Falcon H, Bubba

Liftoff is 5:26 into the Video - They're Going to Make Space Exciting Again!

When I was just a boy, we went to the Moon. Shortly after I graduated from high school, we went to the Moon for the (until sometime in the future) last time. I vividly recall the moment that Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon. That was nearly 45 years ago. Almost a Half Century. On occasion, I wonder if we have peaked and are on a long, slow decline like that which resulted in the demise of the Roman Empire. Even to this day, the Saturn V Rocket remains the most powerful launch vehicle that mankind has ever produced. At launch, it put out just under 8 million pounds of thrust and put as much as 310,000 pounds into low Earth orbit. In the times since before any of my children were born, newsworthy space travel consisted of Space Shuttle explosions.

However, events such as yesterday's SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch give me hope that our greatest times may still lie ahead. While the Falcon Heavy has less than half the payload of the Saturn V, it is a major step back into the Future. SpaceX is a company that I've never worked for, though I worked in what is now their Hawthorne facility when Northrop produced 747 structure there and I also worked for Rocketdyne when they were designing the Space Shuttle engines. John Glenn was a part of our extended family and my father worked on the Saturn V for Boeing. I pay a lot of attention to what goes on with humanity's reach into space. You might say it's in my blood.

The movie, "The Right Stuff" had a phrase spoken when someone did well. I recall it as "Fuckin A, Bubba!" Well, now we can say "Falcon H, Bubba." It may be more polite, but it is entirely accurate and we can all look forward to seeing what comes next. I know that SpaceX is planning a larger rocket, known as the "BFR." I won't speculate on what BFR might be an acronym for, but I'll guess it is in the same spirit as the bubba comments in "The Right Stuff." When the BFR launches, we will finally go beyond what we accomplished with the Saturn V back in 1967.

Yup, perhaps our best days DO lie ahead, though probably none of our astronauts that went to the Moon will see mankind first set foot on Mars.

Redemption

From My Post, "Still Unloved"

Some know that I worked at Northrop for many years. Nearly 25 years ago, Northrop lost the "ATF" fighter competition to a combination of what is now Lockheed Martin and Boeing. I watched Dick Cheney make the announcement at 1:20 PM on April 23, 1991, live on CNN. It really hurt a lot. We put up signs around the area that said "Will Design the World's Most Advanced Fighter Jet for Food."

Today, we were redeemed.

News announcement in the Seattle Times, HERE. The LA Times announced it HERE. This is the largest contract award in at least a decade and perhaps in a generation.

In contrast to 1991, I did not see anything on CNN about the award, and even HLN had Nancy Grace on.

While I feel badly for Boeing, redemption is sweet. Jack Northrop and TV Jones are probably both smiling from their graves.

25 Years From Flight to Flight

Yesterday marked Canada Day and the first flight of the Bell Helicopter 525 Relentless in Amarillo, Texas. I do not know if this was coincidence or intent. I was fortunate to work on that program for much of its early development, though I was unable to see its first flight in person. It was one of the few “completely brand new” developments that most engineers get to see in their careers nowadays. It was a collaboration of the Bell sites in Texas and in Canada, as well as many suppliers. The first flight is shown below.

A while back I got to see “my own” previous first flight of a “completely brand new” aircraft. It was the YF-23 Black Widow II. It’s first flight will be 25 years ago next month (August 27). Its first flight is shown below. The quality isn’t as good since it was my own video shot at the event at Edwards AFB. Less than a year later, we had signs up around our area saying “will design the world’s most advanced fighter jet for food.” I pray the Bell 525 works out a lot better. Only time will tell. 

Passing of an Era

Thomas Victor Jones, with YF-17 Model before it Evolved into the F-18

As is always the case, the end of a year is marked by news agencies summarizing notable people who passed away during the year. Among these articles reviewing 2014, there is at least one giant name missing; Thomas Victor Jones. You see, Tom Jones was the last of a breed in the aerospace industry that we are not likely to see again in our time. Some might not think that a bad thing, but it also probably means less future innovation in that same industry. The photo, above, comes from the LA Times Obituary. Perhaps it is ironic that Ralph Vartebedian wrote it - Ralph was a thorn in Jones's side for many years.

Northrop F-5 at Boeing Museum

In the first half century of aviation, most companies funded a major portion of new aircraft from their own resources. Northrop Corporation was one such. When I started work there, Jack Northrop was still alive, though frail. The CEO was Tom Jones. He made his name by pushing for the T-38 and F-5, aircraft that are still in service today more than 50 years later. He also pushed to get Northrop into the unmanned aircraft business. The mostly Northrop-funded YF-17 later developed into the F/A-18 on his watch and is still being built. It was a point of pride at Northrop that almost ALL the company facilities were company owned. More commonly, the US Government owned large aircraft facilities. Northrop was different under Jones. We purchased license plate holders that said: "Northrop Aircraft Division, a Good Place to Work" at the company store.

Less well known is that Northrop, again under Tom’s watch, played a major role in funding and supporting Boeing (his son just passed away as noted HERE) in the development of the original 747. I’ve been told that Northrop built and owned many of the original tools for that aircraft until Boeing later purchased them back. Certainly, Jones’s support of stealth research and guidance systems directly led to Northrop’s B-2, Peacekeeper missile and YF-23, and there is much more.

It was the F-20 that truly showed him as having the spirit of a Mississippi river boat gambler. It also led to his downfall. For those not familiar with the F-20, it started life as the “F-5G.” The F-5G was Northrop’s response to a Carter Administration initiative to have US companies privately develop fighters for export to friendly countries that were outside the NATO/Israel umbrella. Well, to make a long story short, Northrop spent $1.25 billion of its own money only to find its potential market completely undercut by that same US Government. It then got to spend hundreds of millions more on the ATF competition. Jones went away from Northrop and the last Mississippi river boat gambler was gone by 1990. You can read the whole, sordid story, HERE. Not long after he left, the City of Hawthorne renamed "Thomas Victor Jones Park" to "Holly Park." Sheesh.

Unlike Jack Northrop, who was pretty much despondent when the US killed off his flying wings and ordered them cut up, Tom Jones went into an elegant retirement. He founded Moraga Vineyards around his mansion in Bel Air, California. Moraga is the most expensive vineyard property on the planet. In 2013, he sold the place to Rupert Murdoch (yes, THAT Murdoch) and remained in the house itself until his death in early 2014. We will not see his like again soon. Perhaps it is fitting that the Moraga property once belonged to Victor Fleming who directed “Gone With the Wind.” Maybe Jones was a bit inspired by Rhett Butler.

From the Moraga site, a Low Key Note of Tom's

Still Unloved

First Prototype of Northrop YF-5A on Display at Seattle's Museum of Flight

Recently, I was reminded of a story that’s little known in American aviation. It’s the story of the Northrop F-5. In many ways, it’s a story of success despite the “big guys.” You see, the F-5 is a plane the US didn’t want.

"On Loan" - a California Plane in a Seattle Museum

In the 1950’s, Air Force (and Stuart Symington) killed the flying wing, soon thereafter, Jack Northrop left the management of the Northrop Corporation and Thomas Victor Jones took over. Jones was the CEO when I went to work for Northrop and Jack was retired. One of the things the new management pushed was the development of an aircraft that was MUCH lighter, cheaper, and arguably BETTER than the heavy “Century” series of the time – IMO, Jones had a temperment not far different than Jack Northrop combined with a Mississippi river boat gambler. The result was the N156. This aircraft ultimately developed into the T-38 supersonic trainer and the F-5 lightweight fighter. In further developments that I won’t try to go into in this post, later evolved into the F/A-18 and the Iranian “Saeqeh” of today. It ALMOST became the F-20 Tigershark and the F-18L, the last attempts by any US corporation to develop an advanced aircraft privately.

The US Air Force favored the T-38 as a low-cost supersonic trainer, but turned its nose up at the idea of a fighter that could operate at FAR lower cost and FAR higher readiness at the cost of the ultimate bit of performance. The US Navy thought better of such a concept for their “Escort carriers,” but escort carriers were about to vanish and soon the “lightweight fighter” became the illegitimate child nobody wanted to claim. Fortunately, some realized that parts of the world might want a fighter that required less maintenance and the F-5 was born when Kennedy was president. The first ones were known as the “YF-5A.”

Ultimately, more than 3800 T-38 and F-5 aircraft were produced, though the US Air Force never became a significant operator of the F-5, using them only to simulate enemy aircraft in their “Aggressor” squadrons. Thirty years after the last F-5 aircraft were produced, 25 countries still operate them including countries such as Switzerland. Even the US Air Force still operates the T-38 as its primary supersonic training aircraft and will do so until the aircraft approaches 80 years of service. T-38 aircraft are operated at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls (site of the HH100), among other places. The surviving prototype F-5, the YF-5A, was displayed for a while in the Air Force Museum annex. Some websites claim it is still there. However, I was surprised and heartened to see it in a prominent place in Seattle at the Museum of Flight (MOF). The display indicated it was “on loan” from the US AirForce Museum. I guess the Air Force still doesn’t really want the F-5 enough to keep it on display at its own locale unless under some disguise.

While the YF-5A itself never had any Seattle connection I know of, Jack Northrop DID have same. You see, a previous Northrop Corporation (Avion) was owned by Boeing and the MOF does mention these. In corporate rearrangements, Jack was told he’d have to relocate to Wichita. His response was, well, impolite and soon Jack didn’t work for Boeing any more. The MOF doesn’t talk about THAT aspect of the connection. Nowadays, a LATER Northrop Grumman company is based in places OTHER than Wichita, and it ALSO had and has many connections with Boeing. Again, a future post…



NORAIR Became "Northrop Aircraft Division - A Good Place to Work. Now on Display at the Seattle Museum of Flight

 

Oldfool Leads to the Lost Ark

It's strange how sometimes we pick up stuff from the Internet that the authors never intended. A recent post on the excellent blog "Oldfool" is a case in point. You see, it led me to find out where one of the largest treasure troves of Southern California and, indeed United States aviation history has wound up. In fact, a modern day "Ark of the Covenant" to an aeronautical engineer such as myself.

The trail started here. Within that post, was the comment

"...college at the Northrup institute of Technology in Inglewood, California."

That comment caused me to reflect on my own association with Northrop University, where I co-taught a composites design course for a number of years. I still remember the photo of Jack Northrop in the library. THAT caused me to peruse Wikipedia, where I found what I already knew: Northrop University was no more. My recollection varied from Wikipedia a bit, with the law school playing a more prominent role in my memory about the downward spiral, but basically, the place went kaput as described here.

Still, the Wikipedia article raised a question: "What happened to the aviation collections?" Specifically the "American Hall of Aviation" and the "David Hatfield" collection. It seems to me that the vanishing of collections with a half million pieces would leave a trace somewhere. A half million pieces of aviation history. GONE! It was like the mystery of the Ark of the Covenant, as popularized by a movie, entitled "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Like an Internet version of Indiana Jones, I started to search on the topic. It was pretty quick that I discovered that Northrop University has more or less been taken over by a pretty good Charter High School. On their web site, there was nary a word about what happened to either the American Hall of Aviation OR the David Hatfield Collection. Hmm.

Northrop Institute of Technology, Transformed into a Very Good Charter High School - Via Google Streetview

Looking futher, the trail led to a former Lockheed employee by the name of Carol Osborne. Due to her interest in the whole thing, she inherited some of the artifacts and was named as the executor of the collection.

Carol Osborne, Surrounded by Amelia Earheart's Sister and Bobbi Trout. In 1987 Via 2009 Airport Journals

It happened this way: from "Airport Journals"

Although Northrop University campus still exists, its doors were closed in 2003. Many of the historical pieces that were located in the library are now in storage and owned by the Museum of Flight or Osborne. The AHAH library was legendary to aviation and Hollywood.

Prof. Hatfield had a passion for aviation history and had already authored 12 books, from mythology to his "Pioneers of Aviation: A Photo-Biography" series. By the 1980s, Hatfield was producing a series of videotapes called the "History of Flight," chronicling the subject from ancient times to the exploration of space, all for the purpose of educating young people and future generations. He was amazed with the new technology. When Hatfield passed away at the age of 77, he left behind his aviation history and videotaping equipment to an astonished Carol Osborne. It changed her life.

Besides uncounted thousands of photos, the collections included interviews with over 450 aviation pioneers before their passing. Over a dozen had their licenses signed by Orville Wright. Yes, THAT Wright brother. It is an irreplaceable collection. Video interviews with the pioneers at the very beginning of aviation. Mostly, these are people connected with Southern California.

The question remains, however, "what happened to all this stuff?"

The "Airport Journals" article offered a clue. Namely, the "Museum of Flight." But WHICH Museum of Flight. I first went to the logical ones in Southern California, but found no joy there. I saw a few mentions of the collection, but nothing about where it resided.

Almost by chance, I happened upon a Southern California website that provided insight into the mystery. Here, it stated:

Carol Osborne explains that, as Dr. Hatfield's Executor, she only dealt with his personal property.

The large Northrop University / American Hall of Aviation History collection went first to Santa Monica 'Museum of Flying' and then to Seattle 'Museum of Flight'.

I don't understand why our local Southern California aviation history is in a truck cargo container, un inventoried after years. It should be here, in our area, where we will take care of it and display it.

The similarity with the movie became obvious. Hence the video clip below, though instead of the "government guy," we could substitute the "Boeing Museum Guy" instead.

Still, there is hope for the aviation legacy of California, hidden away in a Seattle museum. From the "MUSEUM OF FLIGHT" web pages, we find references to both collections, though neither is available to the general public. Specifically, the links are below:

THE HATFIELD COLLECTION
&
MORE, DISGUISED AS NORTHROP and other DOCUMENTS

ABC Quick Check is More Than Just the Bike



You KNOW It's a Bad Sign When YESTERDAY's Bike Track is Still Prominent

I've written here many times about my misadventures with "ABC QUICK CHECK." In truth, those problems really validate WHY one ought to be checking stuff and, more often than not, the misadventure consists of finding something before getting 20 miles from home. In my own riding, I include an element usually omitted from lectures on the subject - a little check ride. Before getting on the bike, all systems are checked, as in the video at the bottom of this post. The extra little check ride, before pushing the bike, adds a validation of the basic check by spending just the start of a ride in validating that everything really IS OK. I like redundancy when I can get it and the check ride confirms the results of the basic ABC. Usually.

The Local Road Surface This Morning. It May Not be Deep, But it IS Really Slick - Literally

I LOVE This Headlight, But it Didn't Save me from a Slick Patch



Safety-Oriented Cyclist Concludes that When a Fall Breaks Parts and Knocks the Chain Off the Chainring,
it Might Be Difficult to Operate Predictably

This morning, it illustrated that the check ride is about more than just the bike. As you know, from my post yesterday on "Second Pass of the Luftwaffe," things are a little slippery around North Texas at the moment. Looking outside, it was apparent that the check ride might be more a test of the road than the bike. For the first time in recent memory, my "A" portion of the "ABC" consisted of letting some air out of the tires to improve traction. To make a short story even shorter, while initally things looked pretty sweet - even to the point that brakes actually slowed things down (something you can't actually check in icy conditions without at least a token check ride and which did NOT happen yesterday), even the mighty P7 light was unable to save me from a fall that busted the plastic cable lock holder (not really a major loss) and caused my chain to jump off the chainwheel. I'm really glad I was riding with my feet OUT of the toe clips. I elected to walk home, as the prospect of touching the freezing chain with bare fingers was less than appealing, as was the prospect of rerailing the chain directly with a gloved hand. It's an advantage of an "around the block" check ride - one need not deal with on-road failures. The light enabled me to find the various bits in the dark, but prudence suggested another Land Rover commute was in order. Still, that check ride opened up the flight envelope a little. Dan G, the LCI demoing the ABC below is fond of noting that we "drive" our bikes. Well, today, I rode it to see if it WAS drivable. That check convinced me that I lacked confidence to operate the bike predictably, traffic or no.

As in flight test, cycling envelope expansion is sometimes a slow and very incremental process if one values safety. The end objective is the same in either case, to become better. Doncha just LOVE this weather? [insert quote from Gordon Cooper in "The Right Stuff" here, but this blog doesn't use that language]

Pilot of Northrop F-5E Tiger II Expands the Envelope Incrementally - from Wikipedia

HH100 Report - Sheppard AFB

Entry to Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls Texas, on HH100 Day

Last year, I really didn't have much of anything to say about the "Hotter 'N Hell 100" rally, as noted here. This year, it seems things are quite different. So different, in fact, that I shall divvy up the HH100 into several reports. First up, this year, rather than riding the whole hundred again in frigid sub-100 conditions, I decided to take the shortcut from Hell's Gate and include Sheppard AFB in my itinerary. It was a good choice. If you ride the full 100 miles, you'd miss this and it is not something you really want to miss. It is included in all the other ride distances.

By the way, some of you may not know, but the Air Force is the most enlightened and sensible of the Armed Forces. Even those that come from the Marines will admit there's compelling logic about an Armed Service that keeps the enlisted men on base while sending the officers out to fight.

Right Inside the Sheppard AFB Gate, You are Greeted by the Iconic Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. The Last of These Rolled off the Production Line in 1962

Turn Right and You'll See Sheppard Planes on Display, Including an All-Time Favorite, the Northrop T-38. Including F-5 Models, Over 3500 were Built.

They Also Have Other Planes on Display

Look in Front of the C-130 Hercules and You'll See Ladies in Pink with Wings on Their Backs. They Were a Favorite With the USAF Personnel

As You Can See, We Were Allowed Good Views of the Planes, and Flight Crew Answered Questions, as About this A-10 Warthog

Continuing Along, Past an F-111 Display, We Were About to See the Treat for the Day

We Got to Run a Friendly Gauntlet of Cheering Sheppard Airmen Who Were as Enthusiastic as it Looks

A LONG Gauntlet!

At Sheppard, as Elsewhere, the Water Tower
Lets You Know the Next Landmark in Advance

Still Get the Thrill

(Original of photo and lots more F-5 info may be found here)

On the bike commute home recently, seen in the skies above Fort Worth Alliance Airport, a Northrop F-5 flew overhead several times. The F-5 is my second-favorite fighter of all time. I still cheer whenever I see one. When I saw "Top Gun," I rooted for the "Migs." My first job at Northrop, in 1978, was working on composite parts for the F-5 and T-38.

There are definite common threads between aviation and cycling. To adapt a famous aviation quote from Captain A. G. Lamplugh, substituting "bicycling" for "aviation" and "motoring" for "the sea," we get:

"Bicycling in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than motoring, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect."

I still get a thrill bicycle commuting as well. We're headed into one of the best times of the year for it as Labor Day approaches. Aviation and cycling are both safe and fun. Both are best approached with recognition that the safety is dependent on the pilot. Thanks to the aviation and cycling "Johns" that gifted this to me...

POSTSCRIPT - ADDED SUNDAY

For those somewhat interested in aviation, the photo shows a clear application of the Whitcomb Area Rule. Note the narrow waist of the F-5. This is to reduce total cross section of the combined body and wing where the wing makes things "fat." The F-5 is an early application of this rule and substantially reduces transonic drag. For a much later application, note how the "hump" of the 747-400 fairs out as the wing starts. Personally, I think it adds to the beauty of the F-5. It certainly has added to its longevity, now 50 years and counting. The 747 has also proven to be long lived, now at over 40 years with a new model just coming out...