Topic: Favourite Aircraft

[BillobShaisley]

Also I love Microlights, cheaper than a new car.  Take off in only slightly more distance than a harrier and in the USA any chump can get one mail order and go out and kill 'emselves (land of the Free!).  The first picture is the flex wing version which I know many people find a bit off putting, the 2nd is the fixed wing version (A proper little aeroplane).






What u cant do in a jet:

[BillobShaisley]

Greatest Aircraft Never Built?  The TSR-2
- This plane could have been in operation in the 1960's and still would have been operational and competitive today.  Only some clever bean counters at the MOD decided aircraft were obsolete, that missiles would be used exlusively and cut funding about 95% of the way through the project.

[BillobShaisley]

The English Electric Lightning.  Another ground breaking aircraft which held the record for rate of climb for a long time.

[BillobShaisley]

Good shout on the Mustang, whoever posted that.  Fantastic escort plane with a range un matched by other planes in its class.  Another competitor to the Spitfire is the Focke-Wulf 190.

[classycarra]

These are awesome, the best military aircradt in the skies today...

am i right in thinking the eurofighters have trouble flying through clouds?!

[BillobShaisley]

Other Classics not yet mentioned (The A10 and Tiger Moth I have now seenn earlier in the thread).

Hawker Typhoon - The ultimate evolution of the piston engined aeroplane.


Fairy Swordfish - Used in the battle of Malta during WW2 where it heroically held out against me109's leading to the entire island recieving the VC.  Also sank the Bismark using Torpedos as in this pic.


Bolton Paul Deffiant - A horrible failure as a dog fighter, it was converted into a night fighter.  German aircraft would mis identify it as a Spitfire and attack from high and behind the plane as is conventional.  Only to be met with the 4 barrelled machine gun pointing straight at them.  The Germans did cotton on eventually but I still like the plane.


The SAAB Gripen (Evolution of the excellent Viggen) Makes you wonder how they manage it, those sweeds are incredible, but then they have fair taxation and 1st class education for all.


Finally and sorry to bore you all, but I must mention the Shorts Flying Boats.  I was struggling to find a decent pic.

[BIGdavalad]

Fairy Swordfish - Used in the battle of Malta during WW2 where it heroically held out against me109's leading to the entire island recieving the VC.

It was Gloster Gladiators that fought out of Malta mate, and they won the George Cross (civillians can't win the Victoria Cross)



Gloster Gladiator

[BillobShaisley]

Thanks for the corrections BDL.  Do you remember where the swordfish distinguished itself then......my minds gone blank for now.....

[Danny Boys Dad]

Thanks for the corrections BDL.  Do you remember where the swordfish distinguished itself then......my minds gone blank for now.....

Didn't Swordfish from the Ark Royal launch the torpedoes that crippled the Bismarck and allowed the persuing Home Fleet to close in?

[BIGdavalad]

Thanks for the corrections BDL.  Do you remember where the swordfish distinguished itself then......my minds gone blank for now.....

Swordfish attacked and crippled the Bismark (as you and BDB both said - they jammed the rudder if I remember rightly, meaning that they could not escape the Royal Navy). The Swordfish was also the aircraft that crippled the Italian Fleet at Taranto (which indirectly led to Pearl Harbour by showing the Japanese that a fleet of ships in harbour could be crippled by air attack) and served all over the world until the end of the war. They also managed to last longer in service than the aircraft that was meant to replace them - the Fairey Albacore.



Fairey Albacore

[Xabi]

OK, this isn't a plane as such. I just really love this picture. I remember going to the docks and watching the Harrier strut her stuff with the vertical capabilities.

[Kanonkop]

am i right in thinking the eurofighters have trouble flying through clouds?!

No, they can do that but I think I read somewhere that the MOD decided to save money by installing a lower grade attack radar so that it has reduced all weather (i.e. bad weather) fighting capabilities. 

Bit stupid when you think about the sort of weather we have for 1/2 the year in Northern Europe but there you go...

[Gus 1855]

No, they can do that but I think I read somewhere that the MOD decided to save money by installing a lower grade attack radar so that it has reduced all weather (i.e. bad weather) fighting capabilities. 

Bit stupid when you think about the sort of weather we have for 1/2 the year in Northern Europe but there you go...

As long as the Pilots are RAF trained, it should be fine!

The Saab Grippen was used to test stuff for the Eurofighter, as it was primarily made by BAE systems rather than Saab. An excellent fighter, and the first 4th Gen one out!

[Ben S]

I would love to have a go in the A380, itŽs bloody awesome.

It's also bloody ugly and fat, amazing it can fly http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/business/2007/03/19/vo.ca.airbus.landing.cnn

Doesn't bear thinking about a fully laden one of them beasts crashing.

[jesslfc]

I like the Beluga, big plane that carries wings. See it all the time at Airbus when I go pick up my dad from work.

[Ben S]

Perhaps the only thing more ugly than the A380

[jesslfc]

Perhaps the only thing more ugly than the A380

Hey....they are different, and different is good.

[Gus 1855]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu21rM9ahkY

Now youtube is up and running, I thought this was worth a bump!

[Gus 1855]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KhZwsYtNDE

[jackellis]

de Havilland Mosquito. My Grandad's uncle served in one of these as a navigator in WWII (a few years ago I was shown a fascinating gunsight picture they took when rocketing a German merchant ship in the North Sea).

[BIGdavalad]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu21rM9ahkY

Now youtube is up and running, I thought this was worth a bump!

What an absolute crime scrapping her was.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

[rotistgeil]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KhZwsYtNDE

Saw that before, Pilot did really well!

[rotistgeil]

What an absolute crime scrapping her was.

Why not build her again, should be possible even updating the engines for todays age. We still have the raw materials. But I am sure we will get another fast aircraft in our lifetime.

[BIGdavalad]

Why not build her again, should be possible even updating the engines for todays age. We still have the raw materials. But I am sure we will get another fast aircraft in our lifetime.

Because it would cost too much now - everytime the Government dares to spend money on anything other than the NHS, the Grauniad will publish article after article about how many nurses a year the money could have paid for or how many incubators it could have paid for and the yoghurt plaiters who read it will tut and shake their head and post the same article on as many internet sites as they can so that other yoghurt plaiters can tut about it too. This leads the Government to believe that the people are against it and there's a slight risk that there will be even fewer people voting for them next time there's an election. Therefore it won't happen.

[Party Phil]

Perhaps the only thing more ugly than the A380

[Gus 1855]

If you ever saw this sight, I reccomend you run!

[Ben S]

First A380 delivered today,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7043812.stm

Airbus has delivered its first finished A380 superjumbo jet to Singapore Airlines, 18 months behind schedule.

The construction of the A380, able to carry up to 800 passengers, has been beset by persistent and costly delays.

It has also been overshadowed by allegations of insider trading against managers at parent company EADS.

Chief executive Thomas Enders said the delivery of the world's largest aircraft was "the latest milestone in a long journey".

Singapore Airlines took delivery of the double-decker plane at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, at a ceremony attended by more than 500 people.

It will be flown to its new home at Singapore's Changi airport on Wednesday.

The aircraft's first commercial flight will take place on 25 October, when the A380 takes off for Sydney.

"I realise how unsettling recent times, particularly the last 18 months, have been, but that only serves to make this achievement all the more impressive," Mr Enders told Airbus employees at the ceremony.

'Overcoming obstacles'

   
This has been a very difficult delivery and the troubles will resonate for some time
John Nance, aviation analyst, on A380

What caused A380 delays?
Timeline: A380 project

Airbus said on Monday it was on track to meet its target for A380 deliveries in 2008 and was not planning further delays.

Le Journal du Dimanche had reported on Sunday that Airbus remained worried about deliveries and had introduced a new set of measures last month to weed out any further delays.

To meet its revised production schedule, Airbus must hand over 13 completed planes in 2008 and four every month in 2009 and 2010.

Delays to the flagship project have cost Airbus 6bn euros (£4.17bn; $8.5bn) and analysts believe the planemaker must now sell 420 models to make a profit on it.

It currently has 189 confirmed orders and tentative sales agreements in place.

Mr Enders and other executives have been under scrutiny for their role in the sale of EADS shares before the announcement in June 2006 that the A380 project would be delayed, news which led to a slump in the company's share price.

The matter is currently being investigated by French prosecutors but Mr Enders, other senior managers and EADS shareholders have all denied any wrongdoing.

Boeing problems

Many analysts remain to be convinced that Airbus' gamble on the success of the A380 - driven by what it believes will be ever-growing demand for long-haul travel between key global destinations - will pay off.

Shot of interior of A380
Airbus says the A380 will revolutionise flying comfort

"It is something to celebrate when you launch a new airplane and get it turned over to a client," said John Nance, a US aviation analyst.

"But this has been a very difficult delivery and the troubles will resonate for some time.

"I am sure she will fly well and it is a magnificent achievement but I think it is a white elephant."

Airbus is battling with rival Boeing for supremacy in the civil aviation manufacturing market.

Boeing revealed recently that production of its new 787 aircraft - known as the Dreamliner - would be delayed by six months, leading some airlines to call for compensation.

[cj]

Fantastic that they've finally been able to deliver. Let's hope it proves an instant commercial suiccess.

As for the thread in general I spent a year on a base with JA37 and AJ37 viggen, raw power.
One of the few planes in the world that managed to lock onto a blackbird.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Saab_JA37_37447_Swedish_Air_Force_Marcel_van_Leeuwen.jpg.
Apart from that my favourite aircraft would probably be the su-37.

[Party Phil]

yay a380, free lunch at work today

[BIGdavalad]

whilst I was stationed at RAF St Athan near Cardiff one of the Concorde's was on a test flight and was using the Runway to do "Circuits and Bumps" thats landing and take off tests to you and me !

Just read through this again - we're moving our training Regiment to St Athan in a couple of years. It's going to be the Joint School of Engineering or something.

[Phil M (ET Crew)]

Greatest Aircraft Never Built?  The TSR-2
- This plane could have been in operation in the 1960's and still would have been operational and competitive today.  Only some clever bean counters at the MOD decided aircraft were obsolete, that missiles would be used exlusively and cut funding about 95% of the way through the project.

From memory I believe this to be not quite true. I can't remember the details, but I'm sure a search on google will bring up a few sites with the info, but basically it was the Americans that forced us to put a stop to this project.
Although it would never have been public at the time this was quite a political hot potato and they pretty much blackmailed us to scrap it. I believe 2 prototypes were built and it went as far as the Americans overseeing their complete scrapping.

[PaulF]

I like the Beluga, big plane that carries wings.

Have Paul Mccartney and the gang really put on that much weight?

[MolbysBigBelly]

The SR-71 was very much an experimental and research craft, it wasn't ever truly used for military purposes. I last saw on the telly that one of them is with NASA for their research purposes.

Nope - it was used for hundreds of spy missions.  IIRC it ended up being a replacement for the U2 some time after Gary Powers was shot down.  Also, IIRC, wan't it one of the first to feature sideways looking radar.

[ttnbd]

If you ever saw this sight, I reccomend you run!

It flies again, after 14 years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/7049694.stm

[BootleRed]

Just read through this again - we're moving our training Regiment to St Athan in a couple of years. It's going to be the Joint School of Engineering or something.

Before I took redundancy last year I was Instructing at RAF Cosford and I hear from mates that they are considering amalgamating all technical training and moving down to saints.
Glad I never stayed on as a civvy instructor !!

[BIGdavalad]

Before I took redundancy last year I was Instructing at RAF Cosford and I hear from mates that they are considering amalgamating all technical training and moving down to saints.
Glad I never stayed on as a civvy instructor !!

That's exactly what they're doing. Cosford's slated to be one of the new super garrisons when we start moving lads back from Germany - I've heard rumours that 7 & 16 Sigs and 101 Log Bde will be moving there.

[Okkervil]

Great thread this. The Spitfire is an obvious choice, a true thing of beauty. Love F-14 Tomcat too.

But for me its the S.25 Sunderland flying boat patrol bomber. A beautiful machine!

[PaulF]

Glad I never stayed on as a civvy instructor !!

Are you 100% sure you didn't?

[Withnail]

this fucking thing.awesome !
ladies and gentlemen,the a-50 black shark.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fb3_1178974309