The Airplane thread

   #181  

vreihen

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Back when "Stock cars" actually bore some mechanical resemblance to cars you could buy at a dealership?

Here's footage of the 1960 Empire State 200 race. Richard Petty "The King" (#43) finished in second place, driving a blue car with 1950's styling fins:


They have the location wrong. It was *not* at Stewart, despite what their captioning says.....
 
   #182  

vreihen

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http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a26796/hypersonic-sr-72-aircraft/

After Years of Silence, We Finally Know More About the SR-71 Blackbird's Successor
Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs, or Skunk Works, discussed the future of the SR-72, a Mach 6 strike and reconnaissance aircraft.

landscape-1496928783-lockheed-sr72-hypersonic-spy-plane.jpg

Lockheed Martin


By Jay Bennett
Jun 7, 2017

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works recently divulged some information about the SR-72 program to build a successor to the iconic SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft. The advanced aircraft development division of Lockheed Martin told Aviation Week that hypersonic technologies, including a combined cycle propulsion system that merges a supersonic jet engine with a rocket engine, have advanced to the point that work on the planned SR-72 can begin in earnest. On paper, the SR-72 will be a strike and reconnaissance aircraft capable of topping Mach 6.

"We've been saying hypersonics is two years away for the last 20 years, but all I can say is the technology is mature and we, along with DARPA and the services, are working hard to get that capability into the hands of our warfighters as soon as possible," Rob Weiss, Lockheed Martin's executive vice president and general manager for Skunk Works, told Aviation Week.

gallery-1496845809-lockheed-sr-71-blackbird-1.jpg


An SR-71B, the trainer version of the SR-71 Blackbird, over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in December 1994. The trainer includes a raised second cockpit for the instructor.
U.S. Air Force


The Air Force and DARPA have been working on the early development of a hypersonic successor to the SR-71 since the early 2000s. In 2013, the USAF announced that it had begun design work on a scaled demonstrator of the SR-72. Since then, however, almost no details about the program have been released.

Now Skunk Works has confirmed that ground tests on a combined cycle engine with elements of a scramjet and rocket engine were conducted from 2013 to 2017. Lockheed Martin partnered with Aerojet Rocketdyne to began work modifying an off-the-shelf turbine to build a combined cycle engine back in 2006. The advanced aircraft division also said that it was getting close to starting full scale development of a flight research vehicle (FRV) that could be piloted or operated remotely. This FRV is expected to be about the size of an F-22 and use a full combined cycle propulsion system, according to Aviation Week.

Lockheed Martin optimistically plans to fly an FRV in the early 2020s. Following demonstrator flight testing, a full-scale twin-engine SR-72, about the same size as the SR-71, could achieve first flight before 2030.

The SR-72 program has been under the hood for years, and details are still tantalizingly lacking. In the 2020s, however, we could finally see what Skunk Works has been up to for the past two decades.

Source: Aviation Week
 
   #183  

Flaps10

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Closest I ever came to a bitchin job was in a Piaggio. A wealthy student of mine had one on order and needed a pilot.

Odd dude, insisted on learning in the Mooneycan231 and was often too lazy to finish the lesson. He'd say "I don't want to do this any more. You fly".

As the plane got closer to delivery his insurance company insisted I be 2-3 times cooler than I am.

I did get to sit in one. I began thinking it would be an odd looking pig (and it's odd I'm not going to lie).

Spectacular visibility, super spacious and quiet up front.
They sound very unique
 
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   #184  

Flaps10

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Come along for a ride to an airshow in Wenatchee, WA.
 
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   #185  

Andy

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Published on Jun 19, 2017
This Boeing 707-120 is the original SAM-970 (tail number 58-6970)

It is the first jet plane to become Air Force One. This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force and is currently on display at the Museum of Flight in Washington.

Back when the aircraft was in service, whenever the President was aboard, the Nuclear Football would allegedly be kept in this two-drawer Mosler GSA safe, located at the front of the plane on the port side. This safe also was said to contain the codes for the Armed Services communication center codes.

And I just opened it. ;-)

I mean, honestly, this wasn't all that outrageous of a task. It was (and still is) equipped with a Mosler 302 mechanical safe dial. And, as is right and proper whenever such a safe or any other GSA/DoD/etc container is placed out of service, some technician diligently changed the combination to 50-25-50.

Still, it was something of a shock to the folk on the aircraft when I opened it. I was told that this was likely the first time anyone had opened that safe in years.

You can see a pretty nice walkthrough of the whole plane at this site here... https://thepointsguy.com/2016/12/3d-t...

Other similar retired Air Force One jets are on display at the US Air Force museum and at the Reagan Presidential Library and museum. Maybe I'll have to visit those one day, too!
 
   #186  

vreihen

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"And, as is right and proper whenever such a safe or any other GSA/DoD/etc container is placed out of service, some technician diligently changed the combination to 50-25-50."

I wonder how many safes are installed around the government with this very combination, because their techs were government employees and have no motivation to be diligent?????
 
   #187  

D-Dub

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"And, as is right and proper whenever such a safe or any other GSA/DoD/etc container is placed out of service, some technician diligently changed the combination to 50-25-50."

I wonder how many safes are installed around the government with this very combination, because their techs were government employees and have no motivation to be diligent?????

Probably a lot, but I bet still less than those computer accounts with passwords of 'password'.
 
   #189  

vreihen

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No - after the security scares recently, they were all upgraded...

The 'P' is a capital now

Buy stock in 3M, because the government will need a gazillion Post-It notes to stick under keyboards if they push a mandatory password change on all employees.....
 
   #190  

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The hipster version of my weekend, put together using templates in the GoPro software
 
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   #191  

vreihen

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http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/news/a27094/su-22-dodge-aim-9x-sidewinder/

How Did a 30-Year-Old Jet Dodge the Pentagon's Latest Missile?
The AIM-9X Sidewinder failed to bring down an aging attack jet.

By Kyle Mizokami
Jun 26, 2017

By now you've probably heard that a U.S. fighter shot down a Syrian jet about a week ago. What you might not know is that before the F/A-18E hit its target, it missed–and it missed with the best, newest U.S. missile.

On June 18, just moments after a Syrian Arab Air Force Su-22 attacked Coalition forces, a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet strike fighter rolled into a firing position and opened fire. The Super Hornet locked onto the Su-22 "Fitter" and launched the Military's most advanced short-range air-to-air missile, which promptly missed. While the plane was eventually brought down by another, different missile, the question remains: why did the AIM-9X Sidewinder miss?

The Sukhoi Su-22 is a Cold War-era attack jet designed to strike targets on the ground. A single-seat aircraft, like many aircraft designed in the 1970s it had "swing wings." Cutting edge for its time, this feature allowed the plane to maximize its combat range. Known as "Fitter" to NATO, the Su-22 was designed solely as an air-to-ground aircraft with little to no air-to-air capability. It was produced in large numbers and widely sold abroad. The design is obsolete, and while many air forces still fly the Fitter, it isn't by choice. Here's a video of Su-22 Fitters in Polish Air Force service: [omitted]

The Super Hornet, meanwhile, is the U.S. Navy's top-of-the-line strike fighter. The Super Hornet is armed with both the infrared guided AIM-9X Sidewinder short range air-to-air missile and the radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range missile. It's a potent combination of air-to-air missiles, representing the best of American military technology.

According to CNN, the Navy Super Hornet locked onto the Su-22 Fitter at a range of 1.5 miles. The Super Hornet launched an AIM-9X, and the Syrian pilot loosed flares to lure the infrared guided missile away from his fighter. The trick worked, and the American missile missed. The Super Hornet then launched an AMRAAM missile which, using radar guidance, is unaffected by flares. This time the Fitter went down.

So why did the AIM-9X miss? A contributor to Combat Aircraft magazine proposed a plausible theory: While the 9X is designed to resist the allure of defensive flares, but it may have been too specialized in rejecting American flares. Contributor Angad Singh tweeted a story originally written by aviation authority Bill Sweetman about American tests of Soviet aircraft during the Cold War.

During the 1980s, U.S. Air Force maintained the top secret 4477th Test & Evaluation Squadron. Flying the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada, the 4477th operated Soviet fighters collected from around the world, often captured by allies, to determine their capabilities. According to the story, the Air Force received a flare dispenser that had been on a Su-25 ground attack jet shot down over Afghanistan. The dispenser was quickly attached to a MiG-21 operated by the 4477th and taken out for testing against the latest American infra-red guided missile, the AIM-9P.

What happened next surprised the Air Force. The AIM-9P Sidewinder, designed to see past flares, was readily diverted by the Soviet flares. The problem was that the -9P was too attuned to the characteristics of American flares it had been tested against and not against the Soviet flares, which according to the squadron commander between 1985 and 1987 were "dirty, and none of them looked the same."

Did something like this happen in the skies over Syria? The AIM-9X, a relatively new missile, should have easily taken down the aging Su-22 Fitter. A lot of air forces, particularly America's NATO allies, rely on the AIM-9X as their short-range missile. The news that it was unable to shoot down a 30-year-old fighter jet will be disturbing to many.
 
   #192  

vreihen

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:facepalm:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/woman-throws-coins-plane-engine-205237945.html

Woman Throws Coins Into Plane Engine 'For Good Luck,' Delaying Flight for Five Hours

Harriet Sinclair
Newsweek
27 June 2017

An elderly woman delayed a flight in China for more than four hours Tuesday after throwing coins into the plane’s jet engine “for good luck.”

The 80-year-old threw nine coins into the engine’s turbine and performed a blessing as she was boarding the China Southern Airlines flight at Pudong Airport, prompting passengers to alert airline staff.

The flight, which was scheduled to leave Pudong for Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 12:40 p.m. was delayed until 4:50 p.m. while staff carried out a thorough assessment of the engine turbines.

Passengers who had already boarded the flight were removed from the aircraft while the search for the coins was being carried out.

Flight @flightorg

DDVZuuUUMAAA74j.jpg

China Southern Flight 380 was delayed at Shanghai Pudong Int'l Airport on Tues after an elderly woman threw coins into the engine for luck..
10:28 AM - 27 Jun 2017
345 345 Retweets 195 195 likes

Mechanics carrying out the inspection found one coin inside the engine, and eight around it, with the coins having total value of 1.7 yuan (US$0.2), Shanghai Daily reported.

Police told the newspaper the woman was a practicing Buddhist and had no mental health problems or criminal record, while witnesses on social media claimed the woman had performed the coin-tossing ritual to “wish for a safe flight.”

"A senior passenger threw coins to the plane's engine and delayed the flight. The passenger involved has been taken away by police," China Southern Airlines said in a statement seen by Circa. "In order to make sure the flight is safe, China Southern maintenance has conducted a full exam of the plane's engine."

It is not yet clear whether the airline will be taking any further action against the woman, but an investigation into the incident is still underway, The Independent reported.

Once the airline staff had found all of the coins, passengers were allowed to re-enter the aircraft, and the flight finally got underway more than four hours after boarding had begun. The elderly woman who threw the coins into the engine was not on the flight.
 
   #193  

vreihen

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Holy crap! We just had an F-18 buzz our office! The Blue Angels must be practicing for this weekend's air show at SWF.....
 
   #194  

vreihen

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Speaking of the KSWF air show, are you going again this year Jack? Don't forget your umbrella...and sufficient bail money!!!!!
rolling-on-the-floor-laughing-smiley-emoticon.gif
 
   #195  

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My whiplash from looking out the window whenever one of the Blue Angels flies past for their air show practice brings one thing to mind:


Negative Ghostrider, the pattern is full.....
 
   #196  

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:facepalm:

https://www.yahoo.com/style/plane-nearly-ran-fuel-pilots-113113976.html

Plane nearly ran out of fuel after pilots forgot to bring up landing gear

Hugh Morris
The Telegraph
July 28, 2017

Two pilots have been suspended from duty after their aircraft, carrying 99 passengers, nearly ran out of fuel because they forgot to retract the landing gear after take-off.

Air India Flight AI676 was en route to Mumbai from Kolkata on July 22 but was forced to divert to Nagpur when the crew became alarmed by the speed at which the aircraft was losing fuel thanks to the additional drag created by the extended wheels.

An unidentified source told the Times of India that the “brand new Airbus A320”, one of the most fuel efficient aircraft in existence, had struggled to climb after take-off, prompting the pilots to settle on an altitude of 24,000 feet as opposed to a usual cruising height of 35,000 feet. The source, who made a point of saying that both pilots were women, said it flew like this at 230 knots - as opposed to around 500 knots - for about an hour-and-a-half, while the extended landing gear dragged heavily on the aircraft.

At this point, 90 minutes into a two-and-a-half-hour flight, the crew requested permission to divert to Nagpur as their fuel would have run out before reaching Mumbai.

“When preparing to land, they decided to lower the landing gear. At this point they realised that the wheels had been out all the while from Kolkata,” said the source.

A playback of the flight from FlightRadar24.com shows it failing to reach an altitude higher than 24,000 feet but put the aircraft’s speed at just over 300 knots.

A spokesperson for Air India told the Times of India the pilots have been “de-rostered” and the airline is investigating.

The problem is more often experienced in reverse when pilots have difficulty lowering the landing gear during an approach. Such landings are called “belly landings” as aircraft attempt to negotiate a touchdown without wheels. This has been known to occur because crew simply forget to lower the gear. One such incident happened to a light aircraft in 2015 when a pilot, distracted by a moose on the runway in Alaska, forgot to lower the landing gear, meaning his twin-engine Piper PA 31-350 landed on its belly, skidding across the tarmac.

The report from the National Transportation Safety Board read: “While on final approach, an airplane that landed in front of him reported a moose in the vicinity of the runway. An airport maintenance person announced on the common traffic advisory frequency that he was attempting to chase the moose off of the runway. The pilot became distracted trying to avoid wake turbulence from the preceding airplane and monitor the location of the vehicle and moose and failed to extend the landing gear prior to landing.”

A remarkable video from 2011 shows a LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 767 landing at Warsaw Chopin Airport without its landing gear, grinding to a halt on the runway on only its fuselage. There were no injuries.

 
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   #199  

Flaps10

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Probably cart wheeled on the beach. You can see the prop is bent, and the nose wheel strut is tilting quite far forward (indicating firewall damage).

I've never heard of someone folding up a C152 strut, and I've put some effort into it.

Some problems with the sniff test here. Student and "highly skilled instructor", hits some people on the beach and claims he had no choice. Yet also mentions engine trouble and a Mayday.

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.

Aviate: You fly the biggest chunk to the ground
Navigate: Assuming the airplane is under control, point it where it is best going to serve you
Communicate: Got all the above in order? Now you can key the mic.

With a crowded beach I would just put it in shallow water - which is getting popular this month
 
   #200  

Uwe

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Fascinating:

BeautifulLiveBeaver.gif


Today, I think some cameras would be a better solution to letting the pilot see the runway at the extreme angle of attack it requires to have a semi-reasonable landing speed:

862661257-supersonic-speed-supersonic-transport-concorde-aeroplane-british-airways.jpg
 
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