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AAHS Journal, Vol. 51, No. 3 - Fall 2006 Table of Contents
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The Lockheed C-141 #66-0177, the "Hanoi Taxi" During the brief history of aviation a large number of aircraft types have been particularly "famous." The B-25, B-29, P-51, X-15, C-47, Mitsubishi Zero, MiG (in several flavors), U-2, the Piper Cub, and many others come readily to mind. |
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Memoirs of a WWII Fighter Pilot, Part II Gioia del Colle, Italy
On December 9 we flew to Gioia del Colle. The field had a very small grass landing area and was almost circular with no runways. To land, we flew very close to a fence line on one side of the field and skimmed over the road on the other side. Buildings and hangars blocked out the possibility of landing and taking off in most directions.Our sleeping quarters regressed from a nice apartment building in Sardinia to a chicken coop - I’m not kidding! We had no shelter; not even tents were available, so we cleaned out a long, narrow, chicken coop located near the base. For ventilation, we raised and propped open shutters on the sides of the structure. This had to be done from the outside because there was chicken wire over the
openings. |
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A Gathering of Mustangs and Legends
The largest assemblage of the most famous
fighter of World War II took place April 7-10, 1999, at "A Gathering of Mustangs and Legends," Kissimmee, Florida, airport. Approximately 65 Mustangs attended this gathering that was a real challenge for the Stallion 51 organization. For the non-flying P-51 fan with a camera, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to photograph, in one location, Mustangs from all over the United
States. |
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Nuclear Patrol - Attack Seaplane Studies, Martin Model 331 In its continuing drive to provide aircraft platforms for performance of assigned missions, the Navy expressed a need for a water-based, nuclear-powered weapons system for patrol and intrusion. In light of high political and fiscal costs of bases on foreign soil, the Navy was determined to develop a nuclear-powered patrol attack seaplane to complement the efficient development of the aircraft carrier strike force. The long range of the nuclear seaplane would enable it to operate not only from varied and often isolated water areas, but also under the protection provided by bases located close to the zone of the
interior. The Martin Solution As early as 1953, The Martin Company initiated contract studies that established the feasibility of a nuclear-powered seaplane. These studies were based on a conversion of the Martin P6M
SeaMaster. In May 1955, Martin was directed by the Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), to study the practicality of designing and building a nuclear-powered weapons system for evaluation in 1961. This study was charged with defining the following parameters for a water-based nuclear-powered, patrol-attack weapons system: This study determined that the advantages of using a converted P6M as the basis for this program are
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In 1947 the Navy laid out the specification for a twin-engine, atom-bomb carrying, attack bomber which was to operate from the new Forrestal Class "Super Carrier" for which the contract had already been signed. Ed Heinemann had already begun his plans for an airplane to fit this specification. Initial Navy estimates ranged from 62,000 pounds up to 200,000 pounds. Obviously no one in the Navy had a real idea of just exactly how big, how heavy, or how powerful this new bomber should be and it was left to the experts in the aircraft industry to design a product to fit the
specifications. |
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GeeBee Super Sportster Racer Design & Development
The development and construction of the 1932 Gee Bee Super Sportster that Major James H. Doolittle piloted to win the Thompson Trophy Race and establish the present World’s land plane speed record of 294.31 mph at the Cleveland National Air Races was a result of considerable experience, aerodynamic research and wind-tunnel testing. Granville Brothers Aircraft Inc., the builders, have continued their habit of building along new and somewhat radically different lines, incorporating ideas and features that provoked storms of criticism from the flying fraternity. The best combination of features for low parasite drag were determined first from experience and then proven by comparative drag tests in the wind tunnel. The popular conception of an ideal racing craft has always been the long slender fuselage with as little frontal area as possible, but contrary to the generally accepted idea on this subject, we firmly believe that a radial engine can be made to go as fast as any in-line engine of equivalent horsepower, provided the cowling and fuselage were properly
built. |
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Beyond Sonic Wind: The Story of the Daisy Track, Eli Beeding Jr. and 83Gs! In December 1954, while conducting tests intended to provide data for the design of aircraft restraint, egress and survivability systems, Lt. Col. John Paul Stapp achieved a speed of 632 mph on the rocket sled Sonic Wind at Holloman AFB, N.M.. In the process he set a new land speed record. At the end of the run the sled was rapidly decelerated and Stapp achieved an even more astonishing first - surviving 46.2Gs of force (see Fall 2003 issue of AAHS Journal). Undaunted despite some injuries affiliated with this feat, Stapp hoped to undertake a supersonic sled ride in 1955. He never got his chance. During an unmanned, subsonic test undertaken in the weeks after the record-setting test, the Sonic Wind departed its track and was severely damaged. Shortly thereafter human tests on the Sonic Wind were put on indefinite
hold. |
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Boardman & Polando’s Great Adventure It was in the early twenties that Russell Boardman and John Polando met on a warm summer night at the amusement park at Revere Beach, Massachusetts. One of the most exciting concessions was the motorcycle act where Russell thundered around the silodrome to the roar of the many delighted, excited spectators who witnessed the daredevil climb up the vertical walls with speeds that made it possible to rise to the uppermost edge of the trembling wall then maneuver the descent to the dirt track below. |
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This story started when I read an article in the Spring 2004 issue of the American Aviation Historical Society Journal, The story was entitled "General Eisenhower’s Modified B 25J used during World War II." I finished reading it when suddenly I realized that 55 years ago I was closely involved with that aircraft and that I actually flew it. The article indicated that only this one aircraft had been modified. Here is the story of that long ago incident. |
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The Douglas A-20B: an Anomalous
Havoc; In my article The Douglas A-20B: An Anomalous Havoc that appeared in the Summer 2006 AAHS Journal, I hoped to finally clarify the unique configuration of that model’s nose section. This aspect appears to have confused many enthusiasts/modelers ever since its wartime service. Part of the problem has always been that, due to its stepped glazing, it has often been compared and confused with the nose section of the earlier DB-7 and -7A export models. In fact, the two are totally different, except for this superficial resemblance.
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