Category Archives: Aviation

27 November 1957

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Captain Ray C. Schrecengost with "Cin-Min," McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo 56-0156 (Boeing)
Captain Ray W. Schrecengost with “Cin-Min,” McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo 56-0166 (Boeing)
Operation Sun Run #2, McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo 56-164. (Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum via Ron Downey Aviation Archives)
Operation Sun Run #2, McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo 56-164. This airplane was written off in South Carolina, 10 October 1960. (Photograph courtesy of Ron Downey via Aviation Archives)
McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo 56-0165, Sun-Run, flown for Operation Sun Run, 27 November 1957. (U.S. Air Force)
McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo 56-165, Operation Sun-Run #3. This airplane was shot down over North Vietnam, 5 December 1966. The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Leonard Warren, 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, safely ejected and was in radio contact for two hours after parachuting to the ground. He reported that he was taking fire, and contact was lost. He was listed as Missing in Action. His remains were recovered 17 September 1986 and were buried at the Arlington National Cemetery. (U.S. Air Force)
Operation Sun Run #4, McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo 56-166, flown by Captain Ray C. Schrecengost, U.S. Air Force. (Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum via Ron Downey)
Operation Sun Run #4, McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo 56-166, flown by Captain Ray C. Schrecengost, U.S. Air Force. This airplane is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  (Photograph courtesy of Ron Downey via Aviation Archives)
Operation Sun-Run #5
Operation Sun-Run #5, McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo 56-167. This airplane was written off 24 July 1964. (Photograph courtesy of Ron Downey via Aviation Archives)

27 November 1957: “Four U.S. Air Force pilots of the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing successfully completed Operation Sun Run by establishing three new transcontinental speed records in a McDonnell RF-101C aircraft. The record-breaking mission showcased the speed and range of the RF-101C, an improved version of the first supersonic photo reconnaissance aircraft, the RF-101A.

“Operation Sun Run called for six RF-101C aircraft — two to fly round-trip from Los Angeles to New York and back again, two for the one-way flight from Los Angeles to New York, and two for backups if problems arose with the four primary aircraft. The undertaking required massive coordination of aircraft crews and radar and weather stations from coast to coast.

“Operation Sun Run participants, L–R: Capt. Ray W. Schrecengost, Capt. Robert J. Kilpatrick, Capt. Donald D. Hawkins, Maj. Stanley R. Sebring (18th TRS commanding officer, Operation Sun Run operations officer), Lt. Col. William H. Nelson (9th AF, Operation Sun Run programs officer), Capt. Robert E. Burkhart, Capt. Robert M. Sweet, Lt. Gustav B. Klatt. (U.S. Air Force)”

“Six pilots of the 17th and 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons of the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing were chosen for Operation Sun Run. Each prepared for the round-trip flight, since they would not know which flight they were assigned until a few days before the operation. All six pilots had extensive experience in photo reconnaissance aircraft, although the RF-101 was relatively new to Tactical Air Command.

“The success of Operation Sun Run also depended on the performance of the newly available KC-135 Stratotanker, the USAF’s first jet tanker. The KC-135’s speed allowed the RF-101s to refuel at an altitude of 35,000 feet and a speed of Mach 0.8. Crews from Strategic Air Command and Air Force Research and Development Command prepared for the 26 refuelings the Operation Sun Run RF-101Cs would require.

“At 6:59 a.m., 27 November 1957, Capt. Ray Schrecengost took off from Ontario International Airport near Los Angeles on the first RF-101C round-trip flight of Operation Sun Run. Next into the air were Capt. Robert Kilpatrick on his one-way flight and Capt. Donald Hawkins, flying back-up. Capt. Hawkins followed until the first refueling was complete, and then flew to March Air Force Base, Calif. At 7:50 a.m., Capt. Robert Sweet took off on the second round-trip flight. Lt. Gustav Klatt followed, beginning his one-way trip. Their backup, Capt. Robert Burkhart, also flew to March Air Force Base after the first successful refueling.

“All four RF-101C pilots easily surpassed the previous speed records and established new ones. The new Los Angeles to New York record was established by Lt. Klatt, at 3 hours, 7 minutes and 43.63 seconds. Capt. Sweet set the round-trip record, at a time of 6 hours, 46 minutes and 36.21 seconds, and the New York to Los Angeles record, at a time of 3 hours, 36 minutes and 32.33 seconds.”

— Fact Sheets: Operation Sun Run, National Museum of the United States Air Force

McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo 56-166. (U.S. Air Force)
McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo 56-166. (U.S. Air Force)

The McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo was an unarmed reconnaissance variant of the F-101C fighter. It was 69 feet, 4 inches (21.133 meters) long with a wingspan of 39 feet, 8 inches (12.090 meters). The height was 18 feet (5.486 meters). Empty weight for the RF-101C was 26,136 pounds (11,855 kilograms), with a maximum takeoff weight of 51,000 pounds (23,133 kilograms).

The RF-101C was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-13 turbojet engines. The J57 was a two-spool axial-flow turbojet which had a 16-stage compressor (9 low- and 7 high-pressure stages), and a 3-stage turbine (1 high- and 2 low-pressure stages). The J57-P-13 maximum continuous power rating of 8,700 pounds of thrust (38.70 kilonewtons); military power, 10,200 pounds (45.37 kilonewtons) (30-minute limit); and 15,000 pounds (66.72 kilonewtons) with afterburner (5 minute limit). The -P-13 was 3 feet, 4.3 inches (1.024 meters) in diameter, 17 feet, 7.0 inches (5.359 meters) long, and weighed 5,025 pounds (2,279 kilograms).

The aircraft had a maximum speed of  879 knots (1,012 miles per hour/1,629 kilometers per hour) at 35,000 feet (10,668 meters)—Mach 1.53. The service ceiling was 49,600 feet (15,118 meters). The Voodoo could carry up to three drop tanks, giving a total fuel capacity of 3,150 gallons (11,294 liters) and a maximum range of 1,864 nautical miles (2,145 statute miles/3,452 kilometers).

The RF-101C was unarmed. It carried six cameras in its nose. Two Fairchild KA-1s were aimed downward, with four KA-2s facing forward, down and to each side.

Beginning in 1954, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation built 807 F-101 Voodoos. 166 of these were the RF-101C variant. This was the only F-101 Voodoo variant to be used in combat during the Vietnam War. The RF-101C remained in service with the U.S. Air Force until 1979.

Colonel Ray W. Schrecengost's McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo, 56-166, was named Cin-Min for his daughters, Cindy and Mindy. The Voodoo is painted in camouflage as it appeared when assigned to the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam. It was one of the first aircraft camouflaged for combat in SEA. It is in the collection of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force)
Colonel Ray W. Schrecengost’s McDonnell RF-101C-40-MC Voodoo, 56-166, was named “Cin-Min” for his daughters, Cindy and Mindy. The Voodoo is painted in camouflage as it appeared when assigned to the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam. It was one of the first aircraft camouflaged for combat in Southeast Asia. 56-166 is in the collection of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force)
Schrek's Cin-Min on the Sun Run" by William S. Phillips at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, depicts Colonel Schre 's McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo. (U.S. Air Force)
“Schrek’s Cin-Min on the Sun Run” by William S. Phillips, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, depicts Colonel Schrecengost’s McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo. (U.S. Air Force)

A McDonnell Aircraft Corporation film about Operations Sun Run and Fire Wall is available on YouTube:

© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes

27 November 1954

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Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation.
Lockheed L-1049E Super Constellation EC-AIN, Iberia’s first Super Constellation. This is the same type as the FAI record-setting airliner, EC-AIO.

27 November 1964: Cecilio Imaz Batida of Spain, flying a Lockheed L-1049E-55 Super Constellation, EC-AIO, set a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Record for Speed Over a Commercial Airline Route from New York City, New York, United States of America, to Madrid, Spain. The average speed over the course was 610,90 kilometers per hour (379.596 miles per hour).¹

The Lockheed L-1049E Super Constellation was an improved L-1049C with a strengthened fuselage and wings to accommodate a takeoff weight of up to 150,000 pounds (68,039 kilograms), anticipating retrofitting the airplane to turboprop engines. It was used primarily on long overwater routes. Only 23 of this model were sold before Lockheed changed production to the L-1049G variant.

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation three-view illustration with dimensions. (Lockheed Aircraft Corporation)

The L-1049E was powered by four air-cooled, supercharged and fuel-injected 3,347.662-cubic-inch-displacement (54.858 liter) Wright Aeronautical Division Cyclone 18 972TC18DA1 two-row, 18-cylinder turbo-compound radial engines. The engine’s high-velocity exhaust gases drove three “blow down” turbines which were geared to the engine’s crankshaft. (Gear reduction is 6.52:1.) Energy that would otherwise be wasted added as much as 600 horsepower to each engine. The Turbo Compound used the same nose section, power section and rear section as the standard Cyclone 18CB. The 972TC18DA1 (R-3350-34) was rated at 2,600 horsepower at 2,600 r.p.m., and 3,250 hp at 2,900 r.p.m. for takeoff. It had a compression ratio of 6.7:1 and required 115/145-octane aviation gasoline. The Turbo Compound engine was 7 feet, 5.53 inches (2.274 meters) long, 4 feet, 8.59 inches (1.437 meters) in diameter, and weighed 3,581 pounds (1,624 kilograms). The engines turned three bladed propellers through a gear reduction ratio of 0.4375:1.

Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España purchased three L-1049Es. The first, EC-AIN (s/n 4550), was delivered to Iberia in June 1954. The other two were EC-AIO (4551) and EC-AIP (4552). EC-AIO was later converted to the L-1049G configuration. In 1964, it was converted to a freighter.

Iberia’s EC-AIO after conversion to the L-1049G configuration. (R.A. Scholefield Collection)

In 1967, EC-AIO was sold to International Aerodyne, Inc., of Miami, Florida, and re-registered N8023. This registration was cancelled 1 March 1968 when the airplane was exported to Panama, where it was operated by Rutas Aereas Panamenas SA, registered HP-475. In 1970 the Super Constellation was flown in Biafra Air Lift, based at São Tomé International Airport (TMS), off the western coast of Africa. It was impounded at Felix Hophouet Boigny International Airport (ABJ), Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in March 1970, and scrapped there in January 1971.

¹ FAI Record File Number 5065

The Great Circle Route distance from New York City to Madrid is 5,775 kilometers (3,589 statute miles). (Great Circle Mapper)

© 2023 Bryan R. Swopes

27 November 1933

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Martin YB-10 (Model 139), 33-140. (U.S. Air Force)

27 November 1933: The United States Army Air Corps accepted the Glenn L. Martin Company’s first service test YB-10 bomber, serial number 33-140. This was the first all-metal monoplane bomber with an internal bomb bay, retractable landing gear, rotating gun turret and enclosed cockpit. It flew faster than pursuit aircraft of the day.

The prototype Martin Model 123 (XB-907) in flight, 1932. (U.S. Air Force)

There had been a single prototype, the Martin Model 123. It was powered by two Wright R-1820-19 engines rated at 600 horsepower, each. This was designated XB-907 by the U.S. Army Air Corps when tested at Wright Field in 1932. Recommendations for modifications were made, and Martin upgraded the prototype to the XB-907A configuration, which was then designated XB-10 by the Air Corps. The Army then ordered 48 production airplanes.

Martin XB-907A (XB-10 33-139). (U.S. Air Force)

The first group of 14 airplanes were designated YB-10. The YB-10 (Martin Model 139) had enclosed canopies for the pilot and top gunner, and a nose turret. The crew consisted of a pilot, radio operator and three gunners.

These airplanes were powered by two air-cooled, supercharged, 1,823.129-cubic-inch-displacement (29.876 liter) Wright Cyclone SGR-1820-F2 (R-1820-25) 9-cylinder radial engines with a compression ratio of 6.4:1, which were rated at 750 horsepower at 1,950 r.p.m. at Sea Level. The engines turned three-bladed Hamilton Standard adjustable-pitch propellers through a 16:11 gear reduction. The R-1820-25 was 3 feet, 11–13/16 inches (1.214 meters) long, 4 feet, 5-¾ inches (1.365 meters) in diameter, and weighed 1,047 pounds (475 kilograms).

Martin YB-10. (U.S. Air Force)
Martin YB-10 at Wright Field, 1933. (U.S. Air Force)
Martin XB-907, left profile. (U.S. Air Force)
Martin YB-10, left profile. (U.S. Air Force)
Martin YB-10, right rear quarter view. (U.S. Air Force)

The bomber could carry two 1,130 pound (513 kilogram) bombs, or five 300 pound (136 kilogram) bombs in its internal bomb bay. Alternatively, a 2,000 pound (907 kilogram) bomb could be carried externally. There were three .30-caliber (7.62 mm) Browning M1919 machine guns for defense.

Martin B-10B in flight. (U.S. Air Force)

The first full scale production version was the B-10B, which was very similar to the service test YB-10s. These airplanes were 44 feet, 9 inches (13.640 meters) long with a wingspan of 70 feet, 6 inches (21.488 meters) and height of 15 feet, 5 inches (4.670 meters). The B-10B had an empty weight of 9,681 pounds (4,391 kilograms).

The engines installed in this variant were Wright Cyclone SGR-1820-F3 (R-1820-33), rated at 700 horsepower at 1,950 r.p.m. at Sea Level. Dimensions, weight and propeller gear reduction for this engine are the same as the R-1820-25, above.

The B-10B had a cruising speed of 193 miles per hour (311 kilometers per hour), and maximum speed of 213 miles per hour (343 kilometers per hour) at 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).

33-140 was converted to a B-10M for towing aerial targets and was assigned to the Tow Target Detachment at March Field, Riverside, California. Piloted by Robert E. Phillips, 33-140 was damaged in a taxiing accident, 8 April  1942.

Martin B-10 (U.S. Air Force)

© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes

26 November 2003

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Concorde G-BOAF, the last Concorde to be built, makes its final landing, 26 November 2003. (photosreunited.blogspot.com)
Concorde G-BOAF, the last Concorde to be built, makes its final landing, 26 November 2003. (Concorde SST)

26 November 2003: Concorde 216, G-BOAF, made the final flight of the Concorde fleet when it flew from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Bristol Filton Airport (FZO) with 100 British Airways employees on board. The aircraft was under the command of Captain Les Brodie, with Chief Pilot Captain Mike Bannister and Captain Paul Douglas, with Senior Flight Engineers Warren Hazleby and Trevor Norcott. The duration of the flight was just over 1 hour, 30 minutes, and included both supersonic and low-altitude segments.

British Airways' Chief Concorde Pilot Mike Bannister (left) and Captain Les Brodie. (Concorde SST)
(Left to right) British Airways’ Chief Concorde Pilot, Captain  Michael Bannister, and Captain Les Brodie. (Concorde SST)

Concorde 216 was the last of twenty Concordes to be built. It was originally registered G-BFKX and made its first flight at Bristol Filton Airport, 20 April 1979. The new airliner was delivered to British Airways 9 June 1980 and was re-registered G-BOAF. “Alpha-Foxtrot” had flown a total of 18,257 hours by the time it completed its final flight. It had made 6,045 takeoffs and landings, and had gone supersonic 5,639 times.

G-BOAF was placed in storage at Filton. It is intended as the centerpiece of Bristol Aerospace Centre, scheduled to open in 2017.

The Concorde supersonic transport, known as an “SST,” was built by the British Aerospace Corporation and Sud-Aviation. There were six pre-production aircraft and fourteen production airliners. British Airways and Air France each operated seven Concordes. It was a Mach 2+ delta-winged intercontinental passenger transport, operated by a flight crew of three and capable of carrying 128 passengers.

The production airliners were 202 feet, 4 inches long (61.671 meters) when at rest. During supersonic flight the length would increase due to metal expansion from frictional heating. The wingspan was 83 feet, 10 inches (25.552 meters) and overall height was 40 feet (12.192 meters). The fuselage was very narrow, just 9 feet, 5 inches at the widest point. The Concorde has an empty weight of 173,500 pounds (78,698 kilograms) and a maximum takeoff weight of 408,000 pounds (185,066 kilograms).

The Concorde is powered by four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk.610 afterburning turbojet engines. The Olympus 593 is a two-shaft, axial-flow engine with a 14-stage compressor section (7 low- and 7 high-pressure stages), single combustion chamber and a two-stage turbine (1 low- and 1 high-pressure stage). The Mk.610 was rated at 139.4 kilonewtons (31,338 pounds of thrust), and 169.2 kilonewtons (38,038 pounds) with afterburner. During supersonic cruise, the engines produced 10,000 pounds of thrust (44.48 kilonewtons), each. The Olympus 593 Mk.610 is 4.039 meters (13 feet, 3.0 inches) long, 1.212 meters (3 feet, 11.72 inches) in diameter, and weighs 3,175 kilograms (7,000 pounds).

The maximum cruise speed is Mach 2.05. Concorde’s operating altitude is 60,000 feet (18,288 meters). Maximum range is 4,500 miles (7,242 kilometers).

Concorde G-BOAF makes a low pass over the Clifton Suspension Bridge on its way to Filton. Unattributed, locates at (http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/1655160.jpg)
Concorde G-BOAF makes a low pass over the Clifton Suspension Bridge on its way to Filton, 26 November 2003. (Concorde SST)

© 2016, Bryan R. Swopes

Air Force Cross, Major Leonard A. Gonzales, United States Air Force.

Aviation, , , , , ,
Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross
Lieutenant Colonel Leonard A. Gonzales, U.S. Air Force.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Major Leonard A. Gonzales (AFSN: 2227075), United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as Aircraft Commander of a UH-1F gunship helicopter of the 20th Special Operations Squadron, Nha Trang Air Base, Vietnam, in action near Duc Co, Republic of Vietnam, on the night of 26 – 27 November 1968. On that date, Major Gonzales went to the aid of a six-man Special Forces Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol that was in danger of being overrun by a large, well-armed hostile force. Major Gonzales made continued minigun and rocket passes at treetop level, even after his wingman had been hit. His aggressive attacks sufficiently quelled the hostile fire to allow a transport helicopter to pick up the beleaguered patrol. Through his superb airmanship, aggressiveness, and extraordinary heroism, Major Gonzales reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Action Date: November 26 – 27, 1968

Service: Air Force

Rank: Major

Company: 20th Special Operations Squadron

Division: Nha Trang Air Base, Vietnam

For a more detailed account, see:

http://www.vhpa.org/KIA/panel/battle/68112600.HTM

Two U.S. Air Force UH-1P Hueys of the 20th Special Operations Squadron, the "Green Hornets." (U.S. Air Force)
Two U.S. Air Force UH-1P Hueys of the 20th Special Operations Squadron, the “Green Hornets.” 65-7929 is closer to camera. The second Huey is 63-13162. Both helicopters are armed with two door-mounted M93 7.65 mm “miniguns” systems: electrically-driven M134 rotary machine guns capable of a 4,000 round-per-minute rate of fire. On each side of 7929 are 7-tube rocket launchers for 2.75-inch (70 mm) FFAR rockets. (Captain Billie Dee Tedford, United States Air Force)
Aviation Cadet Leonard A. Gonzales, 1952. (Santa Maria Times)

Leonardo Armando Gonzales was born 30 August 1929 at San Gabriel, California. He was the youngest of three children of Joaquin Luevanos Gonzales, a salesman, and Aurora Martinez Gonzales. Leonard attended Santa Maria Union High School in Santa Maria, California, graduating 5 June 1947.

Gonzales began his college education at Santa Maria Junior College, where he earned an associate of arts (A.A.) degree. He then transferred to the California Polytechnic College at San Luis Obispo, California.

Gonzales enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, 9 November 1950. Private First Class Gonzales was trained as a radio technician at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. He was then appointed an aviation cadet, 12 March 1952. Gonzales was commissioned a second lieutenant 14 January 1953. He entered B-29 Superfortress Combat Crew Training as an aircraft observer.

Lieutenant and Mrs. Leonard A. Gonzales. The bride is the former Miss Mavi Gonzales. (Santa Maria Times)

On 12 April 1953, Lieutenant Gonzales married Miss Mavi Gonzales, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Refugio Gonzales, at St. Mary’s Church in Santa Maria. They would have six daughters.

After flight training at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, and Malden Air Force Base, Missouri, Lieutenant completed his Air Force pilot training at Webb AFB, Big Spring, Texas in August 1954. Lieutenant Gonzales then entered training as a fighter interceptor pilot.

Lieutenant Gonzales served with the 4th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan, from February 1957 to July 1960. The squadron was equipped with the North American F-86D Sabre. Additional duty assignments were to Grifiss Air Force Base, New York, Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

In February 1968, Major Gonzales completed conversion training as a helicopter pilot, and was assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron. He was rated a Senior Pilot, with more than flight 4,000 hours

20th Special Operations Squadron UH-1P Hueys refueling at Dak To. (Don Joyce/VHPA.org)

Reassigned to the 4392d Aerospace Support Group at Vandenberg Air Force Base in May 1969, Lieutenant Colonel Gonzales was presented the Air Force Cross by Major General William C. Garland, commander, 1st Strategic Aerospace Division, in a ceremony at Vandenberg, 6 November 1969.

Lieutenant Colonel Gonzales retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1971. In addition to the Air Force Cross, he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with four oak leaf clusters (five awards), and the Air Medal with ten oak leaf clusters (eleven awards). The Republic of Vietnam had awarded him its Vietnam Cross of Gallantry on two occasions, and the Silver Star with Palm.

Leonard Gonzales had continued his pursuit of higher education. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Maryland; a master of arts degree in education counseling from Chapman College; masters degree in public administration from California State University Bakersfield, and was pursuing a doctorate in economics.

Lieutenant Colonel Leonard A. Gonzales, United States Air Force (Retired), died in Santa Maria, California, 13 March 2017, at the age of 81 years. He was buried at the Santa Maria Cemetery.

© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes