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Naval Aviation News - Apr 1943
Naval Aviation News - Apr 1943
BE!.IEVED
STRUCTlIRA!.~Y
WITH
E)(C£!'TI(>,'"
OF F!.OATS
U<I!'!..lC£
OF WHE'E'I_ !..lNDING
G£.lR.
!'ICTURE:
W.lS TAKEN
AT ATTU
s;,age5 of the war, the Zero" probably was used erroneously as a generic term for almost any type of Japanese fighter aircraft, and thi~ has resulted in a certain amount of confusion. The term "0" or "Zero" was derived from the Japane~e year 2600 which coincides with our y€ar 1940, and merely indicates that the aircraft was put into service originally in 1940. The phra~e "Zero" mav refer to a single place carrier-borne fighter or to a similar version an floats. In addition; it may be llsed to designate a,
Contents
Japanese Fighter _Aircraft 'Flight Sfatistics . Did You Know? Fleet Aircraft . . Naval Aviation Trainjng ." .. , Shore Stations. Technically Speaking
IIUREAU NAVY OF AERONAUTICS
4 7 11 14 1'8 23
28
OEPARTM.!N,T
- NO,
191
fighter. As a matter of fact, Zero models, 0 r all the- aircraft mentioned above have been identified. They are known toda,y by tbeir code names" "Zeke,'" "Hap," "'Rufe," "Pete," and "Dinah." In addition there is a bomber caned "Gwen" and a small submarine based float biplane called "Glen," both of which bear the Zero elassificarion, At the present time, there are two Zero fighter~, 'i'Z~ke" and "Hap." "Zeke" IS designated by the Japanese as the Type Zero, Mark I, Carrierborne fighter, Model '2. The desig-
these aircraft carry neither armor 'nor ~eH-seaHng protection for the tanks, In s-ome instances in the past, it has been reported that wings bave been tOTIl off Zero fighters. when recovering from extended dives at high speed. The model rested. however although intentionally designed for Hght construction, appears capable of reasonably high diving speeds if properly handled.
"Hap"
There
are
several
other
types of
Japanese lighters at present in opl'!ration. Prominent among these :15 "Hap," a new fighter witt. nearly square wing tips, reported as superior to "Zeke" in maneuverability and to have an even higher' speed and rate of climb. It is reported that japane e pilots of thls plane havo not hesitated to follow our fighte1' in power dives, which may indicate an increase in structural strength. "Nate" is another Japanese lighter which has seen .servic in many of the Pacific areas. This is an older model \Type 97') and does not equal the speed or performance of the more recent "Zelle" OJ' "Hap." "Nate" is believed to have a top speed of approximately 250 miles per hour at 13,000 feet altitude, With maximum fuel, at economical cruising speed, :it is belicved to hav a maximum range of sjjgchtry over ],000 toiles. "Oscar" (Type 1) is believed to be a more recent modification of "Nate." It has greater maneuverability and a good rate of climb but i. believed, to be about ao miles pt'.f hour slower than "Zekc" at top speed. Like "Zoke," "Oscar" has an exceptionally long range when carrying maximum fuel and is believed capable, under these circumstances; of obtaining approximately 1,700 miles at economical cruising speed, In addition to the land-based fight. ers rn entioned above, there is also a Zero floatplano called "RvEe." Except for substitution of the floats to replace the wheeled landing gear, this aircraft is believed to be practically the same as "Zeke' structurally. It is reported, however, [0 be considerably slower than "Zeke" and less rnarreulIerabk
nation of "Hap" is the same, except that "Hap' , is Mark 2 where "Zeke' j' Mark 1.
.. Zeke,i
"Zeke' is the fighter which hotsbeen encountered frequently if! urrent operations in the Southwest and South Pacific Areas. It is capable of a maximum emergency peed of about 326 ouk. per hour at an altitude of 16,000 feet. An outstanding feature ofthis aircraft is its high tate of "zoom." It can "zoom" ne arly vertical] ~and the "zoom" can be continued for 1,500 to 2,000 feet depending 011 the starting speed, This should not be considered, however, as 'indicatlv of the rat of cJimh of this aircraft, The rnaximum ra te of climb at sea level has been found to be approximately 2,75D feet per minute, Th service c:eiling is estimated at 38,500 feet. The normal range of this airplane is believed to be about t,290 miles at ]]0 m. P: h., but by addition of a belly tank, which can be dropped at will, a maximum range of some 1,870 miles at 168 m. p. h. (economical cruising speed) is believed possible. "Zeke's" low ",·jng loading, steep angle of climb, well-: treamlined structural design and exceptionally sturdy construction make it a highly maneuverable aircraft at moderate speeds. However, In recent t st where "Zcke" was 1I0VII'1l in comba t .maneuvers, against several of our aircraft, t\VO points Of weaknes were
detected in the japanese fighter. (1) At' high speeds, the rate 0,[ roll is e~tremely slow, and (2) the engine cuts out if the nose is lowered suddenlv'. to enter a dive. In addition to these points, the vulnerability of "Zeke's" fl.lel and oil tanks is well known since
Letterpress
It was not the fault of the mail service that you did not receive all April 1 issue of NEWS LETTER. A tually there was no issue bearing that dateline, Here' why. Fer isome time it has been felt that NEWS LETTER should be printed by letterpress to improve its readability and to make room. for more text without adding bulk or weight. Considerable timein planning and prodirctioa-> was required by both the staff and the printer to change over to the letterpress process. It was therefore thought advisable to advance the dat of this number to April 15:. . Here are the changes which account for the new appearance; I. Printing-by letterpress instead of mulrilith, improving readahility ; 2. Frmat-sligbHy targeT. pages being roornier ; .9. Lig!lter stcck-i-giving as much message, and more, in half the ounces; 4. Design-whjdl dramatizes certain items and gives all others an ·e.qual chance gain . ing yOur favor: .
oJ
Engines
All of the Japanese fighters mentioned above ar powered with radial
air-cooled enaines. "Nate's" engine has nine cylinders and is estimated to produce about 790 horsepower at .an altitude of 11,500 feet. The engines u-sed on theothen fighters are twinrow with fourteen cylinders, and are beli ved to produce 900 to 1,000 horsepaWN at about 1 L,500 feet. The armament of "Zeke," '~ufe," and
"Hap" consists of two 20-mm. Oerlikon type cannons one in each wing, and two 7.7 -(11m.machine guns firing through channels in the upper part of the engine cowling and svnchronized with the propeller, "Oscar's:" armament j believed to consist of one 7.7-11101. and one 12.7-m.nl. machine gun firing Forv..-ard through r.he pro-
peller dis, Wing guns for this model have been reported but not confirmed. "Natc's" armament is b lieved to be the. same as 'Oscar's," although it is reported that a second 1.7 -1!tIlI.. gU!) is substituted en some occasions for the 12.7 mm. Otber Japanese fighters less frequently encountered include «Perry," "Glaude, I' and "Dick." So far as known, these are little used at the present time. In addition to these fighters of native Japanese design, it is known that the japanese Air Ferce has in operation a small number oC Messerschmitt 109 E fighters, Whether these are copied from German models or obtained intact from Germany is not known. Up to the present, they have been encountered only in small numbers. It is well to bear in, mind that Japanese fighter aircraft appear to be used with rnin0l" al terations by both the Army and Navy Air Services. "Zekc" and "Hap,' although used prominently by the Navy, have been 'reported in operation with Army units also. Likewise, "Nate" and "Oscar," which have been reported most freq uemly in use by the Anmy, have, upon ceca ions of emergency, been used by the Naval Ail' Service,
During a formation landing of SNJ-4'sj the leader lowered his wheels but failed to lock them and then landed with sufficient throttle so that the tanding gear warning hom didn't blow until the wheels were on the runway. The gear ga,ve way and the airplane settled on its belly. .sNJ-iChange No.1, which penn-its a visual eheck to .insure that the landing gea:T i~locked down, had been incorporated, bu.t tIu, pilot W'iL~ unaware of this. The Trouble Board was of the opinion that more care should be taken in Aircraft flight Time distributing similar change informaAn inereasing number of operating tion to all h ands ; that it was obvillu,Ir squadrons are remiss about sending inadequate to incerporate the ·c;hap.gc in their "Quarterly Aircraft Flying and not 10fo)'1):1 pilots, Report" (form N, Aer. 422). While this form is short and easily filled out, It is M important report because of Grampaw' Pettibone SQys its use. in many different type!; of wartime planning. Please cooperate by ~uhrrcittin;.!;{this report promptly, If The' Boord's got somefhi'ng there! accurate .flight time of certain aircraft I'll vofe for t"hatiarnd it shouldn't be is not available, don't hold up the too diffi.cult to set up a system in any report: estimate the missing time and squadron whereby pHots ar'e in· rnake a note to that effect nil the face formed of changes CIS Ih,ey are :inoJ th e f orrn. stalled, partic·ularly tbps·e which in aily way affed flight operations. Duck Soup
In reporting this accident the COJl'Imanding officer stated: "The standa rcl dot; trin c. .in elf ee t -at this sta ti0 n has provided for the refueling of training planes after each fligh t, ,regardless of the length of time training plane was in the air. This has been done primarily to prevent solo students from running out of fuel. The- doctrine has not been mandatory insofar as qualified naval aviators nre G_cmcorned. However, since this aeticleflt the doctrine has been applied to an pilots regardless .of their qualifieatlons.'
With (o,mments by
GRAMPAW
PETTIBONE
landing. The airplane sank; the pilot received only mild shock and salt water immersion.
t!fIJ
While simulating a strafing attack af a speed of appro:.cimatdy 250 knots, the pilot of anF4F-4 reported that he fiew thr-ough a Hoek of ducks, -sevural 0f which struck his airplane, This resulted in severe. vibration and some difficulty ·in aileron control, necessitating an immediate Iorced
It''s my' opinion this pUot gof off mighty luckV. It used to be fun to (h~se ducks and occasionally "ba,g" 0, p,eli,can., but thai was back in the days wh.en you had to have exira fas·1 plane 10 catch a pelican. With modem., hi9h~s,peed aircraft, striking even a small bird may CGU5,e loss of contr-ol cmd result ina serious crash. I'm not accusing this -pilot of deliber~tely running inlo ,;his fllo_ckof ducks; I'm merely warning all and sundry to stay well dear of such things, if poss.ible. My Dad once tol:d me of ·seeing a straw driven t.hra.ugh a five-inch oaK free during a tornado.
0"
imateiy onemo-nth, three parsel 1JJanescaps.il"ed due to negli.g,ence and carelessness on the part of cognizant TJer'sonnel who failed to close and secure the turtnel hatch prior to taxi:ing or attempting take-off.
grounded, hut the inc~p.GJ'iellced duty ofil..;er' inferred hOiTI his conversation 'with the pilat "hat authorizatiou for thi~ special flight .had been gi-v;en by proper authority within the squadron, An SNJ-4 was warmed up and t.he pilot took off and disappeared lito the low-hanging clouds which were then at about 3'OQfeet, A few minutes later, he became confused in the overcast and crashed while tryin.g to get hack into the fi-eld. BUR EAU SA V$: This c r-o -5h was undoubtedly (au,sed by themi-5undersfanding, lack ofjudgme,nt a,n,dinexperience of the pilot and the squadron duty c,ffice'r. tn vi,ew of the existiNg "in5lrumen'" conditions, both of-these
officers should have demanded definite essurance that the flight wa~ authorized bV proper aulhorUy. The opiflion of the. rev,iewing authority of the board of investigation is concurre,d in: that proper indoctrination was lacking in rhls instance. There seems fo' be some misundet-stondi.ng as to who m,a)" releaseflIghts and under what conditions f]ijghfs may or may not be released. BuAer Manual, artideI3-l08, mab~s the commanding officer respenslble for the release of all flights a.nd further s.tates thClt he shall not permit' aircraft to lake off when the slal'e ocf the weafh·er or other cenditicnsieopardize the flight. Art.id@ 13-110 (aJ s.pedfles that no airCla.ft will be taMen into the air a.t any lime without authority from the proper seurea, as designated by the commClinding officer. SecNav leHer of Novemb·er 23, 1942,5ubied, "Instrumen} F:fying Qualific(ltions, Instrument F ,I i 9 h t Cilearances, o.nd Civil Airway Flying," publ.ished in Navy'Department
to proceed on instrument flights. It specifies under what weather conditions instrumehl'- flights may be cl:eared'· .For e-Kample, pilots, even though they hold instrument qualificatic.n cerUfic:af·es, may not proceed on instrumentflighls unless they have at least 750 hours service flying experience, plus (ertcHn other requirements, ond inst,rum'ent flights .may not be released for a.nalirpo.rf af which instrument co'nditions e.xi'!>' -Orore forecast, Nei'ther of,these two requirem.enls were met in the. uccldent under di.s(uss.ion; ,therefore, not even fhe co'mmanding ·officer would have baen authorized to deatthis flight .. The letter of the. Secretary oflheNavV prohibits all flights, exceptf'or 'certain spedallyauthorized transport pilots, in which an aircraft is scheduled to land at any airport governed by lnstruman} conditions. this order is equcllyappl.icCfble local flights. Co'refu.1 study of these references is recommendecl to all eeneerned,
also
AU Tangled Up
The following aCCQUl1t of an NP-l take-off acciden t was taken (!'Om the safety pilQt's statement: l'During a formation take-off, with the student at the controls, we went into a vicious
greundtoop, AFtCJ" recovering £rom
this WI.,: proceeded to take. off -again 'but were unable to dear tbe west end of the mat, because the_ student's gosport tube became tang'led around his stick, and as a result, the pla-ne struck a snow-bank." There was no injury to personnel, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
r..;}p
I~.·
says
'0
I'm working on a three-s.etller idea so we Clan carry a safety pilot to walch the safety pilot.
Crash on Attempted
Landing
hi·;
5emirnonthly Bullelin D~ December 1, 1942-, is also pertinent to this discussion. This 1e-l1e.rlists instrument pilol qualiflccitionsand also cerlain Clddi~
tional qualific.ations which pilots must fulfrll before being a:uthorized
eND and COMlNGH jOi~lt Rer<tt.l-ti·_. Sf'ri.al 291. or Feb, n, 1942. COM [)';CH an d eNO joint Reser, ltr. Ikl'hl 38!)9, of HI On. 19'4-2. CO;M'TN_GF[ and GND jo;n:t R", I•• H,:., Scria] 2911,of Jan. 2:1, 1943 ..
student attempted to land at the station field. As he was turnin.'g into the wind fot his final approach, the air·pla'1J..e was seen to roll sharply to the il'ft and crash to the ground. 'rha investigating board gave as its opinjo:1 that rhi" crash was due to loss of control while attempting to make a sharp tutu for final approach at slow speed, with only one tupper and horizontal gr~biljlilcr OIl the plane.
BUREAU SAYS: T.his pilot evidently did noff.ollow instructions as set foJ1h in Technital Order 48-40, which state.5 inpQrt:
"In rhe' even I ·of C! follision o'.r if the Ipilot suspects that his cotl~ Irol system is dcrm'oged but is slill 5ufficienll,y effective for cruising flight he will i'mme,diotely climb to, or maintain, a minimum Qllri.tUlde-Oif .5,000 feef
was
A primary instructor was coaching his student through a practice landiag at an outlying field. The approach was low and when the airplane was over the boundary fW1ce it suddenly dropped, hooked the tail wheel III the fen c, landed hard and groundlooped to the left through a fence and into a ditch, At the time of the accid snt a 25-30 knot wind was blowing. The landing was being made on the uplope of a small hill which blanked out the wind and caused the airplane to drop unexpectedly as it cros:sed the fence into the field.
He Neglected~i!!I
To Fasten His
Safety Belt
oJ more than 10 hour J Lieutenant Eadie knowing that ever)' moment counted after 20 days of hunger and thirst which these wen bad endured, brought his plane down on th OpW sea neal' the raft. Placing the most s-e,-erely injured man in the- cockpit of his small ]i!lane, .. nd lashing the other", a to the 'wings, he taxied reward his, base 40 miles way, until given assistance by a passIng hip, His courageous and skillful ac omplishment 01 this dangerous mission was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United Stales Naval Service."
Observers
of t,he Bureau
Insignia
The citation accompanying Lieutenant Eadi' award reads: 'For meritorious achievemeut while participating in. all aeri al High t as pijot Qf a scouting plane in search of the survivors of the Rickenbacker party on 1\lovember 12, 1942. Discovering their tiny raft after a search
It has been brought to the attention that many .officers UQdel' dl1.ty involving Hying as Technical Ob.~ervers are wearing the Naval Aviation Observers' .in: jgJlia, That is not in compliance with the Navy Uniform Regulations unless the Oeicer concerned was de ignated a Naval Aviation db erver after tho cornpletion of a duly prescribed course ('I[ instruction. The last officer so desiganted was de-signa ted about J 930. Orden to duty involving flying as a Technical Observer arc not a designa60n as a Naval Aviation Observer. Offil::en; and men serving in flight crews WIU be eligible to weal' an insignia made up for aircrews. Certain officers on duty involving fiying as Technical Db-server, such as navigators permanently assigned t-o air combat crews; will qualify for this in. .._jgnia by the nature of their duties,
observers may be eligible to receive and wear' it. Excluded also are enIisted ratings with the designation of naval aviation pilots. The insignia is (00 be worn on the left breast. When worn with r-ibbons or medals, the Air Crew Insignia will be uppermost. A miniature, scale onehalf of the original, is to be worn wheu min iature medals are prescribed, The requirements for award of the Air' Crew Insignia are as follows: (a) Having served, subsequent to December 7 194-1> for a total period of three months as a regularly assigned member of the Air Crew of a combatant aircraft, ( t) "Combatant aircraft" shJj.ll be cnnsidered as all 0 tletai ing aircraft of the Fleet or Frontier forces, and excepts utility aircraft which apt' neither designed nor fitted out lot offensive (or defensive) operations.
fOil
MEIIITOIIIOUS
ACHIE\lEMENT
IN, AIR
FLIGHT
The-insignia is intended primarily for enlisted ratings, hut commissioned and warrant officers, other than those designated as naval aviators or naval
(2) The term '~regu]arly assigned member of the Air Gr.ew" shall be interpretcd literally and shall be . ubstantiated by the battle-station bill of the unit, under uch instructions that may be approved and promulgated by the Bureau (if Personnel. (b) Having suffered injuries or other physical irnpairment, while engaged in combatant operations since December 7, 1941, as a. regularly assigned member of a combatant aircraft, which precludes the pO$sibillty of fulfillme-nt of the time requirements, stated in uhparagra.ph (Ill) above, and is recommended by the O()IDmanding Officer of the :unit in which injury or p-hy ical impairment was :received. (') Individual combat stars ""ill be authorized by Unit Commanders in conformance with insrructions issued 7
by Commander - in - Chief, United States Fleet, to those rncmhers of Air Crews who( 1) Engage enemy aircraft, singly 01' iii forrm'ltion. (2) Engage armed enemy combatant vessel" w] th bombs, torpr.does, or machine gl,lm. (3) Engage in bombing OJ' off msivc operations against enemy fortified
positions.
(4) A maximurn of three (3) com-
bat stars will be awarded for display on the Air Crew Insignia; combat action report, in excess of three will be crr-diteri. only in the record of the individual concerned. (d) Personnel, qualified by' the provisions of subparagraphs (a) and (b) above, may wear the Air Crew Insignia permanently, No definite date has been mentioned as to when these insigriia will be available, but it is supposed that they may be looked for around the first f May.
tion course best of all Knowh systems. Became a practice to give all newl), arrived pilots Irom lnited States course at this school to polish them up- From beginning until July I , 1918, graduated 62 officer pilots, 12 enlisted pilots. and 4·9 enlisted observers. From July 1 10 October 1, J 918, graduated 60 officer pilots. ..<\PRIL 2~-A German Submarine "Pennarch Pete" discovered and attacked with bombs from a seaplane piloted by En ign K. R, Smith with Ensign O. E. WiUiatiHs as observer, Pilot signaled the U. S, S, Steu-art, which later destroyed the submarine. The French Government awards the Croix de Cuerre to the Crew of the
ing to Iand while dizzy is dangerous, Airsickness, common among new students, is fOLU1d to be most frequent during warm weather, especially after repeated performances of wrngovers and other acrobatic maneuvers," BREAU SAYS: .If, in spite of the above precautions, Y()lJcontinuo to experience this unpleasant maladv it is I' suggested that you seek the advice of your flight surg .on. To go up for aerobatics OD a full stomach is to invite rapid emptying of tbe stoma h. If you a re hungry take a candv bar half an hour before flight. Coffee le-ssens
the naus a.
Okay to Eat
Maybe it's just as well that your stearning cup of jamoke isn't as plentiful as it used to be. According to Lt. Howard R. Bierman (Me) u. S. N. R. of the Dispensary at NAS Pensacola" it might not b; a bad idea to replace the coffee kettle on. board ship with a pot of choeelate, It .isn'L rationing which brings up thi cld controversy once again, but an experiment made all the diets of thousands of aviators at Pensacola. Lieutenant Bierman found that coffee may help to cause menta] eenfusion and tremhling arnonrr high-strung individuals aboard ship duting critical moments or battle. One hundred veteran pilots were interviewed on the subject of aviator's nutrition, and the effects of different types of foods On several thousand aviation students were studied, Lieutenant Bierman found that:
\ 1) Aviators "boule be fed at leas t once every 4 hours while awake, not only to stave off upper-air hunger, but also because Irequenl feeding helps to keep Ihe blood f~'Om becoming .0 unevenly distributed during aerobatics that the f1j"T loses consciousness. (2) Eating shortly before the take-Off brings mort blood to the stomach, preventing additional blood from rushing from
plane.
APRIL 24-Lt. (j. g.) H. F. GugD'.enbeim makes arrangements for Caproni bombers. Raw material was. exchanged for these aircraft 'which eventually proved tw'ru-Ji worthless, APR1L 25-Gas pressure of the nonrigid "Capitaine Caisom" under command of Lieutenant ornmandcr Maxfield lost while en patrol off Quiberon. The blowers were unable to keep pressure up and the ship began 1;0 fall quickly. Threw all ballast overboard but ship hit water a complete wreck. Maxfield kept 2 members of his crew afloat until rescued.
APRIL 15>-Gunnery and Bombing School [or United States Naval AV1ahun established at Moutchic, Commanding Officer, Commander R. 'N. Cabaniss, U. S. N.Estahlisn d by French in Desember 1917. Instruc-
how to handle a sudden case of airickne s were given to student fliers at this tation after 'it was observed that instructors ""ere frequ 'ntly taxiing up to the field office and coming to n\~t. for several minutes, giving students tim!' to overcome. their "'tummv-" troubles, ' Explaining imply that airsickness follows when the brain tircso] decodmg rapid movement, in the air, Exhaust, the- sration's newspaper, made these uggestions on what to do when that feeling comes on: "Adjust your seat as bigh as possible, so vi ihiUty wif be perfect, r asten "afety belt firmly so you do not bounce around, and keep your eyes out of the cockpit! This j. important! 'Watch a point of reference far from the plane; a road on the ground, a railroad track the horizon, etc. Avoid toO frequent performances ·of the maneuver that made y u .ill. II very bad, stay upstairs until improved,., because try-
the brain to the lower torso when tire plane sooms up at the end of the dive .. (3) :Cas.forming foods such as omelettes, cheap lee cream, frothed and carbonated drinks, beans, cauliflower, malted milks, IH:(d beer should never be> consumed unless I_h~)' can. be digested long before flying is contemplated, (At 18,000 reel gas in the stomach expands ttl double its volume at
sea levcl.)
whole subject is that lie -saving equipment often defeats it own @Urpos€ "hen irnprop ..r!y handled. Lowe-ring life rafts unattached, for example, freq uently constitutes a hazard because some of the rafts hit Tuell alreadv iu the water, while others arc carriel away out of reach. It is suggested that, instead, a line be attached to each raft and that one man from the hip's rescue squad, with two turns around the rail, lower and release it. Jumping overboard with kapok life jackets also causes injury at times, for 'if the collar or top trings are tied, the impact of bitting the water may force the jacket upward and tighten the strings around the man); neck, strangling him, Collar and top strings should be left untied to prevent this. In addition, if the- arms are held down clo. e to the body, the force is taken up under the arms and diverted from the neck. f\.- better method, where possible, i to ease- into the water by line or ladder at a point nearest fhe raft.
Five..Ocean Navy
In hi'S annual report to the President, the Secretary of the Navy has di closed that the Nation's projected "five-ocean" Navy will be in active service before the end of 1945. The Nation's over-all ship production program was scheduled Ior completion in 1947, Mr. Knox reports, but at: 'derated construction has broken all previous records and the entire authorized tonnage, with the exception of several large units upon which work has been suspended due to material shortages and time requir'f'mel1ts,v.':iJl have been commissioned and placed in .ervicc before the close of 1945. and the cage tossed out. At a prescribed altitude, an au torrratic open~ ing device free the. bird and the pigeon tiles with the- mes~age to its home- base.
150,000 ordinary letters. Thar's V Mail's third big advantage (and its most important one): it. saves cargo space for food, ammunition, and supplies. To give you an idea, here are some figu res: In J anuary ;t94~:
61.202 pounds of air rnail were transby steamship from the West coast to the Pacific Island, .. 8,149 poundsoI air mail were transported br steamship from the East toast to England. Tn February 1943: 25,724 pounds of air mail were transported b)' steamship from the West C!oa.:tro
ported the Pacific- Islands.
•
,
4,429 pounds of air mail were transported from the East c-oas-t to England. Youwil) notice that less and less space is now being allocated for air man. This
by steams-hill
transported by V Mail wpigrdng only 1,500 pounds. Llse of V Mail will permit air transporta tion for all air 'mail.
Reminder
publications, such as Weekly Notices to Airmen, Radio Facility Charts and Civil ir Regulations should be directed to the Hydrographic Office. TIllS will eliminate unnecessary paper work and delays in the delivery of the material. This announcement is made as a re • .minder, inasmuch as the Bureau is still receiving these requests from newly commissioned ships and newly estabIished bases.
All requests for aeronautical navigational aids, and CAA charts,
silence. One draw-back, however, has been the fact that the air at 10,000 feet, which is an operating altitude of such a plane, is too thin lor the birds
to fly.
As an answer to this particular problem, the Signal Corps has rigged up a canvas-covered. wire cage. The carrier pigeon is placed in the cage 10
When you send a Jetter by airmail you want it to get there in a hurry. ·When you send any letter overseas you want to be sure itarrive8_ If you want to be [ast and sureJ send it by V Mail. These are V Mail's two big advantages: it'~ fast because jt has prioritv over all other types of mail: it's sure to arrive because the original letters are kept in this country while the V Mail copies are photographed on mi rofilm and sent out. If one V Mail is lost in transit, another copy of the fetter is forwarded. In the past couple of months, over 1Q,000,000 V Mail letters have been delivered, taking up the same space <IS
United Press report based upon figure eel .ased by the War Department and by the avy's Bureau of Aeronautics,
Most of the Navy and Marine Corps air victories were scored against Jap Zero fighters. In the Solomon Islands, the enemy h~s to date lost 876 planes. Ameri 'a.o plane losses in the Solomon campaign are approximately in the ratio of 1 to 5.
PBY' 5 in Brazil
FLEET AIR 'v\'1NG
12,
ATLfu~T~C
FLEET.-Recently a number of PBY5(B) were received from San Diego and ferried to South America by Flight crews made up of personnel of Fleet Air Wing 12 anti Patrol SquadTon 81. The big boats wore sent to Brazil (or use by the Brazilian AJI" Force. The Brazilians had received some training .in PBY's but not enough to man the planes on arrival and operate them. An officer was d rained temporarily wi til a few men. of Hcadq uarters quadron, and a few members of the ferry crew to set up a training UJ1it in order to familiarize the Bnni:1iall pilots and crews with the Catalina. Facilities were somewhat lad;.ing for the operation of seaplanes although ADF bad recently completed a good ramp and parking apron. Several bumming expeditions to Pan American, Aviation Development Project and U. S. Army pITJOUced enough beachin tacklu to Fig the ramp and four buoys. A tractor was borrowed from PAA A rowboat was available for a couple- of days until P AA lost the only ather 011e and then it was neeessary to resort to paddling an outboard motorboat around during subsequent operations. Current in the river runs between 10 to i5 knots with an average tide of around 12 feet, Buoy float lines just wouldn't .(cmain on the surface of the water when th current was running full. Finally 17-inch A-30 airplane tail wheel tubes were used on the float lines, one per line, compliments of the A.rmy.
hours duration wade as high as eighty practice landings, going up and down the length of the river, the wind hardly a factor to worry about most 01 the time. Wjth the arrival of the planes [Poru the States; some of the other United Stat.e's, pilots took out the Brazilian pnOts before they soloed the planes. The Brazilian plane captains were very adept at checking out in the tower, learning how to operate the APU and other equipment. The Ladiomen, however, ..,ere baffled by so much radio equipment. In one place and only one, their expert, who could change frequency, was able to pick up enough inf(,lImation to operate all the equipment including the RDF, before the training unit disbanded. 'One of thg American radiomen spoke Portuguese, which aided in getting information across to the Brazilian crews, -Some of the Brazilian pilots- and two or three men poke. some English and could understand,
and this proved a <Treat help in get-
ting the word around to the others, After all three/lrst pilots had soloed, single-engine operation was demonstrated and the lliers were checked out on. the Sperry Pilot, the operation of al1 th.c guns, the bombin.i.!;circuits, and the intervalorneter. Solo flights were then conducted with all guns- in the ships, and partially loaded with gasoline and bombs in order that the Ieel with heavier loads could be acquired. A couple of the pilots successfully perated the planes with a full load of gasoline- and bombs, making short four-hour riavigation flights out off the coast, Wind and Current The water work with the PBY-5 wa the hardest to teach, particularly , ith the river current and the wind being unpredictable. After th idea of the use of th sea anchor was understood, lilt' pilots began to perfect their technique. Buoy catchrrs became quite good fit hanging OIl until tJu~ engines were cut. The one redeeming feature about making the
buoy was that t>here was plenty of mom" and a miss just meant going around again 01' drifting up or down the river until one got the engine turning over again. The Brazilian beaching ~1~W functioned very well and their p:nly handicap W<lS their short stature for the varying depths of water. It was necessary to keep the boat standing by when the beach crew was handling a plane in order to assist a man who got caught in the current and couldn't swim back to the ramp. Twice, a set Q[ side wheels was lost at high tide, even though a line was secured to them and tended by a mao. on the ramp. When one man got panicky and started yelling lor hel p, all hands would drop everything and go to his aid. Luckily, the beaching ge'aJ"was recovered each time, when the tide changed. In. 2y!,! weeks of operations about 200 hours were flown. Each of three Brazilian first pilots averaged about to hours' dual and from 12 to 15 hours' familiarization with complete "Brazilian crews aboard. four ,~cond pilots flew from 11 to 22 hours, All pilots had B,ights accompanying nited States personnel on search and rescue
flights and radio range calibration
Trajning Begins
Training began almost irma .diately plane securing to the buoys on the water (or th first two nights until the ramp was Figged, and the beaching ge:u unloaded and put together. The Brazilian pilots picked up the ail' work rapidly and learned to make po,l'er landings, on the smooth water of the river on their first fqr:niliarization flights. Some training Iiops of three
which gave them each an avesage total time of dose to 30 hours, There were no major mechanical 'Or structural failures which grounded any of the planes-and few minor difficulties not within the capacity of the small unit to remedy. There was nothing it! the way of spares, tools, or equipment to work with besides what came with each plane, The United States ordnanceman, with three Brazilian ordaancernen, installed all torpedo racks, rigged and hooked them up to carry bombs, loaded bombs on all planes, cleaned gunS. and preserved all the erdnanoe equipment that was used Ior d mon, tration, Participated During' in Rescue they particiand resc ue of three
the training
Carrier
The Navy's Fatrol bomber Mars i being converted into 11 'cargo vessel at the Glenn L. Martin Co.'s Baltimore
plant and will soon enter the. Navy's
"The French turned loose their p.o1l'lpoms at me whiJe I was corning down and nicked The with shrapnel, "I landed on-the beach. While I was lying there nursing my wounds a half dozen Arabs rushed out of the bushes and threatened to slit my throat if 1 made!' a sound. Then they stripped me tlf r-verything but hirt and shorts. They seemed delighted. over my clothes-c-especially my hoes. "I lavon the beach for bour~ and bt't'arne' badly sunburned, In Iacr, that did more damage than the shrapnel wound ... "Finally a Navy launch picked me up and took 11:11;' to a ship, [was strapped to a stretcher and the stretcher snapped to the. deck. Shortly thereafter the ship was torpedo d. The stretcher was freed from the deck and I went overboard till strapped to it. I fortunately Ianded upright and floated around awhile untiJ again picked UjJ. "Aside from all this it was a quiet .day."
Improvised Tool
PATROL SQUADRON
transport service. The Mars, whi'Ch has be -n undergoing tests fUT several months. has been tripped of h r tactical equipment to 'pt'ov~de room for heavy and hulky freight. Other changes 'previde Lor the installation of Wtight Cyclone engine's of more than 2,(JOO horsepower. A cargo vrrsion of the Martin PBM-3 patrol I omhor is also being produced in volume.
73,
ATLi\!'jTIG
FLE:t;;T.-A special tool for removing and installing an accessory section generator oil seal, made in the Inachine shop of this quadran may prove valuable to every iquadron engineering department that maintains R1830-8'2 or 92 Pratt & Whitney engmes.
Dwight R_ McGinnis APil', who had previous machine-shop experirnce made the tool shown in the picture. A lY2-ineh socket wrench was softened by heating and remoVIng the temper. With French machine-shop tools, it was milled down so the two nipples on the socket fit the slots in the generator seal and urned down to its present shap on the lath, The tool W£i,S then heated and reternpered. A piece of %-inch armor plate was drilled and turned to fit the generatG.f hold-down studs. With this completed tool the worn accessory generator oil seal was removed and a uew oil seal installed in nne hour while the engine was installed in the aircraft. BUREAU SAYS: Thi!'i 10n1 may be used satisfactorily on the R-1830's which have the g~Ilerator oil seal held in place wjth a slotted nut, Not all R-J 8:;0':, do. Unfortunately the R1830 Overhaul Manual specifies the tool used on engines which have generator oil seals held in place by a p-resii fit, Dwight R. McGinnis, APlc, is to be congratulated on his ingenuIty in manufacturing this tool under the adverse condi tions jJl'; 'u1i:1l' to this location.
only
Squadron
RON
Naval Photographic
FLEET AIR PHOT0GRAPl-Ua SQUAD-
TOOL
'F'OR GENERATOR
OIL
S'IOAL IHS,TALLATION
During the first hundred hours installing a completely overhaul d engine, its aco essory genera to]' oil seal negan to leak so excessively thar tlre airplane was restricted to local flying. It was felt that the engine would have to be Iowcred from the. aircratt in order to remove and reinstall the oil seal as the special Pratt & Whitney tools, numbers PWA-J575 and PWA~1361, were not available,
after
Orill.-This is the first naval photographic squadron commissioned and equipped as such, and it i.o; now intended to bring the photograp,hjc "baron" horne 'in the combat area .. VD-l is equipped to be sell-sustaining, and that means really owning a let of gear. The problems of obtaining such gear, especially advancebase equiprn ent, are manifold. Hats are taken off to the Marines and their all-comprehensive "Table of Basic Allowances," which is a SearsRoebuck catalog less. illustrations at everything in the way of equipment, All pilots are pleased with the PB4;Y-l airplane. I t>; performance, rang, fire power and stability make it an excellent and versatile photographic airplane. Naval Air Sration, Sa,)1 Diego did a swell job in modifying squadron planes for the. special photographic equipment required, and was also of gr at a sistanc in ironing out various other modification and installation bugs.
The additional equipment required includes a bicycle-tire pump and a fitting similar to the one shown in the drawing. First install the overflow tube on the master cylinder on the brake. pedal as shown in the figure. Remove the round head machine screw Irorn the hexagonal head bleeder on the cylinder on: the brake flange. Install the special fitting in place of the round-h ad machine screw and attach to it the bicycle pump, which has had I::be plunger removed and
the pump barrel filled whh Navy Spec M-339 Mineral Oil and plunger roplaced, Open the bleeder and force the pump handle down hard and run a sufficient amount of the fluid through the overflow tube to climinate all ail' traps. Be sure to use forte in Jilting the system to insure that the air naps arc forced up through the system, Maintain prcssme on the pump and dose the hexagonal head bleeder. Rcruove the pump and fitting and replace the 'round-head machine screw. Remove the overflow tube and replace the filler pJug. By filling from the lowest point with pressure, the air traps in the line are more satisfactorily eliminated. BUREAU SAYS: This provides all alternative method of filling the brake system without incurring bleeding problems.
Photographers Active
VD
SQUADRON
Jn~tal\"special <f'i1tin~"ln bl'eeder and attach bJcycle tire pump filled with minera, oil.
,----
jl2' d;"mete~
to'
be
of the Atlantic Fleet, its aerial reamnai isance Wlmera. ar ~ taking- e111 new tactical meaning as a result of developmonts now under way in the Atlantic Fleet's aircraft 'photographic squadron. Advanced techniques in high level and oblique aerial photography and mapping arc. beingwotked out in combination training and experimental Ai_ght work by flying and photographic officers. In preparation for operation with the fleet, selected pilots [roil] each squadron are given special advanced training in the ochniquo of rernot controlfixcd-camera photography. Although. the' cameras are ft:dfy 'automatic and require no adju tment ;il1 fljght, it has been found that the best pilots bring back the best pictures. In addition to the squadron flying cameramen, technically trained photographic officers from the Navy's photographi« sehool at Pensacola come to the squadron for advanced instruction and "checkout" in aerial reconnaissance work. These officers become specialists in the- most diflicult, yet most strategically important of all photographic missions=-that of pen traring the enemy's defense r, camouflage, fighter sere TIS. antiaircraft, and bringing horne the telltale pictures which give away his military secrets.
HE. extent to which Naval Aviation bas become a global fort,e is best exemplified in pictures. Because this war is being fought on every surface and in every element of the globe, habitable or not planes of the Navy are required to be on a tive duty over virtually every water-s-and many land areas-from pole to pole, How is this significant? The [aval Aviator, let us say, takes up a JICW tour of duty at a naval air station that rna}' be antipodally separated from his previous station, He
is faced 'with diametrically different flying conditions. Climate, weather, temperature, light have become paradoxically, constant variables that exert profound infl uence upon Tlying and upon all aerial warfare, For this reason, the aval Aviator today more than ever before, must be bountifully informed-s-the master of many sciences related to aviation. No one realizes better than the avy pilot how legion are the tasks of Naval A viation in its global role. He knows that while he, alone and unassisted, can Oy a plane and per(Cr:m1in,,,ed
011
page 15)
l'
SCENE
DURING
A.TTACK
O:N "lAP
1i~,EET.
BU'II~:ING
J"P
:J.
DESTRUCTION
0,1' TWO
lA;PANfSE
form the mission assigned to him, a large force is required to service that plane, keep it limber and in running order so that it will function smoothly and well the instant it is needed. NEWS LETTER/S photo section attempts to picturize the global character of Naval Aviation and, at the same time, to indicate the diversity of tasks its crew are.called upon to perform. .No matter how complete such 'a section might be, at best it can only skim the' surface, 1\0 numberless and varied are the subjects that must be covered.
(Colliinutd, on fmge 26)
FROM
PBY GUNNER
CONTROLS THE
SKIES AHEA.D
- A GLOBAL FORCE
AT PENS,IlIlDLA HOW TO !lOLD A.N INSTRUCTOR S!lOWS STUDENTS AND HANDLE AN AERIAL CAMEIlA
MESSAGE
TO THE JAP
F'LEET
It states that, in addition to escaping from the submerged. cockpit, studenrs also drill in helping matesonto stretchers aiding' the wounded) swimming. with rifles above th,eir heads, climbing up and down cargo nets, swimming under water with clothes on and practiting the tired swimmer's carry.
cia s by Lt. "WC8 Brown: So popular is this intimate Iorrn of combat instruction that cadets beg for more after the regular periods are over.
TEN SECONDS
UTERI
CADET RISES
TD SlJRFAC'E
Upon reaching the urfaoe, the parachute should be released and the life jacket inflated. Better water balancc is gained I:W i;;.king oft' the parachute, but it .hould be retained as it is buoyant and Jtlay have Iuture value. Participants give a hand signal if they arc i.mable to release themselves so the operators may return the cockpit to the S1.Ir£ace within a few seconds. To make the drill more realistic, a wiru of 100 to 200 yards in flight gear, after the escape, may be added. Other innovations are binding oneor both arms to the participant" side or tying both leg, together and, after the escape, having him endeavor to tal' afloat for ten minutes or swirn a short distance, irnulating broken arms or legs.
Recognitio'n
Requests for eq uipment, slides, projectors, manuals, devices, etc., should hereafter be sent direct to the Chief uf the Bureau of Aeronautic~,atten~ tion : Recognition Section, Trai-ning Division. The custom of directina these requests to the Officer~in-Cbarge) N. T. S. OhiQ State University, to Dr. Samuel Renshaw, Ohio State University, or to individual officers on the &:tafIof the school is to be discontinued as it has frequently resulted in confusion and lack of coordination. Repairs and replacements. however. can be ordered from the Bureau of Aeronautics Liaison Officer, Ohio State University Research Foundation, Columbus, Ohio. The following units, who have trained instructors of Recognition available, are erttitled to this equipment: Regularly established Naval
Disarming Tricks
PRE,FLlGH'l' TOWA ClTy.-""PuJ1 a
ESCAPE DRILL,
CtiMPING
ONTO
DUMMY
COCKA>IT
knife on lTIC," "TJ)' to strangle me;' «Pull a gun and try to shoot me," ure the strange invitations bei-ng traded by members of the ship'S crew at the Iowa PFc-Flight School. Bloodthirsty? No; the men are j].lSt looking [or a chance to vractice the disarming tricks of hand-to-hand combat taught in a special evening
18
Air Training Schook Naval tions, Fleet Air Wings, A V', pat r 0 I squadrons,
ev's,
'F
AGV's,
Carrier
Sta-
Groups.
Operational list of
Aircraff and Surfacecralt Early in April, an official Opera.
tionaJ List of Allied and Enemy Air-
craft and Surfacecraft, which has been jointly accepted by the Army and Navy, will be distributed through the regular channels. Instructors should be guided by this list in teaching Recognition, taking special notice of aircraft type names and ship classes. The lis. will be revised periodically to keep pace with tactical and operational changes in the use of planes and ships by the Iisted nations. Plane'> and ships of the following nations will be mclud d : U nited States, Gl!eat Britain, Germany, Japan, Italy, .and RUMi.. {Aircraft only).
and material on these ships etaside until new Iides, pictures, etc., can be distribu ted.
cal assistance from the British, is currently on the presses and will be ready for distribution early in April. In its initial form it will b made up solely of Aircraftvcovering almost the entire operational list of the major warring nations. Coverage of each- plane will include the hree familiar silhouette views, architectural renderings, actual photographs in flight, general statistics recognition characteristics, and a short general interest story, A glossary of recognition nomenclature, a brief outline of th problems of recognition and a short description of file methods of teaching recognition comprise the editorial introduction.
--What's
wrongwiththis picture?--------------------,.
(A
11.S.
You should be able to detect the trouble at a glanCe. If not, turn to page 32 Ior the answer. Thanks for this picture, first of .a series, are due the Naval Air Station at 0<11:land, Calif., where these dummy Instrument panel boards are used to snap up cadets' cockpit consciousness. Visual instruction, where poss-ible, :is surest and quickest method.
19
ahout July Lst with the enrollment of students (0 he stle~led fT001 examinations to be given early in April. The now V-i2 program leading to a Naval .Reserve eommlssmn is open to qUD,l~.fyjrtg enlisted men of the Navy, Manne Corps; arid Coast Guard, as wdjas recent giaduat0~ of high 'Schools and prepat'atory sehools, All students accepted [O~, training will be ordered {~).col-lcgc-~ under contract to the NallY and -go on active duty in uniform under military disoiplinc. Thev ... ill be rated as ,appr,rl1.ti~e sea, v men: United Stat-e~Naval Reserve.
Cadet Dis,ipline
.is a. ~trQng
GLPoNVtEW.-Discipline still part of naval aviation (raining, as ex,l!wplrned hy tlaese penalties \Ilhich may be invoked against cadets at the primat'y flight training school at Glenview, Ill. OfJe1l5(J: Dangerous flight conduct. PC1I,(l$ty: As recommended by A.v:iation Training Board \.based on seri(iJUSHlISil). Twenty-five hours' ramp duty, 2.._"i demerits, and permanent
NAS,
AU personnel ftom the Navy CAA"WTS flight instructors sthool~ are to be sent to the Naval Air Station, New Orka_n~, (--Of' the instructors course and for delfig-nation as naval aviator, Frorn there they I... be scm to duty ·m at Primarv Flighi 'Training sd"inDk All other A-V(PJ and A-V(T) OffiCtlTS whose first tour of duty is llrimary instructing are to be sent to brief courses of naval flight training at a Primary Flight Tra.ining school, f Qr ground instruction and Nigh t training ::1$ riecessary. Alter that, they will take the prim.ary instructors' course, NAS, NC'I"iOrleans, rot designation as naval aviator and further transfer to a Primary Fligh t Training sehoel, All A-V(P) and A-V(T} officer'S whose n~"t dirty will be other than primary in~nucting wil] be sent to an
Intermediate Training Center for a brief course in naval f-light training and designation as naval aviator, as
~
-
r~str;c.tion.
Offense: Absent over leave or lib. erty 1 to 2 hours, Pe:najl.'J': rren hours' ramp duty, H) demeritsc, and 30 drlys' restriction. Off ense: Absence unauthorized Irorn Hight line UI" ground school class. P'81lait)': Six hour,' ramp duty, ~ demerits, and 'l weeks' restriction, Og,'iJSe: Lse Qf profane language. Penalty: Four hours' ramp duty, tl· de-merits, and 1 week's restriction. OjJ(}ru~' Clothing, gear, or prpperty adrift. Penalt»: Two hours' rarnp duty, .2 demerits, no restriction.
In the paST. Naval aviators 01" naval aviation pilots previously d~'jignated and whn require te£reshe~ traip.i,ng will be scot to an Intermediate Training Center for- requalification.
tint aid ,kit not in good shape, the match case held fish bait and no matches, there was no compass, the knife was all rusty so that it was :impo~s.iblc to open, ~d he had nn canteen. Fortunately he had five vials of chlorine, E';'ery' time a !ibar.k made a pa~" at the boat, the. pilot used a.- vial to drive .hirn Qff with considerable suc-cess. Summing lip the above, all changes suggested by tho pilot are essentially covered ill the !V'", equipment Hi._:; suggestion about chlorino has been under study, Several publications cover rafts and dunk-ing, the principal _(lOE: being DUT/king SenHl, issued 'by the Busean (If Aeronautics. As these continue to be distributed, the need
will be remedied. Howe-ver,
it
must
be
sti'angly
pointed out:
I. That $'raund crews should inspect the reseue gc:ac Iurnishcd with planes, 2. That pilnts and aircrews inspect th~ir gMr ,,~ a check Oil the above. g. That pilots ana aircrews learn and p ra C1 icc d unking d rill. Nfl equipmeu t however efficient and no i nstructio tIS however tho'(ol!gn' can do it all thr'rnselvr's. DriJJ and rtia& ter keys to $J f
Dunking Sense
Tht' need fo], more atterrticn
t£\
life-
saving cqu.ipmf'ntl;r"s recently emphasized by a "dul1kilJg" case reported to News LETTER. A pilot 'was forced to land jfl the
water in a eombat area. He reported his. plane sank so fast that he neversnw it when he surfaced, The plane's raft functioned perfectly but the pilot was so handicapped by his chute and glOaT and the current was so 'swift that he couldn't catch it. However. he opened his scat-pack boat and climbed in. During the proce~$! a nail in his shoe tore -a hole in the fabric and he was forced to patch it, which he did suecessfully. During tbis lime he lost his c·mergency rations. Upon taking stock of his gear he found that hi~flares were useless, the
etr.
;n$p"cti011
are
the
Y2
s=s-
·IIStaU (6'f~etup)----------------.
lege
AAF
COlU"Se,
cla%llC;;tti011 center
hi.~ fitness
bom-
bardier; 01' pilot. Then he 'is -appointed an aviation cadet and receives, advanced :Right <mda.cademic work for another 8 mO~l~hs.
"[(NOW
....---AND
YOUR
SHIPS
•••
'1
'''''hen Dilbert won hi. Navy wings, nobody in the world was impressed-except Hilbert,
He was "a pilot after a fashion" and knew shapes-vbut of cour e n t ships or plane>
~ ).4
Olle day Dilbert spied a ship cruising; and fiew toward it. He didn't know it was a Jap.
"'I
"One of our destroyers," he mused. "I'll just jaunt through a few maneuvers rOT 'em."
with slow rolls & th-ings, until he flew into a wall QJ flak.
6 He
fumbled for the stick a~d pl.dled aut, then took refuge in a cloud staying there an hour.
Mustering courage. }1(' peeked out and. below, b -held a carrier. "Another jap!" he hissed.
Dilbert gritted his teeth. He kicked her ov I' and headed in for the kill, hi". glInS blazing.
Sud d e n \1' everything went black, OiJpcrt c a ill e to, in the drink, minus a good plane.
10
\Nct, brok n and! limp .. he was hauled aboard a 'Ship and sprawled over the deck to dry,
11
He 'heard a chorus 01 angry voices. They were Arueriean, not Jap. Dilbert Was overjoyed.
12
But not the voices! TI-I!,y wanted to poke the wise guy who shot at his own shipmates!
21
required to develop an air gunner to a dE',grce of skill that will spell "poison" for enemy fighters. The problem confronting the rear-seat gunner is a real one, and pilots and responsible officers of multiple place aircraft squadrons are urged to become thoroughly acquainted with it.
3. Meagre references ill combat report); indicate that insufficient attention is paid to the an- gunner and hi, training experience.
Dear
Fol~k5
AS JAcKsoNVl;"LE,-A Recognition instructor at this station who claimed he was too tired to write an ordinary letter horne to the folks ap~ parently could muster the energy to disburden himself of the news in this touching ballad:
With my jiee,pj' disposit ior: A1.td Tn)' 'nin.a. lJn Recognition I halJe lilac lime 10 unit e A nil less to .lily. 14" e are 1iJ~1I A71d doing fqir, lOU Ilia)' Ja}' ~Ve h aoe no care as ure'tre lea-rned
To manage things the Nav)' Fot " lime ure had athletics
WilY,
rtlERj;'S
NO ANTIOOTIO
AG:AINST
A GOOD GUNNER
It has been Lclt by some that the importance of the he gunner is far hom being fully appreciated. This condiricn rarely continue after a unit bas been in action, [or ~ gunne-r's ability immediately assumes great. impcrtance when the Zeros starr attacking, This i ~unfortunately, a late hour to recognize- rhe im portance of good gunnery! or- to do anytlting about it. Considerable time and training are 22
(Some ~rlig_hl term. i! apa;lhelics) Wilh the idea riza.! the '!IeJl be Trim and fil. J Was p::hipped I nt o a coma find ate t,uice as M "all or home an d I found that M}t ambition i~ 10 sit, I ho fie TO'U and ,;II (1'·11 well And tho] Pidn',; doing suiel! And -of coal and tire. and
Since
I'm pre •.•i1),/J 10 be 'tmny, laue And kisses, simd more. monlfY, A'M) I'll. writ e again luk e " 1
11 (we lif(ffllaiI
7rjlJ
re
st
ufJ.
there were no charts, An old copy of the magazine with a world map in it was found on board and served for the. navigation 01 the 2,OO(l-mLletrip, Earlier, two American officer' began ,~ 159~day voyage in a small boat with nothing but magazine maps and cosnpass. They ucceeded in getting through to Australia despite enemy patrols.
Mud shoes of canvas on a steel tube frame also were made, 'providing adequate support (01'4 ITI1;!n on fairly muddy ground. Each shoe has an area of about 2 square feet.
VVeather-Board ~an
}.,TAS, DALLAS. - The Dallas aerological office is using an h Q u r I y weather-board map which has called forth much favorable comment from ferry pilots. A composite picture of the current weather within the terntory covered by the hourly teletype sequence is quickly revealed mainly through the use of colored chalk. The blackboard is erased at the start of each ('quaKe and entered in colored chalk as described jn the key all the following page. The entire station is entered in the basic color for contact (,yhite) instrument (yellow) or closed (red) conditions, weather deterrnining, except any form of precipi, tation and that is always green. One board alone is not 'adequate as it allows no comparison. "By placing two identical boards ide by side, it is easy to compare the present weather with the 'past. 'The size of the board is a variable facto!'; amount of wall spaCe available, radius desired, et
thau directly upon the map or chart. Alter completion of th " flight and study of the trace by student and jnstructor, he trace can easily be removed from the glass by 'means \'.if a cloth moistened with solvent. Expenditure of the map or chart is thus avoided. This technique makes it practicable to use g'enuine maps and charts or the kind actually employed in operations sin$:e the. . arne map or chart may be u ed repeatedly without being darnaged in any way. It also effects a substantial aving of time when training in cross-country instrument flying. This is aCCOlTIplished by placing urrder the glass a ectional chart, or sven a regional chart. At the point of destination a large scale chart of the landing area is. placed under the -glass and on top of the sectional or rezional chart. Th reduced :calc of the sectional 01' regional chart condenses into a much shorter than normal time the crosscountry portion of the "flight," but when the destination is reached the large scale chart of th landing area automatically comes into use and the , let-down" requires the time normally involved.
71,
EAGLE
MOUNTAIN LAKE.-Pr'd\Ilpted by an Hem On the wamp buggy appearing in the March 1 issue of Nsws LETTER; this Marine Corps station publicizes its own "magic carpet"-a xmtribution to the science. of rescuing personnel marooned OJ1 muddy terrain. Designed by Technical Sergeant (now Marine Gunner) Otto C. Vieweg, U. S. M. C. R., the yamp rescue gear consists of canvas strips 30 feet IQng and 3-12 feet wide> with I-Inch-square wooden strips secured every 3 inches. Under test, this de, vice supported three men on land that would not permit wa1king. The carpet can be tolled into a compact bundle and is believed to be' very useful as part of the equipment of a rescue plane.
23
will r0g'ulate the s_ize; but -3 inches equalling one hundred mfles. seems ideal. Extreme flexibility is obtained by ~crmitting any desi,red i--:d"onl1ation ttl he recorded 01' changed. Fronts can be' clraw,n in with their appFopri'ate colors ana followed simply and nceurately, route fo[(·ra;~ting i~ readil)' accomplished, alternate airports art" easily spotted, and many other advarrtag~ are _pre~ent that ca'tJ only be realized after u~ing this systern, The station circle III the size of a dhue and divided in half to allow entrv of the amount of sky coverage for two layers of douds. The 'orrfcspo;'ldlng height of the cloud derk is' entered ill hundreds of feet to the righroJ the station abbreviation. An ordlnarv pencil sharpener will sharpen chalk satisfactorily for neat figures, Icing conditio1l, as reported by pilors can be nntered abovc n station with the altitude included. It might prove desirablc to enter the cloud symbols on thethr-ee~bourIy n~pnrts. Station circles are painted white, abbreviations 'are yelloW, and srate bOl.lndatjll~ red. A,:,ccepteo OAA airways and radius circles may also be drawn in.
scale of four
cetera,
Whatl No Hula?
NAS; BAAB£RSPOINT, OAHU, T H.-In a setting of coral, kiawi trees, and sugarcane, officers and enlisted rn ell, assisted by civilian contractors, are constructing a 1.1eW Naval Air Station lit Barbers Point, not many miles from Pearl Harbor. Naval personriel selected fOT the task have bern joiped hy veterans of the Southwest Pacific area. The' climate is reported to be so balmy that Miami arid Los Angeles would be proud to claim it for their own. However, men with orders reading Barbers Poil'll should disregarrl pictures of Hula girls 1:1 <J.ny O-ahu literature and thereby -lip;;re: themselves dlsappnirsrrnent, the starion sardonically comments,
am ~O.HITO!
~-
In Bad
Company
NAS, BERMlJDA.-A recent incident which might easily have resulted in a t!"agedy bas given one pilot came to chouse more caref ully the planes with which he flies in formation. While engaged in night- flying exercises, he saw -what he believed to be the two planes he was to rendezvous with, He took hi~ 'position at cne wing and.
held to the course of the' "leading_ plane." Sudd_crlly he discovered that the course he wss flying would lead him directly oyer all antiaircraft r;mge. He frantically called the leading Flane to inform him 01 the mistake tbal was beirlg made. The lcarling plane answered up !rom some" miles away to tell hi m that he was nowhere near the range and to ask Mill when he was going' to join. Imagine the embarrassment of the pilot when he learned that he was. fiying 111 a formation made up of himself, a towp.tane, and a towsleeve with 11light on it, and that he was beaded, aver the range for a workout!
Training at Peak
NAS, LAKE Crrv, FLA.-Operational training at Lake City is nowappreaching a full operational status, wish all instructors rapidly completing their PV-J check-out. Operations were retarded to allow the ferr'Y. in'g of PV-l planes from the West Coast. Experience gained from Ierrying has g:one a long way toward Piroclueing more experienced instructors ~b the. PV-l plane, Some ef the Jerry pilots had never come in contact with extreme .icing conditions Qlt subzero ground operating temperatures, Pilots report the PV-lairplane to be the answer to an airman's prayer, Single cllgine approach to strange fields did riot worry pilots or interfere with a normal laUding. One of the difficulties encountered was the freezing of the battery solution due '1:,0un-down batt~rie-s. The r oil dilution system proved its worth many times. Pulling the propellers tnrc-ugh 30 to 40 times -added much to the pre-staxting operations for a successful "first start under sub-zero ground temperatures. FeTty pilots of Lake City wish to send Army Bases the "Well Done" for service. As S00ll as planeslanded they were gassed and serviced even at the expense of removing parts from
24
MK 1lII
TARGET
SHROUD
ence, but this does not materially reduce th efficierll,)),of the idea,
Army aircraft.
always provided living quarters.
PRE-FLl.GU'f.-Busi.
ness. is served with pleasure at this naval aviation training school as the pre-Bight cadets learn lessons in COlJJmunications and get the war news at the same time. Here' how it is done. VVhen the news commentators nartate the happenings of tbe clay for radio listeners in North Carolina the cadets are- at evening chow, A stenographer takes dOW11 the news in shorthand then transcribes it and types the material. An hour later, when the cadets have returned to their room , a radio man. tap out the news in code. An amplifying system carries the codified news to ihe cadets over the entire station. Tho, e who Gall do-code get the news.; those who can't miss out.
r
mi take time and again, be is ceremoniously awarded the 'Donkey Ear ." The rite is performed by the chief Bight instructor, who ~aJJfI the AvCad to hi office and advises him of the great distinction that is about to be conferred.
When carelessnes has resulted in the. student's failure to attend a seheduled High~ the cadet wear, in addition to the ears helmet" a mammoth pair of hom-rimmed spectacles, POl' this offense he must sit for an hour gazing steadfastly at the flight board.
Low Pressure
Chamber
he Donkey Ears arc>Ieatherstrips sewed to wires 111ld affixed to each tide of an aviator's helmet, The stirdenr wearing thehelmet i required to remain in a conspicuous place for a stipulated period of time,
NAS, SEA1'TLE.-ROl1tine operation of the low-pressure chamber recently installed at this station was Jnaugurated shortly after the first of the year. A number of test runs bad been made late in 19"~2, with Commander Leon D. Carson of the Buteau taking the first "bop" to a height of 4,2,000 feet, The chamber, all 8-man tank simiJar to those recently installed at Quan. tico, San Diego Quonset. Point" and several other stations is under the supervision of the senior medical officer of th station. The ration's officer personnel have evidenced g.reat in terest in the new unit. A number at til 11' own request have been either indoctrinated or rcindoctrinated, while under the station's general training program, all others are being, I1lIJ. through the
chamber. 25
(Continued
PATROL BUM'P EM',ERG[S FROM .... U.. [ II.iRSH'IP .DOCK IN THE SOUTH
SNOWBOUND-IN
THESE MAINTENANCE. MEN, SNOW WHIPPING THEIR FACES. DISLODGE A PBY STUCK FAST IN II. DRIfT EFFORTS OF BEACHING CREWS PULLING UP THE BIG BOAl
..
"Ireezing" in its bushing. These :g~ars showed very definite' 'igns of overheating. No cause has yet been found, although centrifuge tests of the hydraulic fluid revealed a small amount of sediment which on laboratory examinarion (made at the Station Hospit-i1) resembled pumice Very closely. It was further determined tha.t in at least one case during th~ ferry bop" to this station, the pilot allowed his hydraulic system to run neatly dry, extending his gear with the emergency system. Thi may have' b 'en a contributing cause. Further sight. f n the center of thi disc drill a YIU-jJl_(,h hole. Wben this disc is in position over the l-ens the pilot will gee the pip OlJ.l1 when his eye .is lined up directly behind the reflector plate, AU parallax has been eliminated. If the pilot finds it difficult to spot the pip he an move his eye close to the reflector, thus incr using his field of vision U'Jt-ough the l~(j-lncb hole. Insketch the pilot CUll see the pip any place on the reflector by moving Jus head. In sketch .B tile disc has b en placed over the lens. In thi, case the pip ap!.lI:.ar:s only in the center r.I the: ref!ectOl',
eh eck-u P reveal, that the tolerance between gears and bushings is 0.0015 inch while the smallest particle the Cuno will remove is 0.0035 inch diam etcr, BREAU AYS: The drive pinion in <J hydrauli pump is the equivalent OJ! the fuse in an "electric circuit An overload on the pump automatically breaks the link and protects. the pump ag<J,.i nst complete breakdown, The I act that the ge;,iTsof the pUJllp showed definite signs ef overheating irrdicare oru of the following causes: (1) Low level of fluid in reservoir, making it possible in flight maneuvering to un iover the standpipe of th engine-pump u tion line. Till will result in sucking air Into the hydraulic systCl,Y1. Before the pump can develop enough priming suction to set up proper fluid flow again, the pump bas be ome severely overheated, resulting ill shearing the driving pin. Watch the oil Ievel in the reservoir, (2) .In some airplanes, there .is a tendency for oil to foam under certain operating conditions or due to excessiveoperation. Foaming oil carries innumerable quantities of air bubbles. Normally these collect at the top of the reservoir and 10 this way cleat the oil of air. 11 this condition ls aggravated or IJrolong~d> then the foaming oil j.'l carried down to the pump and results in pump failure. (3) When an airplane has been standing in the sun, particularly in tropical tempcmtu:te!;,I· the oil ternperature may go to 120"; then when the engine is started, the hydraulic fluid merely circulates from the reservoir' to the pump, then to the pressure t!'!gtJator and is by-passed back to the reservoir, As all these units are apt to be directly behind the engine and exhaust collector, the fluid temperature while on the ground Tnay rise to a value greatly b yond 1500 F. At these higher temperatures the oil bas a very low viscosityand 10s·e8 a considerable amount of jtsiubricity. This will result in high pump ternpeeatures, with the subsequent failures .. (4) Oonversely, in severe cold tern-
Note on Refle(torSights
NAS, P~NSACQLA.-,Becausc of the large amount of .movemeat of the pip and ring in reflector sights, activities have had considerable trouble bore£ighting all a teuiplate or screen at close range. This movement (parallax) of the pip will cause a negligible error at range over 150 feet. TbG GW1Dt>ry Department at Pensacola has found that this parallax tan be elirninated for cla~e-r'an<Te borc,5icrhtincr5~ '0N 011 t a sma II piece of cardboard or sheet metal to fit tightly over the lens of the
we
28
the Southwest Pacific which can be identified by contacting ComAirPac. The quantities in stock at each point are listed in BuAer Allowance Li t B-t which has been distributed to the, C. O. and r. C. O. of interested vessels. (February 1943 latest revision), All requel1t'l for this material should be made upon the nearest available stock point. Spare parts for- other elements of the arresting gear system are retained in stock at NYPEARL and ,ASD Noumea, N w Oaledonia and any such material-also listed in
(Succeeds list dated FehrlTor)l25, 1943)
Navy Glider
A public test for the Bristol XLQ-l glider wa~ held .recently at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The XLQ-I is an amphibious glider, built chiefly of wood. is 40 feet Icng, has a wing span of 72 Iect and can carry 12 men with fuJI equipment. The glider was taken aloft b hind a Catalina reaplane. It circled the yard twice, then Iaaded on the Delaware River.
LIST OF THE LATEST NUMBERS OF ENGmE BULLETINS .AND CHANGES March 20, 1943
PRATT & WHITNEY ENGINE BUl· LETIN R-985 , 96 R-985. 97 R-1340. . 189 R-1535. . . . . . 215, R-1690...... 200 R-1830 _. . 307 R-1830 , . . 308 R~1830 309 R-1830...... 310 R-2800...... 56 R-1830-86... R-1830-86... R-2800-8 . . .. .."... R-280D-31 . .. R-760 -, R-760 R-790 R-915 R~975 R-1920 R-2600 R-'2600
R-2600 .................••. R-2600 •..•...........•.... R-'2600. . . . .. .,."...
WRIGHT DATE
CHANGE ,
BUl· lETIN
CHAN
GE ,. . . . . . . . . . . .
Being issued.
DE",H
SCENE,
PUJOlI' GAGGING
(6) There are of course failures due to breaking of lines 01;' bullet holes in combat which will re ult in similar trouble.
- ....•..•.... , 11 10 2·.· ,
. . . . . . . .
318
17
76 77 8 16
· ·.
3-1-43.
3-1-43.
Being issued.
72
73 74 76
.. .. .
2-8-43,
Do.
Do. Do.
Beiltg issued.
. ......•.
75
Po.
2-24-43. 3-5-43. 3-9-43'. 3-10-43.
RANGER
V-770....... V-770 ,. .. V-770 -.... V-770 ,.... V-J70 _. V~170....... R-;182D-50.. R-'2600-8 •....... , •.•............ 7 8 9 10
'1"
11
12
Being issued.
' •......
3-17-43.
3 6
Being lissued.
Do.
29
TEGfIN1GAI. UIWrnI
;\,{J.
Hli
TECHNIQUE
OF RECOVERY
FROM INVERTED
SPINS
In lew of the number of recent accidents which have resulted Irom inability of pilots to recover from inverted spins, it is con idered that existing instructions on this subject are inadequate. Practical recovery from inverted spins is being included in th Fl1ight Syllabus at all training centers and by this means it is hoped to eliminate completely th current fallaciou idea that recovery is necessarily difficult. A re-study of Technical Note Nnmber 29-30 gives the impression that the inverted spin is a somewhat dangerous and unfamiliar maneuver and the correct technique for the recovery therefrom is slightly obs ure, Technical Order No. 20-39 does little to remove this uncertainty.
THE general
are:
precautionary measures involved in the normal pjnnmg of all)' aircraft, quite naturally apply to the inverted spin. The most cogent considerations in spinning "0.nyairpl ane
, 1) Any plane which is difficult to .pin may also be difficult to bring out of the spin. (2) The higher thy altitude at which the plane is spun, the more difficult it will be to bring it out, as an in rease in altitude lias the same effect as an increase in the wing loading, (3) The pilot's ability to place all controls On "full" in all directions is. e scntial. In an inverted spin the pilot is thrown away from the con. trols, and unless a conscious effott is, made he will find himself hanging onto the stick rather than actually mov:iflg :it back 'and forth; the i.nex, perienced pilot thinks tha t he Is pulling the stick baok when in reality he i probably trying to pull it out of its
socket.
Under normal conditions, where the spin is ent red inadvert ntly, it is thought that the tab string will he in the ncar-neutral position, <1T)d,unless stick forces are very high and recovery very difficult, it will be unnecessary to re-adjust the elevator tab setting to complete recovery . (5) The inexperienced pilot is apt to have difficulty in recognizing the early stages DE be inverted spin when ftr!!t entered, If power is on the spin is apt to develop very rapidly and lead
(4) The. proper usc of the elevator tab control is decidedly important. It is obvious that in order to promote ea e of recovery from a spin the tab hould be set so as to make the plane nose-heavy for norma! spinning and tail-heavv for invertedsJ:)innil1g.
THROWN
~WIi.Y
.. ROM
·THE
CO.N'I"AOLS·
to confusion, but th sensation of being thrown away from the controls i& a certain indication that the spin is inverted rather than normal. This uncertainty will completely d:i appear after several practise inverted spins, The inverted spin has been careruDy studied by engineers and pilots with practical experience in recovery from this maneuver, The 'results of these studies indicate that recovery from the inverted spin is often more rapid and certain than from the normal spin for the following rea ons : ( 1) In the inverted pesition the wings of the airplane have less lift and greater drag, thus acting to retard autorotation. (2) Practically ali aircraft have greater throw up-elevator than d!OWIJ.elevator, thus giving greater control for recovery [rom an .inverted spin than from a normal spin. (3) The average airplane is deigned so that the airflow impinges more directly on the elevators, when set Ior recovery from inverted spins than from normal spins. (4 > Due to the relative position of tho horizontal tail plane to the rudder, there is less. tendency for the horizontal surfaces to blank the rudderin the inverted position. The best method of entering the inverted spin is from the half-loop po. ition. A~ the plane approaches the inverted horizontal, the stick is eased forward to maintain this attitude, and just before the plane stalls the tick is pu hed completely forward and hard rubber applied. The average plane will then whip off into an inverted spin in the direction in which the rudder is applied. If the plane stalls completely with the tick all the way forward and then rudder is applied after the nose, has begun to fall, .it very probably will not spin but will slide oB:'in to a skidding mverted
.._.--
\
to
ENTERING
INVERTED
SPI'N
4: .stiGk way r(>l"'wa("d.~ .6"an.£ ruifd'zy
direction of rot0.tiop is correct only as long as the Iine of vision goes along
or in relation
the:
plane, and iI, while "inan inverted spin the head is thrown baek and thu line of vision goes straight down to the
, I
\
,,,
_---_~~
--~......
,,.'"
......
--_,--_...
SPIN
" '_,;
". ,.
.'
.....
. .. '~. l'
....' I
,
,
6~Inl/creed
oSf'in
_..,IIIli;;r;;l. .....
I I
r:...
~
OF IUr:VERSE ROTATHIN
THISGI,VES
,7.'
RECOVERY
FROM
INVERTED
greul'Id, the direction of rotation is apparently reversed. 1t is. th~re.iote mandatory iluit: a visual drtferminacion of the direeJio1! of "rQtatiOJ~ b:e made b,}' 'I'efel'~)'Gi; lb the nose of the
1l0RIZON
air plane.
spiral aud jose altitude much more rapidly than if a aermal inverted spin develops. Pracrical experiments have. indicated that no inverted spin has ever -developed with the stick pulled back, regardl>l!~sof the attitude dE the airplane, The Iollowing technique, {undamtm1ally parallel to that for recovery {rQm normal spins, will produce rapid and certain recovery from the In\7erted spin : ( 1) Cut thegun ,
(2) Kick hard opposite rudder against the direction of rotatiort. The, nose foHo\\;'s the rudder in all attitudes, The pilot's .impression G1f the
The turn indicator will show the true djreetiO-rJ 01 rotation in ~ith~r normal or inverted spins .. {3) PuJJ the. ,'lti~k all the way back, neutralizing the ailerons, (4) A.~soon as au tornta ljoll ceases, complete the recovery [rom the Inverted position by either rolling out with the ailerons or completing the loop or a combination of the two, (.5) Ease the throttle on ver.y -gradually 1'0 prevent engine bearing: damage,.as during the evolution oil p{@SSllre will probably have been los,t.
nic"dl O"de.r No,
M co ntainedill· Tei:f~· 8+-42 remain in e/Jecr, e1/;c'cIJIfor N3N-3 airpliml's, for tuhiek the ;nvel'led $/I;n reJllioti(,n has been TlmO;iJ'64.
1:1;0
(T he ;nsiru
T'able If of Technica! Order 11M''1 should be m,~difred to ,&aa tu fOUOD/J: Se(! TechIliartl Order N», !l3-40 Qnd TuJ"pIic(l.i Orde.r No. 8-43. This ledhnical order superjSdl!~
sea level is about 15 pounds per square inch and will support a column 01 mercury about 3D inches in height. Estimated roughly atmospheric pre!<~ sure drops off at about 1 lD,ch of mercury [or each thousand feet, So at 10,000 feet, atmospheric pressure is only about 20 Inches of lrll'~.r:-cllry or about l(} pounds per square inch. To overcome this difficulty a ~upercharger- is employed to pump air into the engine, Some limit must be fixed to th amount of pressure that can saf eJy be imposed by the supercharger, or damage to the engi,n will result, Because of this, and in order that the pilot may be kept informed of what is taking place, the manifold pres u re gage is installed. Army and Navy manifold pressure gages are graduated to indicate the absolute pressure in inches of rnercury. For many years the normal range of these instruments was 10 to SO inches of mercury. The AN standard instrument now has a range of 10 to 75 web of mercmy. This higher range is made necessary by the use of more powerful superchargers with high performance engines.
What's wrong with this picture? Answer to Panel Board Teaser OlL p. 19: Gas is off on Take-off.
41
10",'
J,oot-,-l
til(
ur
D
' .....-_l _
c
P.,. ..
vi...,
bt~
~j"'i
J:........._~
plum riveted to "ABC" and "ACB"
~.:
c.
nating breakage of tacking threads. The use of one strand of %-inth elastic exercising cord through "C," exerts sufficient tension on the canopy and corp age to expedite packing.
Material-Ys·inch stainll!s$ stedthre pieces 1 ., inches wide. Section, D is a spacer 14 % inches long-Hard seldered=-wetded or
Section "0" to be bent to a ;i4-inch circle, Filljsh-All edges to be rounded offentire tool to be buffed and polished.
as shown. "ABC" and "ACE" 10%, incheslangsection, "A" to be bent Dv"r a rB-i!)ch radius to 75' angle as shown in side view,