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earthman wrote:The Chinese stealth helicopters have been flying all over the world for the past 2 months. Nobody has noticed them yet, that's how good they are.

I thought I saw one yesterday flying up the Potomac River near the CIA, but then I blinked and it was gone. Must have been an floater in my eye!

Or maybe the US crashed the thing and 'failed' to properly destroy it on purpose, to give the Chinese some faulty technology? Perhaps it contained some materials that would make the craft stick out really well if a very specific type of radar was used? Questions... Exactly what I have been thinking...

I am sure that nothing was left behind intentionally for someone to study. In special operations combat situations, you have an objective and focus completely on this, disinformation is not a thought. The training that goes into the effort is intense and you are not going to waste time and possibly ...

The F-35 program is NOT in jeopardy; rather it is the F-35B (V/STOL version) that is. The F-35A (conventional aircraft variant) and the F-35C (carrier variant) are proceeding OK. The F-35B has exhibited performance and cost issues that might put t on the chopping block. It is now on "probation&...

There are probably more sensors replaced in commercial aircraft than we are aware of. (I don’t know what sensor was involved in this case, but it might not have been a critical one). This might have been a situation in which the pilot was more cautious since the plane has not yet been certified than...

Boeing's indecision (whether to re-engine or build a new plane) has cost it dearly. Lost orders and lost spare parts business will haunt it for the next 2 decades.

Yes, the crew was fortunate. The plane, a modified 707 (not a KC-135), is a civilian-owned contract aircraft that is used for refueling military fighters for training exercises. Omega Air Refueling owns and operates 2 tankers, 2 707's (one ex-Pan Am and the other ex- Ari France) and a DC-10-40 (ex-N...

One real advantage of using a commercial airframe is parts availability. If you need (say) a hydraulic actuator or a flap part, you can get one at many major airports around the world. The 767 will be in service around the world for another 2+ decades and parts will be manufactured and available.

I certainly do not know the details but I suspect (from using such ferries in rural areas) that the cable was less then 3 meters (10 feet) above the water. They were indeed low, but such training is necessary. It is incumbent on the instructor pillot to know the location of any such obstructions.

See:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... ssing.html

In the case of Harriers, landing sites can be classified as any small field will suffice for a landing base, so long as fuel, ordinance and supplies are available. But in the case of fixed wing aircraft requiring long hard runways, the need for secrecy is less important. If I were a potential enemy,...

Sorry - my mistake. my eyes were dilated this morning (eye exam) and reading is difficult.

Please accept my apologies.

I suggest installing taxiing and parking beepers on the larger jets to try to avoid this kind of incident in the future, you know a bit like in cars nowadays! Seriously though, glad it seems no passenger was hurt on the RJ, it doesn't look like one needs to worry much about the physical integrity o...

And, as previously noted ..... B-52 - 1949 first flight (61 years ago) - will still be in service in 2040!

The "obsolescent" DC-3 - 1935 first flight (76 years ago) - nothing can replace it (hundreds still in service)!

Hello earthman - I agree that in a perfect world, a clean sheet design is preferable, but since the USAF only needs about 500 tankers, it might be more expensive to them ultimately to pay for a new airframe design and development program, plus a separate manufacturing/production chain. The belief (r...

He has been suspended, pending either termination or retraining. Alltogether, a careeer limiting nap!

see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/rea ... story.html

I just noticed in Flight Global that the Danes have joined the fight with F-16's. see: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... libya.html

The first announced western crash : a F-15. Here we could get some input from Smokejumper with his experience during the Vietnam War. Theory: if Khadafi can hold it out long enough, will the bill rise too high for western nations as with the Vietnamese conflict? Securing that no fly zone will cost ...

I hope their AN-124(s) survive. I think they have two of these (?), from Google Earth it looks like one is parked at Umm Aitiqah Airforce Base and the other at Trippoli International. The Ruslan is obvioulsy no threat to anybody but I can just imagine some Moronic US Commander ordering "Take t...

Something else comes to mind in discussing the tanker competition. Normally, a procuring agency will draw up a requirements specification defining the qualities they are looking for. IN the case of the KC-X tanker procurement, they defined a need of a fuel efficient aircraft with about the same of a...