If they were to seriously mass-produce military and civilian aircraft under these conditions, the current Osprey would have been produced in the correct form.
Rocketdyne. McGregor, TX. I grew up about 20 miles from there in the 60s. As a kid, nobody I knew what they did there other than "something to do with bombs". Only in the past couple of decades have I come to appreciate some of the stuff they did. At present, the Rocketdyne site is a SpaceX rocket motor test facility. Even at 20 miles or so, those SpaceX rocket motors can rattle windows.
I can't imagine the stress of hearing the deedle, seeing the red light, and knowing there is a telephone pole flying at mach 3 right for you. Flight Sims do not do it justice, there are no consequences for being hit in a Sim.
Before The History channel started rewriting history and spreading misconceptions. And most importantly, before documentaries started using the 90s action movie trailer voice. It's so difficult to find good US made documentaries. Even if you find one that's informative and factual, it's unwatchable if it has trailer-guy narrating :(
Don't forget about the Standard missile turned into air launched anti radiation missile, the AGM-78, also the Navy used ship launched Talos missile to track and kill enemy radars in North Vietnam
SAM Radars be like: " Imma lit up the sky so I can find and track enemy aircraft" ARMs be like: " imma find and destroy you if you light up your radar"
And now there are Small Diameter Bombs with wings that can be flying to a set of coordinates, realise their GPS signal is being jammed and break off and go and kill the jammer.
My coworker tested Shrike missiles at NAS Alameda. I worked across the aisle on Phoenix missile. I still remember the main office PA announcing "Shrike Shop Line 2. Shrike Shop."
Thats so crazy to see this documentary on RU-vid. I saw this years and years ago at the museum at china lake airforce base. It's still there on display right next to the walleye missle thats also on display. Thats my grandfather bill starting at 17:15 and it's unbelievably surreal seeing him talk about his work along with others to develop this weapon system. Thank you for finding this footage and uploading it to youtube it brings me happiness and peace that there are so many others that find joy in the education and entertainment this doc brings. Bill was a very kind and funny soul may he rest in peace love you grandpa bill.
Oh please, don't let on that there were aliens at China Lake, collaborating with humanoids in the development of cutting-edge technology. You'll set off the conspiracy-theorists!
I worked for about 12 years around aircraft armament in the air force (not American). I came in at about the time of Desert Storm. "Smart bombs" were coming into mainstream service but for everybody that meant laser guided. Now there is GPS. To my great shame I did not know about the Walleye. I had heard of it mentioned in the Vietnam war, I knew it was camera guided and the limitations. But I didn't know it was self-guiding. And had a bigum warhead. Now I know that the first images I saw of smart bombs in the Gulf War were camera foootage from a Walleye going through a window.
Amazing pioneering engineers and pilots at the cutting age. I was shocked to see the aviator patch of 67 with smart bombers on it, nearly 30 years before all the hoo-ha during the gulf war about smart bombs and putting weapons through doors and windows. These guys were doing it yesrs before!😅
We launched F/A-18s from Barbers point Hi. for HCAX in 98 or 99 I think. They had Walleys loaded on the last day to sink the target ship. Incidentally, AC #5 came back from a flight without its centerline drop tank. If I recall, the ordnance wouldn't drop. Maybe it was a Walleye, but the pilot selected emer jet and pickled everything off. We had joked that the walleyes were left over from Vietnam days. The drop tank made a reappearance around 2003 or so when it washed up on a guys beach in Japan. Theres pics online and you can clearly read "Cowboys" on it. Fun days.
Notice the 7 degree forward tilt of the main rotor mast?, They installed the forward gear box from a Chinook, and later installed a 3 bladed rotor on later tests, The Kaman blades and M model hub here was a test item - Neat stuff here
