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The aviation sites on X seem to be posting lots of A-10 pics lately.
They are badass little numbers -
I had a layover in Boise, did a little MTB while I was there, kicked my ass, however while at the airport they were coming and going all day - I don't know enough about strategic placement, but that area must be where we keep many of the A-10
Speaking of the A-10, here's a good book about USAF Colonel John Boyd and his involvement in the development of the A-10, F-15 and F-16. Without his influence the Warthog would never have gotten off the drawing board.
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I'm halfway through a book right now.
I'll find that one for my next read.
Keepin' this thread bumped...
I usually see lots of activity in the air during the week where I camp just south of the China Lake Naval Air Station in Ridgecrest , Ca. . This is the first time I’ve seen two planes with a drone flying between them. It’s in the middle towards the bottom
Didn’t zoom in…but, sometimes they’re flying along with cruise-missiles.
Tacit Blue and Have Blue are a couple of the important ac that got us down the path of true stealth.
Have Blue…which led to the 117.
Whoa!!!!! 😲
I've never seen that aircraft. What is it?
Sir!!
Republic’s XF-91 was one of the United States’ earliest attempts to mate rocket engines to aircraft. The Thunderceptor, a painfully contrived name, employed a turbojet engine and four rocket engines along with several other eccentricities, the strangest of which was the inverse taper of its variable-sweep wings—they were narrower at the root than they were at the tip.In 1951 the XF-91 made history by exceeding Mach 1 in level flight, the first U.S. combat aircraft to do so. But Republic’s ugly duckling never saw production, and in 1953, North American’s F-100 Super Sabre claimed the honor of being the premier supersonic fighter.
The fact they got from that to the 117 in a span of 5 years is incredible. I wonder what the logic was behind inverting the tail stabilizers on the 117.
I always have a bit of a Bloody Hell(fire) moment when I see this picture of a Vee Dub compared to the A10 Gun :
If I recall correctly…”dynamics”…I remember Have Blue being a real challenge to fly and the 117 changes (including a rather advanced-for-it’s-time flight computer)…fixed that…and didn’t affect the signature/cross-section.
I’m not sure…but, as I recall…an early 117 test ac didn’t make it…and I’m wondering if the Have Blue demonstrator is the bird I’m thinking of…that crashed somewhere off of 138 out near Rosamond…?
Pit Row
I have always loved the venerable ol’ Wildcat!
Not to go down a rabbit-hole of nerd stuff, but I have been an avid RC flier (with a strong interest in WWII warbirds) all the way back to the 80’s! AND you almost NEVER see the Wildcat as a scale model for ONE difficult reason…The way Grumman designed & built the landing gear that retracted into the fuselage!
I have never seen functional scale Wildcat gear in person and only a few pics of that from master scale builders with machine-shop expertise! The Hellcat on the other hand? A scale model favorite! 😁
Now back to cool full scale aircraft! 😎 👍❗️
B-17 Sentimental Journey
Five minutes from my home. When I hear this THUNDEROUS bird in the air, I stop everything I am doing and watch it fly by, it's pretty dang awesome to experience what it must have been like back in the day.
Red Mountain in the background and the facility (now Boeing) that brought me and many other Hughes Helicopters transplants to sunny 🌞 Arizona....
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BE6eG7FV6/
It was a cryin' shame that the Confederate Airforce lost their's when that cobra hit it.
Ever read the NTSB report on that?
https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AIR-24-07.pdf
I have some opinions....
Interesting conclusion.
I was an avid skydiver, in Texas, for almost 15yrs.
D license with a couple thousand jumps.
Did a few demo jumps during airshows where the Confederate Airforce had their planes on display, and circulating in the airspace around the airports.
Jumped from a few of their planes.
Very experienced pilots.
But, shit happens.
I do remember the video of the crash.
Seem to remember the bomber flying flat and level, and the Cobra basically spearing it.
NTSB report reads like a damn word salad.
https://youtu.be/FdLAAh8-lrk?si=MCvznkU9Pu8PR8zj
I was stationed on the A-10 at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge from '85-89. I did not see the mod from your thread. We did have to water wash the engines frequently because of ingested gun gases.
They did give us this gun gas diverted that bolted to the front of the barrels, and while it did work, it was ungodly heavy and unbalanced. Terrible vibrations. If you ever get a close look a group of hogs...you will see a lot of them with humongous reinforcement patches where the fuselages were cracked.
Another problem was the hydraulic lines chafed terribly when the gun fired. Growing pains. I loved working on it.
I flew with the pilot that was flying the Cobra. We deadheaded to Chicago to pick up a 777 and ferry it back Houston. He showed me pictures of the Cobra and other vintage aircraft that he flew. I remember him telling me how limited the visibility was in the Cobra cockpit. After reading the report, it confirmed what he told me. It was a gut punch to find out it was him. He was a great guy.
What 'plane is that?
By the Cannons I can see on top, and the general design, could it be a much earlier 'take' on Ground Support, like the A10s?
Though, it looks like it may be considerably larger than the A10. All the glass/ viewing areas are interesting.
Sir,
Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
You can recognize it by its distinctive twin-boom design, with the cockpit nacelle in the center and twin tails connected by a horizontal stabilizer. It was a U.S. fighter used extensively during World War II, known for its versatility—serving as a fighter, interceptor, bomber escort, and reconnaissance aircraft.
Doesn't look like any P-38 I've ever seen a picture of...
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