NASA to Use Converted Bombers to Chase Totality

.universetoday.com ^

[BenLurkin]

I’m thinking that time for Snake River might have a typo.

[chaosagent]

Not on the ones I worked on.

RB-57B and EB-57B’s in 1971 at Otis AFB, MA.

[ETL]

Lol! I think you’re right.

[yarddog]

Thanks.

I just did a search and found out that it was called a shotgun starter tho it actually used a blank cartridge. It created a large black cloud when used.

They must have changed to another system by the time you worked on them.

[Ozark Tom]

The Jun 30, 1973 total eclipse was chased by a Concorde prototype specially outfitted for the observation event.

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/8q8qwk/the-concorde-and-the-longest-solar-eclipse

[chaosagent]

I did see an F-4B started that way when we didn’t have a start cart available right at that time at MCAS, Beaufort, SC. Took about 3 cartridges to get it going.

But never saw one used on a 57. Always had a start cart or an APU available when we needed one.

[MarkL]

I’m looking forward to this... I’m about a 30 minute drive south-east of the totality, in a suburb of KC, Overland Park, KS.

Mark

[TXnMA]

"The original B57 had a wingspan (tip to tip) of 66 feet. The ‘F’ variant has almost double that span at 122 feet."

...and great, big turbofan engines...

IIUC, the actual operational altitude of some variants is still classified...

[TXnMA]

The NASA WB57F brochure lists the max altitude as,

"Well in excess of 60,000 feet..."

'-)