JeffroK
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Joined: 1/26/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
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ORIGINAL: AW1Steve
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ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
quote:
ORIGINAL: AW1Steve
The USAF didn't have a decent light/medium bomber for the intruder role and was still using the A-26 (relabeled during the Korean war as the B-26, this creates all kinds of confusion between USAAF/USAF veterans . I usually say the "Marauder" and the "Invader--later counter Invader). The B-57 would keep that role , and as a WRB-57 in a super high altitude version for both the USAF and NASA. I think the NASA version still exists. 
What about the FB-111?
The FB-111 was a bomber version of the F-111. There was only one squadron , the 509th BG , based at Pease AFB. (I spent a LOY of time looking at them as a kid). The F-111 was supposed to be an "all-in-one" plane , but caused no end of problems. The Developmental squadron that went to Vietnam lost 7 planes in very short order. The were with drawn from combat. (I still recall Time magazine having a cartoon with one having the "Stars and Bars" replaced with "The lemon and bars".
The B-66 was an USAF version of the Navy A-3 Sky warrior (a heavy attack CV bomber used mainly in the Nuclear delivery role. I recall some of the last couple stenciled with "Handle with care ,Property of the Smithsonian". Another had "save the whales" stenciled on it , a attribute to the Name the crews called it -"The Whale").
So the USAF really didn't have a good "night intruder" to replace the B-57, and that's why it stayed in service so long.
Sorry, I meant F-111A. It saw quite a bit of service in Vietnam (mostly via Thailand, IIRC)
Not quite the words I remember,
Now, Mr Robert Menzies was walking down the street,
And thinking of our airforce which was mostly obsolete;
"Our Canberra bombers are getting old as hell,
I'd better call up Uncle Sam and see what he can sell."
Chorus:
Oh, the F-one-double one it is a lovely plane,
It flies at twice the speed of sound and scatters bombs like rain,
It's wings go back and forward, it's the latest thing around,
It's a pity that it isn't safe to take it off the ground.
He said to Uncle Sammy, "We want to buy a plane
To save our lovely country from going down the drain;
We want to scare some Asians, so see what you can do."
The answer was, "Bob, buddy, we've got just the thing for you."
Bob said, "We'll take two dozen." The plane they had to make,
And soon they had one ready, its first flight for to take,
It whistled down the runway with a dreadful roaring sound,
And then broke up in little bits and fell back on the ground.
They sent six off to Vietnam, the country to defend,
To wipe out all the Viet Cong and cause the war to end,
But Ho Chi Min said, "Comrades, don't waste our precious shells,
These brand-new planes the Yankees have all fall down by themselves."
Now years have come and years have gone, and we all still depend
On our nice old Canberra bombers our country to defend;
The plane's prices double every time one takes a spill,
And if Sir Robert was still here, we'd make him pay the bill.
And when they are all ready, and we have paid the fee,
Our Generous Uncle Sammy will make delivery,
But I doubt if it will be much good to him or you or I,
At the present rate of accidents we've got a week's supply
_____________________________
Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europae vincendarum
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