Aircraft porn

[AdamN]

The B-47 that I mentioned above used RATO (sometimes called JATO) packs, solid fuel rocket packs mounted either side of the rear fuselage to get the aircraft off the ground quickly, seriously loud.....

My favourite B-47 photo

[OzFox]

Missed opportunities.

What is it and what's its story?

Only two left I believe. I saw one of them at Duxford last year

[marbelladave]

My favourite B-47 photo

Great photo.....

You can see the rocket packs quite clearly, designed to get a heavily loaded off the ground on a short(ish) runway.

[Deucalion]

I know that the Jumo engine was designed to work with virtually any type of fuel, even regular diesel.

As to the difference, I think the Jumo had a proper turbine driven compressor whereas the Whittle jet did not. Not sure really......

I didn't know the Jumo could run on any fuel. Useful.

The ME262 engine was a axial flow engine, which means the air was sucked straight through the middle of the engine where it was mixed with fuel and ignited. This was an advanced technology for its time. In fact it was more advanced than the materials available to make it. With an axial flow jet components are subject to much higher temperatures than in a centrifugal flow engine. So for me, the weakness of the Jumo engine was it only lasted 10 hours flying time before needing replacing.

The Whittle designed engine was a centrifugal flow engine. This means the compressed air is pushed into combustion chambers around the outside of the engine. It is not as powerful as the axial flow engine but was much more hardy.

There are a few Meteors still flying today and for the most part, they are using the same engines they were fitted with in 1944.

http://thefutureofthings.com/column/5830/genesis-of-the-jet-age.html

Another ME262 question if anyone is interested. How did Hitler's interference cause a two year delay in the introduction into service of the ME262?

Edited 20 October 2012 by Deucalion

[Bellend Sebastian]

Was there some disagreement over what it should be used for? I think old Adolf wanted to use it as a bomber

[Deucalion]

Was there some disagreement over what it should be used for? I think old Adolf wanted to use it as a bomber

[marbelladave]

Was there some disagreement over what it should be used for? I think old Adolf wanted to use it as a bomber

As ever in the Third Reich nothing was ever that simple.

In the early days of the development of the Me262 Goring was generally speaking, uninterested. It was the view of pretty much all the top Nazis that the war would be over quickly and won by conventional technology, in aircraft as in anything else.

That the project was not buried entirely was down to Adolf Galland, Germany's top fighter ace and by 1941, in command of all Luftwaffe Fighters on the western front.

Once the Me262 was actually flown and its potential realise by Hitler, it's usage came under intense discussion. The Luftwaffe, led by Galland and a newly converted Goring wanted to use the aircraft against allied bombers, particularly in daylight but Hitler wanted it considered as a 'V' weapon and used as a bomber in some kind of vengeance attacks.

As a bomber the Me262 was extremely limited, modest bomb load and when fully loaded, slow enough to be intercepted by the latest allied fighters. Nevertheless it proved an outstanding fighter and had the numbers been available it could really have made a difference.

[Orkneyfox]

What I sometimes go to work in! Note the distillery company logo!

[marbelladave]

What I sometimes go to work in! Note the distillery company logo!

Brilliant, love flying in light aircraft......

A few years ago we booked a decent, but fairly standard, package to to east africa to see the animals. There was an option to fly the final leg of the journey, from Mombasa into Tanzania, so rather than endure a 5 hour coach trip, we paid the extra and flew.

When we saw our aircraft, a tiny 5 seat Cessna, Mrs M nearly had a heart attack. Apart from the two of us there was just one other passenger, a well dressed man going out to one of the game lodges on business.

The flight itself was fantastic, never very high and skirting the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro, we just loved it......

[Deucalion]

What I sometimes go to work in! Note the distillery company logo!

I'm so jealous! Like the Norse art on the lettering.

[Deucalion]

As ever in the Third Reich nothing was ever that simple.

In the early days of the development of the Me262 Goring was generally speaking, uninterested. It was the view of pretty much all the top Nazis that the war would be over quickly and won by conventional technology, in aircraft as in anything else.

That the project was not buried entirely was down to Adolf Galland, Germany's top fighter ace and by 1941, in command of all Luftwaffe Fighters on the western front.

Once the Me262 was actually flown and its potential realise by Hitler, it's usage came under intense discussion. The Luftwaffe, led by Galland and a newly converted Goring wanted to use the aircraft against allied bombers, particularly in daylight but Hitler wanted it considered as a 'V' weapon and used as a bomber in some kind of vengeance attacks.

As a bomber the Me262 was extremely limited, modest bomb load and when fully loaded, slow enough to be intercepted by the latest allied fighters. Nevertheless it proved an outstanding fighter and had the numbers been available it could really have made a difference.

The fact the Nazi German economy was only put on a war footing in 1942 shows the stunning arrogance of the Nazi leadership and how short term their thinking actually was. The fact that the main bomber in the Luftwaffe in 1939 was the HE111 and it continued to be the main bomber virtually unchanged until 1945 proves this point. The ME262 and other projects proved the ability of German science and engineering at the time.

It is very fortunate for the rest of Europe that the Nazi leadership proved so inept.

[Orkneyfox]

I'm so jealous! Like the Norse art on the lettering.

Once or twice I have got to sit beside the pilot, headphones on and all.

More often, once or twice a month sometimes I am in one of these (SAAB 340):

[marbelladave]

The fact the Nazi German economy was only put on a war footing in 1942 shows the stunning arrogance of the Nazi leadership and how short term their thinking actually was. The fact that the main bomber in the Luftwaffe in 1939 was the HE111 and it continued to be the main bomber virtually unchanged until 1945 proves this point. The ME262 and other projects proved the ability of German science and engineering at the time.

It is very fortunate for the rest of Europe that the Nazi leadership proved so inept.

Everything in Nazi thinking was geared to 'Lightning war', the lack of an effective navy meant that blockade would always be an issue if the war went on too long.

German science was strong, but in order to move forward with anything new, you needed a champion to fight your corner in the fractious infighting that was common in the higher levels of the party.

Add to that Hitler's capriciousness and his ability to make the wrong decisions with absolute certainty drove his top military men to distraction and quite possibly cost them the war.

For example, one little known but critical decision stopped the Luftwaffe from using nightfighters in intruder roles over the RAF bomber airfields at the start of the bomber offensive. It was tried and although hugely successful Hitler did not believe the pilots reports and the Luftwaffe was recalled to fight, far less effectively, over Germany.

[Parafox]

If any of you aircraft nuts are interested (you may already know this) you can buy an hours trial flying "lesson" in a light aircraft at Coventry aero club for £50. (Well it was when i did it 3 yrars ago).

It was the best experience ever. I got to take off, fly all around (over my house too) and land the thing. Obviously all I did was guide it and keep it level, the real pilot had control of airspeed, flaps. trim etc. Still a great hour of my life!

[Deucalion]

Once or twice I have got to sit beside the pilot, headphones on and all.

More often, once or twice a month sometimes I am in one of these (SAAB 340):

I always get to go to work in one of these.

Jealous?

[Deucalion]

German science was strong, but in order to move forward with anything new, you needed a champion to fight your corner in the fractious infighting that was common in the higher levels of the party.

Add to that Hitler's capriciousness and his ability to make the wrong decisions with absolute certainty drove his top military men to distraction and quite possibly cost them the war.

.

I think this stems from the misconception that Hitler was a 'hands on' dictator. Instead he believed in 'might makes right' in regards to how competing departments were favoured. So, backing would go to the official/scientist/whatever best able to push their agenda, regardless of any particular merit in their ideas.

This wasn't the case with the military though, as you have said. His interference and detachment from reality were a major help to the Allied cause.

If any of you aircraft nuts are interested (you may already know this) you can buy an hours trial flying "lesson" in a light aircraft at Coventry aero club for £50. (Well it was when i did it 3 yrars ago).

It was the best experience ever. I got to take off, fly all around (over my house too) and land the thing. Obviously all I did was guide it and keep it level, the real pilot had control of airspeed, flaps. trim etc. Still a great hour of my life!

Sounds good!

[skinnydipper]

[Zingari]

anyone got a picture of an airliner crashing into the pentagon ?

[Deucalion]

This one looks like it might roll gently into it.

[I am Rod Hull]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiWV6m5cdn4

[Carl the Llama]

Cba to see if this has already been posted:

[Daggers]

Got buzzed again by a C-130 this afternoon.

Glorious bit of kit, the sound gives me the horn every time.

[I am Rod Hull]

Got buzzed again by a C-130 this afternoon.

Glorious bit of kit, the sound gives me the horn every time.

I got goosed by Cp3O from Star Wars at the BBC in 1983.

Glorious bit of kit, watching Star Wars gives me the horn every time.

Edited 26 October 2012 by WTF BBQ

[GLC]

I was driving through Royal Wotten Basset last monday and one of these babies was just landing

Apparently they don't land on british soil very often, so i was pretty chuffed

Edited 26 October 2012 by GLC

[AdamN]

Apparently they don't land on british soil very often, so i was pretty chuffed

I'm sure the RAF ones do