1963 ... McNamara thinks!

... Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.

1951 ... paper cups for survival!


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1951 ... eject, eject, eject !!!


1950 ... Convair advertises!

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... from the drawing boards!


 1948... XF-85 McDonnell 'Goblin' - parasite fighter, to be carried inside the bomb-bay of a B-36 bomber- poor aerodynamics, re-uniting with the mother ship too difficult because of turbulence. CANCELED
1953 ... F2Y- Convair 'Sea-Dart' - super-sonic seaplane fighter- proto-type crashed during demonstration in front of top-brass- CANCELED
1946 ... F-82 North American 'Twin-Mustang' - designed as ultra-long range escort for B-29's in the Pacific during WWII- 270 built- used during Cold-War as night fighter and B-50 escort- scored first UN Forces 'kill' of Korean War- retired 1953

... we interrupt this program

... for those of us who miss the chilling sound of the end of the world.

1951 ... 'Windscale' Britains Atomic Bomb disaster

... 2 hour documentary on Britain's rush to develop it's own atomic weapons and the near disaster at it's plutonium manufacturing plant.

1955 ... scale model 'Bomarc'

1960 ... 'Hound Dog" air to ground missile

... the 'Hound Dog' missile was an early version of a cruise missile. Two were carried under the wings of a B-52 Stratofortress, while additional 'free-fall' weapons could be carried in the B-52's bomb-bay. The missile would be launched at a distance of up to 750 miles from it's target. Relatively small and fast (mach 2) the 'Hound Dog' was much less vulnerable to Russian air defenses than it's bigger much slower mother-ship. Each missile was armed with a W-28 one and a half megaton nuclear warhead. 'Hound Dog' missiles remained in service until 1975 when they were replaced by more modern versions of the cruise missile.


In the late 1950's and early 60's, as Soviet air-defenses became more effective, the 'Hound Dog' system was developed so that bombers could execute 'stand-off' attacks on heavily defended targets. (video)

... FIRE!

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1952 ... prepare for worst!


1963 ... watch for warbles!


1955 ... B-47 in peril !

artist- Charlie Allen for Kaiser Aluminum


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1955 ... B-47 in more peril !

artist- Charlie Allen for Kaiser Aluminum

1948 ... hopeful !


1952 ... more hopeful !

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... SR-71 portrait

... of all the hyperbole and orgasmic dissertations written about this superstar aircraft several facts stick out for me. It's first flight was over 50 years ago. It was originally conceived of as a super-duper interceptor; armed with atomic rockets ( that gets the imagination going!)  Of the 32 built- 12 crashed! That is what is known as 'pushing the envelope'!

... OK, here's a good story reflecting the high rate of aircraft losses. 

... ok,OK here's another cool story 

... alright, we should have at least one video- but that's it- no more!

... Российский ракетный бункер!

"... Boris, why you make post title in Russian?"
"Ah, my sweet little bobo-link Natasha, it is so Capitalist American Swine 
can practice the language of their soon to be conquering overlord persons!"
"Boris- you idiot! You give away secret plans!
Next you will be telling them it is glorious SS-9 design!"

1951 ... fears of Biological War


... LIFE magazine

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1956 ... the dead


... US Government: "Mortuary Services in Civil Defense' page_06_07

... relic

... KC-97E refueling tanker on permanent outdoor display.

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... relic

... nose of a B-36 "Peacemaker' which crashed into a mountainside, in the state of Washington, during the 1950's.

... Cold War documentary series

... excellent and endless series on the Cold War.