Aircraft 61-0331 C-135B "Project III" Memorial
A/RIA - T/RIA Aircraft
May 25, 1970
Patrick Air Force Base
Brevard County, Florida
Source: Bob Burns
United States Air Force Aircraft 61-0331
The United States Air Force aircraft 61-0331 was a T/RIA, Telemetry Range Instrumentation Aircraft, prior to the "Project III" conversion at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
61-0331 operated as a T/RIA from 1967 until its 1971 transfer from the Air Force Eastern Test Range to the 4950th Test Wing Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. There were a total of 4 T/RIA aircraft produced.
The most noticeable feature of the T/RIA aircraft was the large radome mounted on the front of the aircraft. The T/RIA shared this style radome with the A/RIA, Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft. Inside of the T/RIA's radome were two drum style antennas along with the aircraft radar. Inside the aircraft was a antenna operations panel and equipment racks for the RF equipment. This equipment was removed from the C-130 tracking aircraft and installed into the T/RIA aircraft.
LTV Corporation modified 61-0331 prior to arrival at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base by removing the T/RIA nose and installing a large radome atop the fuselage for a new series of test designed to detect and analyze nuclear explosions and their related electromagnetic pulses (EMP).
The 4950th Test Wing operated 61-0331 for the Space and Missile System Office (SAMSO). The aircraft deployed routinely to the "Burning Light" Task Force located at Hickam Air Force Base Hawaii to monitor French atmospheric nuclear test conducted at their Center d'Experimentation du Pacifiqua (CEP) including Polynesian blast sites at Fangataufa and Mururoa Atols.
61-0331 disappeared on 13 June 1971 while returning to Hawaii after observing the French Encelade atmospheric nuclear test at Mururoa. The aircraft was enroute from Pago Pago to Hickam Air Force Base. All 24 crewmembers were lost, 12 of them civilians.
The photograph displays 11 aircraft. Upon close inspection you can identify three aircraft with U.S AIR FORCE near the front of the aircraft forward of the cargo door. These are three of the four T/RIA aircraft with T/RIA aircraft 62-4133 in the foreground, third aircraft right to left. The eight A/RIA aircraft display UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on the upper portion of the aircraft, the T/RIA's do not.
61-0331 is most likely not included in this photograph as it was configured prior to 1971 with the "Droop-Snoop" radome at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. The photograph was taken on May 25, 1970 and we know that 61-0331 was modified before its arrival to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1971. 61-0331 was lost on June 13, 1971. One could view this photograph as a missing man formation.
In Memory |
|
| Donald E. Ashland San Bernardino, California. |
Major William Edward Page Junior Pilot Xenia, Ohio |
| Captain Byron C. Burnett Copilot San Bernardino, California |
David Penney, North Reading, Massachusetts |
| Rola F. Blanchard Arlington, Texas |
Lieutenant Colonel Victor John Reinhart Navigator Dayton, Ohio |
| John P. Cahill Andover, Massachusetts |
Captain Perry Thomas Rose Pilot , Dayton, Ohio |
| Thomas R. Connor Los Alamos, New Mexico |
Colonel Billy L. Skipworth Pilot Papillion, Nebraska |
| Charles V. Dito Arlington, Texas |
Edward M Slagel, employee of Westinghouse Corporation, Baltimore, Maryland |
| First Lieutenant James M. Gilbert San Bernardino, California |
Anthony J Theriault, Newbury, Massachusetts |
| Dean L. Hoar Arlington, Texas |
John B. Tumas, Greenville, Texas |
| Staff Sergeant Kenneth Steven Kowal, Youngstown, Ohio | Major William Herman Unsderfer Junior Aircraft Commander , Xenia, Ohio |
| Major John R McGinn Navigator Jamestown, Ohio | Thomas J. Walter, Chelmsford, Massachusetts. |
| Technical Sergeant Hubert Miles Junior Boom Operator Fairborn, Ohio | Major Joseph B. William, Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Allen Moriffette, employee of Avco Corporation, Wilmington, Massachusetts | Staff Sergeant Elno Roe Weimer Flight Engineer, Springfield, Ohio |