The Widowmakers Read online

  Starfighter Losses Among NATO Forces

  Among the NATO forces, different service branches experienced different results. Some operators lost a high percentage of their Starfighters to noncombat-related accidents, and some did not. The Spanish Air Force lost none of their jets to noncombat-related accidents, yet the German air force lost over 30% of their jets over the two decades in which Germany had the jets in active service and the Canadian air force lost a whopping 50% of their jets to noncombat-related accidents. All of the quirky traits of the high performing yet highly demanding fighter jet appeared to come together to create a viciously high noncombat loss rate when compared to other fighter jets in use by NATO forces. German noncombat losses were so unacceptably high that the entire fleet was grounded until German air force officials were satisfied that the problems had been ironed out, or at least reduced to an acceptable level. And Erich Hartmann, an accomplished World War II fighter ace and commander of the first fighter jet squadron flown under German command, stated publicly that the F-104 Starfighter was an unsafe aircraft with poor handling in aerial combat, unfit for German air force use. Hartmann made this statement prior to the F-104's introduction to the German air force, a rather prophetic statement given the eventual track record of this widowmaker.

  Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

  Specifications (F-104G)

  General characteristics

  Crew: 1

  Length: 54 ft 8 in (16.66 m)

  Wingspan: 21 ft 9 in (6.36 m)

  Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.09 m)

  Wing area: 196.1 ft² (18.22 m²)

  Empty weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)

  Loaded weight: 20,640 lb (9,365 kg)

  Max. takeoff weight: 29,027 lb (13,170 kg)

  Powerplant: 1 × General Electric J79-GE-11A afterburning turbojet

  Dry thrust: 10,000 lbf (48 kN)

  Thrust with afterburner: 15,600 lbf (69 kN)

  Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0172

  Drag area: 3.37 sq ft (0.31 m²)

  Aspect ratio: 2.45

  Performance

  Maximum speed: 1,328 mph (1,154 kn, 2,125 km/h)

  Combat radius: 420 mi (365 nmi, 670 km)

  Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)

  Rate of climb: 48,000 ft/min (244 m/s)

  Armament

  Guns: 1 × 20 mm (0.787 in) T171 Vulcan 6-barreled Gatling cannon, 725 rounds

  Hardpoints: 7 with a capacity of 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) and provisions to carry combinations of:

  Missiles: 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinder

  Other: Bombs, rockets, or other munitions

  Martin B26 Marauder

  Martin B-26 Marauder in flight.

  "One a day in Tampa Bay"-- A saying among World War II crews in training camps, referring to the crash rate of the B26 during training flights from nearby McGill airfield in Tampa, Florida

  Introduction

  The Martin B26 Marauder was a twin engine medium bomber produced in large numbers for Allied forces during World War II. The aircraft was challenging to fly during takeoffs and landings partly due to its initial design, and partly due to the fact that pilots of the time were not accustomed to the relatively high speeds that had to be maintained while landing, given the plane's design characteristics. On short final approach, a 150 mile per hour speed had to be maintained, even if one engine was out. Pilots of the time were used to much slower landing speeds, and whenever they would drop below the plane's specified 150 mph landing speed, the aircraft would stall and crash, generally with fatal results for all on board.

  Design and Construction

  The Martin B26 Marauder was a shoulder-winged monoplane design, twin engine bomber, all metal construction, powered by two Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp radial engines, one engine slung under each wing. The center fuselage section held the crew, along with defensive weapons and the bomb payload. The crew compliment consisted of a bombardier who occupied the glassed-in nose section armed with a 30 inch machine gun; a pilot and copilot side by side; a radio operator and navigator seated behind the pilots, and two gunners, one operating a rotating turret gun at the mid top of the fuselage and another in the tail gunner position. Twin bomb bays occupied the center fuselage section, giving the B26 Marauder the ability to carry 5,800 pounds of bombs. (In reality, such a bomb load reduced range by so much that the aft bomb bay was usually outfitted with extra fuel tanks.)

  The B26 was a fast aircraft for its type, with better performance than the comparable Mitchell B25 bomber. But the initial models off the production lines had relatively short wings, which gave the plane its high wing loading and its required speed characteristics on landing.

  The "Widowmaker" Reputation

  Early production B26's earned the nickname "the widowmaker" for the sole reason that the wings were short by design, requiring the relatively high takeoff and landing speeds. The early models of the B26 were not the type of aircraft suited for novice pilots. Unfortunately, the demands of the Second World War saw a significant need for new pilots to be trained quickly, and hence there was a corresponding increase in the noncombatant accident rate.

  The demanding characteristics of the initial B26 Marauders earned the aircraft a number of rather colorful nicknames. In addition to "the widowmaker", the plane was also called the "Martin Murderer"; "Flying Coffin"; "Flying Prostitute" (a word play on the saying it was so fast and had no visible means of support, referring to the small wings); and "Baltimore Whore" (referring to the city where Martin Aviation was based). The exaggerated slogan "one a day in Tampa Bay" originated from a period of time during which 14 B26 Marauders ditched in Tampa Bay during training exercises at nearby McGill airfield in Tampa, Florida.

  The Redesign: Shedding the ‘Widowmaker’ Reputation

  In 1942, a Senate Special Committee was called to investigate possible defense contacting abuses within the National Defense Program. Glenn Martin, the president of Martin Aviation, was called before the committee and asked by then Senator Harry Truman why the B26 had so many problems. Martin replied that the aircraft's wings were too short. Senator Truman then asked why the wings weren't changed. When Martin replied that the plans were too far along and that his company already had the contract, Senator Truman's reply was sharp and to the point: in that case, the contract would be canceled. Martin responded that corrections to the wings would be made. In February of 1943, the modified B-26 B10 model began rolling off the production lines, with an additional 6 feet of wingspan, a larger tail, improved engines, beefed up armor, and larger guns.

  The modifications made the B26 Marauder a far more forgiving and less crash-prone aircraft, and the later models of the B26 are said to have had the lowest loss rate of any U.S. aircraft used throughout the war. The B26 Marauder saw action in the Europe, Mediterranean, and Pacific regions, and by the end of the war, B26 Marauders had flown over 110,000 runs and dropped below 150,000 tons of bombs. When production ended in 1945, a total of 5,266 have been built.

  Martin B26 Marauder

  Specifications (B-26 Model G)

  Crew: 7: (2 pilots, bombardier, navigator/radio operator, 3 gunners)

  Length: 58 ft 3 in (17.8 m)

  Wingspan: 71 ft 0 in (21.65 m)

  Height: 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)

  Wing area: 658 ft2 (61.1 m2)

  Empty weight: 24,000 lb (11,000 kg)

  Loaded weight: 37,000 lb (17,000 kg)

  Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-43 radial engines, 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) each

  Performance

  Maximum speed: 287 mph (250 knots, 460 km/h) at 5,000 feet (1,500 m)

  Cruise speed: 216 mph (188 knots, 358 km/h

  Landing speed: 114 mph (90 knots, 167 km/h))

  Combat radius: 1,150 mi (999 nmi, 1,850 km)

  Ferry range: 2,850 mi (2,480 nmi, 4,590 km)

  Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)

  Wing loading: 46.4 lb/ft² (228 kg/m²)

  Power/mass: 0.10 hp/lb (170 W/kg)

  Armament


  Guns: 12 × .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns

  Bombs: 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg)

  Suzuki TL-1000S high-performance sport bike

  "Novices should skip the TL-1000S, and proceed directly to the morgue."

  This popular quote among motorcycle fans sums up the general perception of the Suzuki TL-1000S sport bike. Powerful and with a reputation of being hard to handle, this was the only commercial (non-military) vehicle to make it into this book's collection of widowmakers.

  Introduction

  The Suzuki TL-1000S is a full-fairing, V-twin powered motorcycle. With lack of an official category, it falls into the "kick-you-in the-rear," high performance street bike category. The TL-1000S was manufactured from 1997 to 2001, and it is widely known among motorcycle fans as "the widowmaker." A number of riders crashed, and blamed the instability of the bike. After generally adverse publicity, Suzuki stated that the bike did not have a suspension/handling problem, but the company nevertheless performed a voluntary recall and retrofitted the suspension to improve stability. In spite of the redesign, sales remained less than hoped for, and Suzuki ended manufacture of the TL-1000S in 2001.

  Engine Design and Ramifications

  The TL-1000S was noteworthy for its V-twin engine, a radical departure from the inline twins and inline four-cylinder designs used by most of Suzuki's competitors. The V-twin used two massive cylinders, opposed at a 90° angle for perfect primary balance. Power transfer was done through a rather innovative hybrid design in which a traditional chain turned a gear that in turn, rotated the drive cams. This unique design made for less maintenance, and also gave the engine a distinctive sound due to the whine of the gears. The distinctive V-twin engine is still used in Suzuki's current SV-1000 line of street bikes.

  The design of the V-twin also brought challenges to Suzuki's engineers, in terms of how the rest of the bike could accommodate a V-twin. By design, V-twin engines are longer, front to rear, then the inline four cylinder engines used in most sport bikes. In order to keep the wheelbase from being too long as a result, Suzuki engineers opted to separate the shock absorber from the spring. The spring was placed on the right side of the bike, and the shock absorber using a system of fluid channels was placed on the left. This different type of suspension design came in for much criticism, and earned the TL-1000S its less-than-flattering nickname.

  The Suspension

  The reputation of the TL-1000S as a "widowmaker" can be attributed to one single cause: what was generally regarded as an ineffective rear shock absorber design. In order to save weight, with every ounce counting on the bike's sibling, the TL-1000R racing version, Suzuki engineers came up with an innovative rear shock absorber design that forced hydraulic fluid through a series of narrow channels. The problem was, it didn't work, according to reviewers and customers alike. Under sharp acceleration (which the 996 cc, 125 horsepower lightweight V-twin was eminently capable of), the inadequate damping of the rear suspension gave the rear wheel a nasty habit of sliding out from under the rest of the bike. At this point, the rider would be well on his or her way to merging with the surrounding scenery. One reviewer, an experienced street bike rider, described the handling of the TL-1000S this way: “Riding a TL1000S is a bit like trying to sit on the back of an angry tiger, after kicking it in the nuts and spraying it in the face with mace.”

  Recall and Retrofit

  After a number of crashes (and the inevitable complaints and / or litigation from widows whose spouses had joined the ranks of the newly-departed over the handlebars of a TL-1000S), Suzuki engineers went back to the drawing board, and the company did a recall on all existing bikes, adding steering dampers to the suspension system. But sales remained less than hoped for by Suzuki dealers and by executives of the company, and the production of the TL-1000S came to an end in 2001.

  At the time of this writing, Suzuki TL-1000S street bikes can be found on the used motorcycle market at prices well under those of comparable competitors models. The lower prices in the used motorcycle market are undoubtedly due to the widowmaker reputation of the Suzuki TL-1000S.

  Suzuki TL-1000S High-performance sport bike

  Specifications

  Manufacturer Suzuki

  Production 1997–2001

  Successor Suzuki SV1000S

  Class Sport bike

  Engine Water cooled DOHC 996 cc (60.8 cu in) 90° V-twin

  Power 125 hp (93 kW) @ 8500 rpm

  Torque 105 N·m (77 lbf·ft) @ 8000 rpm

  Transmission 6-speed, chain

  Rake, Trail 23.7°, 3.7 in (94.5 mm)

  Wheelbase 55.7 in (1,410 mm)

  Dimensions L 81.3 in (2,070 mm); W 28.1 in (710 mm); Seat height 32.9 in (840 mm)

  Weight 412 lb (187 kg)

  Fuel capacity 17 l (3.7 imp gal; 4.5 US gal), 4.5 l (0.99 imp gal; 1.2 US gal) reserve

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  Visit the author’s blog at www.onebuckbooks.us