Editorial One of the world's neglected aerial oddities gets a reprieve. OnlineCxtras November 2004 You'll find much more about I HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED up when any- wing, just like the XC-99's. That experi- Aviation History on theV\feb's thing flies overhead (and often wonder ence gave me a taste for what it would leading history resource: why everyone else doesn't), a habit that have been like to pilot the lumbering sometimes gets me in trouble when it in- giant I had often gazed up at while I was The terrupts a conversation with someone sweating out basic training programs. who expects my undivided attention. The beautiful—in its own way—XC-99 HISTORY This occurred all too frequently when I would soon be put out to pasture and left was enjoying the "pleasures" of Air Force to languish for years. As time passed, basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, there were some aborted plans to revive www. TheHistoryNet.com San Antonio, Texas—once in 1955 and it for its intended purpose, to clean it up again a year later. (Taking basic twice?Yes, for display or to consign it to the scrap DiscussiomThis issue's "Art of Flight" only the second session had a fancier heap. More or less abandoned, it became department focuses on an unusual art name, "preflight training," but turned out the home of flying things with feathered form: airplane trading cards. Can you to be no more fun.) wings, and the bird droppings it even- think of similar types of aviation The latest, hottest fighter, the North tually collected probably outweighed memorabilia tbat document and American F-lOO Super Sabre, was going some of the airplanes I flew. illustrate aircraft and aviators but are not commonly regarded as aviation art? through operational introductions at the The bulky XC-99 was soon well on the time, and I would frequently find myself way to the junk heap. What many of us with a stiff neck from stealing glances who had seen that leviathan in action Goto upward when I should have been paying hoped for was a benefactor, a knight in www. TheHistoryNet. comJahi strict attention to my training curriculum. shining armor that would rescue this for these great exclmives: Another result was loud rebukes for air- aging, ratherplump, one-of-a-kind dowa- plane gawking that was considered irrev- ger from extinction. erent inattention to the training by my In recent years I have been delighted B-24 Raid on Magdeburg—The curtains tech instructor (drill instructor elsewhere), to hear that there was some interest in are pulled back, revealing a big map of who seemed to enjoy any excuse to bark acquiring the XC-99 by the world's oldest Europe with red ribbons leading to our at us scum-of-the-earth recruits in our and largest military aviation museum, target—the synthetic oil refineries near unsnazzy, sweat-stained fatigues. the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Pat- Magdeburg. Germany. There is a low terson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. murmur among the crew members as The overhead distraction that made the the target is announced.... biggest impression on me during those However, just moving such a behemoth, long-ago days, however, was not a sleek, to say nothing of restoring this large- deadly fighter, but the ConvairXC-99, an scale derelict, posed formidable chal- Extraordinary Career of RAF ace aerial behemoth of a cargo plane created lenges. StanfordTUck—luc^s hard-won flying by adding a fat fuselage to B-36 wings and But a recent issue of Friends Journal, skills and a remarkable run of good for- tail. It looked like a B-36 on steroids. Its six the house organ of the Air Force Museum tune contributed to victory in the Battle engines, when they were all running, Foundation Inc., published several photos of Britain. made a distinctive throb in the sky, and it proving that wonderful project had not was large enough that it was easy to spot only begun but was already well under- without looking all over for the source of way, with careful dismantling in progress Friendly Rivals: Spitfires and the sound. for shipment to the museum, where a Hurricanfis—Although the relative I used to wonder what it would be like lengthy and arduous restoration will merits of these two World War II aircraft to fly that big, lumbering tbing. But it flew someday allow one of aviation's major ar- continue to be debated, the dissimilar well, apparently, because I saw it pass tifacts to be put on permanent display for stablemates complemented one another overhead frequently, going to and from its us all to gawk at—without getting in trou- in combat and together saved a country. base at nearby Kelly airfield. ble for it and without getting a stiff neck in the bargain. Only one XC-99 was ever built, and the Eagle of the Aegean Sea-Rudolf von manufacturer's hopes for a fleet of mili- We tip our Aviation History hat to re- Eschwege was the only German fighter tary or airline super cargo carriers never tired Maj. Gen. Charles D. Metcalf, the di- pUot on World War I's Macedonian really materialized beyond polite interest rector of the U.S. Air Force Museum, as Front, but in a little more than a year on the part of the U.S. government and weO as to the many other forward-looking the intrepid and resourceful flier military services. I would eventually fly individuals who are working hard to achieved 20 victories. die Douglas C-124—a shorter, four-engine make possible the rescue and preserva- cargo airplane that had a similar fat fu- tion of one of the world's greatest aerial selage and a cargo elevator behind the oddities. A.H.S. 6 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004 NO ROUND-THE-WORLD AUTOGIRO B-45A-5 that was used for flight training and couriering film to I enjoyed "Around the World in the Flying Carpet," Ron Gilliam's different Strategic Air Command bases where B-36s were sta- article in the May issue on Richard Hailiburton's 1931 aerial tour. tioned throughout the country. It is not generally known that early on, Halliburton contemplated Tech. Sgt. Richard Reighter making that tour in a Pitcairn Autogiro. He telegraphed Harold U.S. Air Force (ret.) Pitcairn on November 1,1930. proposing that a PCA-2 Autogiro Hunlington Beach, Calif be made available for a "vagabond flight around the world by aeroplane." His appeal to Pitcaim was straightforward: FOND C-47 MEMORIES I very much enjoyed the article on the Douglas C-47 that ap- The Journal has a circulation of three million and goes into three peared in the July issue ("Enduring Heritage," by Dick Smith), It million high class American homes. Kach article will be read by brought to mind some things that might be of interest to readers. seven to ten million people. My three previous books have been in In 19441 checked out as first pilot in C-47s while stadoned at Gore turn read in ten other countries. As they cost $5.00, they are bought Field in Great Falls, Mont. On my final check flight, the check pilot by people with money..,. lthe| Autogiro ship would fix the attention told me that he would pull an engine as soon as I got the tail up on my flight, and cause a sensation wherever I landed. and I was to complete the takeoff and come around and land. Com- pleting this successfully certainly gave me confidence in the C-47. Pitcairn politely declined the offer, recognizing that the then- The article mentioned that the maximum takeoff weight was underway certification process for the PCA-2 Autogiro would take 26,000 pounds. I was assigned to take new C-47s from Creat Falls considerable time (the PCA-2 would receive ATC 410 on July 2, to Fairbanks, Alaska, where they were turned over to the Russians 1931, the first rotary aircraft in America to be certified). He may under the Lend-Lease program. These were always loaded with also have been hesitant to provide an aircraft for Hailiburton's use, supplies for Ladd Field in Fairbanks. We often fiew tbem at 31,000 given the relatively high cost of the PCA-2 ($15,000) and, of greater pounds with no problem, and the Canadian airfields we used on importance, the fact that a .support network did not exist for it. the way up were quite short. The Autogiro's future could only be advanced when aviators Ray C. Frodey could rely on its safety, backed by a support system for service Fremont, Mich. maintenance and repairs, and Pitcairn immediately telegraphed Halliburton stating that the Autogiro was not ready for a round- DC-5 NOT FORGOTTEN the-world trip. Halliburton replied on November 4, offering to come Regarding E.R. Johnson's "Aerial Oddities" department in the July to the Pitcairn factory witli his pilot to "take a thorough schooling issue, for me, the Douglas DC-5 is not a forgotten airplane. As a in the servicing and operation of your new device." Even though young graduate aeronautical engineer, my first job in March 1939 the possibility of publicity was certainly appealing, it was not to be. at the Douglas F.1 Segimdo division was checking stress analysis The journey took place as described in Gilliam's excellent article. of major components of that aircraft. I can assure you it was a Bruce H.