A Sad Day

Today, June 13, 2011, one of the few flight-worthy B-17s left in the world made an emergency landing in a field.  The engine was on fire and the fire spread leading to the total destruction of the air frame.  You can read more about the loss of the Liberty Belle here.


This image was taken from the Beacon News site, please see their article in the link above for more information and photos.

You can watch the FOX News video here.

USS Triton, SSN-586

In 1959, the new submarine Triton was commissioned into the Navy.  This ship would become world famous quickly.  She was of a unique design and pushed the boundaries of submarine performance.

Designed as a radar picket, she was intended to range ahead of the fleet watching for air attacks.  For this she needed high surface-speed and was given a knife-like bow.  She also had two reactors...the only US submarine so fitted.  She was so long that her bow blocked the shipyard railway and her stern section was built in a second slipway and attached prior to launch.  Her conning tower was 74 feet long and 21feet longer than the US Navy's first submarine, USS Holland SS-1.  Her maximum surface speed was found to be over thirty knots on trials, faster than carrier task forces generally operated.   By 1961 she had been re-designated an Attack (SSN) sub.  Though she retained the radar that had been installed for her radar picket role and she was able to complement any force she was assigned to with this additional air-search radar.

As with other submarine designs in the mid to late fifties she was put to other uses than intended.  Her first mission was to circumnavigate the world under water (Yes, her maiden voyage was to steam around the world submerged, no tall orders or anything).  This record breaking statement of US submarine capabilities was an impressive first, it also told the Soviets what the US was capable of.

She was captained by the famous submarine author and WWII veteran Captain Edward L. Beach.  Her world tour under water, took 84 days to complete.

She was the last sub fitted with an aft torpedo room and the last sub to have a conning tower (with a separate pressure-hull within it). She was also the last sub with two propellers. 

She was decommissioned in 1969, and sat in the Bremerton retired sub fleet for years.  Finally, in 2007 she was dry-docked for the last time.  A little over two years later the job was done and she had been "recycled."  all that remains are memories, stories and the conning tower.

Where is her conning tower, you ask?  Well, it resides now, on a concrete plinth, overlooking the Columbia River.  She is there to memorialize submariners and in recognition of the numerous reactor cores from other retired submarines that have been offloaded from the Port of Benton Barge Slip and which are stored permanently on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

If you are interested in seeing the sail of this awesome sub with such an impressive history and you live in Washington State, or are visiting the Richland-Pasco-Kennewick area, it's not hard to find!  Any way you cut it, you'll probably approach the area from the South.

Take 240 North from the Tri-Cities until you have the choice of taking Stevens Drive or following 240.  Go straight on Stevens Drive.  Keep going until you come to a tree-lined boulevard, this is Battelle Boulevard, turn right onto it.  Follow this road until you come to a stop light.  This is George Washington Way.  Take a left on George Washington Way.  Go north until you get to 11th Street and take a right.  USS Triton's conning tower is about a block down on the left!  Alternatively you could take George Washington Way all the way from Richland, but that is a much slower way.

Here are some things you might like to know about the sub:

Laid Down on May 29, 1956
Launched August 19, 1958
Commissioned November 10, 1959
Decommissioned May 3, 1969


Length 447 feet
Beam 37 feet

Maximum speed:
30+ knots surfaced
27+ knots submerged

Displacement:
7,773 tons submerged
5,963 tons surfaced

Armament:
6X 21" torpedo tubes (2 aft, 4 forward)

Propulsion:
2X S4G nuclear reactors
2X 5 bladed props


She was awarded the Navy Unit Citation and the Presidential Unit Citation.

Links and sources:
Navsource
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08586.htm

USS Triton site
http://garrygray.tripod.com/triton_home_page.htm

Navy's Triton site
http://navysite.de/ssn/ssn586.htm

747-800 Visit

Generally, I am the one visiting the aircraft, but just every once in awhile the aircraft visit me.  This is Boeing's newest iteration of the venerable 747.  This particular one is the freighter version that has been testing at Moses Lake.  Boeing has a significant presence at Grant County International Airport.  If you are interested in seeing more going's on at Boeing you can visit Matt Cawby's blog covering what goes on at Paine Field in Everett, Washington.  Boeing's Paine Field facility is busy and sometimes hosts the 747-800.

The company boasts that this 747 uses 787 engine technology and is therefore quieter than previous 747 models.  It may be quieter than previous models, but it sure got my attention when it flew over yesterday.  It is 250 feet in length and almost the same in wingspan.  That is no small airframe to be carting around the skies.  It's going to make some noise no matter what.

Also, last Friday an EA-18G visited...he didn't stick around long.

No, this doesn't quite qualify as history, but it is of local and aviation interest.

Osama Bin Laden Dead

This may not be closely related to Washington State, but it is related to hundreds and thousands of men and women in the service and even civilians.  Osama Bin Laden is dead.  I want to lift a glass to all the American and Allied men and women who have died in the past ten years attempting to track down Osama Bin Laden.  In addition I want to lift a glass to those who have perished in terrorist attacks in the past.  Finally, I want to lift a glass to those of you who are responsible for hunting down and disposing of that particular vermin.  Thank you!

Focke-Wulf Fw-190 over Washington? SOON!

The Flying Heritage Collection is growing!!
http://kpae.blogspot.com/2011/04/flying-heritage-collections-fw-190.html

Odds and Ends

Courtesy of Charissa Perry

 Busy weekend.  This shot of a V-22 was taken near Prosser, Washington yesterday, April 18.  No idea why  parts are apparently glowing apart from the light of the setting sun.  Apparently, last week, the V-22s came into Yakima International Airport and did some practice landings and a short demonstration for local residents.  I, unfortunately, was not in attendance.  Thanks to Charissa Perry for yet another wonderful photo!

There must have been some pretty large maneuvers going on at Yakima Training Center, since, on the way back from Seattle, we saw many Strykers (of all types: 105mm toting, APC type and sporting mounts for the 40mm grenade launcher), Humvees, various trucks, and several 155mm M198s.  As we drove by the center on I-82, there were still many vehicles and tents and communications devices set up near the freeway.

Through a happy accident, I managed to find myself at Boeing Field for a few minutes yesterday.

 There were several AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft sitting on the tarmac fitting out.  The one above is one meant for the Royal Australian Air Force, one of six planned.  Below is one meant for the Republic of Korea.  They are called "Wedgetails" by some because they are part of Project Wedgetail.  You can find some more info on them here.

 This one is meant for the Turkish Air Force.

There was an E-3 AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System), this one from back in 1974.

 I could not make out the tail number of the one next to it, though.  Below is the 757 used in testing the avionics for the F-22.

As usual, your information and photos are welcome.  Just e-mail washingtonwreckchasing@charter.net

Osprey, Times Two

My sister saw the Osprey today.  She got photos.  Later in the afternoon they (two) flew by our house.  I managed to get outside without killing myself, but they were past the point of prime picture taking. and this is what I got.  One thing I noticed was a unique rhythmic drone.  Everyone I spoke to also complained of just how loud they were and how the windows shook when the Osprey went over.  We were farther off their flight track and did not get that phenomena.  Another thing was the relatively slow speed at which the rotors?  propellers?  move.  Most photos managed to freeze them.

 My sister, on the other hand, apparently lives right under their flight path.  She got three completely AWESOME PHOTOS!!!!!  I want to thank Charissa Perry for her donation of photos to this blog.  As you can see from her photos they were flying remarkably low.  She was also very quick with her camera, because I SAW how fast they flew.

Photo Courtesy of Charissa Perry

Photo Courtesy of Charissa Perry

Photo Courtesy of Charissa Perry

 This last is an enlargement of one of my photos...nothing compared to Mrs. Perry's.