Who Likes Aircraft ?

[69 Sleeper Bee]

 

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[Photon440]

 

[Photon440]

 

[barnfind]

P40Q

 

[barnfind]

MI-17 similar to ones spotted in Tuscon Az

 

[barnfind]

 

[Geff McCarthy]

Hog and Mustang. I have 500h in the Hog. Guarantee the Mustang is faster, higher, and more fun.
Actually, I lie, and only Hog drivers are entitled to invent new HOG-diss jokes. Bird strikes...on the trailing edge, etc.
The A-10 design spec required 450 KIAS, not easy with this max drag tank-buster. Made the spec, then GE noted casually, that, if the engine temps were left as in the spec, the engines would require much more frequent overhauls. So...the Turbine Inlet Temps were reduced by 30deg I think. There are 2 "engine temp limiter" warnings, in case the temp limiter fails. I had one such light, and all you have to do is throttle back a bit and monitor the temps, and continue on to war. Since I am rambling here...
The F-16 A/B had 2 curious engine switches: "Reduced Idle Thrust" which, if actuated, did just that. Taxying out at MacDill AFB, Tampa was 2 miles. With a "clean" jet, no stores or tanks, the Electic Jet, the Lawn Dart, would accelerate to 60-70 and overheat the brakes. Usually we flew with a single 300gal, 9g qualified, centerine tank. The other was tempting: "Mach limit override" or something like that: actuating the switch wooult allow the TiT to increase 30degC, with lots more thrust. Only authorized in "actual combat, above Mach 1.1" Here again, if the PW F-100 accumulated 10h of these temps. pull it to overhaul. I don't think either switch was ever used.
The F-16 was the originial Lightweight Fighter, an American Mig-21, the result of a 1:1 kill ratio over N Viet Nam vs the Phantom. (Navy F-8s had 3:1 kills).Less than 16,000lb empy, add 6900lb JP-4, and with around 22,000lb thrust, almost 1:1 Thrust to Weight at brake release. 11sec to 145kt rotate speed. I once saw 375KIAs still accelerating, at the departure end of the 11,000ft SAC runway at MacDill.
Wish I could do it all over again...
Photo is at Farnborough UK. I delivered this very Hun to Flight Systems in Mojave, from Barnes field MA. Cross the continent, all by myself, non-stop, no autopilot. FS had NATO contracts to tow "aerial target" aka the dart. I was in my Rover phase, with the lovely 3 Litre depicted, and a 3500S with the Buick aluminum 215. But friends, Rover was an excusable, temporary aberration...I am home to MOPAR again.

 

[Geff McCarthy]

PS "63 Fury" looks much better now, with proper original wheels, new paint and tan top.. Alexander the Great is now 12, and has his license...

 

[Geff McCarthy]

PP

S: I held the Mass ANG Hog speed record: 380KIAS, seen about 3 feet above a very cold, frozen lake in Maine. Too bad no vacationers to applaud...!

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

 

[DeltaV]

L-450F

 

[DeltaV]

Boeing Condor

wingspan:
61 meters (200 feet)
length:
20.7 meters (68 feet)
empty weight:
3.630 kilograms (8,000 pounds)
loaded weight:
9,070 kilograms (20,000 pounds)

cruise speed:
370 KPH (230 MPH / 200 KT)
service ceiling:
20,000 meters (65,000 feet)
endurance:
2.5 days

 

[DeltaV]

Phantom Ray riding piggyback on the 747 Space Shuttle carrier.

 

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