Damn these guys are GOOD!
You boys are starting to freak me out. At least I know I'm not the only military aviation dork around here. Have a cold Shiner on me boys.
RC155U is DA-MAN with the correct answer on the first question!The EB-47L was a modification of the B-47 Stratojet to fulfill the communications relay role for SAC. Until the Looking Glass mission was in full swing, the little-known EB-47L stood alert with SAC's bombers in case the sh*t hit the fan. That was a killer question!
The acronym TACAMO came about after Collins Radio, the company that designed the original VLF communications system, had given their initial presentation to the US Navy in 1962. After their presentation to the admirals, the Navy was so impressed the team was awarded the contract on the spot and told to "Take charge and move out!" The engineers started calling the project TACAMO and the name stuck.
Those funny bulges the E-3 is now sporting are part of the Block 30/35 system improvements which add an ELINT/ESM system called "Quick Look".
The USAF system/aircraft for the detection, analysis, and jamming of enemy communications is called Compass Call and the aircraft is the EC-130H based at Davis-Monthan AFB. They can be identified from the wire antenna array that surrounds the tailplane.
And as to why the E-6 Hermes was changed to the E-6 Mercury, believe it or not, Chuck, you're correct! The first crews referred to the TACAMO birds as the E-6 Herpes much to the dismay of the Navy brass. As an interesting side note, when the Mercurys first entered service, the rear third of the cabin was empty, and crews would set up shuffleboards to pass the time in this space. With the retirement of the Looking Glass aircraft, the Mercury is now assuming that role as well and the shuffleboard courts are now battlestaff consoles!
Okay I gots to find me some harder questions for you ten-hut wingheads out there in DACland.
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Piss on noise abatement!
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