A DISASTER. WE DIDN’T WANT TO GET INTO IT. I GOT INTO IT FEELING VERY WORRIED....” 8MIZT 0IZJWZ ZIQL
WN 6W ;Y]ILZWV\ZaQVO\WJWUJ\PM JMIKPPMILIVLNWZKMLQ\\W TIVLI\5IKPIVOIQZ[\ZQX7V \PM_IaPWUMI3Q WN \PM ZLChutaiPIL\WLQ\KPQV\PM [MIWٺ8P]9]WKIN\MZJMQVO
JUNGLE REHAB A Ki-43-I undergoes repairs at Rabaul. This Oscar is now part of the Flying Heritage Collection.
PQ\Ja\ZQOOMZPIXXa2IXIVM[M LM[\ZWaMZ O]VVMZ[# \PM ZM[\ TIVLMLI\8P]9]WK_Q\P\PMQZ \IVS[VMIZTaLZa *a,MKMUJMZ \PM2)). PILTW[\3Q [ITUW[\ITT \WVWVKWUJI\ZMTI\MLKI][M[
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
31
TECH NOTES NAKAJIMA Ki-43-II
RIGHT NAVIGATION LIGHT
FABRIC-COVERED AILERON LIGHT ALLOY WING SKINNING
HO-103 12.7MM MACHINE GUNS
RADIO MAST
TELESCOPIC GUNSIGHT
SUPERCHARGER AIR INTAKE
551-POUND BOMB
SPECIFICATIONS
STARTER DOG
ENGINE 1,150-hp Nakajima Ha-115 Sakae WINGSPAN 37 feet 6¼ inches LENGTH 29 feet 3¼ inches HEIGHT 10 feet 8¾ inches
THREE-BLADE FIXED-PITCH METAL PROPELLER
NAKAJIMA HA-115 SAKAE 14-CYLINDER TWO-ROW RADIAL ENGINE
CARTRIDGE LINK EJECTION PORT
WING AREA 230.36 square feet MAXIMUM SPEED 329 mph INITIAL CLIMB RATE 3,250 feet per minute
RANGE 1,060 miles (1,860 miles w/ two 45-gallon drop tanks) ARMAMENT Two Ho-103 12.7mm machine guns and two 551-pound bombs
32
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEVE KARP
SERVICE CEILING 36,800 feet
REAR NAVIGATION LIGHT ELEVATOR BALANCE RADIO AERIAL
ELEVATOR
RUDDER TRIM TAB
ELEVATOR TRIM TAB SLIDING COCKPIT CANOPY
CANTILEVER TAILWHEEL LEG TAILWHEEL
INSPECTION ACCESS PANEL
LEFT OVERLOAD FUEL TANK FLAP PULLEY FAIRING FILLER CAPS LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK
AILERON
PITOT HEAD
MAINWHEEL LEG FAIRING
LEFT MAINWHEEL
JETTISONABLE 45-GALLON AUXILIARY FUEL TANK
REAR SPAR MAIN SPAR FRONT SPAR
MAINWHEEL OLEO
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
33
“NO ONE KNEW WHAT THE [KI-43S] WERE, BUT THEY WERE NOT SLOW, ANCIENT, FABRICCOVERED BIPLANES.”
but his summation of the experience spoke for most of his contemporaries: “No one knew what the Zeros were, but they were not slow, ancient, fabric-covered biplanes.”
O
V5IaR][\I[\PM2IXIVM[M_MZMKWUXTM\QVO\PMQZ conquest of Burma, a Blenheim IV of No. 60 Squadron, RAF, raided the 64th Sentai¼[IQZÅMTLI\)SaIJIVL_I[ X]Z[]MLW^MZ\PM*IaWN *MVOITJaÅ^M3Q [+WWTTa UIVVQVOPQ[>QKSMZ[3O]V.TQOP\;MZOMIV\¹2WKSº5K4]KSQM
34
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
LIUIOML\_WI[[IQTIV\[KWUXMTTQVOI_W]VLML;O\5IR AW[PQ\WAI[]LIIVL+IX\IQV Masuzo Otani to retire. The TI[\NQOP\MZ\WI\\IKS_I[[M\ IÅZMJa5K4]KSQMIVLLQ^ML QV\W \PM [MI KIZZaQVO 4\ +WT
ABOVE LEFT: ©AVIATION HISTORY COLLECTION/ALAMY; ABOVE RIGHT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES; RIGHT: AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
IMPROVED HAYABUSA A Ki-43-II with auxiliary fuel tanks awaits its next mission.
Nevertheless, there were striking reminders that the Oscar was dismissed at one’s peril. On January 31, 1943, Ki-43s of the 3rd Chutai, 11th Sentai, engaged 12 Guadalcanal-based Douglas ;*,,I]V\TM[[LQ^MJWUJMZ[I\\IKSQVO2IXIVM[M[PQXXQVOWٺ Kolombangara and their eight Grumman F4F-4 escorts. One WN \PM?QTLKI\XQTW\[[\4\2MٺMZ[WV2,M*TIVKWN 5IZQVM squadron VMF-112, had already shot down two Mitsubishi F1M2 floatplanes when someone radioed “Zeros!” In the MV[]QVOLWOÅOP\,M*TIVKIVL;\I;ٺO\2IUM[).MTQ\WVWN VMF-121 used mutually supporting Thach-weave tactics to engage their aggressive opponents. DeBlanc shot down two of \PMÅOP\MZ[J]\.MTQ\WV_I[PQ\QV\PMMVOQVM
engine of 1st Lt. Douglas S. Thropp Jr.’s Lightning. Major Jack Rittmayer, a visiting Thirteenth Air Force pilot, LZW^M\PM3Q W<ٺPZWXX¼[ tail, but Sugimoto then attacked Weaver. Hastening to Weaver’s aid—and eager to get his 39th victory— McGuire pulled into a tight turn. As he came within range of the elusive Oscar, his P-38, weighted down by the auxiliary fuel tanks he had refused to jettison, abruptly fell into a full stall, snap-rolled onto its back and crashed in flames WV6MOZW[.WZ[IKZQÅKQVOPQ[ life to save Weaver, McGuire received a posthumous Medal of Honor. Sugimoto escaped into the overcast, but Thropp’s and Rittmayer’s fire had damaged his Ki-43, forcing him to make a wheels-up landing on Negros. He was still in the cockpit when he was found and shot by Filipino guerrillas.
I
n December 1942, the 64th Sentai in Burma had received the first improved Ki-43-IIas, which featured stronger, shorter-span wings with racks for bombs or auxiliary fuel tanks. A 1,150-hp Nakajima Ha-115 engine with two-
HEAD-ON PASS A Ki-43-II of the 54th Sentai attacks two B-25Js over the Kurile Islands on November 6, 1944. Below: Australian mechanics repair a captured Oscar for flight evaluation in 1944.
speed supercharger in a redesigned cowling, driving a three-blade metal airscrew, increased speed to 329 mph at 13,000 feet. The improved Hayabusa also featured a taller windscreen, a more effective reflector gunsight, armor plate behind the pilot and self-sealing fuel tanks. If pilots had a complaint, it was that the third propeller blade ZML]KML\PMZI\MWN ÅZMNWZQ\[ synchronized Ho-103 guns to 400 rounds per minute. “It was now a plane you KW]TLÆa_Q\PKWVÅLMVKM¸I great machine,” remarked ace Yohei Hinoki, who lost a leg in combat but survived the war. “But when it had become a good attack plane, things were changing. It was now to be used for defense, as an interKMX\WZ;WIOIQVQ\[ÅZMXW_MZ _I[QV[]ٻKQMV\IVLQ\TIKSML the speed needed for attacking bombers. The ‘Oscar’ was coming to the end of its time.”
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
35
1
8
2
3
5
6
4
7
8
16 10
11
12
13
21 26
14
15
22
23
27
28
9
18 17
20
19 24
25
29 30
31
33
32
31
40
32
34 41 35 39 36
42 43
37
44 45
38
46 47
NAKAJIMA Ki-43-II HAYABUSA COCKPIT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
36
AH
Gunsight Airspeed indicator Turn and bank indicator Rate of climb indicator Manifold pressure gauge Compass Altimeter 12.7mm guns Chronometer Cabin lamp Elevator trimming Magneto switch Tachometer Fuel pressure guage
m ay 2 0 1 7
15. Oil pressure gauge 16. Undercarriage warning lights 17. Oil temperature gauge 18. Engine primer fuel pump 19. Cocking handle 20. Canopy winding mechanism 21. Throttle lever 22. Radio tuner 23. Radio dial 24. Combat flap control buttons 25. Main switches
26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.
Mixture control Cylinder temperature Exhaust temperature Propeller pitch control Friction adjuster Hydraulic brake pedals Rudder pedals Control column Internal tanks cock Main fuel cock Undercarriage emergency operation 37. Undercarriage selector 38. Flap selector
39. Emergency hydraulics hand pump 40. Oxygen control 41. Oxygen flow meter 42. Fuel gauge (main tanks) 43. Fuel gauge (auxiliary tanks) 44. Right and left main tank selector 45. Hydrostatic plunger for auxiliary tanks 46. Right and left auxiliary tank selector 47. Hydrostatic plunger for main tanks
OPPOSITE: P-40 WARHAWK VS KI-43 OSCAR, BY CARL MOLESWORTH, OSPREY PUBLISHING; ABOVE RIGHT: KEDAR KARMARKAR
On June 20, 1943, the 59th Sentai, operating from Babo, New Guinea, added Australia to its area of operations when 22 of its Ki-43-IIs escorted 18 Nakajima Ki-49 bombers attacking Winnellie and nine Ki-48s hitting Winnellie and Darwin. They _MZMUM\Ja ;]XMZUIZQVM;XQ\ÅZM5IZS>[WN \PM[\.QOP\MZ ?QVO:))._PW[MXQTW\[KTIQUMLVQVMJWUJMZ[IVLÅ^MÅOP\ers. The Japanese recorded just one Ki-49 and one Ki-43 lost, as well as another shot-up Ki-49 and two Ki-48s force-landing upon returning to base. The 59th SentaiKTIQUMLVQVM;XQ\ÅZM[ IVL[Q`XZWJIJTM[KWUXIZML\WIK\]IT:)).TW[[M[WN \PZMM ;XQ\ÅZM[IVL\_WXQTW\[ Japan’s December 5, 1943, airstrike on Calcutta, India, was arguably the high tide for the Ki-43 in Asia. This exceptional ZIQLQV^WT^MLVW\WVTa 3QJWUJMZ[M[KWZ\MLJa HayabusasNZWU\PMZL \P \PIVL \Psentais, but also VQVM5Q\[]JQ[PQ/ 5VI^ITJWUJMZ[IVL ) 5BMZW[ +ITK]\\I¼[LMNMV[M[QVKT]LMLVM_TaIZZQ^ML:).;XQ\ÅZM>K[WN 6W ;Y]ILZWVIVL0]ZZQKIVM5IZS11+[WN 6W[ IVL [Y]ILZWV[
JAPAN’S DECEMBER 5, 1943, AIRSTRIKE ON CALCUTTA, INDIA, WAS ARGUABLY THE HIGH TIDE FOR THE KI-43 IN ASIA.
FLYING REPRO The Erickson Aircraft Collection’s Ki-43-III mounts a 1,200-hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial.
[MZ^QKM KIZMMZ QM\5QVP of which introduced ejector in Indochina. M`PI][\ [\]J[ \PI\ XZW^QLML In a way, Nakajima also surslightly more speed. In mid- ^Q^ML)T\PW]OPQ\_I[JZWSMV 1944, Nakajima installed a up into 15 smaller companies 1,190-hp Ha-115-II engine in IN\MZ\PM_IZÅ^MWN \PMUTI\MZ the Ki-43-IIIa, which could reunited under the aegis of do 363 mph. Tachikawa built .]RQ0MI^a1VL][\ZQM[_PW[M 1,098 Ki-43-IIIas along with best-known product in the two prototype Ki-43-IIIbs with United States is the Subaru a pair of Ho-5 20mm cannons. automobile. The war ended before the Ki-43-IIIc, with an Ha-112- For further reading, )^QI\QWV 32/42 engine and two 20mm History research director Jon cannons, intended to intercept Guttman recommends: Ki-43 B-29s, could enter production. ‘Oscar’ Aces of World War ) \W\IT WN 3Q [ 2, by Hiroshi Ichimura; 8 _MZMLMTQ^MZMLJa_IZ¼[MVL ?IZPI_S^[3Q 7[KIZ, Remarkably, Japan’s surren- by Carl Molesworth; and B-24 der on September 2, 1945, 4QJMZI\WZ^[3Q 7[KIZ, did not mark the end of their by Edward M. Young.
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
37
VISIONS FROM THE MIND OF RICHARD VOGT
THE GERMAN ENGINEER GENERATED A STEADY STREAM OF CREATIVE AIRCRAFT DESIGNS, BUT HIS ACTUAL PRODUCTION OUTPUT WAS MORE LIKE A TRICKLE BY PETER GARRISON
38
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
ASYMMETRICAL THINKING A Blohm & Voss BV-141B, Richard Vogt’s most unusual operational aircraft, flies a reconnaissance mission, in an illustration by Daniel Uhr.
CLIPPER COMPETITOR Originally intended for transatlantic passenger service with Lufthansa, the BV-222 flying boat instead performed maritime patrol for the Luftwaffe. Above right: Vogt (left) confers with pilot Ernst Udet at a flying demonstration.
40
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
But its fortunes were at a low ebb in 1932 when, under the burden of a worldwide depression and the lingering impact of ?WZTL?IZ1Q\_I[WJTQOML\WTIaW_ٺWZSMZ[+I[\QVOIJW]\ NWZIVM_[W]ZKMWN ZM^MV]M\PMÅZUPQ\]XWV\PM]VTQSMTaQLMI WN NW]VLQVOIVIQZKZIN\UIV]NIK\]ZQVO[]J[QLQIZa0IUJ]ZOMZ .T]ObM]OJI]0.*KWV[MY]MV\TaKIUMQV\WJMQVOQV2]VM! 1\[ÅZ[\XZWL]K\\PM0I _I[IVI\\ZIK\Q^MJ]\MV\QZMTaKWVventional biplane trainer that gave no indication of the imagiVI\Q^MLM[QOV[\WNWTTW_ ?PQTM ZM\ZIQVML [PQXaIZL _WZSMZ[ KWV[\Z]K\ML \PM NQZ[\ 0I XZW\W\aXM0.*PI^QVOI\Q\[LQ[XW[ITIOZMI\LMIT of idle manufacturing capacity, secured a contract from the Reichsluftfahrtministerium:45¸\PM/MZUIVIQZUQVQ[\Za¸ \W[]XXTaIN\N][MTIOMIVL\IQTI[[MUJTQM[NWZ\PM2]VSMZ[2] trimotor, a 17-passenger airliner with corrugated aluminum [SQV
PREVIOUS PAGES: ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL UHR; ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF WOLFGANG MUELBAUER, EXCEPT OPPOSITE BOTTOM & RIGHT: INTERFOTO/ALAMY
THE GERMAN SHIPBUILDING FIRM OF BLOHM & VOSS, FOUNDED IN 1877, HAD BUILT SUCH HISTORIC WARSHIPS AS THE BATTLE CRUISER SCHARNHORST AND THE BATTLESHIP BISMARCK AT ITS SHIPYARDS NEAR HAMBURG.
remained in service into the MIZTa! [IVLMQOP\WN _PQKP IZM[\QTTIQZ_WZ\Pa\WLIa ;QUQTIZKWV\ZIK\[NWTTW_ML 0.*J]QT\XIZ\[WZMV\QZMIQZNZIUM[NWZLQٺMZMV\\aXM[ QVKT]LQVO \IQTI[[MUJTQM[ for Messerschmitt Me-262 RM\[1\IT[WJ]QT\P]VLZML[WN trainer versions of several warplanes, such as the Me-109 IVL2] +WV\ZIK\_WZSWV W\PMZÅZU[¼IQZXTIVM[ITTW_ML 0.*\WZIXQLTaM`XIVLQ\[NIK\WZa[XIKMIVL_WZSNWZKM\PM NWZUMZOZW_QVONZWU [Y]IZMNMM\MIZTaQV! \W 260,000 two years later, while \PMTI\\MZ[_MTTMLNZWU \W VMIZTa It was significant that the NQZ[\ W]\[QLM XZWRMK\ 0.* ]VLMZ\WWS _I[ I 2]VSMZ[ LM[QOV2]VSMZ[[XMKQITQbMLQV metal construction, and the future of aeronautical design KTMIZTa TIa _Q\P IT]UQV]U 0.*IKKWZLQVOTa[M\W]\\W recruit engineering talent NIUQTQIZ_Q\PUM\ITIQZNZIUM[ 7V \PM :45¼[ ZMKWUUMVLI\QWV\PMÅZUIXXZWIKPML /MZ UIVJWZ V MVOQVMMZ Rich ard Vogt, who at the \QUM_I[_WZSQVOQV2IXIV Vogt had been a protégé of /MZUIVLM[QOVMZIVLUIV] NIK\]ZMZ +TI]LQ][ ,WZVQMZ one of whose designs had been produced under license Ja3I_I[ISQTQSM*>WZQOQVITTaI[PQXJ]QTLQVOÅZU1V the late summer of 1933, Vogt ZM\]ZVML\W/MZUIVa\WPMIL 0.*¼[LM[QOVLMXIZ\UMV\ >WO\¸\ITMV\MLMVMZOM\QK charismatic and above all creI\Q^M¸_I[INWZ\]VI\MPQZM1\ _I[I[QN IÆMLOTQVOIQZXTIVM
ÅZUQV! PILXT]KSMLIaW]VOMVOQVMMZW]\WN WJ[K]ZQ\aIVL PM\]ZVMLW]\\WJM*]Z\:]\IV6M^MZ\PMTM[[>WO\¼[ÅZ[\NM_ projects at B&V were unsuccessful. WO\IQZXTIVM\WUISM ][MWN I\]J]TIZ_QVO[XIZWO\¼[LM[QOVIÆaQVOJWI\_Q\PI\_QVJWWUMUXMVVIOMIVL loaded weight of about 30,000 pounds, placed the third engine on a pylon above the fuselage and used a gull wing with steeply IVOTMLQVVMZXIVMT[\WSMMX\PMW]\MZMVOQVM[I[NIZI[XW[[QJTM from the water. Flight tests of two prototypes, designated Ha-138 V1 and V2, began in July 1936 and revealed that the combination of the gull wing and the central pylon had been an aerodynamic blunder. Vogt was forced to abandon the gull wing entirely, replacing the V-shaped center section with a straight one mounted atop the N][MTIOM Various problems and changing requirements led to further delays, and it was not until four years after the original order that HFB began to deliver production airplanes, now designated HA-139
HA-137
BV-138
THE BV-138’S UNUSUAL APPEARANCE ENGENDERED SOME MOCKERY. IT WAS NICKNAMED THE “FLYING CLOG.”
SUCCESSIVE DESIGNS The Ha-137 dive bomber lost out to the Ju-87; Vogt’s BV-138C was his most successful production aircraft; the fourengine Ha-139 floatplane could be catapult launched.
C
oncurrently with the 138, HFB launched several new projects. In 1935 Deutsche Lufthansa had requested a four-engine airplane capable of all-weather transatlantic passenger and postal serBV-138s (the company’s two- vice, with a payload of 1,100 letter designation changed in pounds, a range of 3,000 September 1937). Between miles and a cruising speed of 1940 and 1944, about 270 UXP?I\MZ\ISMW_ٺI[ WN \PMÆaQVOJWI\[_MZMJ]QT\ ZMY]QZMLWVTa_Q\P[]ٻKQMV\ Despite its ill-starred begin- fuel for a range of 600 miles; nings, the BV-138 proved to at maximum weight, the airbe an excellent reconnais- plane would be launched sance aircraft and was the only from a shipboard catapult. HFB design manufactured in Vogt consequently designed large numbers. the Ha-139 as an aerodynam-
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
41
FLYING MENAGERIE Among the designs that sprang from Vogt’s prolific pencil: The Ha-140 was intended as a floatplane torpedo bomber; despite its unconventional configuration, the BV-141 impressed pilots with its fine flying qualities; the Ha-142 went from airliner to long-range patrol plane; 13 BV-222s were built, but only three survived the war.
42
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
HA-140
BV-141
HA-142
BV-222
QKITTaKTMIV[TMVLMZJWLQMLÆWI\XTIVM_Q\PÆWI\[R][\TIZOM MVW]OP\W[][\IQVQ\I\LQUQVQ[PML_MQOP\1\[MVOQVM[_MZM\PM [IUM2]UWLQM[MT[I[_MZM][MLQV\PM WO\¼[NWVLVM[[NWZ\PM\]J]TIZ[XIZ_PQKPLW]JTML I[IN]MT\IVSUQTQ\I\MLIOIQV[\\IXMZI[Q\_W]TLPI^MUILM NIJZQKI\QVO\PM[XIZ[UWZMLQٻK]T\)JW]\IaMIZIN\MZTI]VKPQVO\PM!XZWOZIUPW_M^MZ0.*MUJIZSMLWVI[QUQTIZJ]\ [UITTMZÆWI\XTIVM\PM0I \WZXMLWJWUJMZMY]QXXML_Q\P \_W!PX*5?ZILQIT[1\[W]\MZ_QVOXIVMT[_MZM\IXMZML I[_MZM\PMQZ\]J]TIZ[XIZ[ WO\
_I[ LM[QOVQVO \PM IQZXTIVM NWZ _PQKP PM Q[ XZQVKQXITTa ZMUMUJMZMLIVL_PQKPJM[\ LQ[XTIa[\PMWZQOQVITQ\aWN PQ[ \PQVSQVO"\PMNIUW][TaI[aUUM\ZQKIT*> ¼[[QVOTM PX*5?ZILQIT_I[UW]V\ML WV\PMVW[MWN ITWVOJWWU NZWU_PW[MIN\MVL[XZW]\ML I^MZ\QKITÅVIVLQVTI\MZ^MZ[QWV[IPWZQbWV\IT[\IJQTQbMZ \PI\M`\MVLMLITUW[\MV\QZMTa \W\PMTMN\WN \PMÅVQVWZLMZ\W _QLMV\PMÅMTLWN ÅZMNWZ\PM \IQTO]VVMZ
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP With a takeoff weight of more than 100 tons and a nearly 200-foot wingspan, the BV-238 was the world’s largest airplane during World War II.
\PMVQVKPIZOMWN IQZKZIN\IKY]Q[Q\QWVNWZ\PM4]N\_IٺMTWWXML IVLZWTTMLQ\WVPQ[ÅZ[\ÆQOP\QV)XZQT! W[[\PM4]N\_IٺM_Q\PLZM_\PM WJ[MZ^I\QWVXTIVMZMY]QZMUMV\\PI\PILUW\Q^I\ML\PM ¼[ LIZQVOKWVÅO]ZI\QWVIVL>WO\ZMKWVÅO]ZML\PMIQZXTIVMI[I TQOP\JWUJMZ1VITT WN \PMU_MZMJ]QT\QVKT]LQVO\PMXZW\W \aXM[IVLLMTQ^MZQM[MVLMLQV5Ia!
ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL UHR
E
IZTaQV\PM_IZQ\_I[I[[]UMLI\TMI[\QV/MZUIVa\PI\ \PMWO\ZM[XWVLML_Q\PIV \W[MI\PQOP_QVO\_QVMVOQVM LM[QOV\PI\UILM][MWN \PM^IZQIJTMQVKQLMVKM_QVOPMPIL IXXTQML\WWVM0I XZW\W\aXM+WV[\Z]K\QWVWN \PMIQZXTIVM \PM*> _I[NIZUMLW]\\W\PM*ZMO]M\NIK\WZaQVWKK]XQML .ZIVKM_PQKPJ]QT\WVMXZW\W\aXM\PI\ÆM_IV]UJMZWN \QUM[ ?Q\P\PMVMMLNWZ/MZUIVIQZTQVMZ[JMKWUQVOQVKZMI[QVOTa ZMUW\MQ\_I[]T\QUI\MTa[KZIXXML )VW\PMZ4]N\PIV[IZMY]QZMUMV\Q[[]MLJMNWZMPW[\QTQ\QM[ JMOIV_I[NWZITIZOM\ZIV[I\TIV\QKÆaQVOJWI\NWZKIZOWIVL XI[[MVOMZ[MZ^QKM\W\PM=VQ\ML;\I\M[IVL*ZIbQT1V! 0.* JMOIV_WZSWVIKWV^MV\QWVITTaKWVÅO]ZMLÆaQVOJWI\WN NWW\[XIVIVLIOZW[[_MQOP\WN XW]VL[>WO\KWV[QLMZML \PM\PMV[\IVLIZLKWUXTMUMV\WN NW]ZMVOQVM[I[][MLWV\PM ;QSWZ[SaIVL5IZ\QV¹+TQXXMZ[º\PI\8IV)UÆM_WVQ\[8IKQÅK ZW]\M[QVILMY]I\MNWZN]\]ZMLM^MTWXUMV\[WPMMTMK\ML\W][M [Q`PX*5?*ZIUWZILQIT[,M[QOVI\ML\PM*> Wiking>QSQVO\PMÅZ[\XZW\W\aXMZWTTMLW]\QV)]O][\! )\\PI\XWQV\\PM_IZPILJMMVOWQVOWVNWZITUW[\IaMIZ 1V[\MILWN 4]N\PIV[I\PM4]N\_IٺM\WWSLMTQ^MZaWN \PMXZW L]K\QWVIQZXTIVM[JMOQVVQVOQV5Ia!
THE BV-141 LOOKED LIKE A COLLECTION OF RANDOM PARTS ASSEMBLED BY A WHIMSICAL CHILD. PW_M^MZWVTa\PZMMZMUIQVML 7VM _I[ \ISMV \W -VOTIVL IVL\_W\W\PM=VQ\ML;\I\M[# ITT_MZMM^MV\]ITTa[KZIXXML )\\PMJMOQVVQVOWN ! 0.*¼[ WXMZI\QWV[ MVKWU XI[[ML[WUM![Y]IZM NMM\ WN NIK\WZa [XIKM IVL MUXTWaML _WZSMZ[ IVLIT[WWN \PMTI]VKPWN I VM_XZWRMK\\PM*> QV ZM[XWV[M\WIV:45ZMY]M[\ )ÆaQVOJWI\OMVMZITTa[QUQTIZ \W\PMQVIXXMIZIVKM\PM _W]TLI\\PM\QUMJM\PM _WZTL¼[TIZOM[\IQZXTIVM_Q\P I_QVO[XIVWN ! NMM\IVLI \ISMW_ٺMQOP\WN UWZM\PIV XW]VL[1\_I[XW_ MZML Ja [Q` PX 2]UW LQM[MT[ _Q\P UM\PIVWT QVRMK\QWV[]XXTMUMV\MLNWZ PMI^a\ISMW[ٺJaNW]ZRM\\Q
[WVIJTMZWKSM\JWW[\MZ[XZW L]KQVO XW]VL[¼\PZ][\ MIKP1\PILIKZ]Q[QVOZIVOM WN UQTM[I\UXP 7VM WN \PM [KPMUM[ MV^Q [QWVMLNWZ\PM*> _I[\W I\\IKS6M_AWZS_Q\PJWUJ[ \ISMVIJWIZLNZWUI=JWI\I\ IUQLWKMIVZMVLMb^W][ ;PWZ\Ta IN\MZ \PM TI]VKP WN \PM XZWRMK\ >WO\ [SM\KPMLITIVLXTIVM^MZ[QWV \PM*> WO\[SM\KPMLQV! _Q\P \PMM`XMK\I\QWV\PI\Q\KW]TL JMJ]QT\NWZ4]N\PIV[IIN\MZ \PM_IZ1\NMI\]ZMLT]`]ZQW][ [\MIU[PQXTQSMIKKWUUWLI \QWV[NWZXI[[MVOMZ[WV \PZMM LMKS[ _Q\P I ¹LIVK QVO JIZ IVL ^QM_ ZWWUº []ZZW]VLML Ja XIVWZIUQK _QVLW_[ \PM IQZXTIVM _I[ ]VXZM[[]ZQbML WV \PM \WX TM^MT ?Q\P I _QVO[XIV WN NMM\I\ISMW_ٺMQOP\WN XW]VL[ IVL MQOP\ MVOQVM[LZQ^QVOKWV\ZIZW\I\ QVOXZWXMTTMZ[Q\_I[[QUQTIZ QV [KITM IVL KWVKMX\QWV \W \PM 0]OPM[ 0 ¹;XZ]KM /WW[Mº*W\PZMUIQVK]ZQW[Q \QM[JMKI][M\PMMZIWN \PMÆa QVOJWI\MVLML_Q\P\PM_IZ _PMVQV\MZKWV\QVMV\IT\ZI^MT JMKIUM\PMXZW^QVKMWN NI[\ ,W]OTI[IVL4WKSPMMLTIVL
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
43
BV-40
OUTSIDE THE BOX The variable-geometry, obliquewing configuration of Vogt’s P.202 proposal would later be applied to NASA’s Burt Rutan–designed AD-1. The BV-40 glider was intended to attack Allied bombers, but ironically all examples were destroyed on the ground in a bombing raid. Opposite: The BV-155 high-altitude interceptor took up where Messerschmitt left off.
44
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
planes. As Stuka designer Hermann Pohlmann later remarked, ¹;XMMLUILMKWUNWZ\[]XMZÆ]W][º 1V5IZKP! \PMÅZ[\¸IVLWVTa¸*> TQN\MLWٺNZWU \PM-TJM:Q^MZJM[QLM\PM*>XTIV\*a\PI\\QUM)TTQMLÅOP\ MZ[PIL[MK]ZMLIQZ[]XMZQWZQ\aW^MZ/MZUIVaIVLÆQOP\\M[\QVO PILJMKWUMIUWZM\PIV][]ITTaXMZQTW][J][QVM[[;WUM*> NIKQTQ\QM[PILJMMVPMI^QTaJWUJMLIVL\PMZM[\_MZM]VLMZ constant threat. Nevertheless, the gigantic airplane, sheltering JM\_MMVÆQOP\[]VLMZPMI^aKIUW]ÆIOMWVIVMIZJaTISMUIV IOML\W[]Z^Q^M]V\QT\PMNWTTW_QVO[XZQVO_PMVQ\_I[LM\MK\ML Ja)TTQMLÅOP\MZ[[\ZINMLIVL[]VS <_WW\PMZ[UITTMZXZWRMK\[_MZMJMO]VTI\MQV\PM_IZJ]\ VM^MZXZWOZM[[MLJMaWVLMIZTaÆQOP\\M[\[7VM\PM*> _I[ IOTQLMZQV\MVLML\WJM\W_ML\WIT\Q\]LMJaIV5M!\WI\\IKS )TTQMLJWUJMZNWZUI\QWV[NZWUIJW^M7LLTaKWV[QLMZQVO\PM K]T\]ZITLQٺMZMVKM[JM\_MMV2IXIVIVL/MZUIVa>WO\QVQ\QITTa MV^Q[QWVMLSIUQSIbM[\aTMZIUUQVO\IK\QK[ _W]TLPI^MJMMVILQٻK]T\\IZOM\NWZ)TTQMLM[KWZ\ ÅOP\MZ[;M^MZIT_MZMJ]QT\IVL\M[\ÆW_VQV\PM[XZQVOWN ! J]\\PM:45^QM_ML\PMU_Q\PTQ\\TMMV\P][QI[UIVLI[T]KS _W]TLPI^MQ\ITTM`IUXTM[JW\PÅVQ[PMLIVLQVKWUXTM\M_MZM LM[\ZWaMLQV\PMQZNIK\WZaQVIV7K\WJMZ! JWUJQVOZIQL )VW\PMZXZWRMK\\MKPVQKITTaUWZMIUJQ\QW][_I[\PM*> _PQKP*>\WWSW^MZNZWU5M[[MZ[KPUQ\\
TOP LEFT: ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL UHR
P.202
WN \PM!_Q\PIVM`\MVLML _QVO[XIVIVLIUWZMMٺMK\Q^M []XMZKPIZOMZ >WO\ QV[Q[\ML on starting more or less from scratch. The result, built in R][\VQVMUWV\P[_I[I[\ZQS QVOIQZXTIVM_Q\PI_QVO[XIV of 67 feet, a turbocharged PXMVOQVMIVL\_WTIZOM radiators located midspan on \PM_QVO[1\\WWSNM_MZ\PIV ILWbMV\M[\ÆQOP\[\WZM^MIT that keeping a reciprocating MVOQVMPIXXaI\ NMM\ _I[VW\I[MI[aI[Q\TWWSML In addition to manned air KZIN\*>LM^MTWXML[M^MZIT Flugkörper, or unmanned air KZIN\WN _PQKPP]VLZML[WN M`IUXTM[_MZMJ]QT\WO\¼[ QV _PQKP \PM :45 evinced little interest. The ÅZ[\WN \PMUJMO]VQV!! IVLM^MV\]ITTaIJIVLWVMLQV ! _I[IVIV\Q[PQXUQ[[QTM KIZZaQVOIXW]VL_IZ PMIL1\_I[LM[QOVML\WJM launched from an airplane, IKKMTMZI\ML\W UXPJaI small rocket motor and then to glide to its target. ! _I[IOTQLMZIQZNZIUMLM[QOVML to be attached to a conven tional marine torpedo. This KWV\ZIX\QWV¸UILMMV\QZMTa WN [\MMT¸IZZQ^ML\WWTI\M\WJM WN ][M# _MZMJ]QT\QV! J]\\PMLM[\Z]K\QWVWN \PM NIK\WZaIVL\PMQUUQVMV\KWT TIX[MWN \PM/MZUIVUQTQ\IZa JZW]OP\\PMXZWRMK\\WIVMVL The third, a pure glider JWUJ_I[I^MZa[QUXTMIVL IMZWLaVIUQKITTa MTMOIV\ design, similar in appearance \WIUWLMZV[IQTXTIVM_Q\P I KTMIV [PW]TLMZUW]V\ML NWW\ _QVO WN ^MZa PQOP aspect ratio and a tear LZWX[PIXMLZW]VLN][MTIOM ?Q\PIOTQLMZI\QWWN \W Q\KW]TLÆaUQTM[NZWUI TI]VKPIT\Q\]LMWN NMM\ 4QSM\PM\WZXMLWKIZZQMZ\PQ[ design, a potential competitor \W\PM>J]bbJWUJIZZQ^ML \WWTI\MQV\PM_IZ\WPI^MIVa practical application.
W
ith the exception of the asymmetrical BV-141, the aircraft actually manufactured by B&V did VW\ZMÆMK\\PMZMITQV^MV\Q^MVM[[WN :QKPIZL>WO\ ,]ZQVO\PM_IZ¼[ÅVITaMIZ[PMLM^MTWXMLUIVa ¹XZWRMK\ºLM[QOV[7VM\PM8 KIZZQML\PMQLMIWN \PM ¼[^QM_QUXZW^QVOW[ٺM\VIKMTTM\W\PMM`\ZMUM¸XTIKQVO XQTW\WJ[MZ^MZIVLO]VVMZ[QVVIKMTTM[I\\PM\QX[WN \PM_QVO[ )VW\PMZ\PM8 PQOP[XMMLJWUJMZUW]V\ML\PZMMZILQIT MVOQVM[WVMQV\PMKMV\MZIVLWVMI\MIKP_QVO\QXIVLXTIKML \PMKWKSXQ\JMPQVL\PMJWUJJIaI\\PM^MZa\IQT >WO\OZMM\ML\PMIZZQ^ITWN \PMRM\MVOQVM_Q\P[M^MZITVW^MT LM[QOV[QVKT]LQVOINW]ZMVOQVMJWUJMZIVL[M^MZIT[QVOTM[MI\ ÅOP\MZ[WVMWN \PMUNMI\]ZQVOI[\MMXTaNWZ_IZL[_MX\_QVO0M ]VLMZ[\WWL\PM^IT]MWN _QVO[_MMXNWZ\ZIV[WVQKLZIOZML]K\QWV_PQKPPILWZQOQVITTaJMMVLM[KZQJMLI\IVIMZWLaVIUQK[ KWVNMZMVKMQV1\ITaQV! J]\_PQKPMT]LML\PM)TTQM[]V\QT\PM =;JMOIVQUXWZ\QVO/MZUIV[KQMV\Q[\[IVLMVOQVMMZ[IN\MZ\PM _IZ:MUIZSIJTa>WO\IT[WXZWXW[MLI^IZQIJTMOMWUM\Za¹[KQ[[WZ[_QVOºLM[QOV\PM8QV_PQKP\PMMV\QZM_QVOZW\I\MLQV\W IV@[PIXM_Q\PZM[XMK\\W\PMN][MTIOM0ITN IKMV\]ZaTI\MZI 6);)[\]LaWN M`IK\Ta\PQ[KWVKMX\TML\PZW]OP\PMKWV[\Z]K\QWVWN I[KITMLLW_V\M[\UWLMTI\5WRI^M\W\PMNW]VLQVOWN *]Z\:]\IV¼[VW_NIUW][XZW\W\aXM[PWX;KITML+WUXW[Q\M[ *>IVL0.*¸IT_Ia[\PM[IUMÅZU]VLMZ\_WVIUM[¸ []Z^Q^ML\PM_IZW[[Q\[Y]IQV\IUXMZ[IVL ZMXTIKMLJaIPQXTWWSQVOXT][[QOVKWV\QV]M[\WXZWL]KM[PQX[ IVLXZQ^I\MaIKP\[0.*ZMUIQVMLQV\PMPIVL[WN \PM*TWPU NIUQTa]V\QT! !KWV\QV]QVO\WXZWL]KM^IZQW][IQZNZIUM[ QVKT]LQVOQ\[W_V0IV[IJ][QVM[[RM\ZMUIZSIJTMNWZ\PM][MWN I [_MX\NWZ_IZL_QVO0.*_I[\PMVUMZOMLQV\W5M[[MZ[KPUQ\\ *TSW_*TWPUIVLUW[\ZMKMV\TaPI[NWZUMLXIZ\WN \PM )QZJ][+WV[WZ\Q]U )\\PMMVLWN \PM_IZ:QKPIZL>WO\JMKIUMWVMWN \PM ¹7XMZI\QWV 8IXMZKTQXº QUUQOZIV\[ NZWU /MZUIVa \W \PM =VQ\ML;\I\M[0M_WZSMLQVQ\QITTaNWZ\PM)QZ.WZKMIVLTI\MZ NWZ*WMQVOM^MV\]ITTaZM\QZQVO\W;IV\I*IZJIZI+ITQN_PMZM PMLQMLQV! ! Los Angeles–based aviation writer Peter Garrison has built two airplanes of his own design. Further reading: *TWPU>W[[*^ , by Heinz J. Nowarra; *TWPU>W[[*^ , by David Myhra; and *TWPU>W[[*^?QSQVOJa:]LWTN 0WÆQVO BV-155
THE TUBULAR SPAR
A
metal tube has excellent structural qualities, resisting both bending and torsion up to high stress levels without buckling. A cylindrical wing spar, therefore, can handle all types of wing loads in a single simple structure, and serve as a fuel tank as well. But it has disadvantages. Most of the potential strength of the rest of the material in the wing, particularly the skin, goes to waste. Furthermore, a simple tube that is sufficiently strong at the wing root is far too strong, and therefore heavy, farther outboard; so some of the simplicity of manufacturing the tube is lost to the complexities of tapering it. Aeronautical engineers have generally preferred wing structures based on I-beams or boxes with reinforced top and bottom skins. Richard Vogt, however, reasoned that the simplicity, robustness and versatility of the cylindrical spar outweighed its disadvantages. He used tubular spars in almost all his designs, arriv-
CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURE Vogt used the tubular wing spar (top) on most of his designs, including the Ha-139. ing eventually at gigantic shells built up out of multiple riveted layers. In the BV-238, these spars were more than 4 feet in diameter and nearly half an inch thick at the root, and could hold more than 10,000 gallons of fuel. One disadvantage of the cylindrical spar is that long, thin tubes lack the stiffness that results from concentrating most of the stressed material at the extreme top and bottom of the beam, as I- and box-beams do. Eventually, the trend toward faster airplanes with thinner wings made even Vogt resort to a box beam, with corrugated top and bottom skins, for the BV-155 high-altitude fighter. P.G.
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
45
QUEEN OF THE AIR THE BEAUTIFUL BEECH STAGGERWING MODEL 17 EMBODIES THE HANDCRAFTED ELEGANCE OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF CIVIL AVIATION BY STEPHAN WILKINSON 46
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
GRACEFUL BIRD Beech Staggerwing NC14413 shows off its clean lines near Chino, Calif. Built in 1935 as a B17E, it was later up-powered to a B17R.
THE BEECH STAGGERWING IS JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY’S IDEA OF THE ULTIMATE 1930S LUXURY PRIVATE AIRCRAFT. UGLY DUCKLING The prototype Staggerwing (above) had fixed landing gear and huge wheelpants. It was the brainchild of Walter Beech (above right), shown in 1925.
48
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
There isn’t a 10-most-beautiful-airplanes list published that doesn’t include the Staggerwing, and every classic airplanes calendar devotes a photo to Beech’s backward bird. Yet this milestone biplane began life as a sales failure, and was ugly as a pug to boot. How it found its way to aviation-icon sta\][Q[I\ITM\PI\LMÅVM[\PMOZW_\PIVLZIXQLTa QVKZMI[QVO[WXPQ[\QKI\QWVWN XZQ^I\MÆaQVOQV\PM 1930s and mid-1940s. Walter Beech, who had joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I, followed the classic postwar path of barnstorming and itinerIV\ÆaQVOJ]\PMXIZTIaMLQ\QV\W[M^MZITQVKZMI[-
ingly important piloting and management jobs in the struggling Kansas aviation scene. In 1925 he and two other soon-to-be-famous names, Clyde Cessna and Lloyd Stearman, formed their own aircraft manufacturing company, Travel Air. Travel Air pioneered the then-new concept of creating fuselage frames out of welded steel tubing rather than wood, and its open-cockpit biplanes were comparatively fast and reliable, thanks in large part to their Wright Whirlwind engines. The Model J Whirlwinds designed by Charles 4I_ZIVKM_MZM\PM_WZTL¼[ÅZ[\LMILV]\[LMXMVLable aircraft engines. They arrived after a decade
PREVIOUS PAGES: PAUL BOWEN PHOTOGRAPHY; THESE PAGES: BEECHCRAFT
of heavy, watercooled WWI survivors—HispanoSuizas, Liberty V12s, dreadful Curtiss OX-5 V8s that were obsolete even before the war ended. The light, simple, bulletproof Wright family of radials, particularly the 9-cylinder J-5, made Charles Lindbergh’s Atlantic crossing not only possible but inevitable. Travel Air’s most notorious product was its exclusive series of Type R Mystery Ships, though these were created despite Walter Beech. They were lowwing monoplanes, and Beech was a biplane guy. For him, the bridge truss created by a pair of strutand wire-braced wings was the way to go, and this would be memorialized in his choice of a biplane KWVÅO]ZI\QWVNWZ\PM;\IOOMZ_QVOI\I\QUM_PMV the industry was turning toward monoplanes. The five Type Rs that Travel Air ultimately manufactured were a serious attempt to beat the military in the air racing game. Since the Army and Navy had exclusive access to powerful new engines, it was hard for civilian racers to best them. But the Mystery Ships—so called because they were created under plant-wide Travel Air secrecy—had several features that also found their way into the original Staggerwing: a thin, fast, Navy N-9 airfoil; a NACA full engine cowling; and slippery but pudgy wheelpants. Walter Beech was a good pilot and an excellent businessman. Travel Air was sold to conglomerate Curtiss-Wright in 1929, and Beech suddenly found himself a rich man and a vice president, behind a desk in New York City. He didn’t enjoy it, because he had a dream of creating a personal superplane—an aircraft that would be the world’s fastest private airplane and an alternative to airline travel. In October 1929, Wall Street augured in and Beech’s Curtiss-Wright stock plummeted from $30 a share to 75 cents, but Beech had squirreled away a nice cash horde from the sale of Travel Air. It was enough, in 1932, to bankroll the establishment of the Beech Aircraft Company, otherwise known as Beechcraft. Herb Rawdon—the “R” in Mystery Ship Type R—had been Travel Air’s best-known name, but ?IT\MZKPW[M\W\MIU]X_Q\PILQٺMZMV\
IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE STAGGERWING WAS THE MOST COMPLEX SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE EVER INVENTED.
OVERSEAS SWAN Aero Mobiloil shipped this B17L to Europe for use as a corporate bizplane and to promote its products.
I\\ZIK\Q^MIQZXTIVM1\PILMVWZUW][\PW]OPMٺMK\Q^M_PMMTXIV\[W^MZÅ`MLVIZZW_\ZIKSTIVLQVO gear. The wheels semi-retracted six inches into the _PMMTXIV\[QVÆQOP\X]TTML]XJaMTMK\ZQKUW\WZ[ against the coil springs/oleo struts. The engine was a broad, brutish 420-hp 9-cylinder Wright Cyclone on a snub nose. The airplane was overpriced, overXW_MZMLIVLNI]T\aQV[M^MZITIZMI[_Q\PLQٻK]T\ landing characteristics and poor ground handling. Ted Wells had learned to work with tube frames, fabric and wood. The era of monocoque metal airplanes that was just beginning was not his friend. Even in the mid-1930s, when he went on to design the Beech Model 18—the classic Twin Beech—he designed it around a massive tubular-steel-frame center section and cabin structure that extended outward to cantilever the twin radial engines. It has been said that the Staggerwing was the most complex single-engine airplane ever invented, UISQVOM^MV?WZTL?IZ11UWVWKWY]MÅOP\MZ[ look simple. As a result, every Staggerwing was [TQOP\TaLQٺMZMV\¸PIVLJ]QT\KZIN\MLKWI`MLIVL teased into shape. Restoring a basket-case Stag is a job that has driven many a vintage-airplane pro to despair, if not bankruptcy. 1\_W]TLJM\_WaMIZ[JMNWZM\PMÅZ[\;\IOOMZ wing was sold, for $14,565.81—equivalent to just over a quarter-million dollars today. It was the *MMKP)QZKZIN\+WUXIVa¼[^MZaÅZ[\[ITM?IT\MZ Beech’s timing had been unfortunate, for the 5WLMT \ZQML\WÅVLJ]aMZ[L]ZQVO\PM_WZ[\ aMIZ[WN \PM,MXZM[[QWV
I
n an aviation equivalent of the Silicon Valley “born in a garage” meme, the Staggerwing was born in a kitchen, where Wells first sketched the basic layout. When he limned the original Staggerwing Model 17, it was not an m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
49
50
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
5MTJW]ZVM5IK:WJMZ\[WV1V\MZVI\QWVIT
ABOVE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; OPPOSITE: (TOP) RAYTHEON, (BOTTOM) SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM; RIGHT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
RAMPING UP Beech employees work on an A17F (foreground) for delivery to the Goodall Worsted Corporation.
the Department of Commerce inspectors were accustomed to approving, nor were they familiar with Wells and his capabilities. Worse, the inspec\WZ[SMX\ÅVLQVOUQ[\ISM[QV?MTT[¼[\ZM[[IVITa[Q[ computations. They also squawked a number of his design features, though it could be claimed that they were micromanaging every step of the approval process, in a manner familiar to anyone who has ever had to deal with cover-your-ass aviation bureaucrats.
[]J[\IV\QITZMLM[QOV[IVL]XOZILQVO[
L
et’s also deal with the burning question, why negatively staggered wings? A conventional biplane has positively staggered wings, meaning the leading edge of the upper wing is forward of the lower wing’s leading edge. Negative stagger thus means an upper wing farther aft than the lower wing. Several rationalizations for Ted Wells’ design choice are typically WٺMZML¸JM\\MZ[\ITTKPIZIK\MZQ[\QK[IVLIVQLMIT location for the main landing gear—but Wells actually had just one reason for choosing negative stagger: better cockpit visibility. The upper wing hid as little as possible of the pilot’s gaze upward and to the sides, and for Wells this was what made a cabin biplane workable: put the pilot out in the sunlight, not under a wing-roof. The forward-mounted lower wing did allow the landing gear legs to be paired with the main wing spar rather than having to be braced and tied in separately to the fuselage framework. This made the adoption of retractable landing gear for all Bthrough G-model Staggerwings particularly easy, but that was an unintended consequence of Wells’ original design choice. B17 Staggerwings had a comparatively short N][MTIOMIVLIVMVOQVMPMI^aVW[M?Q\PLQٻK]T\ to-modulate Johnson bar brakes—a lever like the center-mounted parking brakes in many modern cars—the Bs still had lousy ground-handling characteristics. The Johnson bar applied both mainwheel brakes, and displacement of the rudder pedals determined how much braking power went to each wheel. It was an act of coordination that made keeping a Staggerwing straight on the rollout a challenge. But the B hit a sweet spot—the right airplane at
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE IN,” BEECH BELLOWED, “A POTATO RACE? OPEN THIS DAMN THING UP!”
OFF TO THE RACES Top: Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes won the 1936 Bendix Trophy race in this C17R. Above: Vincent Bendix congratulates Thaden (left) and Noyes. Left: The Army Air Forces’ UC-43 was a modified D17.
the right price at the right time—that attracted not only corporate operators but wealthy sport pilots. By September 1934, Beech had delivered 11 B17s, \PW]OPITTWN \PMUPIL\MUXWZIZa\aXMKMZ\QÅKI\M[ Ted Wells still hadn’t been able to provide the Department of Commerce with the paperwork it needed to certify the airplane. The DoC blamed the delay on “the incompleteness, inaccuracy and generally unsuccessful completion of [Beech’s] technical data.” Still, a year later the sales total was 35 B17Es, Ls and Rs. The Staggerwing was on its way to worldwide fame. The next Staggerwing model, the C17, found fame as the raceplane in which Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes won the 1936 cross-country *MVLQ`
AH
51
52
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
later deemed to be 15 Gs—certainly a bogus number, perhaps promulgated by Beech to suggest that Staggerwings were uniquely strong. Beechcraft needed all the help it could get. ,]ZQVO5IaIVL2]VM! \PZMM;\IOOMZ_QVO IKKQLMV\[_MZMI\\ZQJ]\ML\WKWV\ZWT[]ZNIKMÆ]\\MZ .: XQTW\ÆaQVOQV\WI\P]VLMZ[\WZU_PQKP_I[\PM KI[MWZ\]ZJ]TMVKMQVL]KQVOÆ]\\MZ\PMIQZXTIVM had been forced into an unsurvivable situation.
ABOVE: STOCKTREK IMAGES, INC./ALAMY; RIGHT: BEECHCRAFT; ILLUSTRATION BY STEVE KARP
ART DECO AVIAN Bill Charney pilots his D17S The Red Rockette over Lake Tahoe. Opposite: Beech poses with an F17D after making its first test flight.
at cruise power.” Thaden got the Harmon Trophy for winning the race, and subsequently became a Staggerwing sales agent and demo pilot. The all-metal Twin Beech 18 was Beech’s future, but Walter knew he needed to do something to upgrade the Stag and keep it in production. The result was the D17 and E17 series, with a lengthened fuselage for better landing and groundhandling characteristics, toe brakes in place of the old Johnson bar rig and a fully enclosed retractable tailwheel. The D17S, with a 450-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial, became the most popular Staggerwing ever manufactured, and Beech now had a range of biplanes from the 166-mph-cruise E17L to the 202-mph D17S. Unfortunately, trouble then struck: a series of accidents that blackened the famous biplane’s ZMX]\I\QWV
TECH NOTES Beech would become familiar with this problem when the Staggerwing’s successor, the Beechcraft Bonanza, gained the cruel nickname “the doctor killer.” Both the Staggerwing and the Bonanza found their way into the hands of pilots wealthy enough to buy them but not smart enough to know their limits. The Stag survived despite calls for the OZW]VLQVOWN \PMMV\QZMÆMM\
BEECH G17S STAGGERWING SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE 450-hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior 9-cylinder radial driving a 99-inch Hamilton Standard controllable-pitch two-blade propeller
M
IVa;\IOOMZ_QVO[MVLML]XÆaQVONWZ the U.S. military during World War II. Initially, the Army Air Corps “requisitioned” some 120 privately owned Stags. The Army and Navy bought 270 slightly UWLQÅML, [IVLZMVIUML\PMU=+
WINGSPAN 32 feet WING AREA 296.5 square feet LENGTH 26 feet 10 inches HEIGHT 8 feet WEIGHT 2,800 lbs. (empty) 4,250 lbs. (loaded) MAXIMUM SPEED 212 mph CRUISING SPEED 201 mph CLIMB RATE 1,400 feet per minute CEILING 23,000 feet CRUISING RANGE 1,565 mi.
THE POSTWAR G17S REMAINS THE ULTIMATE STAGGERWING.
world champion racer of Snipes, one of the most intensely contested of all international one-design sailboat racing classes. Olive Ann—Walter Beech had married his secretary, who competently but imperiously took over the company after his death QV! ¸NMT\\PI\?MTT[_I[VMOTMK\QVO*MMKPKZIN\ to go sailing. 1V\PM aMIZ[NZWU!\W! *MMKPKZIN\ UIV]NIK\]ZML ;\IOOMZ_QVO[\PMTI[\[M^MZIT assembled from components bought back from a large Beech parts dealer. Two hundred and eightytwo airframes are thought to survive, but fewer \PIVIZMÆaQVO=VTQSMZIZMKTI[[QKKIZ[KQ^QT airplanes don’t attain stratospheric values, and a OWWLÆaQVO;\IOKIVXZWJIJTaJMPILNWZPITN I million dollars. The Staggerwing’s reign as Queen of the Air was brief but spectacular. Contributing editor Stephan Wilkinson recommends for further reading: The Staggerwing Story, by Edward H. Phillips, and Staggerwing!, by Robert T. Smith and Thomas A. Lempicke. m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
53
SABRE ACE Pakistan Air Force Squadron Leader Muhammad Alam climbs aboard a North American F-86F at Sargodha air base in 1965.
54
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
AIR WAR OVER KASHMIR THE 1965 INDO-PAKISTANI WAR PITTED SABRES AND STARFIGHTERS AGAINST BRITISH AND FRENCH FIGHTERS IN LOW-LEVEL COMBAT BY DON HOLLWAY
ALL OVER THE WORLD, FIGHTER PILOTS ARE THE SAME. THEY WON’T STAND FOR ENEMY AIRCRAFT ATTACKING THEIR NEST.
FIVE DOWN? Alam (above) was credited with shooting down five Hawker Hunters on September 7, 1965 (including the one shown above right), but the Indian Air Force reported only two pilots killed.
56
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
In early September 1965, Squadron Leader Muhammad Alam of the Pakistan Air Force dived his North American F-86F ;IJZMIN\MZ[M^MV1VLQIV)QZ.WZKM0I_SMZ. 0]V\MZÅOP\MZ JWUJMZ[ZIQLQVO;IZOWLPII8ISQ[\IVQIQZJI[M UQTM[_M[\ of the Indian border. ¹1\WWS\PMTI[\UIVIVLLQ^MLJMPQVLPQUOM\\QVO^MZaTW_ QV\PMXZWKM[[ºZMKW]V\ML)TIU0MPILÆW_V\PM0]V\MZQV Britain, and knew that it “can out-run the Sabre—it’s only about SVW\[NI[\MZJ]\PI[IU]KPJM\\MZIKKMTMZI\QWV[WQ\KIVX]TT I_Ia^MZaZIXQLTaº*]\)TIUPIL PW]Z[QV\PM. [WUM WN \PMPQOPM[\O]VVMZa[KWZM[QV\PM8).IVLIXIQZWN PMI\ [MMSQVOUQ[[QTM[]VLMZPQ[_QVO[¹;QVKM1_I[LQ^QVO1_I[OWQVO [\QTTNI[\MZIVLI[PM_I[W]\WN O]VZIVOM1ÅZML\PMÅZ[\WN Ua two GAR-8 Sidewinder missiles at him. In this case, we were \WWTW_IVL1[I_\PMUQ[[QTMPQ\\PMOZW]VL[PWZ\WN Q\[\IZOM\º )[\PM1VLQIVNWZUI\QWVJZWSM]X)TIUÅZMLPQ[[MKWVLUQ[[QTM¹1LQLV¼\[MMQ\[\ZQSMºPM[IQL¹
ZIVOM\PMaITT[I_UM
IUXQZMRM\[PILÅZ[\ ÆW_VL]ZQVO?WZTL?IZ11)LWbMV[MV\\W[\ZINM8ISQ[\IVQ\IVS[ WV;MX\MUJMZXZW^MLMI[aUMI\NWZ8).;IJZM[_PQKPQV\PM KWVÆQK\¼[ÅZ[\LWOÅOP\[KWZML\PZMM^QK\WZQM[NWZVWTW[[M[?Q\P _IZPI^QVOVW\aM\JMMVLMKTIZML;IJZMXQTW\;YL4LZ;IZNIZIb :IÅY]Q[KWZML\_WJMNWZMY]MZaQVOPQ[ZILIZOZW]VLKWV\ZWTTMZ ¹,QLaW]UMIV][\W[PWW\\WSQTTWZ\WNZQOP\MV'º ¹IÅOP\MZJWUJMZ[
PHOTOS: PAKISTAN AIR FORCE; ILLUSTRATIONS: DON HOLLWAY
ALAM’S F-86F SABRE
IAF FOLLAND F.1 GNAT
“I NEVER FOUGHT AT SUCH LOW ALTITUDES AGAIN,” ALAM SAID, “NOR OFTEN AT SUCH LOW SPEEDS.” QUUMLQI\MTa QVNWZUML UM \PI\ WVM 5a[\vZM PIL JMMV shot down and that another PILJMMVLIUIOML1\_I[ IT[W\PMÅZ[\KWUJI\SQTTJaIVa 5IKPIQZKZIN\IVL\PMÅZ[\ UQ[[QTMSQTTNWZ\PM8ISQ[\IV)QZ .WZKMº 1VLQI KTIQUML \PMQZ
WAR TROPHY PAF Flight Lt. Syed Saad Akhtar Hatmi stands beside a Gnat of No. 2 Squadron, IAF, captured at Pasrur on September 3.
IQZKZIN\PILUMZMTaLZWXXML Q\[M`\MZVITN]MT\IVS[_PQKP M`XTWLMLWVQUXIK\ 5MIV_PQTM NTaQVO I\ TW_ TM^MT\WI\\IKS\PM1VLQIVJI[M I\ )LIUX]Z )TIU¼[ \PZMM ;IJZMÆQOP\[XW\\MLNW]Z1). 6W ;Y]ILZWV 0]V\MZ[ KZW[[QVO\PMQZXI\PIJW]\ NMM\W\ٺPMOZW]VL¹1VM^MZ NW]OP\I\[]KPTW_IT\Q\]LM[ IOIQVº)TIU[IQL¹VWZWN\MV I\[]KPTW_[XMML[º
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
57
58
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
TOP: DON HOLLWAY; BOTTOM; COURTESY OF MOHAMMAD SHAUKAT; OPPOSITE PHOTOS: BHARAT-RAKSHAK.COM
FACE-OFF On September 16, Alam makes a head-on pass at a Hunter flown by Prakash Pingale (top), in an illustration by the author. The Indian pilot had already brought down Alam’s wingman, Mohammad Shaukat (above), who was taken prisoner.
the Pakistanis claimed four Hunters, but two Sabres were shot LW_VQVKT]LQVO:IÅY]Q_PWMRMK\ML\WWTW_IVL_I[NW]VL near his wrecked aircraft. He was posthumously awarded the Crescent of Courage, Pakistan’s second-highest military award. On September 7, probably the critical day of the air war, the 1)._I[LM\MZUQVML\W\ISM\PMÅOP\\W8ISQ[\IV)LI_VZIQL by Mystères took Sargodha by surprise. As the Indians scat\MZMLPWUM_IZL.T\4\)URIL0][[IQV3PIVX]Z[]ML\_W of them in his F-104A. He returned to base later that day via bicycle, horse and helicopter, reporting that he’d shot down JW\P5a[\vZM[\PM[MKWVL[WKTW[M\PI\PQ[;\IZÅOP\MZQVOM[\ML M`XTWLMLLMJZQ[NWZKQVOPQU\WMRMK\
only at the last second recognized their side-by-side KWKSXQ\[#KZM_[WN 8ISQ[\IV¼[ )UMZQKIVUILM5IZ\QV* Canberras sat in tandem. Chittagong’s Sabres had actually taken off from
Sabre behind me,” reported Cooke. “I out-manoeuvred him and got behind as he pulled up in a vertical climb and then winged over to go into a vertical dive with me following and ÅZQVOI\PQUITT\PM\QUM1V\PM^MZ\QKITLQ^M1SMX\ÅZQVOI\PQU as he pulled out of the dive....I pulled back on the joystick with UaÅVOMZWV\PM\ZQOOMZIVLOW\W]\WN \PMLQ^M_Q\PO]V[[\QTT ÅZQVO]V\QT1PILM`XMVLMLUaIUU]VQ\QWVº Cooke spotted the remaining Sabre closing on his wingman, IVLI\\IKSML¹
“I KEPT ON FIRING AND CLOSING IN… ON HIM, AND I COULD SEE PIECES OF HIS AIRCRAFT DISINTEGRATING.”
HUNTER AND HUNTED A Sabre (above) attempts to evade a Hunter flown by IAF Flt. Lt. Alfred Cooke (below).
with two kills, bringing his total to nine (hotly disputed by the Indians) and making him Pakistan’s ace of aces. A ceasefire was declared on September 23. Neutral estimates put aircraft losses at 70-odd Indian (about 10 percent of the country’s strength) and 20 Pakistani (seven percent). The venerable F-86, _PMVÆW_VJa[SQTTMLXQTW\[ territory on September 16. proved still capable. The He and the IAF leader, Flying Starfighter, conceived as a 7ٻKMZ8ZISI[P8QVOITM_MV\ high-level interceptor, was after each other’s wingmen, less effective as a low-level, shot them both down, then [TI[PIVLZ]VLWOÅOP\MZ
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
59
THE SUICIDE CLUB THE PIONEERING PILOTS WHO DELIVERED THE U.S. MAIL IN OPEN-COCKPIT BIPLANES HAD ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS JOBS BY RICHARD JENSEN
PHOTOS: NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM
TOUGH WORK New York City Postmaster Thomas Patten hands a mailbag to Lt. Torrey Webb in 1918 for one of the first scheduled U.S. airmail flights. Opposite: Decked out in winter flight gear, William C. “Wild Bill” Hopson displays an airmail pilot’s attitude.
P
W[\7ٻKMXQTW\2IUM[0QTTWVKMVMMLML \PZMM_PWTMKQOIZ[IVLXIZ\WN IVW\PMZ R][\\WÅVL6M_2MZ[Ma0QTTPIL\ISMVWٺ NZWU\PMIQZXWZ\QV+TM^MTIVLJW]VL NWZ6M_*Z]V[_QKSWVPQ[TMOWN IZMO]TIZIQZUIQTZW]\M0M¼LJMMV\WTL\PM _MI\PMZ_I[KTMIZ]X\W\PM)TTMOPMVQM[ _Q\PKTW]LKW^MZNZWU\PMZM\W\PMKWI[\ 1V\PM^QKQVQ\aWN 5MZKMZ8IPMÅVQ[PML IVQVÆQOP\KQOIZIVLTWWSMLI\PQ[IQZXTIVM¼[KTWKS
AH
61
62
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
TOP & RIGHT: BYGONE COLLECTION/ALAMY; BOTTOM: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; OPPOSITE TOP: NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM; STAMP: COURTESY OF GUY ACETO
CLUB MEMBERS Air Mail Service personnel, including pilot Eddie Gardner (atop mailplane), pose for a photo. Above right: Assistant Postmaster General Otto Praeger fired Gardner when he refused to fly his route in foggy weather.
the quality of its equipment, again found itself having to rely on them. Praeger was responsible for overseeing the airmail service from 1918 to 1921, and his insis\MVKMWVUIQV\IQVQVOIÅ`ML[KPML]TMZW]\QVMTa exceeded the ability of his men, his equipment and PQ[IQZÅMTL[AMIZ[TI\MZ8ZIMOMZ_W]TL[XMISOTW_ingly to a radio reporter about the airmail pilots’ heroics. Perhaps time had softened his views. In the early going, he maintained a fairly jaundiced ^QM_WN PQ[UMV
APPOINTED ROUNDS James Hill prepares to inaugurate transcontinental night-andday scheduled airmail service on July 1, 1925. Below: E. Hamilton Lee carried the mail on foot after a crash.
PHOTOS: XXX XXXXXXX
expanded after the strike. By September 1920, the ÅZ[\\ZIV[KWV\QVMV\ITZW]\M_I[QVXTIKM\PW]OPQ\ KWUJQVMLÆQOP\IVLZIQT\ZI^MT;QVKMQ\_I[]V[INM \WÆaI\VQOP\UIQT_I[\ZIV[NMZZMLNZWUXTIVM[ \W\ZIQV[IN\MZLIZSIVL\PMV\ZIV[NMZZMLJIKS\W XTIVM[I\LIaJZMIS ,]ZQVO\PQ[XMZQWLXQTW\[_MZMI[[QOVML\WÆa [M\ZW]\M[JIKSIVLNWZ\PWVILIQTaJI[Q[1V\PM ÆI\IVL[XIZ[MTaXWX]TI\ML5QL_M[\\PI\ZW]\QVM WKKI[QWVITTaTML\WKWUXTIKMVKaIVLJWZMLWU\PI\ \MVLML\WZMQVNWZKM8ZIMOMZ¼[NMIZWN [\]V\ÆaQVO 7VKM-0IUQT\WV4MM\PM[MKWVLXQTW\\W ZMN][M\WÆaQV\PM!!IQZUIQT[\ZQSMLMKQLML\W J]bbIVQKMLQVJIZOMWV\PM5Q[[Q[[QXXQ:Q^MZ ,]ZQVOPQ[LQ^MPMPQ\I[\ZQVOWN \MTMOZIXPTQVM[
PRAEGER’S INSISTENCE ON MAINTAINING A FIXED SCHEDULE ROUTINELY EXCEEDED HIS MEN’S ABILITY.
_PQKPJZWSMNZMMIVL_ZIXXMLIZW]VL\PMXZWXMT TMZITTMaVWZ\PMI[\WN \PM5MLQKQVM *W_ZIVOM5]ZZIaUILMNWZQ\
AH
63
KNIGHT FLIGHT In February 1921, Jack Knight (below) was hailed as a hero after he flew the mail from Omaha, Neb., to Chicago at night.
mountainside right around sundown. Marking his direction based on the sunset, Murray walked for about two hours before spending the night crouched under a cedar tree. The next day he found his way to a Forest Service road and reached civilization after a 14-mile hike.
64
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
)[_W]TLJMM`XMK\MLQV.MJZ]IZaNWZIZW]\M that ran almost exclusively through the snowbelt, _MI\PMZ_I[IXZWJTMU
OPPOSITE: (TOP) NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM, (KNIGHT) GETTY IMAGES, (BOTTOM PHOTOS) AVIATION HISTORY COLLECTION/ALAMY; TOP LEFT: NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM; TOP & BOTTOM RIGHT: CIBOLAHISTORY.ORG; STAMP: COURTESY OF GUY ACETO
SHOWING THE WAY Airmail pilots relied on a network of beacons and arrows. Below: The Post Office airfield at Iowa City. Right: Grants-Milan Airport in New Mexico maintains a restored airway beacon and shed. Below right: Concrete arrows still dot the route.
build-out rapidly followed. By the end of 1924, lighted beacons were in place from Rock Springs, Wyo., to Cleveland. The entire route was lighted by the summer of 1925. The route-marker beacons were rotating lights designed to be visible from 10 miles away. Each was mounted atop a 51-foot-tall metal-frame tower, with a small shack nearby housing the beacon’s generator. The towers were placed on large conKZM\MIZZW_[XIQV\ML_Q\PaMTTW_ZMÆMK\Q^MXIQV\ pointing the way to the next beacon. Dozens of these arrows survive, generally in the West. A restored beacon and shed can be found at GrantsMilan Municipal Airport in New Mexico, while Montana continues to operate 19 of the beacons for \PMJMVMÅ\WN OMVMZITI^QI\QWV\ZIٻKQV\PM[\I\M Much brighter beacons were installed at the Post 7ٻKM¼[IQZÅMTL[ITWVO\PMZW]\M *a! \PM8W[\7ٻKMPIL\PMIQZUIQT[MZ^QKM WVI[WTQLNWW\QVO_Q\P_MTTTQ\ZW]\M[IVLIQZÅMTL[ on the ground and with much better instrumentation and more reliable engines in the planes aloft. That year, Congress also authorized the Post 7ٻKM\WKWV\ZIK\W]\IQZUIQTÆQOP\[ 1V! \PM8W[\7ٻKM¼[JMIKWVIVLIQZÅMTLQV frastructure was transferred to the Department of +WUUMZKMIVLQ\[KWZX[WN XQTW\[IVLÆMM\WN IQZKZIN\_MZM_W]VLLW_V0W_M^MZ\PM8W[\7ٻKM remained an integral part of commercial aviation after routes were contracted out in the mid-’20s. The so-called Airmail Scandal of 1930-34, in which carriers and the postmaster general rigged
BY 1925, THE POST OFFICE HAD THE AIRMAIL SERVICE ON SOLID FOOTING.
the contracts for airmail routes, resulted in sweeping changes to commercial aviation in the U.S. The Black-McKellar bill, passed in the wake of the scandal, resulted in the breakup of William Boeing’s empire, creating separate entities that became United Airlines, United Technologies and Boeing. Though it must have seemed like an exercise in futility in the early going, time proved NACA correct in its prediction that airmail would spur commercial aviation. Within seven years of the ÅZ[\ZW]\M[JMQVOÆW_V\PM=;PILIZ]LQUMV\IZa IQZ\ZIٻKKWV\ZWT[a[\MUIVM\_WZSWN IQZÅMTL[IVL the beginnings of a competitive market for commercial aviation. Richard Jensen is a writer and historical preservation consultant based in Sioux Falls, S.D. Recommended reading: By the Seat of My Pants, by Dean C. Smith; and Mavericks of the Sky, by Barry Rosenberg and Catherine Macauley. m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
65
REVIEWS
PAN AM
History, Design & Identity by Matthias C. Huhne, Callisto Publishers, 2016, $70.
CHINA CLIPPER A Pan Am Martin M-130 flies over the unfinished San Francisco– Oakland Bay Bridge in 1935.
Turning each page of this beautifully illustrated, astutely written and handsomely produced celebration of Pan American Airways triggers pangs of nostalgia for the time when air travel was not a hassle to be endured but a glorious adventure to be savored. > > The author is old enough to have been a passenger on I8IV)UR]UJWRM\ÆQOP\QV 1974, so his treatment of the subject is laced with tenderness for that bygone era. He rightly presents the company not as a mere airline, but as an icon of industry and popular culture. This thorough narrative traces the company’s progres66
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
sion from its tenuous beginnings in the 1920s to its postwar rise under the leadership of founder Juan Trippe as \PMTMILQVO=;ÆIOKIZZQMZ The section that covers the XMZQWLWN MTMOIV\ÆaQVOJWI\[ is accompanied by a photo WN I8IV)UÆQOP\KZM_QV navy blue uniforms and white visor caps, looking much like \PM[MVQWZWٻKMZ[WN IOZMI\
oceangoing vessel. Other imagery includes full-color route maps, dramatic poster art and a cutaway of the Boeing 314 Atlantic Clipper. Jets decorated with the famous Pan Am globe started to navigate the airline’s international routes on October 26, 1958. But the promise of continued glamor in comUMZKQITÆQOP\OZIL]ITTaNILML
I[NIZM[JMKIUMIٺWZLIJTM for the masses and security screening became mandatory. Suits and dresses gave way to sweats and hoodies. By 1991, Pan Am was \W\\MZQVOÅVIVKQITTa_MQOPML down by the challenges of deregulation and the December 21, 1988, terrorist bombing of one of its 747s over Lockerbie, Scotland. A great carrier was grounded. But thanks to Matthias Huhne’s spectacular remembrance, Pan Am’s heritage lives on. Philip Handleman
RARE BIRDS
Forgotten Aircraft of the Second World War by Charles R.G. Bain, Fonthill Media Ltd., 2016, $45. There are plenty of books that recount the histories of World War II’s most famous aircraft. Rare Birds, however, \ISM[ILQٺMZMV\IXXZWIKP by chronicling 40 of the more obscure, but nonetheless interesting, aircraft that IXXMIZMLL]ZQVO\PMKWVÆQK\ For one reason or another, some were never developed beyond the prototype stage, but not all were bad or unsuc-
cessful, nor were they all produced only in small quantities. Some were manufactured by nations not normally associated with combat aircraft production, []KPI[\PM6M\PMZTIVL[ 8WTIVL)][\ZITQIA]OW[TI^QI
MESSERSCHMITT ME 264 AMERIKA BOMBER
OPPOSITE: CALLISTO PUBLISHERS
by Robert Forsyth, Osprey Publishing, 2016, $20. The second book in Osprey’s new “X Planes” series addresses a popular subject among World ?IZ11I^QI\QWVJ]"[ٺ6IbQ Germany’s advanced aircraft projects and what they might have achieved, had the war lasted longer. Robert Forsyth chronicles the Me-264 prototypes’ history to show the succession of obstacles that ultimately doomed any prospect of the Amerika Bomber attacking Manhattan. Aside from technical matters, Willy Messerschmitt had to contend with his less-than-cordial relations with Erhard Milch, the Luft_IٺM¼[KPQMN WN IQZKZIN\XZWL]K\QWV
and Romania. Others were brilliant designs plagued by technical problems, such as engines that failed to live up to expectation, or a lack WN []ٻKQMV\UIV]NIK\]ZQVO KIXIKQ\a0MZMWVMKIVÅVL bad aircraft that should never have been chosen for production, such as the Fisher 8 -IOTMI[_MTTI[W\PMZ[ that were good but were not selected for political reasons or due to changes in opera\QWVITXWTQKaM`MUXTQÅMLJa the Focke Wulf Fw-187 and Westland Welkin. Author Charles R.G. Bain has come up with a commendably diverse selection of air-
planes. Included are both Allied and Axis aircraft, ranging from the obsolete Avia * JQXTIVM\W\PMZWKSM\ powered Me-163B interceptor, and from bantamweight +I]LZWV+ ÅOP\MZ\W\PM Martin JRM Mars, the largM[\ÆaQVOJWI\M^MZXTIKML into series production. Wellchosen photographs enhance Bain’s book, illustrating the types described, including numerous color photos of surviving examples. Rare Birds will undoubtedly prove to be a rare treat for aviation enthusiasts, particularly those interested in WWII. Robert Guttman
MILESTONES OF FLIGHT
The Epic of Aviation With the National Air and Space Museum by F. Robert van der Linden, Alex M. Spencer and Thomas J. Paone, Zenith Press, 2016, $35. Cynics will decry yet another picture book that showcases \PMIQZKZIN\WN \PM6I\QWVIT Air and Space Museum’s heavily trolled collection. The same old relics, just shot from LQٺMZMV\IVOTM[IVLZMXIKSaged under the Smithsonian’s venerable logo in a more modern format, they will grumble. That would be a mistake, because this book WٺMZ[XZM^QW][Ta]V[MMV photos along with timeless historical images and fresh text by an impressive group of experts. The book celebrates aviation history with a vignettestyle sampling of 29 aircraft in chronological order. Many, such as the 1903 Wright Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, Bell @6WZ\P)UMZQKIV@ and Lockheed SR-71, are obligatory choices. At the same time, the assortment ZMÆMK\[IZMNZM[PQVOTaMKTMK\QK approach, because mixed in with the “usual suspects” are the Vin Fiz cross-country
biplane, a high-altitude balloon gondola, the tiny homebuilt design that sparked the [XWZ\XTIVMKZIbMIKWUXM\Qtion glider and even a drone. Like other lavishly illus\ZI\MLKWٺMM\IJTMJWWS[ about the museum’s collection, this book is itself a work of art. There are 190 photographs, mostly in color. Each KPIX\MZPI[XZWÅTMIZ\_WZS and a timeline that places the aircraft in historical context. AM[UIVaWN \PM[MIQZKZIN\ have been covered in books numerous times before. 0W_M^MZ_PWKW]TL\QZM WN OIbQVOI\\PMM`Y]Q[Q\M Concorde or reading about Wiley Post’s pressure-suit experiments in Winnie Mae? Let’s hope for unending sequels to this treasure. Philip Handleman m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
67
REVIEWS DOUBLE ACE: ROBERT LEE SCOTT JR.
surface of Scott’s own many books. The “Scotty” who emerges from Coram’s pages is still, despite everything, an Pilot, Hero, and Teller authentic American hero— 13 air-to-air victories, nine of Tall Tales probables, two Silver Stars, by Robert Coram, St. Martin’s three Distinguished Flying Press, 2016, $26.99. Crosses, four Air Medals and the British Distinguished The problem with heroes is Flying Cross. that they are all too human, Scott was a born nonconand like all other people, they formist, and at times he could have their share of faults. be a loose cannon. He often Many men who achieve JT]ٺMLIVLW]\ZQOP\TQMLPQ[ larger-than-life status also way in and out of situations, have outsized personalities but almost always came out and egos—and all the bagsmelling like a rose. At age 34 gage that comes with that. he was one of the youngest George Patton, Bernard colonels in the U.S. Army Air Montgomery and Erwin .WZKM[J]\PM_I[KTI[[QÅML Rommel are just three classic I[¹\WWWTL\WÆaKWUJI\º examples of self-aggrandizers Scott had other ideas. In who accomplished great short order he managed to things. Robert L. Scott Jr. was elbow his way into a comcast from the same mold. JI\bWVM_PMZMPMY]QKSTa 1PI^M\WILUQ\_PMV1ÅZ[\ JMKIUMWVMWN )UMZQKI¼[ÅZ[\ picked up Robert Coram’s double aces of the war. Then Double Ace, I braced myself his book based on his experifor a hatchet job. It isn’t one. MVKM[ÆaQVONWZ*ZQO/MV It is a “warts and all” biogClaire Chennault in China, raphy, but it’s an honest and God Is My Co-Pilot, made him balanced portrayal, and even a national celebrity. But Scott sympathetic. Coram paints loved to tell a good story, and a three-dimensional portrait his tales tended to get bigger of a real man, the one who and better with each retelling. always lurked just below the By the time he was promoted
WHITEY
The Story of Rear Admiral E.L. Feightner, a Navy Fighter Ace by Peter B. Mersky, Naval Institute Press, 2014, $39.95. Well-known naval aviation writer Peter Mersky has performed an invaluable service by producing the only full-length biography WN NIUML8IKQÅK?IZIKM-L_IZL4 “Whitey” Feightner. Recognizing the rapidly dwindling ranks of World War II veterans, the author seized on a 30-year friendship with Feightner to convey this fascinating life story with direct input from the subject himself. The result is a thorough IKKW]V\WN I6I^aÆaQVOKIZMMZ\PI\[\IZ\ML before Pearl Harbor was attacked. Almost from the moment Feightner donned a Navy uniform, his assignments led to his association with some of the greatest naval aviators.
68
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
the Museum of Aviation at Warner Robbins, Ga., into the Air Force’s second-largest aerospace museum. Deep inside, Scott never succumbed to self-delusion. In private he often described himself with a stanza from a poem by Robert W. Service, his favorite poet after Rudyard Kipling:
to brigadier general at the age of 46, he had languished for 12 long years as a colonel. 2][\\PZMMaMIZ[IN\MZÅVITTa OM\\QVOPQ[[\IZPQ[ÅVMTa tuned sense of political incorrectness and his tendency to talk too much at the wrong times got him retired early. But “retired” or not, he was still Robert L. Scott Jr. At the age of 72 he walked the entire length of the Great Wall of China. Four years later he piloted an F-16, and QV!! PMÆM_IV. )VL on his 89th birthday in 1997 PMÆM_QVI*JWUJMZ0M LM^W\ML\PMÅVITaMIZ[WN his long life to transforming
There’s a race of men \PI\LWV¼\Å\QV A race that can’t stay still; So they break the hearts of kith and kin, And they roam the world at will. As Coram notes in the introduction to his excellent book, despite all of Scott’s XMZ[WVITQ\aY]QZS[IVL[PWZ\comings, “Everything in life he ever wanted, he got—a claim few men can make.” Scott was a hero to countless thousands of boys and young men who grew up in America in the 1950s and early ’60s. I was one of them. And even after reading Coram’s book, I still am. Robert Scott was one hell of a pilot—warts and all. David T. Zabecki
VW\MLIQZ\IK\QKQIV2QUUa.TI\TMa;Y]ILZWV mates included future founder of the Blue Angels Butch Voris and Navy Cross recipient Swede Vejtasa. Feightner earned the respect of his fellow ÆQMZ[Ja\ITTaQVOIVQUXZM[[Q^MVQVMIQZ\W air victories in the F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat. His combat record included operations from Guadalcanal’s indispensable Henderson Field and the celebrated carriers Enterprise and Bunker Hill. After the war, he became a test pilot at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, where he was tasked with taming the underpowered and hard-to-control Vought F7U-1 Cutlass. Later, in the senior ranks, his extensive experience positively QVÆ]MVKML\PMN]\]ZMWN KIZZQMZI^QI\QWV This book is highly recommended because it not only provides the highlights of a war hero’s professional accomplishments, but also gives the personal side of a mild-mannered gentleman _PWZM\IQVMLPQ[[UITT\W_V^IT]M[I[PMN]TÅTTMLPQ[aW]\PN]T LZMIU\WJMKWUMIÅOP\MZXQTW\ Philip Handleman
CLASSICS THE WRONG STUFF
Flying on the Edge of Disaster by Commander John Moore, U.S. Navy (ret.) “The John Moore” was one of the most MV\MZ\IQVQVO_ZQ\MZ[_PWM^MZLMÅMLOZI^ity. The title of his memoir alone explains his self-deprecating humor. Moore’s career included two Korean War combat deployments, U.S. Navy ÆQOP\\M[\[I[\QV\I\6WZ\P)UMZQKIV )^QI\QWVIVL\PM[XIKMXZWOZIU0M insisted that his claim to fame was “I crashed a lot,” but along the way he TWOOMLÆQOP\\QUMQV IQZKZIN\\aXM[ Moore’s narrative (he does not call it a memoir) begins with him narrowly []Z^Q^QVOIPWZZQÅKÆQOP\LMKSIKKQLMV\ aboard USS EssexWٺ3WZMIQV! 8MZPIX[\PMÅVM[\XQMKMWN I^QI\QWV writing yet penned is “Surviving the Cutlass.” Moore’s involveUMV\_Q\P\PMN]\]ZQ[\QK! [>W]OP\. =Q[N]TTWN P]UWZ IVLXI\PW[QVKT]LQVOILQ\KPQVOW;ٺIV,QMOW_PMZM\PM errant jet came to rest in a school of startled abalone, “some of whom had never seen a Cutlass before.” Winged during World War II, Moore passed through night ÅOP\MZ[IVL/Z]UUIV. .*MIZKI\[JMNWZM\ZIV[Q\QWVQVO\W MIZTaRM\[\PMVWV\W3WZMI)TWVO\PM_IaPMÆM__Q\PN]\]ZM [\IVLW]\[[]KPI[I[\ZWVI]\6MQT)ZU[\ZWVOIVL+PQMN WN
OSWALD BOELCKE
Germany’s First Fighter Ace and Father of Air Combat by R.G. Head, Grubb Street, 2016, $39.95. ?Q\P UIZSQVO\PMKMVtennial of his death, it seems appropriate that a new biography should be published IJW]\/MZUIVa¼[ÅZ[\ÅOP\MZ IKM7[_ITL*WMTKSM?PQTM not the best-remembered /MZUIVXQTW\WN ?WZTL ?IZ1*WMTKSM[\IVL[W]\ as perhaps the most importIV\1VLMMLI]\PWZ:/ 0MILLMKTIZM[\PI\*WMTKSM “deserves consideration as \PMUW[\QUXWZ\IV\ÅOP\MZ pilot of any era, including the present one.” That is quite a statement coming from an author who was himself IPQOPTaLMKWZI\ML=;)QZ .WZKMKWUJI\XQTW\
When WWI began, aircraft were employed only for reconnaissance and observation, and opposing airmen regarded each other not so much as enemy nationals but as members of the same [XWZ\QVONZI\MZVQ\a)TT\PI\ KPIVOMLQV! _PMV aircraft were equipped with machine guns and pilots began to engage in one-onWVMKWUJI\*WMTKSM_I[
6I^IT7XMZI\QWV[QOQTIV\M.ZWU\PMZM PMJMKIUMUIVIOMZWN \PM)XWTTW[XIKMcraft test operations program, enduring \PMPMIZ\JZMISWN TW[QVO\PZMMI[\ZWVI]\[ QV\PM! )XWTTWKIX[]TMÅZM *]\\PMOZQMN _I[VW\TQUQ\ML\W8IL Moore’s most heartfelt passages describe the death of his beloved wife Marilynn the previous year. 8]JTQ[PMLQV!!
*WMTKSMºIZM[\QTTIXXTQMLJa ÅOP\MZXQTW\[\W\PQ[LIa *a\PM\QUMPMTW[\PQ[TQNM in a midair collision with one of his own pilots on October ! *WMTKSMPIL[KWZML IMZQIT^QK\WZQM[IVL_I[\PM UW[\[]KKM[[N]TÅOP\MZXQTW\ of his day. More than that, he had become a national hero \W\PM/MZUIVX]JTQKIZWTM UWLMT\WPQ[NMTTW_/MZUIV pilots and widely respected even among his enemies. The principles of aerial combat he TIQLLW_VL]ZQVO! IVL ! TQ^MLWVQV\PMNWZUQ dable 2IOL[\IٺMTV that became the scourge of the Western .ZWV\IVLKWV\QV]M\WLIaQV the organization and tactics ][MLJaÅOP\MZ[Y]ILZWV[WN every country. 7[_ITL*WMTKSM UIa_MTTJM\PMLMÅVQ\Q^M English language biography WN \PQ[QUXWZ\IV\ÅO]ZM1\Q[I must-read for those interested in aviation history, aerial warfare or WWI. Robert Guttman m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
69
REVIEWS CLEAN BOMBS AND DIRTY WARS
Air Power in Kosovo and Libya by Robert H. Gregory Jr., Potomac Books, 2015, $26.50.
“To you, it’s the perfect lift chair. To me, it’s the best sleep chair I’ve ever had.” — J. Fitzgerald, VA It’s a “Sleep Chair”– for a comfortable and relaxing night’s sleep
It’s a “Lift Chair”– that puts your feet safely on the floor – you’re ready to go! ®
It’s a “Chair”– for crafting, eating, visiting with friends and family
The Perfect Sleep Chair
It’s a “Sit Back Chair”– for reading, watching TV and resting
1-888-757-0112 Please mention code 105318.
46417
Call now toll free for our lowest price.
HistoryNet is the world’s largest publisher of history magazines, visit
SHOP.HISTORYNET.COM
to subscribe to any of our nine titles
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
In a wellresearched thesis, West Pointer Robert Gregory Jr. posits that for modern air power to be MٺMK\Q^MQ\ U][\PI^MI ground-based component feeding target coordinates to the shooters. Air-based sensors alone, he maintains, are not up to the task. Gregory examines the NATO air campaigns in 3W[W^W7XMZI\QWV)TTQML.WZKMIVL 4QJaI7XMZI\QWV=VQÅML8ZW\MK\WZ\W support his argument. In detailed analyses of these 1999 IVLIQZKIUXIQOV[ZM[XMK\Q^MTa PMKWVKT]LM[\PI\VMQ\PMZIKPQM^MLQ\[ WJRMK\Q^M[]V\QTMVMUa\IZOM\[_MZM pinpointed and relayed by coopera\Q^MOZW]VLMTMUMV\[1V\PM3W[W^W KWVÆQK\\PMI]\PWZI[[MZ\[\PI\\PM turnaround in aerial bombardment’s MٻKIKaWKK]ZZML_PMV\PM=; )ZUa¼[
FLIGHT TEST
NEGATIVE THINKING 1. Which negative-stagger fighter design proved remarkably successful in 1918? A. Letord 1A3 B. Sopwith 5F1 Dolphin C. de Havilland DH.5 D. Sopwith 3F1 Hippo 2. While Tim Sorrell designed the SNS-7 Hiperbipe in 1973, his father, Hobie, was petitioning Congress for what?
>
A. A ban on homebuilt aircraft B. Relaxed Federal Aviation Administration standards C. Experimental aircraft regulations D. Lifting Oregon’s ban on homebuilt aircraft
MYSTERY SHIP
Can you identify this experimental aircraft? See the answer below.
GERMAN ODDITIES OF WORLD WAR I A. Zeppelin-Lindau D.I (Do) B. Euler quadruplane C. Siemens-Schuckert D.III D. Linke-Hoffmann R.I E. Gotha-Ursinus floatplane F. Roland D.VI G. Gotha G.VI H. Siemens-Schuckert R.I I. Fokker V8 J. Siemens-Schuckert D.VI
1. Rear fuselage forked into upper and lower tails 2. Retracting floats 3. Monoplane with jettisonable main fuel tank under fuselage 4. Triplane wings up front, biplane wings midway 5. Asymmetrical twin-engine bomber 6. Stressed-skin all-metal cantilever biplane fighter 7. Enclosed fuselage housing three crew decks 8. Movable upper wings serving as ailerons 9. Fuselage made of overlapping thin spruce “clinker” strips 10. Rotary-radial engine
A. Starr Bumble Bee II B. Stits Sky Baby C. Stits Baby Bird D. Stits Junior 4. How does the 1997 Griffin Lionheart differ from the Beech 17? A. Composite construction B. Fixed landing gear C. Radial engine D. Enclosed cabin 5. Besides its negativestagger wings, what is the Beck-Mahoney Sorceress’ chief claim to fame? A. 10 wins at the Reno Air Races B. First biplane to exceed 200 mph in pylon racing C. Most successful biplane racer in history D. All of the above
ANSWERS: MYSTERY SHIP: Rohr M.R. 1 “Guppy.” Learn more about it at HistoryNet.com/aviation-history GERMAN ODDITIES OF WORLD WAR I: A.6, B.8, C.10, D.7, E.2, F.9, G.5, H.1, I.4, J.3 NEGATIVE THINKING: 1.B, 2.C, 3.A, 4.A, 5.D
HISTORYNET ARCHIVE
Match the airplane with its unusual feature.
3. Which negative staggerwing is also the world’s smallest airplane?
m ay 2 0 1 7
AH
71
AERO ARTIFACT
Leatherface
P
against the wind In addition to this mask, airmail pilot Eddie Gardner’s winter flying gear included a leather vest, helmet and flight suit, as well as wool socks and sheepskin boots.
72
AH
m ay 2 0 1 7
PHOTOS: NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM
ilot Eddie Gardner (left, with Curtiss JN-4H) purchased this leather face mask IN\MZPMJMOIVÆaQVONWZ\PM8W[\7ٻKM,MXIZ\UMV\¼[)QZ5IQT;MZ^QKMQV ! [\WZa8
M
o ct N tra e n Fe o N hly t
Co
Breakthrough technology converts phone calls to captions.
on
New amplified phone lets you hear AND see the conversation. The Hamilton® CapTel® Captioned Telephone converts phone conversations to easy-to-read captions for individuals with hearing loss.
A simple idea… made possible with sophisticated technology. If you have trouble understanding a call, captioned telephone can change your life. During a phone call the words spoken to you appear on the phone’s screen – similar to closed captioning on TV. So when you make or receive a call, the words spoken to you are not only amplified by the phone, but scroll across the phone so you can listen while reading everything that’s said to you. Each call is routed through a call center, where computer technology – aided by a live representative – generates voice-to-text translations. The captioning is real-time, accurate and readable. Your conversation is private and the captioning service doesn’t cost you a penny. Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) is regulated and funded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and is designed exclusively for individuals with hearing loss. To learn more, visit www.fcc.gov. The Hamilton CapTel phone requires telephone service and high-speed Internet access.
WiFi Capable. Callers do not need special equipment or a captioned telephone in order to speak with you. Finally… a phone you can use again. The Hamilton CapTel phone is also packed with features to help make phone calls easier. The keypad has large, easy to use buttons.
SEE what you’ve been missing!
“For years I avoided phone calls because I couldn’t understand the caller… now I don’t miss a thing!” See for yourself with our exclusive home trial. Try a captioned telephone in your own home and if you are not completely amazed, simply return it within 60-days for a refund of the product purchase price. It even comes with a 5-year warranty.
Captioned Telephone You get adjustable volume amplification along with the ability to save captions for review later. It even has an answering machine that provides you with the captions of each message.
Call now for our special introductory price! Call now Toll-Free
1-877-767-5601 Please mention promotion code 105317.
The Captioning Telephone is intended for use by people with hearing loss. In purchasing a Captioning Telephone, you acknowledge that it will be used by someone who cannot hear well over a traditional phone. Hamilton is a registered trademark of Nedelco, Inc. d/b/a Hamilton Telecommunications. CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc.
81135
Do you get discouraged when you hear your telephone ring? Do you avoid using your phone because hearing difficulties make it hard to understand the person on the other end of the line? For many Americans the telephone conversation – once an important part of everyday life – has become a thing of the past. Because they can’t understand what is said to them on the phone, they’re often cut off from friends, family, doctors and caregivers. Now, thanks to innovative technology there is finally a better way.
CELEBRATE THE HISTORY OF US AIR POWER Hunters in the Sky SIX-Disc DVD Set Item#15648 . . . . Price $10.00
Smithsonian Series P-47 Thunderbolt 1:48 Scale Model Item#12612 . . . . Price:$39.99
Air Corps Patch Item#17445 . . . . Price: $5.00
70th anniversary Zippo Item#20456 . . . . Price:$26.95
US Roundel Tee Item #16256 . . . . Price: $32.50 Sizes: Sm, Md, Lg, XL, 2XL
Army Air Corps Cap Item#15516 . . . . Price:$15.00
Dawn of Your Future 12” x 18” Metal Sign Item#15496 . . . . Price:$25.00
Enter promo *code AIRCORPS15 on the shopping cart screen to receive a 15% discount on your entire purchase. Visit shopwwii.org or call 504-528-1944 x 244. *Offer valid thru September 2017. Offer not valid on Memberships, gift cards, donations, or items already discounted.
Open Seven Days, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. 945 Magazine Street - New Orleans, LA 70130 - 504.528.1944 www.nationalww2museum.org - SHOPWWII.org
