The Airplane Thread

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

Thank goodness you son was properly trained. My point was that not all pilots can be fighter pilots. Many apply but few are chosen. Centrifuge training is great at selecting applicants. Especially those who pass out at 3 or 4 Gs.

We used to go to church with an old WWII B25 pilot. During flight school they asked him what he wanted to fly and he said bombers. When asked why, as everyone else wanted to fly fighters, he said "I don't want to die alone!"

[Llarry]

In the Spring of 1951, United Nations forces wanted badly to disable or destroy the Hwacheon dam that helped North Korea generate badly-needed electrical power in the midst of the Korean War. The dam was sturdily built with a thickness at the base of 240 feet.

The initial effort was a bombing raid by U.S. Air Force B-29s dropping heavy bombs. The dam was still functioning.

Next the Navy tried with a bombing raid by AD Skyraiders from the aircraft carrier USS Princeton dropping 2000-pound bombs; again, no joy.

The Princeton had on board a dozen old air-dropped Mark 13 aerial torpedoes that had been useful in sinking the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and it was decided to try a torpedo attack on the dam.

Eight Princeton-based Skyraiders were loaded with one torpedo each, including five AD-4s from VA-195 and three AD-4N night attack variants from a detachment of VC-35. The eight ADs took off on May 1, 1951, escorted by F4U Corsair fighters and dropped their torpedoes behind the dam. The attack was a success and the dam's generators were put out of action.

This was the last use of heavy aerial torpedoes by U.S. Navy aircraft. (Antisubmarine P-8As and MH-60Rs continue to use lightweight ASW homing torpedoes.)

Attack Squadron 195 adopted the nickname the Dambusters, which they use to this day, although they are now known as Strike Fighter Squadron 195 and fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet.

[Llarry]

This Japan Air Self Defense Force F-15J was photographed at Naha, Okinawa, Japan in April 2023.

Loaded with three 600-gallon external fuel tanks.

I still think it's hard to beat the F-15 for looks.

[Llarry]

According to scramble.nl, Ukrainian pilots are already training on the F-16 in Denmark. Denmark is expecting the first F-35As in 2025 and may transfer F-16s to the Ukrainian Air Force as early as next year.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by Llarry

In the Spring of 1951, United Nations forces wanted badly to disable or destroy the Hwacheon dam that helped North Korea generate badly-needed electrical power in the midst of the Korean War. The dam was sturdily built with a thickness at the base of 240 feet.

The initial effort was a bombing raid by U.S. Air Force B-29s dropping heavy bombs. The dam was still functioning.

Next the Navy tried with a bombing raid by AD Skyraiders from the aircraft carrier USS Princeton dropping 2000-pound bombs; again, no joy.

The Princeton had on board a dozen old air-dropped Mark 13 aerial torpedoes that had been useful in sinking the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and it was decided to try a torpedo attack on the dam.

Eight Princeton-based Skyraiders were loaded with one torpedo each, including five AD-4s from VA-195 and three AD-4N night attack variants from a detachment of VC-35. The eight ADs took off on May 1, 1951, escorted by F4U Corsair fighters and dropped their torpedoes behind the dam. The attack was a success and the dam's generators were put out of action.

This was the last use of heavy aerial torpedoes by U.S. Navy aircraft. (Antisubmarine P-8As and MH-60Rs continue to use lightweight ASW homing torpedoes.)

Attack Squadron 195 adopted the nickname the Dambusters, which they use to this day, although they are now known as Strike Fighter Squadron 195 and fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet.

I just finished reading, "Hero Found" and how Dieter Dengler escaped captivity after his A-1 Skyraider was shot down.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I just finished reading, "Hero Found" and how Dieter Dengler escaped captivity after his A-1 Skyraider was shot down.

I haven't read the book, but I remember the story from back in the day; the guy was incredible, and his escape was amazing.

This reminds me of another incident from about the same time -- the early involvement in Vietnam. A Navy RF-8A photo Crusader was shot down over Laos and the pilot was seen to have a good 'chute. The Navy wanted to send in a helo to rescue him and the Goddamn $#%$ Secretary of Defense refused to approve the rescue, as U.S. aircraft were not supposed to be flying over Laos. The Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (four star; forget his name) said OK, Mr. Secretary, I am going over your head to the President. President Johnson approved a rescue attempt, but it was too late; the Pathet Lao had gotten the pilot. If memory serves, he survived despite years of tough captivity. That story left a very sour taste in my mouth about Robert S. McNamara, the SecDef in question. Nothing I heard later improved my opinion of the SOB.

Edit: Google (what did we do before Google?) tells me that it was June 6, 1964 and the pilot was LT Klusmann of VFP-63.

[asianF22]

Falcon 900EX…

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by asianF22

Falcon 900EX…

I think it's a LX model which is the current production variant of EX fitted with blended winglets. I stand to be corrected.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by Llarry

I haven't read the book, but I remember the story from back in the day; the guy was incredible, and his escape was amazing.

This reminds me of another incident from about the same time -- the early involvement in Vietnam. A Navy RF-8A photo Crusader was shot down over Laos and the pilot was seen to have a good 'chute. The Navy wanted to send in a helo to rescue him and the Goddamn $#%$ Secretary of Defense refused to approve the rescue, as U.S. aircraft were not supposed to be flying over Laos. The Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (four star; forget his name) said OK, Mr. Secretary, I am going over your head to the President. President Johnson approved a rescue attempt, but it was too late; the Pathet Lao had gotten the pilot. If memory serves, he survived despite years of tough captivity. That story left a very sour taste in my mouth about Robert S. McNamara, the SecDef in question. Nothing I heard later improved my opinion of the SOB.

Edit: Google (what did we do before Google?) tells me that it was June 6, 1964 and the pilot was LT Klusmann of VFP-63.

McNamara = dereliction of duty. I'd piss on his grave if I had half a chance.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

McNamara = dereliction of duty. I'd piss on his grave if I had half a chance.

I'd gladly join you. I hope he's burning in hell for eternity.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by Llarry

I'd gladly join you. I hope he's burning in hell for eternity.

Just the thought of the SOB still makes my blood boil. His ROE (Rules of Engagement) were outrageous. We even said amongst ourselves that we felt like we were fighting with one arm tied behind our backs. The other side had no rules. F**k, I wasn't even sure the guy cutting my hair wasn't a VC.

We operated our GSR within 4 miles of the Cambodian border. Our mission was to detect enemy infiltration from the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the hours of darkness and then adjust artillery onto the target. According to ROE, we were forbidden to fire on any targets in Cambodia. I can't adequately explain my feeling when I would detect 100's of enemy soldiers milling around just across the border and there was nothing we could do about it until they crossed the border. Yeah, we nailed plenty after they crossed, but in much smaller groups.

[asianF22]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I think it's a LX model which is the current production variant of EX fitted with blended winglets. I stand to be corrected.

According to the FAA registry it IS an 900EX...

[Lady Jane]

[Llarry]

The U.S. Air Force plans to retire the two squadrons (54 aircraft) of A-10C Warthogs belonging to the 23rd Fighter Group "Flying Tigers" at Moody AFB, Georgia within a few years and convert the unit to the F-35A Lightning II. This looks like the beginning of the end for the A-10. The 23rd FG is the heir to the famed "Flying Tigers" of the World War II China theatre.

I would guess that the new F-35As will still sport the traditional tiger teeth of the 23rd.

[Llarry]

Here's a unique, if small, photo: A Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye without the radar dome.

This E-2D's radar dome was damaged in a hail storm and it was flown from NAS Fallon, Nevada, to NAS North Island, California, without the dome to have a new dome fitted.

[vreihen16]

Interesting C5 video, if you have 20 minutes to spare.....

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[Llarry]

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has an interesting new experimental aircraft pending flight. The newly-designated X-65 is a stealthy unmanned aircraft that does not use aerodynamic control surfaces; instead, it uses puffs of compressed air to change the attitude of the aircraft.

[Llarry]

There's a new airplane being purchased by the U.S. Department of Defense that I missed completely -- and it's an odd one, too.

The U.S. Special Operations Command plans to buy 75 "armed overwatch" aircraft for low-intensity scenarios. They have selected the Air Tractor AT-802 agricultural sprayer aircraft for the task and have designated it as the OA-1K. Very odd; they are re-using the A-1 designation of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider; the Skyraider's final model was the A-1J, so the OA-1K would logically be a new model of the Skyraider. How odd...

The OA-1K will be armed with various bombs, rockets and/or missiles. The plan is for five Air Force Special Operations Command squadrons. The photo is of a prototype displayed at the Paris Air Show; production samples won't be seen until 2006.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Tractor_AT-802

[vreihen16]

Even more rare than the SR-71.....




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[vreihen16]

Kudos to the flight crew.....



https://www.charlotteobserver.com/ne...276827056.html


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[Lady Jane]

Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing...b_T-7_Red_Hawk

[ezaircon4jc]

I missed 1. I expect 100% from most of you!