« previous next »
Pages: 1 ... 36 37 [38] 39 40 ... 91

Author Topic: Interesting or unusual planes?  (Read 393992 times)

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #925 on: 07 May, 2015, 12:27:00 am »
According to the Fount of All Knowledge:

Quote from: wikipedia
The English Electric Lightning is credited with a single kill in 1972, a British Harrier pilot had ejected from his aircraft following apparent engine failure; however, the pilotless aircraft unintentionally maintained flight and was heading towards the East German border, to avoid a diplomatic incident the Harrier was shot down.

 :thumbsup:
Logged

TimC

  • Old blerk sometimes onabike.
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #926 on: 07 May, 2015, 03:06:21 am »
Quote from: Steph on 06 May, 2015, 04:06:15 pm
They did tests many moons ago in interceptions of a Spit by a Lightning. Best technique was a climbing attack from astern.

AFDS RAF West Raynham, around 1960. My Dad was one of the Lightning pilots involved. The Spit was a (may have been more than one) PRXIX from the Met Sqn at RAF Woodvale. They were looking at tactics to be flown against P51s and similar in Malaya.

Edit: I see the article linked gives more and better info! Sorry.
Logged

spesh

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #927 on: 07 May, 2015, 10:17:55 am »
Quote from: clarion on 06 May, 2015, 11:06:06 pm
The difficulty of predicting the format of the next conflict...

But I don't believe Lightnings ever actually engaged in conflict, did they?  Sure, they were scrambled on a regular basis to intercept Bears etc, but...

RAF Frightenings weren't, but the Saudis used them as ground-attack aircraft in Yemen, though a lot of the time, just making a supersonic fly-by was enough to get the Yemenis to scatter. Apparently, they thought the sonic booms were a manifestation of Allah.  ;D
Logged
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Exit Stage Left

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #928 on: 07 May, 2015, 10:28:38 am »
The Lightning that used to stand outside BAe at Samlesbury was getting very tatty, so they've replaced it with a life-size Airfix model in fibreglass.

Logged

spesh

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #929 on: 07 May, 2015, 10:32:36 am »
Quote from: Pingu on 07 May, 2015, 12:27:00 am
According to the Fount of All Knowledge:

Quote from: wikipedia
The English Electric Lightning is credited with a single kill in 1972, a British Harrier pilot had ejected from his aircraft following apparent engine failure; however, the pilotless aircraft unintentionally maintained flight and was heading towards the East German border, to avoid a diplomatic incident the Harrier was shot down.

 :thumbsup:

Never mind the diplomatic fallout, allowing the GDR and their Soviet overlords to get their hands on a Harrier to strip down and reverse engineer1 would never have done, either.

Especially seeing as the only Soviet jump jet to make it into service (the Yakovlev Yak-38) was an utter POS.2

1 One of the first Soviet post-WW2 bombers, the Tupolev Tu-4 was essentially a B-29 with domestic engines.

2 OTOH, a later Yakovlev prototype for a supersonic V/STOL fighter was of sufficient interest to the Septics that they helped to pay for its development, and it is worth noting the similarities between it and the F-35B.
Logged
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

pcolbeck

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #930 on: 07 May, 2015, 10:49:10 am »
Quote from: clarion on 06 May, 2015, 11:06:06 pm
The difficulty of predicting the format of the next conflict...

But I don't believe Lightnings ever actually engaged in conflict, did they?  Sure, they were scrambled on a regular basis to intercept Bears etc, but...

No but during the Malaysian / Indonesian conflict of the mid 60s they were on the verge of being deployed. It wasn't just about the Lightning anyway the point was to develop tactics for any modern (for the times) fast jet to take on a piston engined fighter. The same tactics would be used by Hunters and Javlins. The jets were never in any real danger from the prop driven aircraft as they could just climb or power away. It was only if they got in a turning fight trying to get a cannon shot on the WWII ere planes that things got dangerous, the piston engined fighter could easily turn inside the jet and get some shots away. A jet fighter has a natural inbuilt energy advantage over a piston engined fighter and the tactics developed reflect that. It is similar to the boom and zoom that WWII P38 Lightnings used against the more manoeuvrable Japanese fighters or the P48 Thunderbolts used against the Germans. The main difference is that the jets dont need hight to give them an energy advantage as they have so much thrust.
Logged
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Jakob W

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #931 on: 07 May, 2015, 04:29:37 pm »
The lightnings were no slouches in the dogfight, mind - I recall seeing accounts of them successfully mixing it with F-15s and F-16s. Of course they could only do this close to a friendly tanker, mind...
Logged

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #932 on: 07 May, 2015, 06:37:30 pm »
P47 Thunderbolt, Pat.

The aircraft actually deployed in the 'confrontation' with Indonesia, in which my dad served in Borneo, was the Javelin. I believe its only action was in forcing down an Indonesian transport. The confrontation with Mustangs (actually Cavaliers) was over Belize, when Guatemala got frisky. The aircraft initially deployed, in a superb bit of flying and great feat of naval aviation, was the Buccaneer.

No jets in Belize, we can inva--what the fuck was THAT?
Logged
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

Efrogwr

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #933 on: 07 May, 2015, 09:46:01 pm »
Quote from: T42 on 03 May, 2015, 05:58:16 pm
#1 looks like a Catalina. Lovely plane.


Some were built in Beaumaris. They were wheeled across the road to the beach for launching. Honest!
Logged

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #934 on: 07 May, 2015, 10:53:21 pm »
Eek!  Merlin on fire. :(

BBMF Lancaster developed engine fire, but landed safely at Coningsby.  Aircrew unhurt, but there'll be a lot of damage to repair. :(
Logged
Getting there...

Juan Martín

  • Consigo mi abrigo
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #935 on: 10 May, 2015, 06:19:55 pm »
Yesterday a Jet Provost trundled over the house presumably after buzzing Headcorn airfield on its way from somewhere to err..somewhere. It sounded a lot more interesting than the run of the mill stuff that we usually see and the sound brought me out from the garage. Today while out for a run on the Bates, a radial engined biplane with US markings; a Stearman perhaps but again, a lovely sound.
Logged

PaulR

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #936 on: 19 May, 2015, 01:55:31 pm »

Snapped in the garden at the weekend, a high altitude Islander on surveillance duty over south London, with a Kuwaiti Airways on its approach to Heathrow.
Logged

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #937 on: 24 May, 2015, 03:16:30 pm »
777
Logged
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

Bicycle Repair Man

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #938 on: 27 May, 2015, 11:11:44 pm »
Now then Chaps

Tomorrow sees the Antiques Road Show at RAF Coningsby. Today saw much aerial activity for the benefit of the cameras. It will be worth a watch when transmitted, (dont ask, I dont know). Camouflaged Tyhoon did full display then later synchro pair ie Spitfire LF16e and Typhoon did several passes not in the usual display sequence, We also had an AWACS doing circuits.

Cheers

Dave Yates
Logged
It's not just hitting it with a hammer but knowing where to hit it and how hard

PaulR

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #939 on: 08 June, 2015, 11:57:53 am »
Do spacecraft count?  The ISS has been showing off over London recently and so I had a go at photographing it.  At a focal length of 4 metres I can assure you this was not hand-held. 
Logged

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #940 on: 08 June, 2015, 12:02:38 pm »
Impressive.

Maybe, to minimise motion blur, you could use a flash ;)
Logged
Getting there...

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #941 on: 08 June, 2015, 01:55:19 pm »
Quote from: clarion on 08 June, 2015, 12:02:38 pm
Impressive.

Maybe, to minimise motion blur, you could use a flash ;)

Or possibly try getting a little closer.
Logged

fuzzy

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #942 on: 12 June, 2015, 01:56:59 pm »
No photo unfortunately as I was awaiting he arrival of an ambulance but, about 20 minutes ago, a brace of Spitfire took off from White Waltham. One in plain camo and grey/ blue with roundels, the other in D Day stripes.
Logged

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #943 on: 12 June, 2015, 03:51:06 pm »
This reminds me, I was driving past Duxford last week and a Spitfire flew fairly low across the road in front of me.
Logged

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
  • Just a tart for retro kit . . .
    • John's Bikes
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #944 on: 13 June, 2015, 09:21:27 pm »
As we passed Duxford on the way home from le continent I noted the remains of a Heinkel 111 (or it's Spanish equivalent) around the back of one of the restoration 'sheds'. Don't suppose there are scads of bits for them knocking around . . .
Logged
VELOMANCER

Quote from: trekker12 on 16 July, 2016, 08:54:33 am
Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #945 on: 13 June, 2015, 09:24:20 pm »
Portobello Rd, maybe?
Logged
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
  • Just a tart for retro kit . . .
    • John's Bikes
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #946 on: 13 June, 2015, 09:44:56 pm »
Possibly Victoria Station. Failing that the Goodwin Sands or Dogger Bank
Logged
VELOMANCER

Quote from: trekker12 on 16 July, 2016, 08:54:33 am
Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

spesh

Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #947 on: 14 June, 2015, 09:45:36 pm »
Quote from: Torslanda on 13 June, 2015, 09:44:56 pm
Possibly Victoria Station. Failing that the Goodwin Sands or Dogger Bank

There was a Dornier Do-17 pulled out of the Goodwin Sands the other year:

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/category/dornier-do-17/

I imagine that at the time, the recoverable remains of Luftwaffe aircraft shot down in the Battle of Britain were melted down to make new aircraft for the RAF.
Logged
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #948 on: 15 June, 2015, 12:23:57 am »
A few seen today.



















Logged
It is simpler than it looks.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Interesting or unusual planes?
« Reply #949 on: 15 June, 2015, 01:03:52 am »
Wonderful.
Logged
Getting there...
Pages: 1 ... 36 37 [38] 39 40 ... 91
« previous next »