Subject: REVIEW of TEX JOHNSTON

From: [email-masked] (Robert Dorsett)
Date: 08 Dec 92 15:50:54 PST

Tex Johnston, Jet-Age Test Pilot

By A. M. Johnston, with Charles Barton.
Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991.
274 pp., illustrated.
ISBN 1-56098-013-3, hardbound.

Contents:
    
    Forward by William Randolph Hearst, Jr.
    
    First Flights
    Barnstorming
    Instructing and Ferrying
    Test Pilot Beginnings
    The First U.S. Jet
    Swept Wings and Rocket Power
    Cobra I and II: The Thompson Trophy
    Remote Control and Swept-wing Tests
    The X-1
    Bell Helicopters
    The Move to Boeing
    The XB-47
    The B-52 Program
    Problems and Prospects
    KC-135 Jet Tanker and the Dash 80 Jet Transport
    Public Relations, Hot Brakes and Flutter, and the 707 Barrel Roll
    707 Certification and Pan Am Route Survey
    The Russian Tu-104 and the 707 European Round-Robin
    Transition Problems and Sales Trips
    Air India
    Accidents and Consequences
    Dyna Soar and Apollo
    
    Index
    
Tex Johnston has gone down in history as "the guy who rolled the 707 
prototype," but his career was much more extensive, fascinating one,
ranging  from flying a home-built glider as a teenager in the 1930's, 
to barnstorming, to serving as  Boeing's most famous test pilot.  This
book provides an outline of that  career, outlining his major
life-events, and offering a collection of  anecdotes on specific,
important, problems and issues, many of which continue to befuddle
net.dwellers.  :-)  These include, among other things, discussions of
his ferry work during World War II; his work on the P-39; work on the
XB-59;  the first American jet aircraft; the X-1, the first American
supersonic  fighter; the XB-47, the first American jet bomber; the
YB-52 (with tandem  seating!); the 367-80, the 707 prototype; and the
707 itself.  
    
Johnston's best compared to Chuck Yeager, in terms of the legend that
has  built up around his accomplishments in the industry.  His
autobiography,  however, is written for pilots, not the masses: just
the facts.  For example:  his discussion of the first instance of
in-flight spoilers on large aircraft:

    "The XB-47 contained many new, state-of-the-art configuration and
    structural design concepts.  One of significance was the flexible-
    stress wing design, which provided a strong, flexible structure,
    allowing the wing to flex during gust and maneuvering loads, thus
    relieving high-stress areas and providing a smoother ride.
    
    "During a low-level flight demonstration at Wichita for observing 
    dignitaries, I increased the air speed to approximately 435 mph and 
    applied right aileron and up elevator for a right climbing turn.  The
    airplane rolled left.  I snapped the throttles closed and the lateral
    control to neutral, simultaneously increasing the climb angle.  As
    the speed decreased to 425, the lateral control became normal. 
    Analysis of the problem determined that at the high air loads at
    speeds above 425 mph, when the ailerons were deflected, the flexible
    wing began to twist, changing the angle of attack of the outboard
    wing sections, resulting in control reversal.  This twist was called
    wing windup.  'It sure gets your attention,' I said.
    
    "That event led to the development of lateral control spoilers to
    eliminate the wing-twist problem on all Boeing airplanes.  A lateral
    control spoiler is a rectangular door, hinged on its forward edge,
    which fits flush with the upper surface of the wing.  During a turn
    in flight the doors are raised on the wing at the inside of the turn,
    decreasing the lieft of that wing so that the airplane rolls in that
    direction.  When the spoilers are raised on both wings
    simultaneously, they serve as air  brakes while retaining their
    lateral control function, and extremely valuable control for
    dissipating excessive airspeed."

His analysis and discussion of early 707 crashes has particular
relevance for  the recent "safety" discussions: a snapshot into the
industry's early learning curve, which we seem destined to repeat.

The book is somewhat stiltish, and certainly doesn't share _Yeager_'s
14-point type and hick dialect.  It doesn't provide  a very good sense 
of historical continuity (certain major events never have  a date attached 
to them, and there's sometimes little "filler" between major  events, some 
of which were separated by years).  It reads like it may have been a more 
lengthy text, edited down, perhaps excessively, by non-technical editors.
There is a tad too much "pilot's ego" about certain events, but this is 
certainly forgivable, and a part of the character.

But it remains highly readable, fascinating fare for those interested
in the advent of jet aircraft in the 1940's and 1950's.  About a third
involves the barnstorming/WWII days, a third on the B-47 and B-52, and
the rest on the 707.

--
Robert Dorsett
Internet: [email-masked]
UUCP: ...cs.utexas.edu!rascal.ics.utexas.edu!rdd

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From: Pete Mellor <[email-masked]>
Date: 08 Dec 92 15:51:19 PST

BBC Radio 4 news, 0700 GMT today:- 

Northwest Airlines has cancelled orders for 50 A320s and 14 A340s in 
a cost-cutting exercise. This was described as a serious blow to the 
European aircraft industry. 

Peter Mellor, Centre for Software Reliability, City University, Northampton 
Sq., London EC1V 0HB, Tel: +44(0)71-477-8422, JANET: [email-masked] 
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From: [email-masked] (Ken Hoyme)
Date: 08 Dec 92 15:51:20 PST

> European aircraft industry. 

According to this mornings Minneapolis Star-Tribune (the home paper of
NWA), that was 24 A340's canceled - 74 plane cancellations worth $3.4B.
According to what I can find, they had 24 firm and 6 options for the
A340.  The 50 canceled A320s were the options, I believe.  (Their
original order was 50 firm and 50 options, if I recall correctly.)

Their 16 A330s were not affected, but they aren't scheduled to receive
any of those until 1997, so they felt no need to address that plane in
this agreement.  An additional 16 A320s will be delivered in 1993 (they
currently have 34) along with two more B747-400s.  With these
cancellations and the delay of additional 747 and 757 deliveries, NWA
currently is not scheduled to receive any new planes in 1994.  (It is
interesting to note that no Boeing planes were cancelled, but were
slipped out instead.)

Along with the cancellations, NWA announced $250M in new financing --
including financing from Airbus for the additional A320s!  The analysts
considered it quite remarkable that Airbus offered financing while at
the same time getting a $3.4B cancellation.  (But then, NWA is already
deeply in debt to Airbus, since they decided to buy A320s based on a
dynamite financing package that Boeing could not match.)  This, combined
with $900M worth of labor concessions (over three years) makes it
unlikely that NWA will declare Chapter 11 in 1993.

One local note of interest.  The big buzz in Minnesota is whether this
dooms the Airbus maintenance bases planned for the northern part of the
state.  About 18 months ago, NWA drove a deal with the state for an
operating loan plus financing for the building of two maintenance bases
- one for engines, the other for the larger structural checks (C/D).
The construction of the bases has been held up in legal wrangling (over
whether it is constitutional to use taxpayer money for such a purpose).
With these cancellations, it is suspected that the bases will not be
built, and NWA will fly their planes to Europe for C/D checks.  Of
course, they already have received and spent the operating loan....

Ken

Ken Hoyme                    Honeywell Systems and Research Center
(612)951-7354                3660 Technology Dr., Minneapolis, MN 55418
Internet: [email-masked]

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From: Pete Mellor <[email-masked]>
Date: 08 Dec 92 15:51:21 PST

> NWA), that was 24 A340's canceled - 74 plane cancellations worth $3.4B.

You're right, Ken. (I'm not too wide awake at 7 am!) 

Pete
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From: Robert Dorsett <[email-masked]>
Date: 09 Dec 92 18:45:32 PST

>this agreement.  

The 1997 figure was apparently arrived at in September, when they deferred
the A330 deliveries (originally scheduled between 1994 and 1996) to 1997 
to 1999.

>course, they already have received and spent the operating loan....

It'll be interesting to see what ramifications this has on the UAL deal:
did United plan on using Airbus/NWA North American facilities?

R.

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From: [email-masked] (Christopher Davis)
Date: 09 Dec 92 18:45:37 PST

RD> == Robert Dorsett <[email-masked]>

 RD> Tex Johnston, Jet-Age Test Pilot

 RD> By A. M. Johnston, with Charles Barton.
 RD> Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991.
 RD> 274 pp., illustrated.
 RD> ISBN 1-56098-013-3, hardbound.

The (excellent) Bantam Air & Space series has this available in
softcover for a lot less money (and a lot more portability).  They also
have some other good books for airliner fans, including Gann's _Band of
Brothers_ and a treatment of the DC-3.
--
Christopher K. Davis      | ``Usenet seems to run much like the Kif (or,
<[email-masked]>   EFF #14   |   for the TV generation, Klingon) high command.
System Administrator, EFF |   Whoever takes action and can be heard wins.''
+1 617 864 0665  [CKD1]   |   --Peter da Silva <[email-masked]>

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From: [email-masked] (Kevin Driscoll)
Date: 09 Dec 92 18:45:37 PST

> did United plan on using Airbus/NWA North American facilities?

A local (Minneapolis) TV story said that NWA is considering other
airlines' use of the facilities in deciding when/if to build.

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From: [email-masked] (Karl Swartz)
Date: 10 Dec 92 00:52:16 PST

>did United plan on using Airbus/NWA North American facilities?

I've never seen any mention of United's plans with regard to
maintenance of their A320 fleet.  However, all of them were to be
leased (from GPA and Kawasaki, amongst others) and half of the 50
firm orders came with three-year, walkaway leases.  This would not
lead one to expect a tremendous investment in maintenance.

Perhaps someone from Indiana might be able to shed more light on
this -- I believe United's upcoming Indianapolis maintenance base
was intended to take over the 737s from San Francisco, and thus it
would be the obvious candidate for A320 maintenance if done in-house.

-- 
Karl Swartz	|INet	[email-masked]		
1-415/854-3409	|UUCP	uunet!decwrl!ditka!kls
		|Snail	2144 Sand Hill Rd., Menlo Park CA 94025, USA
 Send sci.aeronautics.airliners submissions to [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Ken Hoyme)
Date: 10 Dec 92 02:09:25 PST

In article mumble mumble [email-masked] (Kevin Driscoll) writes:

KH>With these cancellations, it is suspected that the bases will not be
KH>built, and NWA will fly their planes to Europe for C/D checks.  Of
KH>course, they already have received and spent the operating loan....

RD> It'll be interesting to see what ramifications this has on the UAL deal:
RD>> did United plan on using Airbus/NWA North American facilities?

KD> A local (Minneapolis) TV story said that NWA is considering other
KD> airlines' use of the facilities in deciding when/if to build.

I seem to recall that at the time of the United announcement, the
Minneapolis Star-Tribune business section specifically addressed the
issue of whether United would use NWA's proposed Airbus bases in
Minnesota.  I recall a United spokesperson saying that United planned to
do their own maintenance.  

NWA has always held out the possibility of contracting out to other
airlines as the economic justification for the security of the state 
taxpayer's money.  America West is one possibility.  Airlines in Canada
are another.  (Heck - they might even think northern Minnesota is warm!!
:^|)  It was only in the recent announcement that I heard that they also
planned to maintain some of their Boeing planes in these new bases.  I
don't know what this means, since they seem to have adequate facilities
at MSP for their existing equipment.  Maybe that land has more value as
something else (like more gates...).

Ken

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From: [email-masked] (Terrell D. Drinkard)
Date: 16 Dec 92 04:19:49 PST

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Ken Hoyme) writes:
           
        [much deleted material about the NWA/Airbus cancelations]

>....    (But then, NWA is already
>dynamite financing package that Boeing could not match.) 

We here at Boeing also like to think that the Northwest, and the United,
purchase of the A320 were both driven by financial considerations only.
Not true.  The plain facts are that the A320 flies higher, faster, and
farther than the competing Boeing 737-400 while carrying a heavier load and
burning less gas to boot.  That isn't fuel per seat, that is trip fuel.
Northwest's decision, as noted by their VP of Finance a couple of months
ago, was based on superior performance and a higher acquisition cost than
that of the 737.  United came to pretty much the same conclusion.  

None of the above is intended to make little of the financial implications
of each of those deals, just put it in a technical frame of reference.

-- 
Terry
[email-masked]
"Anyone who thinks they can hold the company responsible for what I say has
more lawyers than sense."

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From: [email-masked] (Terrell D. Drinkard)
Date: 16 Dec 92 04:19:50 PST

>did United plan on using Airbus/NWA North American facilities?
It is my understanding from chatting with the maintenance engineers at UAL
on separate occassions that UAL is forming an A320 maintenance group (I
have a resume in, therefore might not be considered an unbiased observer)
which may be based at their new maintenance facility in Indianapolis.

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From: [email-masked] (Peter Loibl)
Date: 17 Dec 92 13:27:31 PST

>which may be based at their new maintenance facility in Indianapolis.

BTW: The Sueddeutsche Zeitung here in Germany (one of the best ones
here) wrote yesterday, that UA is negotiating with Boeing about
delays and cancellations of their orders. No other details given.

Peter Loibl
[email-masked]