Douglas A3D Skywarrior Photos and Info

A few factory photos of the Douglas A3D Skywarrior and several fact sheets.

Download here or here (52.2 Megs)

An Overview of Autogyros and the McDonnell XV-1 Convertiplane

NASA/CR booklet No. 2003-212799, An Overview of Autogyros and the McDonnell XV-1 Convertiplane, dated October 2003. Written by Franklin D. Harris. Credit: NASA.

Download here or here or here (13.9 Megs)

Military Aviation of Russia (Central Air Force Museum at Monino)

A description of all the exhibits in the Russian Monino Museum. Lots of nice details. Dated 2008.

Download here or here or here (36.7 Megs)

Bell P-63 Kingcobra Flight Manual

A poor xerox of the Bell Company preliminary Flight Manual for the P-63 aircraft.

Download here  or here (36.6 Megs)

AV-16A/Pegasus 15 Advanced Harrier Report

McDonnell Aircraft report No. A2908, dated 30 May 1974, for the proposed advanced Harrier concept using the Pegasus 15 engine. Credit: The Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum

Download here or here or here (3.6 Megs)

Japanese Aircraft Booklet

An introduction to and descriptions of Japanese aircraft in WWII. Dated 1945. Written by John Stroud. Lots of good illustrations and marking info.

Download here or here or  here (16.7 Megs)

Lockheed P-3 Orion Article

A large (22 page) article on the Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft. From the MDC Phantom Flyer magazine. Written by Bob Pukala and Fred Roos. A background history and many colors and markings.

Download here or here or here

Northrop YF-18 Prototype Photos

Some Northrop YF-18 prototype photos taken at Edwards Air Foce Base by F. B. Mormillo.

Download here or here (18.5 Megs)

McDonnell Douglas AV-16 Advanced Harrier Article

An advanced Harrier proposal from 1973. The Advanced Harrier project gained the unofficial designation of AV-16 while Hawker Siddeley assigned the designation of P.1184 to it.

From Wikipedia: “In December 1973, a joint American and British team completed a project document defining an Advanced Harrier powered by the Pegasus 15 engine. The Advanced Harrier was intended to replace the original RAF and USMC Harriers, as well as the USMC's A-4. The aim of the Advanced Harrier was to double the AV-8's payload and range, and was therefore unofficially named AV-16. The British government pulled out of the project in March 1975 owing to decreased defense funding, rising costs, and the RAF's insufficient 60-aircraft requirement.[9][11][12] With development costs estimated to be around £180–200 million (1974 British pounds), the United States was unwilling to fund development by itself, and ended the project later that year.”

See article here

A very good Harrier development article is here

F-4 Modernization Program for the Twenty First Century

A copy of the McDonnell Douglas Proposal for the F-4 Modernization Program for the Twenty First Century, Vol III – Past Performance. Report MDC A8977, dated 4 January 1985.

Anyone have Vo I and II?

Download here or here or here (2.1 Megs)

North American P-51-5/Mustang IV Pilot’s Flight Operating Instructions

A copy of the AN 01-60JE-1 Pilot’s Flight Operating Instructions for the North American P-51D-5 and Mustang IV aircraft. Dated 5 April 1944.

Download here or here (32.2 Megs)

B-24D Liberator Flight Manual

A copy of the Consolidated Aircraft Company’s Flight Manual for the B-24D Liberator aircraft. Dated 15 September 1942.

Download here or here (34.6Megs)

Bell 47G Illustrated Parts Breakdown

A copy of the Bell Helicopter Company Illustrated Parts Breakdown for the 47G-5 and –5A helicopter. Dated 15 January 1981.

Download here or here

Blog Posting Note

After over four years of posting a new blog entry (1633 so far) everyday except vacations, I find that time and age are not my friends anymore!
Therefore, I will not publish a new blog entry on Saturdays or Sundays from now on.
Increasing family commitments and new ills are taking up the time I need to generate a new post each day!
Mr AA
BTW: As a reminder, this is what it takes to publish this material.
1. First, I have to find the material (Photos, articles, booklets; etc.) This takes a lot of time as I have 11 five-drawer file cabinets and 4 large book cases crammed with material!
2. Then the scanning, at an average of 2 min per scan - well, you do the math - another long process.
3. This is followed by dividing the scans into subject matter folders.
4. After that, each scan goes through a photo manipulation process (Think Photoshop) for cropping, sharpening, color balance and contrast correction, defect elimination; etc. Also, on pages that are larger than my scanner bed, I have to use stitching software to combine 2 or 3 scans into 1 image.
5. When I am happy with this outcome, I need to generate PDF's for some subjects and reduce the PDF size for up and downloading.
6. Next I have to upload the scans to an image service or my own website and obtain shortcut links for use in the blog.
7. The blog entry can now be written.
8. All is uploaded to the blog servers.
So, take a minute when you read a blog and appreciate all the (unpaid) work that goes into each entry!!

Note on My Image Holder PostImg message "server not found"

Postimg.org had a registry problem about a year ago and they had to move to Postimg.cc.
All photos are still available; but, the "CC" must be subtituted for "ORG" in the corresponding URL address to get to the proper place. (Hold cursor over link to get URL address or change in address line.) Postimg.org becomes Postimg.cc.
Also... any URLs with the prefix "old." need to have that removed completely as well. IE, old.postimg.org/ should be amended to postimg.cc
Let me know if I need to fix any links beyond the several dozen that I have already fixed.
Mr. AA

Bell X-3 Videos

Several videos of the Bell X-5 in flight. Credit: YouTube

Click here to download videos in one ZIP file (76.3 Megs)

F-4E Phantoms at DaNang Air Base

421st BLACK WIDOW F-4E’s at Udorn Air Base in Vietnam, circa 1969 . The squadron was briefly re-equipped with the RF-4C reconnaissance version of the Phantom, before being equipped with the F-4E, the last and most advanced version of the Phantom. Combat missions continued in Southeast Asia until the cease-fire on 28 January 1973, in Laos until February 1973, and in Cambodia until 15 August 1973. Credit: Tim White

Download photos as one ZIP file here or here (2.g Megs)

Douglas Skyraider Photos

A number of  photos of the Douglas Skyraider family. Credit: William Rudolph Collection.

Download here or here (4.9 Megs)

Aircraft Recognition for the Ground Observer

A copy of AF manual 355-10 covering Aircraft Recognition for the Ground Observer. LOTS of info and aircraft characteristics. Dated March 1955.

Download here or here (20 Megs)

Jane's All the World's Aircraft-2004 & 2005

A copy of the iconic aircraft "bible" for 2004 & 2005.

Download here or here Note: This is a large file at 256 Megs.

Bell 47G Flight Manual

A copy of the Bell Company Flight Manual, for the Bell 47G Helicopter.. Dated 28 May 1958.

Download here or here or here or here (2.1 Megs)

Bell 47G Booklet

A Bell Helicopter company’s sales booklet on the Bell 47G helecopter. Circa 1955. Credit: William Rudolph collection

Download here or here (6.7 Megs)

Good description on Bell 47 helo’s here

British Aircraft Recognition Handbook

A copy of the British Aircraft Recognition Handbook, dated September 1942.

Download here or here (23.7 Megs)

America's Harriers–AV-8A

A Hawker Siddeley Aviation factory reprint of the Flight International’s 15 October issue on the America's Harriers, the AV-8A for the USMC.

Download here or here (1.4 Megs)

YC-15 Assembly Photos

Various assembly photos of the YC-15 aircraft.  Article photos from Aviation Week & Space Technology, February 4, 1974. The first aircraft was McDonnell-Douglas YC-15A 72-1875.

YC-15 assembly photos are here or here

Download as one ZIP file here or here (9.3 Megs)

F-4C J79 Pilot Emergency Proceedures

 

Download  here or here (4.3 Megs)

Swept Wing McDonnell F2H-5 “Banshee”

F2H-5 was the unofficial designation for a proposed swept-wing version with the wings, tail and afterburners of McDonnell's XF-88 Voodoo; but,  not built. Credit: Tailspin Turtle

Photo and drawing are here

Three Engine F-106B

NASA technical memorandum, TM X-71439, on the “COMPARISON OF GROUND AND FLIGHT TEST RESULTS USING A MODIFIED F106B AIRCRAFT” Written by Fred A. Wilcox of the Lewis Research Center. Also, photos of the NASA test F-106B

From the forward:  “Two aft underwing nacelles housing afterburning J85 engines were added to an F106 to study exhaust nozzles in flight at Mach numbers up to
1.3. Installation effects were determined for several nozzles by comparing flight data to data from an isolated wind tunnel model. Reynolds number effects were studied at subsonic flight speeds for nozzles intended for use with afterburning turbo-
fan engines. A wide range of Reynolds number was obtained by flying the F106 over a range of altitude and by using 5 and 22% wind tunnel models of the F106. A contoured nozzle had a boattail drag as low as that of a longer circular arc nozzle over the Reynolds number range studied.”

Photos are here

Click here to download memorandum (4.6 Megs)

Alternate download here

F9F-8 Cougar Flight Handbook

A copy of the AN 01-85FGF-1 Flight Handbook for the Grumman F9F-8/8B/8P Cougar aircraft, dated 1 August 1954. Credit: Irfan S. Hokan

Click here to download (18.2 Megs)

Alternate download here

Bell X-5 Photos and Drawings

A number of factory and general photos and 3-view drawings of the Bell X-5 aircraft.

Click here to download photos and drawings (71.8 Megs)

Bell X-5 Research Aircraft Paper

A copy of the research paper written by Warren Greene for the Bell X-5 aircraft. Report was written by the Historical Division of the Wright Air Development Center. Dated March 1954. Details the design and development of the X-5.

Click here to download (11,7 Megs)

Alternate download here

F-16A/B Fighting Falcon Midlife Update #M2 Pilot’s Guide

A copy of the Lockheed Martin Midlife Update #M2 Pilot’s Guide, 16PR15269, for the F-16A/B aircraft. Covers new capabilities and cockpit enhancements. Dated 15 March 2000. Credit: Anymouse Collection

Click here to download (3.9 Megs)

Alternate download here

F-4X Navy Proposal–Revised

Revised the narrative due to Kim Simmelink’s email to me. Much better description of the Navy F-4X.

See here

F-16A/B Fighting Falcon Midlife Update #M1 Pilot’s Guide

A copy of the Lockheed Martin Midlife Update #M1 Pilot’s Guide, 16PR14341, for the F-16A/B aircraft. Covers new capabilities and cockpit enhancements. Dated 15 November 1998. Credit: Anymouse Collection

Click here to download (4.1 Megs)

Alternate download here

F-16A/B Fighting Falcon Flight Manual (USAF)

A copy of the USAF Flight Manual TO 1F-F16A-1 for the General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon USAF/EPAF aircraft. This manual is dated 10 December 1984. Credit: Anymouse Collection

Navy flight manual here

Click here to download (10.6 Megs)

A;ternate download here

F-4X Navy Proposal

A copy of the McDonnell Aircraft F-4X proposal for the US Navy. Report No F333, dated Jan 1967.

From Kim Simmelink’s sources":"The Navy conducted a series of studies which were intended to take the F-4B design (the F-4J was still on the drawing board) into the future and give the Navy a much more capable machine by addressing the Phantoms shortcomings and incorporating state of the art systems. Out of these studies came the F-4(FV) concept. The F-4(FV) had a larger, more advance wing of 640 sq. ft., more advance electronics with multi-track and shoot capability, and the J79-GE-10 engine.

The Navy’s F-4X program (not to be confused with the F-4X program for the Air Force which resulted in the F-4E(S) for Israel) took the work done in the F-4(FV) studies and applied them to the upcoming F-4J looking at five different design variations which would take the design into the next century as a viable fleet defender.

The first variation is (referred to as the F-4J+) which was a minimum change of the upcoming F-4J. Improvements were made to the wing, and high lift devices, the catapult performance, and it was to be equipped with a modified AWG-10 with multi-shot capability for the AIM-7F Sparrow III missile.

Next was the F-4(FV)L which built on the F-4J+ with an improved wing (still mounted at the same place as the F-4J) which had increased wing area of 595 sq. feet, improved lift devices (including slats) and better carrier suitability.

The F-4(FV)H was a high wing variation of the F-4(FV)L which had modified main landing gear and lower fuselage, a thinner wing of 560 sq. ft., and offered more growth potential because of changes to the internal volume.

The F-4(FV)S was a revision of the F-4(FVS) proposed earlier by McDonnell, and increased the size of the wing from 420 sq. ft. on the F-4(FVS) to 500 sq. ft. This wing offered improved maneuverability and lower approach speeds. It still retained BLC on the trailing edge flaps. This design had a larger stabilator and vertical tail to improve stability.

The final design study was the F-4(FV)S with an advanced engine. This design would incorporate the increase area intakes of the F-4K along with the General Electric GE-1 engine. This design would have improved approach speeds, service ceiling, and acceleration time.

These studies were a last gasp to breathe new life into the F-4 airframe. But it was already showing its age and newer, more capable aircraft were soon to make it less likely that any serious consideration would be paid to these designs. Some improvements were taken from the studies and incorporated into the F-4S upgrade of the F-4J."

Click here to download (6.7 Megs)

Alternate download here

F2H Banshee Article “Super Spook”

A large article on the F2H Banshee “Super Spook” from the April 1948 issue of Naval Aviation News. A have included the entire issue.

Click here to download (6.8 Megs)

Alternate download here

F-15E Experimental Camouflage Evaluation

F-15E in Experimental Visual Signature Reduction camouflage scheme. Note: schemes were tried out on F-15C aircraft. Dated July 1986. Credit: USAF-SIG

See camo photos here

Click here to download in one ZIP file (1.5 Megs)

F-4 General Program History Notes

A copy of the working notes for a McAir report on the F-4 General Program History. Lots of good dates on deliveries and program history.

Click here to download (3.6 Megs)

Alternate download here

Grumman F-14A Utility Preliminary Flight Manual

A copy of the Grumman Company gererated F-14A Utility Preliminary Flight Manual, NAVAIR 01-F14A-1, dated 1 June 1972.

Click here to download (8.7 Megs)

Alternate download here

F-4M (FVS) Aircraft Swing Wing Proposal

A copy of the McAir F-4M (FVS) Aircraft Swing Wing Proposal, F378. Dated 24 February 1967.

Click here to download (1.9 Megs)

Alternate download here

F-4 (FVS) Swing Wing Aircraft Tech Development Plan

A copy of McAir report E790 on the F-4 FVS Swing Wing AircraftTech Development Plan. Dated 10 August 1966.

Click here to download (5.4 Megs)

Alternate download here

F-4 (FVS) Aircraft Swing Wing Detail Specification

A copy of the McAir report No.SD513-2 on the F-4 FVS Aircraft Swing Wing Detail Specification proposal. Dated 10 August 1966.

From the AeroSpace Project Review: “In the mid 1960’s, the McDonnell Aircraft Company devoted some internal funds and effort to the F-4(FVS). This would have removed the wing from the F-4 Phantom II and replaced it with an all-new shoulder-mounted swing wing. The target of this enterprise was primarily the US Navy; MAC assured them that the F-4(FVS) would be a superior carrier plane to the standard F-4 due to better low-speed handling characteristics. Howver, while the design seems to have been pretty sound, by this point the Navy wanted a capability the Phantom couldn’t provide: Phoenix missiles. In the end, the Navy largely ignored the F-4(FVS) and went with the F-14. But even then, McDonnell-Douglas proposed a design for the F-14 contest, the Model 225A, that was in part derived from the F-4(FVS) studies.”

See more info here

Click here to download (8.9 Megs)

Alternate download here

Douglas A4D-2N Dual Wheel Army Trial–Part II

Tommy Thomason sent me some more photos and a write-up on the Douglas A4D-2N Dual Wheel Army soft field trial. Thanks Tommy!

Click here to download in one ZIP file (9.6 Megs)

Photos and write-up here

Part I here

F-4 (FV) Technical Proposal

Report B560 (Vol 1), dated 16 March 1965.

From the forward:
“This report presents McDonnell Aircraft Corporation‘s unsolicited proposal
for a three and one-half month, Navy-sponsored program definition of the Advanced
F-4B fighter aircraft concept identified as the F-4(FV). Preliminary studies per-
formed by McDonnell on this and previous configurations have been reviewed by the
Bureau of Naval Weapons. Navy review of McDonnell's preliminary efforts directed
the selection of the F-4(FV) configuration for fighter Weapon System Definition
Study now proposed. The comprehensive study proposed in this report will result
in the develoment of a program definition to assist the Navy in making a decision
on procurement of an Advanced Fleet Air Defense Hespon System.”

Note: This report and proposal predates the F-4(FV)S swing wing aircraft.

Click here to download (2 Megs)

Alternate download here

F-4C/D/E/G & RF4C Structural General Info Repair Manual

F4C,D,E,G & RF4C Structural General Info Repair Manual, T.O. 1F-4C-3-1-1, dated 15 October 1971. Credit: Dick Barton

Click here to download (36.3 Megs)

Douglas A4D-2N Dual Wheel Army Trial–Part I

Two A4D-2Ns (BuNos 148490 and 148483) were modified in 1961 for evaluation by the US Army as a ground support aircraft. Each of these planes was fitted with a drag chute stored in a canister underneath the rear fuselage and was fitted with low-pressure twin-wheel main undercarriage members that retracted into enlarged fairings underneath the wings. The two A4D-2Ns were evaluated by the Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama in competition with the Northrop N-156 and the Fiat G.91R. However, it was decided that the Army would not be permitted to operate fixed-wing attack aircraft, leaving responsibility for close air support of ground troops to the Air Force, the Navy, or the Marine Corps. As a result, none of the competitors was ordered by the Army, and the two A4D-2Ns were then converted back to standard configuration and delivered to the Navy.*

* From Joe Baugher Skyhawk narrative

Letter to me from Harry Gann (Famous Douglas Historian/Author):

“I am enclosing photos of both the A4D-2N aircraft that were modified for the Army trials.The mods were quick and dirty and would have been cleaned up considerable if they had been put into production. The colors were standard USN gray with Douglas flight test red (see same included color photo for color only). The US Army dragged their feet on the aircraft and as a result, nothing was ever done in spite of the favorable showing of the A-4 over the other two aircraft.  I guess the US Army was planning on putting their eggs in the doubled Cheyene basket which rose up to bite them.
I was heavily involved in the project as I was in advanced design at the time.  We even had R.G. Smith do a painting of an O D colored A4D-5 for the project.
Harry Gann”

Dual Wheel photos and articles here

Click here to download photos and articles in one ZIP file (55.7 Megs)