15 THINGS THAT EMPHASIZE THE HISTORICAL IMPACTS OF THE AIR FORCE

September 18th 2022 marks the Air Force’s 75th Birthday, representing a huge milestone in the history of aviation. In commemoration of this historical moment below is a list of notable contributions from the Air Force:

1. Rocket Sled: The data collected from the Rocket Sled’s testing helped lead to mandatory seatbelts in automobiles.

2. SAGE System: Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) System was a computerized air defense system which in part led to art of computer programing.

3. Heated Clothing: Heated flight suits were developed as a countermeasure to the extreme cold weather conditions pilots faced while piloting the B-17.

4. B-10 Bomber: Known as the “Super bomber” it was considered faster than most of the fighters that existed in the world at the time.

5. X Series: A series of aircraft built to test: shape, technology, or propulsion rather than go into production including the first aircraft to break the speed of sound.

6. Turbo Supercharger: A critical technology that allowed pilots to compress more air into their engines allowing them to fly higher and faster.

7. Bunker Buster: The GBU-28 or “Bunker Buster” was developed to help penetrate enemy bunkers during operation Desert Storm.

8. Space Food: Originally developed for the Mercury Program, toothpaste tube food was developed to allow Astronauts a sustainable meal in space.

9. Stealth: Research was conducted to better understand how radar reflected off of aircraft and RAM Coding’s that would make the aircraft less visible on radar.

10. EW Jamming Pods: Developed during the Vietnam War to combat the SA2- Surface-to-Air missiles, Jamming Pods emit a signal that drowns out enemy air defense systems.

11. X-15: A milestone in high-speed, hypersonic flight and an important vehicle in the development of space flight.

12. Propeller Development: Research and testing was conducted to change wooden to metal propellers and further develop the Variable Pitch Propeller system.

13. B-17 Autopilot: Development of a special system in the B-17 that connected the Norden Bombsite to the Autopilot controls, allowing for better accuracy in changing conditions.

14. AutoGyro: Using an unpowered rotor system the AutoGyro served as a major stepping stone in the development of helicopters.