Tiltrotors and three fast Startojets
Tiltrotors and three fast Startojets
Hybrid aircraft are taking over, and bombers that are faster than fighters
“Every war is going to astonish you in the way it has occurred and in the way it is carried.” - President Dwight D. Eisenhower
On the Radar
Tilt Rotor aircraft: They can fly like airplanes while also taking off and landing like helicopters. The best of both worlds right? While Tilt Rotor aircraft do have incredibly versatile applications, able to perform missions that airplanes cannot and usually capable of carrying more cargo than helicopters - faster, there are some unique challenges faced by these hybrid aircraft.
Despite this, most branches of the US military are increasing their adoptions of tilt rotor aircraft: the Navy with the CMV-22B Osprey, and the Army with the V-280 Valor. Both aircraft have replaced iconic, if not beloved airframes: The new Osprey will unseat the Navy’s C-2 Greyhound, which as been performing Carrier Onboard Delivery or COD missions since 1965, and the V-280 Valor will replace the Army’s UH-60 Blackhawk, a cornerstone of Army Aviation. There are a several reasons for this, which I will explore in the next video - scheduled to be released this Friday 8 September, be sure to check the channel!
This week in aviation history
4 September 1955: In a competition for the General Electric Trophy, three B-47 Stratojets took off from March Air Force Base near Riverside, California enroute to Philidelphia International Airport on the East Coast. The Stratojet was an excellent choice for the record attempt, as it could fly higher and faster than most jets of its era. Along with six jet engines, the B-47 was also equipped with solid fuel jet engines which produced an impressive 33,000 pounds of thrust - but only for 14 seconds.
Still these rocket engines greatly improved takeoff performance. For the record attempt, three Stratojets took off in 10-minute intervals, starting at 3:30 AM Pacific Standard Time - imagine waking up to the sound of three of these that early in the morning! The wining bomber was the third to take off, and the margin of victory was close: the 2,337-mile course which took 3 hours, 57 minutes, and 59.2 seconds averaged 589.294 miles per hour. Second place came in at an average speed of 585.263 miles per hour, and third place clocked in at an average speed of 584.167 miles per hour. That’s just over 5 mph separating the three aircraft - incredible for such a long flight.
Coincidentally, on the same day four North American F-100C Super Sabres partook in the Bendix Trophy Race from George AFB to Philidelphia - those Philly controllers were busy that day! What’s incredible is that the forth place Sabre was SLOWER than all three B-47s - perhaps the last time a bomber beat a fighter in a speed competition. What an amazing time in aviation. One more quick note: I am working on a video about the F-100, stay tuned!
In case you missed it
Keeping up foreign relations: Thailand is deciding on either the F-35 Lightning or the JAS 39 Gripen:
Photo Outlet
Here’s an F-15C of the “Cajun Militia” aka the Louisiana Air National Guard on takeoff in full burner. The Eagle is quite a sight - and sound to behold:
Parting Shots
Videos on my channel will now be released on Friday evenings instead of Wednesday mornings - the reason: more opportunities to watch the videos when you are not at work - let me know in the comments below if you like the schedule change.
That’s all for this week, thanks for reading! If you know a fellow aviation enthusiast that would enjoy these weekly newsletters, then please forward this along. Now you know!
-Tog