Okla-homey
2/26/2007, 07:22 AM
February 26, 1949 Lucky Lady II begins nonstop global flight
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/4136/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz0399lucky.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
58 years ago today, launching from her home base of Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, texass, the Lucky Lady II, a B-50 Superfortress, takes off on the first nonstop round-the-world flight.
Under the command of Captain James Gallagher, and featuring a crew of 14 men, the aircraft averaged 249 miles per hour on its 23,452-mile trek. The Lucky Lady II was refueled four times in the air by B-29 tanker planes and on March 2 returned to the United States after 94 hours in the air.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4593/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzb508gr.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The Boeing B-50 "Superfortress" was essentially an enhanced version of the B-29 that had been used effectively late in WWII to bomb the crap out of Japan. B-50's were 99 feet long and could carry a ten ton bomb load. Four honking engines cranked out 14,000 horsepower
To preserve the illusion that the flight was nothing out of the ordinary, the Air Force worked out an elaborate system for filing dummy flight plans. The Lady was to switch tail numbers with a tanker at each refueling point to give the impression that it was going only a short distance. The Air Force wanted to be able to publicize a spectacular success, not have to explain a costly failure.
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/518/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzb501ov.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
A B-50 airborne in the mid-1950's. B-50's remained in the USAF inventory until replaced by the B-52 "Stratofortress" around 1957. B-52's are still in the USAF inventory in 2006 and as such, hold the record as the longest-lived flying weapon system ever devised.
After taking off from Ft Worth on this day 58 years ago, the B-50 flew east. The first refueling began over the Azores off the coast of Spain that first morning. It took two hours, during which time the bomber and the tanker remained linked and had to maintain a tight formation. It was tiring work.
Later that day, the Lady flew past Gibraltar and across the Sahara Desert. The next morning, it made its second refueling over Saudi Arabia. This time, the transfer was complicated by turbulence as the airplanes moved through a line of thunderstorms. The operation went off without incident, but, as the B-50's log noted, the crew members were beginning to show signs of fatigue.
Heavy weather over the Philippines made the third refueling difficult as well and the operation had other problems. First, a chain on the refuleing tanker's hose reel broke and had to be repaired. Then, a tanker returning to Clark let down too soon and crashed, killing all aboard.
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/213/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzkb50jf1017gq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
A KB-29 refueling tanker doing its thing filling up a flight of F-101 "Voodoo's" in the mid-50's. KB-29's were modified B-29's. Note: the form of refueling involving the "probe and drogue" system seen here and also used on the Lucky Lady II was replaced by the flying boom system later.
Here, too, the effort to disguise the nature of the flight almost failed. One of the tankers out of Clark had filed a flight plan for Honolulu, intending to switch tail numbers so the Lady could fly that leg undetected. When a sharp-eyed operations officer at Clark realized the distance was beyond the range of the KB-29 tanker, however, he tried to recall the airplane. He was talked out of it and the Air Force's cover story remained intact.
Bad weather followed the Lucky Lady crew to Hawaii and beyond. The fourth refueling was complicated again by mechanical problems, and crew fatigue aboard the Lady had increased. Still, the B-50 continued to perform well and the end of their ordeal was in sight.
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/8448/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzkb298oc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The flying boom system seen here on the tail of a KB-29 eventually replaced the "probe and drogue" system for official USAF use because it was faster and gas could be forcefully passed at much higher rates than was possible with the "probe and drogue" system. This system involves a "boom operator" in the rear of the plane who actually "flies" the boom into position over the receiver aircraft's refueling receptacle whereupon he inserts the probe and begins to pass the gas.
The crew saw their fourth sunrise over El Paso, Texas, and at 9:22 a.m. on March 2, the Lady circled Carswell AFB and landed. On hand to greet her were not only Curtis LeMay but Air Force Secretary Stuart Symington, Chief of Staff Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, and a number of other dignitaries. And, when it had become clear that the mission was going to succeed, the media had been alerted, so the welcoming group included reporters and photographers.
Each crew member was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the mission. Together, they later received the MacKay Trophy, given annually for the most meritorious flight of the year by an Air Force member, members, or organization.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/9485/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz0399lucky22a.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Post-flight recognition for the crew
The main point of the stunt was to demonstrate to the Soviets that the Air Force's land-based bombers could reach any spot on Earth. The significance of that fact was not lost on the media. The Associated Press noted that potential enemies "may reason that no single one of their cities, should war come, would be safe."
In December 1986, Voyager, a lightweight propeller plane, landed at Edwards Air Force Base in Muroc, California, having completed the first global flight without refueling. Flown by Richard G. Rutan and Jeana L. Yeager, it was made of plastic and paper and carried more than five times its own weight in fuel. That trip took nine days and, by then, astronauts were circling the Earth in 90 minutes and several had circumnavigated the moon.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/3227/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzvoyager2my.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Dick Rutan's "Voyager" --first to fly around the world non-stop without refueling
Today, the flight of Lucky Lady II is ancient history. Its commander retired from the Air Force as a colonel. SAC itself disappeared in an Air Force reorganization. The Lady herself was all but destroyed in an accident not long after the world flight. Her fuselage was salvaged and toured for a time as a recruiting exhibit before going on display at an air museum in Chino, Calif.
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/8954/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz02pofb5025tq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
All that's left of Lucky Lady II is a section of fuselage on display at the Chino, CA "Planes of Fame" museum.
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/4136/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz0399lucky.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
58 years ago today, launching from her home base of Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, texass, the Lucky Lady II, a B-50 Superfortress, takes off on the first nonstop round-the-world flight.
Under the command of Captain James Gallagher, and featuring a crew of 14 men, the aircraft averaged 249 miles per hour on its 23,452-mile trek. The Lucky Lady II was refueled four times in the air by B-29 tanker planes and on March 2 returned to the United States after 94 hours in the air.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4593/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzb508gr.gif (http://imageshack.us)
The Boeing B-50 "Superfortress" was essentially an enhanced version of the B-29 that had been used effectively late in WWII to bomb the crap out of Japan. B-50's were 99 feet long and could carry a ten ton bomb load. Four honking engines cranked out 14,000 horsepower
To preserve the illusion that the flight was nothing out of the ordinary, the Air Force worked out an elaborate system for filing dummy flight plans. The Lady was to switch tail numbers with a tanker at each refueling point to give the impression that it was going only a short distance. The Air Force wanted to be able to publicize a spectacular success, not have to explain a costly failure.
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/518/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzb501ov.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
A B-50 airborne in the mid-1950's. B-50's remained in the USAF inventory until replaced by the B-52 "Stratofortress" around 1957. B-52's are still in the USAF inventory in 2006 and as such, hold the record as the longest-lived flying weapon system ever devised.
After taking off from Ft Worth on this day 58 years ago, the B-50 flew east. The first refueling began over the Azores off the coast of Spain that first morning. It took two hours, during which time the bomber and the tanker remained linked and had to maintain a tight formation. It was tiring work.
Later that day, the Lady flew past Gibraltar and across the Sahara Desert. The next morning, it made its second refueling over Saudi Arabia. This time, the transfer was complicated by turbulence as the airplanes moved through a line of thunderstorms. The operation went off without incident, but, as the B-50's log noted, the crew members were beginning to show signs of fatigue.
Heavy weather over the Philippines made the third refueling difficult as well and the operation had other problems. First, a chain on the refuleing tanker's hose reel broke and had to be repaired. Then, a tanker returning to Clark let down too soon and crashed, killing all aboard.
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/213/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzkb50jf1017gq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
A KB-29 refueling tanker doing its thing filling up a flight of F-101 "Voodoo's" in the mid-50's. KB-29's were modified B-29's. Note: the form of refueling involving the "probe and drogue" system seen here and also used on the Lucky Lady II was replaced by the flying boom system later.
Here, too, the effort to disguise the nature of the flight almost failed. One of the tankers out of Clark had filed a flight plan for Honolulu, intending to switch tail numbers so the Lady could fly that leg undetected. When a sharp-eyed operations officer at Clark realized the distance was beyond the range of the KB-29 tanker, however, he tried to recall the airplane. He was talked out of it and the Air Force's cover story remained intact.
Bad weather followed the Lucky Lady crew to Hawaii and beyond. The fourth refueling was complicated again by mechanical problems, and crew fatigue aboard the Lady had increased. Still, the B-50 continued to perform well and the end of their ordeal was in sight.
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/8448/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzkb298oc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The flying boom system seen here on the tail of a KB-29 eventually replaced the "probe and drogue" system for official USAF use because it was faster and gas could be forcefully passed at much higher rates than was possible with the "probe and drogue" system. This system involves a "boom operator" in the rear of the plane who actually "flies" the boom into position over the receiver aircraft's refueling receptacle whereupon he inserts the probe and begins to pass the gas.
The crew saw their fourth sunrise over El Paso, Texas, and at 9:22 a.m. on March 2, the Lady circled Carswell AFB and landed. On hand to greet her were not only Curtis LeMay but Air Force Secretary Stuart Symington, Chief of Staff Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, and a number of other dignitaries. And, when it had become clear that the mission was going to succeed, the media had been alerted, so the welcoming group included reporters and photographers.
Each crew member was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the mission. Together, they later received the MacKay Trophy, given annually for the most meritorious flight of the year by an Air Force member, members, or organization.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/9485/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz0399lucky22a.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Post-flight recognition for the crew
The main point of the stunt was to demonstrate to the Soviets that the Air Force's land-based bombers could reach any spot on Earth. The significance of that fact was not lost on the media. The Associated Press noted that potential enemies "may reason that no single one of their cities, should war come, would be safe."
In December 1986, Voyager, a lightweight propeller plane, landed at Edwards Air Force Base in Muroc, California, having completed the first global flight without refueling. Flown by Richard G. Rutan and Jeana L. Yeager, it was made of plastic and paper and carried more than five times its own weight in fuel. That trip took nine days and, by then, astronauts were circling the Earth in 90 minutes and several had circumnavigated the moon.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/3227/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzvoyager2my.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Dick Rutan's "Voyager" --first to fly around the world non-stop without refueling
Today, the flight of Lucky Lady II is ancient history. Its commander retired from the Air Force as a colonel. SAC itself disappeared in an Air Force reorganization. The Lady herself was all but destroyed in an accident not long after the world flight. Her fuselage was salvaged and toured for a time as a recruiting exhibit before going on display at an air museum in Chino, Calif.
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/8954/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz02pofb5025tq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
All that's left of Lucky Lady II is a section of fuselage on display at the Chino, CA "Planes of Fame" museum.