Sexy Sally

[davekill]

A neat factoid I discovered while reading up on the futuristic B-58 bomber flown in the 60's has a sci-fi quality.

"The pilot's cockpit was fairly conventional for a large multiengine aircraft. The electronic controls were ambitious and advanced for the day. The navigator and DSO's cockpits featured wrap around dashboards with warning lights and buttons, and automatic voice messages and warnings from a tape system were audible through the helmet sets.

Research during the era of all-male combat aircraft assignments revealed that a woman's voice was more likely to gain the attention of young men in distracting situations. Nortronics Division of Northrop Corporation selected actress and singer Joan Elms to record the automated voice warnings. To the men flying the B-58, the voice was known as 'Sexy Sally.'"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-58_Hustler

Wonder how automated the voice warnings are nowadays?
Maybe like Kirk's computer trouble in "Tomorrow is Yesterday".

[davekill]

From back in the day when the military thought it could burn water - a cool video of Jimmy Stewart talking about the B-58

He was a general in the Air Force and in this film has his own two-button command chair.

http://youtu.be/IYvsjGroa78

[Bromptonboy]

I always loved the movie he mad about SAC - where you get to see a bit of the B-36's. 

[davekill]

I always loved the movie he mad about SAC - where you get to see a bit of the B-36's. 

The Peacemaker was a big plane, it only had pressurized crew quarters in the front and rear.
A trolly in a Jefferies tube like tunnel connects the two, you pull yourself through with an overhead rope. In the movie they show Jimmy Stewart entering the tunnel from the radio compartment head first.

http://youtu.be/5nvAl7Nxx7g

[Bromptonboy]

Yeah, that was amazing to see.  Some cool stuff back in the cold war.  I always loved the XB-70 as well.

[davekill]

Yeah, that was amazing to see.  Some cool stuff back in the cold war.  I always loved the XB-70 as well.

Lol, the XB-70 really scared the pants off the Russians, they developed the MiG 25 just to counter it.
- and only two prototypes where ever built!

I like the 'Century jets' - the One Hundred series.
I knew and grouchy old guy who flew 'Wild Weasel' missions in a F-105 Thunderchief. That was the largest jet of the series.