3175375
Senior Member
The engines on the B-1B lancer- 4 of them! F101-GE-102 In full afterburner. Wow!
Heavy Metal
- Thread starter amazinblue82
- Start date
I got to see B-1 at an air show back in the 90's. Very impressive plane for it's size.
3175375
Senior Member
And now for something completely different:
Qapla!! Klingon battlecruiser, D7 class.
Another way to "boldly go" in the 23rd century.
source (for nerds like me
): Star Trek: Starship Handbook Volume III: Alpha & Beta Quadrants
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They had a tremendous load capacity, much greater than the B17 or the B24. It could carry the 25,000 pound Grand Slam bomb; those two American planes could only look at it.
On the other hand, I always thought the British .303 round was too small. I would rather be in a plane defended by the Ma Deuce! Then again, these did not fly daylight missions.
I can hear the music just looking at the picture!!!
67newport
Old Man with a Hat
UssTexas
they are doing what they said . she's in drydock getting patched up. bravo!
Heavy Metal
source: Photo: U.S. Navy Battleship USS Texas Is Getting a Historic Upgrade
After some "bumping and painting,"", here in December 2023.
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3175375
Senior Member
A Grumman F4F Wildcat that's been converted into a spray plane in the 1960s.
67newport
Old Man with a Hat
3175375
Senior Member
Have you ever heard of an Assembly Ship?
Assembly ships, also known as formation ships or Judas goats, were typically older or war weary models of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses or Consolidated B-24 Liberators. These aircraft were modified by removing their armaments and outfitting them with additional flares and navigational equipment, along with distinctive and colorful paint schemes. Their role was to facilitate the quicker assembly of combat box formations.
One such assembly ship was the Spotted Ape, also nicknamed Wonder Bread, which operated with the 458th Bomb Group. The Spotted Ape's tenure as the group's formation leader concluded on March 9, 1945, when, upon their return and landing at Horsham, the plane veered off the runway and came to a halt on its underside. Subsequently, the aircraft was deemed a total loss and designated for salvage.
Assembly ships, also known as formation ships or Judas goats, were typically older or war weary models of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses or Consolidated B-24 Liberators. These aircraft were modified by removing their armaments and outfitting them with additional flares and navigational equipment, along with distinctive and colorful paint schemes. Their role was to facilitate the quicker assembly of combat box formations.
One such assembly ship was the Spotted Ape, also nicknamed Wonder Bread, which operated with the 458th Bomb Group. The Spotted Ape's tenure as the group's formation leader concluded on March 9, 1945, when, upon their return and landing at Horsham, the plane veered off the runway and came to a halt on its underside. Subsequently, the aircraft was deemed a total loss and designated for salvage.
Interesting ..
This source called one of these planes a "spotted cow". Same thing? UK designation?
Description of usage same as you said. Didnt see/notice on "why" the polka dotss?
sources: 42-3441 / Patches II aka The Spotted Cow | B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies, What is the story about this B-17
B-17
This one referred to a B-24
source: File:First Sergeant B-24D Assembly Ship or Judas Goat.jpg - Wikipedia
Yes, same thing. These planes were "War weary," but could still perform these tasks.
3175375
Senior Member
I took it as the polka dots were for increased visibility.
3175375
Senior Member
Big Tail SR-71
I thought it was ugly. It's like a bumblebee with too big of a stinger. Reading Paul Crickmore‘s book “Beyond the secret missions, the Missing Chapters. The real reason Big Tail wasn’t pursued further was the intercept capabilities of the SA-5 (4 solid-fueled strap-on rocket boosters launch the SA-5 Gammon missile) were less of a threat to the SR 71 than had been anticipated. SR-71A #61-7959 came off the assembly line like any other Blackbird, but it was chosen as the platform for a new set of sensor equipment to be carried in a nine-foot extension from the rear of the aircraft.
#959 came off the assembly line like any other SR-71 when rolled out on Aug. 16, 1965. It was chosen as the platform for a new set of sensor equipment to be carried in a nine-foot extension from the rear of the aircraft in 1975.
When the SRs went operational during the Vietnam War, some Missions were canceled due to weather conditions. This led to the experimental testing of the additional camera. In 1974, the Air Force identified a requirement for an aft-facing Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) capability for the SR-71, and several feasibility studies examined by the Air Force included conformal packages underneath the aft fuselage and belly pods, as well as an extended tail fairing. After researching all the possibilities, the extended tail appeared to be the most viable option based on the lowest cost, added volume, and least amount of aerodynamic drag.
The new ‘Big Tail’ assembly would be 13 feet 9 inches long and weigh 1,273 lbs. with 49 cubic feet of space to carry 864 lbs. of payload. The primary payload would consist of an aft-facing ECM and the 24-inch Optical Bar Camera. [According to Habu.org] because of the lengthened tail section, the new assembly would also have to be articulated to move 8.5 degrees upward to clear the runway during take-off and landing and then downward so it would not interfere with the aircraft’s drag chute deployment on rollout.
On Dec. 3, 1975, the “Big Tail” flew for the first time. The tests demonstrated little performance loss, but the new sensor equipment proved little advantage. The program was dropped, and this aircraft was last flown on Oct. 29, 1976, and is the only “Big Tail” in existence. Although Big Tail had proven to be a viable system operationally, the Air Force chose not to pursue the concept further. After only 36 flights with the extended tail, # 959 made its last flight on Oct. 29, 1976.
Written by Linda Sheffield
I thought it was ugly. It's like a bumblebee with too big of a stinger. Reading Paul Crickmore‘s book “Beyond the secret missions, the Missing Chapters. The real reason Big Tail wasn’t pursued further was the intercept capabilities of the SA-5 (4 solid-fueled strap-on rocket boosters launch the SA-5 Gammon missile) were less of a threat to the SR 71 than had been anticipated. SR-71A #61-7959 came off the assembly line like any other Blackbird, but it was chosen as the platform for a new set of sensor equipment to be carried in a nine-foot extension from the rear of the aircraft.
#959 came off the assembly line like any other SR-71 when rolled out on Aug. 16, 1965. It was chosen as the platform for a new set of sensor equipment to be carried in a nine-foot extension from the rear of the aircraft in 1975.
When the SRs went operational during the Vietnam War, some Missions were canceled due to weather conditions. This led to the experimental testing of the additional camera. In 1974, the Air Force identified a requirement for an aft-facing Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) capability for the SR-71, and several feasibility studies examined by the Air Force included conformal packages underneath the aft fuselage and belly pods, as well as an extended tail fairing. After researching all the possibilities, the extended tail appeared to be the most viable option based on the lowest cost, added volume, and least amount of aerodynamic drag.
The new ‘Big Tail’ assembly would be 13 feet 9 inches long and weigh 1,273 lbs. with 49 cubic feet of space to carry 864 lbs. of payload. The primary payload would consist of an aft-facing ECM and the 24-inch Optical Bar Camera. [According to Habu.org] because of the lengthened tail section, the new assembly would also have to be articulated to move 8.5 degrees upward to clear the runway during take-off and landing and then downward so it would not interfere with the aircraft’s drag chute deployment on rollout.
On Dec. 3, 1975, the “Big Tail” flew for the first time. The tests demonstrated little performance loss, but the new sensor equipment proved little advantage. The program was dropped, and this aircraft was last flown on Oct. 29, 1976, and is the only “Big Tail” in existence. Although Big Tail had proven to be a viable system operationally, the Air Force chose not to pursue the concept further. After only 36 flights with the extended tail, # 959 made its last flight on Oct. 29, 1976.
Written by Linda Sheffield
Old Mike
Well-Known Member
The tanker is a KC-135 Q model, configured specifically to refuel the SR-71. The Q differed from the A models internally. The body tanks were plumbed separately from the wing tanks and the right wheel well had two single point fuel receptacles instead of one as on the As. The body tanks would be filled with JP-7 to refuel the SR and the wings were filled with JP-4 for the tanker to fly on. There was a crossover manifold which could be opened to fill body and wings with JP-4. Doing so was called “flying dirty”.
3175375
Senior Member
Crazy:
The Ekranoplan KM (Korabl Maket) seen in both engine configurations (cruise engines mounted on tail and above cockpit)
The KM, referred to as the ‘Caspian Sea Monster’ was a 10 engined, 500 ton Wing in ground effect craft (although it flew only in ground effect I think it’s ok to post here since it was a flying craft) it had 8 canard mounted ‘take off engines’ and 2 cruise engines. It was designed by the famous Rostislav Alexeyev and first flew in 1966. It crashed and sank in the Caspian Sea in 1980.
The Ekranoplan KM (Korabl Maket) seen in both engine configurations (cruise engines mounted on tail and above cockpit)
The KM, referred to as the ‘Caspian Sea Monster’ was a 10 engined, 500 ton Wing in ground effect craft (although it flew only in ground effect I think it’s ok to post here since it was a flying craft) it had 8 canard mounted ‘take off engines’ and 2 cruise engines. It was designed by the famous Rostislav Alexeyev and first flew in 1966. It crashed and sank in the Caspian Sea in 1980.
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3175375
Senior Member
✪ Just looks fast!: NASA chose a Vought F-8A Crusader, re-designated as TF-8A, to serve as the testbed aircraft for fitting an experimental Supercritical Wing (SCW) instead of its standard wing. The SCW's distinctive design lessens the impact of shock waves on the upper surface close to Mach 1, thereby diminishing drag. .
#helicopters #airbus #bell
#hughes #technology
#aviation #pilot #aircraftcarrier
#airbuscaptain #sikorsky
#boeing #navalaviation .
#helicopters #airbus #bell
#hughes #technology
#aviation #pilot #aircraftcarrier
#airbuscaptain #sikorsky
#boeing #navalaviation .
3175375
Senior Member
about 2.5miles from Sanford FL. She is here delivering an Airbus satellite for an upcoming launch. SFB
Airbus Beluga XL
Airbus BelugaXL - Wikipedia
Airbus Beluga XL
Airbus BelugaXL - Wikipedia
