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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1574.PDF
5 June 1959 771 second-largest U.S.A.F. installation in the world, but maintainsauthority over some 11,000 uncomplaining airmen and employees. Conditions are vastly improved. Arriving at 1300,1 saw a Boeing KC-135 tanker pass overhead,its fuelling boom secured to a giant B-52G. Saturday's events were generally limited to the personnel working at the base, theirfamilies, and invited guests. Some 20,000 spectators were on hand, swarming over the brilliant white expanse of the ramp like antsin search of food. In many respects, the Edwards show was more overwhelming than the Las Vegas event. Between the elaborateaircraft park and formal displays—appearing almost toy-like— in the enormous maintenance and modification hangar, the numberand variety of aircraft/missiles on exhibition overshadowed the World Congress displays. Sonic booms from an F-104A streaking overhead at Mach 2and from a diving F-100D shattered the air and rattled the incon- "McDonnell's spanking-new Model 779.. ." (at Edwards above); below, the bulbous Convair R4Y-1 employed at Point Mugu on countermeasures ceivably large maintenance/modification hangar. In groups andindividually, the jets and turboprops streamed by at brief intervals: F-86s, T-33s, F-lOOs, a rolling McDonnell F-101B two-seater,Convair's TF-102A trainer, stub-winged F-104As, a thunderous F-105B, four tandem-seat F-106Bs, a B-57, Douglas's C-133A, anew Lockheed C-130B, and others. A delightful slow-flying demonstration of a gleaming new HelioL-28 Courier was followed by a Sud-Aviation S.O. 1221 Djinn helicopter performing a full repertoire of low-level aerobatics.And then, unbelievably, it happened. As Capt. William Lake finished his final manoeuvre, the Djinn pitched downward from100ft and crashed directly in front of the official visitors' boxes. The pilot died from the impact and fire that followed. This, thefirst accident at an AFFTC event in ten years, shocked and saddened the crowd. Sunday morning dawned bright and clear, giving me an oppor-tunity to study all aircraft on static display without interruption. Most military types exhibited at the recent Las Vegas spectaclewere in evidence—bold evidence, for nearly every airplane was decorated with gay patterns of fluorescent orange paint. But manytypes peculiar to the needs of the test center had not been in "An F-102A engine test-bed with its retractable G.E. J85 jet pod . . ." evidence at the World Congress of Flight. These comprised anF-102A engine test-bed with its retractable G. E. J85 jet pod, a red RB-66A with CJ-805 commercial turbojets (incorporatingsound suppressors), McDonnell's spanking-new Model 119 and dazzling-hued F4H-1, a Vought F8U-1M with ventral fins andafterburner cooling (a la F8U-2), the F-107A of NASA, one Lockheed Jetstar, a JF-101A for J79-engine development flights,a Doak 16, a modified Vertol 76 (VZ-2), and the revised Bell XV-3. Others included a giant C-133A named Ol' Smokey, a new C-130B,Douglas A3D-2 and the tired old A4D-1 used for 275 test missions. Prominent at the end of the display area—encompassing only afragment of the vast ramp at North Base—was the Boeing NB-52A-1-BO dominating the surprisingly long X-15 (completewith the XLR-11 rocket motors). In the maintenance and modification hangar key exhibitsincluded a regular-type Atlas missile on its transportation trailer. Conveniently arranged for spectator viewing were all three Rocket-dyne propulsion units removed from the cylindrical body. A twice- wrecked F-104A—now scheduled for conversion to a QF dronefunction, according to an informative technician—appeared to be in relatively good condition. Accident photographs on an adjacentpanel attested to the ruggedness of the airframe. Another hour of flying events followed after a midday meal;pilots taxied their mounts past the tired but happy audience, and another week-end of festivities gradually dissolved in the face ofapproaching evening winds. Remembering the old Air Corps events at Selfridge Field, Michigan, circa 1934, I could not helpfeeling impressed with the growth of air power. ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY WARREN BODIE Three curious VTOL machines: the Doak 16 (below), the much-revised Bell XV-3 (below right) and the nose of the Vertol 76 (above)
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