Tag: California

The Survivors: Imperial Japanese Navy Kawanishi N1K Kyōfū Floatplane Fighter

Imperial Japanese Navy Kawanishi N1K Kyōfū aka “Rex” 562 floatplane fighter on display at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas (September 2019)

Designed during World War Two to provide air cover for Imperial Japanese forces deployed for amphibious beach landings in advanced locations that lacked prepared airstrips or aircraft carriers, the Kawanishi N1K Kyōfū (“Strong Wind” or “Mighty Wind” depending on the translation, Allied reporting code name “Rex”) floatplane fighter must have seemed a great idea to the Imperial Japanese… Read More The Survivors: Imperial Japanese Navy Kawanishi N1K Kyōfū Floatplane Fighter

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The Survivors: Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23A Black Widow II Advanced Tactical Fighter

Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23A 87-0800 (N231YF) “Gray Ghost” prototype in the Research and Development Hangar at Wright Patterson Air Force Base which was part of a tour at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio in 2009

The USAF Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) Program commenced in the 1970’s, then continued through the 1980’s and 1990’s, as a development, demonstration and evaluation program for a new USAF fifth generation fighter with stealth technology to complement and eventually replace the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter. Lockheed and Northrop proposals were accepted in… Read More The Survivors: Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23A Black Widow II Advanced Tactical Fighter

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The Survivors: Northrop F-20 Tigershark – A Formidible but Unlucky Jet Fighter!

Northrop F-20 Tigershark (82-0064, N44671) - California Science Centre (2013)

By all accounts the 1980’s era Northrop F-20 Tigershark was a great fighter jet that was maneuverable with good short field capability. It was kind of like a super F-5E Tiger II with a new single General Electric F404-GE-100 turbofan engine that boosted performance to Mach 2.0 and featured modern avionics, a Hands On Throttle… Read More The Survivors: Northrop F-20 Tigershark – A Formidible but Unlucky Jet Fighter!

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The Survivors: Northrop YF-17 Cobra – The Unwanted Fighter with Quite a Legacy!

Northrop YF-17 "Cobra" prototype 72-1569 at the Western Museum of Flight in Torrance, California (2015)

In 1972 the USAF Lightweight Fighter (LWF) Program was launched to develop a smaller, highly maneuverable, lower cost air combat fighter to complement and conduct roles not suitable for the highly capable but expensive McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle air superiority fighter. This program ultimately pitted two contenders in a fly off, the General Dynamics YF-16… Read More The Survivors: Northrop YF-17 Cobra – The Unwanted Fighter with Quite a Legacy!

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The Survivors: Mitsubishi J2M Raiden – The Last Japanese Thunderbolt

Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (Jack) interceptor at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California in 2013

One of the better fighter designs operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War Two but not built in enough numbers, was the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (“Thunderbolt” – Allied Code Name: Jack) land based interceptor used to attack Allied bombers such as the USAAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress. It was designed to be fast with… Read More The Survivors: Mitsubishi J2M Raiden – The Last Japanese Thunderbolt

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The Survivors: Seversky P-35 – In Pursuit Of Success

Seversky EP-106, designated J 9 in Swedish service (P-35A in the US) at the Swedish Air Force Museum in Malmen near Linköping

The Seversky P-35 single seat pursuit aircraft was developed in the 1930’s and became the first all-metal monoplane fighter with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear for the US Army Air Corps (USAAC). 77 P-35’s were ordered by the USAAC for delivery between 1937-38 (76 P-35’s were delivered and the 77th was converted to… Read More The Survivors: Seversky P-35 – In Pursuit Of Success

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The Spirit of Santa Monica Douglas DC-3 Monument – A Tribute to Donald Douglas Senior

Douglas DC-3 Monument - Santa Monica Museum of Flying

In 1927 the Douglas Aircraft Corporation was established in Santa Monica, California by Donald Wills Douglas Senior (April 6th, 1892 – February 1st, 1981). His impact on the aviation industry was legendary (please see my previous post) and the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, right next to where Douglas aircraft were built, has a great monument… Read More The Spirit of Santa Monica Douglas DC-3 Monument – A Tribute to Donald Douglas Senior

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The Legacy of Donald Douglas Senior

McDonnell Douglas DC-10 prototype, N10DC makes its first takeoff at Long Beach Airport on August 29th, 1970

DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT CORPORATION In 1927 the Douglas Aircraft Corporation was established in Santa Monica, California by Donald Wills Douglas Senior (April 6th, 1892 – February 1st, 1981). He was company president until 1957 when his son Donald W. Douglas Junior (July 3rd, 1917 – October 3rd, 2004) took over that role. Douglas Senior then assumed the role of… Read More The Legacy of Donald Douglas Senior

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WW2 & Vietnam War Veterans Memorial – Tulare, California

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress "Preston's Pride" Tulare CA

If you happen to find yourself driving along Route 99 in California please be sure to make a stop at the American Veterans Memorial (AMVETS Post 56) in the city of Tulare next to Mefford Field, the public airport of Tulare County. This is no ordinary memorial as it includes a World War Two memorial with a USAAF/USAF Boeing… Read More WW2 & Vietnam War Veterans Memorial – Tulare, California

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Army One – Nixon Library

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California is a showcase of the life and times of Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9th, 1913 to April 22nd, 1994), the controversial 37th President of the United States (Republican) from January 20th, 1969 to August 9th, 1974 when his presidency ended in political turmoil with the infamous Watergate scandal. With an inevitable… Read More Army One – Nixon Library

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