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Eusts Rd cat 1p one Utleton WH 035613737 ft 45-Day Money Back Guaranteeae (td Crowint tight formation for John i eet ers pee ee es ppereety yer teaney CONTENTS ee me ELL) eae cee aa et Cr ee ere . ere tte ette tl CC Cee Ra ac Coad esac] Teens feof MMT ea eee MTC Cc RRL tts ecg Lene eon aed oad Pree eter) a me ey et ede eeu Mer eri Pe eseAir Warriors or almost a quarter-cen- tury, we at Flight Journal have worked to present the most informative, ‘unique, and interesting P-51 Mus- tang stories, and we hope that they will stand the test of time— along with the venerable Mustang itself. And no doubt, the words of ‘the warriors who flew this Merlin- powered machine into combat will forever ring true, When it comes to military aviation histor it’s the Mustang that has been the driving force! Certainly one of the best and most authoritative evaluations of the P-51 is Mustang triple ace Bud Anderson's remembrance of his many hours of combat in that airplane. There is no theorizing ‘or guesswork in Bud's words, as he was one of WW I's most successful Mustang pilots, as well as one of the highest scoring “Mustang aces. In this issue, you can climb into the cockpit with Bud in our feature, “Flying the North American P-51 Mustang.” Admiral Paul Gillerist served 33 years as a U.S. Navy carrier pilot before retiring in 1985, His cruise box contains a pilot's logbook 4 FlghtJourai.com eee EDITORIAL. Executive Editor Debra Cleshorn Editors Gerry Yaris, Matt Boy (Copy Editor Lesse Ballard CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ‘ud Anderson, lames P. Busha, Ted Carlson, bert §,DeGraat, John Dibos, im Farmer, Paul ilerist, Pht Haun, Randy Joy, Frederick Johnsen, Geoffrey P.Jones, Ron Kaplan, Peter Lert, Rick Linares, John Lowery, George Marret, Peter Mersky, ‘Dan Patterson, Steve Pace, Stan Piet AlfredPrice, Warren Thompson, David Truby, Barnaby Wainfan ART [Art Director Betty K.Nero DIGITAL MEDIA Web Producer Holy Hansen PRopucTION David Pandy 203.529.4604 |production@airege com ADVERTISING Fox Associates Inc. ‘16 West Kinzie St, Chicago, I 60654-4655 800.440.0231(US/Canada}| 312.644.3888 Fox 1206448718 adinfoFightlournalaFaxfep com that lists almost 7,000 flight hours in 75 different types of airplane, 962 arrested landings on 16 aircraft carriers, and 167 combat missions flown in an F-8 Crusader in the Tonkin Gulf (for which he earned 17 combat awards). He has commanded a fighter squadron and carrier air wing, and at one time, he was in operational control of all US. Fleet fighter squadrons. With the new sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, about to hit theaters this summer, what better time to revisit the fascinating debate over which was the best Naval fighter: The F-14B/D Tomeat or the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet? Also on board with Admiral Gillerist is CONSUMER MARKETING ‘Mast Circulation Group, Inc MARKETING 6 EVENTS Event Manager EmilDeFrancesco PUBLISHING Group Publishers Louis DeFrancesco ‘WorneM. DeFrancesco FOLLOW US (On Facebook: facebook com/Flghtlournal On Twitter: @Fiighitiourral On Instagram: Fight Journal Visit us onine:Nignournaicom Bob Kress, who was Grumman's ‘Comments may be sent to: chief F-14 program engineering eee EDITORIAL OFFICES manager from its inception. These two highly qualified individuals share their revealing insights and opinions about these premier fighters! Find out which is the best in this issue’s “Battle of the Super Fighters”! T hope you will enjoy these amazing stories as much as we have while putting this issue together, It’s a page-turner! —Louis DeFrancesco MAIL 1 Grumman Hi, Ste. 5, ‘Wton,CT 06897 USA EMAIL fight@aragecom INTERNET Flghtlournalcom MBA FIpP re a change of FlightJournal.com/cs.| FESTIVAL & AUCTION , ‘4 Le SS eer bens SRS Cee Twin-Engine Sica co peer rmeeerer ea oboe 0 ee ee ee ey Over 1,000 Lots for Sale at No Reserve Four-Day Festival ¢e Two Auctions ¢ One Great Purpose Register to Bid for our IMI MAE ela .clal(el =n Petroliana & Advertising, ara MYyanaals (AUCTIONEERS. Trot rere trons eMC eee) ET Proceeds from the auctions benefit the J. Kruse Education Center, a 501(c)(3), which provides career pathway development to students and veterans.gun We welcome your feedback and suggestions ‘across our social media. Comments may be edited for brevity and clarity. ‘ightBeragecom —facbookcom! —_intagram.con! Flghtownal Rigi Jour mogazine EMAIL a hee Ae Geico skytypers §— FAIL Wilh Tenjoyed your fine ar- a FACEBOOK Kirk Walker: Did Rickenbacker fly tele onthe GEICO Se Fighter Aces Monday-Eddie yen netafyete Ecace? ‘ypersin te Apri 2020 Rickenbacker issue of Flight Journal. Regarding the team's ‘SNie, Ihave a question: The teams aircraft are billed as being SNA We recently found online a colorized Erie Blatter: No, Rickenbacker flew photograph of WWI American fight- in the Glith Aero Squadron (Hat in erace Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, —_—_the Ring], which was an American with his famous $PAD XIII (Flickr/Rui unit. Candeias). We highlighted it 2s one madals, but Skytyper of our weekly "Hey, check out this Erle Blatter: I might be incorrect, No.4 has the mare triangular rudder of a later —_| photo" posts, and many of you took but T believe the Lafayette Esca- ‘model SNJ. This begs the question, is this actually | notice, Here are just a few of your rile was disbanded once the US, later model SNJ, or an SNJ2 thet has been fit- | comments, entered the war. All the American ‘ted with a rudder from a later madel SNJ? T enjoy pilots went into the American Army your magazine immensely. Please keep pumping | Jerry Cross: Ijust finished his su- Air Service. [Armistice was signed such interesting articles. Burgmeier tobiography he wrote in 1866. Very on November 11,1918. On February good and easy read, 8, 1916 the LE was disbanded, and JJ, You de have @ good eye! According to the Air its American members were in- Show Team's commanding officer, Larry Arken, | Alexander Piela: [built a model ot ducted into the US. Air Service as you are correct. The No, plane is indeed a later | the SPAD XIIZ in my teens, One of my members of the newly formed 103rd ‘modal SNJTilling in for the SNJ2 that was down | favorites! ero Squadron. - Ed for maintenance while this particular aerial photo shoat was flawn. ~6Y Jim Schreiber: You never wanted toget nose up too much with litle speed on takeaff-disaster, and it had an aileron problem that in cer tain conditions would turn aircraft In the apposite direction from what was put into the controls. Also, the afterburner was nat hugely reliable, Other than those fewitems, it was @ pretty airplane. oo FLIGHTJOURNAL.COM Tom Palmer: While I was stationed North American F-100 Super Sabre at White Sands Missile Range, I hap- You can still reach us Pete: If 'm not mistaken, it held the speed re- pened to be monitoring Biggs AFB CO eee ‘cord (822 mph] for a while! [On August 20, 1955, frequencies (E! Pasa) and heard an nD ‘an F-100C set a supersonic world speed record of F100 cleared for takeoff. Twenty rate {822.135 mph. That record was broken on March minutes later, [heard the pilot sige eda 10, 1956 by a British Fairey Delta 2 at 1,132 mph, requesting permission to land at Gunman ti, ste 5, -Ed] Phaenix. Twas duly impressed! ‘itor CT 06897 6 Flghtiournalcom‘The DC-3 airliner will go down in history as the plane that gave passengers ther first transcontinental flights, and changing the face of travel forever. Now you can wear a custom collector's watch that is destined to become as popular as the aircraft that inspired it— THE DC-3 CLASSIC” Men's Watch INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND THE BOLD DETAILS OF A CLASSIC This distinctive multi-functional watch features a vintage white a adorned with an image of the plane along with “DC-3” and "1937 the year the aireraft first went into service. The solid stainless steel case back also features an image ofthe plane and 00-3. Numerals are in contrasting black as are the two sub dials indicating minutes and seconds. 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ACUSTOM-CRAFTED WATCH DESIGN FROM THE BRADFORD EXCHANGE es Me Ms —_ aon wile aczeied ona ga4 nitwaukee Avenue - Nile, IL 60714-1993, Acres | fst-come, first-served basis. Respond as som as posse 0 Plea reserve the “DC-3 Classic” Men's Watch for cy Saga ‘me as described in this announcement. Mal opiona) 01-25629-001-E76201Battle of the _Superfighters F-14D Tomcat BY BOB KRESS AND REAR ADM, PAUL GILLCRIST US. NAVY, RETIRED een! t Eom ay June, we noted that in the original 1986 ee Dee arta Peng ets papabinestnaa The requirements for a practical, deep ii interdiction fighter/bomber have long been the subject of controversy within the naval aviation community, especially when it comes to the F-14D Tomcat versus eel a F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Often, however, the eapinennananeelaaas definition of “deep interdiction” is changed pooh dale to fit the aircraft being discussed, rather een than taking into account the real-world theater of operations for which it is destined. earCea aaa et gd Or aera et eee eee at re eee ree ones erent craft that havehadallof the bugs worked out of them. They also Rest ey eee tat possible (Photo by Ted Carlson/Fotodynamics.com) tLe miss shown over Afghanistan, there were four basic requirements for any catrier strike force: * Reach the target. * Don’t get shot down by surface to-air missiles (SAMS), anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), or enemy fighters, « Strike the target. + Return to the carrier before running out of gas. Vithin these four seemingly simple rules are the needs for an airplane to have a long range while carrying sufficient munitions to hammer a target, and still be able to fight its way through enemy aircraft and AAA threats. Afghanistan Scenario \use our government doesn’t tell us all of its secrets, we had to make some assumptions while using Afghanistan as an example. It is, however, obvious that reaching the target presents a great challenge. To avoid Silkworm missiles, the carrier battle group probably would not want to venture north of a line joining ‘Masqat in Oman and Ahmadabad in Pakistan. Along this line, the group would be somewhat west of Karachi. Reaching Kabul in Afghanistan would require a one- way flight of roughly 825 statute miles. Assuming the use of S-3 tankers, an F-14D strike refueling somewhere between the towns of Quetta and Sukkur in Pakistan wouldn't have any trouble attacking targets in the northernmost parts of, Afghanistan. If, however, an F-18 refuels in the same spot, it will barely make it to Kabul. The unrefueled radius of an F-14D carrying the normal strike load (four 2,000-pound LGBs, two HARMS, two Sidewinders, plus 675 rounds of 20 mm ammo, and two 280-gallon external tanks) is at least 500 miles. Accompanying F-18s have only a 350-mile radius carrying about half the bomb load. To complete the picture of mission distances, the 5-35 would have to dash back to the carriers, June 20208FALUD VS. F/A-IBE/F EVEN GIVEN UNLIMITED IN-FLIGHT TANKER REFUELING, THE USAF F-15 AND F-16 COULD NOT BE USED WITHOUT A MIDDLE EASTERN GROUND BASE 10 FightSournatcom hot refuel, and meet the raid coming out of Afghanistan, which would be much in need of JP-4 cocktails. Why are we nitpicking over mission details? Easy! At the beginning of the studies that led to this article, we were convinced that the Afghan campaign would be an all-USAF show, and that would lead to questions of cartier fleet effectiveness, But map studies combined with knowledge of geopolitical restrictions showed that carrier assets, primarily the F-14D, were just about the United States’ only option. This has clearly been substantiated by events. Of course, the F-14Ds were not the first to hit targets in Afghanistan; B-2 stealth bombers each carried sixteen 2,000-pound GPS-guided bombs. They flew from Whiteman AFB in Missot a 33-hour round trip. Further, big-time USAF strategic air assets—B-52s and B-1s, arrived shortly afterward. It was soon apparent that USAF tactical aircraft were not being used in Afghanistan. We went back to the maps and found that, even given unlimited in- flight tanker refueling, the USAF F-15 and F-16 could not be used without a Middle Eastern ground base. Turkish bases were simply too far away and would require refueling over hostile areas. Only the use of tactical air bases in Turkmenistan and/or Uzbekistan would work, and this would allow only partial coverage of Afghanistan. ‘The big question then becomes: does the Navy have the assets to be able to carry this kind of war into the future, and what kind of planning is in place? ‘To cut to the chase, the discussion once again reverts to whether or not the new Super Homet will really cut the mustard or if the Navy has taken yet another wrong turn that will cost us dearly on the battlefield. History of Naval Aviation Difficulties The subject of the erosion of Naval aviation has nagged both of us ever since the cancellation of the A-12 program by the Secretary of Defense in the late 1980s. It was a watershed for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the level of bad management that had not been seen in the Pentagon for decades! We can look back on that day and clearly see that the unraveling of the fabric of Naval aviation would become a long- term trend. Neither of us contends that the A-12, as envisioned by Navy leaders, was the right airplane to develop at that point in history. In fact, it wasn’t! That, however, is another story. We have put off writing this article simply because we know it is likely to ruffle many feathers in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill, but events in Afghanistan again brought our main arguments into focus. Is writing this kind of article worthwhile? We wondered if ‘we might be seen as “piling it on” when the Navy was in difficulty and clearly on a steep, downhill slide. Well, we have listened, with no small restraint, to the pontifications that justify how well the Navy is doing with its favorite program, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet—despite unimpeachable reports to the contrary from the guys in the fleet. Comments made to us by young fleet pilots who have flown the airplane and describe it as “a dog” carry much more weight than statements ftom senior officers and civilians higher up in the food chain. But certain pontifications in a statement by a senior Naval officer who should have known better served as the last straw. ‘The pronouncement appeared along with a spate of triumphal announcements that celebrated the successful completion of the Super Hornet's first operational evaluation (OPEVAL). In a publication titled “Inside Washington,” the Navy's director of operational testing is quoted as saying that the Super Hornet was superior to its earlier models “in every category but three: acceleration, maximum speed and sustained turning performance.” ‘This pronouncement boggled our minds because these are the very performance capabilities that determine a tactical airplane's survival. Then, as if to justify this hand grenade, the officer is quoted as stating that the Navy has sacrificed speed in the Super Hornet for other beneficialUae TURES RRL SELVOUT Nae eS ADU eCs UNS eie Taam Ue Oe UUs en eea UAE e ate SUM Tee ae aFALUD VS. F/A-LBE/F yellow shirt fight deck dector guides “Tomcat ter 104” (BuNo. 164345) towards walst cat three ‘apart of the day's frst launch eycle on January 13,2006. Thisjet was also aGBU-38 cropper over Iraq and completed 154 sorties during VE-3T sk- ‘month deployment. twas fone of three F-14Ds from the unit tobe given war reserve status following Its delivery to Davis- ‘Monthan AFBin Arizona in ‘September 2006, (Photo courtesy of the US. Navy.) capabilities, and he asserts, “Brute speed is no longer the discriminator it once was when the benchmark was the Soviet threat officer doesn’t have a clue about aerial combat and the importance of total energy in the complex equation of energy maneuverability. Nor does he seem to understand that Third World countries all around the globe are purchasing the very latest operational Russian-built fighters, which are also licensed for production in China, The Russian aerial threat still exists; what has changed is that the pilots aren’t Russians tis clear to us that this naval Asa nation, we have always had the means to protect our own global interests as well as those of other countries, Short of nuclear war, the carrier battle groups have been able to strike on very short notice. A president's first question in time of crisis is often, “Where are the carriers?” F-14D Tomcats Carry aMajor Punch With a layered defense, including air assets, guided-missile cruisers and frigates, and undersea backing, the carrier battle groups are almost invulnerable. On the longer Nimitz-class carrier, we see the F-14D—a truly long-range fighter/ bomber, plus lightweight F/A-18A fighter/ bombers. The long-range A-6 bombers are gone forever, but its derivative, the EA-6B Electronic Warfare (EW) aircraft is in place, and that is in much demand by both the USN and the USAF This country’s Desert Fox and Kosovo experiences have, at last—and correctly— shifted the focus away from stealth and toward electronic warfare. In short, at the moment, the deck complement looks adequate. The F-14D can pick up the A-6's role because it was designed to do so from scratch. Its performance in Kosovo as a very effective strike leader has more than borne out that fact. WithThe Invention of the Year The world’s lightest and most portable mobility device Once in a lifetime, a product comes along that truly moves people. Introducing the future of personal transportation... The Zinger. ‘Throughout the ages, there have been many important advances in mobility. Canes, walkers, rollators, and scooters were created to help people with mobility issues get around and retain their independence. 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Just think of the places you can go: Sa Serer ee ee ieee See Air Travel « Bus Tours « Restaurants- ride right up to the table!FALUD VS. F/A-LBE/F LANTIRN [Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night], night vision devices, and synthetic aperture AIG radar, the F-14 targeted not only its own four 2,000-pound weapons, but also the ordnance of F/A-18s, RAF GRts, and F-16s, which don’t have such capable sensors. ‘An interesting comparison can be made to quantify the F-14D's strike effectiveness. Compare one F-14D and one B-2 bomber during a two-night (33. hour) mission in Kosovo. In reactive situations (no foreign base), the B-2 operates from the United States (lack of overseas B-2 basing is a serious constraint, and there are only a limited number of B-2s to begin with). The chart shows the ‘weapons delivered—United States to Kosovo and back—for the B-2 and the PAD. Carrier Effectiveness Is the Issue This simple chart says a great deal about a carrier battle group's effectiveness. Remember that there were—or could be—24 F-14Ds on a ship, such as the John C. Stennis (CVN-71). Twenty-four F-14Ds can deliver mote weapons than the entire 16 aircraft of a B-2 fleet. Unfortunately, the numbers of F-14Ds are dwindling, and they will be almost certainly be gone in another 10 years. What will be their replacement? ‘The F-14D will be replaced by the F/A-18E Super Hornet, which attempts deep-interdiction missions. Though it’s a whizzy little airshow performer with annice, modem cockpit, it has only 36 percent of the F-14Ds payload/range capability. The F/A-18E Super Hornet has been improved, but still has at best 48, percent of the F-14D’s capability to deliver a fixed number of bombs (in pounds) on target. This naturally means that the catrier radius of influence drops to 48 percent of what it would have been with the same number of F-14Ds. As a result, the area of influence (not radius) drops to 23 percent! No wonder the U.S. Navy is working on “buddy tanker” versions of the Super Hornet. 14 Flightournalcom 33-HOUR MISSION STRIKE EFFECTIVENESS No. of 2,000-pound bombs 20° Mission time (hours) 33 No. of missions 1 No. of bombs delivered 20 First bombs on target (hours) us “Average Week-1/17/00; 40,000 Ib. payload “From Whiteman AFB, Missouri “All night missions 4 3 o~ 20 Approx. 2 The F-140 information is from Desert Fox operations. By the way, now that the A-6 tanker has gone, how will the Hornets get to deep-interdiction targets? Contrary to what we're officially told, a tanker variant of the Hornet is simply not the answer. In an attempt to make it supersonic, the F-18E has been given a low aspect ratio and a razor blade of a wing. This hurts subsonic drag and carrier takeoff payload when compared to an A-6 tanker, which is an aerodynamically efficient solution, Equally silly is the proposal for an EW version of the F-I8E. The same aerodynamic reasons apply for this airplane, plus it has an external stores dilemma. To get sufficient range to support a deep interdiction mission, the EF-18E would have to use up precious external store stations with fuel tanks, rather than ECM pods as carried on the EA-6B. Perhaps the Navy should consider putting the EA.6B back into upgraded and modernized production and build some of them as tankers? As this is being written, it is too early to comment in an informed manner on the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. The USAF heavy bomber raids are fully public. However, it is evident that USN carrier strike groups that consist of F-14Ds and F-18s are conducting the tactical raids. A study of maps shows that CVN airborne 5-3 tankers facilitate the conduct of these raids by refueling, probably over Pakistan. At this time, USAF tactical air assets do not have bases close enough to Afghanistan to allow airborne refueling over friendly nations, ‘SHORT OF NUCLEAR WAR, THE CARRIER BATTLE GROUPS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ‘STRIKE ON VERY ‘SHORT NOTICE. A PRESIDENT'S FIRST QUESTION IN TIME OF CRISIS IS OFTEN, “WHERE ARE THE CARRIERS?”Coin experts amazed by “Incredible Opportunity’ ‘The Morgan Silver Dollar is the most popular and iconic vintage U'S. coin. They were the Silver Dollars ofthe Wild West, going on countless untold adventures in lusty saddlebags across the nation. Finding a secret hoard of Morgans doesn’t happen foften—and when it does isa big deal, How big? Here's numismatist, author and consultant to the Smithsonia Jeff Garret “is very rare ofnd large quantities of Morgan Silver Dollars especialy in bags that thousand Morgan Silver Dollars that ae from the US, Treasury Hoards, still unopened, is really an incredible opportunity.” But where did this unique hoard come from? Read on, Morgans from the New Orleans Mint [In 1859, Nevada's Comstock Lode was discovered, and soon its rch silver ore made its way across the nation, including to the fabled ‘New Orleans Mint, the only U.S. Mint branch to have served under the US. government, the State of Louisiana and the Confederacy. In 1882, some of that silver was struck into Morgan Silver Dallas, cach featuring the iconic “O” mint mark of the New Orleans Mint Employees then placed the freshly struck coins into canvas bags. The U.S. Treasury Hoard Fastforward nearly 80 yeas. Inthe 1960s, the U.S. goverament ‘opened its vaults and revealed a massive store of Morgan Silver Dollats—including full, unopened bags of “fresh” 1882-0 Morgan Silver Dollars. A numberof bags wore secured bya child of the Great Depression—a southern gentleman whose upbringing showed him the Yale of hard assets like sve. He stashed the tunopened bags of “fresh” Morgans away, and there they stayed The Great Southern Treasury Hoard That is until another 50 years later, when the man’s family finally decided to sll he coins— sil in their unopened bags—which we secured, bag and all! We submitted the coins to respected Govttintcom +4101 Sathooss Or, Suite 175 Dept MSH206-01, Baral, MN 55297 ¥ Minted in New Orleans ° Struck and bagged in 1882 ¥ Unopened for 138 years 2673 grams of 90% fine silver ¥ Hefty 38.1 mm diameter ¥ Cert Brilliant Uncirculated by NGC ¥ Certlied “Great Southern Treasury Hoard” pedigree third-party grading service Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), and they agreed to honor the southern gentleman by giving the coins the pedigree of the “Great Southern Treasury Hoard.” ‘These gorgeous 1882-O Morgans are as bright and new as the day they were struck and bagged 138 years ago. Coins are graded on & 70-point scale, with those graded at least Mint State-60 (MS60) often referred toas “Briliant Uncirculated” or BU. Of all 1882-O Morgans struck, LESS THAN 1% have earned a Mint State grade. This makes these unopened bags of 1882-O Morgans extremely rare, certified as bing in BU condition—nearly unheard of for coins 138 years old Don’t Miss This Rare Opportunity—Order Now! Regular 1882-O Morgans sell elsewhere fr as much as $133, and that’s without the original bilan shine these “fresh” 138-year old coins have, without their special NGC hoard designation, and without their ability to tell ther fll, complete story from the Comstock Lode all the way to your collection Given the limited quantity of coins available from this historic hoard, ‘we must set a strict limit of five coins per household. Call quickly to secure yours today as supplies are sure to sell out quickly! 1882-O Morgan Silver Dollar NGC Certified BU from the Great Southern Treasury Hoard — $99 ea. FREE SHIPPING on 2 or More! Limited time only. Product total over $149 befor taxes (fan). Standard domestic shipping only Not valid on previous purchases Call today toll-free for fastest service 1-888-324-9125 Offer Code MSH206-01 lense mention this code when yon call oni conn tal esto f xine ia ads tained withthe US. ream. Te cle sn mare neath pectin nile Gin com pment Cnkon gma sn ro 3 18‘ached tthe VFA-105 "Gunslingers ‘raps aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. Super Hornets arenow ubiquitous within Navy fleet service. The EA-186 Growler is ahybrd of the Super Hornet, but specializes in jamming and elec= ‘tronic attack. (Photo by Ted Carlson’ Fotodynamics.com) Reported Super Hornet Problems Although the Navy has been working very hard to correct F/A-18E/F OPEVAL problems, it is worth summing them up: the production F/A-18E/F is As thisilustration shows, the F/A-IBE Is much more than just a modification to the existing Hornet, Itgalned anew wing, 2 ‘new fuselage, anew. cempennage, and 9,000, pounds. ‘A~18C HORNET F/A~18E SUPER HORNET significantly overweight with respect to its specifications (32,000 pounds empty weight). This is far in excess of what one would expect for a variant of an existing F/A-18A, B, Cor D. Aircraft weight estimation methods could, and should, have been much better; in fact, when we look objectively at the F/A-18E/F, we see an airplane with a brand-new wing, new fuselage, and new empennage—in other words, a new airplane. This is, therefore, what Congress would call a “new start.” Both Congress and the Department of Defense (DoD) had to be looking the other way when the Navy was permitted to slip this airplane by as a simple modification of an existing airplane. In combat maneuvering flight, the aircraft had severe wing-\, reasonable stealth-enhancing Fale .\ additions —‘sensible stealth” = as we used to call it—which ‘would have practically no impact on weight or performance! Around 1990, a lot of work was done to this end; it included full-scale tests on real F-14s, Some radar-signature experts know exactly what should be done. Comparing the basic radar signatures, the F-14 has a slight fundamental disadvantage: itis larger. Its tunnel-mounted attack stores make, however, virtually no contribution to its signature, and it does not carry a forest of wing tanks and weapons on long-range strike missions (this also keeps its signature down), ‘The baseline P-14D production aircraft defined above would allow these carefully. considered modifications: A. The installation of the F-119 or the F-120 engines. The F-119 has already been checked for fit. Upgrades of the GE F-110 might also be viable. The objective would be a 40,000-pound class turbofan.B, The installation of 2-axis, vectorable, axially symmetric engine nozzles for super-augmented pitch, roll, and yaw control, . The installation of UHF antennas that ‘would be embedded in the increased- chord leading-edge slats to allow the onboard detection and tracking of stealthy adversaries, Low-frequency radar works well against low radar cross-section objects. Arrays like this were tested at Grumman in around 1990. In 1990, Grumman defined many versions of what it thought the F-14D could be. The illustration at left shows one of the final designs. It was somewhat overdone in the stealth arena, but it incorporates most of the aforementioned ideas with very little design change or combat penalty. All of the changes are cosmetic “tin,” and not basic to the structure. AWord on Aircraft Design Just as commercial airliners are reaching their design limitations, as fighter designs have matured, they, too, have encountered the limits imposed by the laws of physics. Fighters and airliners are in the same situation, but fighters include a couple of extra dimensions. For instance, a choice has to be made between supersonic flight and subsonic combat maneuvering and cruise efficiency. The same is true for stealth versus electronic warfare. Pick one and design toward it. If you want a V/STOL, design one, but don’t try to make it into a tri-service fighter/ bomber. If you want a long-lasting, long-range fighter/bomber, design it from scratch for the mission as a new or upgraded design—preferably the latter. Then equip it with moder weapons, sensors, surveillance, communications, and EW. Let the sensors and computers—on board and remote—give the crew complete knowledge of the situation in the volume of air they are trying to dominate, and ‘TFYOU WANT ALONG-LASTING, LONG-RANGE FIGHTER/BOMBER, DESIGN IT FROM SCRATCH FOR THE MISSION AS A NEW OR UPGRADED DESIGN-PREFERABLY THE LATTER. suggest the best plays. The electronics will continue to advance rapidly to provide capabilities that are now only dimly perceived, but the basic airplane, regardless of who designs it, is quickly approaching the best that it can be. In the meantime, remember to give the crew IR missiles and a Gatling gun for those times at which Murphy’s Law intervenes and high-tech warfare once again deteriorates into a growling dogfight. ‘The bottom line is that, unless aircraft like the F-14D continue to be on board, USS. Navy aircraft carriers will be deployed with few aircraft on their flight decks, and most of those will be versions of the Hornet and the Super Hornet. Despite all protests to the contrary, with regard to standoff munitions and precision guided weapons, our carrier battle forces will not have the pulverizing power of their 1980s counterparts. When that time arrives, it will be the beginning of the end for carrier forces as we know them today— and the end of their rapid availability to the president in times of need. The Future of NAVAIR In 1975, an A-7 Corsair II was mounted ona pedestal outside the now closed Navy Master Jet Base, Cecil Field, Florida, On the base of the pedestal was a large bronze plaque bearing the inscriptior “The main battery of the fleet.” The battle groups in those days—equipped with Corsair Ils and A-6 Intruders—could truly kick ass and take names. Those days may be over—probably forever—unless strong USN action is taken. We can learn major lessons from our past. Let's hope the Navy and the politicians remember to apply these lessons to the future, So, Mister President, ask not what your carriers can do for you, but what you can do for your carriers. June 2020 22THE DEBATE Editor's note: When we first published the in-depth article on the Tomcat versus the Super Hornet, we knew the conversation had just begun. We started knocking on doors and flipping over rocks looking for someone from the U.S. Navy to act as the official spokesperson for the Super Hornet; unfortunately, we found no takers. However, reams of emails and letters on both sides of the issue arrived in the office. We've selected several to illustrate the arguments that both sides cling to. LCOR Alan D. Armstrong USN Safety Oficer/Fight Demonstration Team Leader VFA122 NAS Lemoore, California LIKES THE SUPER HORNET [Armstrong: In the February 2002 issue of Flight Journal, I read with interest your article on the “Battle of the Super Fighters" and was very amused at the conclusions reached by the authars. Teuppose that this should have been expected because ofthe tivo authors-Mr Kress and RADM Gillrist (Ret.}-one wes never a tactical aviator, and the other has not flawn tactical aircraft in almost two decades, Based on thelr apparent agenda, Td_be interested to hear for whom these gentlemen work today. In short, your reporting on the F/A-1BEIF Super Hornet vas highly inaccurate and irresponsible, Uniike either of your two authors, Ihave flown bath the Fl and the Super Horna. Over the past three and a half years. have particinated in the early engineering, manufacturing, and development (EMO) flight tests of the Super Harnet at Ptuxent River. Maryland: flown the ‘operational evaluation (OPEVAL) in 1898; ‘co-authored the OPEVAL flight-test report: ‘and am currently an instructor in the Super Hornet Fleet Replacement Squadron, VFA 122, in NAS Lemoore. Iam nat hesitant to ‘say that the Super Hornet has plenty of flaws and performance characteristics that could be improved, but nat nearly to the degree indicated by Messrs. Krase and Gillrit: The article's most damning FI4D-to-FiA- 18E/F comperisans and supposed "quotes" from current avietars concerning the Super Hornet characteristics are simply not true and are, indeed, unattributed Unfortunately, the authors are guilty of either an incredibly poor and incomplete research job or of outright fabrication to ‘support their point of view. Either wey, the Naval officers in our Super Hornet ready room had quite a laugh at their attempted journalism, ne statement in perticular caught imy attention; 3 Hornet pilot was quoted as saying of his side-by-side comparison flights with the Super Hornet that "we ‘outran tham, we outflew them, and we ran them out of gas. Iwas embarrassed for ‘them! This quote was originally authored by @ Marine Corps officer in en editorial in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper in the fall of 1999. It was supposedly atributed to ‘another unnamed Marine Corps officer from an FIA-IBD squadron with whom the Navy had participated in a "Red Flag” ‘exercise in Nellis AFB during OPEVAL in 1998, These side-by-side comperisons never took place (Twas there), and no Marine Corps aviator has ever admitted to having made that statement. In fact, hile working with our Marine Cares brethren during that exercise, the Super Hornet functioned well with our F/A- 180 counterparts. The only discernible difference was that the E/F carried more bombs and miseilas to the target than did the legacy F/A-18s, and the Super Hornets never needed ta refuel airborne (which the legacy FiA-18s did on virtually every sortie), As fer es clsscical fighter performance ‘9088, our aviators (many of them exF-14 Tomcat aireranl are alwaye enthusiastic ‘about fighting the F-14 because of the F/AAB's superior maneuverability and high AoA fangle of attack] performance versus that of the Tomcat. Current tactical aviators understand that survivability and lethality are not simply a function of top- ‘end speed (asit may have been back when Mr Gillerist was last in a tactical aircraft), but also of many othar performance ‘and installed-system characteristics. Survivatlity and lethality are much more ‘sophisticated concepts than they were decades aga. The truth, from thase wha are staking their vs on it and not simply ‘casting stanes from the outside laoking in, is that while the Super Hornet does have some deficiencies, itis still one of the ‘most lethal and survivable tactical aircraft in the world tody. The most interesting facts in the Fd versus Super Hornet debate would have come to light had the authors of your article ever spoken with anyane who Is actually fying the Super Harnat in the fleet. If yau are seeking journalistic ‘accuracy, please ask them to interview our ex 14 aircrew to find out whether any would ike to return toa Tomcat ‘squadron, or which airplane (of anyin the world) they would rather be flying at “the merge.” Considering Messrs. Kress and Gillorist's obvious parachial tendencies toward the F14, I suspect that they would be gravely disappointed to learn that hone of the traneition aviators Tknow ‘would be enthusiastic about returning to fly Tomeats after having flown the Super Hornet. In terme of the sultablity and efficacy of the FIAIBE/F as the Nev's rewest strike fighter, that in itself is the most telling statistic Capt. Kurt Schroeder, USN, Ret. Grumman F-4 Chief Test Pilot ‘TOMCAT TEST PILOT ANSWERS Schroeder: LCDR Armstrong says: “T suppose that this shauld have been expected because of the two authors-Mi. Kress and RADM Gillcrist (Ret.J-one was, never a tactical aviator, and the other has: rot flowin tactical aircraft in almost two decades.” In questioning the qualifications of the authors, Twondar where LCDR ‘Armstrong stood when Navy “experts” early in the F/A-18EIF program made the following two decisions: 1. Automation wil allaw the entira mission to be performed by a single pilot. (What has caused the rapid expansion of the Fi 18F program? The desire to get some of that precious fuel out of the airplane?) 2, The "From the Sea” strategy thatrationalized the elimination of a eartier- based deop-strike capability under the ‘theory that it would never be nesded. (How does Afghanistan fit this scenario? [Armstrong continues, “As far as Classical fighter performance goes, our aviators (many of them exF-1l4Tamcat aircrew) are alvays enthusiastic about fighting the F14 because of its superior ‘maneuverability and high AoA performance versus the Tomcat.” What wes the cconfigurstion of each sirplane? Were the Fils F10-powered? The true measure would be to put each aircraft in atypical ‘warfighting strike-weepon loading, The larger the weapons, the greater the Influence; however, even the presence of the weapan suspension equipment would significantly degrade the Super Hornet's performance, [Schroeder quotes Armstrong] “or which airplane (of any in the world) they would rather be flying at ‘the merge”: LCDR Armstrong's spirit isto be admired: however, he needs to take a serious laok at the potentialthrest aircraft available ‘on the market. The latest Soviet-designed fighters, complete with thrust vectoring ‘and off bore-sight weapon cueing and launch, might get him to change his mind ing hurry. [Schroeder quotes Armstrong] “none of the transition aviators I know would be enthusiastic about returning to fly ‘Tomcat after having flown the Super Hornet” Apparently LEDR Armstrong hasn't met any plots in the F148 squadron ‘aboard the Teddy Roosevelt [USS Theodore Roosevelt] deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Scheduled to sive up their Tomcats on return to CONUS (Continental United States} in exchange for brand-new Ff-18F, they obviously did ‘not support the above opinion during an AP [Associated Press interviews that is, Unless you interpret the following quote as boing supportive: “T hope the liberal cross drassing a-hales wha thought the Hornet could replace this aviation masterpiece rot in hell" [Quoted on August 23, 2007. Attributed to an F148 pilot fram the USS Theodore Roosevelt when asked by fa reporter af the Associated Press during Operation Iraqi Freadom what he thought of transitioning to the Super Hornet on his return home] COR TW. Huff, USN Newport, Rhode Island ‘THE TOMCAT'S DAYS ARE PAST Huff: The authors of this piece certainly exercised their First Amendment rights! With all due respect, I think Its insppropriste to air this kind of perceived dirty laundry an the pages of your otherwise fine periodical. I would hhava much preferred to read a blend of ‘qualitative and quantitative comments, fram e flight evaluation, as is your norm, rother than the "sxe grind” from what ‘appears tobe a disgruntled Grumman retiree Despite the lack of confidence from the authors, tha sky is not falling an Naval aviation, Amerleans can be proud of the ccontritution of Navy Air through history, ‘and especially in the ongoing Afghanistan ‘campaign. Unfortunately, with the bashing of the Boeing Super Hornet and NAVAIR (aval Air Systems Command) leadership, a ‘great opportunity was missed to highlight the capabilities, response and flexibility of carrier aviation in recent conflicts. The bottom lines, every service is strugaling with the aging aircraft issue and the pressure to field highly capable end affordable platforms. The authors’ comparison numbers, aircraft configurations, and platform capabilities ere a bit misleading and, in ‘some cases, inaccurate, I'm not going to nitpick, but rather, try to clerity a few things to help readers understand ‘operations from the "big decks" Contrary to the article, it was nat the F-14D leading the charge in Operation Enduring Freedom, ‘but rather F-liAs (the oldest Tamcats in the fleet, mind youl and FIA-L8Cs from Cartier Air Wing Eight embarked [aboard] USS Enterprise (CVN-68). It wasn't until later that F14Ds arrived. Carrer Air Wing Eight was also the only air wing to participate in Allied Force in Kosovo, 140s didn't play, as the article would have you believe. The mix of older Hornets and Tomeats performed remarkably well Inboth conflicts. Why? Proven capability ‘and the best-trained and led maintenance personnel and operators in the fleet. Copitalizing on the strengths af multiple platforms provided the decisive advantage ‘and strike effectiveness that continue to bbe the cornerstone of Naval aviatin. Let's not get carried away with maximum capability versus realty of configuring the F-14. The "normal" strika load‘out is far lase than that described, Tt is rare ta launch fram a carrier with a load ‘that you cannot recover with, Each aircraft has a maximum recoverable weight, and ‘as you add weapons, tanks, and pods, there is less gas available to make a safe recovery. There are a variety of reasons for not expending ordnance: weather, aircraft/ system problem, terget availability, et, Itis not desirable to jettison perfectly good (and expensive) ordnance, so a compromise is made to meet the desired terget damage, provide for additional mission requirements (ie, air to alr ‘and allow for epproachilanding reserves. Besides, with precision weapans, there is no need to carry excess-the whole theory bbohind moving away from the "bomb truck" mentality toward "ane target, cone born" With the advent of inertial) GPS guided weapons-joint direct attack munitions UDAM joint standoff weapon USOWI-a Super Hornet can destroy multiple targets in one pass, and that auld make a Phantom, Corsair, Intruder, or Tomcat pilot draol. Tomcat bubbas will experience this firsthand because they ere undergoing transition training to the Super Hornet as we speak. This isnt to say thet & “Super” Tomcat couldn't possess the same capability just didn't win the acquisition battle. Tn rough numbers, a Tomeat has about 4,000 more pounds of gas than an FIAABC during a similar mission profile, (Note: the ‘Super Hornet has that delta in ts larger airframe) The thing that hurts tha Hornet most is excessive loitering nat flying distance, Unlike the Tomcat, the Hornet likes high and fast profiles, and orbiting at low altitude waiting to recover back ‘board ship kills the gas mileage, With variable geometry, the Tomcat can spread Its wings forward and be more efficient In this regime. Tm areal fan of sweep wings for carrier-based sircraft because of the speed range (including a slow approach) and minimizing the footarint ton the flight deck, The F-is is far from ‘a "deep interdiction” platform that the ‘authors envision-at least, by my definition ‘and that of a former Fl equadron commanding officer who chuckled at the clalme in the article, Without Air Force “bigTHE DEBATE FALMD VS. F/A-IBE/F wing” tankers, F140s could not conduct the kind of strikes fand kill boxfforward air controller missions} currently being ‘exeouted-there are simply nat enough “organic” fair wing) 5-3s to pass the gas required fora sizable strike package that includes suppression af enemy defense (SEAD) support. Trust me: for the distances involved in an Afghanistan scenario, ‘everyone is taking KC-ISS/KC10 gas. Perhaps the 12 could have made the trip without 8 sip-who knows? Sure, a6 a former Hornet driver, T would have appreciated more gas anda better forward-looking Infrared (FLIR) sensar to ‘acquire, Identify, and prosecute targets with laser-guided bombs. Once the Fl community decided to get into the air-to-ground business in eernest following ‘the Gulf War, “scabbing" the Air Force hand ‘me-down low altitude navigatian/targeting IR night (LANTIRN) pod to the airplane was ‘a great idea to significantly boost lethality. The greater magnification and resolution, combined with # dedicated rear-cockpit ‘operator viewing a large display, make this ‘combination very effective. The advanced targeting FLIR (ATFLIR, currently in development) mated to the Super Hornet promises ta take us to the next generation in IR technology. Let's elso mention that ‘the Hornet is a “plug and play" jet, with upgrade capability in processors and software to leverage the enhancements of ‘emerging smarter weapons, new sensors, and advanced mission planning, Using the proven technologies end hardwere in the existing FIA-18A-D Hornet was one of the ‘selling points ta reduce the risk of fielding ‘anew platform. Despite the engineering challenges and solutions that are common to any development program, the F/a1BEIF passed operational thresholds and will bean exceptional aircraft with superb ‘combat capability and growth potential Iwor't argue against the fact that there are a lot of politics that surround ‘acquisition programs, but i's important ‘tonote that despite the myriad af cost, ‘schedule, and performance challenges, the NAVAIR team is committed ta delivering ‘quality warfighting tools to the fleet ‘commensurate with the national military strategy and service requirements, Even more daunting is forecasting force structure that will meet the needs of the regional command chiefs decades from row. Few military (or political planners would have guessed that we would be ‘conducting a war in Afghanistan-the next battle was expected to be fought in the lttorals! Overlaying the needs of the last war usually results in procuring the rong things. Alot af gray matter is being ‘expendad to identify what our forces will look ike “transformed” to efficiently fight ‘and win future wars, As much as I thought the Super Tomeat/Tomest 2000/Tomeat 21/Tomcat II concept had merit it isn't ‘on the scope for the immediate future, 60 let's got over it Capt. Kurt Schroeder, USN, Ret. responds, ‘THE TOMCAT SHOULD STAY ON BOARD ‘Schroeder: Commander Huff said: “Contrary to the article, it was not the FAD leading the charge in operation Enduring Freedam but rather FAs (the ‘oldest Tamcats in the fleet, mind you). ‘The major point of the article was that ‘the Super Hornet does nat replicate the range/payload of the F-14, Because there aren't any significant airframe differences between the A end the D other than the FID powerplant, the comparisons are valid for either model, The fact that the ‘TF-20-powered airplane also did a super Job isa testament to the design and the people who operate the airplane. (Quoting Huff] “Let's nat get carried ‘vay with maximum capability versus reality of configuring the F-14: This may be true for the limited targets in Afghanistan, but a lfferent scenario demanding maximum ordnance in a target-rich ‘environment could easily push demands for each aircraft. You can always elect to load less than the airplane's capacity, bout never can you exceed the maximum capacity, regardless ofthe situational urgency. (Quoting Huff] “In rough numbers, 2 Tomcat has about 4,000 more pounds ‘of gas than an F/A-IBC during @ similar mission profile [note: the Super Homet has ‘that delta in its larger sirframel" I hope COR Huff doesnt expect the Super Hornet to fly alongside the F/AIBC and maintain a delta of an extra 4,000 pounds of fuel. It is ‘a bigger airplane with bigger engines, and the rumar is that the range on internal fuel Is not significantly improved. Additional range possessed by tha Super Hornet is. primarily a result of the argar external fuel tanks. [Quoting Huff] “The thing thet hurts the Hornet most is excessive loitering, not flying distance.” Ths is called operational flexibility. Though the Tomcat also has a highvatitude optimal range profile, if operational requirements drive the airplane toa different transit speed or altitude, the range degradation is 8 fraction of that experienced by the point designed Super Hornet. Thanks to variable geometry and the high-bypass powerplant, the Tomcat is very tolerant of even lowraltitude lotering-s very important characteristic fora carrier based sirplane. [Quoting Huff] “Trust me: for the distances involved in an Afghanistan scenario, everyone is taking KC-195/KC-10 (ga6. "Good point, and it only makes the rangelenduranee icsua mara important, What ifthe next scenario precludes Air Force tanker support and forces the sir ‘wing to depend on organic tanking essets? Aviable tanker is @ platform capable of transferring a lot of fuel along way from the carrier. Super Hornet spokespersons ‘who claim the tanker version represents tthe First true strike tanker" capable of refueling the strike force en route and then continuing on as the fighter escort are smoking something. The drag associated with the multiple aversize ‘external tanks carried by the tanker wil eat up a lat of the avaliable fuel, resulting ina close-in refueling point and the tanker limping home. although better than 3 sharp stick in the eye, it isnt the solution, Quoting Huff] “scabbing' the Air Force hand-me-dawn law altitude navigation’ targeting IR night (LANTIRN] pod to the airplane .." Maybe the Navy should do this more often. LANTIRN became the system of choice for any Navy-genersted laser- guided bomb delivery,Spirit of Concorde A never-before-seen 50th anniversary tribute to the inaugural flight of the Doe MO MLA eoDL KelLoTY l eo CoM aL) Yolo CULL a) Donte eer ee ae aoa eid oy ea ea New York to London & Paris Supersonic is the only way to fly! 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Cee Poe eae Ee ico Please reserve the “S ‘of Concorde” forme 38 Name i coos cy 09-08813-001-£76201maT Wastin ST MUR rl eee LOE Ct Ct 11 ae A cian] RR eM Wme (UCL) aera Freaker ed Ee ise tt Ont ee ne ee ee en Ce eg Ce i eC us ma ate neers eestor eer ee eee ee ge as Peet eka ken Cen ou aed Ly “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” enough to be archived in the National Film Registry! It was also the highest-grossing film of 19B6, which probably has more to CO a see er ts a te eee ey Cee etree agen ree eer ne Top Gun: Maverick rejoins everyone's favorite cocky jet jock Benjarnin the end of his played by Jennifer ncat inflight naw a captain, as he near career. as a Top Gun Fat got at the end of the first ‘that includ adversary?) But as fur 1 of his late buddy, ly hare for the air film sneak into the s Serving as teat pllat, Maverick is called back into dut Is it Maverick Fighter School instructor (the job of the Teme: film) to train a yor Bradley "i released during the Super Bow-doe rick Swaps his cript ae well, Val Kilmer makes @ cameo, reprising hie role ot ‘an admicall. Speaking of admirals, Tn this sequel, May rick is dressed hter-one Penn ‘Iceman’ Tom Kazanshy (no Inthe original Top 1 far making a"high-soi adie 25, mi nt not precisely be viewer eke okcdoas paper aes ers eee eee ee eae ae eerie) PCa ee a played by Oscar-winner Fic eae a Other Hollywood heavy- Reena area) Cees Poser ec Peroni CCouldit be one of the tery eer Peer pier et hho shows up here as Maverick’s love interest. onnelly, here's even a brief snippet of an aboard, or could it be on inthe Iranian Air Force being depicted as an air action, and the footage re far-including the extended sir-minute version of the clip not disappoint the Fa, Tomoat-for an F/A-18 Super Hornat which, depending on your| _— FILMING IN THE DANGER ZONE The producers know audience reactions (and box office receipts) for Top Gun: Maverick will depend in large part Ce een PC Re Ca aed Cee ee ee ee cy reece ec aay net ee em Loe eee eee eee See Cm eens Cee ee me ees Cee nee ee SRE re ae ce eng eee eee Le ecm Dc aces filmmakers realized it would be impossible to realistically ee ene et ky Ce a a) See sO en aCe) Per ec a ees of an F/A-IBF. (The F is the two-seat Super Hornet, while Rae ee Ree and filmed as they are subjected to the actual maneuver, flown by a Navy pilot in the front seat. So on June 24, when you're strapped into your theater seat watching Top Gun: Dee ee eee cy actors experiencing the reablife danger zone! film showed us that the old Tomcat was a big, fast, powerful brute of a plane-the equivalent of a vintage muscle car with ings. For this new adventure, the alder, perhaps wiser, but nat inhis musele While the Super Hornet may lack the flair and machismo of kind is headed for extinction po CCT Flt} he action features Cec) Sees [ years since his ee cd “4 remarkably welll x ee b Ese esreics t Miles Teller plays Brad- ae , ow perierrer Promrecos Coma ww Poser rd 3 ae) rely prepa " »’ CO ea 7 N mop aed y eee e Ciena Cro Tara) A Nn} Monica Barbaro fies ere Pecos Caer Danny Ramirez rounds out Erte eat he contemplates the inevitability of his own retirement and a future where technology replaces old-school human pilots, tke nim, altogether. It's a theme that runs prominently through the is inevitable h Your verick's reply: "Maybe s0, Sir, the Tomeat, it fears ahead in technology, incorporating sophisticatad fight contral and weapone ystems upon hich the newly 2 x must train the next Sut not taday.” spoken with just the barest hint of his signature ingolance. You can almost hear the opening night audience hoering already. +AAEM ee UU Sey) P-51 MUSTANG A triple Ace reports from the cockpit a ete ioc ee ap oul a) The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is my all-time favorite Ege wen een mM ee acer ca Loe laur meee WW II so well that it is the obvious Choice for nostalgic reasons alone. The Mustang is@ beautiful airplane to look at, and it has such a great, distinctive sound. There are so.many legendary-stories about the Were e iam tai ce page n lB AGio ae a aes se Mec reg eee oR tegeMegr (aia Re des allar6Und WW TT combat fighter. But Why was the Mustang so great? Th a nutshell, because of its advanced-design and overall performance. Brea aol oie a VR easg) rae Lg Felesre Mii mcetohee Le) [-1:1-151(-1n/ronuaTs\ tae =3 5 Re‘consider myself lucky tobe able toy aP-51 ‘Mustang somany years after the war. Jack Roush owns this Mustang, whichis painted to lookice my 357th FG 363rdFS D-model thatFLYING THE P-S1 MUSTANG Early D-model Mustangs ofthe 362ndFS are out on apost-D-Day patrol, 30 Flightourra com Once the Mustang was equipped with the Packard-built Merlin engine, its high- speed performance became outstanding. Ataltitude, the P-51’s top speed (true airspeed) was close to 440 mph, depending on whose evaluation you read. One of the things that made this possible was the engine's two-stage, two-speed supercharger. The engine could produce takeoff power at high altitude, It was a great performer at sea level as well as at altitudes of 30,000 to 35,000 feet, with the best speed attained somewhere in between. Another superior performance factor was the range of the P-51. It hada cruise range of about 2,000 miles, which was achieved by the combination of aeronautical design, engine choice and innovative features to increase fuel- carrying capacity. The North American design team’s determination to build the best fighter possible also contributed to the Mustang's excellence, The team. decided to take a risk and use a new airfoil instead of using old, proven wing shapes. NACA had developed a laminar flow, low-drag airfoil that showed great promise. This airfoil was reshaped and specifically adapted to the new fighter by North American. The laminar flow shape was different from conventional airfoils of that day. The thickest part of the airfoil ‘was moved back from the leading edge, and the bottom of the wing had the same contour as the top. All of this resulted in smoother airflow over the wing and less drag, Further, the P-51 wing had sher critical Mach number where compressibility was encountered. A P-S1 could outdive most aircraft and safely recover, One other unique feature was the design of the coolant radiator. It was, so efficient that in theory, it produced thrust—enough to eliminate all or most of the drag caused by the necessary engine-cooling radiator that traditionally ‘caused aerodynamic drag, The early Mustangs had high- performance capabilities, but they needed more fuel for better range. ThisFLYING THE P-S1 MUSTANG was achieved by installing an additional fuel tank in the fuselage right behind the pilot. External fuel tanks were also installed on the bomb racks under the wing. The P-51D—the classic Mustang— carried 92 gallons inside each wing and 85 gallons in the added fuselage tank for a total of 269 gallons of internal fuel. External wing tanks came in various sizes, from the early 75-gallon tanks toa postwar 220-gallon tank. During WW II, we had the 110-gallon tanks, so we had nearly doubled the fuel capacity of the earlier Mustangs. What did that mean in combat? A 2,000-mile ferry range is AMISSION FROM OUR BASE AT LEISTON, ENGLAND, TO BERLIN AND BACK WASA DISTANCE OF ABOUT 1,000 MILES. THE MUSTANG HAD GREAT RANGE THAT NO OTHER FIGHTER COULD MATCH. This is how Leiston looked {fromthe arin 1944, sure wasa welcome sight after day of fying. (Courtesy ‘of Bud Anderson) 132 Fightiournalcom great, but in combat, you cannot plan on cruising at low speed and at the best altitude for maximum efficiency. Once you were engaged in serious combat, you had to drop the external fuel tanks and get rid of all that drag. That meant wyou could cruise into hostile territory using the external fuel tanks until you engaged the enemy. After you jettisoned the external tanks, you had a clean, high performance airplane with a full load of fuel. Even the range figures for a clean ‘Mustang are misleacling because once in combat, you could use up a lot of fuel at high engine power, The bottom line is that we had lots of fuel for our missions in the European theater. I was a member of the 357th Fighter Group in the eighth Air Force, and our mission was to escort the heavy bombers to whichever targets they were assigned to hit anywhere in Western Europe. We had enough fuel to pick up the bombers as they entered enemy territory, escort ‘them to the target area, and bring them all the way back to safety. On average, ‘our missions were about four and a half hours long. The lengthiest mission I ever flew was on D-Day: June 6, 1944. We had been instructed to patrol behind the invasion forces that were landing at Normandy. I logged six hours, $5 minutes, on that mission and still had considerable fuel remaining when I landed. We saw no enemy aircraft and, of course, never used high engine power. A mission from ‘our base at Leiston, England, to Berlin and back was a distance of about 1,000 miles. We flew escort to targets in Poland and around Prague, and even on shuttle fights from England to Russia and then to Italy before returning to England. The Mustang had great range that no other fighter could match, I never even saw a Mustang until we arrived overseas in the combat theater. My fighter pilot training was all in the P-39 Airacobra, My first flight in the Mustang was on December 19, 1943, in England, Our squadron history says that our first Mustang arrived on base that day, and I flew it twice. It amazes me that I have no memory of that very first flight. I think it must have been because I was 20 years old, in a strange land, and about to enter the excitement of aerial combat. Plus, I had just learned that my best friend since childhood had been shot down in a P-38 cover Bremen and was presumed dead. This trauma seems to have blocked out my recollections of what should have been a highlight of my life. The best that I can recall is that we were briefed bysomeone who had flown at least once or twice in the P-S1. We had no airplane manuals to study, so it was a fast look around the cockpit, a discussion of a few numbers about takeoff, stalls, approach and landing; then go up and try it. Almost immediately, I was selected to attend the RAF aerial gunnery school—a lucky break, because I was given a ‘Mustang to fly while being instructed by veteran combat pilots. Asa result, 1 had logged 30 hours, 45 minutes in the Mustang before I flew my first combat mission on February 8, 1944. I was very fortunate, as I had amassed about 900 hours total flying time—290 in trainers, 573 in the P-39, and now, about 31 hours in the Mustang—before my first combat. Most fliers were lucky to get in a checkout and a couple of flights before they flew in combat. Furthermore, I was a flight leader and was out in front for all of my combat flying. I lew two tours of combat with the 363rd Fighter Squadron of the 357th Fighter Group. That was 116 missions, or 480 hours, of combat flying. After I had earned my wings, Twas assigned to a P-39 replacement training unit. The Airacobra was an unusual airplane; it looked good, but it did not fly that well. It had an innovative tricycle landing gear that made takeoffs and landings simple. The engine was mounted behind the pilot, and it had a small cockpit with doors similar to those on an automobile. The engine's location gave the P-39 an aft center of gravity and made it somewhat tricky to fly. The training was pretty much limited to transitioning into the P-39 along with some formation flying. I did not realize how poorly the 39 flew until I checked out in the Mustang. About six months later, I was selected as one of the original cadre of pilots assigned to form a new fighter group: the 357th. We were sent new pilots directly from flight school, and we were the teachers. We had no combat veterans to help us; it was pretty much a do-it-yourself program. We did all the normal things such as checkouts, formation flying, aerial and Rese geen Pret} tn uty 2007, was a guest atthe Fiying Legends Sirshow athe imperial War Museum in Duxford England There. thadthe ‘portunity toy the Scandinavian Historic Fights (HF North ‘AmerieanP-51D, Old ow. Ietspantein the colors of my wartime P-51 before {heotve dab pant was removed) andis owned by ‘anders Saether-m ing cover the south/ southwest Portion a the fel, which ISinthe background. June 2020 88GOOD OL MUSTANG The pilot in that Bf 109 was good-very good. At one time early in this engagement, his 109 had almost been in a position to fire at Capt. CE. “Bud” Anderson's Old Crow, But his 109 was no match for the superior performance of the P-51 and its pilot. Even now, this highraltitude fight stands out sharply in Colonel Anderson's mind as the most challenging, encounter of all his official kis. It was May 27, 1944, ‘and Captain, Anderson was leading @ flight of four P-BL Mustangs of the 363rd Squadron, 357th Fighter Group; the Group's CO was Col Don Graham. At 30,000 feet, Anderson's flight was one of many escorting a bomber stream to ‘the Ludwigshafen-Mannheim area in Germany. Below was ‘occupied France; Germany was just beyond the Rhine River. Anderson called it “an overpoweringly sinister place,” The sky above was a brilliant blue, and it was cald-a merciless minus 30 degrees Celsius. The bombers were heading east, stacked dawnward from 27,000 feet, and Captain Anderson took his fight over to the right flank. of the bomber stream and up for altitude. Then, way up ahead, almost to the Rhine, hundreds of German fighters ‘appeared, ready to attack the bombers head-on: their standard tactic against the bomber formations. Anderson hrough our headsets, we could hear the battle said, coming straight at us at hundreds of miles per hour, The Triple ace Bud Anderson stands between the pro- plier blades of hisP-51 ‘Od Crow. ‘adrenaline rushed. I scanned the sky, trying to pick out those specks of somebody coming to kill us.” Because it was on the flank, Anderson's flight was ‘vulnerable to being bounced fram behind. He checked over his right shoulder and, sure enough, spotted four 103s coming dawn at them. He was abaut to call them aut to his flight crew when Eddie Simpson, his number three and element leader, called “Four bogeys, 5 o'clock high: ‘Anderson and his wingman, John Skare, turned hard into, them, while Simpson and his wingman did the same, The 109s pulled up and started a turning fight with the P-5ls. ‘Anderson thought this was unusual because the 109s, generally headed for the bombers, The Mustangs edged closer in those turns and gained on the 109s. Seeing this, the 109s rolled out and ran for it, heading east. One 108 pulled up and climbed away from its three mates. Anderson didn't want that 109 to get behind them, so he sent Eddie Simpson and his wingman up after it. Anderson and Skara ‘went hell-bent after the others. The Mustangs were faster, and soon Anderson closed to about 250 yards and opened fire on the trailing 108. ‘Anderson said, “I was going like hell now, and I could see the bullets tearing at the Messerschmitt’s wing root and, fuselage. I poured anather burst into him, and pieces flew off; the 109 plummeted and spun, belching smoke. My sixthBud's wingman wast. John Skara. ef 109. “T HAVE HIM! HE MUST KNOW TI HAVE HIM. THE TRACERS RACE UPWARD. THEY CHEW AT HIS WING ROOT, THE COCKPIT AND THE ENGINE, MAKING BRIGHT FLASHES. THE 109 SHAKES LIKE A RETRIEVER COMING OUT OF THE WATER, THROWING OFF PIECES.” kill Anderson and Skara then went after the other two 109s shead-two against two. One of the 109s suddenly dived away and headed downward fast. They decided to. let him go. The lead 108, going all out, pulled up into @ hard, climbing left turn. Anderson thought, “This one can fiyl This one could be trouble” Anderson and Skera turned inside him, stil at a long range, and the 109 kept turning ‘and passed right-to-left in front of them. Going very fast, Anderson and Skara overshot the 109's turn and went high up to the left to stay behind him. The 108 reversed and tried to get behind Anderson and Skara, Anderson knew that Skara would be in a bad spot soon and told him to break away. The 109 went after Skara, and Anderson dived after the 109 and closed an it, causing the 109 to break, ‘away from Skara and try to escape. Anderson chased it He was closing on the German when the 109 made another hard, climbing left turn and Anderson, going much faster, overshot again and pulled up hard. Anderson said, “Man, he could fly! He reversed his turn and came right up behind me-close enough so I could see him distinctly. No distinguishing marks on his 109-just gray with that light sky blue underside. I was looking back, almost straight, down, and I could see that 20 mm cannon in the middle of the propeller hub-an elephant gun!” They were going straight up: Anderson looked down and, to his relief, saw the 109 shudder, stall, and fall off before he could fire that. 20 mm cannon. Now Anderson's Mustang stalled and fell off, and he was again chasing the 10S. He thought, "Good, co Mustang!" ‘They were very high then, above 30,000 feet. Anderson. accelerated and again clased in on the 109. And again, the 1109 pilot hauled his plane into that hard, climbing left turn He expected the Mustang to overshoot again, but this time, Anderson thought, “I've had about enough of this.” So instead of avershaoting, he decided to try to turn inside the 109, He retarded the throttle a little and put dawn 10 degrees of flaps to tighten up his turn. Anderson said, “Hot damn! I'm gaing to make it!" He pulled the pipper up to the 108 as it zoomed straight up. Then Anderson cobbed the throttle, slapped the flaps back up and follawed the 108 up hard, Anderson: "T have him! He must knaw I have him, The tracers race upward. They chew at his wing root, the cockpit and the engine, making bright flashes. The 109 shakes like a retriever coming out of the water, throwing, off pieces." Anderson pulled even with the now burning 108 as it came to the apex and stalled. Stil climbing, he flew very close by. “Iam looking at his sky blue belly, the wheel wells, twin radiators, grease marks, and the black crosses. T'm close enough to count the rivets” The, 109 then plunged straight down, trailing fire and smoke from well above 30,000 feet. Straight down fram that perfect, brilliantly blue, cold sky. Anderson watched as the downward smoke trail merged with the graund far below in a silent explosion. It was his kill number seven. John Skara then joined up, and as they turned for home, Eddie Simpson and his wingman joined them. Simpson had bagged that first 109 Anderson sent them after. They flew home. It had been a good day. Back at the base at Leiston that evening in their Nissen hut, they stoked the fire in the potbelly stove, got the poker red-hot, and burned two more swastikas on the hut's wood door beneath Anderson's ‘name and another for Eddie Simpson, That door, with names such as Anderson, “Obee" O'Brien, Eu Hiro, Jim Browning, Don Bochkay, "Daddy Rabbit” Peters, Chuck Yeager, Eddie Simpson and many others of the ‘363rd Squadron, is missing. The late Don Bochkay, a former 0 of the Squadron, tried unsuccessfully to find it in 1970. He had a hunch that it still existed somewhere, Bill Northup