Heads Up - "Strategic Air Command" on TV
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A B.36 also made a very successful landing in a snowstorm short of Boscombe Down, with very little damage, merely ripping off the nose gear doors on a barbed wire fence. A road was built into Boscombe, where it subsequently departed. In 1997, I sat in the B.47 cockpit mock-up for the film at March Air |Force Base in California.
I believe there is a Freudian slip in the film. Stewart is supposedly a B-17 pilot who has been recalled to duty. Having seen the B-36, he comments to his wife "I thought the B-24 was big, but this.." I suspect he was meant to say B-17, but in the generated excitement he slips into reality; he was a B-24 driver in WWII. I guess no-one picked it up. If I'm wrong, blame many years since I last saw it. Also off to set the recorder.
FB
By way of comparison, the Royal Air Force's Lancaster PA474 was a sprighty 28 years old when it embarked on its second career as a heritage demonstrator with the BBMF.
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X-15 film drama narrated by James Stewart
To make the connection back to Strategic Air Command….a film narrated by James Stewart…..X-15 is a 1961 American aviation drama film that presents a fictionalized account of the X-15researchrocket aircraft program, the test pilots who flew the aircraft, and the associated NASA community that supported the program. X-15 starred David McLean, Charles Bronson, James Gregory and Mary Tyler Moore (in her first feature film role).
See the film for free on Youtube:
Not a SAC film but a film showing the ‘hot’ new USAF planes circa 1956……..Toward the Unknown, originally called Flight Test Center and titled Brink of Hell in its UK release, is a 1956 American war film about the dawn of supersonic flight filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base. Starring William Holden, Lloyd Nolan and Virginia Leith, the film features the screen debut of James Garner.
If you google this film can be watched but it is from a Russian video website -- so I have not entered the details.
See the film for free on Youtube:
Not a SAC film but a film showing the ‘hot’ new USAF planes circa 1956……..Toward the Unknown, originally called Flight Test Center and titled Brink of Hell in its UK release, is a 1956 American war film about the dawn of supersonic flight filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base. Starring William Holden, Lloyd Nolan and Virginia Leith, the film features the screen debut of James Garner.
If you google this film can be watched but it is from a Russian video website -- so I have not entered the details.
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Chevron. As well as the Boscombe down forced landing, there was a crash in Wiltshire. I also saw one whilst spectating at Farnborough, away to the west, climbing very slowly but with a very distinctive noise.
Indeed so - my brother was called out as crash guard for the remnants . The 'arrival point' was very close to, if not on , the borders of three counties. The crew had all baled out, with no casualties, as I recall.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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B36
I pity the guys who had to change the spark plugs on that. If I have this right, 6 engines each with 28 cylinders each with 2 spark plugs = 336. Up a ladder, in Alaska!
Whilst I knew about the Boscombe Down undershoot, I've never heard of the Fairford bailout before.
I just went to that South American rainforest site to check out what the DVD goes for. It says that "Strategic Air Command" is currently available on Prime - no charge!
I'll have to check it out tonight...
I'll have to check it out tonight...
Sadly not free on the UK distributary of said river. Rental SD £2.49 HD £3.49 purchase £5.99.
The B-47 seems to have been a handful to take off and land, of 9 destroyed in the UK all but two were in close proximity to the runway. For example 1 May 55 at Fairford one crashed on take-off due to pilot error (all crew safe). The ASN page has an embeded 'U tube' video of a training film based on the incident from 2.10ish there is a short clip of the wing and no1 engine striking the runway
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/60607
6 Aug 54 Fairford - crashed on take off
2 Aug 55 Upper Heyford - damaged on landing - written off due to further damage on recovery
16 May 56 Off Lands End - abandoned due to engine fire
28 Jul 56 Lakenheath - landing accident (the nuclear incident)
28 Feb 58 Greenham Common - parked a/c written off after a drop tank, one of a pair jettisoned by another B-47 in difficulty on take off, struck the ground close by
5 Feb 63 Greenham Common - crashed landing in snow due to asymmetric thrust when one engine failed to spool up
26 May 64 Upper Heyford - crashed on landing (also destroying another parked B-47)
The B-47 seems to have been a handful to take off and land, of 9 destroyed in the UK all but two were in close proximity to the runway. For example 1 May 55 at Fairford one crashed on take-off due to pilot error (all crew safe). The ASN page has an embeded 'U tube' video of a training film based on the incident from 2.10ish there is a short clip of the wing and no1 engine striking the runway
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/60607
6 Aug 54 Fairford - crashed on take off
2 Aug 55 Upper Heyford - damaged on landing - written off due to further damage on recovery
16 May 56 Off Lands End - abandoned due to engine fire
28 Jul 56 Lakenheath - landing accident (the nuclear incident)
28 Feb 58 Greenham Common - parked a/c written off after a drop tank, one of a pair jettisoned by another B-47 in difficulty on take off, struck the ground close by
5 Feb 63 Greenham Common - crashed landing in snow due to asymmetric thrust when one engine failed to spool up
26 May 64 Upper Heyford - crashed on landing (also destroying another parked B-47)
Last edited by SLXOwft; 29th Jun 2023 at 18:50. Reason: Fairford crash etc
As I heard it:
The B-36 which landed short of Boscombe was flown by Col Jim Connor on his first trip to the UK. Confused by the lighting he could see through a snowstorm, he was rather surprised to be told that he was 2 miles from touchdown after he'd landed....
When he finally made it to ops, he was told that there was a phone call for a Lieutenant Connor. "Hello, this is Colonel Connor", he answered. "Nope - I'm General Curtis LeMay - and you are now a Lieutenant!".
A couple of days later Lieutenant Connor flew back to the US as a passenger....
The B-36 which landed short of Boscombe was flown by Col Jim Connor on his first trip to the UK. Confused by the lighting he could see through a snowstorm, he was rather surprised to be told that he was 2 miles from touchdown after he'd landed....
When he finally made it to ops, he was told that there was a phone call for a Lieutenant Connor. "Hello, this is Colonel Connor", he answered. "Nope - I'm General Curtis LeMay - and you are now a Lieutenant!".
A couple of days later Lieutenant Connor flew back to the US as a passenger....
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Chevron. I knew about the Boscombe down incident, but was unaware of the Wiltshire crash until I read this thread. Climbing out of Fairford makes sense. Many thanks.
I actually heard and then saw A B-36 Northbound at high altitude over my hometown in Quebec when I was quite young…
There is a good biography of Gen. Stewart’s Military service.
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sea...Bomber%20Pilot
There is a good biography of Gen. Stewart’s Military service.
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sea...Bomber%20Pilot
Re the B36 at Boscombe Down
They actually touched down on the old High Post Airfield and then trundled down the hill to end up just across the A345 at the Boscombe D perimeter fence,the area where they landed is quite undulating.
From memory...they had flown in from the states...the pilot was not familiar with british approach lights and in bad weather - mistook the 'funnel' lights for the peri track.
I think the ensuing conversation with ATC went something like ... ''your airfield is rough'' with the reply being ''you are not here yet'' !!
Boscombe radar was very rudimentary then and only gave range (no height info).
I know that area very well and am astounded they 'got away with it' ...light damage and no injuries.
I would not however have liked to be in the aircraft commanders shoes at the ensuing interview/enquiry!!
The famous picture of the B36 just across the A345 with the local bus company double decker in the background.
They actually touched down on the old High Post Airfield and then trundled down the hill to end up just across the A345 at the Boscombe D perimeter fence,the area where they landed is quite undulating.
From memory...they had flown in from the states...the pilot was not familiar with british approach lights and in bad weather - mistook the 'funnel' lights for the peri track.
I think the ensuing conversation with ATC went something like ... ''your airfield is rough'' with the reply being ''you are not here yet'' !!
Boscombe radar was very rudimentary then and only gave range (no height info).
I know that area very well and am astounded they 'got away with it' ...light damage and no injuries.
I would not however have liked to be in the aircraft commanders shoes at the ensuing interview/enquiry!!
The famous picture of the B36 just across the A345 with the local bus company double decker in the background.
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"2042" (44-92042) was repaired and served on until 1956.
Some facts about the B-36 -
Wing span of 230 feet was greater than first flight of the Wright Bros.
Contained 27 miles of wiring.
Could carry 84,000lb weight of bombs - a greater weight than a fully loaded B-24.
A car could circle the globe 18 times on the 30,000+ gallons of fuel in the B-36 wing tanks..
Some facts about the B-36 -
Wing span of 230 feet was greater than first flight of the Wright Bros.
Contained 27 miles of wiring.
Could carry 84,000lb weight of bombs - a greater weight than a fully loaded B-24.
A car could circle the globe 18 times on the 30,000+ gallons of fuel in the B-36 wing tanks..
But a bit of a sitting duck in contested air space by the arrival of jet fighters - a cruise speed of 230 mph wasn't much help