MOTHERSHIPS - An overview of amazing launch aircraft from 1933 to today.
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2023
- From the famous X-Planes of the 1950s to Flight Test today, none of those aircraft or spacecraft could fly without being launched by Motherships. Many new photos tell this exciting story!
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The Germans airdropped V1 flying bombs from He111 bombers. Several V1 made it to Manchester having been launched over the North Sea during Christmas 1944. To this day I can point out the gap in the row of houses where one of the V1 landed near my childhood home.
I really enjoyed this article. I am 77 years old and grew up with a lot of these adventures going on in my lifetime. But your article helped fill in information that I lacked. Aviation has been a part of my family for many generations. My grandfather, James E Mooney, was a personal friend and worked with admiral, Richard E bird in the Antarctic projects. My father was a P-47 pilot in World War II. And I have had almost 40 years of commercial aviation experience myself. It has been an adventure, being a part of the whole aviation experience.
Awesome!
Wonderful story, thanks!
The photos and the art work is awesome as always. Great work.
Appreciate the comment, thanks John!
Great episode! Really enjoyed it!👍👍
Many thanks!
Marvelous presentation Mike - great stuff as always.
Many thanks!
An excellent presentation, Mike ! You have once again raised the bar.
Many thanks!
Mike, I’m not sure if you or Max’s Models suggested the show, but I’m watching “Steve Canyon”. What a great show! One episode “Project Mushroom”, featured just about every great plane, both prop-driven and jet, that you’ve discussed. Excellent Air Force drama.
I remember that episode - all those great airplanes taxiing by the camera!
My favorite Steve Canyon episode. Has just about every USAF aircraft of 1958 in it.
Now I'm definitely eager to see video about fatherships.
Thanks for the shout-out, Mike. Your Motherships episode was excellent, as always.
When NASA acquired the 747 from Japan Airlines that would become the second shuttle carrier, NASA-911, it spent time first at Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso, prior to going to Seattle for modification. While in El Paso, a friend who was the owner of West Texas Airport, got the contract to remove the interior. He had several hangars full of airline seats from that aircraft. In my "starving flight instructor" days I bought one of the doubles for $40 and had it in my den as my most prized piece of aviation memorabilia. When I married a couple of years later it went away. Seems my wife was not captivated by aviation history.
Thank you for introducing us to the amazing LeDucs. I've never heard of them before today, which is my loss. Any of those 1950s test pilots must not only have had nerves of steel, but also the physical flexibilty of circus contortionists and the endurance of arctic explorers..
Agreed!
Wait.. what?
LOL
That was unexpected, and the first thing of the top of my head... they all have jet engines???
Great episode!! Yeah, 6:31... that photo of the Skyrocket and B-29... so cool and iconic.
AND, I will say it often as I can: Celebrating Aviation with Mike Machat is MASSIVELY under subscribed. It should have 1 million by now!!! I am not exaggerating. (I wont point fingers, but it is WAY WAY better than some other million plus channels that rely on click bait and hype(lies)
Everyone who watches this, if you have a few spare minutes, spread the word, or at the very least, subscribe if you are not. Mike actualy does deserve it for the quality of his videos. Top notch!!
* I am an Aussie who lives in Japan. Never met Mike, knew nothing of him before this CZcams channel.
Really appreciate the great comment, thanks!
That was a very interesting episode Mike! Thanks for the heads up on the Steve Canyon show being available on CZcams. I've really enjoyed watching them.
Outstanding video. I wondered how that French ram jet got off the ground. Lots of great and new to me photos. You really hit it out of the park on this video, thanks!
Many thanks!
👋🤠Greetings from Missouri!
🙂 @12:44 I have a 3" x 5" card (B&W) with that exact image . CONVAIR GRB-36D FICON OPERATION
USAF Bomber as Carrier for Republic RF-84F
Fighter developed jointly by CONVAIR,
a Division of General Dynamics Corp,;
and Republic Aviation Corp.
Printed in U.S.A. 49
Thanks again, Mr. Machat ! 109👍 ✌
I love how you got “Toward the Unknown” in there 😀
Good catch!
Thanks to you and Alan Branch for this wonderful video.
Like I've said before. I come here to walk down memory lane.
Growing up in the Above Top Secret Government project's was one of the greatest moments of my life.
I can remember back to the 70's and wanting to move out to the California desert and be apart of the history.
To this day, not to many people know the planes or the people involved in the history of Edwards.
They see the technology of today. But have no understanding what it took of yesterday to bring to fruition of what we have today.
The test pilot as we know it has died. All we have left are the memories of those who were there.
I was missing the Japanese and Soviet approach in this. But also I didn’t expect 100% coverage…..
Keep up the good work!
WOW! Now I know the history of B-52H 60-036 nose art, "Tagboard Flyer" so cool. I was the lead technician on A0036 when we removed the old instrumentation system and installed the new instrumentation system. This was in Aug of 2020 to July 2021 in hangar 1600. The nose art is still looking good to this day.
Good to know and thanks for the comment! That was a wonderful project and I was impressed that an Edwards crew wanted to recognize the great history of their aircraft. Very cool to be working in that historic hangar!
One of your best videos Mike. Incredible photos and history.
Many thanks!
This video is right up there - one of your best. I like where you include the model box illustrations. Great stuff!
Many thanks!
This is a stellar episode Mike. Loved every second of it. Always learn a lot too.
Thanks Glenn. Always enjoy your comments.
What a great watch, nothing like aviation history. Mike, you got me thinking, how about a vid on "Nose Art" WWII and Cold War for example. This episode should have come out on Mother's Day. lol Thanks again for your time and work.
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
The X-1 pit was still there when I flew out of EDW in the 1990s. My regular parking spot was about 100 feet from it!
Great episode!
That X-1 pit was declared a California Historic landmark and is still at South Base today. Thanks for watching!
Mistels 02:40 were reportedly used against the Rhine bridge at Nijmegen
(may be incorrectly spelled as Nymwegen, and the Dutch call the river Waal , but it really is the Rhine)
Great one, Mike. Thanks!
Another awesome video, thanks Mike!
Spread the word about this channel, Mike has earned it!
Great video Mike
Thanks Sarah-Jane!
Another really interesting presentation, many thanks Mike. As a suggestion, for a future episode, I think a history and precis of the various aircraft used for Antarctic exploration and science support in the McMurdo Sound and Ross sea areas would be great. My dad spent many seasons on the ice and I got to see photos of P2V Neptunes, Douglas Globemasters, Connies, Hercs, C141 A & B, Sikorsky S55s and S58s, many orange Navy Bell 212 Hueys in the Dry Valleys, Douglas R4Ds, R4D-8 and lately Boeing C17 Globemasters. And there are many more - e.g. Admiral Bird’s Ford Tri-motor, Fokker, Condor etc etc. What do other folk think?
Thanks Mike for covering a really unique subject. Perhaps a follow up video on engine testbeds is in order?
Another great video Mike! Always happy when I see a new video from your channel. I just have to nitpick a bit about the brief segment on the Mistel. From my reading and research, Mistels were used operationally on several occasions by the Luftwaffe, actually mostly on the Western Front, and initially against the Allied invasion fleet at Normandy. They were also used to target bridges here and there in the West, and also used against a Russian bridgehead on the Eastern Front. All attacks with the Mistel, though, met with little success. I'm not sure of a number, but some Mistel combinations were shot down by Allied fighter pilots on the way to their targets as well.
Great photos as usual.
Loved this as always Mike. As a child of the sixties - it's scary to think how far we have come. I was glad to see you included the Mayo/Maia Shorts composite as my late father remembered seeing that take off as a teenager. It made quite an impression on him.
Neat story!
Great stuff. When i first got to Edwards, the X-1 pit was full of sand and trash, was happy to see rails around it and a monument placed. I believe a car had fallen into it in the early 90's
Also saw the elevators in the parking lot. And got to witness some historic flights while i worked there for 30+ years. Alway great to watch your vids. You need to do on on edwards then and now showing some of the historic places and buildings there at north ,main,and south base.
Neat idea and thanks for watching! Will be posting a video on painting the Edwards Museum mural Monday the 31st.
its a ashame you didnt include the Tupolev TB3 which also carried fighters
Agree, they were even used operationally in WW2, i believe
very interesting video . I had known about most of these machines but had no idea about the French launches .Always good to see something new.
Thanks for sharing 👍
During the lifting body section, you didn't go into the crash that would later go on to become part of the popular tv show Six Million dollar man.
Love the episode as always Mr Machat! So much to learn. Had no idea the SR-71 had been a mothership! 😳 Wow! Really enjoy everything you post. The examples of your work are exquisite! I wish I owned one 😊. As always God bless you and your family. Thanks for everything you do! Take care always Sir!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Betty Vetter, painted us a painting with the B-2 flying through the American flag. The Pilot and Co-Pilot who flew the B-2 from Plant 42 to Edwards signed the painting.
Last I've heard, my biological father is donating this painting to the Smithsonian.
I still have my letter that was flown in the bomb bay of the B-2 during it's maiden flight to Edwards.
I thought this was awesome! I still remember watching the shuttle flight tests with my Dad in 1977 at the Sears department store in Hicksville, Long Island while mom was shopping. We were in the home electronics department. I also read the book by Milt Thompson in the X15. Loved that plane and was thrilled to see it when I visited the National Air and Space Museum with my wife back in the early 90s.
Great story, thanks, and I watched TVs in the stores in Rockville Centre while growing-up on Long Island.
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Awesome. So cool. Thanks for sharing!
Another great one Mike....I see a great many "family" aircraft videos in the future.
Many thanks!
Forgot to mention the B-36 mothership carrying a B-58 from Carswell to Edwards.
great vid
The pictures of those french planes were really interesting ! (Leduc).
(And the British and German planes).
-Something that I haven't really seen before.
(Well...almost never. -There is a lot of info on all things American, but not so much on -really interesting- planes & projects from other nations).
Thanks for a really interesting episode !
Cheers from Iceland🌋
-K. 🌱
Thanks for your comment!
Great video as always. Very historical
Thanks for watching!
16:16 WOW, what a beautiful airframe and paint scheme! Are there any models of this B-52/X-15 combo? I must build this!
Yes - Atlantis Models has re-released that Revell kit today, and Monogram produced a beautiful 1/72-scale B-52/X-15 combo back in the 1980s that is sure to be found on eBay. Thanks for watching!
Orbital Sciences initially selected a mothership L-1011, which was delivered new to Air Canada and parked in Marana, Arizona at the time, due to Air Canada's reputation for good maintenance, the aircraft’s high gross weight of 474,00 lb due to a modification by Lockheed, Palmdale in 1985, low number of cycles in spite of 47,000 flight hours and time remaining before expensive C and D maintenance checks.
Marshall Aerospace of Cambridge, UK made the initial conversation in 1992/1993 as the mothership for the Orbital Science's Pegasus air-launched launch vehicle.
The initial conversion was to carry the 42,000 lb Pegasus up to an 85,000 lb growth vehicle.
Marshal had previously converted L-1011s to tankers for the RAF.
Marshall also converted the L-1011 to a low-time maintenance program based on 150 to 200 flight hours a year.
To counter the increased drag of Pegasus the thrust of the original engines was increased by10% at over 30,000 ft by Marshall obtaining Rolls Royce approval to operate above normal rated thrust by agreeing to more frequent engine inspections.
John Chevedden
Request: do a video on drawing battle damage and smoke
Thanks for the idea, and that info can be found in my videos on the Aviation Art playlist.
Mike, a great look at mother ships, with the X-1 and B-29, interesting removing the gear doors, Did they do anything else but removing the bomb bay doors?
Yes, depending on which X-Plane (or Skyrocket), the aft fuselages had to be modified to clear the tails, plus installation all the launch and fueling apparatus. Thanks for watching!
Marvelous presentation. Loved the reference to “Toward the Unknown “.
Thanks Mike
Glad you liked it!
I believe Col Joe Cotton flew B-52 mother ship also.
Yes, his name is on that list of B-52 mothership pilots.
Err, didn't the He.111H-22 carry a V-1 operationslly during WW2?
Have you thought about doing a video about the nose art of test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base?
Good suggestion, but there really wasn't that much of it. Mainly on the larger airplanes like transports and bombers. Thanks for watching!
There was also the wingtip concept with a B- 29 and F-84 Thundrerjet. Great informative video.
Many thanks!
Greetings from near London! Are u sure about those 'new' '52s at Edwards? I read that one was delivered, but there was no work for it, and it was given back to the AF.
Yes, there was a B-52H delivered to NASA and returned, but there are still two USAF B-52H flight test motherships at Edwards. Saw them on the flightline when I was on base this past Tuesday. Thanks for watching!
@celebratingaviationwithmik9782
Wow! Thanks for the info, Mike. Please tell me that they're white! (I either saw a picture of a white NASA '52, or my brain made it up! Either way, it looked great!
They forgot about EXTRATERRESTRIAL ONES 😊 SATURN V took LM to the Moon :) it is July 20 as I add this here BTW. :)
G3M Betty and Okha?
Howard Hughes hated the name The Spruce Goose.
Yes, that is correct - especially since the airplane was built out of Birch wood.
I don't think 610036 is the same aircraft. "Balls 36" would have a 60, not a 61 registration. 610036 would be 1036. I've turned wrenches on almost all the B-52H models still in existence from 1989-1993 when I served in the USAF as a Crew Chief at Minot AFB, ND before going on to the B-2A at Whiteman AFB, MO.
Excellent comment and thanks for the information. I enlarged the photo to see data block below the cockpit windows and yes, you are correct - that aircraft is indeed 60-0036. Appreciate the info!
Lend me your brush.
2 stage aircraft is a good idea 😂 it works for rockets right