Aviation Fans

[gotbeer]

And that one is delayed thanks to AO.

Up in the air: SpaceX, ULA launches postponed from Vandenberg Air Force Base

[Tank]

the space fan in me is really beginning to be pissed at AO.

[arch stanton]

Boeing's "Transonic" Wings Will Carry Airliners to Nearly the Speed of Sound at Higher Altitudes

https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/airlines/a25833379/boeing-transonic-wings/

The aviation giant is building an ultra-lightweight folding "transonic" wing, which Boeing says will allow larger planes to fly at higher altitudes while nearly scraping the speed of sound, which is consistent with the speed of many of today's airliners. The ultimate goal is to make long-haul flights seem more like medium-haul flights as the wings propel aircraft at speeds just below Mach 1.

[Blarg]

You would think by now supersonic passenger aircraft would already been invented. 

[arch stanton]

Supersonic is expensive and hard to maintain. By the time the Concorde retired a round trip ticket was 5 figures 

[Tank]

5 hours ago, arch stanton said:

Supersonic is expensive and hard to maintain. By the time the Concorde retired a round trip ticket was 5 figures 

SST first appeared in the 70s. you'd think they'd have found a way to reduce the costs by now.

[gotbeer]

Fifty years on, Boeing's 747 clings to life as cargo carrier

[Vegas Halo Fan]

On 1/14/2019 at 9:29 AM, arch stanton said:

Supersonic is expensive and hard to maintain. By the time the Concorde retired a round trip ticket was 5 figures 

Increased fuel costs basically killed Concorde. The fatal Air France crash accelerated things, but the plane was already on its way out.

[nate]

 

[gotbeer]

@nate  That's just amazing that the Hercules can do that run.  

[gotbeer]

USC Students' Rocket Reaches Space in Record-Setting Launch

I guess Cal Tech was disqualified.  But still pretty impressive.

[gotbeer]

Ok, you aviation nerds.  It's a very long, and somewhat technical read.  But some fascinating SR71 porn for you.  

The SR-71 Blackbird's Predecessor Created "Plasma Stealth" By Burning Cesium-Laced Fuel

[gotbeer]

What it was like to fly the baddest airplane the world has ever known

[gotbeer]

Voyager 2 bounces back from glitch in interstellar space

Can't wait till they come back to earth to communicate with Skynet.

[Lou]

got, what have I told you about talking to yourself?

[gotbeer]

The Air Force Is Eying a Newer, Faster SR-71 Blackbird

[ten ocho recon scout]

On 2/14/2019 at 1:33 PM, nate said:

 

Thats super high on my to do list. I want to get out there with a camera someday, but not sure how to time it to know when planes will come through

[gotbeer]

On 2/12/2020 at 11:09 AM, ten ocho recon scout said:

Thats super high on my to do list. I want to get out there with a camera someday, but not sure how to time it to know when planes will come through

Was driving home from Vegas last week, near barstow.  When a 4 prop cargo plane came barreling out of the desert.  Low.  I mean low.  Like a few hundred feet from the ground.  flew over the freeway, then turned sideways to bank in a different direction.  then it flew off into the desert continuing it's low altitude.  It was pretty phenomenal.  When that plane banked, my jaw hit the ground.  Something that big, doing that kind of maneuver that you would expect from fighter planes.  My first thought was it was going to crash.  But you could tell, it was a deliberate maneuver.  

[gotbeer]

Why are U-2 jet pilots wearing Garmin satellite navigation smartwatches?

[ten ocho recon scout]

Alright @Glen, lets hear it about why the F-35 is better than the F-22

[gotbeer]

4 hours ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Alright @Glen, lets hear it about why the F-35 is better than the F-22

F35 is better at killing Brown People.  F22 is better at killing White People.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/f-22-vs-f-35-which-stealth-fighter-wins-shootout-41652

Quote

The U.S. Air Force’s original plan was for the F-22 to be its high-end air superiority fighter while the F-35 was designed to be primarily an air-to-ground strike aircraft, but one which could defend itself.

 

[gotbeer]

This Man Owns The World's Most Advanced Private Air Force After Buying 46 F/A-18 Hornets

 

Interesting read.  Man, this guy has his own very capable Air Force.  

[arch stanton]

43 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

This Man Owns The World's Most Advanced Private Air Force After Buying 46 F/A-18 Hornets

 

Interesting read.  Man, this guy has his own very capable Air Force.  

Yeah they own everything they need except live ordnance. Red air support has been a big area in which the services have been looking to save money. I'd be interested to see their maintenance program. Who makes the calls on what money gets spent and what is ultimately deemed flyable versus non-flyable. I might eve see if he's hiring

[Vegas Halo Fan]

On 3/14/2020 at 1:01 AM, gotbeer said:

Something that big, doing that kind of maneuver that you would expect from fighter planes.

In 1990, I attended Aerospace America, the annual air show in Oklahoma City. That particular year was the first year that Russian military aircraft were allowed over US airspace, and a couple of SU-27 fighters were there. The real star of the show was the Antonov AN-225 Mriya. The day that I was there it wasn't scheduled to go up, but it did. With the world's largest aircraft, the pilot performed a touch-and-go followed by an immediate hard left bank. I almost dropped the camera.

[ten ocho recon scout]

17 hours ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

In 1990, I attended Aerospace America, the annual air show in Oklahoma City. That particular year was the first year that Russian military aircraft were allowed over US airspace, and a couple of SU-27 fighters were there. The real star of the show was the Antonov AN-225 Mriya. The day that I was there it wasn't scheduled to go up, but it did. With the world's largest aircraft, the pilot performed a touch-and-go followed by an immediate hard left bank. I almost dropped the camera.

Still have the pics?