Aircraft
BOMB OR ICBM
The problem was that Curtis LeMay had become an altered man. The young colonel who had been so open-minded and keen to learn that he had risked personal humiliation by convening all-ranks, freewheeling criticism sessions in the mess hall after a raid on Nazi-occupied Europe had become the four-star general who was no longer willing to hear anything that did…
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Sukhoi Su-22M – Poland
History In 1956 the Sukhoi design bureau created its first tactical jet bomber, the Su-7, a modern-looking machine built in large numbers to offset its relative simplicity. It was a capable fighter-bomber and ruggedly built but also somewhat underpowered. Moreover, it suffered from long runway rolls and rather short range.…
IAI Kfir
Kfir C2 The Kfir resulted from Israel’s attempt to sever its traditional dependency upon France for military aircraft. It was a feat of considerable engineering and placed that country in the forefront of aviation technology. Since acquiring independence in 1947, the state of Israel relied heavily upon French patronage for…
Consolidated B-24 Liberator in RAF service
Used as an electronic warfare aircraft, this Liberator B. Mk IV flew with No. 223 Sqn, RAF. Flying in ahead of bombing formations, these aircraft jammed German ground and night fighter radars. Although the B-24 Liberator shared the honours with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of being the principal…
Ryan Aeronautical Firebee Drones I
First steps Another important development was taking place at the time. In 1959 Ryan Aeronautical (later Teledyne Ryan) carried out a study to look at how it might extend the range of its Firebee drones and convert them into a reconnaissance platform. The launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite had…
Ryan Aeronautical Firebee Drones II
The three specially-modified UMA were deployed to Vietnam under Operation UNITED EFFORT. Overheating caused all three of the SIGINT packages to fail on their first missions. After modifications in the United States they were returned to Vietnam. The UMA involved was called the Model 147E, a variant of the Ryan…
Tupolev Tu-16/Xian H-6
A Xian H-6K bomber One of Russia’s first effective jet bombers, the Tupolev Tu-16 has enjoyed a frontline service career matched by few other types. The Tu-16 was made possible by the development of the Mikulin AM-3 turbojet, which also powered the four engined Myasishchyev M-4 ‘Bison’. A prototype designated…