Monday, February 3, 2020

Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum (III)


...and now for the last of 3 posts regarding our visit to the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum.  This post might be just a little long and ‘wordy’.


This poster at the museum is an example of the poster art aimed at getting and keeping the public involved and assisting in the war effort during WWII.  The boy is collecting scrap metal, the woman represents the thousands of women working in wartime manufacturing and the farmer of course is working to provide the food to both support the home front and our military forces overseas.

Patriotic posters boosting the war effort were an important part of keeping Americans at home engaged during WWII.  Rosie the Riveter was perhaps the most famous, but there were hundreds if not thousands of these ‘support our troops’, ‘support the war effort’ posters published and disseminated.  To view a photo gallery featuring similar posters, go to https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=War+Effort+Posters&FORM=IRIBEP.


The Republic F-84F ‘Thunderstreak’ was a swept-wing jet fighter-bomber that evolved from the F-84 ‘Thunderjet’.  A total of 3,428 F-84s were built at Republic Aircraft’s plant in New York State.  This jets maximum speed was 695 mph and it had an operational ceiling of 46,000 feet.  However, although this aircraft was built in quantity, it was plagued with problems.  One of them was engine failure.  The J65 engine suffered from flameouts when flying through heavy rain or snow.  Introduced in 1954, the entire fleet was actually grounded in early 1955. 

Due to its various deficiencies, the Air Force started its active duty phase out almost as soon as the plane entered service.  However, international tensions around the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 caused the reactivation of the F-84F fleet.  It took 1800 man-hours to bring each aircraft up to operational readiness.  Stress corrosion eventually forced the retirement of these planes in 1971.  Ten other countries included these plane in their air forces with Greece retiring the last of them in 1991.


The above pictured aircraft is a Lookheed T-33 “Shooting Star”.  It is a subsonic jet trainer that was first flown in 1948.  A total of 6,557 of these planes were built between 1948 and 1959.  They were used by at least 40 different country’s air forces with the last of them being retired from the US Air National Guard in 1997 and by the Bolivian Air Force in 2017…after 44 years of service!
The top speed for the T-33 is 600 mph.

A number of these aircraft have been and are privately owned.  In 2010, a T-33 owned by Boeing Aircraft was used as a chase aircraft during the maiden flight of the Boeing 787 passenger jet.  A T-33 chase plane was also used to cover the maiden flight of the ill-fated Boeing 737 MAX-7 in March of 2018.


The Douglas A-26 “Invader”, which was designated B-26 from 1948 to 1965, is a light bomber and ground attack aircraft.  A total of 2,503 A-26/B-26 bombers were built during WWII.  It was a fast aircraft that was capable of carrying a large bomb load but it could also be equipped with a wide range of guns that made it a formidable ground-attack aircraft.  During WWII, the Invader saw extensive action with the US Army Air Force in the European theater and some in the Pacific theater as well.

With the establishment of the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1947, the Strategic Air Command operated the re-designated B-26 as an RB-26 reconnaissance aircraft.  The USAF utilized this plane in Europe until 1957 and its Tactical Air Command operated the Invader until 1966.  This aircraft also served in the early portion of the Korean War.  The B-26 was part of the Air National Guard inventory until 1972.
  
In addition, the A-26/B-26 was also a tool of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) beginning in 1961.  Among other missions, a number of these planes were part of the disastrous Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba.  Their Cuban exile crews were trained by personnel from the Alabama Air National Guard and additional training was conducted at a CIA base in Nicaragua.  The conflict ended after losing 9 B-26s and their crews, including 4 American contractor fighters, in combat.  The CIA also operated these aircraft in the Congo against Simba rebels, Pathet Lao forces in Laos and rebels in Indonesia in an ill-fated attempt to overthrow that country’s government. (A bit later, Indonesia actually bought a few B-26s for their own inventory)

After the war, a number of these planes were converted to executive aircraft and water bombers.  From what I can tell, there are about 2 dozen ‘air-worthy’ weapons free B-26 bombers/attack aircraft still in existence in the USA.  They can still be seen at Air Shows where they perform ‘fly-bys’ for the crowds.


This strange looking little jet aircraft is a McDonnell XF-85 “Goblin”.  Conceived during WWII, it was intended to be able to launch from the bomb bay of the giant Convair B-36 “Peacemaker” as a ‘parasite’ fighter.  The goal was for these little fighter jets to defend these big bombers from enemy interceptor aircraft…a need amply demonstrated by losses during the war.  The problem was that the existing US interceptor aircraft didn’t have enough range to escort and protect these long range bombers all the way to their targets.
 
Flight tests for the “Goblin” showed promise in the design but its performance was inferior to the jet fighters it would have to face in combat.  In addition, due to air flow from the larger plane, docking was a problem.  It had a top speed of 650 mph.

Only 2 XF-85s were built before the program was cancelled. (FYI…”X” before a plane’s designation indicates ‘experimental’) Both of the “Goblins” that were built still survive in Air Force Museums.  This one had been damaged in its last emergency landing but after being acquired by the Offutt Air Force Base, it was refurbished and it’s now on display under the wing of a B-36 in the SAC Museum.


This is one of the most famous and durable American bombers ever built.  The North American B-25 “Mitchell” is a medium bomber that was first flown in 1941.  It was named for Major General William ‘Billy’ Mitchell who was a pioneer in US military aviation.  So why are these aircraft so famous?  That’s because they were the bombers that were launched from an aircraft carrier in the April 1942 'Doolittle Raid' when 16 B-25s led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle attacked mainland Japan…our first blow against the Japanese following their bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Utilized by many of the Allied air forces, the B-25 served in every theater of WWII.  After the war many remained in service and, in some cases, they served across 4 decades.  There were many variants of the B-25 with almost 10,000 of them being built.  Over 40 B-25s are allegedly still airworthy across the USA, with several in private hands.  The last flight of a B-25 by the USAF was in May of 1960.

The B-25 is considered to be a very durable aircraft capable of withstanding a lot of damage while remaining operational.  One USAF B-25 was nicknamed “Patches”.  This was because its crew chief painted all the airplane's flak hole patches with a bright yellow zinc chromate primer.  By the end of WWII “Patches” had completed over 300 missions, been belly landed 6 times and had over 400 patched holes.  The aircraft’s airframe was so distorted from battle damage that straight and level flight was almost impossible with the plane ‘crabbing’ a bit sideways across the sky.

To view a flyover of 18 B-25 “Mitchells” at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 2012, in commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92bX8f3FF6g.


As shown previously, the SAC Museum isn’t all about aircraft.  One major exhibit here is all about the famous Tuskegee Airmen.  This was a group of African-American military pilots (and their support personnel) who fought in WWII.  Before the Tuskegee Airmen, no African-American had been a US military pilot.  In addition, the War Department had a long standing policy that mandated the segregation of African-Americans into separate units commanded by white officers.

All black military pilots who trained in the USA trained at Moton Field and the Tuskegee Army Air Field and were educated at nearby Tuskegee University in Alabama.  Due to the restrictive nature of the pilot selection policies and despite the need for military pilots, the facts combined with segregation policies weren’t promising for the development of African-American pilots.  The US census in 1940 reported that there were only 124 African-American pilots in the entire country.

The full story is too long and complicated to relate here but, under pressure in 1941, the Army Air Corps constituted the first all-black flying unit, the 99th Pursuit Squadron.   Suffice it to say, in the end a total of 4 all-black fighter squadrons and 5 bomber squadrons were formed.  The results speak for themselves…

African-American pilots flew a total of 1,578 combat missions along with 179 bomber escort missions.  112 enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air, (including 3 Nazi Me 262 jet fighters), with another 150 aircraft destroyed on the ground.  At least 950 rail cars, trucks and other motor vehicles were destroyed and a destroyer was put out of action along with 40 boats and barges.  Service awards included 3 Distinguished Unit Citations, a Silver Star, 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Bronze Stars and 744 Air Medals.

As a final note, 3 of the Tuskegee Airmen stayed in the United States Air Force and eventually became Generals.  They were Brigadier General Daniel ‘Chappie’ James, Major General Lucius Theus and 4-star General Benjamin O. Davis Jr.  FYI, General Davis followed in his father’s footsteps.  Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was promoted to Brigadier General in the US Army in 1940.  They, along with the Tuskegee Airmen, persevered in the face of America’s segregation and racial divide.

To learn much more about this topic, quite a bit of it depressing, just go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen.


The Martin B-57 “Canberra” is an American-built, twinjet tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft the entered service with the USAF in 1953.  It was a license-built version of the British English Electric Canberra.  A total of 403 of the US versions were built.  Introduced into the USAF one month after the cessation of hostilities in the Korean War, the “Canberras” were scheduled to be retired but retirement was postponed due to the start of the Vietnam War.  B-57’s were used extensively during that conflict.  
  
In 1983, the “Canberras” were retired from the USAF but 3 remaining flightworthy WB-57Fs are technically assigned to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston as high-altitude scientific research aircraft.  However they have also been used for testing and communications in the USA and it Afghanistan.  With a wingspan as long as the fuselage, this is an ungainly but interesting looking aircraft.  

To view a WB-57F landing at the Royal Air Force Base in Prestwick Scotland in 2014, you can just go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHtD0A32Q0Q.


The AGM086 ALCM is a subsonic air-launched cruise missile that was built by Boeing for the USAF.  The objective for this missile was to increase the effectiveness and survivability of the Boeing B-52H “Stratofortress” bombers.  The missile dilutes the ability of an enemy’s forces and complicates their air defenses.  This missile has both nuclear and conventional warhead capabilities.

This cruise missile is 20 feet and 9 inches long with a diameter of 24½ inches.  It has 12 foot long wings that open after being launched from its ‘mother’ B-52.  These missiles have a range of about 680 miles and a speed of 550 mph.  A fully loaded B-52 can carry and launch up to 20 missiles.


I was completely unaware of this aircraft.  The North American B-45 “Tornado” was an early American jet-powered bomber.  It has the distinction of being the first operational jet bomber to enter service with the USAF as well as being the first multi-engine jet bomber in the world to be refueled in midair.  Introduced into the USAF in 1948 it was retired by 1959.

The “Tornado” saw extensive service during the Korean War, performing both conventional bombing and aerial reconnaissance missions.  Both bomber and reconnaissance variations of the B-45 served in the USAF’s Strategic Air Command from 1950 until 1959.  During the early 1950s, 40 of these aircraft were modified so they could carry nuclear weapons.  Only 143 B-45s were ever built.  This is one of only 3 of these aircraft that still survive.


This is a typical Nebraska living room frozen in time from July 20, 1969.  Everyone would have been gathered around that little TV to view the climax of the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing.  This was when Neil Armstrong first stepped forth on to the surface of the Moon.  Of course, earlier in the day when most folks were working, the Space Center received a transmission from the Apollo Capsule which famously stated “The Eagle has landed.”


In this photo, the ‘spacecraft’ Apollo module furthest away is a ‘boilerplate’ non-functioning version of the real thing.  It was used in place of the real spacecraft to test various configurations, basic size, load and handling characteristics.  This Apollo boilerplate sat atop a Saturn I rocket in testing phases.

The closest module is an Apollo Command Space Module (CSM 009). Unmanned test flights were identified by double zeros in their numeric designations.  In February of 1966, a Saturn IB launch vehicle carrying this module was launched from Cape Canaveral Florida.  After a 7-minute burn, the second stage instrument unit separated from the spacecraft.  The Command Module reached an altitude of 310 miles over the Atlantic Ocean before beginning its descent.

Other space exploration related items on display at the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum include: a VELA satellite; an Atlantis shuttle trainer which is a mock-up of the Atlantis OV-104 cockpit, and; the X-38 CRV (Crew Recovery Vehicle), a technological demonstration vehicle that was a prototype for a new crew return vehicle that would serve in an emergency vehicle for the International Space Station.  FYI, the VELA Satellite Program began during the 1950s and was designed to monitor compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.


This is the SOKOL Inter-vehicular activity suit, a Russian spacesuit worn by all who fly on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.  Introduced in 1973, it is described as a rescue suit, not for outside the spacecraft, but to keep the wearer alive in the event of an accidental depressurization of the spacecraft.  This particular suit was worn by Nebraska Astronaut Clayton Anderson aboard the Soyuz TMA-10 in 2007.


There are also a number of displays of space related ‘pop-culture’ items.  In this photo there is a lunch box, thermos, commemorative plates, (including one depicting the solar system and another showing a view of the Earth from the Moon), along with some astronauts pictures and some desktop rockets. 

Other displays show early pop culture toys including period rockets, lunar modules, model science kits and more.  In addition, there are posters for TV shows like “Lost in Space” (one of Laurie’s favorites), “The Jetsons”, “Commando Cody – Sky Marshal of the Universe” and of course, “Star Trek”.  Pop architecture of the time include photos of structures such as Seattle’s Sky Needle.


I thought that I’d end the space related portion of this post with this startling display of photos taken from space showing mankind’s impact on the Earth as evidenced by our night-time illumination of the planet.  There aren’t very many truly dark areas to be seen.

There are several permanent exhibits at the SAC Museum that I didn’t talk about.  You can check them out at https://sacmuseum.org/what-to-see/exhibits/.  In addition, I skipped coverage of several historic military aircraft.  These include: B-29 “Superfortress”; B-47 “Stratojet”; B-52 “Stratofortress”, B-58A “Hustler”; F-86H “Sabre”; F-105 “Thunderchief”, and the RF-4C “Phantom”.  Perhaps I’ll cover them at another time from another air museum…

The Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum is located at 28210 West Park Highway in Ashland Nebraska.  It is a non-profit organization and is not funded by the government.  The museum is open 360 days a year, closed only on New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.  Admission for adults is $12.00, seniors and retired/active/veteran military $11.00 and children from 4 to 12 years of age, $6.00.  Check out the museum’s website and all the aircraft at https://sacmuseum.org.  

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to peruse this long post!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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