Top 5 US Recon planes of all time

JIMC5499,

The E-4 NEACP is a very different aircraft then the VC-25A that is used as Air Force 1. AF1 doesn't have all of the advanced command and control equipment needed to preform the NEACP mission. The E-4 has full spectrum communications gear, which allows it to communicate with all military forces. this includes a trailing wire antanna allowing it to transmit launch codes to the Trident Missile Subs that carry nukes. Also, It has an advance EMP, flash and thermal protection system.

In an emergency, the US has several transfer points where the president could switch over to the E-4 to assume command of the armed forces as Commander-in-Cheif. The system works! Back on 9/11 they pulled it off and Bush was aboard an E-4 During the majority of the day, before landing at Barksdale AFB. That was the first time in history that NEACP went live as a primary command center. The system works!

Tim

Originally posted by ghost
JIMC5499,

The E-4 NEACP is a very different aircraft then the VC-25A that is used as Air Force 1. AF1 doesn't have all of the advanced command and control equipment needed to preform the NEACP mission. The E-4 has full spectrum communications gear, which allows it to communicate with all military forces. this includes a trailing wire antanna allowing it to transmit launch codes to the Trident Missile Subs that carry nukes. Also, It has an advance EMP, flash and thermal protection system.

In an emergency, the US has several transfer points where the president could switch over to the E-4 to assume command of the armed forces as Commander-in-Cheif. The system works! Back on 9/11 they pulled it off and Bush was aboard an E-4 During the majority of the day, before landing at Barksdale AFB. That was the first time in history that NEACP went live as a primary command center. The system works!

Tim

You are absolutely correct Tim. What I am saying is that in the event that the President cannot immediatly get to a NEACAP aircraft Air Force One has the capability to let him manage the situation (maybe not as efficiently) until he can get to an E-4. Just remember that during the Cold War those transfer points were probably considered first strike targets. During 9-11 the president never used the E-4 aircraft.
The President's Story

JIMC...

Great link about "The President's Story." I read the 9-11 Commission Report, and it seemed that there was more information about what the president did in that article than there was in the Report. That was the first time that I'd heard about the secret flight plan, too. Nice post.

You have to include the RF-101 which performed the bulk of aerial recon in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

I am still peeved that I am the only one that mentioned the photo recon Lightnings.

C'mon, nobody wants to show some love for the most successful recon bird in the largest conflict the US ever faced? WW2 is not quite ancient history yet. And none of the other aircraft mentioned can hope to hold a candle to the F-4/F-5 in terms of actual acheivement.

If the thread was for "postwar" aircraft specifically I might get it, but the thread title says it: "Top 5 US Recon planes of all time".

Originally posted by JIMC5499
During 9-11 the president never used the E-4 aircraft.
The President's Story

It seems that you are right Jim. Bush wasn't on the E-4 that they launched. That doesn't change the fact that an E-4 flew on 9/11. Perhaps it was command staff from the Pentagon that was aboard the E-4 that day.

As for tranfer points, if they needed a transfer point, they could (in theory) use ANY air feild that is large enough to handle a Boeing 747. After all, the E-4 is a military version of the 747-200. The trick would be setting up the required security perimiter for the transfer.

How many airports are big enough for a jumbo jet?

Tim

Originally posted by ghost

How many airports are big enough for a jumbo jet?

Tim

I'd say that number would greatly depend on whether you are ignoring commerical/civilian safety rules or not.

I was Crew Chief on RF-4C's from 1981-1983 in England.

I have to say something about the National Vigilance Park at Ft. Meade, MD. It is a memorial for recon aircrews that were killed in missions that up untill the end of the cold war their names and missions were classified.

If you would like mroe information please feel free to contact me.

[edit on 14-1-2006 by ULTIMA1]

Originally posted by kilcoo316

I'd say that number would greatly depend on whether you are ignoring commerical/civilian safety rules or not.

The purpose of the question was to point out how many places the Military could land an E-4 to take on passengers in an emergecy. So how many of thoes airports could accept a 747 in an emergency?

Tim

Originally posted by ghost
The purpose of the question was to point out how many places the Military could land an E-4 to take on passengers in an emergecy. So how many of thoes airports could accept a 747 in an emergency?

Tim

Too many varibles there Tim.
As a rule of thumb figure on a 747 needing 10,000 feet of runway at the least. Runways of this length are fairly common, what is not so common are runways with the weight capacity to handle a 747. Other varibles include the landing and takeoff weight of the aircraft, the humidity, temperature and the elevation of the airport. Boeing has an information packet with much of this information on their website.

747 Info