8 February 1908

Aviation, , , , , , ,
Gastambide-Mengin Monoplane
Louis Boyer, 1910

8 February 1908: The Gastambide-Mengin Monoplane made its first flight at Parc de Bagatelle, Paris, France, flown by the company’s mechanic, Louis Boyer. Financed by Jules Adrien Gastambide (1846–1944) and designed by Gabriel Mengin (some sources say it was designed by Léon Levavasseur, who also designed its engine).

The airplane rolled approximately 30 meters before taking of, then climbed to a height of 4–5 meters, covering just a few meters distance before the pilot switched off the ignition and it came down hard. The propeller and landing gear were damaged, but Boyer was not hurt. The fuselage and wings were undamaged. Repairs were made quickly.

This engine, of which the Aerophile of January 1, 1908 published the characteristics and sketches, after some preliminary tests, made its first flight on February 8, in the morning, at the Bagatelle training ground where Santos-Dumont made his unforgettable debut as an aviator.
Under the thrust of its propeller activates a 50 horsepower Antoinette engine, the device, mounted by the mechanic Boyer, after having rolled about thirty meters, took off, rose to 4 to 5 meters in height, crossing a few meters during the flight. But, almost immediately, he reared up; the mechanic cut the ignition and the airplane came back hard to the ground.
The propeller and the undercarriage were false, but the aviator had no harm; the wings and engine were intact. In this experiment, it is important to note the brevity of the momentum necessary for the rise.
Repairs were made quickly. A new wooden carrier frame with two large 2-roller wheels replaced the old steel tube frame. The experiments resumed at Bagatelle on February 12. After a first attempt without taking off, the left wheels left the ground for a moment, the airplane pivoted on its right wing and stopped; but the chassis was dislocated.
The next day, the success was clear. The aircraft took off easily, made a turn in full flight and traveled 100 meters in the morning and 150 meters in the afternoon, in the presence of MM. Gastambide, Mengine, Paul Tissandier, Ernest Zens, Andres Fournier, etc.
Finally, on February 14, the aircraft, which can be described well, made a few small flights to begin, but on returning from Polo to the Puteaux bridge, the airplane flew away over a distance of about 60 meters, climbing to 6 or 7 meters high. At this moment, the pilot, wanting to avoid the clump of trees in the middle of the lawn at Bagatelle, gave a rather sudden jerk of the rudder which caused the aircraft to tilt slightly.
At the same time, he reduced the ignition advance a little too abruptly. The airplane came into contact with the ground fairly quickly, following an inclined plane.
A side wheel having yielded, the front of the aircraft struck the ground, and the aircraft, although having only a low speed, turned over and overturned.
The mechanic Boyer, who mounted him, protected by the wings and the body, had, fortunately, no harm.
The 50 HP Antoinette engine, which powered the aircraft, was completely unharmed, as were the wings and the body.
Only the tail, one wheel and part of the wheel frame were broken. Repairs could be done quickly.

l’Aérophile, 16° Année.—N° 5, 1 Mars 1908, Page 86–87

l’Aerophile, 16° Annee.—No. 3, 1 Janvier 1908, Page 12

°

THE NEW MONOPLANE OF GASTAMBIDE AND MENGIN.

By M. Mengin

     The construction of an aeroplane by M. Robert Gastambide and myself, announced some time ago, has now been completed.

     We are partisans with MM. Santos-Dumont and Bleriot in the type of machine, monoplane, and have decided on that type.

     The wings have a total spread of 10 meters and are attached to the body by a system of grooves which makes them easily detachable. They are held, on the other hand, to this same body by a new and original system of girders which are made up of thin sheets of steel which offer, in addition to less resistance to the air, greater solidity than those means heretofore employed. The chassis is fitted with wheels having a certain amount of play longitudinally and transversely, designed especially to minimize the shock of landing. The body of the apparatus, which is 5 meters long, carries in front a 50 h.p. 8 cyl. Antoinette motor, with one propeller mounted in front directly on the shaft. In the middle of the “cage” sits the aviator and at the extreme rear there is a tail for stability, serving as the sole means of governing the direction.

     After a number of trials with small models we have thought it would be sufficient to give the apparatus an invariable angle of resistance and to rely only on the mobility of the 8 cylinder motor to modify the speed of the machine and, consequently, the form of its trajectory. We have thus abolished totally any governor for raising and lowering.

     The total weight of the airplane will not exceed 400 kilograms. Trials of the propeller on the motor, made on the block of special construction, we found that we can easily count on 140 kilograms of thrust and we think we ought to bring the speed up to 55 kilometers per hour.

    After a well deserved rest we will begin trials with the apparatus. The apparatus was put on its feet in less than three weeks.

     [The screw has a diameter of 2 meters, 1.3 meters pitch. The total surface is 24 square meters.—Ed.]

—Aeronautics: The American Magazine of Aerial Locomotion, Vol. II, No. 2,  Page 35

The Gastembide-Mengin Monoplane rebuilt as the  Antoinette II. (ND Phot.)

Length 7.90 meters, wing span 10.00 meters, surface area 24.00 meters, mass 350 kg

     The Gastambide-Mengin monoplane made its first trial on the 8th. The machine had risen about 5 metres and progressed horizontally about as far when it started to capsize. The driver, Boyer, saw the movement and shut off the power just in time.

     On the 12th it was brought out and made short runs in the Bois de Boulogne, The machine seemed to behave very well. At the first trial it made a distance of 60 metres at a height of 6 metres. To avoid a clump of bushes a quick turn was given the rudder and the machine came down. One wheel struck an obstruction and the machine turned over. M. Boyer, the aviator, was uninjured. Considerable damage was done. The general impression concerning the Gastambide aeroplane is that a similar accident will happen regularly as long as the constructors refuse to fit a horizontal rudder or headpiece, whereby height and angle of the machine may be controlled when in the air. With the aeroplane, as it was yesterday, once the ground has been left the only means possessed by the driver to control upward and downward movement is the motor.

—Aeronautics: The American Magazine of Aerial Locomotion, Vol. II, No. 3, Page 27

Gastambide & Mengin (Photo Branger)

Antoinette V-8, 7,273.6 cc, length 750 mm, width 600 mm, height 600 mm, bore: 15 mm, stroke, 105 mm, weight 60 kg 40/50 h.p. @ 1,400 r.p.m.

l’Aerophile

The Gastambide-Mengin Monoplane was powered by a steam-cooled, normally-aspirated, 7.274 liter (443.861 cubic inch displacement) Antoinette 8V 90° overhead valve V-8 engine which produced approximately 45–50 chaval-vapeur (44.4–49.3 horsepower) at 1,400 r.p.m. This engine was considerably smaller and lighter than Levavasseur’s previous V-8s. Because the compression ratio was increased, the aluminum cylinder heads were replaced with forged steel heads. Carburetors were used instead of direct injection, which was prone to clogging. The 8V was a direct-drive engine. The V-8 engine was 0.750 meters (2 feet, 5.5 inches inches) long, 0.600 meters (1 foot, 11.6 inches) wide and (0.600 meters (1 foot, 11.6  inches) high. It weighed 60 kilograms (132 pounds), dry, and 85 kilograms (187 pounds) in running order.

l’aerophile 1 Janvier 1908, pages 12–13:

Two well-known sportsmen, members of the Board of Directors of the "Antoinette" extra-light aviation engine company, MM. Gastambide and Mengin have just joined their efforts to tackle the direct practice of aviation.
They built an airplane of the monoplane type, of which here are the main characteristics: Total wingspan of the wings, from one end, body included: 10 m. 50, these wings having in horizontal projection the shape of a trapezium whose height is 5 m. and the bases respectively of 3 meters on the side of the body and of 1 m. 70 at the opposite end. The body is quadrangular with a length of 5 meters.
The driving part consists of a 50 hp engine. 8 cylinders "Antoinette" of course, which directly drives a propeller 2 meters in diameter and 1 m. 30 paces, seat in front.
The total lifting surface of this airplane is 24 square meters, its weight 350 kg. approximately, including the airman. He therefore took off at a speed of 16 meters per second, or about 55 to 60 kilometres. on time.
The airplane will bear the name Aeroplane Gastambide-Mengin and its first tests will take place soon, probably at Bagatelle to start.
Good luck to the new pioneers of aviation.

7 February 1984

Space Flight, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Bruce McCandless outside Challenger in an MMU. (NASA)
Bruce McCandless outside Challenger in a MMU. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration S84-27017)
Bruce McCandless captured this image of the Space Shuttle Challenger during his spacewalk, 7 February 1984. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration S84-27020)

7 February 1984: During mission STS-41-B, NASA astronauts Captain Bruce McCandless II, United States Navy, and Colonel Robert L. Stewart, United States Air Force, left the Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099) on the first untethered space walk.

McCandless tested each of the Manned Maneuvering Units (MMU) while Stewart tested a work station. For 5 hours, 55 minutes, they used the nitrogen-fueled Manned Maneuvering Units (MMU) to move about the outside of the space ship. At the farthest, McCandless was 320 feet (98 meters) away from Challenger.

Manned Maneuvering Unit #3 in the collection of the National Air and Space Museum.

The Manned Maneuvering Unit was designed and built by Martin Marietta Corporation (now, Lockheed Martin). It is constructed primarily of aluminum. The MMU is powered by two batteries with 852 watts at full charge, and propelled by 24 gaseous nitrogen thrusters, providing 1.4 pounds of thrust (6.2 newtons), each. The astronaut controls the MMU with two hand controllers. It has six-axis motion and automatic attitude hold. Including a full supply of nitrogen, the MMU weighs approximately 338 pounds (153.3 kilograms). It is designed for a maximum of 6 hours of operation. The unit is 50.0 inches (127.0 centimeters) high, 33.3 inches (84.6 centimeters) wide and with control arms extended, has a maximum depth of 48.0 inches (121.9 centimeters).

Captain Bruce McCandless II, United States Navy, NASA Astronaut. (NASA)

Bruce McCandless II was born 8 June 1937 at Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of Rear Admiral Bruce McCandless, United States Navy, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions aboard USS San Francisco (CA-38) at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 12–13 November 1942, and grandson of Commodore Byron McCandless. His mother was Sue Worthington Bradley McCandless.

Midshipman Bruce McCandless II, USNA (The 1958 Lucky Bag)

McCandless graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, Long Beach, California, in 1954.  As the son of a Medal of Honor awardee, he was qualified for an automatic appointment as a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. He entered the Academy as a member of the Class of 1958. He stood first in his class in his Plebe year. He studied electronics, and photography, and was a member of the Academy’s sailing team. Aboard Royano, he competed in the annual Newport to Bermuda race.

Midshipman McCandless graduated second in his class at the United States Naval Academy, 4 June 1958 and was commissioned as an Ensign, United States Navy. He trained as a Naval Aviator at Pensacola, Florida. McCandless was promoted to the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) 4 December 1959

Lieutenant (j.g.) McCandless married Miss Bernice Doyle, 6 August 1960, at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel. They would have two children, Bruce McCandless III and Tracy McCandless. She died in 2014. They had been married for 53 years.

Douglas F4D-1 Skyray, Bu. No. 134959, of VF-102 “Diamondbacks” aboard USS Forrestal (CV-59), circa July 1961. (U.S. Navy)

Lieutenant (j.g.) McCandless flew the Douglas F4D-1 Skyray (F-6A after 1962) and the McDonnell F-4B Phantom II with Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102, “Diamondbacks”), serving aboard the supercarrier USS Forrestal (CV-59), and then the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65). On 1 June 1962 McCandless was promoted to lieutenant.

McDonnell F-4B-7-MC Phantom II, Bu. No. 148389, of VF-102, “Diamondbacks,” aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), circa 1962–1964. (U.S. Navy)

Lieutenant Bruce McCandless II was accepted into the NASA’s Astronaut Group 5 astronaut, 4 April 1966, and assigned to the Apollo Program. He was promoted to lieutenant commander, 1 November 1966 He served a Mission Control communicator to Apollo 11 during the first Moon Walk, 21 July 1969.

Bruce McCandless II, second from left, in the Mission Operations Control Room, Mission Control Center, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, during the Skylab 4 mission, 23 November 1973. McCandless is showing Flight Director Neil B. Hutchison “a mockup of the occulting disc for the T025 Coronagraph Contamination Measurement Engineering and Technology Experiment to be used by the crewmen of the third manned Skylab mission (Skylab 4)” (NASA)

McCandless was promoted to commander, 1 November 1972. On 1 October 1979, he advanced to the rank of Captain, United States Navy.

Captain McCandless did not fly until the space shuttle became operational. He served as a Mission Specialist aboard Challenger (STS-41-B) in 1984, and Discovery (STS-31) in 1990.

Launch of Discovery Mission STS-31, 12:53 UTC, 24 April 1990. (NASA)

Captain McCandless logged more than 5,200 hours of flight; 312 hours, 31 minutes, 1 second in space; and completed 208 orbits of the Earth.

Captain Bruce McCandless II, United States Navy (Retired), NASA Astronaut, died 21 December 2017 at the age of 80 years. He is buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery, Annapolis, Maryland.

Bruce McCandless at a distance of approximately 320 feet (98 meters) from the space shuttle Challenger, 7 February 1984. (NASA)
Captain Bruce McCandless II, U.S. Navy, at a distance of approximately 320 feet (98 meters) from the space shuttle Challenger, 7 February 1984. (NASA)

© 2019, Bryan R. Swopes

7 February 1964

Aviation, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
The Beatles arrival at New York, 7 February 1964. N704PA is the airliner in the background.
The Beatles arrival at New York, 7 February 1964. N704PA is the airliner in the background. (Detail from Los Angeles Times photograph)

7 February 1964: At 1:20 p.m. EST, The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, arrived in America at John F. Kennedy International Airport from London aboard Pan American World Airways’ Flight 101, a Boeing 707-331, serial number 17683, N704PA, named Jet Clipper Defiance. They were welcomed by an estimated 4,000 fans and 200 journalists.

This was the performers’ first visit to the United States. During their three week tour, they were twice guests on “The Ed Sullivan Show”, with each live television appearance being watched by more than 70,000,000 persons. They performed concerts at the Washington Coliseum, Washington, D.C., and at Carnegie Hall, New York City. The Beatles returned to the United Kingdom, 22 February 1964.

FILE - In this Feb. 9, 1964 file photo, Paul McCartney, right, shows his guitar to Ed Sullivan before the Beatles' live television appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in New York. Behind Sullivan, from left, Beatles manager Brian Epstein, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr. CBS is planning a two-hour special on Feb. 9, 2014, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ groundbreaking first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” (AP Photo, File)
Paul McCartney (right) shows his left-handed Hoffner 500/1 electric bass guitar to Ed Sullivan, 9 February 1964. Behind Sullivan’s left shoulder is John Lennon. Just visible behind McCartney is Ringo Starr. (AP Photo)

The Boeing 707 was developed from the earlier Model 367–80 prototype, the “Dash Eighty.” It is a four-engine jet transport with swept wings and tail surfaces. The leading edge of the wings are swept at a 35° angle.

The 707-331 had a flight crew of three: pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer. It could carry a maximum of 189 passengers. It was was 152 feet, 11 inches (46.609 meters) long, with a wingspan of 145 feet, 9 inches (44.425 meters) and overall height 42 feet, 1 inches (12.827 meters) at its operating empty weight. The leading edges of the wings and tail surfaces are swept 35°. The fuselage has a maximum diameter of 12 feet, 8.0 inches (3.759 meters). The -321B has a typical empty weight of 142,780 pounds (64,764 kilograms), and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 327,000 pounds (148,325 kilograms). The usable fuel capacity is 23,855 gallons (90,301 liters).

Pan American World Airways’ Boeing 707-331 N704PA, Jet Clipper Defiance, at Stockholm, July 1966. (© Lars Söderström)

All 707-series aircraft are powered by four jet engines installed in nacelles below and forward of the wings on pylons. N704PA was powered by four Pratt & Whitney Turbo Wasp JT4A-12 two-spool, axial-flow turbofan engine with a 2-stage fan, 15-stage compressor (8 low-, 7 high-pressure stages) and 3-stage turbine (1 high- and 2 low-pressure stages). It was rated at 14,900 pounds of thrust ( kilonewtons), maximum continuous power, and 17,500 pounds of thrust (77.844 kilonewtons) at 9,355 r.p.m. (N₂) for takeoff. The engine was 12 feet, 0.1 inches (3.660 meters) long, 3 feet, 6.5 inches (1.080 meters) in diameter, and weighed 5,100 pounds (2,313 kilograms).

The 707-331 had a maximum operating speed (MMO) of 0.887 Mach, above 25,000 feet (7,620 meters). At 24,900 feet (7,590 meters), its maximum indicated airspeed (VMO) was 378 knots (435 miles per hour/700 kilometers per hour).

At MTOW, the 707-331 required 10,840 feet (3,304 meters) of runway for takeoff.

The Boeing 707 was in production from 1958 to 1979. 1,010 were built. As of 2013, just ten 707s were still in service.

Jet Clipper Defiance was originally registered to Trans World Airways as N771TW, but never delivered. (It carried a Trans World Airlines model number, 707-331, rather than a Pan American code, 707-321.) It was then sold to Pan Am, delivered 23 March 1960 and registered N704PA. Late in its career, it was leased to several smaller airlines.

Hàng không Việt Nam‘s Boeing 707-331, XV-NJD, c/n 17683, at Kai Tak International Airport (HKG), 8 December 1974. (VOLPATI/Wikimedia Commons)

Pan Am sold N704PA to Air Vietnam (Hàng không Việt Nam) 21 December 1973. It was registered XV-NJD. After the Fall of Sài Gòn, 30 April 1975, Pan American reacquired the airliner, and then resold it to Aerotron Aircraft Radio, Inc., Long Beach, California. It was re-registered N9230Z. This registration was cancelled 8 January 1976. Jet Clipper Defiance was scrapped at Long Beach in June 1977.

© 2019, Bryan R. Swopes

7 February 1920

Aviation, , , , , , , , , , , ,
Joseph Sadi-Lecointe. (FAI)

7 February 1920: Joseph Sadi-Lacointe was the first pilot to set a new Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Speed Record after the end of World War I. At Villacoublay, France, Sadi-Lecointe flew an Avion Nieuport—Type Gordon Bennett 1920 ¹ over a 1 kilometer (0.621 mile) course at an average speed of 275.86 kilometers per hour (171.41 miles per hour).²

Joseph Sadi-Lacointe in his Nieuport-Delage 29.
Joseph Sadi-Lecointe in the cockpit of his Nieuport-Delâge 29V racer, after winning the Gordon Bennett Trophy, at Orleans/Etampes, 28 September 1920.

Sadi-Lecointe’s Ni-D 29V was one of three racing variants of the highly successful single-engine, single-seat Ni-D 29 C.1 biplane fighter, which was the fastest in the world at the time.

Like the chasseur (fighter), the Ni-D 29V was a single-bay biplane. It was 6.200 meters (20 feet, 4.1 inches) long, with a wing span of just 6.000 meters (19 feet, 8.2 inches), shortened from the 31 feet, 10 inch (9.703 meters) wingspan of the standard production airplane. The airplane’s height was 2.500 meters (8 feet, 8.4 inches). It weighed 936 kilograms (2,064 pounds), empty. Maximum fuel capacity was 160 kilograms (353 pounds).

The airplanes were altered over time, with variations in wing span. For example, for one speed record attempt, the engine output was increased to 330 horsepower; the two Lamblin radiators were removed to reduce aerodynamic drag; and fuel capacity was restricted to just 40 kilograms (88 pounds). The resulting speed was 302.313 km/h (187.849 miles per hour).³

Avion Nieuport—Type Gordon Bennett 1920 (Nieuport-Delâge NiD 29V) flown by Joseph Sadi-Lecointe. (L’ANNÉE AÉRONAUTIQUE 1920–1921, by L.Hirschauer and Ch Dollfus/Musée Air France)

The airplane was powered by a water-cooled, normally aspirated, 18.473 liter (1,127.265-cubic-inch displacement) right-hand tractor Hispano-Suiza 8Fb single overhead cam (SOHC) 90° V-8 engine with a compression ratio of 5.3:1. The production engine was rated at 300 cheval vapeur at 2,100 r.p.m. The Ni-D 29V engine modified to increase its output to 320 horsepower. This was a direct-drive engine, and turned a two-bladed-fixed pitch propeller. The engine was 1.32 meters (4 feet, 4 inches) long, 0.89 meters (2 feet, 11 inches) wide, and 0.88 meters (2 feet, 10½ inches) high. It weighed 256 kilograms (564 pounds).

Engine cooling was provided by Lamblin cylindrical radiators mounted under the lower wing.

The standard airplane had a top speed of 235 kilometers per hour (146 miles per hour), a range of 580 kilometers (360 miles) and a service ceiling of 8,500 meters (27,887 feet).

Nieuport-Delâge Ni-D 29V as modified in 1922. Note the shorter upper wing. (L’Aérophile 30° Année —N°. 19–20—1st–15 Octobre 1922 at Page 293./BnF Gallica)

Joseph Sadi-Lecointe learned to fly in 1910. The Aero Club de France awarded him its license number 431 on 10 February 1910.

Joeseph Sadi Lecointe

He joined the Service Aéronautique (the original form of the French Air Force) as a mechanic in October 1912, and was designated pilote militaire nº375, 20 September 1913. He served as a pilot during World War I, flying the Blériot XI-2, Morane LA and Nieuprt X, then in December 1915 became a flight instructor at l’Ecole de Pilotage d’Avord. Sadi-Lacointe was promoted from the enlisted ranks to sous-lieutenant, 17 September 1917, and was assigned as a test pilot at Blériot–Société Pour L’Aviation et ses Dérivés, where he worked on the development of the famous SPAD S.XIII C.1 fighter.

After the War, he was a test pilot for Nieuport-Delâge, and participated in numerous races and set a series of speed and altitude records with the company’s airplanes.

Sadi-Lecointe returned to military service in 1925 and participated in the Second Moroccan War. Then in 1927, he returned to his position as chief test pilot for Nieuport-Delâge. From 1936 to 1940, he served as Inspecteur général de l’aviation civile (Inspector General of Aviation) for the French Air Ministry. With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Lieutenant Colonel Sadi-Lecointe was again recalled to military service as Inspector of Flying Schools.

With the Fall of France, Sadi-Lacointe joined La Résistance française, and operated with the group, Rafale Andromède. He was captured and tortured by the Gestapo at Paris, and died as a result, 15 July 1944.

Joseph Sadi-Lecointe, Commandeur Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur, was awarded the Croix de Guerre in three wars. He was posthumously awarded the Médaille de la Résistance. The Aéro-Club de France awarded him its Grande Médaille d’Or de l’Aéro-Club de France. During his flying career, Sadi-Lecointe set seven World Records for Speed, and three World Records for Altitude.

MORT POUR LA FRANCE

The Cross of Lorraine was the symbol of La Résistance française during World War II. (© Ray Rivera)
The Cross of Lorraine was the symbol of La Résistance française during World War II. (© Ray Rivera)

¹ The Avion Nieuport—Type Gordon Bennett 1920 is also known as the Nieuport-Delâge NiD 29V

²  FAI Record File Number 15467

³ FAI Record File Number 15499

© 2019, Bryan R. Swopes

6 February 1991

Aviation, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
The crew of Whale 05. Left to right, Captain Greg Mermis, Captain Jay N. Selanders, Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Sweeney, Senior Master Sergeant Steven Dale Stuckey. (U.S. Air Force)

6 February 1991: Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker 58-0013, s/n 17758, call sign “Whale 05,” was on a tactical refueling mission during Operation Desert Storm (the Gulf War against Iraq.) Whale 05 was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Sweeney, with co-pilot Captain Jay N. Selanders, navigator Captain Greg Mermis, and boom operator Senior Master Sergeant Steven Dale Stuckey. The crew and airplane were assigned to the 190th Air Refueling Wing based at Forbes Field (Topeka Regional Airport, FOE), Topeka, Kansas. On this mission, the tanker was carrying 175,000 pounds (79,379 kilograms) of fuel.

A Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker of the 190th Air Refueling Wing (“Kansas Coyotes”) at Riyadh Air Base, Saudi Arabia, 1991. (U.S. Air Force 100730-F-5402G-002)

While flying at 25,000 feet (7,620 meters), Whale 05 was passed by another KC-135 and encountered severe wake turbulence. The Stratotanker rolled 90° to the right, 90° left, and 90° right again. During this event, both engines on the tanker’s left wing separated from the aircraft.

Whale 05 descended to 17,000 feet (5,182 meters) and headed back to Jeddah-Prince Abdullah Air Base (JED/OEJN), 200 miles (322 kilometers) south west.

On arrival, the Stratotanker’s landing gear had to be lowered manually, as the hydraulic system was damaged. Whale 05 landed safely and rolled to a stop on Runway 34L.

U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker 58-0013 shortly after landing at Jeddah-Prince Abdullah Air Base, Saudi Arabia, 6 February 1991. (U.S. Air Force)

Inspection of the Stratotanker found that all of the bolts attaching the engines to the right wing were cracked or broken. Engineers calculated that the airplane exceeded 2.5gs, more than 80% of the allowable stress.

U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker at Jeddah-Prince Abdullah Air Base, 1991.

Each of the crewmembers of Whale 05 were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Sweeney, U.S. Air Force.

Boeing KC-135A-Stratotanker 58-0013 (nicknamed “Balls 13” for its serial number) made its first flight 19 February 1959 and delivered to the U.S. Air Force on 12 March 1959. It was converted to the KC-135E configuration in 1986. 58-0013 flew its final mission 11 September 2004. Withdrawn from service, it was sent to The Boneyard (AMARC) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, 7 March 2007.

Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker 58-0013, “Whale 05,” at Prince Abdullah Air Base, Saudi Arabia, 6 February 1991. Engines number 1 and 2 are missing. (U.S. Air Force 101001-F-5402G-001)

The Stratotanker was originally operated by a flight crew of four: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and refueling boom operator. Upgrades over the decades have simplified operation and the crew has been reduced to two pilots and the boom operator. The tanker’s maximum transfer fuel load is 200,000 pounds (90,719 kilograms). The KC-135 can carry 83,000 pounds (37,648 kilograms) of cargo, and up to 37 passengers.It can also be configured to carry cargo or up to 32 passengers.

The KC-135A is 136 feet, 3 inches (41.529 meters) long, with a wingspan of 130 feet, 10 inches (39.878 meters) and overall height of 41 feet, 8 inches (12.700 meters). The Stratotanker’s maximum takeoff weight is 322,500 pounds (146,284 kilograms).

Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker 58-0013, photographed in the United Kingdom, September 1982. (Flickr/Wing attack Plan R)

The KC-135A was powered by four Pratt & Whitney J57-P-59W turbojet engines. The J57 was a two-spool, axial-flow engine with a 16-stage compressor section (9 low- and 7-high-pressure stages) and a 3-stage turbine section (1 high- and 2 low-pressure stages). These engines were rated at 13,750 pounds of thrust (61.16 kilonewtons), each. The J57-P-59W was 183.5 inches (4.661 meters) long, 38.9 inches (0.988 meters) long and weighed 4,320 pounds (1,920 kilograms).

Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve KC-135s were re-engined with Pratt & Whitney TF33-PW-102 (JT8D-3) low-bypass turbofan engines from retired Boeing 707 airliners and redesignated KC-135E. This was a two-spool turbofan engine with 2 fan stages, a 14-stage compressor section (7 low-pressure and 7 high-pressure stages), and 4 stage turbine (2 high-pressure and 2 low-pressure stages). The TF33-PW-102 was rated at 18,000 pounds of thrust (80 kilonewtons). The engine was 3 feet, 6.5 inches (1.0795 meters) in diameter, 12 feet, 3.5 inches (3.1369 meters) long, and weighed 3,205 pounds (1,454 kilograms).

All KC-135Es were retired from service by 2009.

The Stratotanker fleet has been re-engined with more efficient CFM International CFM56 turbofan engines which produce 21,634 pounds of thrust (96.23 kilonewtons), each. The upgraded aircraft are designated KC-135R.

The tanker has a cruise speed of 530 miles per hour (853 kilometers per hour) at 30,000 feet (9,144 meters). The service ceiling was 50,000 feet (15,240 meters). Its range is 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) when carrying 150,000 pounds (68,039 kilograms) of transfer fuel, and the maximum ferry range is 11,015 miles (17,727 kilometers).

Of the 803 KC-135 aircraft built, 396 remain in service with the U.S. Air Force (as of 14 May 2018). It is estimated that the fleet is 33% through their design lifetime limits.

Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker 58-0013, assigned to the 117th Air Refueling Squadron, 190th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas Air National Guard, lands at Forbes Field, Topeka, Kansas, 11 September 2004. This completed its final mission. (Senior Airman Mandy Johnson/U.S. Air Force 040911-F-9350J-001)

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