RARE "B-1 Bomber" Flown Pilot Signed March 3 1976 Envelope For Sale

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RARE "B-1 Bomber" Flown Pilot Signed March 3 1976 Envelope:
$699.99

OWN A PIECE OF AVIATION HISTORY!  "B-1 Bomber" Flown/Pilot Signed March 3 1976 Envelope Postmarked the day after the initial prototype flight from Andrews Air Force Base. Signers are; Major General George Larson and Charles C. Bock Jr. This was the 1st prototype flight of 26 scheduled for what would become one of America's greatest weapons. 

ES-5743

Major General George

W. Larson Jr. is deputy assistant secretary, budget, Office of the Assistant

Secretary of the Air Force Financial Management and Comptroller, Washington,

D.C.

General Larson was born in 1940, in Minneapolis and graduated

from Boise (Idaho) High School in 1958. He received a bachelor of science

degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1962 and a master's degree in

business administration from Golden Gate University in 1978. He completed Air

War College in 1979. Upon graduation from the academy, he was

commissioned as a second lieutenant in June 1962. The general received his

pilot wings in August 1963 at Vance Air Force Base, Okla. His initial

operational flying assignment was as a B-47 pilot with the 9th Strategic

Aerospace Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. While there he held

positions as senior standardization and evaluation co-pilot and aircraft

commander. In February 1966 General Larson was assigned as an EB-66 an

RB-66 aircraft commander at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., in preparation for a

Southeast Asia assignment. He then was assigned to the 41st Tactical

Reconnaissance Squadron, Pacific Air Forces, based at Takhli Royal Thai Air

Force Base, Thailand. During this tour of duty, he flew 85 combat missions in

North Vietnam. He returned to the United States in February 1967 and was

assigned briefly as an instructor pilot in the undergraduate pilot training

program at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. The general was selected to

attend the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in April 1967.

After graduation in August 1968 he was assigned to the Bomber/Transport Branch,

Flight Test Operations, Air Force Systems Command, at Edwards. During this

assignment he was instrumental in the completion of test programs such as the

B-52G/H powered flight control system, C-1 19G/K performance testing, B-66 AIMS

programs, FB-111 Category II testing, and advance tanker refueling

investigations. From August 1972 to July 1978 he served with Strategic Air

Command's 4200th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Edwards as a pilot

representing SAC in initial operational test and evaluation of the B-1 weapons

system. After completing Air War College in June 1979, he became

commander of the 4007th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Plattsburgh Air Force

Base, N.Y., and was responsible for all FB-111 flight crew training. In

November 1980 General Larson was assigned as chief, Advanced Concepts Division,

Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, at Strategic Air Command

headquarters, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. In August 1981 he became executive

officer to SAC's commander in chief. The general was assigned as vice commander

of the 380th Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh in May 1982 and took command of

the wing in June 1983. While its commander, the wing was awarded the Saunders

Trophy for best SAC air refueling performance, the Fairchild Trophy for best

SAC bombing performance and the Omaha Trophy for best SAC wing. In June 1985 he

returned to SAC headquarters as assistant deputy chief of staff for plans, and

became deputy chief of staff for plans in September 1987. He assumed his

present duties in August 1988. The general is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying

hours in 38 different Air Force aircraft. His military decorations and awards

include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service

Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters, Air

Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Presidential Unit Citation with

oak leaf cluster, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf

clusters. He is a member of the Air Force Association, Order of the Daedalians,

Society of Experimental Test Pilots, National Eagle Scout Association and the

Association of Graduates, U.S. Air Force Academy. He was promoted to

major general Oct. 1, 1988, with same date of rank.

23 December 1974: The

first of four prototype Rockwell B-1A Lancer Mach 2.2 strategic bombers, serial

number 74-0158, made its first flight from Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale,

California. The aircraft commander was company test pilot Charles C. Bock,

Jr. (Colonel, U.S. Air Force, retired) with pilot Colonel Emil Sturmthal, U.S.

Air Force, and flight test engineer Richard Abrams. After basic flight

evaluation, the B-1A landed at Edwards Air Force Base, about 22 miles (35

kilometers) to the northeast of Palmdale. The Rockwell International B-1A Lancer

was designed to operate with a flight crew of four. It was 150 feet, 2.5 inches

(45.784 meters) long. With the wings fully swept, the span was 78 feet, 2.5

inches (23.838 meters), and extended, 136 feet, 8.5 inches (41.669 meters). The

tip of the vertical fin was 33 feet, 7.25 inches (10.243 meters) high.

The wings have an angle of incidence of 2°,  with 1° 56′ anhedral

and -2° twist. The leading edges were swept to 15° when extended, and

67½°, fully swept. The total wing area is 1,946 square feet (180.8 square

meters). The empty weight of the B-1A was approximately 173,000 pounds (78,472

kilograms). The maximum takeoff weight was 389,800 pounds (176,810 kilograms),

but once airborne it could take on additional fuel up to a maximum weight of

422,000 pounds (191,416 kilograms). The Lancer was powered by four General

Electric F101-GE-100 afterburning turbofan engines. This is an axial-flow

engine with a 2-stage fan section, 9-stage compressor and 3-stage turbine (1

high- and 2 low-pressure stages). It is rated at 16,150 pounds of thrust

(71.839 kilonewtons), and 29,850 pounds (132.779 kilonewtons) with afterburner.

The F101-GE-100 is 15 feet, 0.7 inches (4.590 meters) long, 4 feet, 7.2 inches

(1.402 meters) in diameter, and weighs 4,165 pounds (1,889 kilograms). The

bomber’s maximum speed was 1,262 knots 1,452 miles per hour/2,337 kilometers

per hour)—Mach 2.2—at an optimum altitude of 53,000 feet (16,154 meters), its

combat ceiling. The B-1A’s combat range was 5,675 nautical miles (6,531 statute

miles/10,510 kilometers) The maximum ferry range was 6,242 nautical miles

(7,183 statute miles/11,560 kilometers). The B-1A was designed to carry 75,000

pounds (34,019 kilograms) of bombs in an internal bomb bay. It could carry a

maximum of 84 MK-82 conventional explosive bombs. For a nuclear attack mission,

the Lancer could carry 12 B43 free-fall bombs, or 24 B61 or B77 bombs. For a

stand-off attack, the bomber could carry 24 AGM-69 SRAM (Short Range Attack

Missile) nuclear missiles. Each of the four prototypes served its own role

during testing. 74-0158 was the flight evaluation aircraft. By the

time that the B-1A program was cancelled, 74-0158 had made 79 flights

totaling 405.3 hours. It was dismantled and used for weapons training at Lowry

Air Force Base, Colorado.

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