Airdrop

I thoroughly enjoyed Steve Pace's "Deuces Wild" in the December 2001 issue. Once again, it proves the adage that airplanes will always be used for missions not conceived by their initial requirements. Another single-point interceptor, the F-4 Phantom II, also wound up executing missions far beyond the original fleet interceptor role.

The article discusses the initial flight-- test activity of the prototypes at Edwards AFB. I have some additional information and clarification: YF-102 No. 1 USAF 51-994 first flew in the fall of 1953 off the dry lakebed and then transitioned to the 8,000-foot runway 4 on what is now known as South Base. The pilot was Richard L. Johnson, who, until the summer of 1953, had been Chief of the Fighter Section at Wright Field. A WW II fighter pilot, he set a world speed record in the F-86.

Flight No. 7, scheduled for takeoff on runway 4, was repositioned on runway 22 because of wind conditions; this was the first takeoff of the YF-102 limited by runway length. Owing to a significant shortfall of thrust caused by an unknown system malfunction of the prototype YJ57-P-11 engine, the aircraft rotated at the end of the runway but it wasn't able to climb out of ground effect, and it crashed in the desert. Luckily, there was no fire, although Dick Johnson suffered severe back injuries. He returned to flight status in 1954, and he later conducted the first flight in the F-106. He, and other F-106 pilots, later transferred to Fort Worth. As director of GD/FW flight operations, he was the pilot of the first F-111A aircraft.

The second YF-102 prototype, USAF 51-995, first flew in early January 1954 (again off the dry lakebed) with Convair's legendary chief of experimental flight, E.D. "Sam" Shannon, at the controls. This time, engine operation was per specification. None of the early, non-area-ruled YF-102 aircraft were able to sustain supersonic level flight despite many developmental fixes. Sustained supersonic-level flight was achieved with the first "Coke-bottle" YF-102A aircraft that

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flew a number of months later, and "the rest is history."

Warner Lowe

Convair flight test engineer YF-102 and Sea Dart

Lake Oswego, OR

Dreamboat insight

I have just finished reading "Splash One Dreamboat," an article in the October 2001 issue. The story deals with the demise of a B-29 flown by my aircrew in 1945.

I had read the story years ago because I have a copy of an article that was written by Arvid Shulenberger, who was the radar man on the mentioned P-61. Someone on my crew was in contact with him after the end of WW II, and the pilot of the P-61 corresponded with the copilot of our B-29.

I have a couple of things to note about the article. First, the date was June 1, 1945, and not June 9. This information was recorded in my diary, which I kept at our base in Guam. Mission number 191 indicated that a raid on the urban area of Osaka, Japan, was made on June 1. This was the mission we flew when antiaircraft artillery hit our plane and killed our airplane commander, Capt. Arthur Behrens; it also extensively damaged the airplane and wounded several others.

Lt. Robert Woliver, the copilot, sustained wounds that rendered him incapable of landing the crippled aircraft.

The other item to note is that the pilot's decapitated body was still strapped into its seat. Although the author states that the pilot was gone, his body was, in fact, there, but it just could not be seen from the P-61's cockpit.

On reaching Iwo Jima, those of us who had survived parachuted safely. As Shulenberger narrated it, our airplane could still fly, and it was dispatched by the P-61 crew. We weren't able to parachute the body of our airplane commander because of damage to his parachute. Our crew cherishes the memory of what Shepherd and Shulenberger did that day, and we will never forget them.

Our aircraft was a Renton, Washington, B-29A serial no. 42 93995, and the mission was our ninth. Our crew was assigned to the 458th Squadron 330th Bomb Group of the 314th Wing at North Field. Guam. Lt. Woliver was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for remaining at his station while suffering a loss of blood and refusing medical treatment. He stayed in his seat until the others had safely parachuted to Iwo.

Lt. John Logerot, our bombardier, was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on the day the aircraft was lost.

The surviving crew member photo was taken in about 1980 during a reunion in Orlando, Florida. Six of the original 11 men are still living.

Charles D. Whitehead Starkville, MS

B-47 Stratojet Association Interested in preserving the B-47's

history? The B-47 Stratojet Association seeks information from all personnel who were involved with the bomber. If you or someone you know manned or maintained this magnificent sweptwing bomber, please contact Wen Painter, B-47 Stratojet Association, P.O. Box 719, Mojave, CA 93501; wpainter@antelecom.net. Wen says that any tidbit of information, no matter how small, is important; please submit it as soon as you can.