The General Airplane Thread

[Bopop4]

I
Also, wrecked Zero somewhere in the Mariana Islands.

*Cough* Far Cry 3 *Cough*


But really, those kinds of things are the coolest.

Like scuba diving among aircraft wreckage in a coral reef.

 

[DaehlateM]

Driving home from the track a couple of weekends ago, I got my own private airshow by a Stearman.


IMG_0356 by JordanCole, on Flickr


IMG_0352 by JordanCole, on Flickr



IMG_0388 by JordanCole, on Flickr



IMG_0386 by JordanCole, on Flickr



IMG_0413 by JordanCole, on Flickr

 

[Bopop4]

Driving home from the track a couple of weekends ago, I got my own private airshow by a Stearman.

IMG_0413 by JordanCole, on Flickr

How did you take the 3rd one?

Last one is awesome too.👍

 

[Roush_fan_99]

I just figured that with direct injection and such making it's way into the car market, I wondered if aviation engine design had progressed as far. I'm sure jets are pretty much as efficient as possible, but have small aircraft (Anything between a Superlight and a Beechcraft twinprop) really had that much R&D put into them, or is it not cost-effective to do so?

I read somewhere (I think it was an aviation based magazine) that Diesel was just making it to the aviation industry. Let's put it this way, synthetic oil isn't even FAA approved to my knowledge, although I believe it is in the process.

 

[DaehlateM]

How did you take the 3rd one?

Last one is awesome too.👍

Thanks! He was flying in on a strip that was lower than the road. I was further up the road for that shot and he was flying pretty level across me. Shots like that never happen.

 

[Omnis]

You actually have a miata with a gulf paintjob...

 

[Venom800tt]

I read somewhere (I think it was an aviation based magazine) that Diesel was just making it to the aviation industry. Let's put it this way, synthetic oil isn't even FAA approved to my knowledge, although I believe it is in the process.

Commercial jets have been using synthetic engine oil for years
And most all diesel props run Jet-A instead of regular automotive diesel.

 

[BobK]

What are the fundamental differences between a light aircraft with a piston engine and a car engine? Obviously theres no gearbox, but can power be increased in the same ways? Turbocharging, "Hotter cams", increased compression, etc.
Additionally, are there instances of car engines being used in airplanes? IS there a fundamental reason why an LSx wouldnt work in a Mooney Bravo?

Light GA aircraft use (mostly) air-cooled engines while cars use (mostly) liquid-cooled. No, Spitfires and Mustangs are not "light GA aircraft".

Airplanes have superchargers/turbochargers because there's less air at higher altitudes so they have to squeeze more in to get the same performance they do at sea level. A non-supercharged plane has a service ceiling of perhaps 12,000 feet, a supercharged plane can reach 30,000+.

Using Volkswagen Beetle engines has been something of a thing in the homebuilt airplane category for a while now. I can't cite numbers but I believe it's the most popular auto engine used in aircraft.

Malcolm Campbell's and John Cobb's Land Speed Record cars used aero engines, among others. Somebodyorother had an Allison engined dragster back in the 60's; same Allison as used in P-38's and P-40's. And of course there's Jay Leno's Tank Car.

 

[DaehlateM]

You actually have a miata with a gulf paintjob...

I wrapped it in October...but yes.

 

[GregTheStig]

If I could bring one plane back from the dead, it might have to be this one. Boeing 314 Clipper.

A Spitfire "wingtipping" a V1 Buzz Bomb.

Caption this?

Golden Super Hornets by mvonraesfeld, on Flickr

 

[Pupik]

Last scheduled commercial flight for the DC-10 was today:

With FedEx parking its final Boeing 727 last year, just a few L-1011 left in service, that just leaves the MD-11 as the final tri-jet in regular service.

 

[Bopop4]

Caption this?

"I said call the ball, not kill the ball dammit!"

 

[ExigeEvan]

The F-35 has just been announced as flying display at both Fairford RIAT 2014 and Farnborough IA 2014.

I hope to attend both!

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Went to March Field Air Museum today. I will post pictures bit later.. Or, I could put a link to my FB that has the pics. Anyone interested?

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Here ya go, knock yourself out!

https://www.facebook.com/aki.heiska...0203844385855126.1073741832.1384681476&type=3

 

[Carlos]

Here ya go, knock yourself out!

https://www.facebook.com/aki.heiska...0203844385855126.1073741832.1384681476&type=3

Nice photos 👍

This one looks very scary.. What is it?

Here are some of my photos from an airshow in 2009.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

That is the D-21 drone carried by SR-71. It wasn't very successful, it actually caused a loss of one SR-71 due to failed launch. Mid-air collision at Mach 3..

 

[ExigeEvan]

You got flares of a Dutch F16? We never get flares!

The Dutch Apache/Viper display is one of the best displays on the circuit.

 

[Carlos]

You got flares of a Dutch F16? We never get flares!

The Dutch Apache/Viper display is one of the best displays on the circuit.

No flares??? Why not?

Moar flares:


The Apache looks really nice but haven't seen it in real life myself though. Maybe I have time to go to the airshow June this year.. Not sure if its exactly the same one, but this was the only Apache on that day (this was 2009);


You might know this one?




Nice little Huey in the foreground, we don't have those no more..

Some more photos if you don't mind












My colleague just came back from the UK, he said he had been photographing for 5 days straight. Don't know where he has been but I'll try to get some photos from him and post them here.

 

[ExigeEvan]

There are safety concerns about flare dispersal in the UK. At most we get a pyrotechnic display where a bunch of propane gas filled balloons explode in a dummy bombing run.

The Dutch Apache/Falcon have the same tiger paint scheme. I'll post a pic when I'm home and at my laptop.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I didn't seem to have a decent combined photo from 2011, and neither did my friend, so here's an example off the interwebs.

 

[Carlos]

Can't beat that!

 

[Bopop4]

 

[Venom800tt]

A sample from the air show I went to the other day...

Will post more pics when I get around to uploading them...

 

[ExigeEvan]

The second best thing to seeing an F22 in show is hearing the commentary!

 

[MatskiMonk]

 

[Carlos]

Wow wow wow. What is the story behind this?

 

[DustDriver]

Is that an F4F Wildcat?

 

[MatskiMonk]

Wow wow wow. What is the story behind this?

Not sure, It's on this Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/flyingheritagecollection, and this was one of the comments:

"On the morning of May 21, 1943, an F4F Wildcat missed the arrestor cable while trying to land on the second USS Lexington. The pilot attempted to veer off the deck, but his engine stalled and his tailhook caught on a protrusion, snapping the aircraft against the port side catwalk. Before the plane was worked free - to dive "nose down" into the water - lines were lowered to save the pilot."

 

[Bopop4]

Is that an F4F Wildcat?

Yeah, the ailerons are shorter than on the F6F.