B-58

Darrell

Flew the F-89D, H and J at Hamilton (plus the F2H3 with Navy) '53 to
'60.

I was the guy who developed and got approved by ADC to use the head on
attack.Scared a lot of people when I proposed it and laid out the
safety parameters involved. We would sit at 20K and GCI would vector
us to the target track and we would turn down track with no off set
from head on. The RO would lock on and at 20 seconds to go (indicated
on pilots Radar scope up front) We would just pull up and center the
dot (target) in ring and computer launched missile at correct time.

The guy your RO saw on his scope had probably fired one of his two
missles (we launched way out) and was being vectored to another
target.

Probably the same exercise, SAC sent an observer to Squadrons to
watch. He was a B-47 driver and said he never saw any of us when he
flew over San Fran.We were under his nose )

I flew first mission (got a kill) and came down and ran the NADAR
(tape cartridge that recorded our radar).

SAC observer asked how we were killing all the SAC birds and we gave
him our tactics. Shortly thereafter SAC went from high and fast to as
low as possible.

On your defensive Radar. It was optimized for the Russian Radar and
didn't do a good job on our radar (both GCI and Interceptor). Can't
remember any time my RO couldn't burn through and get a lock and we
got a kill.

The Genie and head on attack, saved the Scorpion as it was about as
fast as my daughter could peddle her scoter ) I got kills on all the
SAC birds and also U-2's (way up there but not very fast).

If you get around Houston I'll buy you a cool one and we can talk the
fine points of this Interceptor operation

Would have enjoyed flying the '58 but sometimes some have to do the
dirty work )

All the best

Big John
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On Fri, 7 Jul 2006 10:15:49 -0700, "Darrell S"
wrote:

Aha! The good old Scorpion. We were part of a huge simulated invasion of
the West Coast of the U.S. one night. B-47s, B-52s, and B-58s went up into
Canada, then West to the Pacific Ocean, about 500 miles off shore. Then we
all headed inbound. Only ADC "Trusted Agents" were aware we were really
"friendlies" and just testing ADC capability to detect and intercept. We
were at sub-sonic optimum altitude and about 50 miles from our planned point
to accelerate to mach 2 and climb to 50,000' when my DSO (Defensive Systems
Officer) detected a fighter interceptor's radar pinging from our forward
left position. We had enough fuel to start mach 2 early so I quickly
started to accelerate and climb. The fighter wasn't ready for our more than
doubled speed and fell well behind us. We coasted inland just south of San
Francisco and turned south down the San Joaquin (sp) valley to Yuma, AZ
where we came out of supersonic speeds and altitudes. Never saw hide nor
hair of any fighters.