AN ALBUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY OF UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT, THOSE WHO FLY THEM, THOSE WHO ARM THEM, THOSE WHO MAINTAIN THEM, THOSE WHO PROYECT THEM, AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT THEM.
Thee Northrop B-35 is the only available aircraft which could have successfully performed the Strategic Air Command's prime mission: to be able fly UNESCORTED for 4000 miles to destroy an enemy's war making ability, i.e. bomb the USSR's secret atomic bomb making plants in the Ural Mountains. The Wing demonstrated it was Stealthy, invisible to coastal radar at Half moon Bay North of San Francisco, in 1948 -- which the AF ignored. The competing B-36 had a huge radar image, would fly 60 mph slower, two miles lower, right among 19,000 USSR interceptors.
For a lot of previously unpublished information about the Northrop Wings and the Convair B-36 refer to my book "Goodbye Beautiful Wing", with data and conclusions mined from 998 pages of government microfilmed records of the Northrop B-35 and B-49 projects, and 744 pages of microfilmed records of the Convair B-36 project, plus other published data examined, and the biographies of the top level persons involved, interviews with the YB -49 test pilot, Charles Tucker, who flew the big jet-Wing through all the AF's stall tests, a spin recovery, and stability tests and autopilot installation, more than 100 hours... who stated "The AF statements about the Wing being unstable are 'bullshit'. It was rock-solid; a good airplane." The real facts about the selection of the B-36 over the B-35 are also included, politics and greed, disregard for national security, and incompetence in igih places.
Thee Northrop B-35 is the only available aircraft which could have successfully performed the Strategic Air Command's prime mission: to be able fly UNESCORTED for 4000 miles to destroy an enemy's war making ability, i.e. bomb the USSR's secret atomic bomb making plants in the Ural Mountains. The Wing demonstrated it was Stealthy, invisible to coastal radar at Half moon Bay North of San Francisco, in 1948 -- which the AF ignored. The competing B-36 had a huge radar image, would fly 60 mph slower, two miles lower, right among 19,000 USSR interceptors.
ReplyDeleteFor a lot of previously unpublished information about the Northrop Wings and the Convair B-36 refer to my book "Goodbye Beautiful Wing", with data and conclusions mined from 998 pages of government microfilmed records of the Northrop B-35 and B-49 projects, and 744 pages of microfilmed records of the Convair B-36 project, plus other published data examined, and the biographies of the top level persons involved, interviews with the YB -49 test pilot, Charles Tucker, who flew the big jet-Wing through all the AF's stall tests, a spin recovery, and stability tests and autopilot installation, more than 100 hours... who stated "The AF statements about the Wing being unstable are 'bullshit'. It was rock-solid; a good airplane."
ReplyDeleteThe real facts about the selection of the B-36 over the B-35 are also included, politics and greed, disregard for national security, and incompetence in igih places.