Author: jsf5460

Well, everyone, it is finally time to wrap up the semester.  It is crazy that it is almost over.  With that being said, I am going to be going back to my old style for this final blog post.  In the first semester, I would consistently do airplane reviews and talk about a specific airplane.  However, I never got around to talking about my favorite airplane.  Sometimes, you have to do it for yourself.  Therefore, in this blog post, I will be covering the SBD-3 Dauntless.

The SBD-3 Dauntless was a naval aircraft in World War two.  SBD stands for Scout Bomber Douglas (Douglas was the company that made the airplane).  The Dauntless was used by America and was prolifically used in the Pacific Theater.  The SBD-3 has a true underdog story.  It was first accepted into use by the U.S. Navy in 1940 in preparation for the imminent war.  However, its feasibility was questioned, and it was widely considered obsolete by the time war was declared in December 1940.  In fact, the only reason it continued to see use was that the Navy had no other airplane to replace it with.  The Dauntless was a heavy, slow-moving aircraft that could not carry a lot of weaponry.  It was extremely vulnerable to attacks from the bottom and top.  Without fighter escorts, the Dauntless was said to be a sitting duck.  All signs indicate that this aircraft is useless.  However, the SBD did have one trick up its sleeve—dive bombing.

Image Source

Dive bombing is a bombing technique in which an aircraft flies above its target and then down at an angle toward it.  This technique is used to increase the odds of a bomb landing on an enemy ship.  In World War two, there were no guided missiles or guided bombs, so it was extremely difficult to hit a ship in the middle of the ocean.  Several high-altitude bomber pilots described it as being even harder than finding a needle in a haystack.  A dive bomber, such as the SBD-3, allowed the airplane to fly extremely close to the target before releasing its ordinance.  However, every positive has a drawback.  Getting extremely close to the enemy in a war is a sure way of getting shot at.  And that is exactly what happened.  The SBD saw heavy losses nearly every time it was exhibited in combat.  Thus, I believe the SBD-3 has a very accurate name with “The Dauntless.”  Every time someone stepped into this plane to fly a mission, they knew it could be their last, and they did it without faltering.  That couldn’t be me.  Despite all of this, the SBD demolished the Japanese Pacific fleet and helped seal the deal for World War two.

Image Source

The Dauntless is my favorite aircraft not because of its ability to fight or its ability to bomb; it is my favorite aircraft because of its ability to survive.  The Dauntless has always been a symbol to me to push forward and conquer, no matter what anyone else has to say.  If no one thinks that you are capable of something, accomplish it with flying colors.  I hope you all carry that with you for the rest of your lives.  Good luck, and good night.

 

 

Most of all of us can relate to having a sibling we all know is the family’s favorite.  I know my parents’ favorite is my older brother Peter, yet they still demand it was me.  While I know I am great, I was an accident, so that argument is invalid.  You probably aren’t your parents’ favorite child either; it’s only statistics.  Even large organizations have their “golden child.”  The NFL has Patrick Mahomes.  The NHL has Sidney Crosby.  The NBA has LeBron James.  In the airline industry, the “golden child” is the Boeing 737.

Besides your sibling, of course, every golden child has a good reason for being the favorite.  LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and Sidney Crosby are all ridiculously skilled at their respective sports.  How can an ordinary object like the Boeing 737 be considered a golden child?  For starters, it is the absolute standard in the aviation industry.  Nearly every new airplane is introduced into the market to try to replace the B737; however, no design ever succeeds.

The B737 is a narrow-body, midrange aircraft.  This airplane had its first flight in 1967, over 55 years ago.   That is older than most of your parents if you’re my age.  Stunningly, the aircraft is still under production today. Of course, to last the test of time, there have been many improvements made to the original airframe.  As of now, there are more than ten different variations of the B73.  There have been drastic changes to the B737 from the original model to the newest model.   The original airframe (B737 100) could seat up to 130 passengers and was 94 feet long.  However, the latest airframe (B737 MAX 200) is over 138 feet and can seat up to 204 passengers.

Boeing 737 100

Image Source

Obviously, such drastic changes to an airframe have consequences for how the airplane handles and flies.  Pilots would have to relearn how to fly these airplanes and go through months of expensive training.  Boeing did not want companies to feel discouraged from buying these new airplanes, so the company came up with a workaround solution.  Boeing introduced a system called Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) that made the new planes handle like the old ones.  However, Boeing failed to inform airlines of this new feature, and when something is neglected in aviation, something terrible inevitably happens.

Beoing 737 MAX 200

Image Source

The first B737 MAX was delivered to Malindo Air in May 2017.  The new airplanes immediately started experiencing issues, and concern grew among airlines.  Several pilots were recorded saying that the airplane’s autopilot felt like it was going rogue and fighting the pilots’ commands.  After a series of deadly crashes and 346 deaths, the 737 MAX was grounded in March 2019.  In less than two years, the seemingly most advanced airplane was not allowed to fly due to safety concerns.

After months of thorough investigation and years of lawsuits, the United States charged Boeing with fraud.  The damage Boeing caused to hundreds of families is unrepairable, and the Boeing namesake is forever stained.  However, as I mentioned before, the Boeing 737 is the golden child.  The 737 MAX was approved to fly again in less than two years, and the Boeing company got off almost completely scotch free with only recoverable dents in the company’s stock.

The image above shows how different events influenced Boeing’s stock prices.  Notice the crashes had a minute effect compared to Covid’s impact.

Image Source

Aviation has been a busy world as of recently.  From a war happening overseas to balloons flying over the States and being shot down, there hasn’t been a dull moment.   Although these events are terrible, and I bet we all wish these never happened, they make for some fantastic aviation content.

In early February, a mysterious object was spotted over American airspace.  This mysterious object was quickly identified as a balloon from China.  Some early reports labeled the balloon as a rogue weather balloon.  However, the Pentagon stated that it was indeed a Chinese surveillance balloon and was not welcome in our airspace.  Regardless, the balloon was not shot down out of fear that it would fall and hurt civilians.  When the balloon flew over the entire United States but was still over territorial waters, it was shot down by an F-22 Raptor with a modified Aim-9x Sidewinder.

Image Source

After the mission was completed, the government and military faced a lot of backlash and criticism for using a 200 million dollar airplane and $400,000 missile to shoot down a cheap balloon that posed no immediate threat.  While it is hilarious to think about the technology used to shoot down a balloon floating through the sky, there are legitimate reasons to use these tools.  The F-22 Raptor is the most advanced fighter in the American Air Force arsenal, and it is capable of reaching altitudes of excess of 60,000 feet.  Balloons, such as the one in question, are capable of floating through the air at heights of 65,000 feet.  Also, the F-22 Raptor has been in service for over 20 years and has never been in a combat scenario.  This opportunity gave the Raptor a chance to earn its first “combat” experience and have an official air-to-air kill.  Giving the F-22 a combat record is the military trying to justify a multibillion-dollar program that never was able to be utilized.  I am glad that the F-22 has never been used before, but wow, it is a beautiful aircraft.

There was also a large group of people questioning why an expensive missile was used to down a balloon, not just bullets.  I also had this thought as a first impression.  The answer isn’t as simple as I first imagined.   Observation balloons are not like your typical party balloon.   They are usually made with a strong latex or nylon material and filled with hydrogen or helium.  Balloons like this do not simply burst if a hole is poked through them, which is what bullets would do.  Twenty-five years ago, two Canadian F-18 fighter jets spotted a rogue balloon flying over Newfoundland.  They shot a combined 1000 bullets at it.  The balloon was able to stay afloat for six additional days despite the damage.

Image Source

This balloon would be able to keep flying hundreds of miles further out into the ocean into international waters.  It would make the recovery operation much more complicated and more diplomatic.  Using a missile was the only way to quickly down the balloon and recover helpful information.

 

 

The world’s gone global.  That’s a crazy sentence to write and probably even worse to read.  What I mean by that is the world is more connected now than ever, with long-distance traveling and, obviously, the internet.  However, for the sake of this blog, I will not be talking about the internet.  I’m sure you all know what it is and probably understand it better than I do.  Long-distance travel has been available for hundreds of years, with fleets of ships carrying hundreds of passengers for thousands of miles.  However, if you were going to take a journey on a boat, you had to be in the top echelon of society.  You also had to be willing to put aside several months, watch people die of debilitating sicknesses, and risk your own life.  Eventually, technology got more advanced, and the journey went from taking months to weeks to days.  However, sea travel is treacherous, and if you don’t believe me, watch Titanic.

Luckily for us, the introduction of aviation changed all of that.  In less than a century, airplanes went from only flying a few hundred feet to flying around the entire world without landing.  Large corporations immediately took advantage of these newly-capable airplanes.

At first, four-engine airplanes were favored because engines were not very advanced in the 1950s/1960s.  The first successful commercial jet airplane was the Boeing 707.   Quadjets have remained an essential part of the aviation industry for nearly 60 years now.  They are only now being phased out of service.  The last Boeing 747, also known as “The Queen of the Skies,” was just finished on January 4th after nearly 50 years of production.

Above: Boeing 707

Image Source

As time passed, engines became more powerful, and companies realized they could save money on fuel if they transitioned to airplanes using fewer engines.  This triggered a battle between two types of aircraft: twinjets and trijets.  Twinjets have two engines, typically with one below each wing or mounted on either side of the fuselage.  Trijets have three engines in the same places as twinjets but with an extra engine in its tail.  Twinjets offered better fuel efficiency but had limited range.  Trijets could fly for much longer but used up more fuel.

Above: Boeing 737-200.  Example of a twinjet airplane.

Image Source

Above: Lockheed Martin L-1011 Tristar.  Example of a trijet.

Image Source 

As I mentioned above, quad-jets have become obsolete in today’s market.  The same thing happened to trijets.  Less than 50 trijets are still flying commercially that are able to carry passengers.   Engines have become so advanced and powerful that having three or four engines to lift an airplane is completely unnecessary now.   Two modern engines can lift the weight that four engines from the 1950s could while using only a fraction of the fuel.

Of course, carrying more weight and using less fuel is beneficial for us, and better for the environment (refer to my civic blog).  Still, I can’t help but be a little bit sad.  Three and four-engined airplanes are a thing of beauty.  I could be talking to Chuck Norris, and I would still look away to stare at a quadruple contrail streaking across the sky.  It’s only right for me.

 

For many weeks I have called myself an aviation enthusiast, and that is true.  However, I do have to admit that I am a little prejudiced against some aspects and fields of aviation.  I will openly admit that I am not the biggest fan of helicopters.  They are absolute wonders of engineering, aerodynamics, and sheer human willpower.  Strangely enough, this is the same reason I do not vibe with helicopters.  I owe it to the helicopters, though; I need to do at least one post where I talk about some fascinating pieces of history.

As with any piece of history, there is a wide range of dates to choose from for the origin of the helicopter.  It is widely accepted that the first feasible concepts of the helicopter were created in the late 1800s, and the first successful flight for a practical helicopter was on September 14^th, 1939.  The first helicopter, the VS-300, was designed by the great Igor Sikorsky, a legendary figure in the aviation world.  Modern-day designs still take inspiration from his work.  I strongly recommend this article portraying the importance of Igor Sikorsky and his life work.  The VS-300 did not function all that differently from a modern-day helicopter.  However, modern birds use electronic flight controls, turboshaft engines, and have a complete fuselage.

I am sure many of you are aware that helicopters are a relatively new piece of technology and are even rarer than airplanes.  However, I was not aware that helicopters have been serviceable for a considerably long time.  When I think of the start of choppers, I think of the late 1960s and early 1970s.  At the time of me writing this entry, I was learning that several countries fielded early versions of the helicopter in World War Two.  These helicopters were mainly used to transport wounded away from the battlefield.  To no surprise, most of these were produced by the Sikorsky company.

Sikorsky R-4B Hoverfly

Image Source

I always find myself wondering what advantage a helicopter could possibly have over an airplane.  Airplanes can travel further, fly higher, fly faster, lift more weight, carry more people, and the list goes on.  The most straightforward answer is that every helicopter is capable of VTOL, which only a handful of airplanes are capable of, all of which are military.  VTOL stands for Vertical Take-Off and Landing.  Helicopters do not need a proper airport to land, pick up their payload, and take back off again.  This enables them to be able to land on small fields, boats, and of course, on top of buildings.

For this reason, helicopters hold a special place in my heart.  I may not trust them and would be hesitant to step foot in one, but a helicopter is why my father is still alive today.  When he broke his back falling out of a tree, he was given a minimal chance to live.  A LifeFlight helicopter managed to transport him to Pittsburgh in time for emergency surgery.  Had this luxury not been available, I would not be able to go on walks with him and hear his oh-so-stupid dad jokes anymore.  So for that reason alone, I have got to give helicopters their recognition.  They save lives.

Allegheny Health Network LifeFlight Helicopter

Image Source

Before I start this blog, I want to introduce myself to my new classmates.  My name is Joseph Foradora, but please call me Joey.  This blog is focused on the world of aviation.  I have always been immersed in the wonders of flying, and I even wrote my college application about it.  I was told by several teachers and mentors that it was not a good idea to write my college application about the history of airplanes, but I do not regret it one bit.  To kick off the new semester, I want to talk about some common things that happen inside an airplane, some of which are controversial.

First, I want to address chanting on an airplane.  We are all Penn State students, so I am sure that everyone reading this blog is aware that the Penn State Football team played against Utah in the Rose Bowl.  The Rose Bowl is hosted in Pasadena, California.  Obviously, for most Penn State students and alum, Pasadena is not a simple car ride home.  Most people who traveled to the game had to fly with a commercial airline.  My older brother (a former Penn State student) made the trip with his girlfriend and her family.  He said that while he was on his flight at 10:00 at night, people were chanting Penn State.  I didn’t really believe him but not long after did, I saw videos of people doing just this.  Now I’m all for showing school spirit and getting excited about the biggest game of the year, but 34,000 feet above the ground in a Boeing 737 is not the place to do so.

https://www.flightradar24.com/40.24,-75.3/6

Oh, and just for fun, here is evidence that I was stalking my brother’s flight just for fun (for some reason, my own image would not paste into this site, so this will do).  But in all seriousness, people on flights are trying to get sleep; the flight attendants are busy ensuring everyone is safe, and the pilots are flying (obviously).  There is little room for distraction, such as a loud chant.

There are people who claim that people should close the window blinders in airplanes so that the cabin is dark and suitable for sleep during the flight.  However, I completely disagree with this.  Flying on an airplane is oftentimes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a person, and it is cruel to reprimand someone for looking outside a window.  This image below is one of my favorite pictures on the internet, and I am looking to get it made into a poster for my dorm room.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/suratlozowick/4259062038

I like to tell people who say that an open window is a distraction and bothersome that they should invest in a pair of sleeping goggles.  I hate it when someone tries to ruin another person’s vibe.

The world of aviation is full of different opinions, different kinds of people, and even controversies.  I have learned to take it all in stride because life is too short to worry, and the universe is too big to worry about whether or not a window is closed.  We are just a tiny speck in the cosmos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgqAAE9Aagc

I could keep listing controversies, conspiracy theories, and even how culture affects the operation of airlines.  Maybe I can cover these topics in another blog post.  See you all next time!

This month has been pretty exciting in the world of aviation.  Most notably, Northrop Grumman revealed the world’s newest, most technologically advanced airplane.  The highly anticipated reveal of the B-21 Raider happened on December second, and I was so excited about it.  I called my friend Ac (cool name, right), and we watched the life reveal together.  He is not much of an aviation enthusiast, or at least not to my level, but he likes to listen to people talk about aviation.  That’s great because I want to talk about aviation (pick your friends right, people).

So what is the B-21 Raider?  It is a proposed strategic bomber with stealth capabilities.  Apparently, it can also fill the role of a low-level bomber.  These all sound cool, I’m not much of a military expert, but I can tell that this means that it is going to be good at what it does.  The B-21 is supposed to replace the B-2 Spirit and the B-1 Lancer.  I can’t lie, I am a little disappointed because they are beautiful airplanes, but they are getting old.  Both of those airplanes were developed in the 1900s (just like my brothers, I guess they are old too).  Sadly, we are all too familiar with the United States government, and this will likely never happen.

Anyways, let me just get this out of the way; I like money.  I always have, actually; it is just sort of a cool thing.  Now don’t get me confused with the Smeal kids; I think they may write love poems about the stock market.  I specifically like saving money.  What’s the relevance?  The B-21 Raider will supposedly be very cheap to produce and operate.  The Raider will hopefully lead to a cut in military spending, which I think we can all agree is necessary.  It seems almost too good to be true to me, though.  I cannot see how an airplane could be so modern and so advanced but be cheaper to produce than previous airplanes.  There is obviously something missing here.  Actually, there is a lot missing here.

 

Do you notice anything similar with these photos?  All photographs of the B-21 have been from the front side.  There have been no glimpses into the cockpit, what the side profile of the airplane may look like, and we do not even know how many engines this plane has.  There are two air intakes, but it is possible that each intake feeds two engines.  I thought to myself, “if we can’t see anything on this airplane, why are they showing it to us?” After a quick bit of research and a few YouTube videos later, I found my answer.  Russia (of course).   There is a treaty,  the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, that requires both countries to disclose all nuclear-capable delivery systems to each other.  So that means that this airplane is able to carry a nuke.  That’s precisely what we need right now.  That was sarcasm.

Sorry guys, this is going to be a solemn blog post.  Also, it has been about a month since I’ve written one of these posts, so here goes nothing.  For this whole semester, I’ve maintained that I am an aviation enthusiast, and I love the topic of flight.  However, there is one thing that always manages to put me off: death.  The truth about aviation is that it is a dangerous game  Thousands upon thousands of people have died at the hands of flight.  Thankfully, aviation has only gotten safer throughout the years, and now it is considered one of the safest forms of transportation.  Still, when tragedy does strike, it seems so tragic and shocking, partly because of the often-violent nature of crashes.

I am writing this blog post due to an event that happened at an airshow recently.  “Wings over Dallas” is a very famous and credible airshow that takes place in Dallas, Texas (it’s in the name; I don’t think I need to say that).  Just over two weeks ago, two airplanes collided during a flight and exploded.  Six people perished as a result of the accident.  At first, people paid their respects and showed remorse for the situation.  However, the video of the accident was released very quickly due to the number of witnesses present.  I am not going to include a link to the video out of respect for the victims, but I am sure that you can find it on the internet if you truly must see it.  Not soon after the video was released, memes started to be released featuring the crash.  To be completely honest, I am a sucker for dark humor, but even this was too far for me.

This event also made me wonder about what the future may hold for these antique airshows.  These airshows often feature airplanes that were used in World War two and some that even predate the war.  The crash mentioned earlier involved a B-17 and a P-63. Pictures of these airplanes are shown below.

The B-17 was designed in the 1930s and produced in the early 1940s.  The P-63 was developed and delivered during the early 1940s.  These airframes are just about 80 years old.  Antique airplanes have been updated with new navigation and communication equipment, but the new equipment does not change the age of the body and the wings.  I think that the aviation community needs to reevaluate the risks that come with flying these antique airplanes in airshows.  Nonetheless, I do not believe that this will happen soon.  There are people much braver than me who are willing to hop, being the sticks of these beautiful beasts to keep them running and up in the sky.  There is no shortage of people who risk death for what they love, and no threat will stop them.

Here comes another airplane review, one that is much different than the rest. I had never heard of this airplane before; in fact, the first time I saw it was yesterday. Yesterday I learned that the United States military- the owner of the most airplanes in the world- has chosen a new aircraft to serve. This airplane is designated the AT-802U sky warden.

As soon as I saw this plane, I laughed at its bulbous cockpit, turboprop engine, and tricycle landing gear. I am sure many of you know what plane this contraption resembles. That’s right; this airplane is a crop duster. America is known for striving for perfection and innovation. The United States military is no exception to that rule, especially with its $770 billion budget. At first, it came as a surprise to me that the Air Force would field an airplane that was first built in 1990 for the agricultural marketplace., but one thing I’ve learned in aviation is to expect the unexpected. After reading several articles and watching a few YouTube videos, I understand the reasoning behind choosing this strange airplane as the military’s next project. It is all about money.

Yes, the military budget is $770 billion dollars, but why? We are a country in debt; a shit ton of debt. We are also not involved in any significant conflict right now. Yet we just dumped 2 billion dollars into buying a fleet of 75 crop dusters. After a bit of research, it all clicked for me. These airplanes are incredibly cheap to operate. On top of that, this airplane will serve as sort of a jack of all trades.

The A-10 Warthog (which I may do a future episode on) is the closest thing I can compare the Sky Warden to right now with the information I have. The Warthog is a close-air support airplane and is considered to be an incredibly cheap machine to fly. For every hour of flight time, the Warthog costs about $18,000 worth of maintenance. However, the Sky Warden, which I still can’t believe is actually happening, will cost less than $1,000 per hour. I mean, yeah, that’s still a lot of money, but in aviation terms, that is almost nothing.

We don’t need the most advanced technology for the enemies we fight now. We aren’t fighting large-scale wars against opponents like Germany or Russia (I hope not, at least) anymore. The majority of our attention goes to smugglers with makeshift equipment, such as the half-submarine half/boat pictured below.

The Sky Warden, though uncanny, is equipped with cameras, sensors, lasers, and all kinds of reconnaissance equipment. With a 10-hour loiter time, it will be perfect for what I will assume to be its intended purpose. It will be able to reliably spot incoming smugglers and relay the exact location to ground forces, which can then (hopefully peacefully and without struggle) capture the contraband. So yeah, I’m all for having a new plane that will help us out and keep cash in our pockets.

It is fascinating reading other blog posts and seeing how every person has unique passions and learning how they were formed. I have come to the realization that I have yet to really introduce what created my love for aviation. Well, the answer is not very simple, and being straight up, I’m not even sure that my story is accurate.

Nonetheless, I have got a story to tell, so I’ll do my best to articulate it on paper. Dr. Kate asked us to think of our earliest memory during our last English class. I immediately knew what my first memory was; I did not have to go digging around my brain or jog any memories. My instant realization demonstrated how important a moment it is in my life. Okay, okay, I will get to the story. My aunt used to own a house in Scottsdale, Arizona. We would go down there every spring and spend a week with her in her beautiful home.

One of those years, we took a day trip to Pima, Arizona, and explored the area. Well, at some point in the day, we ended up at the Pima Air and Space Museum and looked at plenty of exhibits. I honestly do not think I remember any of the airplanes that were displayed there. However, I vividly remember the airplane simulator I go to sit in and watch the operation. It was a surreal moment that sparked my passion for the rest of my life.
I think I still remember this day so well because I received two souvenirs. I got one toy model of the SR-71 Blackbird and a scale model of the Saturn V rocket. Both models are still displayed in my bedroom back at home. They are in a pretty rough state, but that is what comes with years of use and playing with them.

Despite all of this, I was never sure when this exactly happened. We had gone to Arizona from when I was a baby until I was 11 years old; many of my memories from there have been mashed up, and I probably couldn’t tell you when all of my experiences happened. However, I recently found a picture from that day- I would attach the photo, but it is at home :(. The image is dated February 10th, 2006. I immediately thought that this couldn’t be right. I was born May 18th, 2004; I would not have even been two years old yet. I couldn’t even talk until I was three years old.

I brought this up to my grandma, who also went on all of the trips with my immediate family. I asked her if she remembered the time I went to the Pima Air and Space Museum. She confirmed that it was in 2006- before I could even talk. She said I “was the happiest baby she ever did see,” and she had never heard a baby talk gibberish more than I did after that trip. That made my heart so happy, especially knowing that 16 years later and I am still talking nonsense about airplanes.