Search found 1034 matches

by smokejumper
26 Aug 2017, 04:32
Forum: Civil aviation / General aviation
Topic: Turboprop for long distance airliners
Replies: 3
Views: 2900

Re: Turboprop for long distance airliners

Turbo-props are slower and the prop noise (in the cabin) is not too relaxing.
by smokejumper
05 Sep 2016, 16:35
Forum: Civil aviation / General aviation
Topic: Mid Air Refueling
Replies: 7
Views: 4102

Re: Mid Air Refueling

Who wants to pay for a second (refueling) aircraft with it's fuel load and crew, as well as face the hazard of inflight-refueling. Today's long range aircraft are efficient and have the range to fly to distant destinations.
by smokejumper
05 Sep 2016, 16:30
Forum: Military aviation
Topic: Black Widows improved
Replies: 3
Views: 2817

Re: Black Widows improved

There is a P-61 at the National Air and Space Museum (Dulles location) on display; it is beautifully restored. There is another at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum. see:

http://www.maam.org/p61/p61_begin.htm

http://www.maam.org/p61/p61spec.html
by smokejumper
05 Sep 2016, 16:26
Forum: Military aviation
Topic: A jet P-51 Mustang?
Replies: 3
Views: 3044

Re: A jet P-51 Mustang?

Added to my above posting:

On second thought, these engines look very much like the V-1's pulse jet engines. Again, probably experimental installations to gain data.
by smokejumper
05 Sep 2016, 16:22
Forum: Military aviation
Topic: A jet P-51 Mustang?
Replies: 3
Views: 3044

Re: A jet P-51 Mustang?

Very interesting photos; I've never seen them before. I doubt these were "versions" of the P-51, but rather experimental aircraft (one-offs) intended gain data on jet engines. The US received a British designed Whittle jet engine in 1942 and it was copied (produced) by General Electric (an...
by smokejumper
22 Jul 2016, 01:26
Forum: Military aviation
Topic: Black Widows improved
Replies: 3
Views: 2817

Re: Black Widows improved

The Northrop P-61 was a night fighter that did see combat at the end of WW2. It was a large (by 1940's standards) night fighter that had a good radar and heavy armament. Several survivors are on display and I've see three of them; a rather impressive beast! see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northro...
by smokejumper
13 Jul 2015, 02:19
Forum: Military aviation
Topic: A Japanese Me-109
Replies: 1
Views: 1507

Re: A Japanese Me-109

I suspect this Me-109 was a technology exchange from Germany to Japan; certainly not any wide-spread use.
by smokejumper
13 Jul 2015, 02:15
Forum: Military aviation
Topic: P-51 Mustang operations on aircraft carriers
Replies: 1
Views: 1568

Re: P-51 Mustang operations on aircraft carriers

Many of the photos were taken on board the USS Independence (CVL 22 - a light carrier built on a light cruiser hull) when they were being transported during WW2. The photos with the spinning propellers are unknown, but I suspect the planes might have been an experimental effort by North American to ...
by smokejumper
22 Sep 2014, 22:05
Forum: Military aviation
Topic: Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly
Replies: 2
Views: 1845

Re: Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly

This might shed some light on why it never entered production:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_XA-38_Grizzly
by smokejumper
13 Sep 2014, 02:19
Forum: Military aviation
Topic: Bf 109 in unusual markings
Replies: 1
Views: 1617

Re: Bf 109 in unusual markings

I assume these photos were taken following the end of the war and these planes were used by the allied air forces for evaluations. They were re-painted with the allied national markings. My late father-in-law supervised testing of Me-109's and FW-190's that had been modified by the Germans to test e...
by smokejumper
13 Sep 2014, 02:08
Forum: Latest aviation news
Topic: Broken Dream: Boeing 787 a documentary by Al Jazeera
Replies: 26
Views: 7689

Re: Broken Dream: Boeing 787 a documentary by Al Jazeera

Reuters has reported that the charges are unsubstantiated.
by smokejumper
31 Mar 2014, 22:58
Forum: Latest aviation news
Topic: New "Black Aircraft" Observed over Texas
Replies: 1
Views: 1306

Re: New "Black Aircraft" Observed over Texas

Has anyone been aware of the NT-43A, a specially configured B-703?

Here's a link: http://www.air-and-space.com/Death%20Va ... ghting.htm
by smokejumper
31 Mar 2014, 19:29
Forum: Latest aviation news
Topic: New "Black Aircraft" Observed over Texas
Replies: 1
Views: 1306

New "Black Aircraft" Observed over Texas

From Aviation Week: see: http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_03_31_2014_p30-675221.xml The identity of what appears to be a blended wing-body aircraft type photographed over Amarillo, Texas, on March 10 remains uncertain, with the U.S. Air Force declining any comment on the a...
by smokejumper
06 Feb 2014, 17:28
Forum: Civil aviation / General aviation
Topic: VIDEO: is a 1100-metre-runway enough for a 737 in take-off?
Replies: 6
Views: 3378

Re: VIDEO: is a 1100-metre-runway enough for a 737 in take-o

A lightly loaded 737 can probably take off in about 900 meters or less. This is not the balanced field length (which allows for full-stop distances), but just a take-off distance with no reserve. Today's aircraft and engines are so reliable, full field length is rarely needed, so this take-off was s...
by smokejumper
12 Dec 2013, 17:00
Forum: Latest aviation news
Topic: Boeing 787 news
Replies: 1166
Views: 635472

Re: Boeing 787 news

Flight Global Headline: Air India dismisses 787 grounding reports (see: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/air-india-dismisses-787-grounding-reports-394046/) Story: Air India has dismissed media reports that its Boeing 787 fleet was grounded recently for a software upgrade. An Air India spoke...
by smokejumper
07 Dec 2013, 02:25
Forum: Military aviation
Topic: RQ-180 - Anyone heard of this UAV?
Replies: 0
Views: 1584

RQ-180 - Anyone heard of this UAV?

Aviation Week and Space Technology see: http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_12_06_2013_p0-643783.xml Headline: Secret New UAS Shows Stealth, Efficiency Advances Story: December 06, 2013 A large, classified unmanned aircraft developed by Northrop Grumman is now flying—and it ...
by smokejumper
05 Dec 2013, 13:26
Forum: Civil aviation / General aviation
Topic: A340 opportunity
Replies: 8
Views: 4229

Re: A340 opportunity

Airbus has a plan for the A340. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-04/airbus-s-longest-aircraft-gets-more-seats-to-help-rebuild-value I couldn't follow the link, but I've copied the story (and it might be a game changer for the A-340). But note that to achieve such density Airbus proposes to ins...
by smokejumper
04 Dec 2013, 18:08
Forum: Civil aviation / General aviation
Topic: A340 opportunity
Replies: 8
Views: 4229

Re: A340 opportunity

Hi ! I'm not a technical expert in aviation, but aren't A340 said to be expensive to operate ? B.Air needs to get rid of its Avrojets as quickly as possible (although I like them in terms of pax comfort), but there burn to much kerosene. One of the things that will probably make them profitable is ...
by smokejumper
22 Nov 2013, 01:41
Forum: Latest aviation news
Topic: Dreamlifter with a problem...
Replies: 24
Views: 7933

Re: Dreamlifter with a problem...

AIRBORNE !!! -THE END - ;) Perhaps not the end. What actions might the pilots find themselves taking as they explain the situation. In all fairness to the pilots, there are 3 airports within 8 miles (13km); all have runways that line up on the same coordinates. The Beechcraft Airport, however is sl...