Chapter 5: Aviation - From The Cold War To Desert Storm Flashcards
At the end of World War II, the world was left with two major political forces: Soviet communism and Western democracy.
TRUE
What countries were shaped in the image of the Soviet Union that it had liberated during World War II?
Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, Poland, East Germany, etc.
During World War II, the United States led the world in jet propulsion development
FALSE
(Germans, and also British)
What were the two German “vengeance” weapons?
The V-1 and V-2
The helicopter became part of the Army Air Forces during World War II, but it was the Korean War that really demonstrated its value.
TRUE
Initially, the DC-4 was more popular than the constellation because the Army built more of them
TRUE
What two advantages did the Constellation have over the DC-4?
It was pressurized and 100 mph faster
Which people developed the first turboprop and the first turbojet airliners?
The British
In the late 1940s, the big three in general aviation manufacturing were ___.
Beech, Cessna, and Piper
The US reduced the size of its military forces after World War II because
It was the only country possessing the atomic bomb, and it felt secure with that weapon.
In 1947, after the United States Air Force became a separate service, its primary mission was
Nuclear deterrence
What happened when the Soviet Union prevented any surface transportation in or out of Berlin?
The Berlin airlift
When did the Korean War begin?
When North Korean troops invaded South Korea (25 June 1950)
What did the Korean War teach America?
The atomic arsenal alone was not enough to prevent involvement in war
The (B-52/B-58) is still in use today
B-52
What was the world’s first production supersonic fighter?
F-100
What was the world’s first “pure” jet commercial airliner?
The DeHavilland Comet 1
The term Mach 3 means
Three times the speed of sound
Built to supersede the B-47 because it had more range
B-52
Broke Mach 3, but came apart due to frictional heating
X-2
First VTOL aircraft
Flying Bedstead
Had a revolutionary new wing design called the laminar-flow wing
P-51
First aircraft to break the sound barrier
X-1
In 1950, Vietnam was a ________ colony
French
The South Vietnamese struggled with their civil war against the North Vietnamese and by 1961, President ________ expanded the commitment of the United States
Kennedy
What resolution passed by Congress allowed President Johnson “to take all necessary measures to repel an armed attack against the force of the United States and to prevent further aggression [in Vietnam]”?
Tonkin Gulf Resolution - August 7, 1964
What helped to unpopularize the Vietnam War?
Television
What marked the beginning of the end of the war in Vietnam?
The Tet Offensive
What enabled US pilots to finally destroy the Thanh Hoa Bridge - a long-standing and critical North Vietnamese Target?
Precision guided munitions or smart bombs
As opposed to Operation _____, Operation _____ was conducted without as much worry about Chinese and Soviet reaction to the war in Vietnam
Rolling Thunder, Linebacker
During the Cold War, what was the Air Force’s Strategic Air Command primary mission?
To defend the United States from nuclear attack
During Operation DESERT STORM, and for the first time in US history, what was activated to provide logistical support?
The Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF)
What two aircraft were key links to moving troops, cargo, and fighters into Southwest Asia during operations DESERT SHIELD/STORM?
KC-135 and KC-10
How did the US/Coolition Air Forces quickly gain air superiority in Operation DESERT STORM?
By first attacking Iraq’s command and control systems with precision guided munitions
