Flight,titledThe Dart,origin

[Music] a high performance aircraft is a Marvel of complexity at Mach 1 the speed of sound and Beyond failure of any one of its components can mean disaster we go all out to prevent mechanical failure it takes a lot doing but complex as it is an F-100 is as simple as red pudding compared to the other half of the partnership the man inside it preventing that kind of failure is my job I'm Ernie tadesco flight [Music] surgeon [Music] this is an instrument of flight our most Advanced aerial Gunnery Target known as the dart it's the first so far that can stand the stress of suponic flight our story is about the dart about stress and supersonic flight and most of all about two men members of the United States Air Force weapons school [Music] the weak point today the point where the searching fingers of stress would find a soft spot wasn't in the aircraft It Was Here Charlie 's name is fine pilot and a good friend of mine with 100 Missions in Korea under his belt he'd still Circle today as the toughest one in his life come on come on Ernie can't you hurry this up H hurry it up will you relax relax you only take it physical once a year let's make it a good one sure sure okay but enough who' you hit oh had a caught in a revolving door it wouldn't get me would you I had to go what are you doing now working on the new DOT Target no what's it supposed to do you super sonic it works we can train like actual combat teach firing from any position sounds pretty good what about Ernie I'm do permission in a half an hour maybe you better skip this one why anything wrong I wasn't talking about your physical something's eating you what is nothing you can help try me sorry okay thanks Ernie hey Charlie yeah watch out for those revolving doors [Music] yeah isn't Captain not going to be the first man to fire the new dark Target uhhuh who's going to fly tow ship for him Captain Benedict somebody had a great sense of humor putting those two together you know couldn't help hearing that Lieutenant what sir about Benedict or not oh thought they were pretty good friends yes sir then what' you mean by that crack what crack sir all right come on [Music] in [Music] Century Target to Century 10 do you read me go ahead approaching Gunner range releasing the Target now onreal a full 1500 ft of [Music] cable to simulate a combat pass make an overhead approach from my 12:00 Kai position I know what the mission calls for we all re briefed It On The Ground take it easy I just wanted to make sure you had it right this isn't a pass we make every [Music] day you're ring in too soon I'll compensate look you just fly the tow [Music] [Music] plane you hit me you dumb luck pull out of it pull [Music] out see to lost all my [Music] Boost both systems are out nice shooting bail out Mike bail [Music] out [Music] look I didn't ask for this Benedict the co handed it to me and now I'm going to do my job I told you all I know major did you he came in high looked to me like he rolled in too soon he opened up next thing I knew my Boost was gone he missed his Target by 1,500 ft he did that's the length of the toe cable then I guess that's what he did that's all you can tell me right how about you on that's the way it happened look out you're one of the best Gunners in the weapons school that's why you were put on this project but you missed your Target by 1500 ft and hit the tow plane I guess I must have how can you possibly mistake an F100 for a Target major I told you five times I had in my sights it was right in my sight you had it in your sights you'd have hit it a you wouldn't have hit the tow plane you'd have hit the target well then the guns must have follow the guns were checked out an hour ago they're right on the button the film shows you were aiming at the F100 but that's impossible the film's still in the projector go look at it well I don't know that's all I can tell you major I don't know anymore I'm sorry yeah you're sorry I'm sorry too we just traded a half a million dollar airplane for a hole in the ground and everybody's sorry good night doc Benedict well bailout didn't hurt you J I'm not complaining look I know it's none of my business you're right thanks for the check hey don't rush off look ER you shouldn't have flown today something was chewing on you what was it thought we were friends Ernie you're the best friend I got but you're not going to change what happened I'm trying to help you Charlie will you get that through your thick head now you've got to tell me what went on up there you heard what I told there's more you were wound up tied in a watchspring what's that got to do with it everything you might have done something without knowing it like what you mean I might have zeroed in on Mike I don't know but one thing you didn't do you didn't goof bad enough to miss that Target by 1500 ft ER you better stick to your stethoscope [Music] Mike wait a minute save F I didn't mean it it was an accident will you listen to me [Music] for [Music] Captain something wrong Captain oh nothing Lieutenant I thought I might have left my cigarette lighter on the ship this [Music] morning when OT went into this Gunnery project I checked him out he's a top Shake physically physically yeah you mean there might be something wrong with him mentally no no well Ernie there's got to be some answer flying three four missions a day that's a pretty heavy schedule you think that might have had something to do with what happened yesterday I don't know talking about stress now that's a pretty big subject well I'm only interested and knowing whether or not it could have made him miss his Target by 1500 ft now you testify that he's 100% sound psychologically nope oh nobody's 100% sound psychologically Willie we're only beginning to learn what happens to a human being under the stress of flying a high performance airplane we do know a couple of things one of them is that stress is cumulative and what does that mean adds up like a bank balance guy might be able to fly a half a dozen missions a day and still worry about his love life but you pile a few more problems on him and then put him in a spot where he has to make a lightning decision at 800 knots might crack up doesn't mean he isn't sound psychologically it only means he has his limits we all do you mean he um might have had some uncontrollable impulse to shoot at Benedict's plane a psychological thing I don't know what o know less than any one [Music] elsee tenant major talk to you a minute sure doc what's on your mind won't keep you [Music] long what can I do for you I asked you once oh in my office this morning I'd like you to tell me about Benedict or not I thought you were a medical officer maybe this is a medical problem well Lieutenant now wait a minute doc this is none of my business and if you'll excuse me for saying so sir it's none of yours either what happened between OD and Captain Benedict is Lieutenant do you want to testify to General Court Marshal that's what it'll come to you know I'll put you on the stance SAR you in and make you tell what you know you tell me now maybe we can clean seen this up before it goes that far this isn't going to help OT we'll see hot's been spending a lot of time in Las Vegas I know there's a showgirl at one of the Swank spots I don't know major how do you explain something like this I was fond of him how fond oh Charlie and I went around together for a couple of months I guess I wasn't quite sure where we were headed but it was a nice ride he ever mentioned marriage he used to kid about it sometimes I used to wonder if he meant it Charlie's a hard one to figure out up one day and down the next well they've been working pretty hard at the base yes I know he was upset this morning you got any idea why he didn't tell you no then I don't think I should Mike Benedict picked you up at 9:00 last night took you on the town Lieutenant Davis half a dozen others saw you it's all over the base I don't want to get Charlie in trouble major you see I really love him Miss Harvey you can't get him into trouble he's already in it up to his neck I'm trying to help him now shall we start with 9:00 last night all right you fought over a girl in Las Vegas last night they find that out they're going to have Charlie up for attempted murder on top of everything else you said that it doesn't seem to be sinking in well what do you want me to do run it 500 times on the Blackboard you cut in on his girl you fought with him the night before I'm asking you to you think Charlie was mad enough to try and shoot you down I don't know I don't know I don't know was he planning to marry the girl now how should I know is it important is it important are the same questions first the investigating officer now you why did you leave this in Williamson's hands because I happen to be Charlie 's friend well maybe that's your trouble willius is just doing his job all he wants is the [Music] truth you sent for me major oh yes Aunt I'm just completing my my report I want your verification on that drawing that's Benedict's plane and that's yours well let me look at it johie oh is that the report on Benedict's physical condition his physical condition there's nothing wrong is there n just had to be turned in with the report oh yeah that's about the way it was see it was that doing way up there well they were experimenting with an over and aead pass on the new dart Target came straight down yeah isn't that uncomfortable no not unless he has to push over like he did here came in like this a half roll head it down this point he realized he was coming in ahead of his Target so about 700 knots he had to push back not put him under a negative Gravity Force right there yeah I guess it would let go is burst right here too what do you think of a past like that Bo well it's not a normal training pass but we were experimenting with this new dart Target simulating combat why something wrong doc puts the pilot under negative gravity conditions right there you know much about negative gravity will does anyone come man I want to show you some film that just came came in from the school of aviation medicine at [Music] Randall section coming up illustrates what can happen under conditions of negative [Music] gravity [Music] pretty extreme examples aren't they sure this is a whole new area for us we don't know what sort of physical or psychological changes a man may suffer when in a negative G condition granted how does that affect our case what happened to Charlie I might have been a result of negative gravity might have been courts Marshals the legal proceedings you need facts proof how can I prove anything now now what is it of course pictures we'll reenact the whole thing and make Motion Pictures of it well what'll that show if I knew for sure we wouldn't have to bother will he well who says that Benedict and a will reenact it I'll vouch for art you worry about Benedict now you want the truth don't you well sure and let's make those [Music] pictures [Music] a [Music] approaching Gunner range AR you cable let's do it [Music] Roger remember now exactly like yesterday make your pass from 12:00 High slightly early like you did before wonder if I talk to a major go ahead Charlie remember this it's important you were coming straight down just before you reach firing range you pulled over got that right Ernie try to pull the trigger the exact moment The Targets in your sights Roger all right make your [Music] Approach at this point centrifugal force is pushing OD up more than gravity is pulling him down he's in a condition of negative [Music] [Applause] [Music] gravity that does it let's go back and look at those pictures [Music] the pictures you're about to see were taken with's gun camera the gun was fired when he was in a condition of negative gravity now he thought he was aiming at the Target what he was actually aiming at however these pictures will show oh yes he uh carried no ammo with him [Music] today that's what art had in his sights this morning when he thought he was zero in on the target Benedict plain are you trying to tell us that an experienced fighter pilot can miss a Target by 1500 ft body isn't used to negative G weightlessness gravity is the one thing every object on this Earth is conditioned to take it away away for even a few moments and some strange things happen one of those things we're just beginning to learn is that you can't even trust your eyes in air medicine that's known as spatial disorientation $10 word for a lousy shot yeah I'll be back in a moment to tell you more about Captain OT was absolved of all blame in the accidental shooting as a matter of fact his experience was of service to those studying the problems of negative gravity a subject of growing importance in modern flight [Music] la l