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FROM KITTY HAWK TO KOREA (Continued from page 25) In June 1947 Air Force strength stood at about 38 groups. For two years there was a buildup. Then, in August, 1949, in line with another economy move, the Air Force reduced its group strength from 54 to 48 and declared nine bases surplus. While the Army and Air Force Authorization Act of 1949 had given statutory authority for 70 groups, budgetary limitations had restricted the size to 48 groups. This was the group strength of the Air Force when the Korean War erupted on June 25, 1950. It was in Korea that the latest phase of warfare came into being. A "Third Dimension" of warfare in the form of vertical envelopment was tested and proven under battle conditions. On September 18, 1951, the Reconnaisance Company of the First Marine Division relieved a unit of the ROK army on a hill position in the front lines of Korea. This reinforced company relieved 2500 ROK's three days early enabling the commitment of an entire Marine Regiment to another objective. It was the first combat use of helicopters in history. Close-air support in Korea has become synonymous with Marine Aviation. Marine flyers have been restricted to providing the umbrella of air support for their comrades on the ground. Flying World War II "Corsairs" and F9F "Panthers" jets, these men have been delivering devastating loads of napalm, rockets, and bombs to the immediate enemy, located across the lines from our ground forces. Only the day before the Korean Truce was signed did the Marine Corps produce its first jet ace in history. Major John F. Boldt, of Sanford, Florida, flying an F-86 Sabre jet as an exchange pilot with the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing of the Fifth Air Force got kill number five only hours prior to the cease fire. Another first for Marine aviation came about when Major William T. Stratton and Master Sergeant Hans C. Hoglind, flying the radar-equipped F3D "Skynight," twin-jet night fighter, made the first jet night kill in history. The two Leathernecks tracked a YAK-15 on their radar screen far into North Korea and by means of their automatic gunsight dropped the unseen enemy. Army helicopters and planes did a mammoth job in Korea, flying more than 140,000 combat missions, evacuating more than 16,000 wounded soldiers from the front, and flying more than 240,000 administrative missions. A year after the North Korean Communists invaded the Republic of South Korea, the Air Force had grown to 87 wings and reached 95 wings in June, 1952. At the end of 1952, Air Force personnel strength stood at about 975,000. In the last three years Korea has been a priority mission for the Air Force but research and development have not lagged. Supersonic fighters are in production. A pilotless bomber squadron, equipped with the B-61 Matador, has been activated--the first unit of its kind in the Air Force. Aerial refueling has been developed to the point where the Air Force has been able to span the oceans with jet fighters. The B-47, powered by six jet engines, has become operational and the eight-jet B-52, a swept-wing Stratofortress, has been developed. Great strides have been made in air transport, in guided missiles, and the electronics field. The Navy is developing a fleet of sleek jet aircraft. Included in this impressive roster are the "Cutlass," F7U-3, a twin-jet, twin-tail fighter specializing in high altitude combat with a speed of over 650 mph; the "Skynight," F3D-1, a 600 mph twin-jet fighter designed for night fighting; and the "Skyray," F4D-1, constructed to catapult from carriers and speed to the upper atmosphere at over 650 mph. The A3D-1 is a swept-wing, twin jet attack bomber which can carry a heavier bomb load than any other carrier-based plane at a speed of over 650 mph. Highlighting the Navy's experimentation in jet aircraft is the Douglas "Skyrocket," the lithe little craft which last year was flown by test pilot Lt.-Cmdr. Bill Bridgeman, USNR, at a speed of nearly 1300 mph to a height of over 79,000 feet--faster and higher than any other aircraft has ever flown. Navy guided missiles are especially designed to be fired from aircraft, submarine or surface ships at targets in the air, on the surface or under water. The Navy's newest rocket, the "Regulus," was recently launched from a submarine. Contracts have been made for the production of radio-controlled pilotless aircraft (drones). The Navy is maintaining the high standards of its first forty-two years of flying by exploiting fully the possibilities of helicopters, jet propulsion, guided missiles, and--in the top secret category--nuclear power. Rescue helicopters are stationed on the fantails of all the heavier ships. From the most humble beginnings 46 years ago, military aviation has matured into a dominant weapon in the defense of freedom. GENERAL ELECTRIC 15-25 KILOMETER WORLD RECORD RUN The General Electric Company (Aircraft Gas Turbine Division) is sponsoring the 15-25 kilometer World Record Run. This event will be flown on Sunday, September 6th, by the U.S. Air Force using an F86D North American, powered with a J47-23 G-E jet engine. The National Aeronautic Association will authenticate the results of this record attempt and if the record is broken, final recognition will be given by the FAI in Paris. PARACHUTE JUMPING CONTEST This event, to be repeated each day, is sponsored by the Pioneer Parachute Company and will be conducted under rules established by the NAA. Mr. Joe Crane, president of the National Parachute Jumpers & Riggers Association, will be in complete charge. Sweepstakes prizes will be awarded top winners on Labor Day. NATIONAL AIRCRAFT SHOW 43
