1.
VFA-146
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Strike Fighter Squadron 146 also known as the Blue Diamonds is a United States Navy operational fleet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore California. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 11 and their tailcode is NH and their radio callsign is Diamond. The first insignia for VA-146 was approved by CNO on 23 November 1956, the first nickname the squadron reported to have used was Blacktails. This name was in reference to the color assigned to the squadron’s position in the air group. The nickname Blue Diamonds was adopted by the squadron sometime in the late 1950s, in 1968 the squadron elected to simplify their insignia and bring it in concert with their nickname. Their current insignia was revised and approved on 29 August 1968, on 1 February 1956 Attack Squadron 146 became the Navys newest jet attack squadron at NAS Miramar. Since there were no fleet replacement squadrons at this time, VA-146 started with only a handful of aircraft and their first deployment was aboard USS Hornet in 1957. In September 1957, the squadron transitioned to the FJ-4B Fury, on 17 January 1960, VA-146 Furys participated in a coast to coast non-stop cross country flight. The squadron deployed Furys aboard USS Oriskany and USS Lexington, in May 1962 the squadron moved to NAS Lemoore, and transitioned to the A-4 Skyhawk in June 1962. The squadrons first Skyhawk deployment was to the Western Pacific aboard USS Constellation, from June to September 1964, while operating from USS Constellation off Yankee Station, VA-146 participated in photo reconnaissance missions over Laos. The squadron’s A-4C Skyhawks were used to provide tanker and rocket-armed escort support for the photo reconnaissance sorties over Laos, during this time, VA-146 aircraft also flew night sorties in support of DESOTO Patrol operations conducted by American destroyers operating in international waters off the coast of North Vietnam). On 29 June 1966, a 28-plane strike of VA-146 and other CVW-14 aircraft flying from USS Ranger struck the Haiphong Petroleum storage complex, in December 1968 under the instruction of VA-125, VA-146 transitioned to the A-7B Corsair II. The squadron received its first A-7 on 4 June 1968 and deployed aboard USS Enterprise on 6 January 1969, shortly after deployment in September 1969, the squadron upgraded to the A-7E. In April 1970, the squadron embarked aboard USS America at NS Norfolk for her extended deployment to Vietnam. In December 1971, VA-146 became the first Navy squadron to use a bomb in combat. In May 1972 the squadron’s A-7Es conducted night mining missions to North Vietnamese rivers, on January 5,1973, VA-146 headed west with Carrier Air Wing Nine embarked again on USS Constellation. This cruise would bring to an end Navys participation in the Vietnam War, for the deployment, USS Constellation and CVW9 were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. In November 1974, while aboard USS Constellation, VA-146 operated in the Persian Gulf, in early 1980, VA-146 was named the safest A-7 squadron in combined Navy-Air Force history by surpassing all previous records for accident-free flight operations at 36,175 hours
2.
Attack aircraft
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This class of aircraft is designed mostly for close air support and naval air-to-surface missions, overlapping the tactical bomber mission. Designs dedicated to non-naval roles are often known as ground-attack aircraft, Strike fighters, which have effectively replaced the fighter-bomber and light bomber concepts, also differ little from the broad concept of an attack aircraft. The dedicated attack aircraft as a separate class existed primarily during, the precise implementation varied from country to country, and was handled by a wide variety of designs. In the US and UK, attack aircraft were based on light bombers, sometimes carrying heavier forward-firing weapons like the B-25G. In Germany and USSR, where they were known as schlachtflugzeug or sturmovik, in the late-war era, the fighter-bomber began to take over many attack roles, a change that continued in the post-war era. Jet powered examples were relatively rare, but not unknown, like the Blackburn Buccaneer, the US Navy continued to introduce new aircraft in their A-series, but these were purely light and medium bombers. Since the 1960s, only two dedicated attack aircraft designs have been introduced, the US A-10 Thunderbolt II and Soviet Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot. One oddity belonging to class is the AC-130, which features as its primary armament high-caliber artillery guns adapted for aircraft use. A variety of attack aircraft exist, usually based on adapted trainers or other light fixed-wing aircraft. Presently, U. S. attack aircraft are identified by the prefix A-, as in A-6 Intruder, however, until the end of World War II the A- designation was shared between attack planes and light bombers for the Army aircraft. The US Navy used a separate system and at the time preferred to call similar aircraft scout bombers or torpedo bombers. For example, Douglas SBD Dauntless scout bomber was designated A-24 when used by the USAAF. It was not until 1946, when the US Navy and US Marine Corps started using the attack designation, as with many aircraft classifications, the definition of attack aircraft is somewhat vague and has tended to change over time. Current U. S. military doctrine defines it as an aircraft which most likely performs an attack mission, Attack mission means, in turn, specifically tactical air-to-ground action—in other words, neither air-to-air action nor strategic bombing is considered an attack mission. In United States Navy vocabulary, the designation for the same activity is a strike mission. Attack missions are divided into two categories, air interdiction and close air support. In the last several decades, the rise of the ubiquitous multi-role fighter has created confusion about the difference between attack and fighter aircraft. According to the current U. S. designation system, an aircraft is designed primarily for air-to-surface
3.
Ling-Temco-Vought
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Ling-Temco-Vought was a large US conglomerate which existed from 1961 to 2000. It began in 1947 as Ling Electric Company, later named Ling-Temco-Vought, followed by LTV Corporation, in 1947, entrepreneur James Ling founded Dallas electrical contracting business, Ling Electric Company. He lived in the rear of the shop, after incorporating and taking the company public in 1955, Ling found innovative ways to market the stock, including selling door-to-door and from a booth at the State Fair of Texas. In 1956 Ling bought L. M. Electronics, and in 1959 added Altec Electronics, in 1960 Ling merged the company with Temco Aircraft, best known for its missile work. In 1961, using funding from insurance businessman Troy Post. With low interest rates allowing the company to borrow huge sums, given the fairly unsophisticated stock research of the era, the company appeared to be growing without bound, and its share price rose. In 1964 Ling turned Ling-Temco-Vought into a company and established three public companies as subsidiaries, LTV Aerospace, LTV Ling Altec, and LTV Electrosystems. LTV Aerospace received assets for Vought and a part of Temco Aircraft. LTV Ling Altec contained Altec Electronics and other properties and the rest went to LTV Electrosystems, the intention was to make the sum of the parts appear to be worth more than the whole. Ling used this technique to raise capital and buy more companies, portions of LTV Electrosystems would later spin off to E-Systems, then part of Raytheon IIS, and since 2002 part of L-3 Communications-Integrated Systems. In 1965, Ling added the wire and cable company Okonite, in 1967, they took over Wilson and Company, a company twice the size of Ling Temco Vought. Wilson was a company involved in meat packing, sporting goods. Wilsons president Roscoe Haynie was not aware of the scheme until two weeks before the takeover was complete. Ling later split Wilson into three parts, and spun them off into separate companies traded on the American Stock Exchange, in 1968, Ling-Temco-Vought added Greatamerica Corporation, Troy Posts holding company for Braniff International Airways and National Car Rental, and J & L Steel. In addition he acquired resorts in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, by 1969 LTV had purchased 33 companies, employed 29,000 workers, and offered 15,000 separate products and services, and was one of the 40 biggest industrial corporations. Ling-Temco-Vought had a sales of $3.6 billion in 1969. Share prices plummeted, sparking a bear market, and there was a feeling that the conglomerates were to blame for the market woes. An anti-trust lawsuit was filed that year, eventually the board of directors demoted James Ling in 1970 and he left the company, to be replaced by former Ling-Temco-Vought executive, Paul Thayer
4.
Portuguese Air Force
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The Portuguese Air Force is the aerial warfare force of Portugal. Locally, it is referred to by the acronym FAP, and it is the youngest of the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces. The Portuguese Air Force was formed on July 1,1952, the CEMFA is the only officer in the Air Force with the rank of general. Presently, the FAP is a professional force made of career personnel. As 2015, the FAP employed a total of 5957 military personnel, the Air Force further included 842 civilian employees. Besides its warfare role, the FAP has also public service roles, namely assuring the Portuguese Air Search, until 2014, the FAP also integrated the National Aeronautical Authority. The AAN is now a body, but continues to be headed by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, with the Air Force assuring most of its activities. Its aerobatic display teams are the Asas de Portugal jet aircraft display team, the remote origins of the Portuguese Air Force lay in the origins of the Portuguese military aeronautics. Portugal was directly linked with the history of the aeronautics since its early beginnings, in 1709, the Portuguese priest Bartolomeu de Gusmão requested a patent for a device to move through the air, which consisted in a kind of hot air balloon. The patent was granted on the 19 April 1709 and small models of this device were tested with success in several occasions. Accordingly, with some opinions, a real device would have performed a crewed flight over Lisbon, taking off from the São Jorge Castle. This may have been the first manned flight in history, the AeCP becomes one of the major boosters of the development of the aviation in Portugal in the early 20th century, including of its military use. Despite the previous use of balloons by the Portuguese Army, its first air unit was created in 1911. This unit was the Aerostation Company, which was part of the Army Telegraphic Service and was intended to operate observation aerostats and this unit would later receive a handful of airplanes. In 1912, the Portuguese Government receives its first airplane, a Deperdussin B, the Government further receives a Maurice Farman MF4 offered by the O Comércio do Porto newspaper and an Avro 500 offered by the Portuguese Republican Party. These aircraft would be integrated in the Aerostation Company, but remained years without use because of the inexistence of pilots, still in 1912, midshipman Miguel Freitas Homem of the naval purser branch applied for admission to any course that would qualify him as an aviator. He was so the first so the first member of the Portuguese Military to formally request to be an aircraft pilot. In the same year, by request of the AeCP, the legislator António José de Almeida presents a bill to the Portuguese Parliament for the creation of a Military Aviation Institute
5.
Hellenic Air Force
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The Hellenic Air Force is the air force of Greece. The Hellenic Air Force includes approximately 33,000 active troops, during the period of monarchy between 1935–1973 the force was known as the Royal Hellenic Air Force. The motto of the Hellenic Air Force is the ancient Greek phrase Αἰὲν Ὑψικρατεῖν, Always Dominate the Heights), the Hellenic Air Force is one of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces. In 1911, the Greek Government appointed French specialists to form the Hellenic Aviation Service, the first civilian Greek aviator who was given military rank was Emmanuel Argyropoulos, who flew in a Nieuport IV. G. Alkyon aircraft, on February 8,1912, the first military flight was made on May 13,1912 by Lieutenant Dimitrios Kamberos. During September of the year, the Greek Army fielded its first squadron. January 24,1913 saw the first naval co-operation war mission worldwide and this was not the first air-to-surface bombing in military history as there was a precedent in the Turkish Italian war of 1911, but the first recorded attack against ships from the air. Initially, the Hellenic Army and the Royal Hellenic Navy operated separate Army Aviation, during the Balkan Wars, various French Henry and Maurice Farman aircraft types were in use. Naval Aviation was officially founded in 1914 by the then CinC of the Hellenic Navy, Greek aviation units participated in World War I and the Asia Minor Campaign, equipped by the Allies with a variety of French and British designs. In 1930, the Aviation Ministry was founded, establishing the Air Force as the branch of the Armed Forces. The Hellenic Army Air Service and Hellenic Naval Air Service were amalgamated into a single service, in 1931 the Hellenic Air Force Academy, the Scholi Ikaron, was founded. In 1939, an order for 24 Marcel Bloch MB.151 fighter aircraft was placed, the aircraft served in the 24th Pursuit Squadron of the then Hellenic Royal Air Force. On November 2,1940, a Breguet 19 intercepted the 3 Alpine Division Julia while it was penetrating Pindos mountain range, however, after 65 days of war, the RHAF had lost 31 officers killed and seven wounded, plus four NCOs killed and five wounded. Meanwhile, the number of aircraft had dropped to 28 fighters. Still, in March 1941 the Italian invasion was confronted successfully, during the Greco-Italian War the Hellenic Air Force shot down 64 enemy aircraft and claimed another 24. Actually, according to sources, Italians lost 65 aircraft during the whole campaign, against Greeks and British. In April 1941 the German Wehrmacht invaded Greece to assist her Italian allies, the Luftwaffe destroyed almost the entire Hellenic Air Force, some aircraft managed to escape in the Middle East. The top ace of Hellenic Air Force was Andreas Antoniou with 5.5 victories, five Avro Anson, one Dornier Do 22 and three Avro 626 escaped
6.
United States Navy
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The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U. S. Navy is the largest, most capable navy in the world, the U. S. Navy has the worlds largest aircraft carrier fleet, with ten in service, two in the reserve fleet, and three new carriers under construction. The service has 323,792 personnel on duty and 108,515 in the Navy Reserve. It has 274 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of October 2016, the U. S. Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was effectively disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. It played a role in the American Civil War by blockading the Confederacy. It played the role in the World War II defeat of Imperial Japan. The 21st century U. S. Navy maintains a global presence, deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean. The Navy is administratively managed by the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Navy is itself a division of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of Defense. The Chief of Naval Operations is an admiral and the senior naval officer of the Department of the Navy. The CNO may not be the highest ranking officer in the armed forces if the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, the United States Navy is a seaborne branch of the military of the United States. The Navys three primary areas of responsibility, The preparation of naval forces necessary for the prosecution of war. The development of aircraft, weapons, tactics, technique, organization, U. S. Navy training manuals state that the mission of the U. S. Armed Forces is to prepare and conduct prompt and sustained combat operations in support of the national interest, as part of that establishment, the U. S. Navys functions comprise sea control, power projection and nuclear deterrence, in addition to sealift duties. It follows then as certain as that night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, the Navy was rooted in the colonial seafaring tradition, which produced a large community of sailors, captains, and shipbuilders. In the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, Massachusetts had its own Massachusetts Naval Militia, the establishment of a national navy was an issue of debate among the members of the Second Continental Congress. Supporters argued that a navy would protect shipping, defend the coast, detractors countered that challenging the British Royal Navy, then the worlds preeminent naval power, was a foolish undertaking. Commander in Chief George Washington resolved the debate when he commissioned the ocean-going schooner USS Hannah to interdict British merchant ships, and reported the captures to the Congress
7.
United States Air Force
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The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U. S. military to be formed, the U. S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, the U. S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service more than 5,137 military aircraft,406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel,141,197 civilian employees,69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel. According to the National Security Act of 1947, which created the USAF and it shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The stated mission of the USAF today is to fly, fight, and win in air, space and we will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and it should be emphasized that the core functions, by themselves, are not doctrinal constructs. The purpose of Nuclear Deterrence Operations is to operate, maintain, in the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD, and the means to deliver them, moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are a nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. Nuclear strike is the ability of forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which the enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level, post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations, the Air Force, in conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements, adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Forces ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission, positive nuclear command, control, communications, effective nuclear weapons security, and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. OCA is the method of countering air and missile threats, since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source
8.
United States dollar
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The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States and its insular territories per the United States Constitution. It is divided into 100 smaller cent units, the circulating paper money consists of Federal Reserve Notes that are denominated in United States dollars. The U. S. dollar was originally commodity money of silver as enacted by the Coinage Act of 1792 which determined the dollar to be 371 4/16 grain pure or 416 grain standard silver, the currency most used in international transactions, it is the worlds primary reserve currency. Several countries use it as their currency, and in many others it is the de facto currency. Besides the United States, it is used as the sole currency in two British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. A few countries use the Federal Reserve Notes for paper money, while the country mints its own coins, or also accepts U. S. coins that can be used as payment in U. S. dollars. After Nixon shock of 1971, USD became fiat currency, Article I, Section 8 of the U. S. Constitution provides that the Congress has the power To coin money, laws implementing this power are currently codified at 31 U. S. C. Section 5112 prescribes the forms in which the United States dollars should be issued and these coins are both designated in Section 5112 as legal tender in payment of debts. The Sacagawea dollar is one example of the copper alloy dollar, the pure silver dollar is known as the American Silver Eagle. Section 5112 also provides for the minting and issuance of other coins and these other coins are more fully described in Coins of the United States dollar. The Constitution provides that a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and that provision of the Constitution is made specific by Section 331 of Title 31 of the United States Code. The sums of money reported in the Statements are currently being expressed in U. S. dollars, the U. S. dollar may therefore be described as the unit of account of the United States. The word dollar is one of the words in the first paragraph of Section 9 of Article I of the Constitution, there, dollars is a reference to the Spanish milled dollar, a coin that had a monetary value of 8 Spanish units of currency, or reales. In 1792 the U. S. Congress passed a Coinage Act, Section 20 of the act provided, That the money of account of the United States shall be expressed in dollars, or units. And that all accounts in the offices and all proceedings in the courts of the United States shall be kept and had in conformity to this regulation. In other words, this act designated the United States dollar as the unit of currency of the United States, unlike the Spanish milled dollar the U. S. dollar is based upon a decimal system of values. Both one-dollar coins and notes are produced today, although the form is significantly more common
9.
Vought F-8 Crusader
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The first F-8 prototype was ready for flight in February 1955. The F-8 served principally in the Vietnam War, the Crusader was the last American fighter with guns as the primary weapon, earning it the title The Last of the Gunfighters. The RF-8 Crusader was a development and operated longer in U. S. service than any of the fighter versions. RF-8s played a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, providing essential low-level photographs impossible to acquire by other means. U. S. Naval Reserve units continued to operate the RF-8 until 1987, in September 1952, the United States Navy announced a requirement for a new fighter. It was to have a top speed of Mach 1.2 at 30,000 ft with a rate of 25,000 ft/min. Korean War experience had demonstrated that 0.50 inch machine guns were no longer sufficient, in response, the Vought team led by John Russell Clark, created the V-383. Unusual for a fighter, the aircraft had a wing which necessitated the use of a fuselage-mounted short. The Crusader was powered by a Pratt and Whitney J57 turbojet engine, the engine was equipped with an afterburner that, unlike on later engines, was either fully lit, or off. The engine produced 18,000 lb of thrust at full power, the Crusader was the first jet fighter in US service to reach 1,000 mph, U. S. Navy pilot R. W. Windsor reached 1,015 mph on a flight in 1956. The most innovative aspect of the design was the wing which pivoted by 7° out of the fuselage on takeoff. This allowed a greater angle of attack, increasing lift without compromising forward visibility and this innovation helped the F-8s development team win the Collier Trophy in 1956. Simultaneously, the lift was augmented by leading-edge slats drooping by 25°, the armament, as specified by the Navy, consisted primarily of four 20 mm autocannon, the Crusader happened to be the last U. S. fighter designed with guns as its primary weapon. They were supplemented with a tray with 32 unguided Mk 4/Mk 40 Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket. Vought also presented a tactical reconnaissance version of the called the V-392. In May 1953, the Vought design was declared a winner and in June, the first prototype flew on 25 March 1955 with John Konrad at the controls. The aircraft exceeded the speed of sound during its maiden flight, the development was so trouble-free that the second prototype, along with the first production F8U-1, flew on the same day,30 September 1955. On 4 April 1956, the F8U-1 performed its first catapult launch from Forrestal, in parallel with the F8U-1s and -2s, the Crusader design team was also working on a larger aircraft with ever greater performance, internally designated as the V-401
10.
LTV A-7P Corsair II
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The Portuguese Air Force operated 50 LTV A-7 Corsair II aircraft in the anti-ship, air interdiction and air defense roles between 1981 and 1999. The Portuguese government acquired the Corsair II to replace the PoAFs North American F-86 Sabre fighters, as part of the program one TA-7C belonging to the United States Navy was also loaned to the PoAF. The acquisition of the A-7P Corsair II was the result of attempts by Portugal to replace its F-86F Sabre in the air defense role and, to some extent. The first attempts started in 1968, during the Ultramar War, during this process the PoAF evaluated the Dassault Mirage III, Dassault Mirage 5, Northrop F-5, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, and the SAAB J-35 Draken before selecting the Corsair II in 1980. However, it had become clear in the late-1960s that Portugal lacked a modern fighter capable of carrying out strikes with heavy payloads deep inside enemy territory. The preferred contenders at the time were the Dassault Mirage III, Dassault Mirage 5, Northrop F-5A and this plan called for an initial order of 30 aircraft. Meanwhile, France saw a Portuguese presence in Africa as coinciding with its own interests and had become, as such, the Dassault Mirage was seen as the best option. In 1969 the French governments foreign relations underwent a change with Charles de Gaulle leaving office and this change in policy included improving French relations with French speaking African countries, which resulted in defense accords with Senegal. In 1972 France gave permission for the start of negotiations as long as conditions for the basing of the aircraft were agreed on before any acquisition took place. However, by then the Portuguese government was facing financial problems, later in November Viana Rebelo was replaced as minister of Defense by Silva Cunha, who was able to obtain additional funding for the rearmament of the armed forces. Following new funding, a new plan was made in February 1974 to acquire new aircraft for the Air Force and this plan dismissed the option of acquiring the Mirage F1 because of its cost and the fact that it would take four years for the aircraft to be delivered. The conflict in Guinea escalated in March 1973 and the PAIGC was able to shoot down five aircraft with newly acquired Strela 2 surface-to-air missile launchers. The commander of the PoAFs Cape Verde and Guinea Air Zone requested 12 of the planned Mirage 5 to replace the North American T-6G and Fiat G.91 then operated. Later in August 1973 it was reported that the rebels were receiving pilot training in the Soviet Union with the objective of operating MiG fighters from Guinea-Conakry. Nevertheless, Galley didnt see a problem with these fighters being stationed in Angola and Mozambique, upon the stalemate between the two ministries, Frances then-prime minister Pierre Messmer agreed with the minister of Defense to only impose basing restrictions to Cape Verde and Guinea. The Portuguese government then decided on the purchase of a variant of the Mirage IIIE, to be designated Mirage IIIEPL, after the Carnation Revolution, on April 25,1974, Portugal started its decolonization process and withdrew its military forces from its oversea territories. With this change in policy and strategy the acquisition of the Mirage III stopped being a priority, the Portuguese Air Forces F-86F Sabre and G. In addition to the offsets from the use of Lajes, Portugal relied on the offsets of an agreement with the German Air Force for the use of Beja Air Base to acquire former German Fiat G.91 aircraft
11.
Vought YA-7F
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The Vought YA-7F Strikefighter was a prototype transonic attack aircraft based on the subsonic A-7 Corsair II. Two prototypes were converted from A-7Ds, the YA-7F was not ordered into production, its intended role being filled by the F-16 Fighting Falcon. In 1985, the USAF requested proposals for a fast strike aircraft because of concerns that A-10 Thunderbolt II was too slow for interdiction, the design called for a new engine, either the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 or General Electric F110-GE100. LTV responded with the YA-7F, a version of A-7 powered by an F100-PW-220 with 26,000 lbf thrust. To accommodate the new engine, the fuselage was lengthened about 4 ft, new fuselage sections were inserted in both the forward and aft fuselage - a 30 in section in front of the wing and an 18 in section behind the wing. The wing was strengthened and fitted with new augmented flaps, leading edge extensions, the vertical stabilizer height was increased about 10 in, the unit horizontal tail was flipped from dihedral to anhedral, and control surfaces were flattened. Unsurprisingly, the end result resembled the supersonic F-8 Crusader from which the original subsonic A-7 was derived, many of the vehicle systems and mission systems were heavily modified and upgraded with leading edge technology, including a Molecular Sieve Oxygen Generating System and better cockpit displays. Low Altitude Night Attack Systems, an improved HUD and many software enhancements for navigation and weapons delivery were planned and being designed concurrently by Vought Dallas. The new supersonic A-7 could accelerate with a 17,380 lb bomb load from 400 to 550 knots in under 15 seconds, the YA-7F modifications allowed 7-g turn and burn capability that permitted high-speed sustained evasive maneuvers plus great improvements in high angle of attack performance. As a CAS/BAI platform to penetrate enemy territory and return safely. Two A-7Ds were extensively modified, the first one flying on 29 November 1989, the second prototype flew on 3 April 1990. YA-7F Stretched, supersonic version of A-7 powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan, optimized for interdiction role, United States United States Air Force 70-1039 - Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB, Utah. 71-0344 - Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards AFB, California
12.
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
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The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single seat subsonic carrier-capable attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company and it was originally designated A4D under the U. S. Navys pre-1962 designation system. The Skyhawk is a lightweight aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 24,500 pounds and has a top speed of more than 670 miles per hour. The aircrafts five hardpoints support a variety of missiles, bombs, the A-4 was originally powered by the Wright J65 turbojet engine, from the A-4E onwards, the Pratt & Whitney J52 was used. Skyhawks played key roles in the Vietnam War, the Yom Kippur War, the Skyhawk was designed by Douglas Aircrafts Ed Heinemann in response to a U. S. Navy call for a jet-powered attack aircraft to replace the older Douglas AD Skyraider. Heinemann opted for a design that would minimize its size, weight, the result was an aircraft that weighed only half of the Navys weight specification. It had a wing so compact that it did not need to be folded for carrier stowage, the diminutive Skyhawk soon received the nicknames Scooter, Kiddiecar, Bantam Bomber, Tinker Toy Bomber, and, on account of its nimble performance, Heinemanns Hot-Rod. The tail is of cruciform design, with the horizontal stabilizer mounted above the fuselage, the choice of a delta wing combined speed and maneuverability with a large fuel capacity and small overall size, thus not requiring folding wings, albeit at the expense of cruising efficiency. The leading edge slats were designed to drop automatically at the speed by gravity and air pressure, saving weight and space by omitting actuation motors. The wing structure itself could be lighter with the overall strength. The turbojet engine was accessed for service or replacement by removing the aft section of the fuselage and this obviated the need for access doors with their hinges and latches, further reducing aircraft weight and complexity. The A-4 pioneered the concept of buddy air-to-air refueling and this allows the aircraft to supply others of the same type, eliminating the need for dedicated tanker aircraft—a particular advantage for small air arms or when operating in remote locations. A designated supply A-4 would mount a center-mounted buddy store, an external fuel tank with a hose reel in the aft section. This aircraft was fueled up without armament and launched first, Attack aircraft would be armed to the maximum and given as much fuel as was allowable by maximum takeoff weight limits, far less than a full tank. Once airborne, they would proceed to top off their fuel tanks from the tanker using the A-4s fixed refueling probe on the starboard side of the aircraft nose. They could then sortie with both full armament and fuel loads, while the capability of the A-4 was rarely used in U. S. service after the KA-3 Skywarrior became available as a tanker from the larger deck carriers. The versatility of the capability and the retirement of the Skywarrior meant that the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet now includes this capability. The A-4 was also designed to be able to make a landing, in the event of a hydraulic failure
13.
Vietnam War
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It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam. The war is considered a Cold War-era proxy war. As the war continued, the actions of the Viet Cong decreased as the role. U. S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery, in the course of the war, the U. S. conducted a large-scale strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese government and the Viet Cong were fighting to reunify Vietnam and they viewed the conflict as a colonial war and a continuation of the First Indochina War against forces from France and later on the United States. The U. S. government viewed its involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and this was part the domino theory of a wider containment policy, with the stated aim of stopping the spread of communism. Beginning in 1950, American military advisors arrived in what was then French Indochina, U. S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with troop levels tripling in 1961 and again in 1962. Regular U. S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965, despite the Paris Peace Accord, which was signed by all parties in January 1973, the fighting continued. In the U. S. and the Western world, a large anti-Vietnam War movement developed as part of a larger counterculture, the war changed the dynamics between the Eastern and Western Blocs, and altered North–South relations. Direct U. S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973, the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese Army in April 1975 marked the end of the war, and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year. The war exacted a huge human cost in terms of fatalities, estimates of the number of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed vary from 966,000 to 3.8 million. Some 240, 000–300,000 Cambodians,20, 000–62,000 Laotians, and 58,220 U. S. service members died in the conflict. Various names have applied to the conflict. Vietnam War is the most commonly used name in English and it has also been called the Second Indochina War and the Vietnam Conflict. As there have been several conflicts in Indochina, this conflict is known by the names of its primary protagonists to distinguish it from others. In Vietnamese, the war is known as Kháng chiến chống Mỹ. It is also called Chiến tranh Việt Nam, France began its conquest of Indochina in the late 1850s, and completed pacification by 1893. The 1884 Treaty of Huế formed the basis for French colonial rule in Vietnam for the seven decades
14.
Air National Guard
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When Air National Guard units are used under the jurisdiction of the state governor they are fulfilling their militia role. However, if federalized by order of the President of the United States and they are jointly administered by the states and the National Guard Bureau, a joint bureau of the Army and Air Force that oversees the National Guard of the United States. The ANG of the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands have no aircraft assigned, ANG units typically operate under Title 32 USC. However, when operating under Title 10 USC all ANG units are operationally-gained by an active duty USAF major command. ANG units of the Combat Air Forces based in the Continental United States, conversely, CONUS-based ANG units in the Mobility Air Forces, plus the Puerto Rico ANGs airlift wing and the Virgin Islands ANGs civil engineering squadron are gained by the Air Mobility Command. The vast majority of ANG units fall under either ACC or AMC, established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U. S. S. When not in a status, the Air National Guard operates under their respective state. The exception to rule is the District of Columbia Air National Guard. Because both state Air National Guard and the Air National Guard of the United States relatively go hand-in-hand, Air National Guard of the United States units or members may be called up for federal active duty in times of Congressionally sanctioned war or national emergency. The United States Air National Guard has about 110,000 men and women in service, even traditional part-time air guardsmen, especially pilots, navigators/combat systems officers, air battle managers and enlisted aircrew, often serve 100 or more man-days annually. As such, the concept of Air National Guard service as representing only one weekend a month, the Georgia Air National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard previously flew the B-1B Lancer prior to converting to the E-8 Joint STARS and KC-135R Stratotanker, respectively. In addition, the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard transitioned from flying the F-15C/D Eagle at St and these proposals were eventually overruled and cancelled by the U. S. Congress. As state militia units, the units in the Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command and they are under the jurisdiction of the United States National Guard Bureau unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. Air National Guard units are trained and equipped by the United States Air Force, the state ANG units, depending on their mission, are operationally gained by a major command of the USAF if federalized. Air National Guard personnel are expected to adhere to the moral and physical standards as their full-time active duty Air Force. The same ranks and insignia of the U. S. Air Force are used by the Air National Guard, the Air National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in a service members home state or equivalent. The creation of the regiments was caused by the perceived need to defend the Bay Colony against American Indians. This organization formed the basis of subsequent colonial and, post-independence, state and this distinction accounts for why there are no National Guard components in the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps or U. S. Coast Guard
15.
Douglas A-1 Skyraider
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The Douglas A-1 Skyraider is an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. The Skyraider had a long and successful career, it became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age. In U. S. service, it was replaced by the LTV A-7 Corsair II swept wing subsonic jet in the early 1970s. Designed by Ed Heinemann of the Douglas Aircraft Company, prototypes were ordered on 6 July 1944 as the XBT2D-1, the XBT2D-1 made its first flight on 18 March 1945 and in April 1945, the USN began evaluation of the aircraft at the Naval Air Test Center. In December 1946, after a change to AD-1, delivery of the first production aircraft to a fleet squadron was made to VA-19A. The AD-1 was built at Douglas El Segundo plant in Southern California. S, the low-wing monoplane design started with a Wright R-3350 radial engine, later upgraded several times. Its distinctive feature was large straight wings with seven points apiece. S. Heinemann immediately had his design engineers begin a program for finding weight-saving on the XBT2D-1 design, in the end, Heinemann and his design engineers found over 1,800 lb of weight savings on the original XBT2D-1 design. The Navy AD series was painted in ANA623 Glossy Sea Blue, but during the 1950s following the Korean War. Initially using the gray and white Navy pattern, by 1967 the USAF began to paint its Skyraiders in a camouflaged pattern using two shades of green, and one of tan. Used by the USN over Korea and Vietnam, the A-1 was a close air support aircraft for the USAF and VNAF during the Vietnam War. The A-1 was famous for being able to take hits and keep flying, there was added armor plating around the cockpit area for added pilot protection. The Skyraider went through seven versions, starting with the AD-1, then AD-2 and AD-3 with various minor improvements, the AD-5 was significantly widened, allowing two crew to sit side-by-side, it also came in a four-seat night-attack version, the AD-5N. The AD-6 was an improved AD-4B with improved low-level bombing equipment, in addition to serving during Korea and Vietnam as an attack aircraft, the Skyraider was modified to serve as a carrier-based airborne early warning aircraft, replacing the Grumman TBM-3W Avenger. It fulfilled this function in the USN and Royal Navy, being replaced by the Grumman E-1 Tracer and Fairey Gannet, respectively, Skyraider production ended in 1957 with a total of 3,180 having been built. In 1962, the existing Skyraiders were redesignated A-1D through A-1J and its weapons load and 10-hour flying time far surpassed the jets that were available at the time. On 2 May 1951, Skyraiders made the aerial torpedo attack of the war, hitting the Hwacheon Dam. AD-3N and -4N aircraft carrying bombs and flares flew night-attack sorties, during the Korean War, AD Skyraiders were flown only by the U. S. Navy and U. S. Marine Corps, and were normally painted in dark navy blue
16.
North American F-100 Super Sabre
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The North American F-100 Super Sabre was an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of speed in level flight. The F-100 was designed by North American Aviation as a higher performance follow-on to the F-86 Sabre air superiority fighter, adapted as a fighter bomber, the F-100 was supplanted by the Mach two class F-105 Thunderchief for strike missions over North Vietnam. The F-100 flew extensively over South Vietnam as the air forces primary close air support jet until being replaced by the more efficient subsonic LTV A-7 Corsair II, the F-100 also served in other NATO air forces and with other U. S. allies. In its later life, it was referred to as the Hun. In January 1951, North American Aviation delivered an unsolicited proposal for a day fighter to the United States Air Force. Named Sabre 45 because of its 45° wing sweep, it represented an evolution of the F-86 Sabre, the mockup was inspected on 7 July 1951, and after over a hundred modifications, the new aircraft was accepted as the F-100 on 30 November 1951. Extensive use of titanium throughout the aircraft was notable, on 3 January 1952, the USAF ordered two prototypes followed by 23 F-100As in February and an additional 250 F-100As in August. The YF-100A first flew on 25 May 1953, seven ahead of schedule. It reached Mach 1.04 in spite of being fitted with a de-rated XJ57-P-7 engine, the second prototype flew on 14 October 1953, followed by the first production F-100A on 9 October 1953. These findings were confirmed during Project Hot Rod operational suitability tests. Particularly troubling was the yaw instability in certain regimes of flight which produced inertia coupling, the aircraft could develop a sudden yaw and roll which would happen too fast for the pilot to correct and would quickly over-stress the aircraft structure to disintegration. It was under conditions that North Americans chief test pilot. Another control problem stemmed from handling characteristics of the wing at high angles of attack. As the aircraft approached stall speeds, loss of lift on the tips of the caused an violent pitch-up. This particular phenomenon became known as the Sabre dance, nevertheless, delays in the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak program pushed the Tactical Air Command to order the raw F-100A into service. Tactical Air Command also requested that future F-100s be fighter-bombers, with the capability of delivering nuclear bombs, the North American F-107 was a follow-on Mach 2 development of the F-100 with the air intake moved above and behind the cockpit. It was not produced in quantity in favor of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, the F-100A officially entered USAF service on 27 September 1954, with the 479th Fighter Wing at George AFB, California
17.
Vought
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Vought is the name of several related aerospace firms. These have included, in the past, Lewis and Vought Corporation, Chance Vought, Vought-Sikorsky, LTV Aerospace, Vought Aircraft Companies, the first incarnation of Vought was established by Chance M. Vought and Birdseye Lewis in 1917. In 1928, it was acquired by United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, which a few years later became United Aircraft Corporation, during the 1920s and 1930s, Vought Aircraft and Chance Vought specialized in carrier-based aircraft for the United States Navy, by far its biggest customer. Chance Vought produced thousands of planes during World War II, including the F4U Corsair, Vought became independent again in 1954, and was purchased by Ling-Temco-Vought in 1961. The company designed and produced a variety of planes and missiles throughout the Cold War, Vought was sold from LTV and owned in various degrees by the Carlyle Group and Northrop Grumman in the early 1990s. It was then bought by Carlyle, renamed Vought Aircraft Industries. The Lewis and Vought Corporation was founded in 1917 and was succeeded by the Chance Vought Corporation in 1922 when Birdseye Lewis retired. A former chief engineer of the Wright Company, Chance M. Vought founded the company to take advantage of the field of military. Operations began in Astoria, New York and in 1919 were moved to Long Island City, Vought made history in 1922 when their Vought VE-7 trainer made the first takeoff from the deck of the USS Langley, the first American aircraft carrier. Following this success came the VE-11 naval fighter and the Vought O2U Corsair, in 1928, the company was acquired by United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, but stayed its own separate division among the likes of Pratt & Whitney and Boeing. Despite the Great Depression, Vought continued to design and manufacture aircraft at a growing pace, soon after Chance Voughts death in 1930, the company moved its operations to East Hartford, Connecticut. In 1939 United Aircraft moved Vought to Stratford, Connecticut where their Sikorsky division was located and renamed the merged divisions Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft, chief Engineer Rex Beisel began in 1938 to develop the XF4U, recognized by its distinctive inverted gull wings. After its first flight in 1940, thousands of F4U Corsairs were produced for the Navy, by the end of its production in 1952, Vought, Goodyear, and Brewster had all produced the Corsair fighters. Vought was reestablished as a division in United Aircraft in 1942. In postwar 1949, Vought moved operations to Dallas, Texas where the former North American Aviation B plant was located, in 1954, the company fully separated from United Aircraft and became the independent Chance Vought Aircraft Inc. Vought began manufacture of its F-8 Crusader for the US Navy in 1957, one of the first Navy fighters capable of supersonic flight and the Navys last all-gun fighter. The A-7A, A-7B, A-7C and A-7E served with the US Navy while the A-7D was purchased by the US Air Force, two-seat models known as the TA-7C/E served with the US Navy while the US Air Force purchased the TA-7K. The A-7 served in limited numbers with three foreign air forces, including Greece, Portugal and Thailand, Vought was bought by James Ling in 1962, forming the new conglomerate Ling-Temco-Vought
18.
Douglas Aircraft Company
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The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer based in Southern California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. Douglas Aircraft Company largely operated as a division of McDonnell Douglas after the merger. MD later merged with Boeing in 1997, the Douglas Aircraft Company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. on July 22,1921 in Santa Monica, California, following dissolution of the Davis-Douglas Company. An early claim to fame was the first circumnavigation of the world by air in Douglas airplanes in 1924. In 1923, the U. S. Army Air Service was interested in carrying out a mission to circumnavigate the Earth for the first time by aircraft, Donald Douglas proposed a modified Douglas DT to meet the Armys needs. The two-place, open cockpit DT biplane torpedo bomber had previously produced for the U. S. Navy. The DTs were taken from the lines at the companys manufacturing plants in Rock Island, Illinois and Dayton. The modified aircraft known as the Douglas World Cruiser, also was the first major project for Jack Northrop who designed the system for the series. After the prototype was delivered in November 1923, upon the completion of tests on 19 November. Due to the expedition ahead, spare parts, including 15 extra Liberty L-12 engines,14 extra sets of pontoons. These were sent to airports along the route, the last of these aircraft was delivered to the U. S. Army on 11 March 1924. After the success of the World Cruiser, the Army Air Service ordered six similar aircraft as observation aircraft. The success of the DWC established the Douglas Aircraft Company among the aircraft companies of the world. Douglas adopted a logo that showed aircraft circling a globe, replacing the original winged heart logo, the logo evolved into an aircraft, a rocket, and a globe. It was later adopted by the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, and then became the basis of the current logo of the Boeing Company after their 1997 merger, many Douglas aircraft had long service lives. Douglas Aircraft designed and built a variety of aircraft for the U. S. military, including the Navy, Army Air Forces, Marine Corps, Air Force. The company initially built torpedo bombers for the U. S. Navy, within five years, the company was building about 100 aircraft annually. Among the early employees at Douglas were Ed Heinemann, Dutch Kindelberger, and Jack Northrop, the company retained its military market and expanded into amphibian airplanes in the late 1920s, also moving its facilities to Clover Field at Santa Monica, California
19.
Grumman
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The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U. S. producer of military and civilian aircraft. Founded on December 6,1929, by Leroy Grumman and partners, factory in Baldwin on Long Island, New York. All of the early Grumman employees were former Loening employees, the company was named for Grumman because he was its largest investor. The company filed as a business on December 5,1929, keeping busy by welding aluminum tubing for truck frames, the company eagerly pursued contracts with the US Navy. Grumman designed the first practical floats with a landing gear for the Navy. The first Grumman aircraft was also for the Navy, the Grumman FF-1 and this was followed by a number of other successful designs. Grumman ranked 22nd among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts, Grummans first jet aircraft was the F9F Panther, it was followed by the upgraded F9F/F-9 Cougar, and the less well known F-11 Tiger in the 1950s. The companys big postwar successes came in the 1960s with the A-6 Intruder and E-2 Hawkeye and in the 1970s with the Grumman EA-6B Prowler, Grumman products were prominent in the film Top Gun and numerous World War II naval and Marine Corps aviation films. The U. S. Navy still employs the Hawkeye as part of Carrier Air Wings on board aircraft carriers, Grumman was the chief contractor on the Apollo Lunar Module that landed men on the moon. The firm received the contract on November 7,1962, as the Apollo program neared its end, Grumman was one of the main competitors for the contract to design and build the Space Shuttle, but lost to Rockwell International. The company ended up involved in the program nonetheless, as a subcontractor to Rockwell, providing the wings. In 1969 the company changed its name to Grumman Aerospace Corporation, the company built the Grumman Long Life Vehicle, a light transport mail truck designed for and used by the United States Postal Service. The LLV entered service in 1986, Gulfstream business jets continue to be currently manufactured by Gulfstream Aerospace which is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. For much of the Cold War period Grumman was the largest corporate employer on Long Island, Grummans products were considered so reliable and ruggedly built that the company was often referred to as the Grumman Iron Works. At its peak in 1986 it employed 23,000 people on Long Island, a portion of the airport property has been used for the Grumman Memorial Park. Northrop Grummans remaining business at the Bethpage campus is the Battle Management and Engagement Systems Division, under the Grumman Olson brand it made the P-600 and P-6800 step vans for UPS. Grumman manufactured fire engines under the name Firecat and aerial tower trucks under the Aerialcat name, the company entered the fire apparatus business in 1976 with its purchase of Howe Fire Apparatus and ended operations in 1992. Grumman canoes were developed in 1944 as World War II was winding down, Company executive William Hoffman used the companys aircraft aluminum to replace the traditional wood design
20.
North American Aviation
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Through a series of mergers and sales, North American Aviation became part of North American Rockwell, which later became Rockwell International and is now part of Boeing. Clement Melville Keys founded North American on December 6,1928, as a company that bought and sold interests in various airlines. However, the Air Mail Act of 1934 forced the breakup of such holding companies, North American became a manufacturing company, run by James H. Dutch Kindelberger, who had been recruited from Douglas Aircraft Company. NAA did retain ownership of Eastern Air Lines until 1938, General Motors Corporation took a controlling interest in NAA and merged it with its general aviation division in 1933, but retained the name North American Aviation. Its first planes were the GA-15 observation plane and the GA-16 trainer, followed by the O-47 and BT-9, the BC-1 of 1937 was North Americans first combat aircraft, it was based on the GA-16. In 1940, like other manufacturers, North American started gearing up for war, opening factories in Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Texas, North American ranked eleventh among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts. North Americans follow-on to the BT-9 was the T-6 Texan trainer, of which 17,000 were built, the twin-engine B-25 Mitchell bomber achieved fame in the Doolittle Raid and was used in all combat theaters of operation. The P-51 Mustang was initially produced for Britain as an alternative to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the derivative A-36 Apache was developed as a ground attack aircraft and dive bomber. Post-war, North Americans employment dropped from a high of 91,000 to 5,000 in 1946, on V-J Day, North American had orders from the U. S. government for 8,000 aircraft. A few months later, that had dropped to 24, two years later in 1948, General Motors divested NAA as a public company. The Buckeyes name would be an acknowledgment to the tree of Ohio. The North American F-86 Sabre started out as a redesigned Fury and its successor, the North American F-100 Super Sabre, was also popular. Some 6,656 F-86s were produced in the United States, to accommodate its Sabre production, North American opened facilities in a former Curtiss-Wright plant in Columbus, Ohio. It also moved into a former Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft plant at Downey, California, by the end of 1952, North American sales topped $315 million. Employment at the Columbus plant grew from 1,600 in 1950 to 18,000 in 1952, Atomics International was a division of North American Aviation which began as the Atomic Energy Research Department at the Downey plant in 1948. In 1955, the department was renamed Atomics International and engaged principally in the development of nuclear technology. Atomics International was eventually merged with the Rocketdyne division in 1978, autonetics began in 1945 at North Americans Technical Research Laboratory, a small unit in the Los Angeles Divisions engineering department based in Downey, California. The division was involved in the development of systems for the Minuteman ballistic missile system
21.
Vought F4U Corsair
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The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. The Corsair thus came to and retained prominence in its area of greatest deployment, the Corsair served to a lesser degree in the U. S. Navy. In addition to its use by the U. S. and British, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the French Navy Aéronavale and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II, after the carrier landing issues had been tackled, it quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina, in February 1938 the U. S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics published two requests for proposal for twin-engined and single-engined fighters. For the single-engined fighter the Navy requested the maximum speed. A range of 1,000 miles was specified, the fighter had to carry four guns, or three with increased ammunition. Provision had to be made for anti-aircraft bombs to be carried in the wing and these small bombs would, according to thinking in the 1930s, be dropped on enemy aircraft formations. In June 1938, the U. S. Navy signed a contract with Vought for a prototype bearing the factory designation V-166B, the Corsair design team was headed up by Rex Beisel. When the prototype was completed it had the biggest and most powerful engine, largest propeller, the first flight of the XF4U-1 was made on 29 May 1940, with Lyman A. Bullard, Jr. at the controls. The maiden flight proceeded normally until a landing was made when the elevator trim tabs failed because of flutter. The USAACs twin-engine Lockheed P-38 Lightning had flown over 400 mph in January–February 1939, the XF4U-1 also had an excellent rate of climb but testing revealed that some requirements would have to be rewritten. In full-power dive tests, speeds of up to 550 miles per hour were achieved but not without damage to the surfaces and access panels and, in one case. The spin recovery standards also had to be relaxed as recovery from the required two-turn spin proved impossible without resorting to an anti-spin chute, the problems clearly meant delays in getting the design into production. Reports coming back from the war in Europe indicated that an armament of two.30 in synchronized engine cowling-mount machine guns, and two.50 in machine guns was insufficient, the U. S. Navys November 1940 production proposals specified heavier armament. The increased armament consisted of three.50 caliber machine guns mounted in each wing panel and this improvement greatly increased the ability of the Corsair to effectively shoot down enemy aircraft. Formal U. S. Navy acceptance trials for the XF4U-1 began in February 1941, the first production F4U-1 performed its initial flight a year later, on 24 June 1942. It was an achievement for Vought, compared to land-based counterparts, carrier aircraft are overbuilt and heavier
22.
Vought O2U Corsair
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The Vought O2U Corsair was a 1920s biplane scout and observation aircraft. Made by Vought Corporation, the O2U was ordered by the United States Navy in 1927, powered by a 400 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp engine, it incorporated a steel-tube fuselage structure and a wood wing structure with fabric covering. Two prototypes were ordered in 1926 and tested by the Navy Trial Board before the first production batches were ordered, in 1927, a total of 291 O2Us were produced. The O2U-2, -3 and -4 were ordered in 1928 with minor changes, by 1930 they were being superseded by the O3U which was basically similar to the O2U-4, one variant of which was fitted with the Grumman float, and were manufactured until 1936. A total of 289 were built, many of them had cowled engines and some had enclosed cockpits. The 600-690 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1690-42 Hornet engine was used to power Corsairs designated SU-1 to SU-4, the change in designation reflected their role as scouts. A total of 289 SU designated aircraft were built for the USN, no less than 141 Corsairs were still serving with the US Navy and Marines when the US entered World War II. Export versions included the Corsair V-65F, V-66F and V-80Fp for the Argentine Navy, the V-80P for the Peruvian Air Force, china purchased Corsair variants V-65C and V-92C. Brazil purchased 36 aircraft V-65B, some hydroplanes V-66B and 15 V-65F, in 1937, Mexico purchased 10 V-99M equipped with the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-T1H-1550 hp Wasp engine, some of them may have been sent to Spain. China purchased the 42 export versions of O2U-1 from 1929–1933, and 21 export versions of O3U between 1933–1934 and they saw extensive bombing actions, peru purchased two Vought OSUs which were designated UO-1A. Later, in 1929,12 O2U-1 were acquired, used first as trainers, they saw action against APRA rebels in the northern areas of the country, and against Colombian ships and aircraft during the Colombia-Peru War. None were lost due to fire, but several were destroyed due to accidents. These aircraft were used for light bombing and casualty evacuation by the US Marine Corps during the intervention in Nicaragua in the late 1920s. Thailand used their Corsairs in the Battle of Ko Chang against the French navy, the most famous combat operation of this aircraft was shooting the original King Kong off of the Empire State Building. Vought would use the Corsair name again for the F4U fighter in 1938, xO-28 Single example taken on charge by the U. S. Army Air Corps for evaluation with serial 29-323, Wright Field Project Number P-547, powered by a 450 h. p. Destroyed in hangar fire at Wright Field, Ohio,18 March 1930, O2U-1 two prototypes followed by 130 production aircraft for USN with interchangeable wheel/float landing gear and 28 aircraft for other customers. O3U-465 built, Pratt & Whitney R-1690-42 Hornet engine, SU-4 SU-4 re-engined with a 600 hp R-1690-2 engine,41 built One United States Navy O2U-3 evaluated by the United States Army Air Corps. Vought AXV1 A single O2U supplied to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service for evaluation in 1929
23.
Pratt & Whitney TF30
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The Pratt & Whitney TF30 is a military low-bypass turbofan engine originally designed by Pratt & Whitney for the subsonic F6D Missileer fleet defense fighter, but this project was cancelled. First flight of the TF30 was in 1964 and production continued until 1986, in 1958, the Douglas Aircraft Company proposed a short-range, four-engined jet airliner to fill the gap below its new DC-8 intercontinental, known internally as the Model 2067. Intended to be marketed the DC-9, it was not directly related to the later twin-engined Douglas DC-9, Pratt & Whitney had offered its JT8A turbojet for the airliner, but Douglas preferred to go with a turbofan engine, which would have a greater fuel efficiency than a turbojet. P&W then proposed the JT10A, a version of its newly developed JT8D turbofan. Development of the new design began in April 1959, using the core of the JT8, Douglas shelved the model 2067 design in 1960, as the targeted US airlines preferred the newly offered Boeing 727. In 1960, the United States Navy selected the JT10A, designated TF30-P-1, to power the proposed Douglas F6D Missileer, but the project was canceled in April 1961. Meanwhile, the TF30 had been chosen by General Dynamics for its entrant in the TFX competition for the United States Air Force and USN, the version of the TF30 for the F-111 included an afterburner. The F-111A, EF-111A and F-111E used the TF30-P-103 turbofan, the F-111 had problems with inlet compatibility, and many faulted the placement of the intakes behind the disturbed air of the wing. Newer F-111 variants incorporated improved intake designs and most variants featured more powerful versions of the TF30 engine, the F-111E used TF30-P-3 engines, the F-111D included TF30-P-9, and the F-111F had the TF30-P-100. In 1964, the subsonic LTV A-7A Corsair II won the US Navys VAL competition for an attack aircraft to replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. The A-7A used a variant of the TF30, which would also power the improved A-7B. In 1965, the USAF selected the A-7D as a replacement for its fast-jet F-100, though the USAF had wanted the TF30, Pratt & Whitney was unable to meet the production timetable because its facilities were already committed to producing other engines. Instead of producing the TF30 under license for P&W, the Allison Engine Company offered its own TF41 turbofan, the more powerful TF41 was selected by the USAF for the A-7D, and by the USN for its similar A-7E. The Grumman F-14 Tomcat with the TF30-P-414A was underpowered, because it was the Navys intent to procure a jet fighter with a ratio of unity or better. The F-14As thrust-to-weight ratio was similar to the F-4 Phantom II, however the new fuselage and wing design provided greater lift and a better climb profile than the F-4. The TF30 was found to be ill-adapted to the demands of air combat and was prone to stalls at high angle of attack if the throttles were moved aggressively. The F-14s problems did not afflict TF30 engines in the USAF and RAAF F-111s to nearly the same extent, the F-111, while technically designated as a fighter, was actually used as a ground attack aircraft. A typical ground strike mission is characterized by abrupt changes in throttle, angle of attack
24.
Turbofan
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The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. Thus, whereas all the air taken in by a turbojet passes through the turbine, a turbofan thus can be thought of as a turbojet being used to drive a ducted fan, with both of those contributing to the thrust. The ratio of the mass-flow of air bypassing the engine compared to the mass-flow of air passing through the core is referred to as the bypass ratio. Most commercial aviation jet engines in use today are of the high-bypass type, afterburners are not used on high-bypass turbofan engines but may be used on either low-bypass turbofan or turbojet engines. Other noise sources are the fan, compressor and turbine, Jet noise is reduced with chevrons, sawtooth patterns on the exhaust nozzles, on the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and General Electric GEnx engines used on the Boeing 787. Turbofans are thus the most efficient engines in the range of speeds from about 500 to 1,000 km/h, turbofans retain an efficiency edge over pure jets at low supersonic speeds up to roughly Mach 1.6. Modern turbofans have either a large single-stage fan or a fan with several stages. An early configuration combined a low-pressure turbine and fan in a single rear-mounted unit, early turbojet engines were not very fuel-efficient as their overall pressure ratio and turbine inlet temperature were severely limited by the technology available at the time. In 1939-1941 Soviet designer Arkhip Lyulka elaborated the design for the worlds first turbofan engine, although several prototypes were built and ready for testing, Lyulka was in 1941 forced to abandon his research and evacuate to the Urals following the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. So the first turbofan to run was apparently the German Daimler-Benz DB670 with a first run date of 27 May 1943, turbomachinery testing, using an electric motor, had started on 1 April 1943. The engine was abandoned later while the war went on and problems could not be solved, the British wartime Metrovick F.2 axial flow jet was given a fan, as the Metrovick F.3 in 1943, to create the first British turbofan. The original low-bypass turbofan engines were designed to improve efficiency by reducing the exhaust velocity to a value closer to that of the aircraft. The Rolls-Royce Conway, the worlds first production turbofan, had a ratio of 0.3. Civilian turbofan engines of the 1960s, such as the Pratt & Whitney JT8D and the Rolls-Royce Spey had bypass ratios closer to 1, the first General Electric turbofan was the aft-fan CJ805-23 based on the CJ805-3 turbojet. It was followed by the aft-fan General Electric CF700 engine with a 2.0 bypass ratio and this was derived from the General Electric J85/CJ610 turbojet to power the larger Rockwell Sabreliner 75/80 model aircraft, as well as the Dassault Falcon 20 with about a 50% increase in thrust. The CF700 was the first small turbofan in the world to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, there were at one time over 400 CF700 aircraft in operation around the world, with an experience base of over 10 million service hours. The CF700 turbofan engine was used to train Moon-bound astronauts in Project Apollo as the powerplant for the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle. A high-specific-thrust/low-bypass-ratio turbofan normally has a fan, developing a relatively high pressure ratio and, thus
25.
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark
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Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the United States Air Force. The Royal Australian Air Force also ordered the type and began operating F-111Cs in 1973 and its design influenced later variable-sweep wing aircraft, and some of its advanced features have since become commonplace. The F-111 suffered a variety of problems during initial development, several of its intended roles, such as an aircraft carrier-based naval interceptor with the F-111B, failed to materialize. USAF F-111 variants were retired in the 1990s, with the F-111Fs in 1996, the F-111 was replaced in USAF service by the F-15E Strike Eagle for medium-range precision strike missions, while the supersonic bomber role has been assumed by the B-1B Lancer. The RAAF was the last operator of the F-111, with its aircraft serving until December 2010, the U-2 incident of May 1960, in which an American CIA U-2 spy plane was shot down over the USSR, stunned the United States government. Besides greatly damaging US-Soviet relations, the incident showed that the Soviet Union had developed a missile that could reach aircraft above 60,000 feet. The United States Air Force Strategic Air Command and the RAF Bomber Commands plans to send subsonic, high-altitude B-47, by 1960, SAC had begun moving to low-level penetration which greatly reduced radar detection distances. At the time, SAMs were ineffective against low-flying aircraft, the Air Forces Tactical Air Command was largely concerned with the fighter-bomber and deep strike/interdiction roles. TAC was in the process of receiving its latest design, the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, which was designed to deliver nuclear weapons fast and far, but required long runways. A simpler variable geometry wing configuration with the pivot points farther out from the aircrafts centerline was reported by NASA in 1958 and this led Air Force leaders to encourage its use. In June 1960, the USAF issued specification SOR183 for a long-range interdiction/strike aircraft able to penetrate Soviet air defenses at very low altitudes, the specification also called for the aircraft to operate from short, unprepared airstrips. The Navy needed an air defense fighter with a more powerful radar. Seeking a FAD fighter, the Navy started with the subsonic, straight-winged aircraft, the Missileer was designed to carry six long-range missiles and loiter for five hours, but would be defenseless after firing its missiles. The program was canceled in 1961. The Navy had tried variable geometry wings with the XF10F Jaguar and it was NASAs simplification which made the variable geometry wings practical. By 1960, increases in aircraft weights required improved high-lift devices, Variable geometry offered high speeds, and maneuverability with heavier payloads, long range, and the ability to takeoff and land in shorter distances. The U. S. Air Force and Navy were both seeking new aircraft when Robert McNamara was appointed U. S. Secretary of Defense in January 1961. On 14 February 1961, McNamara formally directed the services to study the development of an aircraft that would satisfy both requirements
26.
Grumman F-14 Tomcat
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The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navys Naval Fighter Experimental program after the collapse of the F-111B project, the F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters, which were designed incorporating air combat experience against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War. The F-14 first flew in December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974 with the U. S. Navy aboard USS Enterprise, replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 served as the U. S. Navys primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor, the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night pod system were added in the 1990s and the Tomcat began performing precision ground-attack missions. In the 1980s F-14s were used as land-based interceptors by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War, where they saw combat against Iraqi warplanes. Iranian F-14s reportedly shot down at least 160 Iraqi aircraft during the war, while only 12 to 16 Tomcats were lost, the Tomcat was retired from the U. S. Navys active fleet on 22 September 2006, having been supplanted by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The F-14 remains in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, the U. S. Navy needed a Fleet Air Defense aircraft with a more powerful radar and longer range missiles than the F-4 Phantom II carried to intercept both enemy bombers and missiles. The Navy was directed to participate in the Tactical Fighter Experimental program with the U. S. Air Force by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The Navy strenuously opposed the TFX as it feared compromises necessary for the Air Forces need for an attack aircraft would adversely impact the aircrafts performance as a fighter. Weight and performance issues plagued the U. S. Navy F-111B variant for TFX, the F-111 manufacturer General Dynamics partnered with Grumman on the Navy F-111B. With the F-111B program in distress, Grumman began studying improvements, in 1966, the Navy awarded Grumman a contract to begin studying advanced fighter designs. Grumman narrowed down these designs to its 303 design, the Navy studied the need for VFAX, an additional fighter that was agiler than the F-4 Phantom for air-combat and ground-attack roles. Grumman continued work on its 303 design and offered it to the Navy in 1967, the company continued to refine the design into 1968. In July 1968, the Naval Air Systems Command issued a request for proposals for the Naval Fighter Experimental program, VFX called for a tandem two-seat, twin-engined air-to-air fighter with a maximum speed of Mach 2.2. It would also have a built-in M61 Vulcan cannon and a close air support role. The VFXs air-to-air missiles would be either six AIM-54 Phoenix or a combination of six AIM-7 Sparrow, bids were received from General Dynamics, Grumman, Ling-Temco-Vought, McDonnell Douglas and North American Rockwell, four bids incorporated variable-geometry wings. McDonnell Douglas and Grumman were selected as finalists in December 1968, Grumman was selected for the contract award in January 1969. Upon winning the contract for the F-14, Grumman greatly expanded its Calverton, Long Island, much of the testing, including the first of many compressor stalls and multiple ejections, took place over Long Island Sound
27.
VFA-147
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Strike Fighter Squadron 147, also known as the Argonauts, is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore California. VFA-147 flies the F/A-18E Super Hornet as part of Carrier Air Wing Eleven deployed to the USS Nimitz and their tailcode is NH and their radio callsign is Jason. The squadron’s insignia was approved by CNO on 30 June 1967, the squadron is named after a band of heroes in Greek mythology, Jason and the Argonauts), who searched the oceans in quest of adventure and personal reward. Attack Squadron 147 was commissioned as the Navys first A-7 Corsair II squadron on 1 February 1967 at NAS Lemoore. The squadron received its first A-7A on 28 June 1967, and in December 1967, the squadron would deploy a total of five times in support of the Vietnam War. After deployment, the squadron upgraded to the A-7E in September 1969, VA-147 deployed to WestPac/Vietnam aboard USS America in 1970, and USS Constellation in 1971-72. In March– June 1973 embarked on USS Constellation, VA-147 provided aerial support during Operation End Sweep, in November 1974, VA-147 embarked on USS Constellation, operated in the Persian Gulf. This was the first time in 26 years that an American carrier had entered and operated in the Persian Gulf, the Squadron won the Battle E Award in 1977 as the top Corsair squadron in the Pacific Fleet. VA-147 deployed aboard USS Constellation in 1980 and 1981-82, during these deployments, the squadron remained ashore at NAS Cubi Point as CVW-9’s Beach Detachment as part of the Swing Wing Concept during most of Constellations deployment. Between January 1984 and June 1987, the squadron deployed three times aboard USS Kitty Hawk, including an around-the-world cruise. In September 1988 while embarked on the first of two USS Nimitz deployments, VA-147 operated in the Sea of Japan in support of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. The squadron was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 147 on 20 July 1989, the squadron received its first LOT XII Night Attack Hornet in December 1989. The squadron deployed to the Persian Gulf in March 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm during troop withdrawal operations and they became the Navys first operational F/A-18 squadron to employ the Navigational Forward Looking Infra-Red pods and night vision goggles. In June 1995 they completed the transition to new LOT XVI/XVII F/A-18C aircraft with the APG-73 radar and they made deployments to the Gulf three more times in support of Operation Southern Watch aboard USS Nimitz. In May 1998 the squadron conducted a wholesale swap of their Lot XVI Hornets for Lot XI Hornets from VFA-195, after the September 11 attacks, the squadron participated in Operation Noble Eagle, flying combat patrols over Los Angeles from USS John C. The squadron deployed aboard USS John C. Stennis in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, conducting numerous strikes into Afghanistan against Taliban, during these missions, VFA-147 also helped refine the employment of the Joint Direction Attack Munition. VFA-147 received the 2002 Battle E Award, recognizing them as the top squadron in the Pacific Strike Fighter Wing, VFA-147 deployed aboard USS Carl Vinson on 17 January 2003 to the Western Pacific for an 8-month deployment in the South China Sea and the Western Pacific. The squadron next deployed on USS Carl Vinson with CVW-9 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in January 2005, CVW-9 was reassigned to USS John C. Stennis in 2007
28.
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
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It first entered service in 1960 with the U. S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was adopted by the U. S. Marine Corps and the U. S. Air Force. The Phantom is a fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds of weapons on nine hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon, later models incorporated an M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for performance, including an absolute speed record. The Phantom has the distinction of being the last U. S. fighter flown to attain ace status in the 20th century. The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the U. S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. It was also the aircraft used by both U. S. flight demonstration teams, the USAF Thunderbirds and the US Navy Blue Angels. The F-4 was also operated by the forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its fleet of Phantoms in the Iran–Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with five countries, Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft. The F-4 is currently used by Greece, Iran, Japan, South Korea and it has been recently used in combat against the Islamic State. In 1952, McDonnells Chief of Aerodynamics, Dave Lewis, was appointed by CEO Jim McDonnell to be the preliminary design manager. With no new aircraft competitions on the horizon, internal studies concluded the Navy had the greatest need for a new and different aircraft type, in 1953, McDonnell Aircraft began work on revising its F3H Demon naval fighter, seeking expanded capabilities and better performance. The company developed several projects including a variant powered by a Wright J67 engine, the J79-powered version promised a top speed of Mach 1.97. On 19 September 1953, McDonnell approached the United States Navy with a proposal for the Super Demon, the Navy was sufficiently interested to order a full-scale mock-up of the F3H-G/H, but felt that the upcoming Grumman XF9F-9 and Vought XF8U-1 already satisfied the need for a supersonic fighter. On 26 May 1955, four Navy officers arrived at the McDonnell offices and, within an hour, because the Navy already had the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk for ground attack and F-8 Crusader for dogfighting, the project now had to fulfill the need for an all-weather fleet defense interceptor
29.
Head-up display
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A head-up display or heads-up display, also known as a HUD, is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the stems from a pilot being able to view information with the head positioned up and looking forward. A HUD also has the advantage that the eyes do not need to refocus to view the outside after looking at the optically nearer instruments. Although they were developed for military aviation, HUDs are now used in commercial aircraft, automobiles and other. A typical HUD contains three components, a projector unit, a combiner, and a video generation computer. The projection unit in a typical HUD is an optical collimator setup and this setup produces an image where the light is collimated, i. e. the focal point is perceived to be at infinity. Combiners may have special coatings that reflect the light projected onto it from the projector unit while allowing all other wavelengths of light to pass through. In some optical layouts combiners may also have a surface to refocus the image from the projector. The computer provides the interface between the HUD and the systems/data to be displayed and generates the imagery and symbology to be displayed by the projection unit, other than fixed mounted HUD, there are also head-mounted displays. Including helmet mounted displays, forms of HUD that features an element that moves with the orientation of the users head. Many modern fighters use both a HUD and HMD concurrently, the F-35 Lightning II was designed without a HUD, relying solely on the HMD, making it the first modern military fighter not to have a fixed HUD. HUDs are split into four generations reflecting the technology used to generate the images, first Generation—Use a CRT to generate an image on a phosphor screen, having the disadvantage of the phosphor screen coating degrading over time. The majority of HUDs in operation today are of this type, second Generation—Use a solid state light source, for example LED, which is modulated by an LCD screen to display an image. These systems do not fade or require the high voltages of first generation systems and these systems are on commercial aircraft. Third Generation—Use optical waveguides to produce images directly in the rather than use a projection system. Fourth Generation—Use a scanning laser to display images and even video imagery on a transparent medium. Newer micro-display imaging technologies are being introduced, including liquid crystal display, liquid crystal on silicon, digital micro-mirrors, HUDs evolved from the reflector sight, a pre-World War II parallax-free optical sight technology for military fighter aircraft. The gyro gunsight added a reticle that moved based on the speed and they experimented with the addition of a second radar display for the pilot, but found they had trouble looking up from the lit screen into the dark sky in order to find the target
30.
Marconi Electronic Systems
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Marconi Electronic Systems, or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company. It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on 30 November 1999 to form BAE Systems, GEC then renamed itself Marconi plc. MES exists today as BAE Systems Electronics Limited, a subsidiary of BAE Systems, mES-related businesses include BAE Systems Submarine Solutions, BAE Systems Surface Ships, BAE Systems Insyte and Selex ES. MES represented the pinnacle of GECs defence businesses which had a heritage of almost 100 years. Following GECs acquisition of Marconi as part of English Electric in 1968 the Marconi brand was used for its defence businesses e. g. Marconi Space & Defence Systems, Marconi Underwater Systems Ltd. GECs history of military products dates back to World War I with its contribution to the war effort then including radios, World War II consolidated this position with the company involved in many important technological advances, most notably radar. Between 1945 and GECs demerger of its business in 1999. In June 1998, MES acquired Tracor, a major American defence contractor, for $1. 4bn, in June 1997 British Aerospace Defence managing director John Weston commented Europe. Is supporting three times the number of contractors on less than half the budget of the U. S, European governments wished to see the merger of their defence manufacturers into a single entity, a European Aerospace and Defence Company. As early as 1995 British Aerospace and the German aerospace and defence company DaimlerChrysler Aerospace were said to be keen to create a transnational aerospace and defence company, merger discussions began between British Aerospace and DASA in July 1998. A merger was agreed between British Aerospace chairman Richard Evans and DASA CEO Jürgen Schrempp in December 1998, GEC was also under pressure to participate in defence industry consolidation. GEC favours forging a national champion defence group with BAe to compete with the giant US organisations, when GEC put MES up for sale on 22 December 1998, BAE abandoned the DASA merger in favour of purchasing its British rival. The merger of British Aerospace and MES was announced on 19 January 1999, Evans stated that in 2004 that his fear was that an American defence contractor would acquire MES and challenge both British Aerospace and DASA. The merger created an integrated company which The Scotsman described as contracting and platform-building skills with Marconis coveted electronics systems capability. For example combining the manufacturer of the Eurofighter with the company provided many of the aircrafts electronic systems. In contrast, DASAs response to the breakdown of the discussion was to merge with Aérospatiale to create the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. EADS has since considered a merger with Thales to create a fully rounded company, also the major electronics & equipment supplier for the class. Civil avionics, e. g. Boeing 777 fly-by-wire systems UK Prime Contractor on the Horizon CNGF programme until 1999, following the withdrawal of the UK from the programme MES was awarded the subsequent Type 45 destroyer Prime Contractor position several days before merging with BAe
31.
Elliott Brothers (computer company)
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Elliott Brothers Ltd was an early computer company of the 1950s–60s in the United Kingdom. It traced its descent from a firm of instrument makers founded by William Elliott in London around 1804, the research laboratories were originally set up in 1946 at Borehamwood. The first Elliott 152 computer appeared in 1950, elliotts were a pioneer of Head-up displays - HUDs. The computer scientist Sir Tony Hoare was an employee there from August 1960 to 1968 and he wrote an ALGOL60 compiler for the Elliott 803. He also worked on a system for the new Elliott 503 Mark II computer, although this was unsuccessful. The founder of the UKs first software house, Dina St Johnston, had her first programming job there from 1953-1958, in 1966 the company established an integrated circuit design and manufacturing facility in Glenrothes, Scotland, followed by a MOS semiconductor research laboratory. The Glenrothes site was closed in 1969 following the take over of English Electric by GEC, Elliott Automation merged with English Electric in 1967. The combined company was called International Computers Limited, the remainder of Elliott Automation which produced aircraft instruments and control systems, was retained by English Electric. EASAMS Ltd was an independent company within GEC, founded in 1962 to provide services in design, operational research. In the 1990s EASAMS became part of Marconi Electronic Systems before losing its identity, the following Elliott computer models were produced, Elliott 152 Elliott Nicholas Elliott/NRDC401 Elliott 153 Elliott/GCHQ OEDIPUS Elliott 402 Elliott 403 Elliott 405. Elliott 8026 were sold Elliott 803 about 250 sold, mainly 803B 803A had 4 or 8K of 39 bit words of memory, 803B had 4 or 8K of 39 bit words of memory. The single data path was split into several shorter serial paths to reduce instruction execution time, a hardware floating point option was available. Elliott ARCH1000 Elliott 503 software compatible with 803 Elliott 900 series For military customers there were four models of the 900 series, 920A, 920B, 920M, only a few of the 920A were produced, rapidly obsoleted by the faster 920B. The 920M was a version of the 920B. The 920C was an even faster derivative built using custom integrated circuits. All were shipped in robust militarized cases suitable for mounting in vehicles, ships, civilian customers were sold versions of the 920A, 920B and 920C called Elliott 920A,903 and 905 respectively. These were shipped in desk sized cabinets suitable for use in an office or laboratory environment, versions of the 920B and 920C for industrial automation were sold as Arch 900 and Arch900 respectively. These were shipped in industrial cabinets similar to those used for the civilian systems, the machine was usually programmed in symbolic assembly code, Algol or Fortran II
32.
Naval Air Station Cecil Field
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Naval Air Station Cecil Field or NAS Cecil Field was a United States Navy air base, located in Duval County, Florida. Prior to October 1999, NAS Cecil Field was the largest military base in terms of acreage in the Jacksonville, Florida area. Including nearly 2,500 acres at OLF Whitehouse, the NAS Cecil Field complex consisted of 22,939 acres, in addition and it is now a civilian, public-use, joint civil-military airfield and industrial park known as Cecil Commerce Center and Cecil Airport. NAS Cecil Field was named in honor of Commander Henry Barton Cecil, USN, who died in 1933 in the crash of the Navy airship USS Akron. Shortly before the United States entry into World War II, a 2,600 acre tract of land was purchased in western Duval County and construction began on the U. S. Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Cecil Field. The base got its start in June 1941 as a field of NAS Jacksonville. From 1943 until the war ended, NAAS Cecil Field was a pilots last stop before assignment to combat in either the Atlantic Fleet or Pacific Fleet and it operated at full capacity during the war years and after the war. Disestablished as NAAS Cecil Field at the end of World War II, the station was rejuvenated as an operating base for fleet aircraft squadrons and air groups, ushering in the jet age for Naval Aviation in the Jacksonville area. In 1951, the area of NAS Cecil Field was increased to 4,600 acres and additional new buildings. Naval Air Station Cecil Field occupied 19,664 acres, and was projected to be Navys largest Master Jet Base. S, Squadrons from NAS Cecil Field were aboard every Atlantic Fleet aircraft carrier deployed to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. During this period, thirteen NAS Cecil Field pilots were listed as POW or MIA, the POW/MIA memorial located behind the base chapel has become the chosen site for many retiring officers and enlisted personnel to hold their retirement ceremonies. The first Atlantic Fleet Squadrons to fly the A-7 Corsair II, the F/A-18 Hornet, the S-3A and S-3B Viking, and the ES-3A Shadow were all based at NAS Cecil Field. NAS Cecil Field squadrons again made history during the Gulf War, marking the final deployment for the A-7E Corsair II. The first weather observations were recorded at NAS Cecil Field in May 1949, in those days, weather observing and forecasting services were provided by the Meteorology Division of the Air Operations Department. In September 1979, almost 14 years later, the changed to Naval Oceanography Command Detachment. Naval Air Station Cecil Field was identified for closure by the 1993 federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission and approved by the U. S. Congress and President Bill Clinton in July 1993. There have been efforts to see the base returned as a Naval Air Station, the FLARNG operates CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Blackhawk, UH-72 Lakota and C-12 Huron aircraft from AASF #1 at Cecil Field. Also located at Cecil Field is Coast Guard Air Facility Jacksonville, which supports the U. S. Coast Guards Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron and its MH-65C Dolphin helicopters
33.
Naval Air Station Lemoore
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Naval Air Station Lemoore or NAS Lemoore is a United States Navy base, located in Kings County and Fresno County, California. Lemoore Station, California, a place, is located inside the bases borders. NAS Lemoore is the Navys newest and largest Master Jet Base, Strike Fighter Wing Pacific, along with its associated squadrons, is home ported there. NAS Lemoore also hosts four Carrier Air Wings, Carrier Air Wing Two, Carrier Air Wing Nine, Carrier Air Wing Eleven, and Carrier Air Wing Seventeen. Commissioned in 1961, NAS Lemoore, as seen from an aircraft flying above, looks significant and stands out from the farmlands of Central California, NAS Lemoore is the newest and largest Master Jet Base in the U. S. Navy. It has two parallel runways 4,600 feet apart. Aircraft parking and maintenance hangars are aligned between the 13, 500-foot runways, separated from the hangars by underpasses beneath taxiways A & C, the remainder of the air operations area is located directly southeast. In July 1998, NAS Lemoore was selected as the West Coast site for the Navy’s newest strike-fighter aircraft and this action brought approximately 92 additional aircraft,1,850 additional active duty personnel and 3,000 family members to NAS Lemoore and several associated facility additions or improvements. The Navy also brought four new fleet squadrons to Naval Air Station Lemoore over the period 2001-2004, originally, the Officer In Charge of Construction for building the base was Commander Dennis K. Culp CEC/USN, who was the first Naval officer in Lemoore. With the transfer of NAS Miramar to the United States Marine Corps, NAS Lemoore was built from the ground up as a Master Jet Base, and has several operational advantages, and relatively few constraints, as a result. Strike Fighter Wing Pacific with its facilities is home ported here. The primary aircraft based at NAS Lemoore is the F/A-18 Hornet Strike Fighter, currently, there are a total of 175 Hornets and Super Hornets home-based at NAS Lemoore operating from one Fleet Replacement Squadron and fifteen Fleet Squadrons. FAA Airport Master Record for NLC DoD Lodging Worldwide http, //www. cnic. navy. mil/Lemoore/index. htm Resources for this U. S
34.
Lynn Garrison
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Lynn Garrison is a Canadian pilot and political adviser. He was a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot in the 403 City of Calgary Squadron, before holding jobs as a pilot, film producer, director. Later he became an adviser in Haiti, and is now an author. With regard to flying, Garrison is known for his comment, If it has fuel and noise. Throughout the Second World War, Garrisons family hosted student pilots from the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during their fortnightly leave, contact with these pilots stimulated young Lynns interest and by the age of four, he had decided he would be a pilot. During April,1946 his parents purchased a ride for him in an ex-RCAF Cessna AT-17 operated by Kepler Aviation, at Calgary International Airport. At the age of 17, Garrison joined the RCAF and trained at the RCAF Officer Selection Unit and Course 5411,4 Flying Training School and then the 2 Advanced Flying School for jet aircraft training. Garrison received his wings on 6 April 1955 making him the youngest winged pilot in the RCAF since World War II, a record that still remains. Garrisons wings were presented by Wing Commander Joe McCarthy DSO, DFC, CD, after completing additional training in the F-86 at RCAF Station Macdonald, Manitoba, Garrison returned to 403 City of Calgary Squadron, where he served for 10 years from 1954 until 1964. On April 1,1958, Garrison piloted the last Canadian military flight of the Hawker Sea Fury, the specific aircraft was WG565, now displayed in Calgary. On July 4,1964, Garrison captained the last RCAF flight of the Avro Lancaster with Flight Lieutenant Ralph Langemann as co-pilot. Specially authorized by Minister of National Defence, Paul Hellyer, the flight was more difficult by the fact that Garrison had never flown a Lancaster and had broken his ankle the previous day. Hellyer and Air Commodore John Emilius Fauquier DSO and Bar, DFC, in his classic, Fighter Command Air Combat Claims, 1939–45, John Foreman commented on the question of pilot temperament and ability. Foreman observed that Garrison had once remarked, In every squadron there were, perhaps and they knew that they were going out to shoot. The rest knew sub-consciously, that they would make up the numbers, mill about, in 1960, Garrison obtained a contract to ferry 75 P-51 Mustang aircraft, retired from RCAF service, to their new owners in New York. Milt Harradence, took time off from his law practice to accompany Garrison on the trips, Flying without radios for much of the time, they navigated by following the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks eastward. Harradence and Garrison acquired two Mustangs as part of their compensation and registered them CF-LOR and CF-LOQ, the first of their type registered in Canada. While ferrying surplus Mustangs from the old RCAF Station Macleod, Harradence, Garrison purchased Lancaster FM-136 in 1960 and ferried it to Calgary where, with the help of Harradence and Arthur R. Smith MP, he created the Lancaster Memorial Fund
35.
USS Midway (CV-41)
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USS Midway was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class. Commissioned a week after the end of World War II, Midway was the largest ship in the world until 1955, a revolutionary hull design, based on the planned Montana-class battleship, gave her better maneuverability than previous carriers. She operated for an unprecedented 47 years, during which time she saw action in the Vietnam War, Midway was laid down 27 October 1943 by Newport News Shipbuilding Co. Newport News, Virginia, launched 20 March 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Bradford William Ripley, Jr. after shakedown in the Caribbean, Midway joined the U. S. Atlantic Fleet training schedule, with Norfolk as its homeport, from 20 February 1946, it was the flagship for Carrier Division 1. In March, it tested equipment and techniques for cold-weather operations in the North Atlantic, while the rocket lifted off, it then tilted and broke up at 15,000 feet. On 29 October 1947, Midway sailed for the first of its annual deployments with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, between deployments, Midway trained and received alterations to accommodate heavier aircraft as they were developed. In June 1951, Midway operated in the Atlantic off the Virginia Capes during carrier suitability tests of the F9F-5 Panther, george Chamberlain Duncan attempted a landing in BuNo 125228, a downdraft just aft of the stern caused Duncan to crash. His planes forward fuselage broke away and rolled down the deck, footage of the crash has been used in several films, including Men of the Fighting Lady, Midway, and The Hunt for Red October. In 1952, the participated in Operation Mainbrace, North Sea maneuvers with NATO forces. On 1 October, the ship was redesignated CVA-41, Midway cleared Norfolk 27 December 1954 for a world cruise, sailing via the Cape of Good Hope for Taiwan, where it joined the 7th Fleet for operations in the Western Pacific until 28 June 1955. On 28 June 1955, the sailed for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Midway received an enclosed hurricane bow, an aft deck-edge elevator, a flight deck. Home ported at Alameda, California, Midway began annual deployments with the 7th Fleet in 1958, during the 1962 deployment, the ships aircraft tested the air defense systems of Japan, Korea, Okinawa, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Midway again sailed for the Far East 6 March 1965, and from mid-April flew strikes against military, returning to Alameda on 23 November, Midway entered San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard on 11 February 1966 for a massive modernization, which proved expensive and controversial. The flight deck was enlarged from 2.8 to 4 acres, the elevators were enlarged, moved, and given almost double the weight capacity. Midway also received new steam catapults, arresting gear, and an air conditioning plant. Cost overruns raised the price of this program from $88 million to $202 million USD, on 17 June 1965, aviators of Midways Attack Carrier Wing 2, VF-21 downed the first two MiGs credited to U. S. forces in Southeast Asia
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Carrier Air Wing Five
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Carrier Air Wing Five is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and it was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second World War, the Korean War, the Gulf War, Operation Southern Watch, the War in Afghanistan, all-weather offensive air-to-surface attacks, Detection, localization, and destruction of enemy ships and submarines to establish and maintain local sea control. Aerial photographic, sighting, and electronic intelligence for naval and joint operations, airborne early warning service to fleet forces and shore warning nets. In-flight refueling operations to extend the range and the endurance of air wing aircraft and Search, much of the air wing will be transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture in 2017 and early 2018. CVG-5 was the first air group to enter the Korean War, cVG-5 was renamed CVW-5 in 1963 when the Navy reclassified its air groups. In 1964, CVW-5 was called to action in the Gulf of Tonkin for a total of eight combat cruises, on 5 December 1965, a Broken Arrow incident occurred aboard the USS Ticonderoga, upon which CVW-5 was embarked. A Douglas A-4E Skyhawk attack aircraft of VA-65 carrying a nuclear weapon fell into the sea, on the 31st day after departing Subic Bay, the attack jet fell over the side during a training exercise while being rolled from the number 2 hangar bay to the number 2 elevator. The pilot, Lieutenant Douglas M. Webster, the aircraft, A-4E BuNo 151022, of VA-56 Champions, the accident occurred 80 miles from Okinawa. In 1973, CVW-5 embarked on USS Midway to become part of the first carrier/air wing team permanently forward deployed, to Yokosuka, CVW-5 began its final cruise aboard the Midway in October 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield. From November to January 1991, the air wing participated in multinational exercises. On 17 January 1991, Operation Desert Storm began as CVW-5 aircraft launched a strike deep into Iraq. For the next 43 days the air wing flew 3,383 combat sorties, in August 1991, the USS Independence replaced the Midway. In August 1995, Independence and Carrier Air Wing 5 deployed to The Persian Gulf for a time in support of Operation Southern Watch. In July 1998, CVW-5 moved again, to USS Kitty Hawk, the Kitty Hawk left its berth at Fleet Activities Yokosuka in early April 2000 to begin a routine deployment to the Western Pacific. The carrier had spent the five weeks in Yokosuka following a 12-day sea trial in February. She first journeyed to Guam to rendezvous with the air wing, in addition to Guam, the ship made port calls throughout the Western Pacific and participated in Exercise Cobra Gold with the Royal Thai Armed Forces. The air wing contingent included eight F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from VFA-192 and VFA-195, also in DET A were three S-3 Vikings from VS-21, and two SH-60 Seahawks from HS-14
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Naval Air Facility Atsugi
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Naval Air Facility Atsugi is a naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy air base in the Pacific Ocean and houses the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five, service members stationed at Atsugi also work in conjunction with the Kamiseya Naval Radio Receiving Facility. CVW-5 shares the base with the Headquarters Fleet Air Force and Fleet Air Wing 4 of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, despite its name, the base is 4 nautical miles east northeast from the city of Atsugi, and is not adjacent to the city. The Imperial Japanese Navy constructed the base in 1938 to house the Japanese 302 Naval Aviation Corps, aircraft based at Atsugi shot down more than 300 American bombers during the firebombings of 1945. Eventually, these pilots gave up and left Atsugi, general Douglas MacArthur arrived at Atsugi on 30 August to accept Japans surrender. The 49th moved to Chitose Airfield on Hokkaido in mid February 1946, the 418th NFS to Okinawa in June, during the occupation, the base housed the overflow from nearby Camp Zama, it was not refurbished to handle military air traffic until the Korean War. The Seabees came to the base in 1950 and prepared it for re-opening that December as Naval Air Station Atsugi, NAF Atsugi was a major naval air base during both the Korean War and Vietnam War, serving fighters, bombers, and transport aircraft. One of the aircraft based at Atsugi at least since 1957 was the U-2 spy plane, the plane made local Japanese headlines when it ran low on fuel and made an emergency landing at a glider-club landing strip. This same plane was piloted by Gary Powers, which provoked an incident when it was downed over the Soviet Union. Lee Harvey Oswald was based at Atsugi during his time in the United States Marines and he was a radar operator assigned to Marine Air Control Squadron 1. He was stationed there from September 1957 to November 1958, in 1964 a United States Marine Corps F8U-2 Crusader based at the airfield crashed in nearby Machida, Tokyo. The pilot ejected and was not seriously injured, but the crash killed four and injured 32 people on the ground and destroyed seven houses. In 1972, the U. S. and Japanese governments agreed to share ownership of the base, in 1973 Yokosuka became the home port of the carrier USS Midway. As a consequence the carriers air wing was based at Atsugi, in 1977, a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II based at the facility suffered a mechanical failure and crashed into a residential neighborhood in nearby Yokohama. The crew ejected and survived, but two boys, aged 1 and 3, were killed and 7 others injured. Elements of the Naval Security Group and rotational squadrons of EP-3 Aries that are now stationed at Misawa Air Base were formerly stationed at Atsugi until the 1990s, in February 9,1999 a fire broke out at a terminal, no injuries were reported. On April 3,2003 a faction of the leftist group Kakurōkyō attacked the facility, around the same time the same group also attacked Yokota Air Base and the National Defence Agency. In 2004 a McDonnell Douglas MD900 Explorer operated by the Aero Asahi made a crash-landing at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, on 14 November 2009 a fire in Hangar 183 at the base injured three Japanese employees of Obayashi Corporation
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VA-93 (U.S. Navy)
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VA-93 was an Attack Squadron of the U. S. Navy. It was established as Fighter Squadron VF-93 on 26 March 1952 and it was disestablished 30 years later on 31 August 1986. The squadrons nickname was the Blue Blazers from 1954 to 1976, may 1963, Following the military losses of the Lao neutralist to the Pathet Lao in the Plaine de Jarres, Laos, USS Ranger transited to the South China Sea to support possible operations in Laos. 15 Oct 1963, The squadron established a Detachment Q for deployment aboard the anti-submarine carrier USS Bennington to provide fighter protection for the ASW aircraft. 7 Feb 1965, Following a Viet Cong attack against the American advisors compound at Pleiku, South Vietnam, VA-93 participated in this strike, but upon reaching the target, the military barracks at Vit Thu Lu, the mission was aborted due to the weather. 11 Feb 1965, Participated in Operation Flaming Dart II, retaliatory strikes against the barracks at Chanh Hoa. 15 Mar 1965, Participated in Operation Rolling Thunder strikes against ammunition storage area in Phu Qui, may–Oct 1972, Participated in Operation Linebacker, heavy air strikes against targets in North Vietnam to reduce that country’s ability to continue the war effort in South Vietnam. Apr 1975, Participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of American personnel from Saigon, aug–Sep 1976, Operated near the Korea Peninsula following the Axe murder incident. Nov–Dec 1979, In response to the seizure of the American Embassy and its staff, may–Jun 1980, Following the Kwangju Massacre in South Korea, Midway operated off the coast of South Korea until the crisis had subsided. Dec 1981, Following unrest in Korea, Midway operated off the coast of South Korea for several days, midway’s new home port was NS Yokosuka, Japan, and the squadron would normally operate out of NAF Atsugi or NAF Misawa when the carrier was at NS Yokosuka. The assignment was effective 30 June 1973, however, the squadron did not arrive until 5 October 1973
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VA-56 (U.S. Navy)
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VA-56 was an Attack Squadron of the U. S. Navy. It was established on 4 June 1956, and disestablished thirty years later, the squadrons nickname was the Boomerangs from 1957 to 1958, and the Champions thereafter. 16 July–15 September 1962, The squadron was embarked in USS Constellation during her transit from the East Coast, via Cape Horn, 2–4 August 1964, During a DESOTO patrol mission USS Maddox was attacked by three motor torpedo boats on 2 August off the coast of North Vietnam. Following this incident, the squadron flew sorties in support of the destroyers on Desoto Patrol,5 August 1964, VA-56 A-4s participated in Operation Pierce Arrow, retaliatory strikes against the North Vietnamese. Along with other aircraft from CVW-5, they were part of the first sortie that struck the antiaircraft gun emplacements at the Vinh oil storage facility, ninety percent of the complex was destroyed by the sorties flown against this facility. The squadron also participated in strikes against the Bến Thuỷ naval base, resulting in the sinking, 10–29 October, 1–5 and 22–28 November 1964, The squadron continued to participate in Yankee Team operations off the coast of Vietnam. The pilot, Lieutenant Douglas M. Webster, his A-4E BuNo 151022,19 June 1968, Lieutenant Commander Crater received the Silver Star for his actions in coordinating the successful night rescue of a downed F-4 crewman in North Vietnam. This action was part of the operations in which Lieutenant Lassen. 1 November 1968, The squadron’s last A-4E Skyhawk was transferred, may 1972, On 12 May USS Midway, with VA-56 embarked, shifted its operations from the area of An Lộc, South Vietnam to targets in North Vietnam. Linebacker operations lasted until 22 October, 29–30 April 1975, Midway, including elements of VA-56, participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of American citizens from Saigon, South Vietnam. August 1976, VA-56, embarked on Midway, operated in Korean waters following the Axe murder incident. October 1979, As a response to demonstrations in Iran, Midway. May–June 1980, Midway, with VA-56 embarked, operated off the coast of Korea due to the civil unrest in South Korea, may 1986, The squadron was reassigned to NAS Lemoore as a result of the change in CVW-5s composition from A-7 and F-4 aircraft to FA-18A. It began the transfer of its personnel and aircraft in preparation for the disestablishment of the squadron on 31 August, the home port was officially changed on 30 June 1973. However, Midway did not arrive in Japan until 5 October, elements of VA-56, when not operating from Midway, were based ashore at NAF Atsugi or Misawa, Japan
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Dobbins Air Reserve Base
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Dobbins Air Reserve Base or Dobbins ARB is a United States Air Force reserve air base located in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb about 20 miles northwest of Atlanta. Originally known as Dobbins Air Force Base, it was named in honor of Captain Charles M. Dobbins and it is also home to the Army Aviation Service Facility #2 of the Georgia Army National Guard and their fleet of UH-60 Blackhawks. Dobbins is also home to Marine and Navy Reserve units, Dobbins ARB has two runways which it shares with the General Lucius D. Clay National Guard Center to its south. Runway 11/29 is the runway and is 10,000 feet long and 300 feet wide with directions 110 and 290 magnetic. The second runway, called a strip, is a 3500×60-foot runway referred to as 110-290. This air traffic environment takes place within the area of the busiest airport in the world and is as busy as many medium-sized commercial airports, originally intended by Cobb County, Georgia as an alternative airfield for Atlantas Candler Field, this airfield was constructed in 1941 as Rickenbacker Field. About 450 to 500 of these were built in preparation for any war against the United States - from the east or from the west. In 1940, the CAA offered to build a paved airport in Cobb County if the local governments provided the land. Due to the labor force for defense factories in this area. On October 24, the government of Cobb County announced the existence of this airport project, the Atlanta City Council also passed a resolution endorsing this project on January 2,1941. Since the Army Air Corps had recently taken part of Candler Field, the principal municipal airport for Atlanta. The CAA next allocated $400,000 for construction of two 4, 000-foot -long runways on the land, the W. L. Florence Company of Powder Springs, Georgia, the low bidder with a bid of $290,000, won the contract. This bid, well-below the estimated cost of $400,000, the construction began on 14 July 1941. In the next month, the Gulf Oil Corporation and Georgia Air Services agreed to lease the airport, once completed, in the same month, the U. S. Navy requested permission to use this airport for the flight training of Naval aviators. In October, Georgia Air Services signed a $70,000 contract for two 180x160-ft, although it was far from completion, the dedication of this airfield took place in October 1941 After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, work on this new airfield accelerated rapidly. In January 1942, Lawrence Dale Bell, the founder and president of the Bell Aircraft Company, meanwhile, the Department of the Navy announced its intention to take over the new airfield as an auxiliary naval air station. The Navy shortly began land-condemnation proceedings, the Department of War, in turn, announced that it would not contest the wish of the Department of the Navy to take over Rickenbacker Field, and that it would build its new factory elsewhere. The Cobb County government appealed to the Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, since other options were available for flight training
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Naval Air Station Alameda
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Naval Air Station Alameda was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, on San Francisco Bay. NAS Alameda had two runways, 07-25 and 13–31, two helicopter pads and a control tower were also part of the facilities. The airport site included the Alameda Terminal of the First Transcontinental Railroad, by 1930, United States Army Air Corps operations referred to the site as Benton Field. Pan American World Airways used the harbor as the California terminal for China Clipper trans-Pacific flights beginning in 1935. The China Clipper terminal is designated California Historical Landmark #968, on 1 June 1936, the city of Alameda, California ceded the airport to the United States government a few months before the Army discontinued operations from the field. Pan American World Airways shifted its terminal to Treasure Island in 1939 for the Golden Gate International Exposition, congressional appropriations passed in 1938 for construction of naval air station facilities for two carrier air wings, five seaplane squadrons and two utility squadrons. Appropriations were increased in 1940 for construction of two hangars and an aircraft carrier berthing pier, and naval operations began on 1 November 1940. Fleet Air Wing 8 began patrol and scouting missions following the attack on Pearl Harbor, in April 1942, the USS Hornet loaded at Alameda the 16 B-25 aircraft that would take part in the Doolittle Raid on Japan. Air support training unit No.2 at Alameda included the fleet radar operators school, Link celestial navigation Trainer school, from 1949 to 1953, the Navy-based the Lockheed R6V Constitution—the largest airplane ever listed on the Navy inventory—at NAS Alameda. The two prototypes regularly flew between nearby NAS Moffett Field and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the base was the focus for northern California United States Navy Reserve drill after 1961. Runways were lengthened for jet aircraft, and the airport was renamed Nimitz Field in 1967 following the death of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Nuclear powered aircraft carriers were home ported at Alameda into the 1990s, the base was closed in 1997. After the base closed on 25 April 1997, the USS Hornet was given to the air station to be used as a museum ship. The television series MythBusters often conducted vehicle-based experiments on the grounds of the station, for the same reason, this location has been used as a checkpoint for the Bullrun rally race, the lengthy airstrip allowed for the staging of a challenge involving chasing a semi-trailer. A two-mile freeway loop was constructed on the base for the filming of a car chase sequence for the movie The Matrix Reloaded. The loop cost over $1.5 million to construct and was used solely for shooting the films chase scenes before it was demolished, the route is still visible on some aerial photography on the former 07/25 and 13/31 runways. Since 2000, the city of Alameda has been planning the redevelopment of the former Naval Air Station, in August 2001, Alameda selected Alameda Point Community Partners as the master developer for the property. APCP was a partnership of financier Morgan Stanley, Shea Homes of Livermore, Centex Homes of Dallas, the development was estimated to cost $2 billion and take 15 years to complete
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NAS Point Mugu
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Naval Air Station Point Mugu is a former United States Navy air station that operated from 1942 to 2000 in California. In 2000, it merged with nearby Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme to form Naval Base Ventura County, at Point Mugu, NBVC operates two runways and encompasses a 36,000 square mile sea test range, anchored by San Nicolas Island. The range allows the military to test and track weapons systems in restricted air-, the range can be expanded through interagency coordination between the U. S. Navy and the Federal Aviation Administration. Telemetry data can be tracked and recorded using technology housed at San Nicolas Island, Point Mugu and Laguna Peak, pt. Mugu has dominated the area since the 1940s, and is one of the few places in the area that is not agricultural. The base has been home to many ordnance testing programs, in 1963 the U. S. Navy Marine Mammal Program was established on a sand spit between Mugu Lagoon and the ocean. The facility was relocated in 1967 to Point Loma in San Diego, Point Mugu was the airfield used by former President Ronald Reagan during his presidency on visits to his Santa Barbara ranch. The airfield was used during the funeral in 2004, as the place where the former Presidents body was flown to Washington. The body was flown to Point Mugu aboard presidential aircraft SAM28000 two days later, until the late 1990s, the base hosted Antarctic Development Squadron SIX, the squadron of LC-130s equipped to land on ice in Antarctica, to supply the science stations there. Now, the New York Air National Guards 109th Airlift Wing has assumed that responsibility, on 16 August 1956, a F6F-5K drone was launched from NAS Point Mugu and quickly went out of control heading toward Los Angeles. US Air Force interceptors failed to shoot it down leading to The Battle of Palmdale incident, on 4 August 1972, Douglas DC-3 N31538 of Mercer Airlines suffered an in-flight engine fire shortly after take-off on a cargo flight to Hollywood-Burbank Airport. The aircraft departed the runway in the landing and was destroyed by the subsequent fire. All three people on board survived, on 20 April 2002, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II BuNo 155749 of US Navy crashed at the Point Mugu airshow. The cause of the accident was cited as pilot error, on 18 May 2011, a Boeing 707 belonging to Omega Aerial Refueling Services and chartered to the U. S. Navy skidded off the runway and burst into flames shortly after landing. A reported amount of approximately 150,000 pounds of jet fuel was on board when the plane crashed, all three personnel aboard the aircraft survived with non life-threatening injuries. On 7th Nov 2015, a rocket launched from Point Mugu caused a momentary Frenzy of confusion amongst south Californian locals, another other source says the Trident II test missile was launched from a submarine NAS Point Mugu was the setting for the 1950 film, The Flying Missile. The film tells the story of the first firing of a missile from the deck of a submarine. Naval Base Ventura County, official site Point Mugu Air Station, GlobalSecurity. org FAA Airport Master Record for NTD Resources for this U. S
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VAQ-34
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VAQ-34, Call sign Flashbacks, was a Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron of the U. S. Navy. It was established on 1 March 1983 at the Pacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, California, the squadron was formed to provide realistic training for ship crews to counter Soviet electronic and cruise-missile threats, and was modeled after its East Coast counterpart, VAQ-33. Establishing the squadron required the reclamation of aircraft and other equipment from various non-traditional sources and they later converted them to ERA-3Bs to give the squadron the most realistic hostile electronic training possible. Another Skywarrior, this one in better condition, went more directly from the boneyard to the newly-forming squadron and it allowed aircrew and maintenance training to begin while waiting for the ERA-3Bs to be delivered, not to mention serving as an airborne tanker. Six TA-7C Corsair IIs were also transferred to VAQ-34 from other assets in the fleet and they were later converted to EA-7Ls. When Rosemary Bryant Mariner assumed command in 1990, VAQ-34 became the first U. S, military aviation squadron to be commanded by a woman. In June 1991 it moved to NAS Lemoore, California, in 1993 the Navy transferred the electronic aggressor role to the Navy Reserve, leading to VAQ-34s disestablishment on 5 October 1993. History of the United States Navy List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons VAQ-33 VAQ-35 FEWSG
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Naval flight officer
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A naval flight officer is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many co-pilot functions, until 1966, their duties were performed by both commissioned officer and senior enlisted naval aviation observers. NFOs in the US Navy all begin their careers as unrestricted line officers, eligible for command at sea and ashore in the various naval aviation aircraft type/model/series communities. Such officers are graduates of the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School and/or the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School with advanced academic degrees in aerospace engineering or similar disciplines. The counterpart to the NFO in the United States Air Force is the combat systems officer, encompassing the previous roles of navigator, weapon systems officer and electronic warfare officer. The United States Coast Guard had a short-lived NFO community in the 1980s and 1990s when it temporarily operated E-2C Hawkeye aircraft on loan from the Navy. Training for Student NFOs starts starts out the same as for Student Naval Aviators, with the academic requirements. The only real distinction is in physical requirements, where SNFOs may have less than 20/20 uncorrected distant vision, in fact, it is this 20/20 distant visual acuity requirement that typically routes prospective Naval Aviators into the Naval Flight Officer training track. Both SNAs and SNFOs go through the same introductory flight screening, the SNFO program has continued to evolve since the 1960s. Upon graduation from their respective advanced squadron, students receive their wings of gold and are designated as Naval Flight Officers. After winging, students conduct training at their respective fleet replacement squadron. All SNFOs and SNAs start their training with introductory flight screening. IFS consists of 2 phases, ground school and flight training, the ground school portion lasts about two weeks and culminates with the student completing the FAA private pilot exam. Afterwards, every student enrolls in one of several flight schools located near NAS Pensacola. Students complete approximately 14 hours of training in a single engine aircraft. IFS is normally waived for students entering training with a pilot license. SNFOs will train with Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard SNAs along with NATO and allied students in the SNA and SNFO tracks, aviation preflight indoctrination consists of academic instruction, hands-on interaction and aviation physiology, water survival, and land survival skills. Students selected for land-based platforms will continue on to the advanced maritime command and those that select carrier aviation will continue to Primary 2 training and remain at VT-10
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