Category Archives: Aviation

21 July 1946

Aviation, , , , , , , ,
The second McDonnell XFD-1 Phantom prototype, Bu. No. 48236, lands aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42), 21 July 1946. Lieutenant Commander James Jennings Davidson, U.S.N., is in the cockpit. (U.S. Navy)

21 July 1946: Lieutenant Commander James Jennings Davidson, United States Navy, flying the second prototype McDonnell XFD-1 Phantom, made four takeoffs and landings aboard the Midway-class aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42). This was the very first time that an all-jet aircraft had operated from a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.¹

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) cruising the Mediterranean Sea, November 1948. (U.S. Navy)
McDonnell XFD-1 Phantom Bu. No. 48236 crosses the arresting cables aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42), 21 July 1946. (U.S. Navy)
McDonnell XFD-1 Phantom Bu. No. 48236 takes off from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42), 21 July 1946. The pilot is Lieutenant Commander James Jennings Davidson, U.S.N. (U.S. Navy)

The McDonnell XFD-1 Phantom was a prototype turbojet-powered fighter, one of two designed and built by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation at St. Louis, Missouri. It was a single-place, twin-engine, low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear, intended for operations from the United States Navy’s aircraft carriers. The XFD-1 was 37 feet, 2.50 inches (11.341 meters) long, with a wingspan of 42 feet, 0.00 inches (12.802 meters) and height of 13 feet, 2.00 inches (5.105 meters). With its wings folded for storage, the span was reduced to 15 feet, 4.00 inches (4.674 meters), but the overall height increased to 16 feet, 9.00 inches (5.105 meters). The airplane had a normal gross weight of 8,250 pounds (3,742 kilograms), and an overload gross weight of approximately 9,700 pounds (4,400 kilograms).

McDonnell XFD-1 Phantom.

The XFD-1 was powered by two Westinghouse 19B (J30-WE- ) engines. The engines were positioned on either side of the fuselage, inside the wing roots. By keeping the engines close to the airplane’s center of gravity, it was more maneuverable, and had less adverse yaw when operating on a single engine. The Westinghouse 19B was a single-spool axial flow turbojet. It used a six-stage compressor section with a single-stage turbine. There is conflicting information as to the specific engine variant, and their thrust, but the 19B as installed in the XFD-1 was rated at 15,500 r.p.m for cruise, with a Normal (continuous) rating of 17,000 r.p.m., and a Military/War Emergency Power rating of 18,000 r.p.m. The Westinghouse 19B was 19.0 inches (0.483 meters) in diameter, 94.0 inches (2.388 meters) long, and weighed 826 pounds (375 kilograms).

One of the two McDonnell XFD-1 Phantom prototypes. (SDASM)

Both XFD-1 prototypes were lost before flight testing was completed, so performance data is limited. They were limited to a maximum speed of 0.66 Mach. (The test pilot was provided with a chart for the equivalent indicated air speed (IAS) at specific altitudes.) The speed in a dive was limited to 265 knots (305 miles per hour/491 kilometers per hour) at 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). The airframe was restricted to a maximum 5gs acceleration. Spins, snap rolls and inverted flight were prohibited. Contemporary reports were that the Phantom was faster than 500 miles per hour (805 kilometers per hour). Its ceiling was over 35,000 feet (10,668 meters), and its range was 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers).

The XFD-1 was armed with four Browning .50-caliber machine guns grouped together in the nose, with 250 rounds of ammunition per gun.

The first prototype, Bu. No. 48235, made its first flight 26 January 1945, flown by test pilot Edwin Woodward (“Woody”) Burke, but it crashed 1 November 1945. Burke, the pilot, was killed. The second prototype, Bu. No. 48236, crashed 26 August 1946.

McDonnell built 62 FD-1 Phantoms (redesignated FH-1 in 1947) before production shifted to the larger F2H-1 Banshee.

Left to right, Lieutenant Commander James Jennings Davidson, with Vice Admiral Arthur William Radford, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air, and Vice Admiral Gerald Francis Bogan, Commander, Air Force, Atlantic Fleet, aboard U.S.S. Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42). Photo released 22 July 1946. (U.S. Navy via Navy Pilot Overseas)
Captain James Jennings Davidson, United States Navy

James Jennings Davidson was born 19 July 1919 at Sparta, Wisconsin. He was the second of three children of David Davidson, a farmer, and Clara Josephine Gilbertson. He attended Lewiston High School, and the the Wisconsin State Teacher’s College at Winona. He graduated in 1940 with a Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) in Science Education.

While at college, Davidson participated in the Civilian Pilot Training program.

Davidson enlisted in the United States Navy as an aviation cadet, 25 November 1940. He underwent flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. On completing flight school, Davidson was awarded the gold wings of a Naval Aviator, and commissioned as an ensign, U.S. Navy, with date of rank from 4 August 1941.

Ensign Davidson married Miss Muriel Juliet Mindrum in March 1942. They would have a daughter, Barbara Claire Davidson.

During World War II, Davidson flew the Douglas SBD Dauntless and Curtiss-Wright SB2C Helldiver dive bombers. Davidson was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant 1 October 1943. The rank was made permanent, with date of rank retroactive to 4 August 1941.

In 1944, Lieutenant Davidson was assigned to Naval Air Test Center at NAS Anacostia, at Washington, D.C. Davidson was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander, 3 October 1945. He later attended the United Kingdom’s Empire Test Pilots’ School.

During the Korean War, Lieutenant Commander flew combat missions in the Grumman F9F Panther. He was promoted to commander, 1 July 1953. Later in his career, Commander Davidson served aboard USS Kearsarge (CV-33); and commanded Fighter Squadron Fifty-Two (VF-52).

Commander Davidson was promoted to the rank of captain, 1 July 1960, and commanded Carrier Air Group 14 (CVG 14) aboard USS Ranger (CV-61).

USS Ranger (CVA-61), August 1961. (United States Navy)

Captain Davidson retired from the U.S. Navy in July 1972. He died at Prince William, Virginia, 5 December 1993, and was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

¹ The very first jet landings and takeoffs had occurred over seven months earlier, 3 December 1945, when Lieutenant-Commander Eric Melrose Brown, D.S.C., Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, flying a de Havilland DH.100 Vampire, made several takeoffs and landings aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Ocean (R68).

© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes

20–21 July 1921

Aviation, , , ,
SMS Ostfriesland at anchor off Cape Henry, Virginia. (USNNMNA 1987.096.004.018)

The captured Kaiserliche Marine dreadnought battleship SMS Ostfriesland was expended as a target during aerial bombing tests conducted by the United States Army and Navy, 20–21 July 1921. The ship was anchored approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Cape Henry, Virginia, at the edge of the outer continental shelf.

An aerial bomb explodes on the foredeck of SMS Ostfriesland, 21 July 1921. (U.S. Air Force 020926-O-9999G-016)

The U.S. Navy wanted to investigate the damage that could be caused to ships by airplanes, and required that the Army aircraft drop 25-pound anti-personnel bombs, and 550- and 1,000-pound demolition bombs. Between tests, Navy engineering officers would examine the ships.

A 2,000 bomb detonates near the stern of SMS Ostfriesland. (U.S. Navy)

Brigadier General William (“Billy”) Mitchell, commanding the Army bombers, had a different goal. He had said that the Air Service could sink a battleship, and that was what he planned to do.

SMS Ostfriesland sinking by the stern, about 12:30 p.m., 21 July 1921. (U.S. Navy)

General Mitchell observed to attacks from his DH-4, with Captain St. Clair Streett, the foremost expert in aerial photography, as an observer. The bombing was conducted by the 1st Provisional Air Brigade, flying Martin NBS-1 twin-engine bombers. (The NBS-1 was soon redesignated MB-2.)

Martin MB-2. (U.S. Air Force 061219-F-1234S-014)

Ostfriesland suffered some damage from the early bombing attacks, but when the Army dropped several 2,000-pound bombs close aboard, the underwater explosions caused severe damage to the battleship’s hull.

If this had been actual combat, the battleship’s crew might have been able to control the flooding and save the ship, but, instead, it began to settle by the stern, rolled over and sank in only 10 minutes.

Front view detail of Martin MB-2. (U.S. Air Force 061219-F-1234S-021)
3/4 aft view detail of Martin MB-2. (U.S. Air Force 061219-F-1234S-022)
Brigadier General William Mitchell, United States Army Air Service. (U.S. Air Force)

The wreck of Ostfriesland is located at latitude N. 37° 09.396′, longitude W. 74° 34.562′, at a depth of 380 feet (116 meters).

© 2019, Bryan R. Swopes

21 July 1911

Aviation, , , , ,
“Denise Moore” (1876–1911)

21 July 1911: Denise Moore was a popular figure in aviation circles in France.  She had been taking flying lessons at the Henri Farman Aviation School at Étampes, about 30 miles south of Paris.

She took off at 6:20 p.m. in Farman’s biplane, on her third flight of the day, and made two circuits of the field. On her third turn, the aircraft banked steeply and pitched downward. It crashed and Ms. Moore was killed. She was the first woman to be killed in an airplane accident.

FLIGHT reported:

Fatal Accident to Mme. Moore.

At the present moment there are a good many ladies learning to fly in France and they appear to be unperturbed by the fatal accident to Mme. Denise Moore at Mourmelon on Friday of last week. The unfortunate lady, of whom little is known beyond that she came from Algeria, had been making splendid progress during the three weeks she had been learning and during her early solo flights showed great promise. She was, however, fired by an ambition for altitude work and on the day when the accident happened, in spite of the emphatic directions of her instructor, she started off to go high. She had reached only 150 ft. however, when apparently she made a mistake in steering, for the machine fell sideways to the ground, the pilot being killed instantly.

—FLIGHT, No. 135. (No. 30. Vol. III.), 29 July 1911, at Page 665

Denise Moore was a pseudonym for Mrs. E. J. Cornesson, widow of Denis Cornesson. She was the former Miss E. Jane-Wright. She assumed the name to keep her family from discovering that she was learning to fly.

© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes

20 July 1955

Aviation, , , , , ,
Convair NB-36 Nuclear Test Aircraft
Convair NB-36H Nuclear Test Aircraft. (U.S. Air Force)

20 July 1955: At Carswell Air Force Base, Fort Worth, Texas, the Convair NB-36H Nuclear Test Aircraft, serial number 51-5712, made its first flight.

In the late 1940s engineers began working on an aircraft that could be powered by a nuclear reactor. The reactor would heat air to provide jet thrust, rather than burning fuel and air to do so. A 60 megawatt reactor was envisioned.

The NB-36 was built to test the shielding requirements of an airborne nuclear reactor and to determine the effects of radiation on aircraft systems.

Convair NB-36H 51-5712. (U.S. Air Force 230502-F-ZS999-1002)

The Nuclear Test Aircraft was built from a Convair B-36H-20-CF Peacemaker strategic bomber, one of 61 that had been destroyed or damaged by a tornado that struck Carswell AFB in 1952. 51-5712 was so heavily damaged that the airframe was written off, but it was rebuilt with a completely new nose section with a shielded cockpit, and was otherwise very heavily modified by Convair. Originally designated XB-36H-20-CF, this was changed to NB-36H in June 1956.

The shielded cockpit unit of the NB-36H (U.S. Air Force)
The shielded cockpit unit of the NB-36H. This assembly weighed 11 tons. (U.S. Air Force)

A one-megawatt Aircraft Shield Test Reactor developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, weighing approximately 35,000 pounds (15,875 kilograms), was installed in the bomber’s aft bomb bay. Though the reactor was fully operational, it did not power the airplane.

As with other B-36s, a combination of six Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major R-4360-53 air-cooled, 28-cylinder radial engines, and four General Electric J47-GE-19 turbojet engines, powered the NB-36.

The Convair NB-36H, 51-5712, with a Boeing B-50 Superfortress. (U.S. Department of Defense DF-SC-83-09332)

The modified bomber could reach a maximum speed of 420 miles per hours at 47,000 feet. It had a maximum gross weight of 357,500 pounds.

During the test program, the NB-36 made 47 flights with a total of 215 hours flight time.

Based on the test results, the entire project was cancelled, and 51-5712 was scrapped at Fort Worth in 1958.

Convair NB-36H Nuclear Test Aircraft 51-5712. (Convair)
Convair NB-36H Nuclear Test Aircraft 51-5712, 6 August 1956. (Convair)

© 2016, Bryan R. Swopes

20 July 1933

Aviation, , , , , , , , , ,
Wiley Post's Lockheed Model 5C Vega, NR105W, Winnie Mae, after a landing accident at Flat, Alaska. (Unattributed)
Wiley Post’s Lockheed Model 5C Vega, NR105W, Winnie Mae, after a landing accident at Flat, Alaska. Standing in front of the Winnie Mae, at left, wearing a hat and overalls, and with a pipe in his right hand, is John Beaton. Beaton was a miner whose discovery of gold at Flat began the Iditarod Gold Rush. Post is not seen in this image. (Unattributed)

20 July 1933: At 11:58 a.m. (17:58 UTC) on the fifth day of his solo around-the-world flight, Wiley Post took off from Khabarovsk, Siberia, heading toward Nome, Alaska, 2,416 miles (3,888 kilometers) to the east-northeast (great circle route).

A very tired Wiley Post photographed at Flat, Alaska, after Winnie Mae has been repaired. (University of Alaska image identifier UAF-1998-129-3)
A very tired Wiley Post photographed at Flat, Alaska, after Winnie Mae has been repaired. (University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Post missed his destination and, exhausted, became lost. He flew over Alaska for approximately seven hours before sighting a remote U.S. Army Signal Corps radio station at Flat, Alaska, a small gold mining town located along the Iditarod Trail in southwestern Alaska.

Post landed his Lockheed Model 5C Vega, NR105W, The Winnie Mae of Oklahoma, on a small landing field at the eastern edge of the town. The airplane’s wheels sank into the soft surface and Winnie Mae nosed over, damaging its propeller, engine cowling and right landing gear strut. Wiley Post was unhurt.

The International News Service (INS) reported:

. . . Utter exhaustion which numbed his mind so that he could not properly pilot his course caused him to become lost for seven hours over Alaska yesterday after he had been in the air more than 22 hours on his 3,000-mile hop from Siberia to Alaska during which he battled the most adverse weather conditions, he revealed today.

Sighting the Flat radio station caused him to land here. He said that he could at least get his directions again. He ran into soft ground on the landing field, nosing over, breaking his right wheel strut, damaging the engine cowling and valves and bending the propeller. Post was uninjured. . . .

A replacement propeller was flown in from Fairbanks and repairs were made. He continued the following day, taking off at 7:28 a.m., local.

The “Winnie Mae,” Wiley Post’s Lockheed Model 5C Vega, NR105W, after nosing over at Flat, Alaska, 20 July 1933. (Unattributed)

© 2016, Bryan R. Swopes