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The F-16 with the "cranked arrow" delta wing. I remember reading about that in Popular Mechanics when they were testing it
The flying wing was a crazy thing to fly back in the day. 😲
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14VjiHTCYwP/
X-15
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BxdBuEzKm/
😲
That video was far too short.
That could easily be a full length sequel to the first half of, The Right Stuff.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
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DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
We got into an impromptu dog fight with a German F4 while on NATO exercises in ‘93. 1v1 a Phantom destroys the A-6, but we were a two-plane. Our wingman, “Dish”, broke high while the skipper and I went “fights on”. By the third turn the F4 was rolling onto our 6 when Dish settles in behind the Phantom for a mock “guns” kill. Because the only gun on an Intruder was the one stowed in our SV2!
Not historical, just bad ass.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUdmLWxD0_b/?igsh=MW50NnZkZWV4bDY1dg==
F16XL
Nice pull!
I'm going for a ride in the way back machine to say I'll always have a soft spot for the beloved B17
This is an awesome book detailing his mission.
And a great triple bio of three of our greatest American flyers.
Especially Charles Lindbergh after his Atlantic flight.
BTW, that's a seriously badass picture.
Joseph : click on the YouTube address on that FB vid, and it goes to a 2 1/2 hour video.
Bugger it , here's the embed ' URL thingo :
"https://www.youtube.com/embed/-RlhyykS1Fg"
I've not yet watched it, but have saved it for later.
Thanks.
Dronescapes is one of the better YouTube channels I frequent.
Did they go Off the Hornet, or were they transported on it, then put to an Island Airfield?
I'm always impressed / beffudled by the staging of Planes on Carriers, for take off and landings , but I can't imagine them being able to move those Bombers around enough to do take offs.
Yeah, I was wondering that myself. Looking at the picture, there's no way they could take off with that many aircraft on the top deck.
They did take off from the Hornet, and then overflew Japan and landed in China. Obviously they'd have to have moved some planes below and rearranged the deck to do it, but they did.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Doolittle-Raid
Bloody Hell!
No launch system of any type I can see, just full flamin' throttle over a bloody short 'runway'!
Bummer there was no Audio on it.
That is me in front of the red stripe.
Pit Row
I was a jet engine flight line mechanic in the AF and worked on the F-4 and than the F-15. Installing and safety wiring the air frame to engine cannon plug cluster on the F-4 was a SOB! You had to use a mirror because you couldn't see them and there was no room between the engine and air frame. The F-15 was much more mechanic friendly but had some engine component durability issues early on. Long time ago, I am old! Ha
Was the Eagle Engine issue on PWs?
Yes the PW F-100. It was mid late 70's so can't remember everything but fuel controls were failing at a high rate. Remember hearing it was resistors etc failing due to heat. To trouble shoot the PW F-100 you would connect basically a glorified ohm meter that was the size of a piece of luggage and go from there. A crude description but again a long time ago.
“Good times”🙂
My ‘70s exposure to the 15 was going out to the Dez with my dad and witnessing Screaming Eagle runs. 🦅
The new version of the 15, the EX, puts the 15 back in the drivers seat, it’s gonna be a Bad Ass once again. But, this time? It’s as a “command and control” ac that’s got the ability to stir shit up, make noise, fake the ass holes out…& send the running backs and wide receivers in to completely fuck the enemy up. There’s a few EX birds doing the EX mission…sort of…but, of-course…Boeing is doing everything they can to fuck it up 🤣
But there’s good news: the Real Thing cometh…and I believe it makes 60,000+ thrust…and, supposedly, there’s a bird running around with 2 F35 engines in it…can you say 80K?! 💪🏼
If you believe it -only- pulls M2.5…? Well, I’m thinking it’s closer to 3.
I think that picture is a little bit earlier, but my best friend’s dad was a Skyblazer pilot in the early 60s. Pretty sure that they had transitioned to the Super Sabers by then of course.
Seeing the F-15 perform for the first time was eye opening! In full After Burner that plane would disappear quickly compared to the F-4. There is two pointed pieces on the back end of the fuselage that would need replacement often due to hitting the runway from the pilots going vertical to quickly like a rocket!
TeamGreen : "2 F35 engines in it"
W.T.F. 😱
The first part of the film, 30 seconds over Tokyo, is a good depiction of the carrier takeoff testing.
Spent a year and a half doing a woodworking job in Polk City Florida, at a place called fantasy of flight, owned by a former air racer Kirmit Weeks
My last few months there they had finished the restoration of a liberator.
Awesome plane to see in person.
Not an aircraft photo, but related...
There's a whole bunch of F-111 videos out there, but this ones starting point, got me :
F-111s were 'something' that seemed to be an ever present throughout my childhood / youth / and further on.
With my Dad's service - in the Army - I was always aware of Military matters.
The controversy surrounding the F-111s , right up until we finally got them in '73 ( and, at times, onward), was never ending.
Though, they ended up being somewhat beloved.
But, there's Always controversy with regards to Military purchases.
F35s - "The Joint Strike Fighter" - a more recent one. So much negativity towards their procurement. A mates younger brother, became a F-35 Pilot - a family of high , High Achievers, that excel at near on everything, while being the type of people that you'd love, and never have any untoward feelings about.
We've now got the Nuclear Sub procurement going on - so many of we Australians fear we are going to be F**ked over with it all, and, a fair few don't want them at all. I'm of the former side, but Truly hope I'm wrong. I believe we need them.
There's a brief mention of (serious, and, ongoing) illnesses through fuel tank cleaning - well, I was at the near tail end of that. A few of my Riders / Customers / Mates were in the RAAF, stationed at Richmond Airbase, which is only around 18 miles / 30minutes away from me. When I'd finally got completely jack of both the (local - I now work for a few OS manufacturers, at times) MC and Bicycle Industry, I needed some good supplementary income to go along with my 'Frame and Thing' making. So, my mates , knowing my Engineering qualifications and skills, got me into the maintenance department as a Subby. Somehow, I passed Security Checks, with flying colours....... 😁
And, part of that was cleaning / re-furbishing fuel tanks in various Aircraft ( not F-111s - the 'Big Boys' ) . Now, I rarely got into the tanks, and, by that time they had brought in far, far better procedures and protection, but, some of my health issues now, come from that time.
Anyway, the start of that video I've posted, showing The Pigs burial, was a bit jarring, but, at the end, the explanation about the contractual arrangements, and the contamination problems, made it easier to understand.
I loved the Fuel Dump / Burn of the F-111s - saw it many times, and, the showing of that feature being used to 'take away' the Olympic Flame in 2000, was a great thing to be reminded of.
PS - that belly landing was a doozy!
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