MCD05-1980-1992

Change: Electronics to hydraulics and pneumatics on B-1B

B-1A was cancelled by Carter and reactivated by Reagan as the B-1B. Initially intended to be supersonic it was completed as subsonic and equipped to fly at night by terrain following methods to avoid radar detection. It had pilot and copilot in front and offensive and defensive officer behind them. The structure, except for that dedicated as Bombay or specified function was sealed to hold fuel – it was flown to flex and seal fuel leaks. Flying low picks up a lot of lighting strikes.

There were some 200 boxes of electronic with redundant avionics systems and special high speed defensive and offensive electronics. It could release one or many bombs – and program gps guided bombs in flight.

I was sent on loan to help restart the B-1B, first working on hydraulic and pneumatics system checkout, second electronics automatic test equipment third ground maintenance training equipment. During the third phase I had a mini stroke.

I used my own personal computer with word processor I’d written. Later wrote a program in Basic we used to compare existing automatic test equipment with what was needed. It was the first use of a personal computer in that division.

Change B-1B at North American Aviation to C-17 at McDonald Douglas

I went on loan to Douglas to help start the C-17 program, and assigned to define the overhead control panel with it’s control switches and its electronics Warning and Caution system. The C-17 electrical system was an adaptation of the MD-11 their new passenger airliner – also used as a cargo plane by FEDEX and sold as a KC-10 refueling tanker to AF. It’s electrical system was simple compared to the B-1B with it’s automatic check out and redundancy.

The cargo bay could was wide enough to hold two battle tanks wide and __ deep.(I don’t trust by recall) This view depicts length but seems narrow compared with reality.

It was designed for short takeoff and landing from emergency airstrips.

KC-10 tanker version of McDonald Douglas MD-11

Change: from C-17 to C-130H Gun Ship NAA Long Beach

I was called back from loan on Douglas C-17 to be lead engineer on design of the control consoles

C-130H Gunship Battle Management center mid right, with five person consoles: All-TV (laser), Infra Red, Radar, Nav-Fire Control, Defensive operators. I later designed electronics incorporating a microprocessor for use by the operators to control their guns.

25 mm Gatling, dual 40 mm and 105 mm canon fire from left side

Col Ron Terry of Vietnam experience was advisor for C-130H

C-130H was modified to carry the Advanced Tactical Laser