Historic Aircraft from back in the day

Sully wrote:

Supposedly, there were only a handful of air fields they could fly the B36 into, because most runways weren't rated for an aircraft that heavy.

G-man wrote:

WoW!! 😲Here is another awesome aircraft, and the fact the belly pod contained fuel and also a bomb!!Man stuff was wild back then.!!!! 😲The B-58 was...

WoW!! 😲

Here is another awesome aircraft, and the fact the belly pod contained fuel and also a bomb!!

Man stuff was wild back then.!!!! 😲

The B-58 was built for extreme speed. It had a very slim fuselage, a delta wing, and four jet engines in separate pods. That shape helped it reach Mach 2, but it also created a major problem: It had no normal internal bomb bay so Convairs solution was to carry the main weapon and extra fuel in a large streamlined pod under the fuselage.

The early pod was the MB-1C pod. This was a combined fuel-and-weapon pod. The forward section carried fuel, and the rear section carried a nuclear weapon. During a mission, the B-58 could use fuel from the pod to extend its range, then release the entire pod over the target.

G-man wrote:

Awesome Bomber for its day.The Convair B-36 Peacemaker was truly one of the great giants of the Cold War. With its enormous wingspan, six piston engines...

Awesome Bomber for its day.

The Convair B-36 Peacemaker was truly one of the great giants of the Cold War. With its enormous wingspan, six piston engines and later four additional jet engines, the B-36 looked almost unreal when it took to the sky. 

Compared with the sleek B-58 Hustler and the futuristic XB-70 Valkyrie, the Peacemaker represented a completely different approach to strategic air power. The B-58 was built around speed, while the XB-70 was designed to push toward Mach 3. The B-36 relied on something more fundamental: enormous size, long range, and the ability to carry a massive bomb load across continents. 

It may have been slower and older-looking than its supersonic successors, but for a time, the B-36 was quite simply the giant of America's Cold War skies.

PRM31 wrote:

Can you even imagine the maintenance man hours per flight hour on that beast! 

-MAVERICK- wrote:

This is pretty cool. The Queen of Thailand flying a Gripen fighter jet solo for the first time.

Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana.

plowboy wrote:

Saw a news clip about it.  They don't strap idiots into what I assume is one of their front line birds.

-MAVERICK- wrote:

This is pretty cool. The Queen of Thailand flying a Gripen fighter jet solo for the first time.

Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana.

plowboy wrote:

Saw a news clip about it.  They don't strap idiots into what I assume is one of their front line birds.

-MAVERICK- wrote:

I think it's cool because it's just so unexpected. She's got nearly 1200 hours of flying time. AircraftFlight hoursCessna T-41315 h 20 minCT-4E Airtrainer38...

I think it's cool because it's just so unexpected. She's got nearly 1200 hours of flying time. 

Aircraft	Flight hours
Cessna T-41	315 h 20 min
CT-4E Airtrainer	38 h 21 min
Pilatus PC-9	105 h 35 min
Mooney M20M	98 h 24 min
Piper PA-34 Seneca	137 h 30 min
Boeing 737-400	27 h 5 min
Boeing 737-800	453 h 7 min
Two-seat Saab Gripen JAS 39D	10 h 8 min
Total	1,188 h 29 min

• Since 2010: She has accumulated experience flying several aircraft, including military trainers and Boeing 737 passenger jets.

• June–July 2026: She studied 45 academic and emergency-procedure subjects as part of her Gripen conversion training.

• Simulator training: She completed 20 simulator sorties.

• Actual fighter training: She flew approximately 10 hours in a two-seat Gripen JAS 39D with an instructor.

• October 8, 2026: She flew the single-seat Gripen JAS 39C alone for approximately 41 minutes.

ShellyMX wrote:

G-man wrote:

The B-58 Hustler was a powerful supersonic bomber, but flying next to the XB-70 Valkyrie, it could almost look like a smaller aircraft from a completely...

The B-58 Hustler was a powerful supersonic bomber, but flying next to the XB-70 Valkyrie, it could almost look like a smaller aircraft from a completely different class. 

The B-58 was about 30 meters (99 ft) long, while the XB-70 stretched roughly 56 meters (185 ft), making the Valkyrie nearly twice as long. Its enormous six-engine layout and huge delta wing made the XB-70 look more like a futuristic flying machine than a conventional bomber. 

The comparison is especially striking because both were designed for extraordinary speed. The B-58 could reach around Mach 2, while the XB-70 was designed to push toward Mach 3. 

One was already revolutionary; the other was built to take the idea of high-speed strategic flight to an entirely different scale.

 

plowboy wrote:

Saw a news clip about it.  They don't strap idiots into what I assume is one of their front line birds.

-MAVERICK- wrote:

I think it's cool because it's just so unexpected. She's got nearly 1200 hours of flying time. AircraftFlight hoursCessna T-41315 h 20 minCT-4E Airtrainer38...

I think it's cool because it's just so unexpected. She's got nearly 1200 hours of flying time. 

Aircraft	Flight hours
Cessna T-41	315 h 20 min
CT-4E Airtrainer	38 h 21 min
Pilatus PC-9	105 h 35 min
Mooney M20M	98 h 24 min
Piper PA-34 Seneca	137 h 30 min
Boeing 737-400	27 h 5 min
Boeing 737-800	453 h 7 min
Two-seat Saab Gripen JAS 39D	10 h 8 min
Total	1,188 h 29 min

• Since 2010: She has accumulated experience flying several aircraft, including military trainers and Boeing 737 passenger jets.

• June–July 2026: She studied 45 academic and emergency-procedure subjects as part of her Gripen conversion training.

• Simulator training: She completed 20 simulator sorties.

• Actual fighter training: She flew approximately 10 hours in a two-seat Gripen JAS 39D with an instructor.

• October 8, 2026: She flew the single-seat Gripen JAS 39C alone for approximately 41 minutes.

plowboy wrote:

The wife and I went back to England in 2000 on a walking vacation for our 20th.  Mostly taking public footpaths exploring castles and ruins...and old...

The wife and I went back to England in 2000 on a walking vacation for our 20th.  Mostly taking public footpaths exploring castles and ruins...and old country pubs.

Anyway we followed a path across fields, woods and streams, as you do, and we came out behind an old pub and the grounds were full of old "50's and "60's fighter planes.  They weren't in the greatest nick but they were doing their best with donations.  Apparently there had been an old WW2 airfield out back.  It was completely removed...even the runways/taxiways.  

I tried locating the place on Google maps but to be honest we weren't really paying attention to where we were...just enjoying the moment.

 

whethefakawe wrote:

Oh yes they do...... 🤣Name a queen anywhere who earned the job through higher education or a specialized skill? Or years of hard work and achievement...

Oh yes they do...... 🤣

Name a queen anywhere who earned the job through higher education or a specialized skill? Or years of hard work and achievement? 🤣

Most of them are inbred like Cocker Spaniels, witness the British Royal Pigpen. Geez.....

This was a PR stunt, and they got away with it. 

Her "resume" is a joke. 1200 hours in 16 years, all but 480 hours in light GA aircraft?  Case of Bud Light says, 50% + of that was "dual" too. 

You DO know what a T-41 is, no?  A Cessna 172, in which she did 1/4 of her time.

It's a typical 3rd world circus. She was a coffeebringer (aka flight attendant) until she shnagged her prince on a Thai Airways flight.... and in 2016 she was still his "consort', ie. side piece 🤣

She went from slinging Diet Coke and peanuts, to a GENERAL in 6 years, then added ADMIRAL and AIR CHIEF MARSHAL to her name tag  🤣 

Suthida - Wikipedia

You boyz sure are easily impressed. I'm guessing you've never spent more than a week or two in any 3rd world armpit? 

 

G-man wrote:

The Northrop XB-35 was an experimental flying-wing bomber developed during the 1940s for long-range strategic missions. Its radical tailless design was intended to reduce drag, increase...

The Northrop XB-35 was an experimental flying-wing bomber developed during the 1940s for long-range strategic missions. Its radical tailless design was intended to reduce drag, increase lift, and provide exceptional internal space for fuel and weapons. Power came from four buried Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines driving contra-rotating pusher propellers, but persistent gearbox and propeller-drive failures severely limited the aircraft’s reliability and performance.

Flight testing began in 1946 and confirmed the aerodynamic potential of the flying-wing concept, even as mechanical problems prevented the bomber from becoming operational. The programme was cancelled in 1949, but its research continued through the jet-powered YB-49 and helped lay the groundwork for later Northrop flying-wing designs, including the B-2 Spirit.

whethefakawe wrote:

Oh yes they do...... 🤣Name a queen anywhere who earned the job through higher education or a specialized skill? Or years of hard work and achievement...

Oh yes they do...... 🤣

Name a queen anywhere who earned the job through higher education or a specialized skill? Or years of hard work and achievement? 🤣

Most of them are inbred like Cocker Spaniels, witness the British Royal Pigpen. Geez.....

This was a PR stunt, and they got away with it. 

Her "resume" is a joke. 1200 hours in 16 years, all but 480 hours in light GA aircraft?  Case of Bud Light says, 50% + of that was "dual" too. 

You DO know what a T-41 is, no?  A Cessna 172, in which she did 1/4 of her time.

It's a typical 3rd world circus. She was a coffeebringer (aka flight attendant) until she shnagged her prince on a Thai Airways flight.... and in 2016 she was still his "consort', ie. side piece 🤣

She went from slinging Diet Coke and peanuts, to a GENERAL in 6 years, then added ADMIRAL and AIR CHIEF MARSHAL to her name tag  🤣 

Suthida - Wikipedia

You boyz sure are easily impressed. I'm guessing you've never spent more than a week or two in any 3rd world armpit? 

 

lumpy790 wrote:

There must have been an air show at the airport by me because 1 of these and what looked like a man carrying plane flew past...

There must have been an air show at the airport by me because 1 of these and what looked like a man carrying plane flew past my house.

 

nocturnalmotors wrote:

I don't know anything about aviation but fascinated by much of it as an Engineer. I just came here to say my 12yr old daughter was...

I don't know anything about aviation but fascinated by much of it as an Engineer. I just came here to say my 12yr old daughter was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go up in a small plane through her school last week, put on by the EAA Young Eagles program at our local small airport. She is jazzed up by it!

G-man wrote:

The Northrop XB-35 was an experimental flying-wing bomber developed during the 1940s for long-range strategic missions. Its radical tailless design was intended to reduce drag, increase...

The Northrop XB-35 was an experimental flying-wing bomber developed during the 1940s for long-range strategic missions. Its radical tailless design was intended to reduce drag, increase lift, and provide exceptional internal space for fuel and weapons. Power came from four buried Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines driving contra-rotating pusher propellers, but persistent gearbox and propeller-drive failures severely limited the aircraft’s reliability and performance.

Flight testing began in 1946 and confirmed the aerodynamic potential of the flying-wing concept, even as mechanical problems prevented the bomber from becoming operational. The programme was cancelled in 1949, but its research continued through the jet-powered YB-49 and helped lay the groundwork for later Northrop flying-wing designs, including the B-2 Spirit.

Sully wrote:

Before the XB-35 and YB-49, Northrup had the N-9M, and single seat propeller driven flying wing that first flew in the late 30s/early 40s.  

Before the XB-35 and YB-49, Northrup had the N-9M, and single seat propeller driven flying wing that first flew in the late 30s/early 40s. 

 

G-man wrote:

The Northrop XB-35 was an experimental flying-wing bomber developed during the 1940s for long-range strategic missions. Its radical tailless design was intended to reduce drag, increase...

The Northrop XB-35 was an experimental flying-wing bomber developed during the 1940s for long-range strategic missions. Its radical tailless design was intended to reduce drag, increase lift, and provide exceptional internal space for fuel and weapons. Power came from four buried Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines driving contra-rotating pusher propellers, but persistent gearbox and propeller-drive failures severely limited the aircraft’s reliability and performance.

Flight testing began in 1946 and confirmed the aerodynamic potential of the flying-wing concept, even as mechanical problems prevented the bomber from becoming operational. The programme was cancelled in 1949, but its research continued through the jet-powered YB-49 and helped lay the groundwork for later Northrop flying-wing designs, including the B-2 Spirit.

Sully wrote:

Before the XB-35 and YB-49, Northrup had the N-9M, and single seat propeller driven flying wing that first flew in the late 30s/early 40s.  

Before the XB-35 and YB-49, Northrup had the N-9M, and single seat propeller driven flying wing that first flew in the late 30s/early 40s. 

 

TeamGreen wrote:

Isn’t that Batman’s plane? 🤔

Joey Bridges wrote:

Donnington park F1 race. Senna won.

Donnington park F1 race. 

Senna won.

Joey Bridges wrote:

Donnington park F1 race. Senna won.

Donnington park F1 race. 

Senna won.

r_outsider wrote:

Rather attached to the Spitfire, those Brits.

Rather attached to the Spitfire, those Brits.