Visiting the Great Planes (Not A Typo)

*touches dial*

I could spend all day in a place like that. I don't know what it is, but I love history and machines of any sort.

I'm the same way, Nemesis. Mechanical history just somehow appeals to me.

And now... Onward and upward with Chapter Two:






Consolidated-Vultee B-36 Peacemaker: Known as the "Big Stick" by its crews, the Peacemaker was a hybrid design of sorts, featuring six turboprop engines along the trailing edge of its wings, and four turbojets on pylons under its wingtips. In service for only ten years, it effectively bridged the gap between the propeller-driven B-29, and the jet powered B-52. To spite serving throughout the era of the Korean War, no Peacemaker ever fired a shot in anger.


Six Turning and Four Burning: This was the mantra by which Peacemaker crews flew. Looking along the trailing edge of the starboard wing, one can see the unique arrangement of jets and props, connecting the propeller-era and the jet-age. Note the unusual "Pusher" configuration of the propellers.


Looking up into the Peacemaker's cavernous bomb bay. It's chilling to think of the destructive force once carried within this compartment, but also important to remember that the B-36 was an intercontinental, nuclear-capable bomber.


Looking up at the Peacemaker's tail: This thing is as tall as a three-story building!

Interestingly enough, this particular airframe is designated as an RB-36/H. A specialized variant of the standard B-36, this plane was equipped with several camera pods and auxiliary fuel tanks, and was tasked with performing long-range strategic reconnaissance missions; a role later performed by the Lockheed U-2.

Of 384 Peacemakers built, only four survive today. Of those four, Castle's specimen is the only RB-36.


North American B-45 Tornado: America's first jet bomber, the Tornado was intended to replace aging WWII craft such as the Boeing B-25 Mitchell and Martin B-26 Marauder. Quickly rendered obsolete by further advances in jet technology, the B-45 only remained in service between 1948 and 1958.


Boeing B-47 Stratojet: A precursor the the legendary B-52 Stratofortress, the B-47 was the first bomber to ever feature swept wings and bicycle-style landing gear. Incredibly maneuverable for a craft its size, the Stratojet was actually capable of executing a barrel-roll.

Eventually used as a photo-training target at the China Lake Naval Weapons Center, museum volunteers spent over 36,000 hours restoring this particular airframe on site, before flying the completed project to Castle in 1986, making this the last B-47 to ever take to the sky.


Boeing WB-50 Superfortress: A highly-modified variant of the B-29, the B-50 was developed in the late 1940s, and is the last propeller-driven bomber purchased by the U.S. Air Force. Eventually replaced in the bomber-role by the B-47, B-50s were relegated to recon duties, but not before a B-50 by the name of "Lucky Lady II" claimed the honor of being the first aircraft to ever circumnavigate the globe, non-stop.

This particular aircraft was assigned to weather reconnaissance duties out of McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, and performed atmospheric sampling missions after Soviet nuclear tests.


Close-up of the B-50's tail, clearly indicating the function of this craft.


While I was shooting, a red-tail hawk found a rather interesting perch from which to view the exhibits.


The Killer Bees: A B-50 in the foreground sits with a B-29 situated behind. From this angle, it's virtually impossible to tell one from the other. (Insider's tip: The only real difference between the B-29 and B-50 is a subtle variation in the shape of the turbo intakes.)



Not anywhere even close to finished...

Moving on to Chapter # 4:

(And by the way, is Trollis still a member of this forum? I thought he'd get a real kick out of this thread!)




Tail end of the F-101 Voodoo: The power these engines possessed is simply mind-boggling. According to official air force reports, when sitting at the end of the runway awaiting take-off, a pilot could not advance the Voodoo's throttle past 80%. If he did, then the F-101 would proceed down the runway without the brakes ever being released. The tires would literally slide along the runway without turning, the thrust was so great.


Convair F-102 Delta Dagger: A delta-winged interceptor developed in the mid-1950s, the Dagger's primary function was to intercept Soviet bombers with long-range air-to-air missiles. Sadly, it suffered from a host of developmental and operational problems, and was ultimately replaced by the F-101 Voodoo, and the F-106 Delta Dart.


Convair F-106 Delta Dart: A re-design of the failed F-102 project, the Dart was the U.S. Air Force's primary all-weather interceptor from the 1960s through the 1980s, although the QF-106 variant remained in service until 1998. To date, it remains the last dedicated interceptor aircraft to be ordered by the USAF.


Twins: To spite their vastly different service records, the F-102 and F-106 were nearly identical. One of the very few ways to tell them apart is by the tails, as illustrated by this photo here. (Hint: The F-102 is the one on the left.)


General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark: A high-speed tactical bomber, the Aardvark was the first aircraft to ever incorporate variable-geometry wings, (swing-wings), and after-burning turbofan engines. A revolutionary aircraft for its day, it suffered from several shortcomings, and while highly successful with the Air Force, it failed to live up to standards as a naval interceptor. For this reason, the U.S. Navy abandon its F-111/B program, and instead purchased a new design from the Grumman Iron Works: The F-14 Tomcat.


Grumman F-14 Tomcat: The aircraft that was immortalized by the movie "Top Gun." Incorporating the swing-wings and after-burning turbofans of the F-111, the Tomcat was faster, lighter and more agile than the Aardvark could have ever hoped to be, boasting a top speed of Mach 2.2 and the ability to crank out eye-watering maneuvers. Sadly, the last Tomcat squadrons were decommissioned on September 22, 2006, and the F-14 was officially retired from service.


Twin General Electric F110-GE-400 Turbofans, capable of producing a combined 55,600 pounds of thrust.


A look at the landing gear; wings at half-sweep.


Nose-on: A close-up view of the port-side fuselage. Note the gun port for the M-61 Vulcan cannon toward the nose.


The Belly of the Beast: A detail shot of the Tomcat's unique palate-based loading system, which allowed for quick and easy reconfiguration of the plane's load-out by ground crews.



Coming up next, we go retro with a walk-around of the McDonnell F-4 Phantom!

Those are some immense machines you visited there, Nutzkie!

I recall a time when I was between ten to eleven years old when I dreamed of becoming a Jet pilot. I was inspired by a Simulator type computer game titled "Fighter's Anthology" or something like that...blew my breath away.

Seeing that Tomcat just brought back those memories.

Thanks for sharing them with us!

You're telling me? The B-36 was just mind-blowingly huge! I had a difficult time just getting the whole thing into one picture!



What red-blooded young boy didn't?



Too true. The F-14 was always one of my personal favorites for the simple fact that it was the complete package. Incredible speed, top-notch maneuverability, and one of the most advanced weapons platforms ever developed. There's a reason Tom Cruise flew it in "Top Gun."

My fascination actually goes so far, that I recently wrote a fanfic where the Tomcat plays a staring role.

[shameless self-promotion.]

I won't bore anyone with the tedious details, but in the story, Ron gets recruited into a combat air squadron that's attached to the Global Justice command structure. It's a three-month story arc following Ron's progress through training, and Kim's globe-hopping attempts to find out just where the heck he ran off to. It all ends with a massive dogfight and emotional reunion for the two.

Come to think of it, several of the planes I saw at Castle were ones that I had used in that story. The F-14, F-4, F-86 and B-52 were all mentioned. Freaky!

[/shameless self-promotion]



Boeing Field in Seattle is a top-notch facility, no doubt. I've had the distinct privilege of visiting there twice. My absolute favorite exhibit was the Boeing 707 that had served as Air Force One under the Kennedy administration. Seeing the safes where the nuclear launch codes were kept was incredible, as was discovering what a mobile communication center looked like back then. (You think the Henchco molecular transducer was big and clunky looking? You ain't seen nuttin' yet.)

Then, of course, there was seeing the compartment where JFK's casket had laid during the trip back from Dallas, and the spot where LBJ was sworn in as his successor. That experience was downright sobering. I swore that I could almost see Jackie standing there in her blood-stained dress from that day.

So anyway... On with Chapter Five:




McDonnell F-4 Phantom: The aircraft that successfully opened the era of the Mach two fighter, Phantoms were flown by every branch of the American armed forces. First flown in 1958, Phantoms still serve today in the form of the F-4/G Wild Weasel, making this one of the most adaptable and well-designed airframes in history.

One of the most common and easily recognizable aircraft in the U.S. inventory, Phantoms quickly became the favorite craft of precision exhibition teams. This particular airframe flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds, and still proudly wears their colors. F-4s also flew with the Navy's Blue Angels flight team until 1986, when the switch was made to the newer McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The Thunderbirds transitioned to flying the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon in 1982.


A close look at the Phantom's unique downward-canted tail.


Up-turned wing tips: Another Phantom signature.


Republic F-84 Thunderjet: Plagued by developmental problems during its early service life, the Thunderjet eventually evolved into an effective ground-attack craft, and accounted for 60% of all ground targets destroyed during the Korean War. It was the first fighter capable of in-flight refueling, and the first fighter to be nuclear capable.


North American F-86 Saber: The hero of the Korean War, the F-86 became legendary in the skies over South-East Asia. Fast and lethal, it's impressive air-to-air record earned it the nickname "Mig Killer."


Northrop F-89 Scorpion: Built as a replacement for the P-61 Black Widow night fighter, the Scorpion holds the distinction of being the first-ever fighter equipped to carry a nuclear air-to-air missile. (The MB-1 Genie.)

Beset by engine and avionics problems throughout most of its service life, only 1,050 Scorpions were ever built.


Fighter Row: A shot that I just couldn't resist taking.


Kaman HH-43 Husky: An unusual intermeshed, counter-rotating design, the Husky was a tandem-rotor helicopter deployed by the Navy, Air Force and Marines during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Deployed mainly in a firefighting and rescue role, it was eventually phased out in favor of the larger and more powerful Bell UH-1 Iroquois, a.k.a. the "Huey."


Kawasaki KAQ-1: A small target drone used for anti-aircraft gunnery practice, this model features an eject-able engine, complete with parachute pack. That way, when the unit is eventually shot down, the most expensive component can be salvaged for future re-use.



Lockheed C-56 Lodestar: A twin-engine WWII transport, this aircraft served to help suplement the Douglas C-47 Dakota. Markings on this airframe indicate that it flew with the British Royal Air Force.



Getting close to the end here, folks. Maybe two posts left.

I lived in Sunnyvale as a child, the B36s used to go over the house enroute to Castle. It made all the windows and doors shake. Impressive airplane. The only time I think they've been in the movies was in a Jimmy Stewart movie (I understand he was qualified on them) called Strategic Air Command, which was as much an Air Force recruiting ad as a theatrical film.

An unexpected addendum to this thread:

This afternoon, I chanced to visit the Aerospace Museum of California in Sacramento, located on the grounds of the former McClellan Air Force Base.

I was duly impressed.

Although many of the airframes on exhibit were duplicated at Castle Air Museum, there were a few gems mixed in as well...




Rockets Are Go!: The first-stage engine of a Titan ICBM.


...And here's the second stage.


Pratt & Whitney J-58 Turbojet/Ramjet engine: The most powerful jet engine ever developed, two of these massive power plants powered the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.


Up Your Afterburner!: The business end of the J-58.


An interesting display showing the mechanism for mounting counter-rotating propellers.


North American F-86 Saber: From the friendly people who brought you the P-51 Mustang, the hero of the Korean War.


And this is its younger cousin, the F-86/L. While the fuselage and wing structure have remained virtually the same, the nose is now radically different. This was done to allow for the installation of a radar transceiver into the airframe. Technology marches on.


MiG-17 Fresco: An advanced derivative from the MiG-15 of Korean War fame, the MiG-17 featured design modifications such as compound-swept wings and extra stabilization fins. It saw extended use by the North Vietnamese Air Force during the conflict in Vietnam.


Rear-end view of the MiG-17. Note the partially-deployed air brakes near the engine exhaust port.


MiG-21 Fishbed: With a Mach-two top speed that's impressive by even contemporary standards, the MiG-21 was a force to be reckoned with in the skies over North Vietnam during the 1960s. To spite there only being 15 of these craft in the North Vietnamese arsenal, Fishbeds took a devastating toll on American air crews, proving especially lethal against the cumbersome Republic F-105 Thundercheif.


And whadaya know... Here's one now. Once the mortal enemy of the MiG-21, this "Thud," as the F-105 was known, now sits a scant few yards away from Fishbed owned by the museum.


Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star: An early version of a modern AWACS system, (Airborne Warning And Control System), this airframe is really just a Lockheed L-749 Constellation equipped with air and surface search radar domes.


A close-up view of the surface-search array of this "Connie."


Grumman HU-16 Albatross: Although not impressive in its own right, (there was one at Castle), the positioning of this amphibious craft is significant. The large hangar in the background was, and still is, the operational home for the local Coast Guard unit, of which this airframe was once a part.


And here's one of the old girl's successors. Parked just across the road from the museum, this C-130 Hercules now fulfills the role of search-and-rescue craft once filled by the Albatross.


Hey! Tic-Tac-Toe! ;D



Don't worry... There's much more to come, including me getting up close and personal with a Warthog!

That's pretty cool that they've got a Vulcan. Watching those do low level maritime strike runs was always a real thrill.

I've seen the Vulcan before. I lived in the Channel Islands (UK, off France) and they would fly one over St Peter Port as part of a yearly festival. It was the loudest noise in the world, or it seems so when you're five years old.