Historic Aircraft from back in the day

 Bomber or Drone? 

Armaments: There's rumored to be new AGM158 variants or an all new AGM with Air to Air/Air to Ground/Air to Ship capabilities developed for it. Then there's the long storied plan for the B21 to launch "mini B21s". 

Also, the B21 is supposedly "crew optional"...it is, itself, potentially a "drone"...a very capable...UAV. Also, over the years of LRS-B talk...part of the intended mission has also been Long Range Sensing...in a stealth platform. So, I'm guessing they'll eventually start commenting on those capabilities as China and others stir up shit globally and we continue to decide to "flex or tech". 

For those of you that watched the unveiling, you may have noticed Sec-Def Austin commenting on it having the longest range...of a bomber...EVER...kinda nice. That number is always classified; but, almost always sorta "leaks"...so, we'll see. 

If you take a good look at the wing, you'll notice it's got a rather "organic" silhouette. It's "raked" out towards the tips...a lot like a 787. 

Any bets on First Flight date? 

A Lancaster? Badass aeroplane! There's apparently two still flying, one in Ontario, would like to go see that one someday. There's also one in a museum South of Calgary, Alberta I have seen, beautiful aircraft and can run and taxi but doesn't fly at the moment.

Very cool, G-man! The Lockheed NF-104A Aerospace Trainer. Only three were built and one of the survivors is still displayed front of the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB. 

For anyone unfamiliar with this, Chuck Yeager's incident is depicted near the end of the film The Right Stuff. In the movie version, the NF-104 testing program has just been cancelled by the higher-ups. Hearing the news, Yeager (Sam Shepard), with the help of aerospace engineer Jackie Ridley (Levon Helm), decides to "borrow" the NF (in the film they actually used a German Luftwaffe F-104) and attempt to break the all-time altitude record. Before climbing into the cockpit, Yeager famously asks Jackie, "Hey Ridley . . . you got any Beemans?" The entire concept of that scene was conveniently "borrowed" for the opening of Top Gun Maverick when Pete Mitchell attempts his own speed record in the experimental Darkstar aircraft. (I'll say this: at least the Maverick producers were smart enough to borrow from the best. )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzgIHMzJ680

Speaking of Jackie Ridley, about 10 years ago I bought a vintage 1946 flight testing textbook on eBay. I didn't look at it too carefully until maybe 4-5 years later when I noticed the name "Ridley J. L. " written in pencil on the upper corner of the title page. I'm can't imagine many people would have had an esoteric book like this back in1946 so I'm inclined to believe it originally belonged to Jackie Lynwood Ridley. Who knows?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ridley_(pilot)

Good show on the spitfire I came across last night.

There's some amazing stories about KC-135 crews. The fighter jockeys get all the attention but I really think a lot of the tanker and transport pilots are some of the best and bravest out there.

https://tacairnet.com/2014/10/21/north-star-how-a-kc-135-crew-saved-an-…

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-epic-story-of-the-kc-135-crew-that-…

Holy shit! Now that's the true definition of tough.

^^^

What a story of grit.  Thanks G-man for posting that to this thread.

That’s a miracle. Nothing less than…a miracle. Thanks for sharing it. 

The Greatest Generation.  Set aside personal comfort, family and self to join a fight against evil.  The only way we can begin to repay their sacrifices is to remember and be willing to do do the same when called.

Awesome pics of the inside of the B-17. I did a tour of one at an airshow here in FL. There was no way my 6'2" 220lb ass was even remotely going to fit inside that ball turret. I tried, but no way!

This thread delivers.

Nice! 

Btw, the NASA channel has been running a show called “X-31: Breaking the Chain: Lessons Learned” on the NASA channel. It’s an EXCELLENT vid for representing the technology explored in the ‘80s and how some programs can have things get away from them…and how they learned to GET IT BACK! 

Wow! And completely privately funded. 

That lift-body they’re launching, Talon A, sure looks a lot like the classics like the Shuttle or the X40/X37B…you know..,the 9 meter scaled down shuttlesque “Space Plane” that’s been orbiting the earth at FLs of 150-500+ miles doing…well…”experiments” for the USAF/USSF since the late 90s…tho…official records only reference flts since 2010ish…

If Talon truly delivers, it’s suppose to achieve speeds as high as Mach 10. 

The Stratoluancher is an amazing piece of composite aerospace development. The real genius is in the use of existing “off the shelf” systems from everyday aircraft as seen in the landing gear, propulsion and nav/guidance systems.

Glad to see this thread back up where it belongs.

I'm no engineer and dim as a 15w bulb but that Stratolauncher looks like a disaster waiting to happen.  The only thing holding the two halves together is that "mid" wing section.  Even if there are sturdy spars running from wingtip to wingtip...thru the fuselages...that's some risky shit in the wrong circumstances.  If they had also connected the empennages or tails...I'd feel a LOT better about it.  But, I'm a scardy cat so...

Ultra-High-Modulus Carbon-Fiber Moncoque Construction. The absolute best fibers avail. Stronger than typically used or "designed for". That thing is solid. The Mid-Span is the Launch Platform that the rest of the aircraft is built around. Even the epoxy-resin technology used is "next level".

You could park a train atop that mid-section. If you watch that a/c in flight, it doesn't flex or twist like you'd imagine. Also, the thrust control is monitored at a level that Boeing and the rest of the other big a/c building community SHOULD be using...but, aren't. That's why you'll notice all the av/nav/control data is digitally blurred in their videos.

Interesting facts about that launch platform...which is the reason it was created...

Weight Empty: <500,000 lbs

Weight Ready to Roll/Full Fuel + Crew: 750,000 pounds

Weight with Max Take Off Pay Load: 1,300,000 pounds (550,000 pounds of INFLIGHT LAUNCH-ABLE PAYLOAD!)

Can launch space vehicles within 24 hours. Was designed for the Pegasus Launcher Program and has been re-designated to this hyper-sonic launch program.

That bird is AMAZING...it's got 250,000 pounds of 747-400/DASH hardware in it and that's a big part of how it can carry sooooo much weight and get it sooooo damn high. Each one of those 6 PWs puts out over 56,000 lb/thrust per (340,500 total).

The people that built that thing know more about composite materials, design and engineering than most other aero-co's have even dreamed of.

I'm truly glad...no...I'm grateful that Cerberus resurrected that program and found a home for it. And I'm glad that Paul Allen made it happen to begin with.

You know ... all these X-aircraft with their fancy scram jet, swing wing, electric hybrid, hyper-sonic widgets are just fine. But maybe we need to get back to the basics.

Something for the blue collar working guy.

As you can imagine, this did not have a happy ending.

FLIGHT OF FANCY: STORY OF ‘MIZAR,’ THE GALPINIZED FLYING FORD PINTO -

https://performance.ford.com/enthusiasts/newsroom/2019/09/mizar-flying-pinto.html

I don't doubt a single thing you said...in fact I consider it gospel.  But, as I may have mentioned...I'm a scardy cat.

Heck, I've turned down rides in F-111's, and even an old Mitsubishi Zero trainer.  I have been up in the T-37 and T-38 because I trusted 'em (I maintained them and did my own preflights).  That's just how this cat rolls.

A kid I sponsored recently graduated from his T-38 rotation (the final rate you get before graduation/getting your assignment) & he'd been coached to let one of his better instructors know that he was interested in FAIP (First Assignment Instructor Pilot)...well...

He got it! He got FAIP with Jet Select after that rotation...which speaks highly of his qual's and evals during training. If everything goes to plan...we're gonna try to get him in the F22 NGAD development program when he rotates out of his T6 Texan Instructor gig...which he is LOVING! 23 years old and flying a real plane like real men do...

Some folks think the F35 is the super awesome plane to get; but, you would not believe the shit that the plane WILL NOT let you do and the systems you have NO CONTROL over. It's kinda boring...and it's kinda limited in what it's currently "allowed" to do for the average pilot "envelope-wise". So...a smart young flier goes after the birds that are actually "fun to fly"...Warthog, Viper, Strike Eagle (there are still a few Cs and Ds out there...but, that's often a Guard seat & those birds are getting OLD. A "D" training assignment is a REALLY GOOD GIG!), The F-Deuce Deuce Raptor (requires developed skill sets and seniority)...and that's about it of AF fun stuff. Even the B1 gets laughed at by the kids these days and that bird can do some fun stuff...but, none of the kids want to fly it...same goes for the B2...21...etc. "Boring stuff for old guys and career airline dudes!"

I love this stuff and the people that shred the air.

Yep...that's how she works.  The F18 and F22 are probably the last of the hot sticks.  

That FAIP assignment is good on many levels.  He'll get 3 times as many hours as his peers....and hours mean something in that biz.

20+ years ago I talked to a guy out at Willow Springs Raceway near Edwards AFB. He was an Asian American guy who was a test pilot flying, among other things, the F-4 Phantom II. I believe he was working on a contract for Tracor at the Mojave Airport, converting Phantoms to QF-4 target drones. He told me the F-4 was the last US fighter that you actually had to fly yourself. No fly-by-wire back then!

https://www.key.aero/article/pure-adrenalin-what-it-was-fly-english-ele…

One of my favourite machines, the English electric lightening. Lovingly known by its pilots as the frightening.