Turtle and the Dreamboat: The Cold War Flights That Forever Changed the Course of Global Aviation

The 'Turtle and the 'Dreamboat' recounts the intense competition between the U.S. Army and Navy in 1946 to set long-distance flight records, showcasing the risks and unprecedented nature of these missions. The flights, using advanced aircraft, aimed to demonstrate offensive capabilities during the nuclear age and establish aviation leadership within the Department of Defense. The two flights, the Truculent Turtle and the Pacusan Dreamboat, covered thousands of miles and helped shape the future of commercial aviation by reducing route lengths and costs.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 10 July 2022
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

The 'Turtle and the 'Dreamboat' is a historical account of the intense competition between the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy in the pursuit of long-distance flight records shortly after World War II. These flights, which took place less than fourteen months after the war's end, were risky and unprecedented, as each service sought to showcase its offensive capabilities during the emerging nuclear age. The first week of October 1946 witnessed the completion of two record-breaking nonstop flights by military pilots. The first aircraft, a two-engine U.S. Navy P2V Neptune patrol plane nicknamed the 'Truculent Turtle,' flew over eleven thousand miles from Perth, Western Australia, to Columbus, Ohio. The 'Turtle' carried four seasoned war pilots and a young kangaroo as a passenger. The second plane, a four-engine U.S. Army B-29 Superfortress bomber dubbed the 'Pacusan Dreamboat,' flew nearly ten thousand miles from Honolulu to Cairo via the Arctic. While presented as a friendly rivalry, the two flights were anything but friendly. These military missions aimed to capture public attention and establish aviation leadership within the newly formed Department of Defense. Both audacious flights above oceans, deserts, mountains, and ice caps played a significant role in shaping the future of worldwide commercial aviation, significantly reducing the length and costs of international routes. Jim Leeke provides a detailed account of these remarkable and record-breaking flights that forever changed aviation.

Dimension: 225 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781640124134