Spy in the Sky by Stan Stokes.
Ever
since the earliest days of flight, military reconnaissance has been a
major application for powered aircraft. In the WW I era scouts were
utilized in the beginning of the War to report the positions of opposing
armies. For most of the last century aircraft utilized in the
reconnaissance role were often those that had failed to perform
adequately in another role, and became relegated to the reconnaissance
mission. However, over time military planners began to see the necessity
of aircraft specially designed to excel at spying on opposing forces.
Generally this meant an aircraft capable of high altitude, fairly high
speed, sufficient range, and enough stability to be an excellent
photographic platform. For most of the 1950 and 1960s the US Navy was
utilizing Lockheed Neptunes (P2V) for its reconnaissance needs, with the
P-3 Orion coming onboard in the early 1960s. The USAF utilized the RB-66
Destroyer with its recon squadrons during the 1950s. One of the most
famous of all reconnaissance aircraft is the Lockheed U-2. The U-2 was a
special project developed by Lockheeds famous Skunk Works in Burbank,
California under the supervision of Mr. Clarence L. Kelly Johnson, one
of Americas most important aeronautical designers. The Skunk Works was
famous for generating innovative and cost-effective designs, and the U-2
was no exception. The Utility designation of this aircraft was provided
to hide its real purpose as a spy plane. The U-2 spy plane was an
enormous powered glider with a huge wingspan of 80 feet. It had a
sailplane-like high aspect ratio 14.3:1 wing and a very lightweight
construction. The first U-2s took to the air in 1956 but the government
kept the aircraft secret. The U-2 could fly very high (55,000 feet for
early models and more than 70,000 feet for later variants,) and had
sufficient range (more than 3000 miles for later variants) to take it
over many areas of the Soviet Union. It was not particularly fast, and
the vulnerability of the U-2 became apparent in May of 1960 when Francis
Gary Powers was shot down in a U-2 over the Soviet Union. This
embarrassing incident resulted in the public trial of Mr. Powers on
espionage charges. He would later be released but unfortunately was
killed in a civilian helicopter accident many years later. The U-2
proved its worth in 1962 when it brought back the first photos of Soviet
missile sites in Cuba. Maj. Richard S Yeser piloted the U-2 over Cuba
that brought back these first photos. He was killed on a similar mission
eight days later.
Lockheed would later develop the super-fast SR-71 Blackbird,
capable of out running most anti-aircraft missiles.
Arctic Hustler by Stan Stokes.
No
bomber made so definite a break with the past as the Convair B-58
Hustler. Reversing the trend towards ever-larger bombers, the worlds
first supersonic bomber, the B-58, was ordered by the Air Force in 1954.
This was also the final year of the production of the huge Convair B-36.
From the beginning of its operational career, the Hustler set a string
of performance records that may never be matched by another military
bomber. Alone in its class, the B-58 could fly faster than twice the
speed of sound, pinpoint targets from an altitude of 60,000 feet, and
avoid radar detection in low level supersonic flight. Powered by four
General Electric J79 engines delivering 15,600 pounds of thrust each,
the Hustler was faster than any other bomber, and had a range of 4,500
miles without aerial refueling. The B-58s electronic bombing and
navigational systems were ten times more precise than those on earlier
bombers. To reduce drag the aircrafts designers utilized the area rule
principle in the design, giving the Hustler its sleek shape. Very strong
honeycomb skin material was utilized to further reduce weight and allow
the bomber to withstand the high temperatures of supersonic flight.
Utilizing its very strong, but extremely light weight design, a fully
loaded B-58 (after in-flight refueling) would carry a gross weight equal
to seven times the aircrafts dry weight. It first entered service in
1960. In September of 1962 a B-58 piloted by Fitzhugh Fulton carried an
11,000 payload to the incredible altitude of 85,000 feet, breaking the
world record. With a length of 99 feet and a wing span of 57 feet, the
Hustler was a small aircraft compared to the B-36. Hustlers were
operated by three-man crews, including a pilot, navigator-bombardier,
and defense systems operator. Each crewmen had his own cramped cockpit
with its own ejection system. The B-58 was unique in that it lacked an
internal bomb bay. Instead all weapons were carried in an externally
mounted under-fuselage pod. The B-58 could carry a weapons load of up to
19,500 pounds. The pod could also be used to carry additional fuel. Some
B-58s were equipped to carry a stand-off rocket propelled weapon (a
precursor of todays modern cruise missiles) with a range of 160-miles.
The Hustler utilized the delta wing configuration of Convairs fighters
(F-102 & F-106.) Although the B-58 was conceived as a very high
altitude long-range bomber capable of penetrating Soviet air space, it
became apparent during the 1960s that Soviet ground-to-air missile
technology had improved to the point that high altitude, high speed
bombers would be very vulnerable to interception. This revelation led to
both a re-focusing of the B-58s role to a lower altitude, radar-beating,
mission, and a faster phase-out of this aircraft from service than was
originally planned. This was somewhat influenced by the aircrafts price
tag which was four times that of a B-52, and ten times that of a B-47.
As depicted in Stan Stokes painting entitled Arctic
Hustler, a B-58A flying out of Elmendorf AFB in Alaska is put
through its radar-beating paces in the mid-1960s.
Mach 3 Paint Stripper by Stan Stokes. Originally
conceived in the early 1950s as a replacement for the B-52 (which
incorrectly was forecast by Gen. Curtis LeMay to have a limited
lifespan) the B-70 Valkyrie began life as Weapon System 110A. It was
designed to have the same range as the B-52, but with as high a maximum
speed as possible to avoid enemy defensive fighters or missiles.
However, with the advent of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and the
resulting debate over the cost effectiveness and efficacy of manned
bombers, the funding for the B-70 program began to be cut. These cuts
seemed academic at the time because engineers had not been able to
overcome the many technical problems associated with the bombers design
objectives. In 1956 a report from the NACA (National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics – which would later become NASA) revealed that Mach
speeds of between 3 and 5 should be obtainable by an aircraft riding its
own shock wave. North American Aviation engineers discovered this report
and immediately began serious wind tunnel tests on various models. Their
findings resulted in a complete redesign of the aircraft to its final
configuration of a 65-degree high winged configuration with six enormous
jet engines. There was considerable political debate during the
engineering phase of the program, and the Congress finally cancelled the
B-70 program except for the completion of a pair of XB-70A prototypes.
The B-70 was like no other aircraft before it. More than 70% of its skin
was stainless steel, finished to a mirror-like surface. The B-70 was
also a huge gas tank with every available area not utilized devoted to
holding fuel. The B-70 made its maiden flight on September 21, 1964.
During the next 4 and one-half years the two aircraft flew numerous
research missions out of the Palmdale test facility. On one such flight
the B-70 attained more than Mach 3 for a period of 33 minutes –
covering 2700 miles during the flight. On June 8, 1966 one of the B-70s
was flying formation with four other GE-powered aircraft when one of the
aircraft, an F-104 Starfighter got too close and was caught in the
powerful vortex from the Valkyries wingtip. The resulting accident
downed both the B-70 and the F-104 and cost the lives of two pilots. In
Stan Stokes painting an XB-70 begins its gradual descent over the
California desert with its B-58 chase plane close behind. The Valkyrie
had reached more than Mach 3 on this flight, and it sports an
involuntary new paint scheme as dark patches of stainless steel skin
show through areas where the white paint was literally burned off the
aircraft.
Billy Shows Them by Stan Stokes. In
the period following WW I, Americas military spending was severely
curtailed. The Air Service of the United States Army, which had
performed admirably in the latter stages of the War, was treated like an
unwanted child. The Air Service had detractors within the regular Army,
the Navy, and the Naval Air Service. Rivalry between the Navy and Army
was fierce during these times, and competition for the limited amount of
funds available for defense spending further intensified matters.
Brigadier General Billy Mitchell was one of the senior officers in the
US Army Air Service. A veteran of WW I, Billy was an outspoken advocate
of the Air Service. Mitchell requested permission to attempt to sink the
German dreadnought Ostfriesland
in a demonstration off the Virginia coast. The Navy was anxious to
discredit the Air Service, and even within the Army itself there were
many rooting against Mitchell. Mitchells commanding officer ordered him
to attack the Ostfriesland
from a minimum altitude of 5000 feet, and to utilize nothing greater
than 1000 lb bombs. Mitchells first attempt was not successful, but on
his second attempt on June 21, 1921 he disobeyed his direct orders and
used 2,000 pounders dropped from low altitude. These bigger bombs
shattered the hull plates of the German ship and she sank in about
twenty minutes. This infuriated the Navy, which did not anticipate this
result, and also resulted in Mitchell being demoted to Colonel. For the
attack Mitchell utilized six Curtis MB-2 twin-engine bombers. The MB-2
was developed by Curtis in response to the Armys request in 1917 for a
medium-range bomber superior to anything available at that time. The
MB-1 first flew in 1918, and in 1919 an improved variant, the MB-2, took
to the air. Following the crash of the USN airship Shenandoah, Mitchell
publicly criticized Admiral Moffett, head of the Navys Air Service. He
also strongly criticized senior Army officers due to the terrible safety
record for the Air Service. These remarks lead to the much publicized
court marshall of Billy Mitchell. Mitchell was found guilty and stripped
of his rank, and suspended from duty for a period of five years. Despite
this set back, Mitchell continued to lobby for both a safe and strong
independent Air Force. He was convinced that the outcome of the next
major world conflict would be determined by air power. Many of Mitchells
ideas would ultimately be implemented, and he is generally acknowledged
to be the Father of the modern American Air Force.
Raising Havoc by Stan Stokes. In
1936, under the supervision of Jack Northrop and Ed Heinemann, Douglas
Aircraft began work on a new twin-engine light attack/observation
aircraft designated the Model 7A.
Powered by two R985 Wasp radials mounted in wing nacelles, the
A-20 also utilized a tricycle landing gear configuration. The aircrafts
fuselage was quite narrow and there was room for only 1 pilot and 1
crewmember. As the project proceeded it became clear that the 7A was not
going to meet the Armys objectives. In early 1938, Northrop left Douglas
to form his own company, and Heinemann began work on upgrading their
design. One interesting feature was the use of interchangeable nose
sections. A clear nose could be fitted with a bombardiers compartment,
or alternatively a solid nose section could be fitted with an impressive
total of 8 machine guns. More powerful Pratt and Whitney radials were
incorporated into the design. Now designated the DB-7 by Douglas, a
prototype aircraft was completed by October 1938. The new aircraft
proved very fast, highly maneuverable, and capable of carrying a 2000
pound bomb load. While impressed with the aircrafts specs, the Army
placed no immediate orders. The French, however, were impressed with
this aircraft, and anxious to match the build-up of the Luftwaffe, they
ordered more than 270 aircraft. The Havoc first saw combat in 1939
flying with the French Air Forces during the Battle of France. The
French had received about 64 aircraft, and following the fall of France
a decision was made to divert the balance of the French order to the
RAF. By mid-1939 the Army placed an initial order for 63 A-20s. The
A-20B variant was built in significant numbers with most being sent to
Russia. (Almost 50% of the A-20s produced during the War were sent to
Russia where they were utilized in many combat roles, including torpedo
bombing.) The most significant variant was the G model with nearly 3000
produced. The G variant was produced with a solid nose section with lots
of firepower. Many of the G models were fitted with an electrically
driven Martin gun turret. More fuel tank capacity was added and with
twin 1600-HP radials the A-20Gs were capable of a range in excess of
1000 miles, and could attain top speeds in excess of 340-MPH. The
maximum bomb load was increased to 4000 pounds. The A-20 was the ideal
low-level attack bomber. With its high speed, excellent maneuverability,
and heavy firepower, Havocs were well suited for pinpoint bombing
attacks on airfields, ammo dumps, etc. With their incredible forward
firing power a flight of A-20s could easily overwhelm shipboard
anti-aircraft guns. A-20s saw a lot of service in the Pacific. The
Allied campaign of slowly retaking key islands was aided by the
capabilities of the Havoc. Attacks on Japanese airfields with the A-20
were made with disastrous consequences to the Japanese, and there are
several instances where flights of A-20s virtually wiped out Japanese
ship convoys. Some A-20s were modified into night fighters (designated
P-70) prior to the use of P-61 Black Widows. In Stan Stokes painting an
A-20 in service with the 386th Bomb Squadron of the 312th
Bomb Group rips up a Japanese airfield in Dutch New Guinea.
Hobo Queens by Stan Stokes.
The
B-32 Dominator was produced by Consolidated Aircraft in parallel with
Boeings development of the B-29 Superfortress. While both of these
long-range heavy strategic bomber development programs encountered some
difficulties, the B-29 was completed sooner, and was ordered in far
larger quantities than the B-32. About one hundred Dominators were
ultimately built and the aircraft saw some service very late in WW II.
Powered by the same engines as the B-29, the B-32 had a distinctive very
tall stabilizer. Four B-32s from the 386th BS of the 312th
BG based at Yontan, Okinawa were given a three-day photoreconnaissance
mission near the end of the War.
On the third day of the mission, August 18, 1945, two aircraft
were forced to turn back and only two aircraft, the Hobo
Queen and the Hobo Queen II made
it to Japan. The mission involved photographing an area north and east
of Tokyo. The aircraft were unescorted, as the War was for all practical
purposes over. As the two aircraft prepared to head home they were
jumped by a large group of Japanese fighters including Imperial Navy
A6M2 Zeros and Army Ki44 Tojos. The first attacks occurred at 1:30 PM
while the aircraft were at 20,000 feet. The enemy planes made ten passes
on the Hobo Queen II with little or no damage. About twenty-five passes
were made at the Hobo Queen, which was under the command of Lt. John R.
Anderson. Seven passes were made at the tail of the B-32 and one of the
attackers blew-up. One fighter pass was made at the ball turret from
below with no success, and another six were made at the forward upper
turret. About six more were made at the nose turret position, and
several more at the upper rear turret. Another enemy fighter blew up,
and a third was seen going down smoking. The pilots went to full mix and
full throttle and power-dived the B-32 from 20,000 to 10,000 feet. The
Hobo Queen absorbed a lot of damage during these attacks. The radioman
got the Hobo Queen II to regroup with the badly damaged Hobo Queen to
provide some cover. Three men were wounded including Sgt. Anthony J.
Marchione, SSgt. Joseph M. Lacharite, and Sgt. John T. Houston.
Marchione and Lacharite were at the camera hatch at the rear of
the aircraft when that section of the plane was riddled. Both men were
hit. Despite his own wounds, SSgt. Lacharite began administering first
aid to Marchione, but a second fighter pass wounded Marchione again.
Despite the valiant efforts of his crewmates to keep him alive,
Marchione passed away at 2:00PM. Sgt. Marchione may have been the last
USAAF combat casualty of the War. SSgt. Chevalier administered first aid
to SSgt. Lacharite during the long ride home. Despite being unable to
bank his aircraft due a feathered prop, Lt. Anderson got the Hobo Queen
down successfully.
Antarctic Mayday by Stan Stokes. In
1946 Admiral Richard Byrd lead a 4,000-man mission to Antarctica to map
the continent. This was the fourth of Byrds polar explorations, and his
most ambitious. The expedition was named, Operation High Jump. One of
the ships involved was the USS
Pine Island, a PBM seaplane tender under the command of H.H.
Caldwell. The three PBMs of the Pine
Island were given the task of photo mapping the eastern side of the
Antarctic continent, and the ship had moved as far south as possible to
establish a base of operations. The ship anchored on the leeward side of
a huge iceberg to provide a suitable area for the launch and recovery of
the PBMs. The first flight was made by George-1
on December 30, 1946 without incident. The second flight of this
aircraft with a different crew would prove to be a life and death
struggle. Under the command of Ralph Frenchy LeBlanc,
co-piloted by Bill Kearns, and with Captain Caldwell aboard as an
observer, the second flight of George-1 began under hazardous sea
conditions and at times near zero visibility conditions due to
snowstorms. The aircraft was approximately 200 miles from the coast.
Because of the bad visibility Kearns was preparing to execute a 180
degree turn and return to the Pine Island, when George-1
crashed into a giant snowdrift. The aircraft was ripped apart by the
crash, and a fire began almost immediately. Three of the nine on board
perished in the crash. LeBlanc was pulled from the burning cockpit by
Jim Robbins and some of the other survivors, none of which were without
some injury. The six survivors of George-1 now faced an indeterminate
amount of time before any rescue might be possible. Fortunately, the six
survivors showed solid American ingenuity, and went about the business
of surviving and caring for the injured in the best way possible. With
no working radio, the group had no way of knowing if help would ever
reach them. It would be 13-days before the survivors would be spotted by
the pilot of George-2 Jimmy
Ball. Balls crew spotted a signal fire which the survivors had ignited
when the second Mariner passed within several miles of the crash site. George-2
dropped supplies for the survivors and a message that a pick-up might be
possible if the group could move about six miles to the coast. The trek
was not easy, but the survivors finally made it and were picked up by George-3.
This limited edition by Stan Stokes is dedicated to the memory of the
three men who did not survive the crash; Max
Lopez, W.K. Hendersin,
and
F.W. Williams, and to the commander of George-1,
the late Frenchy LeBlanc. Frenchy lost both his legs as a result of the
tragedy, but maintained a determination and a sense of humor which has
both inspired and motivated the survivors of this Antarctic Mayday for
the fifty years which have passed since that fateful day in 1946.
The Peacekeeper by Stan Stokes.
The
USAAC became interested in intercontinental bombing in 1941 due to the
threat of England falling to the Nazis. The Army Air Corps issued a
request for proposals requesting an aircraft with a range of 12,000
miles at an altitude of 25,000 feet and a top speed of 450-MPH. Later
these specifications were downgraded, but the Air Corps still wanted an
aircraft capable of carrying a 10,000 bomb load for a 4,000 mile combat
radius. Boeing, Consolidated and Douglas submitted proposals.
Consolidated Aircraft won the initial award for the development of two
prototypes, and work on this project began in San Diego, but was later
shifted to Ft. Worth, Texas. In mid-1943, with the Boeing B-29 project
facing development problems, General Hap Arnold ordered into production
100 B-36s, with deliveries expected to commence in 1946. When the war
ended in 1945 many military programs were cut severely, but Cold War
concerns kept the B-36 program alive. In August of 1946 the first B-36
(Peacemaker) took to the air. It was the largest combat aircraft ever
flown up to that point in time; with a wingspan of 230 feet, a length of
167 feet, and a height of nearly 47 feet. A year of intensive
flight-testing was undertaken leading to a number of important
modifications to the production aircraft. The addition of jet engines to
supplement the Peacemakers piston engines took place in 1949. B-36s were
produced in both bombing and reconnaissance versions. The former were
typically manned by a crew of fifteen and the latter were manned with a
crew of twenty-two. One interesting experiment with the B-36 in 1955-57
was the fighter/conveyor program. The concept was to marry a fighter
aircraft to the B-36, giving it additional protection and potentially
greater reconnaissance capabilities. Another oddity was the modification
of one B-36 to carry an onboard nuclear reactor to test the feasibility
of developing nuclear powered aircraft. The final variant of the
Peacemaker was the J model. It entered service in 1953, and the final
aircraft was delivered to the Air Force in 1954. By this time B-52
production was underway, and the operational life of the B-36 was
numbered. The B-36s were operational with the Strategic Air Command from
November 1948 until February 1959. Very few B-36s carried any
interesting markings, as they were generally all aluminum hence earning
one of their nicknames, the aluminum cloud. During this period in
history they represented the backbone of Americas nuclear deterrent
force. More than 400 of these huge aircraft were produced, and they
served their country well. In Stan Stokes painting entitled Peacekeeper,
a B-36 aluminum cloud flys over the Grand Canyon.
Killer Bs by Stan Stokes. High altitude
strategic bombing played a major role during WW II, and in the Cold War
era which followed long-range, high altitude, bombers would continue to
be a focus area. The Convair B-36 represented a transitional aircraft
between the WW II era aircraft and the supersonic jets that would
follow. Convairs B-58 Hustler was extremely fast, but the downing of
Gary Powers U-2 in 1960 pointed out the possible vulnerability of all
high flying bombers despite their speed. The B-58 was phased out as cost
ineffective, and the backbone of Americas manned strategic bomber force
became the Boeing B-52. The B-52 has had an unprecedented life span.
With improved avionics and the ability to launch cruise missiles
hundreds of miles away from the ultimate target, the B-52 remained
viable for decades longer than expected. The Rockwell B-1 bomber, the
aircraft planned to replace the aging B-52, had a very long and
controversial gestation period. The B-1 was planned to thwart Soviet air
defenses by carrying a nuclear payload to its target at treetop levels
and at speeds in excess of 900-MPH. Originally conceived in 1965 the
initial procurement contract was awarded in 1970 with the first flight
occurring in 1974. At one point 244 B-1 Lancers were planned, but the
B-1 program was cancelled during the Carter Administration with only
five aircraft completed. In 1982, the B-1 was resurrected during
President Reagans term. One hundred aircraft, at a cost of $28 billion
(or $280 million each) were ordered.
The first operational B-1 reached the Strategic Air Command in
1985. One hundred of these large aircraft have been produced. With an
extended wingspan of 137 feet the B-1B is capable of operating from
shorter airfields than normal, and with its wings in their fully swept
position the aircraft can reach speeds approaching Mach 1.5. The B-1 can
carry a whopping weapons load of more than 60 tons. It can fly at very
low altitude and launch multiple cruise missiles at targets hundreds of
miles away. The B-1 was the worlds most expensive aircraft at the time
of its production, but that title now belongs to the B-2 stealth bomber,
which costs almost 9 times that of a B-1, or upwards of $2.5 billion a
copy. Compared to the B-1 , the smaller Northrop B-2 uses technology to
hide itself from opposing air defenses. The B-2 has many similarities to
the line of flying wings pioneered by Jack Northrop in the 1940s.
The B-1 Lancer was first utilized in combat during bombing raids
against Iraq. Reconfigured to carry convention weapons the B-1s
typically carries up to 84 Mk-82 nonprecision bombs plus 30 anti-tank
cluster bombs. This allowed the B-1 to attack Iraqi tank battalions with
devastating results. B-1s were utilized in Yugoslavia, as is the B-2,
which was first used in combat in March of 1999 – flying, non-stop
from Missouri to Yugoslavia to bomb key Serbian military command and
control targets.
Jacks Unusual Design by Stan Stokes.
John
K. Jack Northrop was one of the pioneers in American aircraft design and
production. He was the chief designer for Lockheed, developing that
companys first aircraft, the Vega.
In 1939 he formed his own aircraft company. Jacks passion was the
tail-less aircraft, or flying wing, a concept he supported passionately.
The B-2 bomber of today exhibits many of the design attributes which
were pioneered by Jack Northrop in many of his ill-fated, but
highly-charged forays in the world of the flying wing. The N1-M was a
small flying wing prototype which Northrop demonstrated in 1940-41. The
N-9M
was built in several different versions to test out some design
concepts for Jacks ultimate goal, development of the long-range B-35
flying wing bomber. Northrop eventually succeeded in winning an initial
government contract to develop the very large B-35 Flying Wing. This 172
foot
wingspan aircraft with a takeoff weight in excess of eighty tons,
was conceived by Northrop as the ultimate long range strategic bomber.
With a design objective of having a 10,000 mile range with a 10,000
pound bomb load, the B-35 would be a true intercontinental bomber. Under
the command of Northrops test pilot Max R. Stanley, the prototype
aircraft exhibited a range of
7,500 miles at a cruising speed of 240-MPH.
One of the most unusual-looking aircraft ever developed, the
XB-35 was powered by four large piston engines powering counter rotating
propellers mounted in the pusher position on the aft portion of the
wing. The program was plagued with more than its fair share of problems,
and it became clear that the design needed to be modified to a jet
powered aircraft. Only fifteen of the piston powered aircraft were
built, although at one point during the project 200 were on order. The
YB-49 was the jet-powered evolution of the B-35 program, and B-35
airframes were modified to take the jet engines. Three prototypes were
ultimately produced utilizing the modified B-35 airframes. The YB-49 was
powered by eight Allison jet engines, and was capable of a top speed of
more than 490-MPH. With a cruising speed of roughly 420-MPH, the
jet-powered flying wing had a range of more than 3,000 miles. Northrops
Chief Test Pilot Max Stanley piloted the YB-49 on its maiden flight on
September 29, 1947, and worked with the B-49 until it was turned over to
the Air Force in October of 1947. The slim silhouette of the B-49
provided a small radar target, and during tests off the California coat,
the B-49 was able to penetrate air space without being picked up by
radar. As depicted in Stan Stokes painting, which is dedicated to the
memory of Jack Northrop and his passion for the tail-less aircraft, the
B-49 is put through its paces over the mountains surrounding Edwards Air
Force Base in California by USAF Chief Test Pilot Major Robert Cardenas.
Cardenas flew the B-49 from December of 1947 until May of 1948. He was
then scheduled to go back to school, but after one B-49 crashed in June
of 1948, he was called back to continue flight tests. Cardenas, who
retired from the Air Force as a Brigadier General, flew the B-49 from
California to Washington, D.C. in February of 1949. While in Washington,
President Truman toured the aircraft, and then requested a tree-top
fly-by of the B-49 down Pennsylvania Avenue. Several weeks later
Cardenas received a 35mm photo taken by a tourist of the B-49 passing
just over the Capitol Building. The annonymous sender could not
stand the pressure of having a picture of the Air Forces latest top
secret space plane.