Agility or Speed in modern jet fighters ? The example of MiGs in the Vietnam war and the Folland Gnat

 

Agility or Speed in modern jet fighters? 

 (translation by FalkeEins 'Jet and Prop' from the May 1965 issue of the German fighter pilots association magazine Jägerblatt)

".. Reports from Vietnam indicate that the first aerial engagements have taken place between supersonic U.S. fighter-bombers and significantly slower, Soviet-designed jet aircraft. Surprisingly, the advantage lay with the slower but more agile Soviet MiG-15 or MiG-17 jets. Several American F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bombers—capable of reaching roughly twice the speed of sound—were shot down by these Soviet-made fighters, which were reportedly flown by North Vietnamese crews. What can be gleaned from this report? Can any lessons for Western air armament be drawn from this experience? The Soviet MiG-15 jet fighters were supplied to the Red Army as early as 1949–1952. They are relatively small aircraft that made headlines in the global press during the Korean War—much like the successes of the Me 109 at the Zurich air show in the 1930s, before the Second World War. 

 We may recall that the U.S. once offered a reward of over $100,000 for the delivery of a MiG-15, hoping to uncover the secrets of the aircraft. A Polish pilot eventually defected, flying a MiG-15 from Poland to Sweden. He landed on the island of Bornholm and, according to press reports at the time, received a substantial reward for his daring exploit. It is also well known that the landing on the Baltic Sea island was, in itself, a sensational event; the island lacked any major airport—on the scale of Moscow-Tushino—as well as the concrete runways found at airports like Frankfurt (Rhein-Main) or Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel. Consequently, the MiG-15 must have been a jet aircraft capable of landing—and almost certainly taking off—from small airfields, or "field airstrips."

 ( blog note;  on March 5, 1953, Polish Air Force 2nd Lt. Franciszek Jarecki defected and landed an undamaged, top-secret MiG-15bis jet fighter at Rønne Airport on the Danish island of Bornholm, asking for political asylum.  22-year-old Jarecki flew from Słupsk airbase in Poland during a routine training mission and broke formation to fly across the Baltic Sea. This event marked the first time Western and NATO military intelligence agencies including American and British experts could examine an intact, fully operational Soviet-built MiG-15bis. Following international protocols, the aircraft was crated and returned to Poland a few weeks later on March 20, 1953, while Jarecki remained in the West. A similar defection to Bornholm by another Polish pilot flying a MiG-15 occurred later on September 25, 1956)

 It is a proven fact that the significantly improved MiG-21 was specifically designed to take off from and land on grass runways. This raises the question of whether anything similar exists—or is at least being planned—within Western military aviation. The MiG-17, a further development of the MiG-15 with which Soviet units were equipped starting in 1953, is considerably larger and weighs approximately 1,000 kg more. This model was also supplied by the Soviets to North Vietnam and other satellite states. Furthermore, we recall that the F-86 Sabre served as the primary counterpart to the MiG-15 during the Korean War. According to the latest information from a military correspondent for a U.S. publication, the ratio during the Korean War was twelve MiG-15s lost for every one F-86 Sabre shot down in aerial combat. We are currently unable to verify this report, and it says nothing about the inherent quality of the MiG-15. It is far more likely that the United States had many highly experienced fighter pilots in Korea—men who undoubtedly understood their craft better than the North Korean MiG pilots did.

 From the Second World War, we know that skilled pilots in slower aircraft often shot down less capable pilots flying superior, faster machines. When these slower aircraft also possessed significantly greater maneuverability, this factor alone could prove decisive. For instance, it was not uncommon for the Russian Polikarpov I-16 "Rata" to shoot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109—provided the German pilot failed to effectively exploit his own speed advantage.

 The trade-off between speed and maneuverability was already a reality during the First World War. Manfred von Richthofen knew how to fully leverage the agility of his Fokker Dr.I triplane; he was careful to avoid using this particular aircraft for high-speed, diving attacks. Had he done so, he might have suffered the same fate as Gontermann, whose otherwise robust Fokker disintegrated in mid-air when he attempted to intercept a target during a dive rather than engaging in a turn. But what is the situation today? Can an aircraft’s maneuverability still be a significant advantage—perhaps even more so now than in the past? Consider an incident where four F-105s—capable of speeds exceeding 2,500 km/h—were caught off guard at an operational altitude (cited by Washington as 500 meters) by MiG-15 fighters; the latter were more maneuverable, yet only half as fast. The F-105s were circling their target—presumably not flying at full throttle—when it happened. But what good is a top speed of 2,500 km/h if, upon reaching the target, one is forced—or simply chooses—to throttle back? What is the use of onboard radar and long-range radar if no timely warning is provided, and a MiG-15—using its onboard cannon—is able to shoot down an F-105, an aircraft that is far faster and more capable? One could even conclude that there is such a thing as a 'tactical speed limit'.. 

 Does the over-engineered, fully automated F-105 still retain any significant tactical value if it is forced to fly at reduced power while over enemy territory? Or was this circling perhaps necessary to divert or neutralize surface-to-air missile (SAM) defenses? Furthermore, one must ask whether modern air armaments are lacking an agile, simple, and lightweight aircraft—one capable of outmaneuvering incoming missiles. Which type of fighter today truly dominates the 0–8,000-meter altitude range? Did the British make a critical error by abandoning the further development of the Folland GNAT—a lightweight, agile, and inexpensive aircraft? 

Is there any supersonic fighter in the West today capable of operating from improvised, unpaved airfields should concrete runways be destroyed by missile strikes? And are vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft not far too heavy—and their onboard electronics and automation systems too vulnerable to combat damage—to effectively evade anti-aircraft missiles? Both Steinhoff and Mano Ziegler drew attention to the GNAT —a brilliant achievement by the British aviation industry, measuring just 6.60 meters in wingspan and 9.50 meters in length—during the 1956–1960 period. (For comparison, the Me 109 F had a wingspan of 9.60 meters and a length of 9.00 metres) The British military writer Roy Cross also frequently sang the praises of the Folland Gnat in his various publications. The Second World War had already demonstrated that sophisticated, automated weapons systems are inherently fragile. Moreover, missiles are invariably faster than even the most advanced jet fighters of our time. Wouldn't maneuverability help here—perhaps by allowing the aircraft to outsmart radar-guided and infrared-seeking missiles? No missile in the world would be able to keep up with a highly agile fighter jet, whether at low altitudes or near the ground.

A comparison of this table reveals that both the Fokker triplane (1917) and the Rata (1941) were the lightest—and therefore the most maneuverable—aircraft. Even the standard Japanese fighter, the Mitsubishi "Zero," weighed only slightly more than the Rata at 1,800 kg; while also highly maneuverable, it was significantly faster than the Rata. The most dramatic weight differences, however, are found among post-war jet aircraft. The F-104 Starfighter—not included in this table, but flown by pilots of our own *Bundeswehr*—weighs over 6,300 kg, more than double the weight of the Gnat. The Gnat, which was ordered from England by India, Finland, and Yugoslavia, weighs nearly 1,000 kg less than the MiG-15—an aircraft that was already relatively lightweight. Our own Me 262 also fares quite well in these comparisons. Despite having two jet engines, it is only 300 kg heavier than the MiG-15, even though it was built 10 years earlier. If, on the other hand, one considers the weight of the F-105, one can... understand that this aircraft, with its weight of 12,500 kg (in our comparison, we are always referring to the empty weight), cannot be very maneuverable; at low altitudes, it became easy prey for the MiG-15. 

In issue No. 14 of the Hamburg weekly newspaper *Die Zeit*—which, incidentally, is also printed in Toronto and Buenos Aires—Peter Stähle criticizes the high expenditures for specialized equipment in the German Starfighter F-104G. He takes particular issue with the Starfighter’s LN-3 inertial navigation system. Regarding the funding for the costs of modifying this equipment, he cites details from the minutes of a key NASMO conference (attended by nations that purchased Starfighters equipped with the LN-3 system from the United States). While we certainly grant the citizens of our democracy the right to openly criticize government spending, such highly detailed matters should not be discussed in a public forum. We ought not to make things too easy for Russian intelligence. It seems essential to us that the quality and performance of the "F-104G weapons system" (as General Panitzki terms it in his elegant response in *Die Zeit*) be continuously monitored. The fact is that the Litton unit has already been subjected to review, and efforts are underway to improve it, should such improvements prove necessary. It is gratifying to note that Colonel Rall and First Lieutenant Barakling are able to reach their targets in the Starfighter even when the inertial navigation system fails. However, this support provided by these two experienced pilots to their Inspector should by no means lead to the abandonment of further evaluations of the equipment. The report above demonstrates that there is still a great deal in a state of flux within the realm of aerial armament. In conclusion, I would like to draw attention to an attractive new development by German engineers—if only to demonstrate that those from the "old guard" still take a keen interest in developments within the Bundeswehr. Based on designs by Prof. Messerschmitt, a supersonic fighter has been built in Egypt; according to foreign press reports, it is the lightest jet fighter in the world. The HA 300 is said to possess excellent flight characteristics, with its maneuverability, in particular, being highly praised. It strikes us that this new Messerschmitt fighter bears a strong resemblance to the Folland Gnat. We find it especially regrettable, however, that it is being built in Egypt by German engineers rather than in Germany itself... "

 by Dr. Steinicke

Air War Vietnam 1965 - F-100, F-105s at Tan Son Nhut airfield

 

"..It’s August 24 to 26, 1965. The war in Vietnam is heating up, and nobody knows how long it will last. U.S. Air Force F-100 Super Sabers from the 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron, still in silver finish, arrived at Tan Son Nhut airfield that June, after flying exercises and Cold War support activities in Iran, Japan, and Taiwan.

Days before this color film was shot by Air Force cameramen, Barry McGuire’s iconic protest song, “Eve of Destruction”, made its debut on American Top Forty radio. The Beatles’ “Help!” shared the top 10 with music including Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe”, the Beach Boys’ “California Girls”, and the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction”. Average cost of a house in the U.S. was a bit over $20,000.

F-100s flew strike missions, and later, ground support sorties. Through the ensuing years of war in Southeast Asia, more than 240 F-100s were lost.

In these scenes, F-100 tail number 63056 receives a brand new tire. This F-100 outlived the war, ultimately being written off in 1985 as a QF-100 drone.

Footage provides great historical imagery about ground handling and arming operations for the F-100s and also F-105s. Wires prevent the fuse vanes from spinning until the bomb is dropped, retaining the wire at the pylon, now freeing the vane to spin and arm the weapon in free-fall.

Silver Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs roar from the runway, bombs clustered on each F-105’s centerline as well as one outboard on each wing. Built with an internal weapons bay, F-105s in Southeast Asia combat often carried a fuel tank in the bay, with bombs mounted externally on the aircraft. The last combat downing of an F-105 in Southeast Asia came in November 1972. In this war, 395 F-105s were lost; 334 to enemy action and the rest o operational accidents.

In this footage, F-105D 61-0139 is seen on the tarmac. Two years later, this F-105 collided with another Thunderchief in flight, destroying both aircraft.

The footage includes views from inside an Air Force O-1 Bird Dog firing white phosphorous – Willy Pete – rockets to mark targets for the fighter bombers to strike.

I’m Fred Johnsen for the Airailimages Channel. It’s more than 60 years since this historic film was made. How many of the men depicted here are still with us? I hope you enjoyed this rare film, and will give it a Thumbs Up..."

Do we know what happened to Amelia Earhart ? "She was never lost"

... posted by Richard Martin on a Quora opinion piece.. 

Yes, we have found out what happened to Amelia Earhart. It just isn’t common knowledge, or part of the written record. Are you asking “Based on your research, what do you think happened to Amelia Earhart?” I can answer that.

Amelia had two aerial reconnaissance cameras installed in her plane. I’ve interviewed the son of the Navy man who installed them. They were spy cameras, she was tasked to bring back any intel about the Japanese building up the islands (contrary to League of Nations) for war. She was not able to give over those cameras.

She missed Howland by about 250 miles to the North East - there was cloud cover and a storm coming up - and she turned west, as had always been planned. She aimed for the Gilberts. Unfortunately, she was off course already (due to her reportedly having a “heavy hand” - she was 200 miles off course to the NE in Dakkar, and previously in Burbank on a test flight with Paul Mantz.) Either way she came down in Mili atoll. That is to say, she landed the Electra successfully on that atoll - but lost a wheel. She was seen coming down by two islanders who were fishing there. One of their sons was interviewed years later by someone I interviewed.

Parts of the Electra have been found and verified by a former NTSB investigator. I’ve filmed an interview with him demonstrating how the parts fit on the only model of the Electra they could have fit on. The Mili islanders were ordered by the Japanese to help move the Electra to a barge. 40 of those people were rounded up - the barge was put into the lagoon, the Electra dragged across the atoll. (the marks were visible up until a few years ago, and some of the equipment used is still there). The Electra was taken to Majuro, put aboard the Kyoshu and taken to Jaluit where it arrived in mid July.

It was at Jaluit where Amelia and Fred were examined by a young medical worker (I have an interview with him as well as his business partner of 40 years who was aware of the story). They were then transported by seaplane to Saipan. The Electra was taken to Saipan as well - the official Navy HQ of the Japanese. (The same way Hawaii was the US base for the Navy, Saipan was the same for them, considered Japanese mainland since 1914.) She was treated at the hospital at Garapan (interviewed the son of a nurse who treated her) and taken to the prison in Garapan.

Fred was tortured and executed for being a spy - they assumed he was responsible for the spy mission. Amelia was held as a bargaining chip that was never used. In 1944 the island was liberated by US Marines who found her briefcase in a safe (Robert Wallack found it, I interviewed him), Marines took Aslito airfield where they found the Electra. (I’ve interviewed three vets who had never met but who described the exact same events and location of the plane.)

The plane was take out to midfield and torched by US forces. Some suggest they destroyed the plane because it would point to the fact that the US had broken the Japanese codes (as early as 1936), knew she was incarcerated there, but could not reveal they’d broken the codes, the same way Churchill hid that he’d broken the Enigma machine). Either way, AE’s body was dug up by two GI’s - she had died of dysentery. However, the GI’s only found her “arm and a partial ribcage.” So where the rest of her remains are a mystery to those who’ve been looking for her, except for the person writing this report, who believes he knows where she is.

The plane was buried at the end of the runway along with dozens of other wrecks that crashed and burned on Aslito. The field was closed, and nearby Tinian became the airfield where the US flew round trips to Tokyo (which is why it was so important for the Japanese to hold Saipan and lost 30,000 men trying to save it). I’ve put up much of this info at EarhartOnSaipan (dot) com, a website I created to document her story as I heard it over the past 30 years. There’s also extensive reporting done in my book “Hacking the Afterlife” but that may not be for everyone.

Why this isn’t public knowledge is beyond me - I mean I understand those with a vested interest in telling an alternate story, but based on these eyewitness interviews, that is “what happened to Amelia Earhart.” She was the first victim of World War II and aside from a gold star in Langley (I’m guessing) she has never been honored for that sacrifice. I have no desire to begin an argument about what happened to her - I’m just reporting what my eyewitness interviews claim. I find it amusing that in my research into the afterlife, I get more angry posts from people upset over hearing what happened to Amelia, rather than what people are reporting on the flipside. For some flipside information about Amelia, I can point to the story as reported in “Hacking the Afterlife.”

B737 landing at BHX - Airport Action

B737 veers off the runway landing at BHX during recent stormy weather.

Landing during Storm Boelo this JET2 Boeing 737-800 made an excursion at speed onto the grass just after touchdown. Fortunately the nose wheel stayed on the runway... Reg : G-JZHE. Click in the red square to watch the video below

Premier envol! - on-board with the Marine National, behind the scenes with Lafayette 26

Two new 'recruits' embark for their first 'tour' at sea - a Rafale fighter pilot ('ensigne de vaisseau Matthieu') and a female 'pistard' (deck-hand, 'quartier maitre Lena')...a single click below on the 'red square' to watch here..

Training pilots in the post-war Luftwaffe - Fürstenfeldbruck, Waffenschule 30, Flugzeugführerschule A

 

The official founding date of the Bundeswehr (and thus the new Bundesluftwaffe) was 12 November 1955 -Theodor Blank, the new head at the West German Ministry of Defence, presented the first 100 certificates of appointment in Bonn and a rapid buildup of the armed forces followed. The first Chief of Staff of the new Luftwaffe was General Josef Kammhuber (from May 1957 to September 1962). Within this time-frame of a few years, jet squadrons were established within the new Luftwaffe, quickly gaining recognition for their skill and performance within the NATO community. However, there had been more than ten years of aviation inactivity between the end of the Second World War and the restart of military aviation in the Federal Republic. This period saw the introduction of the first jet fighter and training aircraft into the armed forces of NATO partners. The newly formed Bundeswehr lacked this transitional phase; it had to successfully make the leap into the jet age despite a ten-year gap in experience - building a new force virtually from the ground-up meant exploiting the only 'talent-pool' available to the new force - former Luftwaffe veterans with combat experience. 

The US Air Force served as the primary partner and mentor during these challenging years - in June 1956 the Americans handed over the first aircraft: 49 Piper L-18s and Harvard T-6s. In early 1957 the Luftwaffe established a first transport unit receiving 20 ex-USAF C-47s. Meanwhile the Marineflieger acquired 16 Fairey Gannets for anti-submarine duties. Prior to this during 1955 the decision was taken to acquire 266 Piaggio P-149s, 190 of which were subsequently built by Focke Wulf in Bremen. Both USAF and RAF airbase facilities were inspected, and the organizational structure and tactical operational methods of the respective units were explained and demonstrated. 

Prior to this the initial steps toward flight proficiency refresher training for the first post-war German military aviators had been set in motion. As early as the autumn of 1952, Colonel/Oberst (Ret.) Steinhoff and Colonel (Ret.) Kuhlmey traveled to Italy to receive initial flight training on powered aircraft at the Italian Aero Club. In November of the same year, the Lockheed T-33A jet trainer was demonstrated to both men at the USAF’s 36th Fighter Bomber Wing in Fürstenfeldbruck. While not publicised at the time, the first military flight by former Wehrmacht pilots aboard a two-seat T-33A in the Federal Republic of Germany took place there on 24 November 1952. In late June 1953, this was followed by in-depth T-33A familiarization—covering high-altitude flight, aerobatics, landings, and bad-weather approaches (GCA)—for Colonel/Oberst (Ret.) Steinhoff, Colonel (Ret.) Kuhlmey, and Captain/Hptm. (Ret.) Krupinski with the US Air Force at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. Each of the three men was allocated three hours of T-33A flight time. In July of the same year, Hptm. Cescotti received a brief orientation flight in the Harvard T-6, followed in November 1953 by a flight in the T-33A out of Fürstenfeldbruck. The refresher training of pilots with wartime experience could not have been carried out without utilizing the immediately and generously available training capacities of the US Air Force at Landsberg and Fürstenfeldbruck. There was no serious alternative to this. 

Below; entrance to Fürstenfeldbruck air base as seen in 1954 (via Keith Jones)

Initial flight training for young pilot candidates without wartime experience was begun in 1956/57, running parallel to the "Conventional Refresher Courses" at Landsberg. In the summer of 1957, the USAF's "7351st Flying Training Wing MDAP" (Mutual Defense Assistance Program) assumed responsibility for training at the German Pilot Training School "A" under its first commander, Colonel Werner Streib, wartime Nachtjagd Kommodore and Knight's Cross recipient. Developments at Fürstenfeldbruck proceeded in parallel. From late 1957 onwards—coinciding with the disbanding of the USAF's "7330th Flying Training Wing MDAP"— Oberst/Colonel Dietrich Hrabak served as the first commander of Pilot Training School "B," responsible for advanced training, including Basic Jet Training. 

 Following the completion of the initial setup phase, Pilot Training School "A" was officially commissioned on February 1, 1957.(Flugzeugführerschule A) The airbase was handed over from the USAF to the Luftwaffe on December 14, 1957, and the last American flight instructors departed Landsberg on May 22, 1958. The USAF did not agree to the Luftwaffe's request to extend the deployment of American instructional staff for another two to three years—a move intended to allow German instructors from Landsberg to be transferred to operational units. As an alternative, the Luftwaffe Command Staff requested the Royal Air Force in April 1958 to provide 100 flight instructors for a period of several years. The Royal Air Force acceded to the request, and the corresponding agreement was signed on August 6. The first British flight instructors arrived in Landsberg as early as the end of August. In the ensuing months, a total of approximately 60 British flight instructors were assigned to Pilot Training School "A," while another 40 began their duties at Pilot Training School "S." The "RAF Mission"—to which all 100 British flight instructors were subject for disciplinary purposes—was led by a Wing Commander based at Landsberg. 

About half of the British flight instructors at Flying Training School "A" flew the Harvard Mk IV. The remaining officers took on instructional duties with the new Fouga Magister jet trainer, which was introduced at Flying Training School "A" starting in 1958.

Hans-Ulrich Flade recalled;

 ".. The Luftwaffe also arranged a programme with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for basic and advanced flight training—covering the period from 1957 to the end of 1959—in order to secure the urgently needed aircrew required to stand up operational units. We were already partnered with the Canadians through the purchase of the Canadian version of the F-86 "Sabre." It was fortunate that the RCAF, having drastically reduced the training capacities that dated back to the earlier "Empire Training" scheme, was able to offer up its surplus capacity for use. This made it possible to send just under 300 young student pilots to Canada for training. Flying was conducted using the British de Havilland "Chipmunk" and the American T-6 and T-33—all of which were manufactured under license by Canadair. The head of the "German Air Force Liaison Office RCAF," based in London, Ontario, was the then-Major Roderich Cescotti—who was thus able to undergo his own "refresher" training as well..."

 The Fouga Magister—a jet trainer purchased in large numbers by the Bundeswehr and built under license in Germany—enabled the expansion of training capacity. Subsequently, some student pilots proceeded directly to a basic Fouga Magister jet training course without prior training on the Harvard T-6 propeller aircraft. This course comprised approximately 110 flight hours, consisting of a brief aircraft familiarization followed by aerobatics, instrument flying, formation flying, cross-country flying, and night flying. 

 On 13 November 1956, the operational staff of Luftwaffe Weapons School 30 (Fighter-Bomber Training) was commissioned at Fürstenfeldbruck under Major Walter Krupinski; it was equipped with 75 F-84F aircraft but did not yet have a single fully trained pilot. Once seven pilots had finally assembled at the school, Gerd Barkhorn took command of their 1st Staffel. 

Below;  November 1956  - F-84s under new ownership at Fürstenfeldbruck- noch ohne Flugzeugführer. Barkhorn climbs out of the cockpit... 

In March 1957, Weapons School 30 began relocating from Fürstenfeldbruck to Büchel in the Eifel region. Its first squadron could not follow until the summer, however, as the bad-weather approach aids at Büchel were not yet operational. 

In the meantime, the Luftwaffe leadership had decided to have its fighter-bomber pilots trained at Luke AFB, Arizona. This allowed the training mission of Weapons School 30—regarding pilots to be trained in Germany—to be gradually phased out. While the build-up of Fighter-Bomber Wing 31 (JaboG 31) at Nörvenich—under its first Kommodore/Wing Commander, Gerd Barkhorn—was commencing in the summer and autumn of 1957 based on the 1st Training Squadron, Fighter-Bomber Wing 33 (JaboG 33) was simultaneously being formed at Büchel from the training unit, under Wing Commander/Kommodore Walter Krupinski. The new wing maintained a 3rd Squadron for a time to handle remaining training tasks. In the years that followed, JaboG 33 at Büchel served as the organizational and personnel "nucleus" from which Fighter-Bomber Wings 32 (Lechfeld), 34 (Memmingen), and 35 (Husum) subsequently evolved. JaboG 36 (Hopsten) was established in 1962/63 through the takeover...

Flade ;

 ".. In 1957, fighter training for the new Air Force was still lacking. As "refresher" trainees, we were entirely focused on the "Jabo" (fighter-bomber) role, having seen the first F-84Fs of Weapons School 30 in operation at Fürstenfeldbruck starting in late 1956. We were strictly instructed to grant absolute priority in the traffic pattern to these operational aircraft while flying the T-33... "

A clear "pecking order" existed among the aircraft types. From the winter of 1956/57 onwards, even higher priority was given to the US Air Force's first North American F-100 "Super Sabres," which operated out of "Fürsty" for a time. The former WWII fighter aces marveled at these truly massive birds—the first to be equipped with afterburners—as they ignited their engines with a deafening "bang" and roared into the sky trailing long tongues of flame. 

With the Canadians – Hptm. Josten, Oberstleutnant/Lieutenant Colonel Wehnelt and Oblt. Flade. 

".. Our "Basic Jet" course (JF-4) had concluded in May 1957 with a formal graduation ceremony at Fürsty. We were mentally prepared for further training in the States. One fine spring day in May, "Jolle" Josten and I were having lunch at the Fürsty Officers' Club when one of the three "Englishmen"—Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Wehnelt—headed toward our table, looking wiry and beaming with enthusiasm: "I’ve been looking for the two of you—we’re going to establish the Luftwaffe’s Weapons School 10 together!" What was this all about? We had already pictured ourselves in sunny Arizona. Yet here was our new school commander, suddenly sitting at our table and dropping a bombshell. He must have sensed our awkward reticence. "The three of us will undergo conversion training on the F-86 'Sabre' with the Canadians in Zweibrücken this summer, and we’ll receive our instructor training there as well," he said encouragingly. "Josten, you will take command of the school’s 1st Squadron, and Flade, you are to become the operations officer on the school staff..."

So much for the enticing prospect of seeing and flying in the USA. Soon, however, we shared in our new commander's joy and enthusiasm for this special mission and its challenge of building something entirely new from scratch. The Air Force (the one "up there somewhere in Bonn," which seemed nebulous and distant to us in the cockpit) had decided to include the Canadian version of the North American F-86 "Sabre," built by Canadair, in the inventory of the newly established weapons school and its future units.

The plan was to fly the Sabre 5 version equipped with the Canadian Orenda-10 engine until the Sabre 6s—upgraded by Dornier in Oberpfaffenhofen with the more powerful Orenda-14 engine—could be delivered to the school and operational units. This sounded promising; the Canadian F-86s enjoyed a better reputation than their American counterparts, as their higher thrust was said to make them significantly more agile.

Ultimately, we were in agreement: we had an interesting mission to stand up the unit, would receive support over the years from a large RCAF Advisory Team (fighter instructors and several technicians) at the school, and—much like our fighter-bomber colleagues—would be able to put our own stamp on this new organization. Exciting new territory lay ahead. Suddenly, we felt a real sense of momentum. We also liked our new commander, whose open-minded nature radiated optimism. After a period of leave at home—since our families hadn't been able to relocate to Landsberg or Fürstenfeldbruck—we were to reconvene at "Fürsty" in late June before heading to Zweibrücken.

For the three of us, I think the leave couldn't end fast enough; the prospect of flying such a spirited aircraft was a powerful draw. Back at Fürsty, we received our initial flight gear from Weapons School 30—there were even leather jackets available. At that stage, we existed only on paper; aside from a small advance party in Nörvenich and the three of us pilots, there was nothing else. We admired our commander all the more for securing what was likely the unit's first piece of authorized major equipment: three olive-drab VW Beetles... "

Finnish Tupolev SB-2 in colour

 

Period colour images from the Finnish SA-Kuva archive

Numerically the most important bomber in the world in the late 1930s, the SB was the first modern stressed skin aircraft produced in quantity in the Soviet Union and probably the most formidable bomber of the mid-1930s. It was produced in the Soviet Union and was also built under license in Czechoslovakia. Many versions saw extensive action in Spain, the Republic of China, Mongolia, Finland and at the beginning of World War II against Germany in 1941. It was also used in various duties in civil variants, as trainers and in many secondary roles. Successful in the Spanish Civil War because it outpaced most fighters present (composed mostly of biplanes), the aircraft was obsolete by 1941 as faster fighters (such as the Bf-109) had by then been introduced. By June 1941, 94 percent of bombers in the Red Army air force (Soviet Air Force (VVS) Red Army (RKKA) were SBs.

Note the images show an SB-2M 103 with three-bladed prop, revised cowling (no frontal grille) and ducted radiators, fastest of the production variants. Note 2x ShKAS 7.62 x 54R in the nose.. 

Steven Comber images in the latest issue of Aeroplane

 via Steven Comber's FB page..Steven's Polish MiG 17 images in the October 2026 issue... 

Swedish Air Force 100th Anniversary Flygvapnet Airshow by Steven Comber

 

Swedish Air Force 100th Anniversary Flygvapnet Airshow

repost/embed from the Steven Comber FB page

".. The airshow held at Malman Air Base promised to be one of 2026 most eagerly anticipated aviation events. Thankfully COAP's early morning Spotter Access and parking proved effortless, once on base it's fair to say the 235,000 attendees were not disappointed. Numbers like this are reminiscent of regular airshows in Japan. COAP's attendance on Friday 21st August 'Spotters Day' offered an opportunity to capture some very 'up close' and almost personal access to the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight with a mere handful of photographers at the fence opposite the live flight line! Knowing full well some of the SwAFHF types operational days & flight hours are numbered unobstructed access offered a perfect opportunity to capture some rather special SAAB aviation heritage imagery. Airbourne action capture proved more challenging with a less than ideal flying display axis and mixed weather, cloud structures made for some rather 'moody' imagery working with the light on base Saturday and outside Sunday. What. A. Weekend. .."

 as a taster, some of Steven's superb imagery of the Saab Tunnan at Malmen..

Resupplying Warsaw - August 1944

 

.. from the Polish Heritage Flight FB page...

In the summer of 1944, while Warsaw fought, Polish airmen of the 1586 Special Duties Flight flew night after night from Brindisi, Italy, in these B-24 Liberators — carrying weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies to the fighting Home Army. This photograph shows members of one of those crews standing beside their aircraft. The distinctive nose art and the Polish checkerboard markings tell the story of men who knew the odds: a 1,500-kilometre round trip over enemy territory, no fighter escort, and no permission to land on Soviet airfields. Captain Zbigniew Szostak and his entire seven-man crew would not return from one of these missions. On the night of 14/15 August 1944 their Liberator KG890 was shot down near Bochnia on the way home after a successful drop over the city. None survived. Of the roughly 1,840 containers dispatched by Allied aircraft, only about a quarter ever reached the insurgents. Many aircrews paid the ultimate price for that limited help. Today a full-scale reconstruction of a Liberator stands in the Warsaw Rising Museum as a permanent tribute to their courage. We remember them.

Jagdgeschwader 74 "Mölders" Begins Flight Operations with Phantom F-4F

From Jägerblatt - the magazine of the German fighter pilots association - two items from the December 1974 issue.. 

Fighter Wing 74 "Mölders" Begins Flight Operations with Phantom F-4F 

 Bearing the inscription "Development Aid for Bavaria" ('Entwicklungshilfe für Bayern') and featuring a painting of three black-and-white East Frisian cows, the first two F-4F Phantoms for JG 74 "Mölders" took off from Wittmundhafen Air Base, bound for Neuburg an der Donau. Like Fighter Wing 71 "Richthofen" before it, the "Mölders" Wing in Neuburg is being equipped with the F-4FPhantom fighter variant. To ensure that JG 74 "M" did not receive only brand-new aircraft—thereby allowing scheduled maintenance to be staggered over time—Fighter Wing 71 "Richthofen" transferred two of its Phantoms (each with 100 flight hours logged) to the fighter unit in Neuburg. Naturally, the technicians at "Richthofen" couldn't resist adorning the first two "birds" with the slogan "Development Aid for Bavaria," accompanied by an illustration of three black-and-white spotted East Frisian cows.

Below; "Yeah, we're here on the bike"—that could be the theme song for the 'Cross Servicing' section (responsible for servicing visiting aircraft) at Fighter Wing Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen," where the first and second ground crewmen (erste und zweite Wart) use a tandem bicycle to guide visiting aircraft to their designated parking spots on the flight line. This specific tandem setup was originally designed to facilitate rapid servicing for visiting aircraft landing at Wittmundhafen—a task requiring the presence of both the first and second ground crewmen. However, it has since proven its worth in another capacity: serving as a backup should the standard "Follow Me" vehicle break down. When a Mirage landed at Wittmundhafen, the Belgian pilots could hardly believe their eyes as Oberfeldwebel Master Sergeant Gerd Segebrecht and Feldwebel Staff Sergeant Peter Groth appeared on a tandem bicycle to guide the crew to their aircraft's assigned parking spot.