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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1403.PDF
28 September 1956 555 OUT IN OKLAHOMA ATTENDING AMERICA'S NATIONAL AIR SHOW the Show this year—a spanking new Aero Commander 680SC,neatly roped oft so that ten-armed youngsters could not tear it apart. Beside it, also roped off, was a historical restoration (but notauthentic) of a Lincoln Standard. I should like to report that the ropes held fast during the entire show and that both aircraftsurvived the ordeal very nicely. On the north side of Will Rogers Field was another staticdisplay area, consisting of three indoor hangar exhibits, one each for the Army, Air Force and Navy. These Service displays werealso identical with those shown in 1955, though only those few who had attended last year's event realized the fact (and none told).The outdoor static display consisted of a moored Navy Blimp Type ZSG-4, six types of missiles, thirteen types of helicoptersand twenty-eight operational types of fixed-wing aircraft of all three Services. In this area, too, the Marines had set up theirgeodesic domes (largest size) to house their exhibits, which were likewise the same as last year except that inside one of the domesthe clever "devils" had a North American FJ-3 Fury with its wings folded. Notable types displayed in this area included a Cessna YH-41helicopter in Army paint but with civil registration, a Northrop F-89H-10-NO with Falcon missiles and rockets in extended posi-tion, a McDonnell F3H-2 with under-wing Larks in place and a Vought F7U-3M with similar missiles in the racks. Perhaps thebiggest surprise of all was the Northrop Snark lying in its launcher flanked by the older Martin TM-61 Matador. The Snark cer-tainly was impressive. Its size when compared with the Matador is unbelievable, as are its very clear design lines. The entireNorth Area display could not be covered in less than three days. By the end of my third day in this area (two days before openingto the public and opening day) I would have given one of my best cameras to see the smiling face of that "solitary crazy Englishman"who plodded shoulder to shoulder widi me at the Philadelphia show last year. The playing of The Star Spangled Banner by the Phillips 66Band (last year it was Stouffer's Band) at 12.30 each day marked the opening of official ceremonies, and if you were a spectator whohad paid for a seat this meant that you had one half-hour before the flying display started in which to find what you'd paid for.Promptly at 1 p.m. the flying began with the Navy and Marines combining their craft in single-, two-, four-, eight- and twelve-unit formations and manoeuvres that went on for 45 minutes. The aircraft were all permitted to fly at altitudes down to 300ft (manycame down to 150ft) but the speeds were held to below Mach 1 on orders and threats of immediate show cancellation. Among thetypes in the Navy-Marine flight display were (in order of their appearance) four F3H-2 Demons, eight FJ-2 Marine Furies, fourF9F-8 Cougars, four F7U-3 Cutlasses, four Marine F4D-1 Sky- rays, one A3D-1 Skywarrior and one F3D-1 Skyhawk (makinga formation take-off), one F8U-1 Crusader, twelve F9F-8 Cougars, two F4D-1 Marine Skyrays, four Marine F7U-3M Cutlasses, oneNavy F9F-8P, one S2F-1 Tracker (take-off flanked by two hover- ing HSS-3 helicopters), two P5M-2 Marlins, one HS2L-1 anti-sub helicopter, one P2V-7 King Neptune, one F8U-1 Crusader in landing configuration, one TV-2 trainer (this ejected its rearseat with a dummy in place), eight Navy FJ-3 Furies and four Navy F4D-1 Skyhawks. Two Marine HRS-3 helicopters lifted and transported a largegeodesic dome, two F9F-8 Cougars dropped medical supplies in 'chuted containers, two HRS-3 Marine helicopters demonstratedair-to-air refuelling of helicopters, two Marine FJ-3 Furies and two Marine F7U-3M Cutlasses made arrested landings into aportable arresting gear. One Marine F4D-1 demonstrated "over the shoulder" atomic-delivery attack (complete with a detonated"Little Peachy"); eight Marine FJ-3 Furies, four Marine F4D-1 Skyrays and twelve Navy F9F-8 Cougars combined in a strafingand rocket attack; four Marine HRS-4 helicopters brought in ground troops, one HOE-1 Navy ramjet-tipped helicopter per-formed and eight FJ-3 and F4D-1 Marine craft dive-bombed. A parade of Navy training aircraft came next with a fly-by ofone T-34, one T-28C, one TT-1 (a new Temco trainer), one TV-2 and one F9F-8T. The Navy-Marine part of the Air Show wasended with the appearance of the Blue Angels flying F9F-8 Cougars. Their performance this year was by far the best theyhad ever done, but it was hopelessly outclassed when compared to the Air Force Thunderbirds in their new Super Sabres. If theAngels hope to continue their fine performances they will have to be provided with more modern aircraft than the Cougars they arenow using. It was hinted that they would be getting Douglas F4D-ls or even the newer Douglas F5D-ls or Chance VoughtF8U-ls—despite the Angels' tradition of using Grumman aircraft, for it seems that die Grumman "bag of cats" is empty.A 15-minute intermission followed the appearance of the Blue Angels, and during this time the Phillips 66 Orchestra playedspasms of popular tunes while prominent guests were introduced to the crowd. Movie star James Stewart put in his appearance andguest-announced most of the S.A.C. pan in the flying display. Jimmy also professed his undying love for the Boeing B-36 when-ever he could. The Air Force had planned to open their part of the Air Showwith eight Super Sabres producing a sonic boom as they swept over the airfield in single file; but in view of the ban they had tocontent themselves and the crowd by substituting a loud bang with fireworks. On the following two days die lead aircraftmanaged to slip a boom into the programme, but the seven following aircraft carefully stayed widiin the subsonic range andthe lone report was overlooked by the officials. The flying display put forth by the Air Force this year was muchthe same as in 1955 at Philadelphia, but they managed to have more of all types in the air. The Lockheed F-104A Starfighterwas the only entirely new aircraft to be included, a pair of them being based at Tinker A.F.B. 20 miles away, under guard so thatnewsmen and photographers could not get near them. Opening the Air Force contribution were the aforementioned The ZSG-4 blimp and the Cessna T-37 jet trainer. A Sikorsky H-34 of the US. Army. Outsize stores on a Douglas Skyraider of the U.S. Navy.
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