NAA F-100D “Hun”: Getting all Misty.

Voyager 1986 record-setter Dick Rutan has taken the ultimate no-return trip a few days ago. I still treasure his book about that astonishingly flight I bought in 1989 with my meagre allowance.
Long before that, over Vietnam, he was one of the pioneer “Misty” pilots of Operation Commando Sabre, flying Huns in the dangerous “FastFAC” (Forward Air Control) role.

Rick’s self-portrait with the USAF Vietnam era standard headgear equipment: HGU-2A/P helmet, MBU-5/P oxygen mask and a sublime handlebar fighter moustache.

Photo: Dick Rutan’s Family.

Gemini VI: Godspeed, General.

Astronaut Tom Stafford has passed away today after living a full life. The number of Titans is getting scarce.

In this Dec. 15, 1965 NASA photo of the Gemini VI mission a totally focused Stafford endure the pre-launch countdown. Notice the USAF senior pilot wings. No abort on this one.

Dassault Mystère IV: Trois étaient les Mousquetaires.

The magnificent trio of test pilots of Marcel Dassault: Paul “Popoff” Boudier on top with Constantin “Kostia” Rozanoff alongside Charles Mounier inside the Mystère intake. That happiness didn’t last much, sadly. The “Russians” paid the ultimate price doing their metier.

Convair “Outpost”: Daddy Cool (LI).

Krafft Ehricke was one of those German rocket specialists recruited by the Americans after the end of WW2. By 1958, while working at General Dynamics’ Convair Division, he designed a four-man space station known as “Outpost” using the company Atlas ICBM as the basic structure of his station. Not seen here are the pair of superb two-seat wedge-shaped lifting body spaceships used as “lifeboats”. The space station went nowhere, but the “lifeboat” reappeared later in Ehrincke’s 1961 moonlander project. No buyers for that either.

With a gorgeous cutaway model and dressed to impress.

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter: On a Roll.

Such a mischievous smile.

Messerschmitt Bf 109G: Just Because (CXXVI).

A “Black Man” getting some tan while he paints the always alluring spiral on the spinner of a Bf 109G. It wasn’t just the Bf 109; there were spirals on many other Luftwaffe aircraft.

Gentex SPH-4: When NAM came to the F1.

The year 1970 saw the appearance of some repurposed SPH-4 helicopter helmets in the F1 “circus”. Among the stars who made the choice were Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham and Piers Courage. The latter’s helmet here with a sun visor added. He was using it when he was killed at Zandvoort during the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix. This photo was taken by the great Bernard Cahier that weekend.

Hawker Hurricane Mk I Trop: Semper Pugnans.

A “fireproof” Capt John Frost, of the South African AF 3 Sqn, boards his tropicalized Mk I at Dagahbur (East Africa), March 1941. Frost became the top SAAF ace of WW2; the first four victories (C.R.42s) of his fifteen were achieved there.

Photo: Imperial War Museum.

Seversky SEV-3: Daddy Cool (XLVIII).

Military aviation visionary and entrepreneur Alexander de Seversky with the cute aircraft (NX2106) which set his company in motion. This advanced amphibian designed by Alexander Kartveli captured a few world speed records from 1933 to 1935, with de Seversky at the controls.

Photo: Getty Images.

Avion Model 1: Daddy Cool (XLVII).

In 1929, the Avion company created by Jack Northrop built his first, almost, flying wing aircraft. It wasn’t quite because Northrop chose to retain some tail surfaces, located on booms behind the wing. Powered by a 90hp Cirrus engined geared to a pusher propeller, the Model 1 made its maiden flight at Muroc Dry lake (long before became famous for the Edwards Air Force Base) in 1929. The design quickly proved that it had easy handling qualities and performed extremely well compared to other planes in the same power rating. Modified, it was a testbed after all, the Model 1 changed later to a tractor configuration powered by Menasco engine this time. Its operational life was short; just one productive year until the Depression took its toll.

A pensive Jack Northrop resting on the prototype’s propeller at the Burbank factory before the first flight, famous test pilot Eddie Bellande inside de cockpit. The latter made the aircraft’s maiden flight. Look a those gorgeous rivets.

Photo: Edwards History Office Files.