This Date in Aviation History: September 24 - September 27

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 09/27/2016 at 12:35 • Filed to: Planelopnik, planelopnik history

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Welcome to This Date in Aviation History , getting of you caught up on milestones, important historical events and people in aviation from September 24 through September 27.

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September 24, 1949 – The first flight of the North American T-28 Trojan . The career of any military pilot starts out with primary flight training carried out in a two-seat trainer, with one seat for the student and one for the instructor. The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , one of aviation history’s truly great airplanes, served in that role since before WWII, and became the primary trainer for no less than 61 nations and served for 60 years. But even a great plane like the Texan would need to be replaced one day. When that time came, though, the US military wasn’t looking for just a trainer. They hoped to adopt an aircraft that would also work well in the ground attack role. Based on the success of the T-6, the US Navy and Air Force once again turned to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and the aircraft they came up with proved to be every bit as effective as the one it was meant to replace. Like the T-6, the Trojan was a simple, rugged, straight-wing aircraft, and it was powered by a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! nine-cylinder supercharged radial engine, the same one that powered many of the great warplanes of WWII such as the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and a host of other military aircraft and helicopters. The engine provided a top speed of 343 mph and a rate of climb of 4,000 feet per minute, and the pilots were housed under a frameless canopy that provided excellent visibility for both instructor and student. The T-28A entered service with the US Air Force, and was quickly adopted by the US Navy and Marine Corps in two variants: the T-28B, which was similar to the Air Force version but with a more powerful engine, and the T-28C, which was designed for carrier operations with a smaller propeller and added arrester hook. While the Air Force phased the Trojan out of service by the 1960s, it continued to serve the Navy and Marines well into the 1980s before being replaced by the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which was powered by a turboprop engine. Along with its service as a trainer, the Trojan also proved to be an effective combat platform. During the Vietnam War, both the US Air Force and the South Vietnamese Air Force flew an armed version of the Trojan known as the T-28D Nomad for the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (COIN) role, as well as reconnaissance, search and rescue, and forward air control. For dedicated ground attack missions, the AT-28D provided a sturdy, flexible platform with six underwing hardpoints that could carry bombs, rockets or napalm for ground attack missions and was also fitted with an ejection seat. Trojans also served as an armed escort for attacks by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or attack helicopters. And, like its predecessor, the Trojan was widely exported, serving a total of twenty-eight international customers, with nearly 2,000 produced from 1950-1957. The last T-28 was retired by the US Navy in 1984, but the aircraft served for another ten years with the Philippine Air Force, and it remains a popular performer on the air show circuit. (Photo by the author)

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September 26, 1965 – The first flight of the LTV A-7 Corsair II. Throughout the history of military aircraft development, there have been a handful of aircraft that were named after successful predecessors, such as the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . And while the jury is still out on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the others have more than lived up to the fame of their namesakes. And, when !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (LTV) needed a nickname for their new hard-hitting ground attack aircraft, they found inspiration in the rugged, effective and deadly !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! of WWII and Korea, one of the preeminent fighters of the piston era. The US Navy began a search in 1962 for a new attack aircraft to replace the venerable !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and they hoped to improve both the range and payload provided by the diminutive Skyhawk. The new attack aircraft also had to show improvements in target accuracy in order to reduce the costs associated with bombs that missed their mark. By 1963, the Navy finalized their requirements and announced the VAL (heavier-than-air, attack, light) competition and, to save money, the Navy stipulated that the aircraft be based on an existing design. Vought turned to their !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , a supersonic air superiority fighter that entered service with the Navy in 1957. But the Crusader was built for speed, with a long narrow fuselage and afterburning turbojet engine. Ground attack missions call for subsonic speeds closer to the ground,so Vought shortened and broadened the fuselage, and removed the variable incidence wing that helped lower the Crusader’s landing speeds. They also increased the wingspan, and replaced the Crusader’s afterburning turbojet with an !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! turbofan that had no afterburner, since there would be no need for the A-7 to fly at supersonic speeds. Vought fitted the A-7 with an !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! radar that offered better targeting than the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and also installed a head-up display (HUD), the first for a US fighter. The Navy selected the A-7 as the winner of the VAL competition in 1964, and it received the nickname Corsair II a year later and, within three years, Navy A-7s were in action over Vietnam.

USAF ANG A-7D from the 146th Tactical Fighter Squadron

Though originally a Navy design, the Corsair II was also pressed into service with the US Air Force, when they found they also needed a robust subsonic ground attack aircraft. Reluctant at first to take the Navy airplane, the Air Force relented under pressure from Secretary of Defense !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , with the stipulation that their version would have a still more powerful engine and an !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! rotary cannon rather than the two single-barreled 20mm cannons on the Navy version. This aircraft would be designated the A-7D, and was later adopted by the Navy as the A-7E. By the end of the Vietnam War, the Air Force began passing the Corsair II over to the Air National Guard (ANG) in favor of the F-4 Phantom II, but the Navy continued flying theirs, and they saw action over !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , Libya, and even limited use in the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . The ANG finally retired their Corsair IIs in 1993, but the Greek Hellenic Air Force flew the A-7 until 2014. (US Navy photo; US Air Force photo)

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September 27, 1964 – The first flight of the BAC TSR-2. By the 1950s, the general doctrine of aerial bombardment, either nuclear or conventional, was to penetrate enemy territory by flying as high and as fast as possible, beyond the reach of enemy fighters. In England, the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which first flew in May 1949, had a service ceiling of 48,000 feet, which meant if could fly with relative impunity into enemy territory without the fear of interception. But the arrival of the surface-to-air missile changed that doctrine overnight, and a new breed of attack aircraft would come the fore, known as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Since radar-guided missiles of the time worked on line of sight to track incoming targets, the solution was to fly as low as possible, under the radar, and using terrain features to further mask the attacking aircraft. These aircraft would carry either conventional or nuclear weapons and, at the time, their role was to fly deep behind enemy lines and destroy logistics targets to prevent the enemy from bringing troops and supplies to the front lines. To that end, the British government issued Operational Requirement 399 (GOR.399) in 1956, an extraordinarily ambitious list of requirements for a new light bomber that could fly at supersonic speeds in all weather conditions, be capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons, have either short takeoff and landing (STOL) or vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, and also be able to perform reconnaissance missions. In January 1959, the Ministry of Supply announced that a consortium of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , along with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , would produce what would be called the TRS-2 (Tactical Strike Reconnaissance, Mach 2). The new aircraft would be designed around the strengths of each company, with Vickers-Armstrongs building the front half of the aircraft and wings, while English Electric built the rear. The TSR-2 was powered by two !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! afterburning turbojets developed from those used on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and which would later power the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It was capable of a sustained cruise of Mach 2.05, with a dash speed of Mach 2.35, and a theoretical top speed of Mach 3. In an effort to save money, no prototypes were built. The first tranche of aircraft were supposed to be finished production aircraft, and testing commenced with the first two completed aircraft. Despite some early difficulties, test pilots reported that the TSR-2 flew well.

The uncompleted fourth BAC TSR-2 after restoration

Still, the initial requirements had to be reworked to reflect the realities of the TSR-2's performance. While the first aircraft was supposed to be a finished production airframe, the sophisticated radars and other electronics had yet to be installed, and the costs of the aircraft continued to climb. With some in the British government believing that the TSR was made obsolete by the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the cost and complexity, as well as delays in development, led to the project’s cancellation on April 6, 1965, the day scheduled for the maiden flight of the second aircraft. Following contentious debate, the British government announced that it would procure the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , rather than develop their own interdictor, even considering all the development money already spent. And, ironically, the British later rescinded their order of F-111s when that program ran into it own costly delays. Within six months of cancellation, all uncompleted aircraft, plus all tooling, were scrapped, and only two aircraft survived, neither of which is complete. The two finished aircraft, including the one that took part in testing, were destroyed to test for weaknesses in the airframe to gunfire and shrapnel. Only one completed aircraft survived, and is housed at the RAF Museum, Cosford. A second airframe, much less complete, resides at the Imperial War Museum Duxford. (First photo author unknown; second photo by Mike Freer via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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Short Takeoff

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September 24, 1930 – The birth of John Young, an American aeronautical engineer, US Naval Aviator, test pilot, and astronaut. Young’s retirement from NASA in 2004 marked the end of the longest career of any NASA astronaut. During his time with the space agency, Young made six space flights, including the first manned !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! mission, he became the first man to orbit the Moon alone during !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , drove the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on the Moon during !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and is one of only three people who have flown to the Moon twice. Young is also the only person to have piloted four different classes of spacecraft, including the first flight of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in 1981. (NASA photo of Young in 1963 during Gemini 3)

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September 24, 1918 – US Navy Lt. David Ingalls becomes the first US Navy fighter ace. With six credited victories, Ingalls was the US Navy’s only ace of WWI, which also made him the first fighter ace in US Naval history. Ingalls enlisted in March 1917 as Naval Aviator No. 85, and was sent to Europe six months later. Ingalls was attached to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and flew the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! from a base in Dunkirk in northern France. For his service, Ingalls received the US Navy !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the British !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the French !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Following the war, Ingalls became a director of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and assisted !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! with charting eastern air routes for Pan Am. (Ingalls photo via US Navy; Sopwith Camel photo via UK Government)

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September 25, 2015 – The first flight of the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, the newest aerial refueling and strategic airlifter slated to enter service with the US Air Force in 2017. In 2011, the Pegasus was announced as the winner of the Air Force !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! competion over a Northrop Grumman/Airbus offering in a protracted and often acrimonious debate over which aircraft would replace 100 older !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . The Pegasus is based on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! widebody airliner, and will have seating for up to 114 people, can carry 65,000 pounds of cargo and will be capable of transferring over 207,000 pounds of fuel. (US Air Force photo)

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September 25, 1978 – The midair collision of Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 and a Cessna 172 over San Diego. PSA Fight 182 was a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (N533PS) making an approach to San Diego’s Lindbergh Field when it collided with a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! causing the crash of both aircraft. The crew of the 727 had been alerted to the presence of the Cessna, but had lost sight of it and didn’t notice that it had made an unauthorized change of course. The pilot of the Cessna was under a hood practicing !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (ILS) approaches, but his instructor had no limitations on his vision. Air traffic control detected a conflict alert, but did not warn the aircraft since they believed that they could see each other. The planes came down in a residential area, killing 142 passengers, including 9 people on the ground. Following a similar !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the FAA mandated that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (TCAS) be installed in all jets flying in US airspace. (Photo by Hans Wendt)

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September 25, 1945 – The first flight of the de Havilland Dove, a short-haul passenger plane that was designed as a feeder to larger airports and one of the most successful designs to come out of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and their search for a domestically produced British airliner following the war. The Dove was a monoplane successor to the pre-WWII !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! biplane and had accommodations for eight passengers. De Havilland built the Dove from 1946 to 1967, ultimately producing 542 aircraft, and it entered service in 1946, with the first aircraft being purchased by Argentina. The Dove was widely exported, serving airlines around the world and remains in limited service today. (Photo by Andre Wadman via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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September 26, 1951 – The first flight of the de Havilland Sea Vixen, a twin boom, twin-engine, all-weather, carrier-based fighter developed for the British Royal Navy !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Development of the Sea Vixen began in 1946 as the DH.110, and its twin boom design was borrowed from the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , though the Sea Vixen was of all-metal construction. The DH.110 was powered by two !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! engines, and was the first British fighter capable of supersonic speeds. The Sea Vixen was armed with a mixture of missiles, bombs, or rockets, but no internal gun was fitted. It entered service in 1959 and, while the Sea Vixen never saw any actual combat, it was dispatched to flashpoints around the world throughout the 1960s wherever a show of military power was required. (Photo by Lmgaylard via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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Recent Aviation History Posts

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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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Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 09/27/2016 at 12:49

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September 27, 1946 – The death of Geoffrey de Havilland, a British aviation pioneer and aeronautical engineer responsible for some of the preeminent military aircraft of WWII. Born on July 27, 1882, de Havilland built his first aircraft in 1910, and formed the de Havilland Aircraft Company in 192o. His company produced the de Havilland Mosquito multi-role fighter/bomber during the war and, as part of the Brabazon Committee , de Havilland oversaw the production of the de Havilland Comet , the world’s first jet-powered airliner. De Havilland remained in control of his company until it was bought by Hawker Siddeley in 1960, and he died in 1962 at the age of 82. (de Havilland photo via Australian Government; Mosquito photo via British Government)

The dates are screwed up here. I don’t know what the correct ones are, sorry...

I do know that there was Geoffrey and Geoffrey Jr, and that 2 of the Sr’s sons were test pilots and one died testing the Swallow, could there be a mixup? Though iirc it was Peter and John that were test pilots and Geoffrey was involved in the company administration.

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/27/2016 at 12:50

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oh neat, I just recently posted about a Dove. such an odd little cockpit it has

my brother’s pictures again:

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/super-cars-and-an-air-show-yall-like-cars-and-planes-r-1785992699

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/27/2016 at 12:51

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looking like something straight out of the Thunderbirds TV show.

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/27/2016 at 12:52

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eek, busy month for de Havilland, 2 planes and his death. wonder how the company would remember september

ttyymmnn > MonkeePuzzle 09/27/2016 at 12:56

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Indeed. It was a cool airplane, no doubt.

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 09/27/2016 at 13:00

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You are correct. It was Junior who died on this date. Aviation History regrets the error! Thanks for pointing it out. Those responsible have been sacked.

ttyymmnn > MonkeePuzzle 09/27/2016 at 13:02

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That was quite a collection of photos! Nice shots all. I’d love to take in an old warbird show like that.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 09/27/2016 at 13:06

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Please don’t sack the author, his posts are great.

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 09/27/2016 at 13:09

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Thanks. My source for these dates isn’t always correct, and some things slip through the cracks. I appreciate your corrections, as always. It helps writing for an educated audience.

ttyymmnn > MonkeePuzzle 09/27/2016 at 13:18

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As Smallbear pointed out, I got the date of de Havilland’s death wrong. There was Geoffrey de Havilland (Sr.), who was the engineer. His son, Geoffrey de Havilland, Jr., was de Havilland’s chief test pilot and died on September 27, 1946 while flying a DH 108 Swallow . Another brother, John, also a test pilot, died flying a Mosquito in 1943. The elder de Havilland died in 1962. I wonder how he felt about both of his sons dying in an aircraft that he designed.

McMike > MonkeePuzzle 09/27/2016 at 13:29

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That was nice of them to give the Sea Vixen’s navigator a skylight.

I had no idea the navigator sat in a sidecar. I thought it was tandem or abreast seating.

--edit-- and this was meant for ttyymmnn

MonkeePuzzle > McMike 09/27/2016 at 13:34

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I appreciated it regardless :D

MonkeePuzzle > ttyymmnn 09/27/2016 at 13:35

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ugh, that’d be heartbreaking!

user314 > ttyymmnn 09/27/2016 at 13:42

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I miss the SLUFs that used to be based out at Greater Pittsburgh International, such neat little planes. That was back when the USAF used more colors than just Gunship Gray.

ttyymmnn > user314 09/27/2016 at 13:52

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Funny you mention PIT. When I was much younger (would have been in the 70s), I was flying to visit my grandparents in PA and saw some A-7s taxiing next to the runway as we took off. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I was looking for a good A-7D photo in AF colors for this post. I might steal that one. Is it a USAF photo?

user314 > ttyymmnn 09/27/2016 at 14:14

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Yes on both. I just searched for the 146th on Wikimedia .