Interesting or unusual planes?

[Steph]

Not just Blackburn (let's not forget the Roc and Skua), but Gloster. I refer to the Javelin, about which I have usually restricted my comments to "Why?"

Especially when the Vixen was available. One of my former plane-fettling colleagues used to joke* about it being the only aircraft ever to slow down when the pilot used reheat.

I suppose the thing is that jet aircraft and their possibilities were such a radical departure from what had gone before that there was bound to be some 'interesting' ideas.


*with the use of the word 'joke', YMMV.

And then there was the Supermarine Scimitar, initially intended to operate without wheels from a rubber deck...

[TimC]

Not just Blackburn (let's not forget the Roc and Skua), but Gloster. I refer to the Javelin, about which I have usually restricted my comments to "Why?"

Especially when the Vixen was available. One of my former plane-fettling colleagues used to joke* about it being the only aircraft ever to slow down when the pilot used reheat.

I suppose the thing is that jet aircraft and their possibilities were such a radical departure from what had gone before that there was bound to be some 'interesting' ideas.


*with the use of the word 'joke', YMMV.

You should talk to the pilots rather than the engineers when attempting to assess the flying qualities of an aircraft. Contrary to your friend's opinion of the aircraft (one which has been liberally spread by people who never flew it, but claimed to know better), the Javelin was well-liked by its pilots as a stable and well-armed weapons platform that was easy to fly and had the rare virtue, in a British aircraft, of a comfortable cockpit. While it couldn't match the later Lightning (except in its much greater weapons load), it could easily live with the Hunter - which was unable to carry any significant air-to-air weaponry. The story about the aircraft going slower in reheat was a legacy of an inadequate fuel pump in the FAW8 which, at low altitudes, couldn't fully supply both the 'dry' and 'wet' parts of the engine, leading to a loss of dry thrust. This was so late in the Javelin's 12-year service life that they decide not to bother correcting it, as it was being replaced by the Lightning.

Incidentally, the Sea Vixen was a great aircraft - but had no guns, and was inferior in a turning fight to the Javelin. Javelin pilots always enjoyed their encounters with the Sea Vixen...

[Hot Flatus]

There is a Gloster Javelin in the Jet Age Museum just outside...err..Gloucester.  on my commute I pass near the Javelin industrial park where the factory was situated. The Javelin looked to my inexpert eye to be of a rather modern design for its era. I was rather surprised.

The museum, although small, is delightful, not least because the old duffers showing you around know what they are talking about. The guy handing out the tickets to go inside the Vulcan cockpit turned out to be a Vulcan pilot who had flown nearly all of the Vulcan produced.

[TheLurker]

The summer migrants are at Fairford again, orf home tomorrow I think.  This year we've got B52s (aeroplanus biggus vulgaris), B1s (aeroplanus skinnimalinkus lethalis) and B2s (aeroplanus sneakius sneakius).  Haven't seen the B2s (chiz, chiz) but the B52s and B1s have been difficult to miss.

Was out flying model aeroplanes this morning and got some (not terribly good) images of B1s coming in to land at about quarter to eight.



Some grainy video here.
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/41392773@N02/sets/72157685098106166

[Steph]

B52: also known as the BUFF.

[rr]

Queen's birthday fly past over Chelmsford yesterday as usual.

Sent from my XT1562 using Tapatalk
 
Micro on seeing the Hercules and the A400M, "are they massive, or low?"
Me "both"

[Hot Flatus]

The summer migrants are at Fairford again, orf home tomorrow I think.  This year we've got B52s (aeroplanus biggus vulgaris), B1s (aeroplanus skinnimalinkus lethalis) and B2s (aeroplanus sneakius sneakius).  Haven't seen the B2s (chiz, chiz) but the B52s and B1s have been difficult to miss.

Was out flying model aeroplanes this morning and got some (not terribly good) images of B1s coming in to land at about quarter to eight.



Some grainy video here.
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/41392773@N02/sets/72157685098106166

Bloody thing woke me up at about 1am flying over my house. It was heading west so possibly back to USA.

[TheLurker]

B52: also known as the BUFF.

Yes, such a *terribly* vulgar nickname, but the colonials are a little rough and ready.

Red Arrows at nought feet heading NE about 15 or 20 mins ago.

[Torslanda]

According to the narrator of one documentary (I think it might've been Neil Armstrong, no less, BICBW) this nickname is an acronym for 'Big Ugly Fat Fellow'. Yeah, right . . .

Likewise the C-5 Galaxy I have heard referred to as FRED. The last three letters 'Ridiculous Expensive Disaster'. I'll leave it to your imagination . . .

[Pingu]

More the situation than the plane:


IMG_8803_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

[Aidan]

Scarborough Armed forces day again yesterday.  We had planned on taking FIL if he was still with us, but unfortunately he passed away a few weeks ago so we went for him.

First up a funny boxy plane


Carrying these guys



Followed by what was billed as a Spitfire but was actually a Hurricane, of which I only got one decent pic as was eating Ice cream


Then came the Air Sea Rescue demo





Then lastly the Red Arrows, who put on a cracking display as usual








Not a bad day out, with plenty happening, almost worth missing You to Hull FRNTTC for 

[T42]

Scarborough Armed forces day again yesterday.  We had planned on taking FIL if he was still with us, but unfortunately he passed away a few weeks ago so we went for him.

First up a funny boxy plane

Short Skyvan by the look of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_SC.7_Skyvan

[The French Tandem]

More the situation than the plane:


IMG_8803_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

You spent your last holiday in République populaire du what?

[Aidan]

Scarborough Armed forces day again yesterday.  We had planned on taking FIL if he was still with us, but unfortunately he passed away a few weeks ago so we went for him.

First up a funny boxy plane

Short Skyvan by the look of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_SC.7_Skyvan

Yep, that was it

[Cudzoziemiec]

More the situation than the plane:


IMG_8803_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

You spent your last holiday in République populaire du what?

du Benin, probably:


Maybe this one:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Republique-Populaire-Du-Benin/Boeing-707-321/160667

[David Martin]

Saw this chap enjoying the wind over Westbury White Horse.

DSC_2898 by David Martin, on Flickr

DSC_2856 by David Martin, on Flickr

[T42]

Looks like a flying bivvy bag.  Around here we get flying lawnmowers from the local club, motto: No Evening Too Peaceful.

[Pingu]

At Kinloss


IMG_9064_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

[Jurek]

At Kinloss


IMG_9064_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

What is that?
A De Havilland Comet on steroids?

[Pingu]

Nimrod

[Jurek]

Nimrod

Ah!
Begins to make sense...

[Steph]

Looking up the page, slightly off-topic, but I am wondering how much income stream has dropped away from photobodybag after their sudden introduction of third-party fees.

[Adam]

A Flying DeLorean!! 

https://www.flyer.co.uk/return-delorean-flying-car/

Or probably not.

[Jaded]

An AVRO Arrow.

Or at least a scale model of one...

[Hot Flatus]

Are you in Canada?