Operation Chrome Dome flights. Hobo 28 flew in an "8" pattern around Thule airbase and the radar station (orange arrow)

The four AN/EPS-50 early warning radar antennas at the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System site. At the far right, an antenna dome.

"Ass cushion" with a core of so-called solid gasoline

On the upper deck, the crew smelled something like burned rubber and tried to figure out where it came from. What happened? Those cushions, nicknamed "ass cushions", had a polyurethane core. This material is described by firemen as "solid gasoline" because it is highly inflammable. As the heaters worked their magic, one cushion in the lower deck began to smolder, then ignite. By the time they had figured out what happened, they had to deal with a solid fire. Two fire extinguishers were emptied, but due to the highly inflammable filling of the cushions, without success. In the upper deck meanwhile, Smoke, thick and acrid, quickly filled the air, obscuring the instrument panels and choking the air. Now battling fire and disorientation, the crew donned their oxygen masks. Mayday! The Captain, John Haug, decided to try an emergency landing at Thule airbase, but couldn't do much due to the thick smoke. Then they lost power. As he couldn't see the light of the airbase outside, he figured out that they must be above the base. The situation rapidly deteriorated, and John Haug was forced to make a grim decision: abandon ship.

One by one, the crew members ejected into the unforgiving Arctic air. Six of the seven parachuted to safety. Tragically, one crew member, co-pilot Leonard Svitenko, who took a rest and had given up his ejection seat, was killed. He tried to bail out through one of the lower hatches head first, but the air stream slammed him right back into the aircraft. The B-52, now a ghost ship, continued its flight, a fiery tomb hurtling towards the icy embrace of Wolstenholme Fjord.

Thule Radar (Site J), Thule Air Base (Pituffik), and the approximate crash site of Hobo 28, 12.1km/7.5mi West of Thule Air Base, onto the floating ice in North Star Bay.

"Major, I wouldn't go within 3000ft of that son of a bitch."

The Hobo 28 Crash site. Blackened ice, the point of impact is at the top.

The impact was devastating. The conventional explosives within the bombs detonated, rupturing the nuclear warheads and scattering radioactive debris across the frozen landscape. The bombs were not armed, otherwise the nuclear explosion could have easily led to WWIII, as the US might have interpreted it as a Soviet attack on their crucial artic base. But that is pure speculation. Following the ejection, some of the crew members had made it to Thule airbase and let their commander in Omaha know that they had a so-called "broken arrow" incident - which stands for an accident involving nuclear weapons. Captain Criss, who was the first to leave the plane, floated on an ice floe for 21 hours before he was found. He was severely hypothermic and only survived because he had wrapped himself in his parachute. The following conversation took place between the base commander and the B-52s co-pilot, D'Amario: "Were you carrying nuclear bombs?" "Major, as you know, I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons aboard an airplane." "I know that. But I really have to know." "I know that, but I'm not allowed to tell you." "Let me put it another way. I'm sending out rescue parties, I need to know how close they can safely approach the crash site!" "Major, I wouldn't go within 3000ft of that son of a bitch." "That tells me all that I need to know."

Denmark, the sovereign power over Greenland, was a self-proclaimed nuclear-free zone and was quick to announce to their own population that there couldn't be any nukes involved, as there is no such thing in Denmark (and Greenland). But in fact, there was a secret deal between Denmark and the US, letting the US indeed have Nukes over Greenland. After all, Denmark profited from the US Nuclear umbrella. Only in 1995 was that revealed. The revelation that the U.S. had been flying nuclear-armed bombers over their territory, in direct violation of their nuclear-free policy, sparked a political scandal - "Thulegate".

"Operation Crested Ice" was launched, a herculean effort to clean up the radioactive mess. In the brutal Arctic conditions, with temperatures plummeting to unimaginable lows and gale-force winds whipping across the ice, teams of airmen meticulously searched for every piece of wreckage. They braved the darkness and the cold, their Geiger counters clicking, their mission to recover every contaminated fragment. The local Inuits had to help them by building igloos for protection. Imagine that the world's most powerful and advanced military power relies on Inuits to build igloos for them! They found 3 of the 4 cores, but one crucial piece, the secondary stage of a nuclear weapon, a cylinder of uranium and lithium deuteride, remained elusive, lost somewhere in the depths of the fjord. After they tried everything, it was decided that if they couldn't find that missing cylinder, nobody else could.

Lingering Shadows and Enduring Lessons

Thule Air Base

The Thule incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of the Cold War, a time when the world teetered on the brink of nuclear annihilation. It's a tale of human error, technological hubris, and the enduring power of nature. Even today, the incident casts a long shadow. The missing nuclear component, though unlikely to detonate, remains a chilling reminder of the potential consequences of our actions. Thule Air Base, now a vital radar outpost, is a testament to the Arctic's ongoing strategic importance.

Safety first. Always.

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1. KM Ekranoplan - The Caspian Sea Monster

KM Ekranoplan, nicknamed "Caspian Sea Monster" by the CIA

When Boats Learned to Fly (Sort Of)

Imagine a vehicle so bizarre, so utterly out there, that it makes a submarine riding a unicycle look normal. That's the KM Ekranoplan, or as the CIA dramatically dubbed it, "The Caspian Sea Monster." This wasn't your run-of-the-mill plane or boat; it was a glorious, gravity-defying hybrid, a "boat that flies," and it debuted in the Soviet Union in 1966 with a ceremonial champagne smash. So, how did this beast of a machine pull off its aerial acrobatics? It harnessed the "ground effect," a nifty little trick where air gets squished under low-flying wings, creating a high-pressure cushion. Think of it like a hovercraft, but way, way cooler. Seabirds use it, airplanes use it (just before landing), and the Soviets decided to weaponize it. When the CIA's satellites spotted this monstrosity skimming across the Caspian Sea, they freaked out. Seriously. They were so spooked, they cooked up a plan to strap a camera to a robotic bird to get a closer look. (Spoiler: the robotic bird kept face-planting, proving that even spies have bad days.)

Speed, Stealth, and a Potential San Francisco Surprise

The Lun - able to fire six nuclear-capable Moskit missiles

Why the panic? Well, the Caspian Sea Monster could hit a blistering 650 kilometers per hour (that's 400mph), skim over minefields like they were daisies, and fly so low that most radar systems couldn't even see it coming. One analyst even suggested that the Soviets could invade San Francisco in three hours, and nobody would know until they were sipping vodka on the Golden Gate Bridge.

From Monster to Missile Platform to Demise (Sort Of)

The Lun in 2010

And if that wasn't terrifying enough, the Soviets decided to upgrade their monster. After the original Ekranoplan crashed in 1980 due to pilot error (oops!), they unveiled the Lun in 1987. This bad boy wasn't just fast; it was armed to the teeth with six nuclear-capable Moskit missiles, turning it into a flying battleship straight out of a Cold War fever dream. Sadly, the Ekranoplan project was shelved as the Soviet Union crumbled and the money dried up. But here's the kicker: one of these beasts, the Lun, is still out there, rusting away on a barge along Russia's southern coastline. It's a relic of a bygone era, a reminder of a time when the Soviets were pushing the boundaries of technology to truly wild extremes. In July 2020, the massive Lun-class ekranoplan, destined for a Russian military theme park in Derbent, was towed from its naval base. However, its journey hit a snag when it got stuck on a sandy beach, just short of its destination. Despite attempts to free it, the "monster" remained beached, attracting curious onlookers and media attention. Concerns arose about hull damage from waves. Finally, in December 2020, it was successfully pulled further ashore, and by December 2021, fully onto dry land.

So if you're ever near the Caspian Sea, keep an eye out. You might just spot a monster lurking.

2. Mil V-12: The Unreal Giant

A Giant Takes Flight

Stats and Stature

Aeroflot Mil V-12 - Western observers could only guess the purpose of this giant helicopter. By the 1970s the Soviets did not have a purpose for that monster (other than impressing crowds).

Breaking Records

The Shift in Strategy

In 2009, the Mil V-12 made a comeback as "World’s first Hotelicopter", an April Fool's joke with photoshopped images.

The Mil V-12 in the Central Airforce Museum in Monino, near Moscow. Having been there several times in the early days of MiGFlug, let us assure you that this beast is rather impressive.

3. Zveno Project: The Flying Aircraft Carrier

The Zveno Project - a TB-1 or a TB-3 heavy bomber as mothership, carrying two to five fighter aircraft.

Development and Design

The Zveno-2: Tupolev TB-3 and three Polikarpov I-5, with the ramp for loading the fighters.

The Genesis of the Zveno Project

All variants of the Zveno project

The post The Craziest Soviet Machines appeared first on Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine.

The Air Force One operating costs

The post How much does a jet cost to operate? appeared first on Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine.

English Electric Lightning

V-Bomber Handley Page Victor

Avro Vulcan Bomber by Sgt. David S. Nolan, US Air Force

British Airways Concorde

Flying with the Red Arrows

Red Arrows by Tim Fields

Can I fly in the Eurofighter?

Eurofighter with Spitfire

The post Can I fly with the Red Arrows? appeared first on Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine.

History of the Air Force Boneyard

The post This Graveyard would be 2nd largest Air Force in the world appeared first on Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine.

15 Awesome and Interesting Facts About Military Aircrafts

The post 15 Awesome and Interesting Facts About Military Aircraft appeared first on Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine.

M2-F1 lifting body

The HiMAT

Remote: The HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) experimental aircraft built by Rockwell in 1979 for NASA and the US Air Force, It was a scaled down remotely operated aircraft built to explore new technology for future fighter aircraft

The X-36 - tailless fighter

Look ma, no tail! The McDonell Douglas X-36 aircraft, scale model prototype jet aircraft built to test the flying ability of a tail-less aircraft which was built in 1997 and was operated remotely from the ground

The AD-1

Lopsided: The AD-1 oblique wing aircraft built in 1979 by Ames Industrial for NASA. The AD-1 could pivot its entire wingspan from zero to 60 degrees during flight

The VZ-2

Rotating wing: The Vertol VZ-2 aircraft, this aircraft was a tilt-wing VTOL (vertical take-off and landing), on a runway, this aircraft first flew on 13 August 1957, and was retired in 1965 in Virginia

Mil V-12

The Russian-built Mil V-12 is the world's largest helicopter, at a stunning 28 metres in length and 4.4 metres in width and height.

 Northrop XP-79B - The flying chainsaw

Weird-looking: The Northrop XP-79B flying wing aircraft, built in 1945 by Jack Northrop for the US Army; It was designed as a flying wing fighter aircraft powered by two jet engines

The (cool) X-48B

The X-48B Blended Wing Body aircraft model - prototype, a cross between a conventional plane and a flying wing design, was created based on a need for a multi-role, long-range and high-capacity military transport aircraft

The Nasa Hyper III

Futuristic look - The NASA Hyper III aircraft was built in 1969 as part of the lifting body program Lifting body aircraft had short, bulbous or curved fuselages and featured minimal wings or were wingless

The Vought V-173 - "Flying Pancake"

The Vought V-173 built in 1942 for the US Navy. The semi-circular all-wing design earned it the nick-name of flying pancake. The compact design made the V-172 structurally strong, offered high manoeuvrability and could fly at very slow speeds

The HL-10

Top Gun Pilot Jerauld Gentry standing in front of the HL-10. This was one of a series of experimental space re-entry aircraft known as lifting body designs. The design increased the aerodynamic capabilities of the aircraft.

Vertol VZ-2

Buzzy bee: Vertol VZ-2 aircraft, this aircraft was a tilt-wing VTOL. This aircraft first flew on 13 August 1957, and was retired in 1965 in Virginia. The wings are designed to tilt to allow the rotors to lift the aircraft the way they would on a helicopter

The SU-47 Berkut

Red star: The Su-47 Berkut is an experimental fighter jet built by Russian company Sukhoi in 1997, it features a pair of fixed wings that sweep forwards. The high lift-to-drag ratio of the wing design provides enhanced manoeuvrability at supersonic speeds

 The 'pregnant guppy'

 The Douglas X-3

To the point: The Douglas X-3 Stiletto experimental jet aircraft built in 1952 for the US Air Force, It featured a narrow fuselage, tiny wings and a long tapered nose making it the sleekest aircraft for its time

The X-wing (Sikorsky S-72)

X marks the spot: The X-Wing was an experimental hybrid helicopter/fixed wing aircraft built in 1986 by helicopter maker Sikorsky for NASA. It could fly with or without rotor blades which would act as an additional pair of wings

The Ryan X-13

Part plane, part rocket: The Ryan X-13 Vertijet, built by Ryan Aeronautical in 1955 for the US Air Force, would take off vertically, fly horizontally and land vertically

Additional Readings -

The A400M

Top 7 strangest bombs

The habit of buzzing photographers

Author - Jake Meilak

The post Strangest and weirdest planes on earth appeared first on Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine.

Maria, who almost finished her doctorate program in a local university, has got a real, once operational Soviet TU-104 plane to restore. The plane is parked at the very far end of the airfield and it's pretty far away from her day job and place of residence, however she visits her plane almost every day to work on it, just like a dedicated person would!

Maria has met and greeted the photographers near her plane, trying to calm the watch dogs of various types living near her plane. "I am coming here a few days a week. It takes one hour and a half to get here. First on a bus, then in a taxi", says Maria. "It's very hard to get here in winter, when the snow is high. I get shoes full of snow whilst getting to the plane. It's very cold in the plane in the winter.".

And when the photographers got into the plane, it really was much colder inside than outside.

"I first got interested in planes because of my frequent job related trips.", says Maria. " So I got interested in how they work, and what they consist of."

Five years ago she learned that there was a written-off - out of service, grounded plane here in Berdsk. "I came here and asked to take a look at what's inside", says Masha. "It was a very sad sight - all of the gauges and devices were ripped off, the wiring was stolen by the scrap metal hunters."

"So I offered to them that I would restore the plane." At first they were skeptical, however as Maria started bringing in the rare pieces of equipment for the cockpit they became more assured of her seriousness. 

As you can see, a lot of gauges are already in position!

"For now I restore only the cabin, the cockpit, the dashboard", says Maria, "I find the parts via the internet, online, some for money, some people give them to me as gifts". She didn't mention the prices of those things, so as not to attract a new bunch of burglars and scrappers.

She still hopes that someday this plane can fly. "However, as for now, the ready to fly state of this plane is zero percent ready, almost nothing is in here - no engines, nothing" says the girl. "We have finished 60% of the cockpit and cabin, but it is really not enough for the plane to fly".

"It's more likely that we'll make a museum piece of the plane. Even now whole families come to me and ask to sit inside, take photos, etc."

She started alone, but recently her boyfriend started to help her from time to time, and then two senior ex-pilots joined her effort in restoration jobs.  

"This plane has stayed here for 36 years already!", says the girl, "At first they used it for some training for paratroopers, then it was used just as a storage facility, and later it was just abandoned."

Maria has yet to learn how to fly a plane, for now she is finishing her doctorate and after that she plans to take flying classes.

As for this plane, it is a TU-104 - the first Soviet passenger jet. It was used from 1956 to 1979 and around 201 planes were built. The crew is 7 people, and it can carry 50 to 100 passengers. According to studies, almost 18% of these planes got into an emergency or crashed, which makes it the worst among all Soviet planes. 

A big thanks to Maria for restoring the aircraft and to the photographers!

Additional Reads -

The MiG15

Author - Jake Meilak

The post Maria – The girl with an aircraft restoration hobby appeared first on Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine.

Designed to be able to take-off from the water and fly at high speed over long distances, it was to make true flights at high altitude, but also have the capability of 'flying' efficiently just above the sea surface, using ground effect.  After extensive research, including the development of the small prototype Be-1 wing in ground effect aircraft, the first Bartini Beriev VVA-14 prototype was completed in 1972. Its first flight was from a conventional runway on 4 September 1972. In 1974 the inflatable pontoons were installed, though their operation caused many problems. Flotation and water taxi tests followed, culminating in the start of flight testing of the amphibious aircraft on 11 June 1975. The VVA-14 was designed by Robert Bartini in answer to a perceived requirement by the Russians to destroy United States Navy Polaris missile submarines. The aircraft needs just THREE persons crew, which is very little for the gigantic aircraft!

Aircraft specifications -

• Crew: 3
• Length: 25.97 m (85 ft 2 in)
• Wingspan: 30 m (98 ft 5 in)
• Height: 6.79 m (22 ft 3 in)
• Wing area: 217.79 m² (2344 ft²)
• Armament: ordnance 2000 kg / 2 aerial torpedoes / 8 m IGMD-500
• Empty weight: 23,236 kg (51,119 lb)
• Gross weight: 52,000 kg (114,400 lb)
• Powerplant: (Cruise) 2 × D-30M turbofans, 67 kN (15062 lbf) thrust each
• Maximum speed: 760 km/h (472 mph)
• Cruising speed: 640 km/h (398 mph)
• Range: 2,450 km (1,522 miles)
• Service ceiling: 8,000-10,000 m (26,247-32,808 ft)

Bartini, in joint collaboration with the Beriev Design Bureau intended to develop the prototype VVA-14 in three phases. The VVA-14M1 was to be an aerodynamics and technology test-bed, initially with rigid and robust pontoons on the ends of the central wing section, and later with these replaced by inflatable pontoons. In 1974 the inflatable pontoons were installed, though their operation caused many problems. Flotation and water taxi tests followed, culminating in the start of flight testing of the amphibious aircraft on 11 June 1975.

The VVA-14M2 was to be more advanced, with two starting engines to blast into the cavity under the wing to give lift and later with a battery of lift engines to give VTOL capability, and with fly-by-wire flight controls.

The VVA-14M3 would see the VTOL vehicle fully equipped with armament and with the Burevestnik computerised ASW (anti-submarine warfare) system, Bor-1 MAD (magnetic anomaly detector) and other operational equipment.

In 1974 the inflatable pontoons were installed, though their operation caused many problems. Flotation and water taxi tests followed, culminating in the start of flight testing of the amphibious aircraft on 11 June 1975.

After Bartini's death in 1974, the project began to slow down gradually and eventually drew to a complete stop, after years of getting faded out, the aircraft having conducted 107 flights, with a total flight time of 103 hours. The only remaining VVA-14, No. 19172, was retired to the Russian Federation Central Air Force Museum, Monino in 1987. The aircraft still resides at the museum in a dismantled state, where it carries the number '10687' and 'Aeroflot'.

The VVA-14 first flight was held on September 4, 1972. It was tested by pilot Yu. Kupriyanov and navigator L. Kusnetsov. In 1975 the test program was completed, the plane performed 107 flights with a total flight time 103 hours.

The plane's all round metal airframe comprises a fuselage, middle portions of central wing, two side sections with floats, torsion-box central wing, two removable wing portions, tail, cruising engines' nacelles over fuselage.

The side sections are intended to fix horizontal and vertical tail, floats and main units of tricycle wheeled landing gear. The removable wing portions have slats, slotted flaps, and ailerons. The tail is provided with elevators and rudders.

Above the evolution speed, the plane is controlled with aerodynamic control surfaces. During vertical takeoff and landing as well as during transient process, the plane is controlled with jet vanes. The plane control system includes the SAU-M automatic control system.

Design, test and production of a LG pneumatic retractable floats was a complicated problem. It was solved only two years after the first plane's flight.

The powerplant comprises two cruising D-30M bypass turbojet engines designed by P. Solovyov and 12 lift RD-36-35PR turbofan engines designed by P.Kolesov as well as TA-6A turbo generator - an auxiliary airborne unit. There are fuel (15,500 kg of fuel capacity), deicing, and fire extinguishing systems.

The "Burevestnik" search-and-aim system was especially developed to let the crew detect, track, and destroy hostile submarines with high accuracy. The "Bor-1" airborne search magnitometer, radio sonobuoys and weapons automatic release mechanism, flight-and-navigation system operate jointly with this search-and-aim system. Crew members (a pilot, navigator and operator) are accommodated in ejection cockpit capsule that provide the possibility to save the crew in all flight attitudes and to stay for long time in it after landing to the ground or water. The third copy of the plane is supposed to use for the ejection cockpit capsule testing.

• Read about the strangest and weirdest here!
• Fighter Jets in comparison right here!
• How they built the SR-71, one of the most interesting facts!
• Some of the best low landings ever seen

• wikipedia.org
• g1886.com
• testpilot.ru

The post The weirdest aircraft by looks – Bartini Beriev VVA-14 appeared first on Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine.

The Blackbird divided in pieces.

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is an ultra-long-range, strategic reconnaissance aircraft and these previously classified photos reveal how Lockheed built the three types of Blackbird - A, B and C in top secret conditions in Burbank, California.

The SR71 Blackbird required an array of specially developed materials including high temperature fuel, sealants, lubricants, wiring and other components.

Since July 28^th 1976 the SR-71 Blackbird has held the world record for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft with a record breaking speed of a whopping 2193mph.

Renowned American aerospace engineer Clarence Johnson was held responsible for many of the design's world class innovative concepts. The SR71 blackbird was designed to have basic touches of stealthy characteristics and served primarily as a precursor to modern stealth aircraft.

The Blackbird had served with the U.S. Air Force (USAF) from 1964 to 1998 and a total of 32 aircraft were built, 12 of which were lost in accidents, but none were ever lost to enemy action.

Almost every aspect of its design had required different modern approaches or breakthroughs in technology.

To withstand its high temperatures generated by friction in the upper area of the atmosphere. During the sustained Mach 3 flight, the Blackbird required a vast array of specially designed and developed materials including high temperature fuel, sealants, lubricants, wiring and other delicate components.

On July 24^th 1964, US President Lyndon Johnson publicly unveiled the existence of the classified Lockheed SR71 program. Around 93% of the Blackbird's complicated airframe consisted of titanium alloy that allowed the aircraft to operate throughout a regime in which temperatures ranged from 450 degrees to 950 degrees.

The first flight was held on December 22 and operational aircraft deliveries began in 1966.

Additional Readings -

• The SR-72 – a new Blackbird?
• The A400M Atlas

 Author - Jake Meilak

The post How They Built the SR-71 Blackbird appeared first on Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine.