As the emerging theme this week is hypersonics, what with the reference to the Shenlong and the upload to the Virtual Library of a comprehensive 3-volume history of the US hypersonic effort from the X-15 through the NASP, reader and frequent correspondent Thommy Thomason joins the scene as a guest author of this week’s Flightdeck…
As promised, the Flightdeck Friday Index has been completed and is now available under the "Pages" heading on the sidebar. Future topics will include Brewster’s F2A Buffalo, Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, Boeing PB-1W, Blackburn Buccaneer and de Havilland Sea Vixen (among many others). If there are any favorites out there, drop a line and we’ll add…
Like many other aircraft during WWII, the Corsair found itself being produced by companies other than its originator, Chance-Vought. Here, the alternate producers were the Brewster Aircraft Company, builder of the F2A Buffalo (a future Flightdeck Friday topic, BTW) and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, producer of non-rigid airships or blimps. With production lines…
One of these will be next week’s feature (hint: not the the F7F – it’s already been done). Oh, and it will have a prop too… — Now, having said that, we could be persuaded by the readership towards one of the remaining tailhook candidates… Leave your vote in the comments section (international candidates…
Part I Part II Here was a case where McNamara, I think, expected me to keep the admirals in line. The more I looked into it, the more I became convinced that the matter had reached such an emotional state that even if the F-111B, the Navy version, turned out to be an excellent airplane,…
Not to worry — Flightdeck Friday will be up, just a wee bit later than normal (like maybe this weekend?) whilst yon not-so-patient scribe wrestles with yet another undocumented feature from the seventh circle of hades, otherwise known as Micro$oft and their late$t flaming dart inflicted on the masses – Vi$ta. We are so looking…
*Telegraph from Patrol Wing Two Headquarters warning of the attack on Pearl Harbor Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives: Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval…
“Senator, there isn’t enough power in all of Christendom to make that airplane what we want” VADM Tom Connolly testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee (1968) In Part I we explored some of the politics (and politicking) behind the TFX – the program to provide the Air Force and Navy with a common…
1959. Changes are afoot in the tactical aircraft programs for Air Force and Navy’s specific requirements. The Air Force sought to replace the F-105 with a new fighter-bomber that would address the shortcomings of the Thunderchief — it was to land in half the distance of the F-105, be able to fly unrefueled to Europe or Southeast…
At the start of the ’07 Valour-IT Challenge fundraiser, we exhanged an offline challenge (and yes, a few snarks too…) with Mike over at team Air Force, the gist of which was whomever showed up Rocket Last (aka Tail-end Charlie) would host an article on the plane of the other team’s choosing – here as…
