Heavy Metal

[amazinblue82]

One more on" Drain the Oceans".

This is from the episode they did on the Titanic (shown below in 1912). Since Bob Ballard found it back in 1985, we have photographed it extensively, visited it with submersibles numerous times .. heck made one of the biggest movies ever about it.

The Nat Geo guys in Drain the Oceans show it in situ, sitting on the bottom WITHOUT the water. Like its on land, under a shining sun, clouds in the sky, etc., using CGI techniques.

You see the bow/mid section sorta intact as it plowed into the bottom, separated/facing 180 degrees from, and 2,000 feet apart from, the stern which itself is largely destroyed.

Because the ocean floor there, three miles down, is largely flat, the Titanic is readily visible on the bottom. The "debris feld" between the two pieces/around the stern is where stuff fell out of the boat as it sank .. all that stuff mostly still visible 100 years later and photographed for posterity.

Quick video on that Drain the Oceans features
.

 

[3175375]

F-111B with an AIM-54A Phoenix missile.
The weapons system was specified in the requirements when the spec for what became the F-14A Tomcat.
I worked on this weapons system and with several other engineers who worked on it before and when it was being flight tested in the F-111B.

 

[Snotty]

Launching of Graf Zeppelin, Kiel, Germany, 8 Dec 1938
View attachment 535581

Launched, but never completed.

 

[LocuMob]

F-111B with an AIM-54A Phoenix missile.
The weapons system was specified in the requirements when the spec for what became the F-14A Tomcat.
I worked on this weapons system and with several other engineers who worked on it before and when it was being flight tested in the F-111B.

View attachment 536013View attachment 536014

I used to watch Wings on Discovery in the 90's, I could watch for hours on end. Great to see the development of these planes.

 

[Snotty]

I used to watch Wings on Discovery in the 90's, I could watch for hours on end. Great to see the development of these planes.

Wings was a great show! One time they were talking about the F-18, and were interviewing an Admiral about its development. The Admiral was my Friend, Gib Godwin! Served in Desert Storm and retired with two stars. Last years of his service he was working on the F-18B, having flown the A in combat.

 

[amazinblue82]

Top Gun Maverick .. seen it, OK to me but not sure what the fuss is .. the 1986 version was better. but i digress

The real thing? can't beat it: a couple for fun here with the Hornet... other than what I did with my life, the only thing I ever wanted to do. Fly jets!







btw, the folks with the HP takeoff in their Hornets... dunnno which variant of the plane, but max climb rate for E/F's is said to ~230 meters/second, which is ~45,000 feet/minute.

source: Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

Think in the length of that last video they got 8+ miles up? I do .. hot damn whatta ride that musta been!

 

[LocuMob]

Top Gun Maverick .. seen it, OK to me but not sure what the fuss is .. the 1986 version was better. but i digress

The real thing? can't beat it: a couple for fun here with the Hornet... other than what I did with my life, the only thing I ever wanted to do. Fly jets!

Guys getting their kicks kneeling next to the plane as it takes off in the second video.

 

[3175375]

I haven’t seen Maverick yet. However, I worked with both the F/A-18 A/B, C/D, E/F, E/A-18G and the F-14A/A+/B & Ds and there’s nothing that horsepower/thrust can’t replace. This video still stands as one of the best that still captures my attention:

 

[amazinblue82]

I haven’t seen Maverick yet.

id be curious to know what you, or others who see the movie who REALLY know these planes, think after/if you do see "Maverick" ... there are lets say (no spoilers here) F-14 "matters" covered in this new movie that have me shakin' my head....

 

[3175375]

id be curious to know what you, or others who see the movie who REALLY know these planes, think after/if you do see "Maverick" ... there are lets say (no spoilers here) F-14 "matters" covered in this new movie that have me shakin' my head....

I’ll say this:

The F-14 was a complicated platform. It had lots of boxes. It was heavy. Its original computer had less capability than a Commodore 64 and ran on essentially an 8 track tape.
It had to be replaced and we got the F/A-18 (eventually the E/F/G) and it does a lot those things better.
However, the environment also changed. Nobody has a long range strike fighter with intercept capability like the F-14. It’s not required and the capability has been replaced with Tomahawks and drones.

But there’s still yearning for raw, earth-shaking power, like the engines of an F-14D in full afterburner.

Finally, with its girth, swept wings and ‘Imean business look’, the F-14 is one of a kind.

 

[amazinblue82]

However, the environment also changed. Nobody has a long range strike fighter with intercept capability like the F-14. It’s not required and the capability has been replaced with Tomahawks and drones.

thanks boss.

can you give me (interested but not knowledgable enough) the "pedestrian" version of this assessment?

 

[3175375]

thanks boss.

can you give me (interested but not knowledgable enough) the "pedestrian" version of this assessment?

The Phoenix missile had a range of over 100 miles. The AWG-9 radar could support up to 6 of them. The F-14 could also carry 2-2000 lb bombs, with missiles and guns and remain on station longer than the super hornets.

I see the short legs (enough fuel) of the F/A-18s tying up precious resources (currently the Navy is using other F/A-18s as refueling aircraft) and burning up the platforms lifetime quicker.

I believe that the Navy made a mistake in retirement of the S-3 Viking as a tanker-replacing it with the F/A-18 (for now, tanker versions of the CV-22s and drones are coming)
Yes, KC-135s, KC-10s are available, but limits the carrier strike group.

Does that help?

 

[LocuMob]

the F-14 is one of a kind

It was the top dog when I was growing up.

I had the chance to see F-15's up close at Otis ANG back in early '92. Saw them do a quick take off with partial afterburner, and got to sit in a cockpit of one in a hanger. Got told the trigger was live as I was sitting down in the pilots seat. Also got to fly the simulator, and I was the only one to actually maintain a heading and go where they told me to go. Sadly it was static, so it felt like I was at home playing MS Flight Simulator. Still fun for a 16 year old.

 

[xxcarguy]

It’s not a HEMi but makes a lot of power!
Saturn V and space shuttle piggyback on the return 747

 

[Snotty]

The Saturn V was built by Chrysler, so go ahead and call it a hemi!!!

 

[amazinblue82]

a "hemi" getting 6,000 lbs of keronse/per minute mileage, and generating thrust equal to 32 million horsepower .. times 5 (each F-1 engine) for the first stage...

Chrylser built Saturn V first stages at NASA's Michaud (Louisiana) plant (source: Fly Chrysler to the Moon: the Saturn Rockets):

Great piece here in All Par on Space Division's total role in putting men on the moon. Fascinating...

 

[amazinblue82]

Sorry .. i never tire of the Saturn V. Couple things here:

Pic of Apollo 11 when it broke the sound barrier (you see the "shock collar" around the rocket). Then a montage of Saturn V launches, with sound, and sonic boom around 30 sec.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

But there’s still yearning for raw, earth-shaking power, like the engines of an F-14D in full afterburner.

Finally, with its girth, swept wings and ‘Imean business look’, the F-14 is one of a kind

They were cool to watch when on plane guard. I'm sure it was boring for people on the bridge, but for a tired, sweaty, dirty engineer it was fun to watch for a few moments then back to the grind.

 

[amazinblue82]

Little detour from another recent post.

Where was this Mopar Brochure/Ad Photo shot?

Post #354 is indeed Los Angeles, Ca. The Chevy Colorado is on Figueroa Street between 2nd and 3rd street. The iconic building in the background is the Bonaventure Hotel and is the background for many a movie and TV show. Westin Bonaventure Hotel - Wikipedia @amazinblue82 informed me this hotel...

www.forcbodiesonly.com

The GM Renaissance Center, now owned by GM and serves as its world HQ, has other businesses there, hotel, shops, restaurants, meeting space, etc..

Why is it here? Its one of the largest commercial complexes in the whole world, at over 5.5 million square feet. That's buncha metal.

Some mid-70's vintage material here .. 8 mins with some Deodato accompaniment



Beyond that, since I have been out of Detroit for a few years, I am losing track of what's going on thats really cool in the city.

Yes .. lotta cities doing cool things. Detroit is getting outta few decades of "struggles" .. lets say it like that -- which is really neat. I ain't getting into Detroit's troubles.. inevitably goes to areas that get threads/posts blown up.

But, I remember vividy ..those corporate cats ("Hank the Duece" - Henry Fold II was a ring leader) dreamed BIG .. and got it done. At that time (1974-1977) the Ren Cen was the largest private project ever done in the whole wide world.

I just reallly identify with the Ren Cen complex because it was completed when I was growing up in the late 1970s. The is a picture of it being built is in my HS yearbook.

When I got outta college in early 80's I worked there for 8 years until 1990 -- like a boyhood dream come true. I was a "suit" in the coolest building in country.

Its like ya gotta see the Detroit Fireworks from that location, 30 to 70 floors up. For full effect though -- light and sound -- the parking deck roof to the west puts you right in the action in a way that's hard to beat.

Under GM's ownershi over past 15 years, and $500 million in NEW investment, they (GM, the city, others) have done a magnificent job with the Ren Cen.

Anyway, the "old girl" never looked better -- standing tall headed toward 50 years old. (source:

General Motors Renaissance Center Façade Lighting | Gensler

General Motors (GM) sought to increase the prominence of its Renaissance Center world headquarters in the heart of downtown Detroit through the...

www.gensler.com

 

[amazinblue82]

last ones. ren cen site in 1972, then 1974 after site prep had started. colored boxes show approx. location of the 7 Red Cen buildings standing today.

it needed something down there .. some the last vestiges of the downtown riverfront/water logistics economy, that was also a big part of Detroit's growth since 1701, was finally replaced by Portman's gleaming glass/steel/concrete masterpiece.