Eglin airbase in the 50s of the last century became one of the main test centers of the US Air Force. In Florida, they not only tested aircraft and missile weapons, but also tested very unusual aircraft. In mid-1955, the airbase employees and the local population were surprised by the strange sight. In the sky above the airbase, an airplane circled, similar to the "flying fortress" of the war, but with a huge propeller in the bow. It was the JB-17G Flying Fortress, which was a "flying stand" for testing the Pratt & Whitney YT34 Turbo-Wasp turboprop engine with a power of more than 5200 hp. Despite the fact that the four "native" piston engines Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone gave a total of 4800 hp.
Pratt & Whitney bought the decommissioned B-17G at the price of scrap metal and completely redesigned the nose of the aircraft, installing a huge aircraft engine with a dry weight of 1175 kg in place of the navigator-bombardier's cockpit.
Unfortunately, it was not possible to find flight data for the prototype JB-17G, but it is reliably known that during flights over Florida, all four piston engines installed on the wing were turned off. Thus, it can be argued that the JB-17G was the largest single-engine aircraft in the world.
The most powerful turboprop engine of this family ever built, the T34-P-9W, produced 7,500 hp. Despite successful tests, the T34 aircraft engines were not widely used.
These motors were used in the creation of the first model of the wide-body transport Aero Spacelines B-377-SG Super Guppy, designed on the basis of the Boeing 377 Stratocruisers. The main purpose of the Super Guppy was to transport large launch vehicles and spacecraft from the manufacturer's plant to the NASA cosmodrome in Florida.
The Douglas C-133 Cargomaster became the only large-scale military transport aircraft with four T34-P-9W theaters. This machine with a payload of 50,000 kg was considered the heaviest American "transport" before the appearance of the C-5A Galaxy. Initially, the S-133 was planned to be used for the transfer of equipment and weapons. But in practice, the main area of application of the aircraft "Kargomaster" has become the transportation of ballistic missiles. The S-133 was not very successful, out of 50 aircraft of this type, 10 were lost in flight accidents.
In 1955, the F-86K Saber interceptor underwent military trials at Eglin. This model was selected to provide NATO air defense in Europe. The fighter, which was a further development of the F-86D modification, had a more powerful forced engine, an APG-37 radar and 4 built-in 20-mm cannons.
During testing at Eglin Air Force Base, interceptor pilots determined the F-86K's ability to counter various tactical and strategic aircraft. During tests on August 16, 1955, one F-86K crashed due to engine failure, but the pilot managed to successfully eject.
Opponents in training battles were: F-84F, B-57A and B-47E. During test interceptions, it turned out that the Saber, modified for air defense missions, is capable of fighting modern fighters and bombers at medium altitudes. Against the background of the earth's surface, the interceptor's radar did not see the target. It was impossible to intercept the oncoming B-47E, going at high altitude, when the fighter was taking off from its own airfield, since the F-86K lacked the rate of climb. The Saber entered the tail of the Stratojet after the bomber could drop its cargo. Nevertheless, the interceptor was recognized as capable of successfully countering the Soviet front-line Il-28 bombers and was supplied to the air forces of the NATO countries. In total, 342 F-86Ks were built for the US allies. In the US Air Force National Guard, the single-seat interceptor, featuring minor details, was designated the F-86L.
In the same 1955, one of the first Boeing B-52A Stratofortress arrived in Florida for weapons testing. The test cycle of the new strategic bomber at Eglin lasted 18 months. At the same time, the ability to strike day and night not only with "special" aviation ammunition, but also with conventional free-fall bombs, as well as mine laying at sea, was confirmed.
In the second half of 1955, the Convair F-102A Delta Dagger and McDonnell F-101A Voodoo interceptors were transferred to the airbase for military trials. Compared to the light F-86L, these machines were more suitable for countering strategic bombers, but at first the reliability of onboard electronics was very low. In addition, the F-102A required a lot of attention during the landing approach, which caused a number of emergency situations. As a result, the refinement of the aircraft and their weapon systems took several more years.
Simultaneously with promising aircraft, the same exercises were performed by the pilots of the Northrop F-89H Scorpion interceptor already in service. Based on the results of comparative tests, recommendations were issued regarding the method of interception on head-on and catch-up courses.
The armament of the F-101A and F-102A included 70-mm NAR FFAR, launched at an air target in a salvo. But in the 50s, unguided missiles could no longer be considered an effective weapon against jet bombers. The area of dispersion of a salvo of 24 unguided missiles at the maximum range of fire of the 23-mm AM-23 cannons was equal to the area of a football field.
In the second half of the 50s, the AIR-2A Genie unguided air-to-air missile with a nuclear warhead with a yield of 1.25 kt was adopted. The launch range did not exceed 10 km, but the Djinn's advantage was its high reliability and immunity to interference. The lack of accuracy was compensated for by a large radius of destruction. A nuclear explosion was guaranteed to destroy any aircraft within a radius of half a kilometer.
In 1955, the AIM-4 Falcon missile launcher with a launch range of 9-11 km was transferred for testing. The missile could be equipped with a semi-active radar or infrared guidance system. In total, the troops received about 40,000 AIM-4 missiles. The nuclear version of the Falcon was designated AIM-26. The development and adoption of this missile was due to the fact that the American generals in charge of the air defense of North America wanted to get a semi-active radar-guided air combat device capable of effectively attacking bombers when attacking on a head-on course. The AIM-26 carried one of the smallest and lightest American nuclear warheads, the W-54, with a yield of 0.25 kt and a mass of 23 kg. The missile with nuclear warheads as a whole repeated the design of the AIM-4, but the AIM-26 was slightly longer, significantly heavier and had almost twice the hull diameter. Therefore, it was necessary to use a more powerful engine capable of providing an effective launch range of 16 km.
The F-102 is famous for being the US Air Force's first production delta-wing supersonic fighter. In addition, the F-102A was the first interceptor fighter to be integrated into the SAGE automated weapon guidance and deployment system. In total, the US Air Force received more than 900 F-102s. Their combat service continued until 1979, after which most of the surviving aircraft were converted into QF-102 radio-controlled targets.
As for the "Voodoo", their operation in the US Air Force was not very long. F-101B interceptors began to be massively supplied to air defense combat squadrons in early 1959. However, they did not completely suit the military, since during the service numerous shortcomings of the fire control system were revealed.
The unmanned theme continued to develop. Several unmanned targets QF-80 Shooting Star were prepared to study the resistance to the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion in "Elglin".
They took part in Operation Teapot at the Nevada nuclear test site. On April 15, 1955, the unmanned Shooting Stars, while in the air in the immediate vicinity of the point of the ground explosion, were exposed to light radiation, penetrating radiation, a shock wave and an electromagnetic pulse. On board the target aircraft there were containers with measuring equipment. One QF-80 was destroyed during the explosion, the second made an emergency landing at the bottom of a dried lake, and the third successfully returned to the airfield.
In 1956, the runways and taxiways of the Eglin airbase acquired a modern look, the airfield became too cramped for the numerous aircraft based and being tested here. After reconstruction, two more lanes appeared at the airbase: the main asphalt runway 3659 meters long and 91 meters wide. And also an auxiliary one with dimensions of 3052x46 meters. About $ 4 million was spent on the reconstruction of the runway alone. After the construction of two runways, the Eglin airbase acquired its modern shape.
Large-scale housing construction for the military and service personnel was carried out in the vicinity of the air base. The area of the airbase and the related landfill increased to 1,874 km². At the same time, the headquarters of the Aircraft Armament Development Laboratory moved to Enlin from the Wright-Patterson airbase, where new non-nuclear aircraft ammunition, aircraft cannons and defensive turrets were created and tested.
A significantly expanded hangar for climatic tests made it possible to "freeze" even such large machines as the C-130A Hercules. This aircraft was cold tested in January 1956.
In 1956, the North American F-100C Super Saber was launched in Florida. At the same time, the reliability of the onboard and airfield equipment was checked, and the ground infrastructure was tested.
The Boeing KB-50 Superfortress “flying tanker” was relocated to Eglin specifically to test the process of refueling in the air of Super Saber fighters. At the same time, the emphasis was on the simultaneous refueling of as many fighters as possible.
In January 1956, the first Ryan Q-2A Firebee unmanned target was launched from a specially modified Douglas DB-26C Invader in Florida. The unmanned aerial vehicle, having flown along the route, landed by parachute in a given area of the Gulf of Mexico. Then he was evacuated by a special vessel and prepared for reuse.
Subsequently, the jet UAV, known as the BQM-34, was built in large series and took part in many armed conflicts. The last known case of combat use took place in 2003, during the invasion of Iraq by American troops.
In March 1956, the first Douglas B-66 Destroyers landed at Eglin Air Force Base. This jet bomber, created on the basis of the deck-based A-3 Skywarrior, was developed as a replacement for the piston B-26. But by the time the B-66 was ready, the Air Force already had a sufficient number of jet B-57s and most of the 294 Destroyers built were converted into RB-66 photo reconnaissance aircraft and RB-66 electronic warfare aircraft.
In the 1960s, the Destroyer was the main tactical photo and electronic reconnaissance aircraft in the US Air Force. The aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 38,000 kg could conduct reconnaissance at a distance of up to 1,500 km and developed a maximum speed of up to 1,020 km / h. Its active use continued until 1975.
Almost simultaneously with the B-66 bombers, 4 Canadian all-weather loitering interceptors Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck arrived at the air base. Air defense aircraft of Canada were assessed during training interceptions according to the method developed by the airbase specialists.
The two-seater interceptor carried 58 70-mm NAR FFAR and was equipped with an APG-33 radar. The Royal Canadian Air Force received about 600 CF-100 interceptors. With a flight range of 3200 km, the aircraft could reach a speed of 890 km / h at high altitude, which was not enough for the late 50s. However, the CF-100 was in service until the late 70s.
On May 7, 1956, a two-hour demonstration of the combat capabilities of the US Air Force tactical and strategic aviation took place at the training ground. In total, about 5,000 guests were invited from 52 NATO countries, Canada, Latin America, Cuba and Asia. Demonstration flights, bombing and shooting were attended by: B-36, B-47 and B-52 bombers, Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star AWACS aircraft, interceptors F-89, F-94, F-100, CF-100 and F- 102A. The Thunderbirds aerobatic team performed in front of the guests on F-84F Thunderstreak fighter-bombers.
After the demonstration flights of the Thunderbirds over the stands at low altitude and supersonic speed, four Super Sabers passed, they turned around and attacked the NAR and the decommissioned aircraft installed on the range as targets with guns. The F-86H unit then dropped the napalm tanks onto a purpose-built wooden building. At the end of the demonstration of American air power at the range, strategic bombers were bombed with various-caliber bombs and simulated mid-air refueling from air tankers.
In 1957, the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter fighter and the RB-69A reconnaissance aircraft, converted by order of the CIA from the Lockheed P2V-7U Neptune naval patrol aircraft, were tested at the airbase in parallel with the routine training of fighter-bombers. This machine was intended for covert operations at night and in adverse weather conditions.
The first two RB-69A at the end of 1957 were sent to a special squadron based in Wiesbaden (FRG), where they operated until 1959. In 1958, several machines were transferred to Taiwan, from where they flew over the mainland of China. The RB-69A was flown by Taiwanese pilots, but the secret missions themselves were planned by the CIA. During the sorties, information about the PRC air defense system was collected, agents were disembarked, and campaign leaflets were scattered. The same RB-69A missions were carried out over North Korea. Not all flights went smoothly, three aircraft were lost over the PRC, and two aircraft were lost over the DPRK. In January 1967, the two surviving RB-69A aircraft were ferried back to the United States, where they were again converted into PLO aircraft. Despite the fact that more than 50 years have passed since the last reconnaissance flight of the RB-69A, the details of the covert operations are still classified.
In the late 50s, field tests of MIM-14 Nike Hercules and AIR-2 Genie missiles with a nuclear charge were planned over the Gulf of Mexico. Unmanned QF-80s were targeted as targets. However, such tests were sharply opposed by the state leadership, congressmen and senators representing Florida. And in the end, the military backed down.
In August 1958, one of the first YB-58A Hustler pre-production bombers flew in for testing in a climatic chamber. At the same time, a squadron of F-105B fighter-bombers was deployed at the airbase. In December 1958, five B-52B Stratofortress bombers and the same KC-135A Strategistanker arrived at Eglin as part of a program to disperse strategic aircraft.
On April 23, 1959, the first prototype of the GAM-77 Hound Dog strategic cruise missile was launched from the B-52. After that, such tests in Florida became regular. One Hound Dog missile with an inert warhead crashed near Samson, Alabama, when it failed to self-destruct after losing control.
In June 1959, AIM-4 Falcon rocket launches were carried out over the Gulf of Mexico from the first serial Convair F-106A Delta Dart interceptors. Subsequently, these aircraft replaced the Convair F-102A Delta Dagger interceptors in the air defense squadrons.
