When you wish upon 100,000 stars

December 1, 2012 by

The Creative Sandbox, by Google, has gifted us mortals with a 3D interactive journey through space to over 100,000 stars in our galactic neighborhood. “100,000 Stars” shows the location of 119,617 nearby stars. The galaxy view is an artist’s rendition based on NGC 1232, a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way. Zoom-in for a closer view of 87 individually identified stars and our solar system. Creative Sandbox derives its data from multiple sources, including the NASA’s 1989 Hipparcos mission.

Embark to 100,000 Stars at https://workshop.chromeexperiments.com/stars/. Equip yourself for the trip on your Mac, Windows or Linux with a Web-GL-compatible, Google Chrome browser.

Watching 100,000 Stars feels good. To see beyond our smog- or light-polluted sky and see what’s out there, beyond our world. View a trailer of what you will experience:

Biggest Black Hole in the Universe

November 30, 2012 by

Galaxy NGC 1277 is a small compact, flat, disc-shaped galaxy containing the largest black hole ever found. CREDIT: NASA / ESA / Andrew C. Fabian / Remco C. E. van den Bosch (MPIA)

Nature.com reported a study in which scientists have identified the largest black hole ever found, in the universe as we know it. It is at the center of a small galaxy, about 250 million light-years from Earth, called NGC 1277. Pictured above in a photo taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, NGC 1277 is located in the constellation Perseus.

Typically most black holes weigh an average of 0.1% of the galaxy’s mass. The “over-massive” black hole inside the “compact lenticular” NGC 1277 galaxy has a mass that is 14% of the galaxy, or a mass equivalent to 17 billion suns.

Karl Gebhardt, who studied the Hubble’s NGC 1277 images based out of the University of Texas at Austin, said in a statement. “This is a really oddball galaxy. It’s almost all black hole.”

Remco van den Bosch, an astronomer at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, states there are five other similar galaxies near NGC 1277 that may possibly include more massive black holes.

NGC 1277 is a part of the nearby Perseus galaxy cluster. NGC1277 is the small galaxy in the center of this image. CREDIT: David W. Hogg, Michael Blanton, and the SDSS Collaboration

E-3 “Sentry”

September 7, 2012 by John M. Guilfoil

An underrated workhorse, the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) jet lives up to its moniker, “Sentry.” Derived from Boeing’s 707, the E-3 began its service when the first unit was delivered to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma in 1977. Since then, the USAF has procured a total of 34 “Sentries.” Currently, 31 are in active service with 27 stationed at Tinker.

The E-3 has a max speed of 530 mph with four Pratt & Whitney TF33-P100A turbofan engines. Its ceiling is 41,000 feet. With a full fuel load, the aircraft has an operational range of 4,000 nautical miles, which gives it about eight hours before requiring refueling. The E-3 is capable of aerial refueling. The length of the aircraft is 152 feet, 11 inches with a wingspan of 145 feet, nine inches.

The most important part of the E-3, however, is its rotating, domed radar. The radar is held 11 feet above the fuselage. The radar system itself is Westinghouse Corporation’s AN/APY-1 or AN/APY-2 passive electronically scanned array radar system. This system uses pulse-Doppler technology.

Pulse-Doppler is a 4D radar technology, meaning it can not only detect a target’s three-dimensional location but also calculate its radial velocity (also called range-rate). The pulse technology is also excellent at avoiding clutter. This helps crews in tracking and focusing on “targets of interest.”

An E-3 Sentry system operator at work in 2008

The E-3 has a maximum crew load of 23, with four flight crew and between 13 and 19 mission crew.

The role of the E-3 “Sentry” is to be the eyes of the combat zone. It flies high and obscurely, evading the detection of opposing forces. From its vantage point, it can highlight everything around it. The amount of incoming information is worthy of the large mission crew. Ground targets, aerial targets, friend/foe; their velocities and locations are all intercepted by the radar. The information is disseminated to all friendly assets. From a single E-3 an entire battlefield can be managed.

Thanks to innovation and technology, command of the air has never been so complete. Early imaginings and theories focused on daring reconnaissance missions. Now, there is no need to cross enemy lines or risk exposure. The E-3 “Sentry” and its radar can completely map a combat zone and give commanders the freedom and flexibility of knowing what’s on the other side. In an ever-evolving battlefield, information is key and the E-3 provides all important information in real-time.

As the old 707 airframe is outdated and no longer in production, future AWACS jets will use the newer 767 airframe. The Japan Air Self Defense Force has already fitted the E-3 “mission package” into a Boeing 767. Other future improvements include a new “air battle management” section under the USAF’s Block 40/45 upgrades as well as utilizing more efficient P&W JT8D-219 turbofan engines.

The “Sentry” is an incredibly important asset to allied Air Forces. It is underrated and often overlooked. Perhaps because it lacks the flash of fighters, bombers and recon planes? It may also be due to its few numbers, which should highlight how impressive the aircraft is. For all it does, it doesn’t take many. Many recent American undertakings owe their successes to the E-3.

Specifications

General

Crew: Four flight crew and 13-19 mission crew
Length: 152 ft 11 in
Wingspan: 145 ft 9 in
Height: 41 ft 4 in
Empty weight: 185,000 lb
Max. takeoff weight: 347,000 lb
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney TF33-PW-100A turbofan, 21,500 lbf each

Performance

Maximum speed: 530 mph
Range: 4,000 nmi (8 hrs)
Service ceiling: 41,000 ft

Essential Reading and More

Amazon.com Widgets

Online Resources:

Photo Gallery

The E-3 Sentry is a modified Boeing 707/320 commercial airframe with a rotating radar dome. The dome is 30 feet in diameter, 6 feet thick and is held 11 feet above the fuselage by two struts. It contains a radar subsystem that permits surveillance from the Earth's surface up into the stratosphere, over land or water. The radar has a range of more than 200 miles for low-flying targets and farther for aerospace vehicles flying at medium to high altitudes — The E-3 Sentry is a modified Boeing 707/320 commercial airframe with a rotating radar dome. The dome is 30 feet in diameter, 6 feet thick and is held 11 feet above the fuselage by two struts. It contains a radar subsystem that permits surveillance from the Earth’s surface up into the stratosphere, over land or water. The radar has a range of more than 200 miles for low-flying targets and farther for aerospace vehicles flying at medium to high altitudes

The E-3's radar combined with an identification friend or foe, or IFF, subsystem can look down to detect, identify and track enemy and friendly low-flying aircraft by eliminating ground clutter returns that confuse other radar systems. — The E-3’s radar combined with an identification friend or foe, or IFF, subsystem can look down to detect, identify and track enemy and friendly low-flying aircraft by eliminating ground clutter returns that confuse other radar systems.

An E-3 Sentry aircraft flies over the desert during Operation Desert Shield.

Close-up view of the radar, which revolves at 6 revolutions per minute

An E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., flies a mission.

F-105 “Thunderchief”

August 28, 2012 by John M. Guilfoil

The F-105 “Thunderchief” was an American fighter-bomber capable of Mach 2 speeds that could carry more bombs than most strategic bombers of World War II.

But just because it was faster than bombers doesn’t mean it didn’t get shot down like a traditional bomber. In fact, the “Thunderchief” crashed so much that many believe its nickname, “Thud,” originated because of how often the plane hit the ground.

While the F-105 conducted thousands of sorties and did the bulk of the strike bombing missions at the onset of Vietnam, it became the only American aircraft to be pulled from active duty due to high loss rates.

The F-105 was designed as a single-seat nuclear attacker, like many of the jets unleashed in the 1950s. The jet first flew in 1955, entered service in 1958, and had its final Air National Guard units retired in 1984.

The F-105 was a speedier successor to the North American F-100 “Super Sabre” and was like-armed with bombs, missiles, and a cannon. The F-105 was exceptionally well-armed. It carried up to 16 750-pound bombs. It carried more payload than a B-17.

Out of the 833 aircraft produced, 382 — nearly half — were lost. It was bigger and less maneuverable than MiG fighters and managed only 27.5 air-to-air kills in its career. At 50,000 pounds, the F-105 was the biggest single-seat, single-engine airplane ever built.

The “D” variant of the F-105 was the most common. It featured all-weather capability, blind bombing capability, upgraded ejection seat and gun sight, and better armor than earlier models. The F-105F/EF-105F and F-105G variants were “Wild Weasel” versions used for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) missions.

The F-105F was used in legendary missions that may perhaps save the airplane’s reputation in history. The two-seater hosted two Medal of Honor Recipients: Captain Merlyn H. Dethlefsen and Captain Leo K. Thorsness.

Captain Dethlefsen was awarded the Medal of Honor and Capt Kevin “Mike” Gilroy the Air Force Cross for an F-105F Wild Weasel mission on 10 March 1967. With their aircraft damaged by antiaircraft fire, the pair decided to keep heir F-105F in harm’s way, flying above Thai Nguyen until an enemy missile site was found and destroyed.

Republic F-105D-30-RE Thunderchief in flight with a full bomb load of M117 750 lb bombs. Normally drop tanks were carried on the inboard wing pylons. This aircraft was shot down on 24 December 1968 over Laos

Captain Thorsness was awarded the Medal of Honor and Capt Harold Johnson the Air Force Cross for an F-105F Wild Weasel mission on 19 April 1967. The pair attempted to rescue another Wild Weasel crew that had been shot down. Thorsness shot down two enemy MiG-17s in the process and stayed in the area, acting as a decoy for enemy MiGs after he ran out of ammo.

The F-105 almost never came to fruition. The Air Force ordered the fighter-bomber to fight the North Koreans, but that conflict ended before the F-105 entered service. The Air Force reduced its 199 aircraft order down to 46 in 1953 and cancelled the program altogether months later.

The program was brought back to life in 1954, but the Air Force was looking for something more advanced. The F-105D all-weather, nuclear-capable variant filled the need, and the F-105 had life.

By 1961, the Air Force fell in love with the Navy’s F-4 Phantom II and eventually the General Dynamics F-111 “Aardvark,” and the F-105 was already past its prime.

The F-105 got its name after Republic Aviation requested “Thunderchief,” naming the airplane along the same lines as its other “Thunder” aircraft, the P-47 “Thunderbolt,” F-84 “Thunderjet,” and F-84F “Thunderstreak.”

Specifications

General

Crew: 1 (2 for C/E/F/G variants)
Length: 64 ft 4.75 in
Wingspan: 34 ft 11.25 in
Height: 19 ft 8 in
Empty weight: 27,500 lb
Max. takeoff weight: 52,546 lb
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney J75-P-19W afterburning turbojet

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 2.08 (1,372 mph)
Combat radius: 780 mi
Ferry range: 2,210 mi
Ceiling: 48,500 ft
Rate of climb: 38,500 ft/min
Thrust/weight: 0.74

Armament

Guns: One 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon, 1,028 rounds
Hardpoints: Five total and internal bomb bay with a capacity of Up to 14,000 lb. Could carry conventional and nuclear bombs, and AIM-9 Sidewinder and AGM-12 Bullpup missiles.

Photo Gallery

U.S. Air Force Republic F-105D Thunderchief fighters refuel from a Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker en route to North Vietnam in 1966.

View of the cockpit of an U.S. Air Force Republic F-105D Thunderchief.

F-105s take off on a mission to bomb North Vietnam, 1966. (U.S. Air Force photo)

On June 4, 1983, the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing, Utah's only Air Force Reserve flying unit, began retiring the renowned F-105 Thunderchief with a 24-ship flyover of Hill Air Force Base. Personnel who had distinguished themselves in combat operations years before in Southeast Asia led and participated in the singular final tribute. — On June 4, 1983, the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing, Utah’s only Air Force Reserve flying unit, began retiring the renowned F-105 Thunderchief with a 24-ship flyover of Hill Air Force Base. Personnel who had distinguished themselves in combat operations years before in Southeast Asia led and participated in the singular final tribute.

A surviving F-105D Thunderchief at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the "Memphis Belle II". — A surviving F-105D Thunderchief at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the “Memphis Belle II”.

The F-105 was built for the Korean War, but it ended before the plane could enter service

Essential Reading and More

Amazon.com Widgets

Online Resources:

Wikipedia
Break-Left.org — Good narrative
Craig Baker’s F-105 Site — Older site but great info
National Museum of the United States Air Force Official Fact Sheet
Heavyweight — Great stories

EA-18G “Growler”

August 20, 2012 by John M. Guilfoil

The venerable Grumman A-6 “Intruder,” first flown in 1960, has had a long life, partially thanks to the EA-6B electronic warfare variant, which is still in service today aboard American carriers.

When that career finally comes to an end, it will be the EA-18G “Growler” that takes over. A variant of the two-seat F/A-18F “Super Hornet,” the Boeing EA-18G entered service in 2009 and has been taking over for the EA-6B ever since. Nearly 100 have been built and more than double that are on order as of 2012.

In 2001, Boeing demonstrated the effectiveness of the ALQ-99 electronic warfare pod fitted to a “Super Hornet.” By 2006, there was much debate about whether the U.S. Navy should invest in a brand new electronic warfare plane or continue to upgrade the tried and true EA-6B. In the end, the modern and advanced capabilities of the “Growler” won out.

The “Growler” is not a traditional fighter. It’s not going to strike runways or seek our air-to-air dogfights, though it can hold its own in the latter. The plane is designed along the Navy’s mission of jamming and electronically fighting the enemy, which is opposed to the Air Force’s preference for stealth. (The Navy has never had a stealth airplane.) An EA-18G will carry a variety of equipment including jamming pods, AIM-120 “AMRAAM” and AGM-88 “HARM” missiles and communication blocking equipment. It will fly SEAD missions against enemy air defenses, wiping out AAA and SAM sites with the “HARM” missiles or provide escort for other planes, jamming any threats that come up.

The AN/ALQ-99 jamming system is the same one featured on the EA-6B and it was carried on the older EF-111A, which has been retired since 1998. It has been used since Vietnam. The system is effective against known threats, but there is a movement to replace it and a fear that it will not be effective against future threats. The ALQ-99 also interferes with the EA-18G’s radar, slows the plane down, and requires a lot of input from the flight crew.

The EA-18G is virtually identical to the F/A-18F, and that is intentional. The “Growler” is designed to grow and evolve with the “Super Hornet,” with the same emerging weapons and systems being ported to both platforms.

The “Growler” has become a vital piece in the Pentagon’s arsenal. In 2009, according to Wired magazine, the Defense Department opted to buy more EA-18Gs instead of more F-22 fighters as it plans to introduce a “Next Generation Jammer” that could have to go up against modern Chinese or other nations’ fifth and future generation fighters. The Wired piece also states that the EA-18G can remotely insert viruses into enemy computer networks and missile sites, a tactic that Israel is believed to have used against the Iranian nuclear program multiple times.

Specifications

General

Crew: Two
Length: 60 ft 1.25 in
Wingspan: 44 ft 8.5 in
Height: 16 ft
Empty weight: 33,094 lb
Max takeoff weight: 66,000 lb
Engines: Two General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans with 14,000 lbf each