The General Airplane Thread

[JohnBM01]

This past Sunday, NBC Sports Network shown coverage of the Reno National Air Race. It was a unique event. This is about as close as you'll get to seeing planes race each other. In a way, you could think of it like the aerial version of most boat circuit racing. These light planes could reach speeds between 380 mph and up to 500 mph. It was great to watch. There would obvious safety reasons, but don't expect any trading paint with these planes.

I can't really find any videos or anything good enough to offer an idea of this style of racing, so I'll leave it up to you to find some videos on your favorite video sharing service.

 

[wfooshee]

Reno air races have been going on for decades. You can also look for Red Bull air races on Fox Sports. These are against-the-clock runs by one pilot at a time through a course built of inflated pylons. The aircraft are the ones used in competitive aerobatics.

 

[BobK]

It was a unique event.

Hardly. They've been holding them for over fifty years.

 

[JohnBM01]

Well, the Reno thing is new to me. The Red Bull Air Race is something I'm already familiar with. Heck... I even posted a thread on the Red Bull Air Race championship! I still was mostly impressed with those air races in Reno.

 

[wfooshee]

The Reno races are actually head-to-head races, several planes on course at a time. Very strict rules about altitude, distance from pylons marking the course, etc.

The unlimited class is what people think of from them: WWII fighters with streamlined cockpits, trimmed wings, extra power. They had a disastrous crash in 2011 where a pilot modified his P-51 beyond its ability to actually stay in control, and apparently falsified information describing the modifications. Control surfaces were too small, and a trim tab was shown to be missing as the aircraft dived towards the crowd, narrowly missing the bleachers. The pilot and 10 spectators were killed.

 

[unit-one]

Guys do you know if a Boeing 737-800 can move it's tail like this? (orange-yellow stabilizer)

 

[Dan]

Guys do you know if a Boeing 737-800 can move it's tail like this? (orange-yellow stabilizer)

That's a very large piece, so I doubt it. I think only the red portion can move.

 

[Venom800tt]

The entire horizontal stab can move on pretty much any jet aircraft that can go north of around Mach .75-ish. That includes the Boeing 737 series along with any other jet powered commercial airliner since the 707. Now, the stab only moves a few degrees in either direction and is only used for pitch trim control. Usually a toggle switch on the yoke or pedestal (or both) can control the angle. Usually the stab is moved via an electric or hydraulic screwjack actuator.

 

[Carlos]

Watch the whole thing or skip to 02:00...


Same location but different day. Already posted this one but stays awesome

 

[JohnBM01]

I am not sure if I mentioned this previously in this thread, but I remember last year learning of the ICON A5 plane. I think it would be great if something like the ICON A5 could lead to more people being able to enjoy recreational personal aircraft much the same way some of us enjoy machines like jet skis or ATVs. I am not a pilot or anything- I've never been on or contolled any aircraft. However, I don't know where I'd go if I did own an ICON A5 or was invited to be on a flight in the A5.

If you ever get to look around online or see videos of the ICON A5, take a look at it because I think it's fascinating in terms of making something real accessible for people wanting to fly.

 

[Dan]

Watch the whole thing or skip to 02:00...


Same location but different day. Already posted this one but stays awesome

Holy crap. That's amazing!

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Watch the whole thing or skip to 02:00...


Same location but different day. Already posted this one but stays awesome

Wow, that boy can fly. Some of those passes were insane.

 

[wfooshee]

Seen today while wandering my local state park doing nature stuff. He was well beyond the range I could actually shoot. These are 1-to-1 crops, the center 1280-wide area of the frame, and he's still that small in the shot! I don't know if it's actually a YAK or just painted to look like one, or if it's something else genuine. My knowledge of Russian radial-engined fighters ends at the YAK-50 and -52.....

 

[unit-one]

The entire horizontal stab can move on pretty much any jet aircraft that can go north of around Mach .75-ish. That includes the Boeing 737 series along with any other jet powered commercial airliner since the 707. Now, the stab only moves a few degrees in either direction and is only used for pitch trim control. Usually a toggle switch on the yoke or pedestal (or both) can control the angle. Usually the stab is moved via an electric or hydraulic screwjack actuator.

Thanks for the information. I looked at countless pictures of tails and saw markings, but the stabilisers were on the same level on all photos. On the news they said that the stabilizers went in to a dive mode.

 

[Carlos]

Thanks for the information. I looked at countless pictures of tails and saw markings, but the stabilisers were on the same level on all photos. On the news they said that the stabilizers went in to a dive mode.

Maybe most noticeable in takeoff trim.

 

[Carlos]

 

[Swagger897]

Guys do you know if a Boeing 737-800 can move it's tail like this? (orange-yellow stabilizer)

The entire horizontal stab can move on pretty much any jet aircraft that can go north of around Mach .75-ish. That includes the Boeing 737 series along with any other jet powered commercial airliner since the 707. Now, the stab only moves a few degrees in either direction and is only used for pitch trim control. Usually a toggle switch on the yoke or pedestal (or both) can control the angle. Usually the stab is moved via an electric or hydraulic screwjack actuator.

^^ nailed it. Stab trim can be adjusted on almost all commercial airliners, while light aircraft adjust trim on the elevators.

Seen today while wandering my local state park doing nature stuff. He was well beyond the range I could actually shoot. These are 1-to-1 crops, the center 1280-wide area of the frame, and he's still that small in the shot! I don't know if it's actually a YAK or just painted to look like one, or if it's something else genuine. My knowledge of Russian radial-engined fighters ends at the YAK-50 and -52.....

Seen pictures of this, and from what I thought I read, it wasn't anything near a Yak... Although... it may have been a random facebook idiot...

Thanks for the information. I looked at countless pictures of tails and saw markings, but the stabilisers were on the same level on all photos. On the news they said that the stabilizers went in to a dive mode.

Here you can see on a 757 the levels marked on the fuselage of available stab trim. There's quite a lot, but it generally never exceeds 5-7 degrees for takeoff, and little to no negative trim is used... ever.

And here are a few things I saw over the weekend while in NYC:

 

[BobK]

Looks like somebody went aboard the Intrepid...

 

[Swagger897]

Yes, yes I did.

 

[Carlos]

 

[Carlos]

 

[Dan]

Ethan and Hila saw two V-22 Ospreys flying low over New York in their latest vlog. Pretty cool if you ask me. Anyway, they also filmed a helicopter landing nearby. Do any of you know the make and model?

(Language warning)

 

[Swagger897]

reminds me of some westland helicopters like the lynx... too bad there's no (hardly visible) registration...

 

[Venom800tt]

Looks like either an Augusta Westland AW-109 or a Sikorsky S-76

 

[Law93]

I know for sure that isn't an S-76. It does seem more Agusta Westland looking though.

 

[Swagger897]

Found them... http://heliflite.com/

They're S-76s


Ever wanted to know how much some of the new composite wings can flex?

787:

 

[Law93]

The video actually has a Bell 430 in it judging by the website you provided Swagger. I work with S76s so I know one when I see them

 

[Carlos]

On Apr. 11, using radio callsign “Tabor 41,” four U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors deployed to RAF Lakenheath, UK, to conduct air training with other Europe-based aircraft.

The stealth aircraft belong to the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, were met by F-15E Strike Eagles from Lakenheath and performed a touch and go at RAF Marham before heading to their final destination, where they will be deployed until May.

The Aviationist

 

[Dan]

@Carlos Are those air brakes on the Su-25's wingtips?

 

[Carlos]

@Carlos Are those air brakes on the Su-25's wingtips?

Yes 👍 Not sure those tiny flaps help a lot..