[1960s USAF & NASA TESTS FOOTAGE REEL]

Year Published: 1960s

Creator: United States Air Force

Color: Color

Description: This reel of silent footage focuses on a variety of test programs run out of Eglin, Kirtland, Holloman, Vandenberg and Edwards Air Force Bases in the 1960s. This includes cold weather simulations for aircraft, Project Gemini, simulated weightlessness through parabolic flight, gunships, and the Fulton Surface-to-Air Recovery System (STARS). 00:00: Out of control T-33 Shooting Stars crash and explode after being used as a target for an anti-aircraft missile. 00:44: a helicopter is destroyed by ground fire and crashes into the ground, probably as a result of being used as a target. 00:50: a jet fighter aircraft crashes and explodes on the runway 01:15: Snoopy intertitle showing EGUN, or Eglin Air Force Base in the western Florida panhandle 02:08: Footage of early flight including images of the Wright Flyer taking off, WWI aircraft in dogfights, and more. 2:26: A wrecked WWI biplane 2:59: Images of the USAF McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base. A cargo aircraft is shown retracting its landing gear inside the building. 3:31: A Huey helicopter inside the Climatic Lab. 3:52: An aerial refueling aircraft is shown dumping vapor out of its boom in flight, probably to simulate rain or cold weather conditions for test aircraft 4:11: T-38 Talon aircraft in flight 4:53: Sea King helicopter subjected to climatic tests in flght. 5:08: Sea King helicopter shown with foam insulation covering over fuselage 5:20: F-111 Aardvark aircraft shown in cold climate conditions 5:27: red hydraulic fluid (?) is seen on the tarmac next to the plane. 5:41: T-38 makes landing on wet tarmac, followed by shots of a C-141 Starlifter cargo aircraft in snowy conditions and an all weather F-4 Phantom making a takeoff. 6:44: Huey helicopter takeoff in test cold conditions, carrying a Jeep in a sling 7:40: Tests of F-111 Aardvark in equatorial conditions in what appears to be Panama 7:58: A-6 Intruder panels removed to show water penetration 9:00: F-4 Phantoms in tests in what appears to be Panama 10:02: Sikorsky S-61R helicopter aka HH-3E Jolly Green Giant in desert environment tests 11:08: famous images of the "Flight Without a Fin" B-52 aircraft. This incident involved a B-52H bomber that lost approximately 83% of its vertical fin and rudder during a test flight due to extreme turbulence. Despite the severe damage, the crew managed to maintain some control and successfully landed the aircraft. 13:51: DC-3 or C-47 cargo aircraft outfitted as a flying gunship. 13:57: ammunition and weapons stowed aboard the flying gunship. 14:44: interior views of the gunship 15:30: shots of strafing runs on forest or jungle targets 15:53: Cessna Skymaster with push/pull configuration, with added anti-personnel sniper rifle type weapon in cockpit. Various shots of test flight and targeting. 18:37: footage of Project Gemini, crew entering a capsule, Ed White's spacewalk, etc. 20:40: views of astronauts being trained for zero gravity aboard a "vomit comet" type aircraft. Includes tests with a bicycle and at 21:23 a mock-up of a lunar rover. 22:13: astronaut performs tests with a simulated payload, which appears to be a crude mock-up of a Lunar Module aka LM. 22:43: Possible footage of a spacesuit readiness test, with astronaut performing a simulated task, assembling a structure. 23:43: additional views of simulated zero gravity aboard a test aircraft flying parabolas 25:35: large scale fire seen on an airport tarmac 26:41: Images of the USAF McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base repeat. 28:08: C-130 Hercules aircraft in flight with Fulton Surface-to-Air Recovery System (STARS), nicknamed "Skyhook", attached. STARS is a method developed for retrieving personnel and cargo from inaccessible areas without requiring a landing. It involves using a helium balloon to raise a line, which is then snagged by a specially equipped aircraft, allowing the payload to be winched on board. 28:50: test drop with parachute of a large cargo capsule. It is retrieved by men wearing red plastic suits. 29:19: men seen inflating large red balloons, possibly as part of a retrieval test. 29:57: men rescued by being yanked skyward by STARS aircraft and hauled aboard by flight crew aboard aircraft. 31:33: additional Gemini footage with Edward White and Jim McDivitt 35:57: air to air refueling of SH-3 Sea King helicopter 37:23: SH-3 Sea King helicopter retrieves Gemini space capsule and astronaut

Complete Record: This reel of silent footage focuses on a variety of test programs run out of Eglin, Kirtland, Holloman, Vandenberg and Edwards Air Force Bases in the 1960s. This includes cold weather simulations for aircraft, Project Gemini, simulated weightlessness through parabolic flight, gunships, and the Fulton Surface-to-Air Recovery System (STARS). 00:00: Out of control T-33 Shooting Stars crash and explode after being used as a target for an anti-aircraft missile. 00:44: a helicopter is destroyed by ground fire and crashes into the ground, probably as a result of being used as a target. 00:50: a jet fighter aircraft crashes and explodes on the runway 01:15: Snoopy intertitle showing EGUN, or Eglin Air Force Base in the western Florida panhandle 02:08: Footage of early flight including images of the Wright Flyer taking off, WWI aircraft in dogfights, and more. 2:26: A wrecked WWI biplane 2:59: Images of the USAF McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base. A cargo aircraft is shown retracting its landing gear inside the building. 3:31: A Huey helicopter inside the Climatic Lab. 3:52: An aerial refueling aircraft is shown dumping vapor out of its boom in flight, probably to simulate rain or cold weather conditions for test aircraft 4:11: T-38 Talon aircraft in flight 4:53: Sea King helicopter subjected to climatic tests in flght. 5:08: Sea King helicopter shown with foam insulation covering over fuselage 5:20: F-111 Aardvark aircraft shown in cold climate conditions 5:27: red hydraulic fluid (?) is seen on the tarmac next to the plane. 5:41: T-38 makes landing on wet tarmac, followed by shots of a C-141 Starlifter cargo aircraft in snowy conditions and an all weather F-4 Phantom making a takeoff. 6:44: Huey helicopter takeoff in test cold conditions, carrying a Jeep in a sling 7:40: Tests of F-111 Aardvark in equatorial conditions in what appears to be Panama 7:58: A-6 Intruder panels removed to show water penetration 9:00: F-4 Phantoms in tests in what appears to be Panama 10:02: Sikorsky S-61R helicopter aka HH-3E Jolly Green Giant in desert environment tests 11:08: famous images of the "Flight Without a Fin" B-52 aircraft. This incident involved a B-52H bomber that lost approximately 83% of its vertical fin and rudder during a test flight due to extreme turbulence. Despite the severe damage, the crew managed to maintain some control and successfully landed the aircraft. 13:51: DC-3 or C-47 cargo aircraft outfitted as a flying gunship. 13:57: ammunition and weapons stowed aboard the flying gunship. 14:44: interior views of the gunship 15:30: shots of strafing runs on forest or jungle targets 15:53: Cessna Skymaster with push/pull configuration, with added anti-personnel sniper rifle type weapon in cockpit. Various shots of test flight and targeting. 18:37: footage of Project Gemini, crew entering a capsule, Ed White's spacewalk, etc. 20:40: views of astronauts being trained for zero gravity aboard a "vomit comet" type aircraft. Includes tests with a bicycle and at 21:23 a mock-up of a lunar rover. 22:13: astronaut performs tests with a simulated payload, which appears to be a crude mock-up of a Lunar Module aka LM. 22:43: Possible footage of a spacesuit readiness test, with astronaut performing a simulated task, assembling a structure. 23:43: additional views of simulated zero gravity aboard a test aircraft flying parabolas 25:35: large scale fire seen on an airport tarmac 26:41: Images of the USAF McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base repeat. 28:08: C-130 Hercules aircraft in flight with Fulton Surface-to-Air Recovery System (STARS), nicknamed "Skyhook", attached. STARS is a method developed for retrieving personnel and cargo from inaccessible areas without requiring a landing. It involves using a helium balloon to raise a line, which is then snagged by a specially equipped aircraft, allowing the payload to be winched on board. 28:50: test drop with parachute of a large cargo capsule. It is retrieved by men wearing red plastic suits. 29:19: men seen inflating large red balloons, possibly as part of a retrieval test. 29:57: men rescued by being yanked skyward by STARS aircraft and hauled aboard by flight crew aboard aircraft. 31:33: additional Gemini footage with Edward White and Jim McDivitt 35:57: air to air refueling of SH-3 Sea King helicopter 37:23: SH-3 Sea King helicopter retrieves Gemini space capsule and astronaut