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In keeping with the memory of the Cuban Missile Crisis which was 45 years ago this past week, a couple of video reminders, the first from Hollywood’s take (See last week for the real story. ):
And what was risked…
Oh, and a little over one year previous to the Cuban Missile Crisis, but also in October:
Inspired Genius It is 1947 and Ed Heinemann of the Douglas Aircraft Corporation is perplexed. Charged with leading the team that is designing Douglas’ entry in the Navy’s heavy attack aircraft competition, he is trying to figure out how to accomplish this feat in an airframe that would weigh in at less than 68,000 lbs,…
We are fast approaching the end of the yearlong celebration of the 100th Anniversary of US Naval Aviation – and what a year it has been. Between the Heritage paint schemes, celebratory conventions, special programming and dedicated ceremonies, much ground has been covered. The outside observer may be forgiven, however, if they are…
Since blogmeister Lex is feeling a bit retro these days while pondering on taildraggers and props, we consider it our civic duty to facilitate the process, being a prop kind of guy ourself. So, without further ado, this week’s installment of FF: —– —– —–
The jet age doesn’t hold a monopoly on goofs, blunders and outright failures where naval aviation is concerned. Indeed, the prop epoch not only had its fair share, but perhaps the posterchild for the genre, the F2A Brewster. Meant to be the Navy’s first foray into the carrier-based monoplane field it was instead shunted ashore,…
Fifty-five hours and 18minutes. 11,236.6 nautical miles. No GPS, no inertial nav, no fly-by-wire, no computers save the biologic ones and the whizwheels. No movies, no SATCOM, no sleeper seats. No in-flight refueling – no stops. No digital weather radar. Four aircrew, one nine-month old baby ‘roo and 8,592 gallons of AVGAS. Non-stop, Austalia to…
(The Scribe is flying back to occupied Virginia Friday, hence the early publication) Presented this week: The Douglas F4D/F-6A Skyray. Another of Ed Heinemann’s now-classic designs, the F4D counted a number of firsts in its history, but like the F3H, would be victimized by the Westinghouse J-40. In its short life, the F4D (or as…
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Thanks for the vids, SJS…especially the latter two. As a member of the “duck and cover” generation 😯 I remember those types of vids all TOO well. And I also remember The Ol’ Man invoking the cynical but all-too-true “kiss your ass good-bye” comment when I told him about our little “crawl under the desk” exercises in grade school. Vividly.
Ditto — especially with SAC HQ a few miles down the road from us…
– SJS