Damn those engines burned dirty, it’s like they are burning liquified coal!
This is from a movie called “A Gathering of Eagles” and was heavily supported by General Curtis LeMay.
Almost all of the scenes involving military assets were shot using Beale AFB units / men / equipment.
MITO stands for Minimum Interval Take Off, it was developed by the USAF to facilitate the rapid takeoff of bombers and tankers during the 1950s during the Cold War. Aircraft take off at intervals of 12-15 seconds after stacking on the taxiway and runway.
The B-52G was proposed to extend the B-52’s service life during delays in the B-58 Hustler program. At first, a radical redesign was envisioned with a completely new wing and Pratt & Whitney J75 engines with a water injection system to assist on takeoff. The water injection adds approximately a 17% increase to the takeoff power, also leaving the runway covered in a dense smoke screen.
MITO events were good theater…. not sure at all whether the procedure made any sense. That said, always fun to watch. Much more viewable without PIO kind of commentary offered by the two observers. Historically a filmed MITO drill is important —archive them in a documentary form. Still – fun to watch.
I experienced a couple of those in a B-47. They could be a little scary due to the accumulating jet wash. The only time you prayed for a crosswind on takeoff. 😁