This Date in Aviation History: October 21 - October 23

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 10/23/2015 at 12:35 • Filed to: Planelopnik, planelopnik history

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Welcome to This Date in Aviation History , getting you caught up on milestones and important historical events in aviation from October 21 through October 23.

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October 21, 1947 – The first flight of the Northrop YB-49. In a traditional aircraft, the parts of the structure that provide little to no lift also produce a lot of drag and weight. So, in order to create an aircraft that is almost entirely lift, why not remove the entire fuselage and just fly the wing by itself? That was the question that Jack Northrop tried to answer throughout the 1930s and 1940s with his flying wing aircraft, but the story of the YB-49 really begins with the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , its piston-engined predecessor, and the story of both aircraft is a tale of what might have been. In April of 1941, the US Army Air Forces wanted a bomber that could attack Nazi-occupied Europe from the US mainland, so they made a request for a new bomber that could carry 10,000 lbs of bombs on a 10,000 mile round trip. Northrop responded with their YB-35, a huge flying wing that was powered by four piston engines. But the piston engines proved to be the YB-35’s Achilles heel, as the engines and propellers had never been tested together and problems with vibrations made the powerplants unreliable or even dangerous. Through a fiasco of competing interests, the Army, who supplied the engines, Hamilton Standard, the maker of the propellers, and Northrop could not agree on a resolution, so Jack Northrop himself grounded the YB-35 until a suitable powerplant could be found, or until the Army fixed the engines they had provided. But the Army now believed that jet power was the future, so they directed Northrop to replace the four propeller engines on the YB-35 with eight turbojet engines, and the YB-49 was born. The new engines immediately gave the YB-49 better performance, soaring to 40,000 feet and exceeding 520 mph in test flights, thus validating the flying characteristics of the design. But the trade off for this performance was range. Early turbojets were notoriously thirsty, and the flying wing’s range was cut in half, thereby eliminating it from consideration as a long range strategic bomber. Even though the YB-49 lost out to the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , a traditional design that was likely more appealing to Army Air Forces brass, the Army ordered testing to continue, and existing YB-35 airframes were to be converted to jet power. In all, three YB-49s were produced from converted YB-35s, and two YRB-49 reconnaissance models were built before the program was canceled and all the aircraft scrapped. Northrop believed that the cancellation was entirely political, but there is also evidence that the YB-49 would have had problems completing the long range, high level bombing missions that were doctrine at the time. Northrop would eventually be vindicated, though, with the development of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! bomber. (US Air Force photo)

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October 22, 1955 – The first flight of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. As the nuclear bomb became the Air Force’s strategic and tactical weapon of choice in the 1950s, the idea of a fleet of high-flying strategic bombers carpeting a target with bombs was replaced by the concept of a tactical bomber or fighter-bomber flying at very high speeds and very close to the ground to penetrate enemy airspace and deliver a single nuclear weapon. Maneuverability would be sacrificed for high speed, low level handling, and range. The design team at Republic, led by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , would develop the first aircraft specifically for this purpose. With the ongoing Korean War, the Air Force lowered their original order of 199 aircraft to just 37, and eventually just 15. But while the work on the XF-105A was underway, Republic continued its development of the aircraft, using lessons learned from Convair’s !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! program to redesign the fuselage of the Thunderchief to take advantage of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in order to reduce drag. They also developed the F-105’s characteristic forward-swept, variable-geometry air intakes. This variant would enter production as the F-105B. And the Thunderchief was big. In fact, it was the largest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft in history, weighing in at 50,000 lbs. But like so many fighters of this era, the Thunderchief was initially underpowered, but even with the early Pratt & Whitney engines the XF-105A managed to break the sound barrier on its maiden flight. The redesigned F-105B, with afterburner, could top out at 1,420 mph, or Mach 2.15. Though the Thunderchief, or “Thud” as it was called by its pilots, was designed as a low level tactical bomber, it was pressed into service in the early years of the Vietnam War as the Air Force’s primary ground attack aircraft, capable of carrying a greater bomb load than the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! from WWII. And though mainly used for ground attack, the Thud managed to claw 27.5 North Vietnamese aircraft out of the sky. But the F-105 was also vulnerable to antiaircraft defenses, and its combat losses were high, and it became the first US aircraft to be withdrawn due to combat losses. The F-105 was eventually phased out in favor of newer aircraft, particularly the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , though the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! electronic warfare variant served until the end of the war. Ultimately, 833 Thunderchiefs were produced, and the type was retired in 1984. (US Air Force photo)

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October 23, 1939 – The first flight of the Mitsubishi G4M. When the Japanese laid their plans for the conquest of the western Pacific, which they grandiosely called the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , they knew that they would have vast stretches of ocean or large swaths of Southeast Asia to cross. Their aircraft carriers would cover the ocean, but any land-based aircraft would have to have exceptional range. Work on the G4M began in 1937 as the Japanese Navy sought a replacement for the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which the Allies called the Nell, specifically to increase range and speed over the earlier bomber. The prototype was completed in 1939 and the Betty entered service in June 1941, six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor brought the US into the war. But the increase in range over the Nell was bought at a dear price. Mitsubishi had wanted to build a four engine bomber, but under pressure from the Japanese Navy they reduced it to two engines, and, to save more weight, the designers chose not to fit their bomber with protective armor plating for the crew or self-sealing fuel tanks. So while the Betty had exceptional range, it was extremely susceptible to gunfire from heavily armed Allied fighters, often bursting into flames with the slightest hit. US pilots took to calling the Betty the “one shot lighter,” while the Japanese pilots referred to it as “Cigar”, which was a reference to its shape but may also have been an allusion to how readily it burned. The G4M formed the backbone of the Japanese bomber force and served throughout the Pacific theater. In the early years of the war, the Betty fought very effectively when it had sufficient fighter cover, but losses began to mount as the Allies gradually gained air supremacy. Final variants of the Betty did add armor protection and rudimentary sealing for the fuel tanks, but these upgrades came too late to have a significant impact on the outcome of the war. In addition to its bombing duties, the Betty was also used to bomb shipping and as a torpedo bomber, and, late in the war, it served as the mother ship for the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! suicide aircraft, a parasitic, rocket powered, piloted bomb used in Kamikaze attacks. But by the final stage of the war, with dwindling numbers of Japanese fighters to protect them, the Bettys were mauled by US Navy fighters and many of the bombers were shot down before they could launch their attacks. The Betty would also take center stage in a pivotal event in the Pacific War, when Japanese General !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack and commander in chief of the Japanese combined fleet, was !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and killed in 1943 while flying as a passenger in a G4M on an inspection tour of Japanese bases. (Photo author unknown)

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Short Take Off

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October 21, 1966 – The first flight of the Yakovlev Yak-40, the world’s first commuter trijet, and specifically designed to operate from poorly equipped airports with short or unimproved runways. Over 1000 were produced from 1967-1981, and they provided local service throughout Russia and served over thirty international customers. (Photo by Eduard Heisterkamp via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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October 21, 1961 – The first flight of the Breguet Atlantic, a turboprop-powered, long-range maritime patrol aircraft performing reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and built to replace the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! among NATO forces. Produced from 1961-1981, eighty-seven Atlantic 1 aircraft were built, along with twenty-four upgraded Atlantic 2 variants. (Photo by Adrian Pingstone)

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October 22, 1968 – Apollo 7 splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean after orbiting Earth 163 times, ending the first manned Apollo mission to go to space after a pre-launch !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in the command module of Apollo 1 killed its three-man crew the previous year. Apollo 7 was the first launch using the upgraded !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! launch vehicle, made the first live TV broadcast from space, and was the final manned launch from Cape Kennedy Air Force Station. (Photo via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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October 23, 2003 – The final commercial flight of Concorde, flying from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London. The flight closed the book on the Concorde, the world’s first supersonic passenger airliner, which entered service with British Airways (BA) in 1976. Following a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in 2000, Concorde flights were suspended for a year, but, after returning to service in 2001, the Concorde remained unprofitable and BA and Air France suspended operations. (Photo by Eduard Marmet via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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October 23, 1967 – The first flight of the Canadair CL-215, also known as the Scooper, the first in a series of amphibious firefighting aircraft developed by Canadair and later Bombardier. Powered by two radial engines, it is designed to pick up water from lakes or rivers and drop it over wildfires, with special design considerations for operations at low speeds or in the gusty conditions often found over forest fires. (Photo by Alain Rioux via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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October 23, 1952 – The first flight of the Hughes XH-17, a super heavy lift helicopter, and the first project developed by the helicopter division of Hughes Aircraft. Built from parts scavenged from several different aircraft, the XH-17 was capable of lifting over 10,000 pounds with a maximum takeoff weight of 43,500 pounds. The XH-17 was powered by two turbojet engines that ducted bleed air through the hollow rotor blades to tip-mounted jets, and still holds the record for the world’s largest rotor system. Only one was built before the program was cancelled. (US Government photo)

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If you enjoy these Aviation History posts, please let me know in the comments. And if you missed any of the past articles, you can find them all at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 12:41

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*makes Oppo double-bubble cult secret hand-signal*

Ash78, voting early and often > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 12:43

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the concept of a tactical bomber or fighter-bomber flying at very high speeds and very close to the ground to penetrate enemy airspace and deliver a single nuclear weapon.

Dirty deed in the Thunderchief? Dirty deeds, Thunderchief!

/that’s really how I used to hear the song

T5Killer > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 13:11

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Such a cool looking bird. Shame none survived.

T5Killer > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 13:12

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Thuds are one of my favorites from the Vietnam era. Total muscle car Strike aircraft, heavy, fast and not very maneuverable.

ttyymmnn > T5Killer 10/23/2015 at 13:17

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The pictures don’t really convey just how damned big that bird was. Check out how it compares to the F-4, which is no lightweight either. I know the perspective adds a little bit, but not much.

ttyymmnn > T5Killer 10/23/2015 at 13:21

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I’m partially on board with Jack Northrop on the conspiracy/political hatchet job on this one. I think AF brass don’t trust designs that don’t look like a “normal” airplane. Just look at the YF-23 and the Boeing X-32. There’s no way of really knowing if either one would have been more successful than the winners, but in both cases, the AF ended up with an airplane that looks more like an airplane.

McMike > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 13:29

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F-105 Trivia.

The United States Air Force renamed their demonstration team Thuderbirds for six shows in 1964.

ttyymmnn > McMike 10/23/2015 at 13:30

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Thuderbirds?

Spaceball-Two > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 13:30

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My uncle flew the Thud in Vietnam. He hated that plane. If you encountered a Mig on your way to a drop you were basically screwed. Weighed down with ordnance no turning ability. You had to hope that you could get to the drop in one piece and then throttle up on the way out.

ttyymmnn > Spaceball-Two 10/23/2015 at 13:32

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It was definitely not the plane for that job, but I guess the AF didn’t have anything else at the time, or at least nothing that could carry that much ordnance. I’m glad your uncle made it out.

Spaceball-Two > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 13:34

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After the Thud he bounced out of AF and went Marine. Loved the A-6. Then he went back to AF and flew the F-111 until he retired. Loved the that even more.

ttyymmnn > Spaceball-Two 10/23/2015 at 13:38

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Obligatory F-111 dump and burn photo.

McMike > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 13:45

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Thunderbirds + Thud = Thuderbirds.

It was a joke.

T5Killer > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 13:45

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They are beasts my local Museum has one on display next to a A-7 it is HUGE!

ttyymmnn > McMike 10/23/2015 at 13:47

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Oh. Sorry. That whooshing sound you heard was your joke sailing over my head.

T5Killer > Spaceball-Two 10/23/2015 at 13:56

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That is awesome and very diverse career. Plus I am a huge F-111 fan boy.

Spaceball-Two > T5Killer 10/23/2015 at 14:04

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He’s a great man but sadly I am not sure how much longer we’ll have him. Some very hard miles were put on his body and brain over that career.

McMike > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 14:06

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I can’t imagine how the men felt flying these things in VietNam when the Thunderbirds shelved the 105 after Devlin’s accident.

user314 > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 14:12

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I very highly recommend the 1992 documentary The Wing Will Fly . It’s a great look at Jack Northrop‘s life, and just how much work he put into the wings.

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > McMike 10/23/2015 at 14:29

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I’m curious who thought aerobatics in an aircraft that big was a good idea.

They sure were pretty, though.

ttyymmnn > McMike 10/23/2015 at 14:59

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I can’t imagine that the Thunderbirds even flew it in the first place. I wonder if politics were involved. The Thud was designed specifically to do one thing: haul ass in a straight line. It was no acrobat.

ttyymmnn > user314 10/23/2015 at 15:00

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I’ve seen it! Back when they actually showed educational programs on the Discovery Channel.

Jcarr > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 15:22

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Uh-oh. FP shared again.

Pepper your angus for de notifications. :)

Jcarr > user314 10/23/2015 at 15:26

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Bittersweet quote on Northrop Grumman’s website regarding Jack, the B-2, and his passion for the flying wing:

By 1981, Jack Northrop’s health and personal finances were failing. Confined to a wheel chair and unable to speak, the Air Force briefed him on their new, highly classified, Northrop-built B-2 Spirit bomber. Built in a flying wing configuration and incorporating many of Jack Northrop’s design innovations, the B-2 has evolved into the most capable bomber in aviation history. Upon seeing the drawings and a scale model of the aircraft, Northrop reportedly wrote on a sheet of paper in a shaky, feeble hand, “Now I know why God has kept me alive for 25 years.” Ten months later he was dead.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 15:27

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Another reason for scrapping the program was the fact that it lacked the capacity to carry an atomic bomb.

ttyymmnn > Jcarr 10/23/2015 at 15:28

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Uh oh indeed! I’m in the middle of writing about the Skywarrior for next week. I don’t have time for the interruptions!

ttyymmnn > Jcarr 10/23/2015 at 15:29

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And I think next Tuesday’s post is even more interesting than this one.

Jcarr > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 15:30

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Looking forward to it!

JayHova > McMike 10/23/2015 at 15:35

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Mister Gristle > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 15:37

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Thuds, along with the F-100, were the first Wild Weasels. Gotta love that!

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 15:38

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- The “Thud” is an amazing plane. Literally a flying tank. It could take a ton of beating. I read once about one that had an AA missile go off against the tailpipe—practically a direct hit. For most other aircraft that would be game over, but it made it home.

- I was lucky enough to get a view from the end of the runway on the Concord’s last flight out of Pearson. Took off straight over my head... man that thing is beautiful. And loud :)

- The Toronto air show is right on the waterfront—great for water bombers. Seriously cool to watch.

I think these articles are awesome, if you hadn't guessed that already :)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Spaceball-Two 10/23/2015 at 15:41

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He must have been an odd one out. What I’ve heard about it was amazing. Nothing could keep up with it on the deck and it was amazingly durable.

Thank him for his service, anyway :)

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/23/2015 at 15:43

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Thanks, and thanks for reading!

muttons > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 15:46

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Is the the national Air Force museum in Dayton, OH? I’m thinking not, because I can’t recall where you would get a picture from that perspective and it looks a little bright in there compared to my experience.

Billy Suter > Mister Gristle 10/23/2015 at 15:47

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You gotta be shitting me!

ttyymmnn > muttons 10/23/2015 at 16:04

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No, this is the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport. You enter the building at a level above the main floor, and there are other catwalks even higher up. It’s a remarkable place.

muttons > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 16:11

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Went to the National Air Force Museum this past summer and was blown away. Every Air Force fighter and bomber is pretty much there, along with stuff like the SR-71 and A-10 and various helicopters too. They have one the the atomic bomb dropping B-29s. Seriously, they had everything.

DriventoInsanity > Ash78, voting early and often 10/23/2015 at 16:14

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You’ve ruined/vastly improved my most/least favorite AC/DC song.

Ash78, voting early and often > DriventoInsanity 10/23/2015 at 16:18

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The ball’s about about drop....we salute you!

user314 > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 16:26

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IKR? I’ve gone through and ripped all my old VHS tapes of Wings, Sea Wings,and Wings of the Red Star. Makes the trip to and from work that much better

V Rat > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 16:30

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Many (most) politicians have always hated Northrop Corp. because they are a non-union company. Without union funds and votes, good luck getting elected. Lockheed and Boeing are huge union employers and are loved by union backed politicians.

ForkTailedDevil > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 16:32

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If you are ever near Warner Robbins AFB in Georgia it is definitely worth the time. Check out their list of aircraft online. It's really comprehensive.

user314 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/23/2015 at 16:34

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Yeah, there were definitely shenanigans around the whole deal, but the B-49 was the wrong plane at the wrong time.

V Rat > Mister Gristle 10/23/2015 at 16:35

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Great video about the Wild Weasel

ttyymmnn > ForkTailedDevil 10/23/2015 at 16:37

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Thanks for the tip! I go to Abilene, TX often, the home of Dyess AFB. They have a fantastic static display on the main entrance road to the base, but after 9/11 they closed the gates to the public. Dyess operates a wing of B-1s, and I try to get out there as often as I can to photograph them.

aqualungdarmah > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 16:40

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Good article, but a couple of corrections.

The F-102 was a product of Convair, not Republic.

The 727 was in service a full 2 years before the Yak-40 making it the first commuter tri-jet

V Rat > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 16:42

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Edwards Air Force Base is named after Capt. Glenn Edwards, a test pilot that died in the crash of a YB-49 Flying Wing in June of 1948. It has been said that the cause of the crash was very suspicious.

S2Konstantin > Ash78, voting early and often 10/23/2015 at 16:45

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CANNOT BE UNHEARD

ttyymmnn > V Rat 10/23/2015 at 16:45

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The crash was caused when the ends of the wings broke off during stall testing. Another pilot claimed that the aircraft was susceptible to backwards rotation during stall, which was disputed by Jack Northrop. I have never read anything to suggest any subterfuge, rather a structural failure during testing. Sadly, these things happen.

McMike > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 16:46

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Good question. The 106 was newer than the 100, and probably better at the job. Why did they go with the 105?

ttyymmnn > aqualungdarmah 10/23/2015 at 16:48

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I’m not sure that the 727 would fall under the category of “commuter”. Honestly, I’m not sure of the official definition, but I’d call the 727 a narrow bodied airliner, and the Yak-40 a commuter similar to the CRJ. Maybe “regional jet” is a better term.

And “Republic” was just a brain cramp. Thanks for pointing it out.

ttyymmnn > user314 10/23/2015 at 16:51

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I’ve still got stacks of VHS tapes of those old Wings shows. I used to set an alarm during their annual New Year’s marathon to get up and change tapes.

ttyymmnn > McMike 10/23/2015 at 16:57

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My only guess is that the 106 was a dedicated interceptor and not a fighter. But the 105 was no ballerina either. Politics? I have no idea.

Old enough to know better > V Rat 10/23/2015 at 17:05

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From interviews I have seen (Discovery, History Channel and Wings Channel) the surviving test pilots considered the aircraft to be unstable and unrecoverable if the aircraft g0t far enough out of kilter. Stalls and other maneuvers that would be considered to be ‘safe’ in conventional aircraft proved deadly to Glen Edwards for whom Edwards Air Force Base is named. He was killed during a test flight of the XB49.

Fly by wire made the design work and proved Jack Northrup’s design. In the late 40’s and 50’s there were no such controls systems.

Wolf > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 17:05

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You can see in the background how they have a F-4 nose-to-nose with a Mig-17, and a F-86 with a Mig-15. I love that they did that.

ttyymmnn > Wolf 10/23/2015 at 17:09

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I have a photo of that Sabre/MiG setup, and I’d post it but it’s on my computer at home.

ttyymmnn > T5Killer 10/23/2015 at 17:12

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Here’s another shot of the Thud I took at the Hazy Center. I think that main gear is about 7 feet tall.

T5Killer > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 17:16

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Awesome! The first thing I ever recorded on VHS was wings F-86 to be exact. I still have that time somewhere.

ttyymmnn > T5Killer 10/23/2015 at 17:23

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I’ve got it too. Trouble is, I don’t have a VCR any more. I wonder if they are available on DVD. I’ve never checked. Discovery Channel repackaged the old Wings shows a couple of years ago, but they are unwatchable, with awful new interviews and flashing cuts and edits that could cause a seizure.

McMike > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 17:25

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Hell the 104 was out then, too. All of these things were straght line aircraft.

I think it’s funny how they were moving through airframes every 10 years or so, then BOOM - Falcon.

Makes me wonder if the F-35 will ever be forced into the role so the USAF can get their “money’s worth” out of it.

You know, like that friend of yours that has that weekend home that’s too far away, everyone told them not to get, but they got it anyways? Even they don’t want to use it, but have to and try to make the most out of it. ‘Fuckit, we’re in too deep... might as well use it and let everyone know about it.”

RidgeR5 > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 17:26

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Always loved the weird looking intakes on the Thud.

ttyymmnn > McMike 10/23/2015 at 17:28

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I think it will be a LONG time before the TBirds get their hands on an F-35, if ever. Hell, the F-16 is still in production after 40 years. It will be around for probably 20 more. Long enough for the AF to develop the replacement for the F-35.

RidgeR5 > T5Killer 10/23/2015 at 17:32

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My local museum has one of each Century Series aircraft. I love it!

McMike > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 17:37

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LOL.

facw > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 17:42

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Great post as always.

Minor typo:

commander in chief of the Japanese the Japanese combined fleet

An exceptionally Japanese fleet I guess.

RidgeR5 > Ash78, voting early and often 10/23/2015 at 17:44

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I’ve got big ba-wait.

ttyymmnn > facw 10/23/2015 at 17:48

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Thank you! It always amazes me how one can read something so many times and still miss a glaring typo like that. That’s why you should always have somebody else proof your work. Right now, I’ve got about 2000 proof readers!

Alexzilla408 > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 17:54

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This is me, letting you know in the comments that I like this article and would like to see more of them in the future.

ttyymmnn > Alexzilla408 10/23/2015 at 18:04

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Thank you, Alex! These posts drop every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:35 ET over on Oppositelock . But they also appear on the Planelopnik History and Planelopnik tags. In addition to these “This Date in Aviation History” posts, I’ve also got a number of “Planes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard” of posts over on Planelopnik History. If I can get far enough ahead on these history posts, I’ll write more. Thanks for reading.

OPPOsaurus WRX > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 18:10

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Awesome as always

ttyymmnn > OPPOsaurus WRX 10/23/2015 at 18:18

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Thank you sir! Tune in on Tuesday for the next installment!

BOB JACOBSON > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 18:39

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Nitpicking, but the picture of the CL215 you have is actually the CL415. New model that has turbo props instead of the 215s radial engines.

Phantomlimb > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 18:44

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I drove out to the flying wing crash site once and found a little melted debris, that plane has always inspired my imagination. Even today probably 40 years after I saw it drop an atomic bomb on t.v. Awesome!

ttyymmnn > BOB JACOBSON 10/23/2015 at 18:56

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But it's such a pretty picture! Please continue to pick nits. As an armchair historian, I don't like making little errors like that. I'll look into it when I'm back at my computer. Thanks for the comment, and thanks for reading.

Tokyosmash! > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/23/2015 at 20:49

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There’s more to that statement than you’re letting on. Huge amount of politics involved.

burpbeepburp > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 21:40

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I love the Thuds, they have the best nick name ever for a plane.

Why is it called that? Its the sound they make when they hit the ground.

Always reminds me of the stories of Misty and Wild Weasel missions.

BOB JACOBSON > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 21:54

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I only mention it because i work across the apron from both the 415 and 215. While the 415 is way more capable. You cant beat those beautiful sounding radials.

ttyymmnn > BOB JACOBSON 10/23/2015 at 22:42

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No problem at all! Corrections are always welcome. But, I do love the sound of those old radials. What a glorious racket!

Jcarr > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 22:56

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Oh my gosh, I had totally forgot about the marathons. Hearing that opening music gives me goosebumps.

user314 > V Rat 10/23/2015 at 23:04

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I think you’re confusing two different incidents. As ttyymmnn said, the cause of Glenn Edwards’ crash was not in dispute, but a few months later another YB-49 on its way back to Muroc from Andrews AFB lost six engines due to oil starvation. After making an emergency landing, the flight engineer who signed off on the records tried to skip the rest of the flight due to ”illness”. He was convinced to make the trip, but later died under mysterious circumstances.

ttyymmnn > Jcarr 10/23/2015 at 23:29

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Most, if not all, of the Wings episodes are on YouTube. This is the one about the Thud.

drewcrosby > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 23:43

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I never knew this existed.

Jesus Christ.

911e46z06 > ttyymmnn 10/23/2015 at 23:58

1

About time. This series belongs on the FP.

ttyymmnn > drewcrosby 10/23/2015 at 23:58

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Then my mission is accomplished! Once a teacher, always a teacher. Thanks for reading! If you take the time to dig through my older history posts at the link at the end of today’s post, you’ll find a few articles on “Planes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of,” where I talk about one-off designs or obscure experimental airplanes that didn’t quite make headlines. Thanks for reading!

ttyymmnn > 911e46z06 10/24/2015 at 00:02

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Thanks for the kind words. I’d be happy with a recurring spot in Flight Club. I’m about eight months through a year of this, so if they’re going to promote me, they’d better get busy! Of course, once I’m done, I can just keep reposting the old posts and updating them with new stuff.

911e46z06 > ttyymmnn 10/24/2015 at 00:07

1

Yeah. You deserve it man. Great stuff.

ttyymmnn > 911e46z06 10/24/2015 at 00:08

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Thanks. It really is a lot of work, but I enjoy it.

ttyymmnn > BOB JACOBSON 10/24/2015 at 00:12

1

Fixed! Thanks again. I would have liked to have used a picture of a 215 with Canada on the side, but I had to settle for a Canadian registration. I have to be sure to use photos that I can credit, and usually use what I can find in Wikimedia or government sources. Airliners.net is a big no-go, even though they have so many fabulous photos.

ReaperChief > ttyymmnn 10/24/2015 at 07:59

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We should get more articles on Japanese planes.. They were quite interesting..

kleb1 > ttyymmnn 10/24/2015 at 12:07

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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is amazing. Seeing so many great airplanes from the past was amazing, as is the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. I hope to take my son and wife next summer. Seeing the Shuttle, SR-71 and Enola Gay along with Apollo capsules drones, Concorde, fighters and ICBM'sis pretty dang amazing.

kleb1 > ttyymmnn 10/24/2015 at 12:08

1

The B1-B is an amazing plane.

ttyymmnn > kleb1 10/24/2015 at 12:14

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And what is so great about the A&S Museum and the Hazy Center is that the Enola Gay is not some B-29 painted to look like it. It is THE Enola Gay. And the same goes for so many other historic aircraft. I enter those places and drop my jaw, clobbered by the weight of history. Then I just walk around with a stupid grin on my face. Every. Time.

V Rat > user314 10/24/2015 at 12:59

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Yep, that’s the one I was thinking about. Thanks for telling me I was wrong. Something I get a lot of. (I’m married....)

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > ttyymmnn 10/25/2015 at 04:19

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Great writeup as always, and much appreciated.

CrownVictorious > Ash78, voting early and often 10/25/2015 at 10:56

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I knew I wasn’t the only one.

kleb1 > ttyymmnn 10/25/2015 at 11:15

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Same here brother, walking in blows your mind. The real Enola Gay hanging there right at face level as you walk in is mind blowing. Then right below it is the SR-71 and back behind that is the Space Shuttle Discovery and that’s what can be seen from the entrance. Its just a great place that melts your brain with all the tech and history.