The “Flying Prostitute” it was called – the design, radical for the time, featured wings so short in span that there appeared to be “no visible means of support,” hence the moniker. Later, as inexperienced crews were dropping more and more of them into the waters of Tampa Bay, it earned another – “widow maker.” …
If news reports coming from South Korea and echoed through the West are to be believed, North Korea is moving towards another attempt at launching a Taepo Dong – 2 IR/ICBM, ostensibly as a space launch vehicle (SLV). This would be the third such attempt, with previous attempts in July 2006 and Sept 1998 ending…
While “Fate is the Hunter†ought to be required reading for any and all associated with flying of any type, Chp 3, “The Seasoning†is particularly apropos. Start at pg. 79 if you like, or here: “I stop pumping, tune the D.F.’s radio to Knoxville frequency, and reach for the loop crank. In doing so…
Vikings. Hawkeyes. CODs. Prowlers. Whales (when they were still around)… Cats and dogs we were called. Didn’t go fast (‘cept down hill). Didn’t do afterburner flybys. Boss and Handler generaly tolerated ’em, barely, unless they went stiff wing in the wires, then all hell was unleashed. Usually got the back-end pick of the Ready Rooms…
We’re in the land of lotus-eaters this week for a conference supporting the book project we previously mentioned. Busy times with trying to cram three days of stuff into two, so our time, perforce, is limited for posting until we return to Occupied Territory later this week. In the meantime – some quick thoughts: It…
(…and no, it’s not .50 cals we’re talking about) The period from the end of the Korean War through the commissioning of the USS Enterprise (CVAN 65) was witness to an incredible period of growth in knowledge and experience with all things in naval aviation. From straight-decks and props to nuclear power and supersonic fighters,…
Comes word over night of an apparently successful attempt by Iran to place a satellite in orbitusing the Safir-2 space launch vehicle (SLV). The Safir (“Ambassador”) was ingeniously developed as part of Iran’s growing rocket and missile program and has direct links to its attempts to develop extended range missiles in the IRBM and ultimately,…
We noted last year that the Kitty Hawk would not be with us much longer…Today, forty-eight years after being commissioned, the mighty Battle Kat was finally silenced: Kitty Hawk’s Final Chapter “It ties a loop around almost half a century,” Capt. Todd Zecchin, the ship’s 34th and final commanding officer, said of the event. Martinelli, 68,…
Mail — we get mail on a variety of topics and subjects. Flightdeck Fridays though seem to engender the most responses and sometimes we receive some additional information – photos, remembrances, anecdotes and the like; to further flesh-out a particular story. So – this week we had the following passed our way: Item 1: U-2…
A little over two years ago, China conducted the now notorious direct ascent ASAT shot on the Fengyun-1 satellite which was in a polar orbit. We’ve commented extensively at the time and a year hence on the issues raised by this shot. So where do we stand just past the second anniversary? Well, like rabbits,…
