GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING

Last year was the centennial of John M. Browning’s timeless, matchless M1911 pistol, which has only gained in stature over the last ten decades.  But other tools in the military cabinet have passed the half-century mark, and some not only remain in service but, like the 1911, remain in production.

Browning M2 .50 HB.  (1938 to today.)  Besides the 1911, another long-long lived Browning design is the ageless M2 .50 caliber.  Designed as a water-cooled gun during WW I, “Ma Deuce” in its current air-cooled form was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1938 and has served in perhaps 90 nations covering dozens of wars and conflicts.   Powerful and potent, at 74 years and counting, the M2 is a strong contender for another centennial weapon.

Armalite AR-15/Colt M16.  (1962 to today.)  “The black rifle” entered military service as the Air Force’s AR-15 in 1962.  It’ll be interesting to see what sort of semi-centennial the controversial weapon receives this year.  To put that record in perspective, the M1 Garand lasted 21 years (1936-57) while the classic ‘03 Springfield remained in limited inventory until about 1957. 

However counterintuitive it may seem, half-century airplanes are far more common than firearms.  Here's the roster of that exclusive club:

Bell UH-1 Huey.  (First flight 1954, operational 1961.)  The Bell Model 204 evolved into the long-lived UH-1 (utility helicotper), and the Army’s last Hueys retired only last year—a full 50-year career.  Meanwhile, UH-1s remain flying with as many as 40 other nations.  Thus, the Huey belongs to an elite club of military aircraft dating from the Eisenhower administration (1953-1961).  Here’s a quick look at others from the era of hula-hoops and Mickey Mouse ears:

 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.  (First flight 1952, operational 1955.)  The Cold War icon, the eight-jet intercontinental bomber remains in front-line squadrons fifty-seven years after original introduction.  According to its Air Force Fact Sheet, the BUFF (Big Ugly Flying…Fellow) may still be flying in 2045.  No, that’s not a typo for 2025.  And yes, that would mean a service career of NINETY years; 80+ years for individual aircraft.  In stunning comparison, the Forrestal class aircraft carriers—also from the Ike era--were active for “only” 43 years.

Lockheed C-130 Hercules.  (First flight 1954, operational 1957.)   The Hercules has aptly been called “the DC-3 of the postwar era.”  With well over 2,000 delivered, the enormously capable, “stretchable” Herc is flown by some 60 countries.  Dillonites will appreciate its ballistic options in the AC-130 Spectre and Spooky gunships, packing enormous firepower.  The Spectre loadout includes 40mm and 105mm cannon while the Spooky adds 25mm gatlings.  From Vietnam to Iraq, Hercs just plain deliver.

Lockheed U-2. (First flight 1955, operational 1957.)  The world’s most famous reconnaissance aircraft made global headlines when Francis Gary Powers’ CIA bird was downed over Russia in 1960.  Nearly half of the 86 airframes were lost in accidents or shot down over Russia and Communist China.  However, the high-flying spyplane remains a valuable asset, and the Air Force plans to keep it until 2015, a service life of 58 years.

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.  (First flight 1956, operational 1957.)  If you have a fleet of jet bombers, you need a fleet of jet tankers.  That’s why Boeing adapted its 707 airliner for in-flight refueling and made one of the most remarkable conversions in aviation history.  From first flight to operations took less than a year.  Boeing built 800 Stratotankers to support 744 B-52s, and both will remain in service for years to come.

Northrop T-38 Talon.  (First flight 1959, operational 1961.)  Nearly 1,200 were built through 1972 as the world’s first supersonic trainer, and it’s still the lead-in trainer for USAF fighter pilots.  Talons were used by four other nations: Nationalist China, Germany, Portugal, and Turkey.  The derivative fighter, the F-5 Tiger, may still be used by 20 or more of 30-some air forces that have purchased it.

Lockheed P-3 Orion. (First flight 1959, operational 1962.)  Based on Lockheed's still-incomplete Electra airliner, the Orion offered off the shelf availability with promising performance.  Though a maritime patrol aircraft, its endurance and multiple sensor systems make it useful ashore, including in Afghanistan.  More than 15 foreign users have joined the dozens of U.S. Navy Orion operators.

Boeing Vertol CH-47 Chinook.  (First flight 1961, operational 1962.)  Almost 1,200 Chinooks have been flown by 16 nations, and just one helo kept the Brits in business in the Falklands in 1982.  Today the big chopper remains in low-rate production, meeting the need for heavy lift, especially in Afghanistan where the floor can be 8,000 feet and uphill in all directions.  Apparently a successor is not even on the drafting board.  As Chinook pilots say, “The only replacement for a Chinook is another Chinook.”

Grumman E-2 Hawkeye. (First flight 1960, operational 1964.)  A carrier-based early warning and control aircraft, the Hawkeye appears to have an open-ended lease on life.  Its distinctive feature is the rotating radar dome that provides a huge view of sea and sky, capable of detecting and sorting friendly, unknown, and hostile targets to hundreds of miles. Perhaps most remarkably, the Hawkeye’s foreign users include both Israel and Egypt.

Cessna T-37 “Tweet”.  (First flight 1954, operational 1957.)  Almost 1,300 Tweety Birds were produced in a 20-year production run, serving as jet trainers in 18 countries. Its 52-year USAF career ended in 2009 while the ground-attack variant AT-37 Dragonfly featured a 7.62 minigun in the nose.   Reportedly armed Tweets continue hosing drug runners in Columbia and Peru.

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk (first flight 1954, operational 1956.)   The Navy’s first jet light attack aircraft was intended as an interim design but remained in front-line Marine service until 1979.  It’s still flying support sorties in the U.S. and Israel, and in operational squadrons with Argentina and Brazil.

F-4 Phantom (first flight 1957, operational 1960.)  A hugely successful and versatile aircraft, the mighty Phantom debuted with the Navy and was retired by the Air Force in 1996.   But it’s still flown by Japan, South Korea, Turkey…and Iran.  Those nations will remain Phantom Pflyers for awhile, as it’s now 52 years in service and counting.

Other 50-year aircraft include and the English Electric Canberra (in service 1951-2006); the huge swept-wing turboprop Tupelov 95 “Bear” (1956 to today); and the prolific MiG-21 (in service 1959 to today).  

Joe Taxpayer has received more than his money’s worth from the foregoing products.  Heaven knows, that’s a rare situation amid the perpetual fraud, waste, and abuse that characterizes so many government programs.

It’s also a reminder that frequently The Latest is not The Greatest.

ALL AMERICAN BOMBER: MYTH AND FACTS

The following email has been widely circulated among aviation enthusiasts.  I’m including the original message between the asterisks, followed by facts that eluded the anonymous messenger:

*********************************************

A mid-air collision on February 1, 1943, between a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis dock area, became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of World War II.   An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went out of control then continued its crashing descent into the rear of the fuselage of a Flying Fortress named All American, piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb Squadron.

When it struck, the fighter broke apart but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away. The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, the fuselage had been cut almost completely through connected only at two small parts of the frame and the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged.  There was also a hole in the top that was over 16 feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest and the split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunner's turret.

Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind and twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft still flew - miraculously!  The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses in an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart. While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, the pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target.

When the bomb bay doors were opened, the wind turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist gunners into the broken tail section. It took several minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes from parachutes and haul him back into the forward part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for the tail gunner, the tail began flapping so hard that it began to break off. The weight of the gunner was adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position.

The turn back toward England had to be very slow to keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and speed and was soon alone in the sky. For a brief time, two more Me-109 German fighters attacked the All American. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through the hole in the top of the fuselage to aim and fire their machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn. 

Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the All American as it crossed over the Channel and took one of the pictures shown. They also radioed to the base describing that the empennage was waving like a fish tail and that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out. The fighters stayed with the Fortress taking hand signals from Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signaled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" so five of the crew could not bail out. He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane and land it. 

Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made its final turn to line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away. It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on its landing gear. 

When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had been injured. No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of the aircraft collapsed onto the ground. The rugged old bird had done its job.

****************************

Who(m)ever wrote the foregoing should stick to writing PR brochures, as that’s apparently his profession.

Here’s some background based on a few minutes Googling:

Firstly:

The 97th Bomb Group originally was assigned to the 8th Air Force, flying missions from Britain between August and October 1942.  The next month the group moved to North Africa.  At the time of the incident described, the 97th’s base was Biskra Oasis, Algeria, about 150 miles west of the Tunisian border.  Author of the email was too damn lazy to check such basic facts and ASSUMED the group remained in England.

Some of the facts were readily available for anyone bothering to check.  A Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:B-17-battle-casualty1.gif) shows the U.S. Army caption which includes, “The aircraft was able to land safely on her home base in Biskra, Tunisia.”

Anybody can do the math as to whether a UK-based B-17 could fly the mission described and return to England before running out of fuel.  The straight-line round trip would be nearly 2,300 miles, mostly over occupied Europe.  Furthermore, 2 1/2 hours back to a British base about 1,300 miles from Tunis would produce a 460 mph groundspeed, on two engines!  Actually, Tunis was 350 miles from the 97th’s base, hence an actual return groundspeed of c. 140 mph.

Secondly:

The P-51s allegedly providing escort over the Channel did not exist yet.  Merlin Mustangs only entered combat in November 10 months later.  

Some additional info:

According to historian Steve Birdsall on the Army Air Forces forum, the German pilot was Sergeant Erich Paczia, a triple ace of 6/JG 53 flying a Bf 109G.  Online research reveals that on that day his squadron claimed one B-17 at Pont du Fahs, south of Tunis, credited to Ltn. Julius Meimberg (total 53 victories).

After receiving a new tail the composite All American continued flying until salvaged in March 1945, according to a 97th Bomb Group site.

Today’s lesson: never-ever assume anything that crosses your computer screen is accurate unless it contains sources.  And even then, remain skeptical.

Finally: OBVIOUSLY Boeing was stiffing the taxpayers if it knew its products did not need two horizontal stabilizers!  Maybe that’s why so many travelers prefer Boeing to Air Bus…

TAKE PITY ON ENGLISH

I’ve been sitting (read: stewing) on this subject for months now, and it’s time to let off some steam.

Rant Mode ON:

Whatever happened to proper, grammatical English?

Some grammarians attribute the near-universal collapse of proper English usage to social media such as emails and texting, but I don’t buy it.  The collapse of our beloved tongue began long before electrons started replacing ink.  I am not concerned with internet shorthand such as LOL, IIRC, or even BFF.  I am talking about basic, essential English as taught by Mrs. Woodroofe way back in the 1960s.  She was not only my English teacher in grade and high school but my aunt, and she went to considerable length to avoid giving me the benefit of the doubt at grading time. 

Fortunately, I missed a lot of school as a youngster due to illness, and unknowingly I used the time well by reading literate texts.  I absorbed proper usage almost by osmosis, which was a Good Thing because I was never-ever going to diagram sentences coherently, let alone remember all those rules and exceptions (“I before E except after C, or sounded as A as in neighbor and weigh.”)

The reasons for near-universal English abuse are varied, but I blame the twin evils of indifference and political correctness.  I believe that feel-good classroom philosophies permitting approximate spelling or usage will be found at the core of the educational self-esteem movement.  It’s related to the huggy-feely notion that we’re all Special, and it’s hurtful to correct the little darlings when they’re wrong.  (Related issue: the current crop of “parents” consider any public venue a playground, hence children running around shouting in restaurants.  It’s happened to me twice lately.  A subject for a future Rant.) 

Several years ago I saw a news report about a black lady trying to teach English at an inner-city school, either in Chicago or Detroit.  She insisted on proper grammar but was resisted by many students who wanted to indulge in street talk/jive/whatever.  Naturally, the Education Professionals in the front office failed to support her, even though she was unquestionably right: once out of school, the bro’s and sisters speakin’ da way dey want were going to have problems getting hired for most positions dealing with da public.  She cared more about the kids’ future than they, their parents/guardians, or the administrators.  God bless her.  At least she tried; her halo awaits.

However, the point of this Rant is not minority/ethnic argot but common usage in personal communication and in the media.  Here’s a random list of errors that make me cranky because they’re so damnably common.  A tip of the hat to my friend and colleague Colonel Walt Boyne, USAF (Ret) for inciting this month’s topic.  In fact, I’ll let him lead off:

“A surprising example is the use of ‘ordinance’ vice ordnance by people who should know better.  I just reviewed an Air Force colonel's PhD thesis that needed a global search to root out the error.”

Walt has a solid point.  I wonder if that O-6 knew that the use of ordnance is governed by ordinances and laws and stuff.  Evidently not.

“This and These.”  Boy, does THIS abuse get me going, harking back to Mrs. W and two other competent teachers who stressed the need for specifics and clarity (oddly enough, or not, only one of them was a journalism instructor.)  Definite articles such as This and These have become universal crutches, used so often in the same paragraph or even sentences that the original intent becomes blurred.  One short passage from an otherwise fine book:

“The British also carried out a significant number of precision attacks during this period, though we tend to forget this, which lent themselves to detailed interpretation of specific facilities, as did American precision raids beginning in August 1942.  This skill proved vital once the bombing effort moved away from city attacks…”

More examples of common usage abuse:

"The exact same situation/whatever."  If it’s the same, why is it more the same with Exact?

Gender vs Sex.  Forget English grammar; there are now dictionary definitions stressing Gender Issues without mentioning grammar, but in usage there are obvious differences between the masculine and feminine genders.  Or there were once upon a time.

Which vs That.  Relative pronouns introducing adjectival (descriptive) clauses frequently are folded, spun and mangled.  To quote a professor, “That which is, is.  That which is not, is not.”

That vs Who.  Misuse of the relative pronouns is increasingly common: "People that do thus and such" (Sean Hannity probably is the Main Offender).  The way I learned it, “who” refers to people (including deities) while “that” refers to nonhumans, including animals, buildings, policies, etc., etc., etc. 

"Between you and I" should of course be “Between you and me.”

“He was taller than me.”  Shouldn’t be hard to get right.  “He was taller than me am tall” or “He was taller than I am tall”?  Sheesh.

Lie vs lay.  Past participles are tough—I never did get my nascent brain around them, at least not reliably on English tests.  Sorry, but “A transitive verb requires a direct object” just addles me.  Other than “Now I lay me down to sleep,” I wordsmith my way around the whole grammatical sandpit.  “I put the damn thing wherever I wanted.”  Sothere…

Hopefully.  It’s an adverb, which is a modifier: “We waited hopefully for the ninth inning.”  But proper use has been overwhelmed by convention: “Hopefully our team will rebound in the ninth” when the intent is “We hope that our team will rebound.”  This year the Associated Press permits the misuse due to general acceptance.

Irregardless.  It’s not a real word.

Among aviation people: hanger vs hangar.

Among many Christians, Cavalry vs Calvary!

Amurrica typically overdoes apostrophes.  I have seen a sign at an Arizona trailer park: "Tonight's movie, My Hero's Have Alway's Been Cowboy's."  Honest.

And as a onetime broadcaster, I get REAL cranky when a straight news story says, "The guy was last seen heading thataway."  Ever hear "the gal was wearing..."?

Me neither.

Just thought I’d mention it.

Rand Mode to STANDBY