This Date in Aviation History: June 15 - June 17

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 06/17/2016 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 June 15- June 17.

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June 15, 1945 – The first flight of the North American F-82 Twin Mustang. When the airwar against the Japanese Empire began, the allies flew bombing missions over the Himalayas from Burma and India to attack Japanese targets. But as the war progressed, the Allies began to capture islands in the Pacific Ocean, which made it easier for long-range bombers to fly attack missions. Still, the US still did not have a fighter that was capable of escorting the bombers on long over-water missions, some of which could last as long as eight hours. Even fighters that were proving to be excellent long-range escorts in Europe, such as the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , were unable to accompany the bombers on these long flights. And even if the fighters unable to make the flight, such long missions would put an enormous strain on a single pilot. What the US Army Air Forces in the Pacific needed was a fighter of extreme range, but also one with excellent maneuverability, as well as a second pilot to help with navigation over vast expanses of open ocean. Beginning in late 1943, North American tackled the problem and began working on a fighter with an unrefueled range of 2,000 miles, and they used the remarkable P-51 Mustang as the starting point. While the F-82 (initially designated P-82) looks like two Mustangs simply joined together, it is actually a completely new design. North American Design Chief !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! began with two P-51H fuselages that had been lengthened behind the cockpit to allow for the installation of additional fuel or other equipment. The fuselages were then connected by a central wing section housing six .50 caliber machine guns for concentrated fire, and the outer wings were strengthened to carry additional ordnance. The vertical stabilizer was also enlarged to improve single-engine handling. Both fuselages were outfitted with full controls, which allowed the two pilots to take turns flying on long missions. Later night fighter variants were fitted with a radome under the center wing section, and the right cockpit became the radar operator’s station. The F-82 was originally powered by two !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! V-12 engines, but the Air Force wanted the Twin Mustang to be powered by American engines, so the Merlins were replaced by less powerful !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! engines for full production, and the earlier Merlin-powered aircraft were converted to trainers, creating the unique situation where the trainer aircraft were faster than the production fighters. The F-82 was finally adopted by the Air Force in the summer of 1945, but with the end of WWII orders were cut dramatically and the F-82 entered service too late to see action in the war. However, it was one of the first American fighters to see action in the skies over Korea, and was responsible for downing the first three enemy aircraft of the war.

F-82B “Betty Jo” departs Hickam Field in Hawaii for its record-setting flight to New York

And while the Twin Mustang was never used in its long-range escort role, it still possessed the long legs it was designed for and, in February 1947, an F-82B named Betty Jo flew from Hawaii to New York without refueling, covering 5,051 miles and setting a record for piston-engined fighters that still stands. The Twin Mustang was retired in 1953 after production of 272 aircraft. (US Air Force photos)

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June 15, 1943 – The first flight of the Arado Ar 234. In many ways, German military technology far ahead of the Allied powers, particularly in the area of jet-powered aircraft. While the British eventually caught up with the turbojet-powered !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , it was the Germans who fielded the world’s first operational jet fighter in the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and also the world’s first operational jet-powered bomber, the Arado Ar 234 Blitz . The history of the Blitz (lightning) began in 1940, with the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (German Ministry of Aviation, or RLM) requested designs for a high-speed, jet-powered reconnaissance aircraft that would have a range of 1,340 miles. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the only company to offer an aircraft, responded with their E.370 project, and while the range was less than what the RLM requested, the Ministry was still impressed with the design and ordered two prototypes. The aircraft featured a high, straight wing with one engine hung underneath each wing. Similar to the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the cockpit was placed directly at the end of the fuselage, offering the pilot no rearward visibility. Initial designs had rearward-firing defensive machine guns that were aimed by a periscope, but the system was considered useless in practice and the guns were omitted from production aircraft. The periscope was retained, though. Also, original plans called for the Ar 234 to take off from a three-wheeled trolley which was jettisoned after take off, with the aircraft landing on retractable skids. This allowed the entire fuselage to be filled with fuel, but it also meant that returning bombers would be strewn around the airfield with no easy way to move them. Therefore, production aircraft were fitted with a traditional tricycle landing gear. Though the airframe was ready by the end of 1941, problems in development of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! engines delayed the first flight until July of 1943. The Ar 234 finally entered service in 1944 as the world’s first operational jet bomber, and with a maximum speed of 459 mph, the Blitz outpaced all Allied piston-powered fighters of the time. It’s first combat mission was a reconnaissance flight over the Normandy beachheads in August of 1944, flying unmolested over the Allied positions and gaining valuable information on the landings. The Ar 234 also participated in attacks on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! at Remagen, where the Allies secured a crossing of the Rhine. But with only a single bomb to drop on the target the attacks were ineffective, and a number of bombers were lost to antiaircraft fire. In its few bombing missions, the Ar 234 proved nearly impossible to intercept, and in 1945 it was the last Luftwaffe aircraft to fly over England during the war. Fortunately for the Allies, only 210 aircraft were produced and, like the Me 262, the Ar 234 came too late in the war to have a significant impact on its outcome. (Photo by the author)

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June 17, 1959 – The first flight of the Dassault Mirage IV. When the Americans !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 in an effort to hasten the end of WWII, it wasn’t long before the Russians had a bomb of their own. They were quickly followed by other nations, but in the days before the first !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the only way to deliver a nuclear bomb over the target was with a deep penetration bomber, one that could fly high and fast into enemy territory and drop their atomic munitions. Beginning in 1954, the administration of French president Pierre Mendès-France France decided that it needed its own nuclear arsenal, and they initiated development of a three-pronged nuclear deterrence ( Force de frappe, later called Force de dissuasion ) that would include land, sea and air assets capable of carrying out nuclear attacks against the Soviet Union (or other foreign attacker). Work began on a supersonic aircraft capable of carrying a nuclear weapon and, in 1957, Dassault offered an aircraft that was a substantially enlarged version of their single-engine !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! fighter. The new aircraft would have two !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! afterburning turbojet engines capable of pushing the Mirage IV to a top speed of Mach 2.2. The wing surface was doubled, and the wing was also much thinner than the Mirage III for high-speed performance. It could be armed with either a single free-fall nuclear bomb, a single nuclear missile, or 16 conventional bombs, and carried three times more fuel than its predecessor, giving it an armed range of 670 miles. Despite the greater range, the Mirage IV still required multiple refuelings to reach deep inside the Soviet Union, and after delivering its nuclear munitions, the aircraft was not expected to return, as its home bases would likely have been annihilated. The Mirage IV was the first element of France’s nuclear triad to enter service, joining the French Air Force in October 1964, with 36 aircraft forming 9 squadrons of 4 aircraft each. The Mirages would work in pairs, with one aircraft carrying a nuclear weapon while the other served as a tanker to refuel the attack aircraft. At the height of operations, there were always at least 12 aircraft in the air, with 12 more on the ground ready to deploy in four minutes should the need arise. The other twelve could be readied within 45 minutes. For 7 years, the Mirage IV was France’s only means of delivering a nuclear weapon, as the land and sea components of the Force de dissuassion were not available until 1971. Dassault produced a total of 62 aircraft, and the Mirage IV served in nuclear deterrence role until it was superseded by strategic nuclear missiles. The bomber variants were retired in 1996, though the reconnaissance versions served until 2005. (Photo by Mike Freer via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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Short Take Off

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June 15, 1936 – The first flight of the Vickers Wellington, a twin-engine long-range strategic medium bomber designed in the 1930s to provide the RAF with a modern high-performance bomber. The Wellington was designed using the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! construction developed by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that consisted of duralumin beams formed into a lattice and covered with cloth and dope. The construction gave the Wellington remarkable strength, maintaining integrity even when entire sections of the lattice were destroyed. Wellingtons carried out the first RAF bombing missions of WWII, and it was eventually converted to a night bomber and maritime patrol aircraft, becoming the only British bomber to be continuously produced throughout the war. Vickers built 11,461 Wellingtons before production ended in 1945, and the bomber served until 1953. (Ministry of Defence photo)

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June 15, 1936 – The first flight of the Westland Lysander, a high-wing single-engine aircraft originally designed for the co-operation (delivering messages and spotting for artillery) and liaison role with the British army. Though soon rendered obsolete in the co-operation role, the Lysander’s excellent short takeoff and landing capabilities made it particularly well suited for clandestine operations behind enemy lines, and it was often used to insert or extract Allied agents and in support of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! during France’s !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! by Germany. The Lysander also served as a target tug, and was widely exported to British allies around the world. Nearly 1,800 were produced, and the Lysander was retired by the British in 1946. (Photo by Hpulley4 via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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June 15, 1916 – The first flight of the Boeing Model 1, a single-engine biplane seaplane and the first aircraft designed by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Known also as the B&W Seaplane after its co-designer Lt. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the Model 1 was a traditional wood frame construction braced by wire, and resembled the Martin trainer owned by Boeing, though Boeing’s airplane had improved pontoons and a more powerful engine. Two aircraft were built and offered to the US Navy, and when the Navy passed they were sold to the New Zealand Flying School, where they set a New Zealand altitude record of 6,500 feet. The two aircraft, named Bluebill and Mallard , also became the first airmail planes in New Zealand. (Photo author unknown)

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June 16, 1984 – The flight of the first all-female commercial airline crew. When !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was hired by Frontier Airlines in 1973, she was the only woman working as a pilot for the major US airlines, and the first to be promoted to captain in 1976. In the five years following her hire, the number of female pilots had risen to 300. By chance, Warner’s name appeared on the pilot rotation for Flight 244, Boeing 737 service from Dever, CO to Lexington, KY with first officer Barbara Cook, marking the first time that the cockpit was crewed by two women. (Photo via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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June 16, 1963 – Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to fly in space. The Soviet Union scored a significant propaganda victory when it put !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! into space in 1961, just three weeks ahead of American !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . To follow that feat, the Soviets thought it could score another victory by being the first to put a woman into space. Valentina Tereshkova, one of five female cosmonauts, was launched into space on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and spent nearly three days in space, completing 48 orbits of the Earth. It would be 20 years before !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! became the first American woman in space (and third woman overall), with her launch on the Space Shuttle !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , just to days after the 20th anniversary of Tereshkova’s launch. (Photo author unknown)

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June 16, 1954 – The first flight of the Lockheed XFV, an experimental aircraft developed by Lockheed in an attempt to provide a fighter aircraft that could operate from the afterdecks of conventional warships. The XFV was designed to take off from a vertical position, transition to horizontal flight, then transition back to vertical and land on its tail. For testing, the XFV was fitted with long landing gear for traditional take off, and while some transitions from level to vertical flight and hovering were undertaken, the XFV never took off from vertical, due in large part to its underpowered engine. Only one XFV was completed before the project was canceled in 1955. (US Navy photo)

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June 17, 1986 – The final flight of the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. When the final !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (52-0166) was restored to flying status for a one-time ferry flight from Naval Weapons Center China Lake to Castle Air Force Base in California for museum display, it marked the end of one of the most influential designs of the early jet era. Following a 1944 US Air Force request for a new jet-powered bomber, the B-47 entered service with the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in 1951, and by 1956 there were 28 wings of B-47 bombers and 5 wings of RB-47 reconnaissance variants, with many staged at forward bases as part of America’s nuclear deterrence policy. Though the Stratojet never saw combat, it remained the mainstay of SAC’s bomber force into the 1960s. Over 2000 were produced, and the EB-47E electronic countermeasures variant served until 1977. (US Air Force photo)

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June 17, 1961 – The first flight of the HAL HF-24 Marut (Spirit of the Tempest), a twin-engine fighter bomber designed by former Focke-Wulf designer !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the first jet aircraft developed and built in India. Though designed for Mach 2 flight, the lack of a sufficiently powerful engine meant that the Marut could barely reach Mach 1, and following the successful detonation of India’s !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , import restrictions prevented more powerful engines from being fitted. The Marut did see some action as a ground attack aircraft, and during the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , an Indian pilot flying an HF-24 claimed a victory over a Pakistani !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . A total of 147 Maruts were built, and the type was retired in 1985. (Photo author unknown)

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June 17, 1955 – The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-104, (NATO reporting name Camel), the world’s first successful jet-powered airliner. Though the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! had flown first, the Comet had been withdrawn from service in 1954 due to crashes and would not return to service until 1958. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! based the Tu-1o4 on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! bomber, and when the Tu-104 arrived in London in 1956 it caused quite a stir in the West because nobody believed that the Soviets had the technology to produce a modern airliner. The Tu-104 entered service with Czechoslovak Airlines in 1957, and while it had a safety record comparable to other airliners of the time, a series of crashes led to its retirement on commercial routes in 1979, and it was removed from military service by 1980 . (Photo by Michael Gilliand via !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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June 17, 1928 – Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Though best known for her !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! while attempting a circumnavigation of the globe in 1937, Earhart made headlines in 1928 as the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an airplane, though she did so as a passenger. In response to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! famous crossing the previous year, Earhart accompanied pilot !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and copilot/mechanic Louis Gordon on the 22-hour flight from Newfoundland eastward to Wales flying a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! trimotor. Since the flight was made on instruments, Earhart never did any flying during the trip, though on landing, she did tell an interviewer, “...maybe someday I’ll try it alone.” Earhart made her own solo Atlantic crossing in 1932. (C-32 photo via US Army; Earhart photo author unknown)

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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 06/17/2016 at 12:42

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Interesting that the display Marut has had its canopy replaced with sheet - you think it’s an anti-vandalism measure? It’s certainly an elegant airframe in its broad strokes, particularly on the intakes, but it’s perhaps not iconic. Then again, the Fw-190 wasn’t really a looker either.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 06/17/2016 at 13:04

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That bit about the Me262/Meteor is debatable. They debuted around the same time, some accounts put the 262 ahead, some put the Meteor ahead. I’ve done a bit of digging myself and haven’t been able to draw any real conclusion.

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 06/17/2016 at 13:14

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I'll check another source and get back to you. I've always heard that the 262 was operational first.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 06/17/2016 at 13:20

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That was the “fact” that I had on file for quite a while, but there were a couple publications—sadly can’t remember what they were—I ran into that seemed to contradict that. I’ve seen a range of dates for each since then. Each one seems to have a couple month window, so picking the most accurate one an interesting job...

facw > ttyymmnn 06/17/2016 at 13:42

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I’m always amazed that the Twin Mustang was somehow an actual production aircraft. It seems too weird, like it never should have been more than a proof of concept that would be followed up by an actual design.

ttyymmnn > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 06/17/2016 at 13:43

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According to this source , the Gloster Meteor Mk I took its maiden flight on 5 March 1943. The Mk Is, powered by Rolls-Royce Welland (W.2B/23C) turbojets, first flew on 12 January 1944, and one RAF squadron was fully equipped with this variant by August 1944. So I’ll take that as the Meteor’s entry-into-service date. The Me 262, though preceded by the Heinkel He 280 as the world’s first turbojet-powered fighter (first flight 22 September 1940 but never produced), took its first flight on 18 April 1941. The Luftwaffe accepted the first production aircraft in June 1944, so that would put it in service 2 months ahead of the Meteor. Very close, and I would imagine that some dates could be incorrect. But 2 months is not an insignificant length of time, and this source would confirm the claim that the 262 entered service first.

Adding to the confusion, perhaps, is that the Meteor initially was not allowed to fly over occupied continental Europe for fear of the airplane falling into German hands. The Meteors were held in England to combat the V-1 flying bombs, as they were one of the few fighters fast enough to catch up to them. They were finally forward deployed to Belgium on 20 January, 1945. The 262, by comparison, had already seen action in Europe as early as July 1944.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 06/17/2016 at 13:49

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I can’t dispute it because like I said I can’t remember where I got my information, so I’ll take that. All I remember is it said the Meteor beat it into service by about 2 weeks.

They could well have gotten first RAF delivery and operation date mixed up, I don’t know. Not to mention the 262's political struggles probably produced quite a few dates to choose from/mix up. Probably what happened, as the months that come to mind are all April or May.

ttyymmnn > facw 06/17/2016 at 13:57

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Desperate times call for desperate measures. But regardless of how crazy the idea seemed, the proof is in the pudding. The F-82 was almost 50 mph faster than the P-51, and had a range that was 700 miles greater. Check out these numbers of what the Allies had on hand, compared to what the F-82 could muster (figures via Wiki):

Northrop P-61 Black Widow: top speed 366 mph, range 610 mi

Lockheed P-38 Lightning: top speed 414 mph, range 1,300 mi

North American P-51 Mustang: top speed 437 mph, range 1,650 mi

North American F-82 Twin Mustang: top speed 482 mph, range 2,350 mi

Even the Grumman F8F Bearcat, arguably one of the best fighters of the war, could “only” muster 455 mph. So, despite its crazy design, the F-82 was head and shoulders above everything else at the time. And the Twin Mustang closed the book on piston-powered Air Force fighters, being the last propeller fighter produced for the USAF.

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn 06/17/2016 at 14:00

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An F-82 is on display at the Parade Field at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. It’s open to the public, so anyone can swing by and look at their entire collection.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.39355…

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/17/2016 at 14:05

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It’s an interesting question. Daily, we drive by Camp Mabry, the home of the TX National Guard. They have three ANG fighters on static display next to the highway: F-86D, F-4, F-16. The F-86D and F-4 canopies are painted light blue. The F-16 has an opaque black acrylic canopy. I can only assume that it has something to do with keeping the sunlight out for some reason. I’ve never seen metal over a cockpit, but it could be for vandalism, as you suggest, or perhaps for similar reasons to the aircraft I see at Mabry.

ttyymmnn > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/17/2016 at 14:08

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I’ve been to Lackland for an air show (years ago), but I didn’t see the static displays. It would be worth going by and having a look. Dyess AFB in Abilene has a fantastic static display on the main road (Arnold Blvd) into the base, but after 9/11 they closed the front gate to visitors and you can’t see them any more without a military ID. It’s worth looking at on Google. Here is a list of what they have:

http://www.aero-web.org/museums/tx/dla…

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn 06/17/2016 at 14:33

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Nifty! I’ve been posting pics of the displays at the 45th Infantry Division museum in Oklahoma City. It includes a number of small planes and helicopters. I’ll get those posted sometime next week.

ttyymmnn > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/17/2016 at 14:37

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Cool! I look forward to it.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 06/17/2016 at 15:22

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Sweet Eloise at Dobbins is also blacked out (not my pic) - as I think was the Spitfire that was outside at the RAF museum. Most of the planes at the Vickers plant at Brooklands, not so much. It must be reflective (ha!) of a specific school of thought in outdoor aircraft presentation - it can’t be making a B-29 in Marietta any cooler, but if it prevents vandalism and they can afford to do it, I guess. Brooklands is by and large very strapped for cash, and as a lot of the English outdoor exhibit types of things, there’s really not a whole lot of curating or protection going on, so getting special acrylic cut is probably way down the priorities list.

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/17/2016 at 15:33

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Yeah, I would think that regardless of sunlight in the canopy, it would be bloody hot inside those planes, especially down here in Texas. Must be aesthetic.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 06/17/2016 at 15:41

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If you think about it, any place that even occasionally risks hail is putting a lot at risk with that thin old aviation glass, and a lot of semi-modern glass formulation was wonky enough that it *can* get sun damaged or at the least discolored - c.f. “solarization”. Replacing acrylic every ten to fifteen years has got to be cheaper than replacing *unique* glass every twenty plus whenever the hailstorm comes through.

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/17/2016 at 15:50

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All good thoughts. As it is, the F-86D and F-4 at Mabry are getting pretty faded. And there is plenty of hail down here too.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/17/2016 at 15:52

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It looks to me like they just painted the canopy grey. The rear part was not transparent on the single seaters.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 06/17/2016 at 15:56

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I knew the back part of the canopy was supposed to be sheet (at least, as made - Dr. Tank may have had other ideas). I’ve got a very nice picture of a Marut in a pocket Jane’s spotter’s guide from ‘78. Grey/silver is just a very odd color for the forward canopy to be, however arrived at.